Chapter 186: Muya Snow Mountain

The Sike Academy winter camp is something one can never miss; the location is set at Muya Snow Mountain, a famous ski resort within the Empire.

Jin Shaoyu knew Ling Wu was busy, so he personally packed cold-weather clothing, medicine, and some daily necessities for him...

By Thursday, the students were transported to their destinations by private jet; the winter camp locations differed by grade level—for instance, sophomores were at Muya Snow Mountain, while freshmen were at Beieryin Hu.

To facilitate the winter camp activities for the noble students, Muya Snow Mountain was cleared of other visitors.

Only with the arrival of Ling Wu and the others did the place seem to have any signs of human life; beneath the snow, it appeared desolate and vast, with thin mist brushing over the mountain ranges and a biting wind that made one's cheeks ache.

Jin Shaoyu wore a branded windbreaker, the bone-chilling wind blowing up his messy hair and revealing his already superior facial features; his eyes were deep, the tip of his nose was slightly red from the cold, and snowflakes rested on both his shoulders as he hauled two suitcases, looking like someone not to be trifled with.

Ling Wu said, "Shao Yu, I can carry my own suitcase."

He was dressed very warmly, with a base layer against his skin, a beige sweater under his down jacket, and a pair of brown snow boots on his feet; he wore gloves and a plush knit hat in the same color scheme as his down jacket, and the way he moved slowly made him look like a penguin.

Ling Wu was not actually that afraid of the cold; it was all Jin Shaoyu's forced requirement, and he couldn't refuse.

Jin Shaoyu dragged the suitcase on his own, a hint of a smile in his eyes as he looked down: "Can the little penguin even drag a suitcase?"

"How can you say that?" Ling Wu took off his gloves and stuffed them into his pocket: "I told you I didn't want to, you were the one who insisted I dress like this."

"Actually, it's not that cold at all."

Seeing others staring at him, Ling Wu made a move to take off his hat.

Jin Shaoyu reached out and pressed it back down, naturally noticing the others' gazes as well, and said, "Why take it off? They're looking at you because they think you look good."

There were a few snowflakes on Ling Wu's eyelashes, which fell with a rustle as he blinked; he asked Jin Shaoyu, "Then why aren't you dressed like me?"

Jin Shaoyu was only wearing a windbreaker with a T-shirt underneath; his frame was very tall, making him appear overly thin against the vast, snowy landscape.

"I'm full of vigor and resistant to the cold." He used his hand to adjust Ling Wu's hat, his eyebrows looking exceptionally black against the white snow, his expression somewhat amused: "Brother, keep it on; it makes me look older than you."

Makes me look older than you?

Ling Wu paused for two seconds; he hadn't expected Jin Shaoyu to say such a thing. Setting aside how he acted in front of others, his younger brother was usually very well-behaved in front of him.

He found it somewhat inconceivable.

So Ling Wu caught up with him, no longer fighting for the suitcase, and tilted his head to ask, "Who did you learn that from? Did Yin Huaiyu corrupt you?"

His tone was clean, but the end of his sentence was slightly cold.

His posture carried the clear implication that if Jin Shaoyu nodded and said "yes," he would immediately go find Yin Huaiyu to demand an explanation.

It wasn't that Ling Wu viewed people through colored glasses; Jin Shaoyu's own personality was free-spirited and open-minded, and if one were to count those around him who were even more reckless, Yin Huaiyu was the only one.

【Yin Huaiyu (pointing at himself, incredulous): What... me?】

【Young Master Jin has been acting obedient in front of Ling Wu for so long that I've forgotten he's actually a black-bellied, tsundere monster!】

【Our Red-Hair is truly wronged.】

【Why does my younger brother look at me like that?】

【Young Master Jin, you've really gone wild; you're trying to flip the script and be the older brother, aren't you?】

Jin Shaoyu was just about to blurt out an excuse and shift the blame onto Yin Huaiyu, but he thought better of it—given Yin Huaiyu's shameless nature, it probably wouldn't have any effect, and he would just end up pestering his brother even more.

He cleared his throat twice and took responsibility for his own actions: "It was just a whim of mine."

Ling Wu breathed a sigh of relief, as if he had accepted this explanation, and corrected him: "An older brother is an older brother; it is impossible to become a younger brother."

He said this seriously and earnestly.

Jin Shaoyu carried the suitcase up the steps with one hand and entered the hotel lobby, his tone languid: "Brother, why are you being so serious? I was just joking, I don't actually want to."

Ling Wu disagreed: "This is not something one can joke about casually."

Being an older brother means a lot of responsibility and love.

The hotel receptionist handed over the room key with a smile.

Ling Wu took it, and while lecturing Jin Shaoyu, he was still distracted enough to say thank you.

The two walked toward the elevator.

Ling Wu was bumped into from behind, nearly stumbling, before being steadied by an arm around his shoulder: "Shao Yu, why are you two walking so fast?"

"Don't tell me you were specifically trying to avoid us?"

Jin Shaoyu saw that the person was Yin Huaiyu and raised his eyelids: "Are you a servant of the King of Hell? Why would we need to avoid you?"

Yin Huaiyu understood: "That's good, that's good."

He was empty-handed, with his luggage in someone else's care, wearing only a well-tailored trench coat with a beige scarf around his neck.

Ling Wu turned his head and saw Yin Huaiyu's peach-blossom eyes.

Yin Huaiyu took a rough look at Ling Wu's outfit, a smile rippling in his eyes; it was his first time seeing Ling Wu wear such "cute" clothes, and he couldn't hold it in for more than a few seconds: "You look so young; it's not your usual style at all."

He used his own scarf to wrap around Ling Wu's slender, elegant neck: "Did you leave this spot open specifically for me because you weren't wearing a scarf?"

Jin Shaoyu answered for him: "You're being very narcissistic."

Jin Shaoyu handed the suitcase to the concierge, freed his hand to pull Yin Huaiyu away, and then threw the scarf back at his face in disgust: "What kind of trash material is this? Don't go rubbing my brother's neck red."

"What?" Yin Huaiyu took the opportunity to drape his arm over his shoulder and said, "Ling Wu's outfit—don't tell me you were the one who picked it out for him?"

His Adam's apple bobbed as he let out a few mocking laughs.

Jin Shaoyu's face darkened: "Mind your own business."

Yin Huaiyu said "Oh," neither nodding nor shaking his head: "So that's how it is. Shao Yu, even though your taste in clothes is a bit tacky, you can't help it when our brother looks so good."

Yu Shixue and Jing Du were following right behind them.

Hearing Yin Huaiyu's words, Jing Du couldn't seem to tear his gaze away, keeping it fixed on Ling Wu with a somewhat deep look in his eyes.

Yu Shixue said, "By the way, Shao Yu, your room is next to ours, right?"

Jin Shaoyu: "Yeah, what about it?"

"Nothing," Yu Shixue said, "Just asking."

Yin Huaiyu pressed the elevator button: "I'm exhausted from the flight. There are hot springs here at Muya Snow Mountain; I already talked to Adu and the others, Shao Yu, do you want to come with us to relax?"

Jin Shaoyu was indifferent.

Hearing that Yin Huaiyu intended to ease the relationship between him and Jing Du, he said casually, "Whatever."

"Then I'll take that as your agreement." Yin Huaiyu specifically said to Ling Wu, "Since Shao Yu has no objections, Ling Wu, remember to come along; it's livelier with more people."

"I won't go."

Ling Wu refused: "I didn't sleep well last night."

Seeing him say this, Yin Huaiyu had no way to continue the invitation, so he patted his shoulder: "Then get some good rest; we still have to go to the ski resort tomorrow morning."

Ling Wu: "Mm."