Chapter 396: Running into Li Juli and Park Hyomin who are using hacks (Please subscribe, please give monthly votes)

The night had deepened.

The neon lights of the crossroads still flickered in the snowy night, red and blue intermingling, blurring into a hazy glow amidst the falling snowflakes.

It was just that the food truck stalls, which should have been bustling, had all closed up by now, their iron shutters pulled down, leaving only a few lonely little lights still on, reflecting off a patch of snow trampled into a mess.

The street, which one would have imagined to be full of the atmosphere of life, was now left with only silence.

Sitting in the passenger seat, Lin Xiuyuan looked out through the car window; there was a thin layer of mist on the glass, and it was only after he raised his hand to wipe it away that his vision became clear.

There were not many people on the street; occasionally, a few people wrapped in thick down jackets walked by in a hurry, heads lowered, their steps quick.

There were, however, many young people with Western faces standing by the roadside, gathered in a circle, holding beer cans in their hands and shouting something.

Their laughter sounded exceptionally crisp in the cold air, as if they had just come out of some bar and were still immersed in the excitement.

That kind of scene carried a touch of indulgence and spontaneity.

Watching that group of people, Lin Xiuyuan suddenly had a strange sense of déjà vu, as if he had returned to the West Coast streets in a movie.

Although he had never truly been there, those scenes where night, beer, neon, and laughter were intertwined had been seen too many times on screens and short videos.

"Nothing is open—"

At this moment, Park Jiyeon leaned out from the back seat to look around, her tone unable to hide her disappointment, her nose almost pressed against the car window.

"Even the food trucks are gone." Park Hyomin, also looking out the window, added.

The group did not rush to get out of the car; the doors remained tightly shut, and the heater blew slowly inside the cabin.

Outside was a cold, biting snowy night, but inside the car was a different kind of temperature.

"So what now?" Park Jiyeon turned to look at Park Hyomin. "Should we go look somewhere else?"

Li Juli, sitting in the front, frowned slightly and glanced at the time.

"It's already twelve o'clock. In a town like this, basically no proper restaurants will be open at this hour. It's either bars, or hookah lounges, or some 24-hour restaurants in hotels; shall we go to one of those?"

The car was quiet for a second.

Everyone understood what she meant.

Just then, Xian Enjing pointed not far away.

The sign for the 7-Eleven at the street corner was exceptionally conspicuous in the snowy night, its green and orange light strips appearing distinct against the white background.

Through the glass window, one could see the bright lights inside, and the small patch of ground at the entrance was illuminated warmly and brightly, forming a sharp contrast with the cold tones of the surroundings.

"Everyone is quite tired today, so let's not go to any more trouble. Shall we go to the convenience store and buy some instant meal boxes to take back? Heating them up is also quite convenient."

Xian Enjing's tone was very gentle when she spoke, as if she were wrapping things up for everyone.

And hearing her voice, Lin Xiuyuan immediately followed up with a nod, "I think that works."

After glancing over there, he smiled, "A cup of instant noodles is fine for me, and aren't there rice balls and instant heat-up meal boxes over there? If we pick through them, there should be plenty of choices."

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Juli suddenly leaned forward, reaching from the back seat to the side of the passenger seat back, her face almost pressed close to Lin Xiuyuan's profile.

She smiled slightly, her eyes carrying a hint of teasing, "Xiuyuan, have you been here before? Why does it feel like you're so familiar with it?"

Because of her leaning over, Li Juli was a bit close, and when Lin Xiuyuan turned his head, he met those smiling eyes exactly.

Then he shrugged, "No, but 7-Eleven is everywhere in the Guangdong and Guangxi realm. What they sell inside is mostly the same."

Thinking of something, he added, "And I've been inside to buy things a few times when I was in Tokyo before; I feel like the convenience store culture is quite similar, not much difference."

Faced with this explanation, Li Juli nodded thoughtfully, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly, and she leaned back into the rear seat.

"That's true, let's go take a look then."

After reaching a consensus, Li Shaoxi slowly parked the car in front of the convenience store.

The glass door was pushed open, and the sensor bell on the door rang crisply.

The heating inside the convenience store was very strong; a wave of heat hit them, and their eyeglass lenses almost fogged up.

Outside was a world of ice and snow, but inside it was bright and warm; the white lights illuminated every corner thoroughly, and the goods on the shelves were arranged neatly, extending row by row from drinks to bento boxes, from snacks to daily necessities.

A young male clerk stood behind the checkout counter; seeing the group file in, he bowed slightly and nodded politely to acknowledge them.

And Park Jiyeon, almost without hesitation, headed straight for the food section, like a hunter who had locked onto a target.

She said as she walked, "I'm going to look at the bento boxes first!"

Xian Enjing and Li Juli followed behind her, each picking up a shopping basket from the entrance.

"Don't take too much; we still have to ski tomorrow, don't eat too much."

"Who cares about that when they're hungry."

The group stopped in front of the shelves, picking up a few bags of bread and Sandwiches here, and a few rice balls and instant meal boxes there.

Meanwhile, Xian Enjing was carefully checking the expiration dates and flavor labels, while Li Juli, who was next to her, was picking things out while commenting in a low voice on which ones were tastier.

"This cheese one should be good."

"Then I'll take two."

"Let's get some snacks too; we might be hungry when we get back tonight."

The three of them chatted while selecting items, their laughter sounding exceptionally clear in the relatively quiet convenience store, and even the air between the shelves became a bit more lively.

As for Lin Xiuyuan, he did not follow them.

Having wandered slowly around the store, he had unknowingly walked to a corner, specifically in front of a magazine rack.

That row of shelves was packed full, all of them magazines with exceptionally revealing covers.

Those models were wearing less and less, posing in various ways against snowy or beach backgrounds; under the lights, the images appeared even more striking.

So when Lin Xiuyuan's gaze paused on them for a moment, an almost instinctive reaction made him hesitate, but he eventually reached out to pull one out and flipped through it casually.

The cover featured a blonde, blue-eyed Nihon girl wearing a string-tied bikini, using a snowboard to block her semi-nude figure while posing in the snow.

The contrast between ice and fire was done quite exaggeratedly.

Having flipped through two pages, Lin Xiuyuan's expression remained calm as his gaze swept over these images.

After all, having eaten so many delicacies, these few photos don't even count as dessert, so there really is nothing to be surprised about.

But just at this moment, a low laugh suddenly came from his ear, "Lin Xiuyuan, you wouldn't happen to be feeling a bit repressed, would you? We're still here, can you maintain some image?"

Hearing the voice, Lin Xiuyuan turned his head.

Only then did he discover that Park Hyomin was standing behind him at some point, her arms crossed over her chest, her body leaning slightly against the shelf.

Her gaze was on the magazine in his hand, a smile on the corners of her lips, yet a hint of a different emotion was hidden in her eyes.

It was like teasing, and also like slight dissatisfaction.

Seeing Lin Xiuyuan look toward her, she raised her eyebrows again, "So blatant?"

Lin Xiuyuan lowered his head to look at the magazine in his hand, then raised his head to look at her.

His expression was not flustered, nor was he in a hurry to shove the magazine back; instead, he closed the cover and shook it lightly.

"Just studying foreign aesthetics to broaden my horizons."

Listening to these words of his, Park Hyomin was also almost made to laugh out loud by the other party's calm demeanor, but she quickly restrained her expression.

She gave a light huff, "You certainly have plenty of excuses."

Hearing this, Lin Xiuyuan swapped for another one and opened it, flipping through a few pages in a leisurely manner, as if he were truly seriously studying the layout and photography angles.

Afterward, he raised his head and met Park Hyomin's gaze, "What good image do I still have in your heart? Isn't it all the negative kind? So whether I maintain it or not makes no difference."

This statement was said nonchalantly, as if self-deprecating, and also as if he had deliberately poked a topic into her heart.

This caught Park Hyomin off guard.

She truly hadn't expected him to answer this way.

Those eyes held a smile, yet it wasn't entirely a joke; there was also a bit of nonchalant frankness.

Consequently, Park Hyomin opened her mouth, instinctively wanting to retort, but suddenly found she couldn't find the right words.

Deny it? Explain? Or continue teasing?

Furthermore, her cheeks began to heat up slightly; she didn't know if it was because the heater in the convenience store was too strong, or because of Lin Xiuyuan's words.

Finally, she muttered in a low voice, "Who said it was negative—"

Meanwhile, Lin Xiuyuan beside her had already closed the magazine, put it back in its original place, and then turned to walk toward the freezer to choose his own late-night snack.

Park Hyomin, standing where she was, looked at his back and gave another light huff.

That huff was very light, yet carried a hint of complex emotion.

About another twenty minutes passed.

Several people carried two large bags of things and stepped through the snow in the night back to the Apartment.

The moment they pushed open The Gate, the indoor heat rushed to meet them, and the cold on their coats instantly melted away.

The lights in the Living Room were still on, the light gentle, casting a warm-colored shadow on the carpet.

The group placed the shopping bags on the dining table and began taking things out.

Instant noodles, rice balls, fast-food boxed meals, Sandwiches—laid out one by one, it wasn't long before they covered the entire table, like a small late-night snack party.

"Dig in, dig in!" Park Jiyeon was the first to sit down, impatiently tearing open the film on a box of fast-food rice.

"Slow down," Xian Enjing reminded her with a smile.

Several people sat around together, the sound of chairs being pulled and the sound of plastic packaging being torn intertwining.

Lin Xiuyuan made himself a cup of instant noodles and also took a rice ball and a can of beer.

A few minutes later, as he lifted the lid, a rich aroma permeated the air, mixing with the scents of the other food, making one's appetite soar.

"This smell is too sinful," Li Juli said with a smile as she smelled the aroma.

"Travel limited edition," Lin Xiuyuan raised his beer, "Calories don't count."

Several people laughed and raised their drinks to clink them together.

The night was deep, it was still snowing outside the window, but inside the room, it was warm and cozy.

There was alcohol, meat, boxed meals, and snacks.

Such a late-night snack was exceptionally delicious.

Topics flowed across the dining table.

Laughter rang out from time to time, echoing in the spacious Living Room.

Until past one in the morning, the excitement gradually faded, and sleepiness slowly crept in.

Everyone tidied up the trash in front of them, gathered the remaining food into the refrigerator, said goodnight, and then returned to their respective rooms one after another.

Afterward, the Apartment gradually quieted down, leaving only the sound of the heater running softly.

The next morning.

Lin Xiuyuan was the first to wake up.

The sky outside the window hadn't fully brightened yet, but the reflection from the snow made the entire room appear exceptionally bright.

That faint, cold white light spilled in through the edges of the curtains, making one wake up quickly.

After getting up and washing, his spirit felt much fresher, so after changing his clothes, he pushed the door open and walked out of the room.

The others were clearly still asleep; only from the Kitchen side came a slight movement.

Over there, Li Shaoxi was standing in front of the counter, head lowered as she organized something; hearing footsteps, she raised her head to look at Lin Xiuyuan, then revealed a soft smile unique to the early morning.

"Oppa, morning."

"Morning," Lin Xiuyuan nodded, his voice lowered a bit, "Preparing to go out to buy Breakfast?"

"Mm, I want to buy some bread and coffee; everyone should be hungry when they wake up," she said softly.

Lin Xiuyuan glanced at her and reached out to pick up the coat hanging on the back of the chair, "Let's go together; it's not safe to go out alone."

Not having expected this, Li Shaoxi was stunned for a moment, then her eyes curved, and a smile floated up bit by bit.

"Okay."

By the time they returned to the Apartment, The Gate had not yet fully closed, and faint movements were already coming from the Living Room.

Park Jiyeon was slowly walking down from the second-floor stairs, her hair slightly messy, with sleepiness still hanging on her face.

Rubbing her eyes with one hand while holding the stair railing with the other, "Morning—"

Her voice was slurred, the trailing note drawn out very long.

"Morning." Lin Xiuyuan placed the Breakfast on the dining table, "Woke up so early?"

"Woken up by the alarm." Park Jiyeon gave a small yawn, her gaze landing on the shopping bag, "What did you guys buy?

"

"See for yourself." He said, already pulling out a chair to sit down and unwrapping the bread.

Then, while eating Breakfast, he unconsciously cast his gaze toward the empty space in the corner of the Living Room.

It was already bustling there.

Several women were gathered together, busy at work, wearing protective gear.

The protective gear they were wearing was all of the inner-wear type, which did not appear bulky; the form-fitting design allowed their movements to remain agile.

Their movements were practiced and their coordination tacit, clearly not their first time.

Once the ski suits were put on one by one and the zippers pulled up with a "swish," each person instantly switched from a home-stay state to ski mode.

The slim-fit tailoring made their figures look neat and crisp, and paired with the bright-colored ski suits, they still looked beautiful enough to keep one's eyes from moving away.

Among them, Xian Enjing finished dressing first.

After standing up, she moved her wrists and shoulders in place, then lifted her legs to test her flexibility, nodding with satisfaction only after confirming there were no issues.

Only then did she turn her head to look at Lin Xiuyuan and walk over.

"Xiuyuan, what time did you get up? Hurry and eat, I'll teach you how to put on this protective gear in a bit."

Lin Xiuyuan was looking down, chewing his bread; hearing this, he raised his head to look at her, "I'm not some child, what could be difficult about this? Isn't it just idiot-proof dressing?"

Li Shaoxi, standing to the side and glancing at him, couldn't help but curl her lips, then explained for him, "Oppa got up with me and even accompanied me out to buy Breakfast, saying he was worried it wouldn't be safe for me to go out alone."

Over there, Li Juli had just pulled her ski suit zipper up to her chin; hearing this, her movements paused for a moment, then she looked toward the dining table and smiled, "How gentlemanly, very reassuring, Xiuyuan."

But Lin Xiuyuan acted as if he hadn't heard, continuing to look down and eat his Breakfast.

By the time everyone was dressed neatly and sat around the dining table eating Breakfast, the atmosphere was a bit livelier than before.

However, the fully-armed attire made the movements of the few people a bit unnatural when they sat down, and the chairs emitted slight friction sounds.

After eating a few bites of bread, Li Juli put down her cup, "Regarding the matter of the ski guides, I'll say it again. There are five of us, so I booked six guides. Three men and three women, all East Asians; I know two or three of them, they are all quite reliable, and their skills are good too."

Park Hyomin nodded, "Then today is set."

"Of course, when you go out to play, you have to play with peace of mind.

"6

A wealthy trip is indeed a different kind of experience.

The route is arranged by someone, the pace is controlled by someone, and even safety is taken into consideration.

Relaxed, worry-free, and decent.

As for why there is one extra guide for 5 people.

The reason is also very simple.

Because Lin Xiuyuan doesn't know how to ski.

It is mainly because Li Juli feels that someone needs to specifically teach him movements and correct his posture, while also needing an extra person to look after him at all times to avoid him falling too miserably or being collided with by others.

Lin Xiuyuan, knowing this, didn't feel there was any problem, because Park Jiyeon had told him before that the skiing expenses for this trip were all split AA, so there was no need to have any psychological pressure.

However—

Having grown accustomed to living off women, how could Lin Xiuyuan possibly have any pressure?

After Breakfast ended, the few people packed their things and headed downstairs, carrying their helmets and ski goggles.

That black Mercedes-Benz Viano was already parked at The Gate, and after everyone had put their snowboards away, Li Shaoxi slowly started the vehicle and drove away from the Apartment.

The snowy scenery outside the car window flashed by rapidly.

The snow-capped mountains in the distance were tinged with a faint pink in the morning light, as if lightly brushed by a thin glow of dawn.

Soft music was playing in the car; the atmosphere wasn't noisy, yet it faintly revealed anticipation.

"Are we going straight to the advanced slope later?" Park Hyomin asked.

"Warm up first," Li Juli said, "Don't try to be brave as soon as we get there."

"Then is Oppa going to the beginner slope by himself?" Park Jiyeon pointed at Lin Xiuyuan.

Lin Xiuyuan leaned back in his seat, his hands folded, "I'm fine with anything."

"That won't do, I have to go and see."

"I want to too."

"Are you guys going to watch, or are you going to help me record my dark history?"

"It's all the same, it's all the same."

There was another burst of laughter in the car.

By the time everyone arrived at the ski resort parking lot, those few booked guides were already waiting there.

Six people were standing beside a white van, wearing the same style of ski suits, the colors clean and crisp, their temperament capable.

Three men and three women, the ratio was exactly half and half.

Seeing the Mercedes-Benz drive up, they turned their heads almost simultaneously.

When the car door opened and Li Juli and the others just stepped out, someone among the group recognized them.

"Sister Juli!"

"Zhiyan!"

"Long time no see!"

The voice carried a familiar sense of intimacy, and the smile was genuine, too.

Several of them were clearly old acquaintances; they stepped forward to exchange a few natural pleasantries, patted shoulders, and spoke with a familiarity that lacked even a hint of formality.

"You've come quite early this year," a male ski guide said with a smile.

"Few people, good snow," Li Juli answered succinctly.

The atmosphere quickly became lively.

However, when Lin Xiuyuan was introduced, the gazes of those few ski guides lingered for a few seconds longer than usual.

They looked him over from head to toe.

In their eyes, there was curiosity, inquiry, and a touch of undisguised envy.

Five women of distinct styles surrounded him, their positioning naturally sandwiching him in the middle.

That scene would be hard not to notice.

One of the male ski guides raised an eyebrow and muttered something in a low voice to the person beside him.

"This setup—"

"Is too blissful."

"7"

A group of five on an outing.

Even in the cold air of the snowfield, a hint of sourness faintly drifted.

However, because Lin Xiuyuan had been identified as a beginner in advance, once Lin Xiuyuan got out of the car, the two male ski guides already assigned to him moved almost reflexively.

One of them opened the trunk, took out Lin Xiuyuan's brand-new snowboard, and placed it on the snow.

The other knelt down and skillfully checked the settings on the bindings.

"Step over here for a moment," one of them said, looking up.

Hearing this, Lin Xiuyuan walked over and stood still on the snow.

The ski guide knelt in front of him, reached out to measure the length of his lower leg, and then had him bend his knees slightly to confirm the position of his center of gravity.

The movements were professional and efficient.

"Your leg shape is quite standard," the man commented in a low voice, then had Lin Xiuyuan squat down to measure his arm, "A forearm's length is just right."

Here, the ski guide was talking about the match between the board length and the body proportions.

When adjusting the bindings, the metal buckles made a crisp "click" sound. As the ski guide tightened them, he looked up and cautioned, "Remember to keep your knees relaxed later, don't lock them."

After the adjustments were finished, he first had Lin Xiuyuan try stepping in, then stepping out.

"Do it again."

"Okay."

Back and forth twice, the movements were fluid, without any stalling.

Seeing this, the ski guide nodded with satisfaction, "That's good."

The others had also finished getting ready, with snow goggles on and helmets buckled tight.

This skiing trip finally officially began.

As for the ski resort tickets, cable car tickets, and even equipment rentals, the ski guides had already taken care of everything, so the process of heading up the mountain was so smooth there was almost no pause.

The only thing Lin Xiuyuan and the others needed to do.

Was to ski.

Following the queue of people, they boarded the cable car, heading straight to the top of the beginner slope.

During this time, Lin Xiuyuan had originally thought what they said in the car was a joke, that he could just learn by himself with an instructor while they went off to the advanced slopes to have their own fun.

It turned out these women were serious; everyone unanimously declared that the highlight of the day was watching him make a fool of himself.

Park Hyomin even shook her phone, her eyes curved, "I'm just going to watch you right here and record the whole thing."

Even Xian Enjing, with her gentle personality, took out her own phone and looked at Lin Xiuyuan, "Xiuyuan, don't blame me. Footage is hard to come by, and Xiuyan told me to film a bit more."

Looking at the two phones aimed at him, Lin Xiuyuan was silent for two seconds, simultaneously realizing a possibility.

That was—if he fell too miserably today, these videos would probably stay with him for a lifetime.

Thinking of this, Lin Xiuyuan couldn't help but take a deep breath of air, "Fine, looks like I have to take this seriously."

At this moment, at the top of the beginner slope, there weren't many people.

The slope was also so gentle it was almost tender.

True experts had already gone to the advanced slopes to sprint by this time.

Those remaining here were either beginners on their first board or instructors with beginners.

The snow surface was flat, and the wind wasn't strong.

An instructor spoke up from the side, "Since Niseko just opened the mountain, basically everyone who came are experienced hands, and they've all gone to the advanced slopes, so the beginner slope is actually quite quiet and very suitable for you to practice."

Hearing this, Lin Xiuyuan nodded.

He looked again at Park Hyomin and Xian Enjing holding their phones not far away; both of their lenses were steadily locked onto him.

So he looked at the instructor, "Come on, we can start."

A few minutes later.

Park Hyomin looked at the figure stumbling along on the snow surface, a bit stunned.

Lin Xiuyuan's movements could not be called standard.

They were even a bit clumsy.

His arms were spread a bit wide, and his body's center of gravity was slightly stiff.

But—

He did not fall.

The board moved steadily across the snow; although the speed was not fast and it wobbled occasionally, it maintained its balance throughout.

"A mistake?" Park Hyomin muttered in a low voice.

Another ten-plus minutes passed.

The expression on Li Juli's face nearby also shifted from watching the spectacle to being serious.

Watching the instructor over there shouting commands, "Brake—release—again—"

——

And Lin Xiuyuan practiced again and again according to the instructions.

Stop.

Start again.

Stop again.

His movements went from awkward to smooth, and his rhythm gradually stabilized.

This person had already begun to learn how to use his heels to exert force to decelerate, and use his toes to press lightly to change direction.

Shallow marks were carved into the snow surface.

After a while longer.

Having returned to the top of the mountain once more, Lin Xiuyuan had already begun learning edge switching from the instructor.

"Shift your center of gravity over—don't rush—feel the feedback from the board."

Lin Xiuyuan did as instructed, leaning his body slightly forward, and the board naturally transitioned to the other side following the force.

When he successfully completed an edge switch for the first time, the instructor nodded, "Not bad."

——

Next were falling leaves and simple turns.

Arcs slowly took shape on the snow.

Half an hour later.

Park Hyomin slid a lap and returned to the top of the mountain.

This time she stood beside Li Juli, took off her snow goggles, and said with a tone of obvious disbelief, "Unnie, this guy seems to have really learned how to ski; his edge switching is already very smooth, and he can even perform continuous turns."

How could Li Juli not know what she heard? She had watched from the very beginning to the end.

From the initial tentative attempts to now being able to turn steadily, this learning speed was a bit heaven-defying.

Thinking of this, Li Juli turned her head to look at Park Jiyeon beside her, her tone very serious, "Zhiyan, are you sure Xiuyuan has really never learned to ski before?"

Park Jiyeon, who was asked, raised her eyes to look into the distance, watching the figure who was bowing his head to listen to the instructor's explanation, and nodded with a smile.

"According to what oppa said, this should be his first time at a ski resort, and also the second time in his life he has seen snow. The first time was at the end of last year in Seoul."

Hearing this answer, Li Juli did not express any doubt or disbelief, but instead turned her gaze back to Lin Xiuyuan, watching him start to slide down the slope at a constant speed with continuous edge-switching turns, and finally let out a sentence.

"Pervert!!!"

""

Xian Enjing, who was on the side, laughed, thinking that if Lin Xiuyuan heard it, he would probably prefer the term "using a cheat."