[Jiang Zhi: Jiji, want to go skiing?]
October 23, 2020.
Nancheng, 3:00 PM.
Outside the window, sparrows chirped incessantly while the phone on the table vibrated relentlessly.
In the scorching heat of late October, the South had barely entered autumn. The Indian summer persisted, keeping temperatures high. Sunlight poured through the window, bathing the white linen sofa.
Wei Zhi rolled over, half of her fair face exposed to the sunlight. Fine hair was visible, and under the heat, her flushed cheeks resembled ripe peaches. The glaring light caused the young girl’s delicate light brown eyebrows to furrow. She raised her hand, waving it aimlessly in the air as if to chase away the annoying bright light.
With a “thud,” she accidentally knocked the TV remote off the coffee table. It hit the ground, somehow turning on the TV to the fifth sports channel, which was broadcasting a past competition. The commentator droned on…
The phone continued to buzz persistently.
The noise completely dispelled her drowsiness.
Wei Zhi slowly brushed away the wisps of hair stuck to her forehead with sweat and wiped off the thin layer of sticky perspiration on her chest, a result of her midday nap in the high temperature. Her white nightgown clung to her waist, revealing not thinness, but a perfect, sensual curve.
She tugged at the hem of her dress, pinching a small piece of fabric to fan herself. The hot air that rushed in provided no relief, only adding to her irritation.
[Miss Jiji: Skiing my ass. Not going.]
Tossing her phone aside, Wei Zhi turned and was immediately captivated by the snowy scene on the TV.
An athlete in the national team’s ski suit glided swiftly from the high starting area on skis, approaching a jump that appeared to be about three meters high before taking off.
A cloud of white snow dust billowed.
In the icy, snow-covered landscape, that slender figure with the five-star red flag on the shoulder emerged from the powder. Bending to grab the board, the skier performed a 180-degree rotation, then a 360, a 720, a 1080, and finally a 1440 before landing.
On the TV, the commentator praised the performance effusively. Wei Zhi, clutching the remote, stared in amazement.
Outside the TV, Jiang Nanfeng continued to chat away on the phone.
[Jiang Zhi: On September 5, 2018, the State General Administration of Sports released the “Implementation Outline (2018-2022) for Engaging 300 Million People in Ice and Snow Sports,” effective immediately.]
[Jiang Zhi: Get up, the Sports Administration is calling you to go skiing.]
[Jiang Zhi: Miss, there’s some snow here waiting for you to ski on.]
[Jiang Zhi: Nancheng is hot as hell. I want to be a southern dog frolicking in the snow, being mocked by northern dogs for being inexperienced!]
[Jiang Zhi: Come with me! Let’s go skiing! Changbai Mountain, Zhangjiakou, Jilin, Xinjiang! How about it?]
Without even glancing at her phone, Wei Zhi hugged her knees to her chest on the sofa, eyes glued to the TV. She held the remote but didn’t dare change the channel. On-screen, a reporter was interviewing the skier who had just competed. Wei Zhi didn’t hear a word they said—
Chin resting on her knees, focused intently on the young man who had just removed his ski goggles. He had monolids and dark eyes that gleamed coldly. His thin lips curved up naturally at the corners, though he wasn’t smiling…
There was a faint mole on the bridge of his nose.
Handsome.
With a hint of cool sexiness.
Having never paid much attention to Winter Olympic events before, Wei Zhi of course didn’t recognize this flying ski god. Just before the replay ended, she managed to catch a glimpse of his title—
[Former National Snowboard Big Air Team Athlete.]
Hmm.
Former.
So he retired.
Then the replay ended, and TV Channel 5 started playing various advertisements and promotional clips for the 2022 Winter Olympics…
Losing interest, Wei Zhi pouted and changed the channel. With a melodramatic family drama playing in the background, she finally picked up her phone again.
Jiang Nanfeng was still wailing.
[Jiang Zhi: Skiing!!!!!!!!!]
[Miss Jiji: No no no!!! Don’t you remember our first attempt at skiing in Hokkaido? We both fell so much we questioned our existence. Weren’t you the one crying and swearing never to ski again?]
[Jiang Zhi: Wuwuwu, this time we’ll hire an instructor! We’ll do snowboarding!]
[Miss Jiji: You’ve already forgotten the pain. Will hiring an instructor prevent us from falling? Can the instructor hold me while I ski?]
[Jiang Zhi: If people didn’t forget pain, what would be the point of the saying “once bitten, twice shy”?]
[Miss Jiji: You’re talking nonsense.]
[Jiang Zhi: Masaerda posted a Little Red Book note, come check it out~ Zhangjiakou Chongli Wanlong’s Chen Weiting xhslink~1234abc Copy this message and open [Little Red Book] to view the exciting content!]
[Miss Jiji: …]
[Jiang Zhi: Look! Chen Weiting!]
[Miss Jiji: ?]
[Jiang Zhi: You’re just one plane ticket to Zhangjiakou away from Chen Weiting, aren’t you tempted?!]
[Miss Jiji: …]
[Jiang Zhi: …]
Ten minutes later.