Chapter 397: Bewildering Snowfield (17,000 characters, seeking subscriptions and monthly votes)

Time quickly arrived at noon.

Because it had been overcast with light snow the whole time, the entire Niseko ski resort looked gloomy and dim.

Having finished their morning of skiing, Lin Xiuyuan and his group took the cable car back to the foot of the mountain, then followed the flow of people to a restaurant next to the ski resort.

This restaurant was quite large, specializing in buffets, though individual orders were also available.

The entire floor-to-ceiling window faced the ski slopes outside; while sitting inside eating, one could clearly see people skiing down from the hillside.

And this time of day was exactly the peak dining hour.

Therefore, the restaurant was filled with constant noise, and the air was permeated with the fragrance of food.

Some people walked back and forth in the buffet area carrying trays, while others gathered around tables chatting.

The sound of tableware gently clinking and the chatter in various languages mixed together, making the entire space appear exceptionally lively.

By the time Lin Xiuyuan and the others arrived, Li Shaoxi had already secured a spot with several ski guides; it was a large table by the window.

Everyone first placed their snowboards, helmets, and gloves in the equipment area at the entrance, then brushed the snow off their bodies before walking into the restaurant one after another.

As their thick ski suits were taken off, everyone felt much more relaxed.

When arranging the seating, Lin Xiuyuan sat directly in a spot by the window.

Outside the window, one could see an intermediate slope where some people were whizzing past at high speed, while others were slowly practicing turns.

Sitting next to him was his fellow countryman ski guide, a young man in his twenties whose skin was slightly chapped by the wind, but who revealed a set of particularly neat white teeth when he smiled, making him look very bright and cheerful.

Sitting opposite were Park Jiyeon and Xian Enjing, while Park Hyomin and Li Juli sat to the side, whispering to each other while taking off their gloves.

Looking at the menu handed over by Li Shaoxi, everyone ordered while browsing; some wanted hot soup, others ordered fast food.

After scanning it, Lin Xiuyuan casually ordered a bowl of ramen and asked for a bowl of soup, intending to warm his body up.

After ordering, everyone was temporarily free, so the topic naturally returned to the morning's skiing.

"Seriously."

This fellow countryman ski guide leaned back in his chair, his expression as he looked at Lin Xiuyuan still carrying a hint of surprise that hadn't fully dissipated, "Xiuyuan, in all my years, having seen so many people, this is truly the first time I've seen a learning speed like yours. I think your future should be on the competition circuit; that would be best."

When he said this, his tone was very serious, and he even held up a finger to gesture, "After all, one morning—from a zero-foundation ski novice to small-radius turns, who would believe it?"

"And do you know, Xiuyuan has basically mastered switch S-turns, high-speed skiing, and basic turning; on the last run, he even started practicing carving."

Speaking of this, he couldn't help but laugh himself, "Although it's not particularly proficient yet, Xiuyuan's body control ability is truly too exaggerated."

Thinking of the scene just now, he added another sentence, "Several times I saw his center of gravity clearly shift and I was ready to reach out to steady him, but he ended up stabilizing himself by force. It's absurd."

Hearing this, Park Hyomin immediately raised her head, her gaze falling directly on Lin Xiuyuan, "Really?"

Having said that, she turned to look at the other few ski guides, wanting to confirm if it was just polite talk.

She knew Lin Xiuyuan learned fast, but she didn't know how to compare how impressive he actually was, as she hadn't seen many skiing experts.

As it turned out, the reactions of those few people were almost identical.

One of the local ski guides directly waved his hand with a smile, "This is truly not polite talk; it is extremely rare."

Another nodded in agreement, "I've been teaching skiing for so many years, and this is the first time I've encountered this."

Someone else simply gave a conclusion, "A typical natural-born athlete."

As they spoke, the atmosphere at the table also became relaxed.

Even two female ski guides let their gazes linger on Lin Xiuyuan for a while longer.

However, that kind of look was no longer just a simple evaluation; it was more like an observation tinged with interest.

In a place like a ski resort, a handsome man with extremely strong learning ability and good physical coordination is naturally easy to attract attention, and being able to hang out with Tara and the others, he must certainly be a wealthy person.

Thinking of this, they even felt that the previous evaluations were a bit conservative.

And Lin Xiuyuan, who was holding a water cup and drinking, quickly put the cup down after being stared at by so many people, and couldn't help but smile.

"Don't praise me anymore; if you keep praising me, I'll really get carried away and go straight to challenge the big jump ramp in a while."

Li Juli, who had been keeping her head down eating, also raised her head upon hearing this.

She put down her chopsticks and looked at Lin Xiuyuan's fellow countryman ski guide, "Then according to this situation, can Xiuyuan go up the mountain with us?"

After thinking for a moment, she added an explanation, "Not the back mountain, just the kind where we ski down from the mountainside."

The fellow countryman ski guide who was asked thought about it seriously, and only nodded after two seconds.

"I think it's possible. During the last few runs just now, I actually already took him to ski the advanced slopes, and there wasn't a single problem."

Just as he finished speaking, Park Jiyeon interjected a bit anxiously, "Shouldn't we practice a bit more?"

Her brows were slightly furrowed, and her expression clearly carried a bit of worry, "I think safety comes first. If we ski from the mountainside directly, those tree stumps, the terrain changes... I'm a bit worried about you, oppa. Let's wait a bit longer."

Beside her, Xian Enjing also nodded gently, "Mm, that's what I think too."

Her voice was as gentle as ever, but her tone was extremely serious, "Xiuyuan, practice a bit more, get more familiar with it. We still have plenty of time, no need to rush."

Seeing that both of them said so, Li Juli naturally wouldn't continue to insist, but just turned her gaze toward Lin Xiuyuan.

Lin Xiuyuan, who was there with his head down seriously eating, noticed several gazes falling on him at the same time, and only then slowly swallowed the food in his mouth, raised his head, and gave his own answer.

"Actually, we could try it. Didn't they say the big trees here in Niseko have basically been cleared? Now it's just some small tree branches."

"If we are careful, the problem shouldn't be big. As long as we don't go to the summit, skiing down slowly from the mountainside should be about the same as the advanced slopes; it's nothing more than paying attention to those small tree branches."

What Lin Xiuyuan said was the truth.

And the sport of skiing is indeed very addictive.

After an entire morning of skiing back and forth on the slopes, he had also noticed that the snow surface had been packed until it was a bit hard, and when the snowboard slid over it, it was all fine, crushed ice.

That feeling wasn't exactly unpleasant, but it was indeed a bit tiresome.

He looked out at the snow-capped mountains again.

Watching those people skiing in the powder snow, the tails of their boards kicking up a white mist of snow, and arc after arc extending across the snowfield, it made one's heart itch just looking at it.

To say he wasn't tempted at all would definitely be a lie.

So, after briefly evaluating his own technique, Lin Xiuyuan felt that if it was just the mountainside, there shouldn't be much of a problem.

The old guide heard this answer, and his eyes immediately lit up, "Half a day, starting from a beginner level, and then going directly to an off-piste route?"

He couldn't help but pat Lin Xiuyuan on the shoulder, his whole person visibly excited, "Xiuyuan, if you can really succeed, I feel like you're going to make history among the students I've guided; even many others can't compare to you."

"Don't tease me." Lin Xiuyuan couldn't help but laugh at what he said.

He raised his hand and waved it, "I have to rely on you to open the route for me; I'll only dare to go down once you've gone through it first to confirm it's safe."

""

Hearing this, the old guide immediately nodded seriously.

His expression became very professional.

"Rest assured, I'll make sure to get you down the mountain safely."

Thus, following Lin Xiuyuan's suggestion, the afternoon itinerary was arranged; after lunch, the group did not return to the ski slopes.

Instead, they walked directly toward the cable car station to go up the mountain.

Feeling the steel cable vibrate gently, the chairlift carried the group off the ground and slowly ascended the mountain.

As the altitude increased bit by bit, the ski slopes under their feet gradually pulled away.

The skiing tracks that were clearly visible just a moment ago soon turned into thin lines, and the distant Mount Yotei spread out in their field of vision, covered in thick white snow, looking extremely beautiful.

Although there was no sunlight and it was still snowing, the air was exceptionally clean, cold and crisp as if it had just been taken out of a refrigerator.

Every time he took a breath, his chest felt as if it had been washed by a cool breeze, and his whole person became clear-headed.

The cable car rose higher and higher.

The mountain wind blew gently, carrying tiny fragments of snow, brushing past his cheeks.

In the distance, one could occasionally see skiers sliding out from gaps in the forest, kicking up a long white mist of snow in the powder, looking as if they were cutting through a sea of clouds.

Soon, the cable car slowed down gradually halfway up the mountain, and the group got off one by one; the moment their snowboards touched the snow again, a soft and thick sensation traveled up from the soles of their feet.

They had already left the main ski slopes groomed by the snowcat.

All around was an area of powder snow torn open by snowboards; the snow surface was fluffy and thick, and apart from footprints, it was basically all skiing tracks.

Upon arriving here, the several guides quickly began their division of labor.

Two of the most experienced guides slid out first to scout the path ahead.

They slid down along a naturally formed gap in the forest, observing the slope while confirming if there were any hidden rocks or tree stumps.

After confirming it was safe, the two stopped not far below and turned back to give a gesture to those above.

Afterward, they took out sports cameras from their backpacks, adjusted the angles, and prepared to help Lin Xiuyuan and the others film some skiing footage; after all, they were the paying clients, so they still had to be served well.

The remaining four guides surrounded Lin Xiuyuan and the others.

Two were in front, and two were behind, vaguely forming a protective circle, prepared to accompany them all the way down.

Standing at the top of the slope, Lin Xiuyuan first pushed his goggles down, then looked down at the bindings on his feet; after confirming they were locked tight, he gently moved his ankles to let his body adapt to the angle of the snowboard.

Finally, he took a deep breath, his chest filled with the icy air, and his entire spirit instantly became focused.

Then he heard the voice of the old guide coming from his ear.

"Ready."

This voice made Lin Xiuyuan nod.

Without saying anything more, he just gave a light jump to the side, and his whole body slid forward accordingly.

The moment the snowboard cut into the powder, the feeling was completely different from being on the groomed slopes.

Feeling the thick powder being pushed aside by the snowboard, a soft yet elastic sensation came from under his feet; the entire board no longer slid across crisply like it did on hard snow, but instead sank slightly into the snow, only to be lifted up again by the buoyancy of the snow, like stepping on a layer of breathing cotton.

And as the snowboard skimmed across the snow surface, kicking up a flurry of fine snow mist, those snow particles drifted in the air, as if he were riding the clouds and mist; his whole person felt as if he were floating between the clouds.

Light, free.

Soon, Lin Xiuyuan caught up to the tracks Li Juli had left behind.

The other person was using skis, so the tracks left two beautiful arcs in the powder, the lines clean and sharp.

Looking at this already opened path, Lin Xiuyuan didn't even think about it and branched off directly, taking the powder surface next to it that had no tracks.

His body's center of gravity also changed constantly.

Pressing forward.

Centering.

Then shifting slightly backward.

His knees bent naturally, and his ankles adjusted gently with the terrain.

Every movement was completed as fluidly as instinct, almost without needing to think deliberately; the elasticity brought by the powder snow kept coming from the soles of his feet.

The snowboard sank slightly, then was quickly lifted by the snow.

That rhythm of sinking and rebounding ignited his entire mood.

A sense of excitement accumulated bit by bit in his chest.

Just at this moment, a shout of excitement from the old guide suddenly came from behind, "Impressive, Xiuyuan!"

His voice echoed across the open mountain slope, "That's it, keep your most comfortable way of shifting your center of gravity, don't deliberately try to change your movements!"

While sliding, he continued to shout, "Just slide down like this, Xiuyuan, you can conquer any snow mountain."

Hearing this, Lin Xiuyuan couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth.

The wind brushed past his ears, and the snow mist rose behind him.

Just as he was preparing to continue accelerating, a short exclamation suddenly came from the side.

"Ah————"

Immediately following.

A muffled "thud" sound.

It was as if someone had slammed directly into a pile of cotton.

This sound made Lin Xiuyuan glance to the side subconsciously, and then he saw the scene of Park Hyomin diving headfirst into the powder snow.

It wasn't the kind of elegant fall where one loses balance while sliding.

It was a very standard, very thorough—

faceplant.

She had plunged almost straight into the snow, her head and upper body completely buried, with only her two legs sticking out, skis pointing toward the sky.

That scene paused for a second.

Seeing it, Lin Xiuyuan came to an abrupt stop on the spot.

His skis carved an arc in the powder snow, kicking up a mist of snow half a person high, and then he stopped steadily in place to check on Park Hyomin's situation.

He discovered that she seemed to have simply dived into the snow and was not injured.

After confirming that she was truly fine, Lin Xiuyuan finally could not hold it in anymore.

Laughter burst directly from his throat, "Hahahaha—"

The quiet hillside was instantly filled with this laughter, and it was exceptionally clear.

Park Hyomin, who had struggled quite a bit to pull her body out of the snow, had her goggles covered in powder snow, so she wiped them messily with her hands before looking up toward the direction of the laughter.

Then she saw that figure not far away, laughing so hard he was rocking back and forth, his shoulders shaking.

Seeing this made Park Hyomin's cheeks heat up instantly.

Part of it was her cheeks evaporating the accumulated snow, but more of it was shame and annoyance.

So she couldn't help but shout, "Hey!!"

The voice echoed on the snowy slope, "Lin Xiuyuan, what are you laughing at!!"

Hearing the voice, Lin Xiuyuan immediately tried hard to stifle his laughter, letting his expression return to normal, but the corners of his mouth still couldn't help but curl upward.

Then he looked toward Park Hyomin with an innocent face, "Huh? No, I wasn't laughing."

These words angered Park Hyomin so much that she climbed straight up from the snow, scrambled to brush the snow off her body, and glared at Lin Xiuyuan, her tone both shy and annoyed.

"Bullshit, I clearly heard you laughing just now!"

Ahead, Lin Xiuyuan looked at her hair and clothes covered in snow and almost broke his composure again.

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressed the urge to laugh, and then said solemnly, "Then you must have fallen and damaged your brain."

As soon as he finished speaking, he pulled out his skis and lowered his center of gravity again.

As his skis quickly cut a smooth arc through the powder snow, he followed the momentum and slid down the mountain.

The entire movement was clean and neat.

His body rose and fell naturally with the slope, his posture relaxed and beautiful.

It was as if he had been skiing in this powder snow for over a decade.

Watching that figure rapidly moving away, the anger in Park Hyomin's chest surged up, and she couldn't help but shout toward the bottom, "Ahhhhhh—you make me so mad, you jerk, you just wait."

The voice echoed across the hillside, but received no response.

And after shouting, Park Hyomin did not immediately continue sliding down.

Instead, her gaze involuntarily followed the figure that had already slid far away.

She watched that trajectory of the slide extending clearly across the powder snow.

She watched the other's entire skiing technique.

Smooth.

It was truly too smooth.

Even smoother than it had been in the morning.

That feeling was hard to describe.

How to put it, when Lin Xiuyuan was skiing in the morning, although his movements were already stable, one could still see traces of him trying hard to control his actions.

But now, as Lin Xiuyuan seemed completely relaxed, his body and skis seemed to have become one.

Every edge change, every shift in center of gravity, appeared very natural.

It was as if his body knew how to ski by itself.

After watching for a while, Park Hyomin couldn't help but turn her head to look at Xian Enjing, who had just stopped nearby.

Her voice was somewhat shocked, "Unnie, look at this guy's skiing, has he improved again since the morning? It seems smoother, without that sense of hesitation that required pauses."

Xian Enjing stood beside her, her goggles reflecting the vast white snow, her gaze fixed on the direction Lin Xiuyuan had gone.

Listening to what Park Hyomin said, she also nodded gently, the corners of her mouth curving, "That's right. His mastery of his center of gravity is more natural. Just now, over several small terrain undulations, he barely adjusted his movements; his body was adapting on its own."

Hearing this, Park Hyomin was silent for a second.

Her gaze stared into the distance for a while longer, and then she squeezed a word out through her teeth.

"Pervert."

Her tone was both sour and unconvinced.

It was exactly the same word Li Juli had used to evaluate Lin Xiuyuan before.

After saying that, she pushed off with her skis and slid down the slope.

Her skis kicked up a small mist of snow in the powder.

While sliding, she gritted her teeth and muttered, "Once I catch up to him, I'll have to hit him with a shovel."

He made her so mad.

Park Hyomin, chasing all the way down, had powder snow constantly kicked up under her skis, and her speed gradually increased.

Halfway down, she first passed a spot where guides were stationed; two guides were standing next to a gap in the trees, watching them while keeping an eye on the route below.

Park Hyomin did not stop here, only giving a quick glance.

After not seeing Lin Xiuyuan, she continued to slide down.

After traveling a bit further, she finally saw the figure of Li Juli.

The other party was standing beside a tall birch tree, body slightly turned, gaze fixed on the snowy slope further down.

She was sliding unhurriedly, slow and leisurely, very relaxed.

Seeing this, Park Hyomin quickly slid to her side and came to a stop with a small brake.

The snowboard carved a short arc on the snow surface.

Just as she steadied herself, she couldn't help but ask, "Unnie, where is that guy Lin Xiuyuan?"

Still panting slightly, she continued, "He dared to mock me just now; I have to get my revenge."

Upon hearing this, Li Juli slowly turned her head; although her expression was hidden by her face mask and goggles, a hint of a smile could be heard in the tone of her voice.

"Xiuyuan, he has already rushed down."

After saying this, Li Juli glanced at the gradually extending track in the distance and couldn't help but let out a soft sigh.

"To be honest, I'm starting to doubt who the real beginner is. Why does it feel like compared to him, we are the ones skiing for the first time?"

Park Hyomin looked in the direction Li Juli was pointing.

The snowy slope in the distance was already very long and wide.

But Lin Xiuyuan's figure had already slid very far away.

Now, only a tiny black dot remained, moving across the vast white snowfield.

Yet even at such a distance, his rhythm of movement was still visible.

His body rose and fell gently with the slope, his edge changes were clean and crisp, and his path carved a beautiful "S"

shaped arc on the powder snow.

Park Hyomin, who had been staring at that figure for a few seconds, withdrew her gaze and began to brush the snow off her gloves while complaining.

"Indeed, that guy is really too exaggerated. Wasn't I sliding right behind him earlier? At the beginning, he was still a bit unaccustomed to the powder snow, and his movements were a bit restrained."

Her tone was full of disbelief, "As a result, the more he slid, the more it changed. Later, when encountering those tree branches and small gaps, he actually performed a few small turns, the kind that were exceptionally clean."

Speaking of this, Park Hyomin couldn't help but shake her head, "If I hadn't known all along that he was Lin Xiuyuan, I would have suspected if some ski guide had snuck in."

After listening to Park Hyomin's complaints, Li Juli did not immediately respond.

Standing in place, she watched that long, drawn-out track in the distance, her chest heaving slightly, and then she slowly let out a long, stifled breath.

It was as if she were exhaling all the complicated emotions in her heart along with it.

"Understood, let's go down first."

Having said that, she lowered her center of gravity slightly, cut the snow with her board, and continued to slide down the slope.

Her movements remained elegant, as composed as if she were walking along a familiar path.

Park Hyomin also quickly restarted and followed closely behind.

The powder snow was sliced open by the snowboards, kicking up bursts of fine white mist.

The group was soon in motion again.

Only this time, the order had quietly changed.

The person at the very front had become Lin Xiuyuan.

And the one trailing at the very end of the group was Park Jiyeon.

She wasn't actually sliding slowly, she just hadn't deliberately increased her speed; her snowboard slid slowly along the slope, and her body's rhythm was somewhat nonchalant.

She looked up at the front.

She watched that string of figures gradually pull apart on the vast white snowy slope.

And the black dot at the very front was almost becoming indistinguishable.

Seeing this scene, Park Jiyeon sighed softly, her mood somewhat complicated.

Originally, she had a little plan in her heart.

She had thought about sliding slower, deliberately falling behind, and waiting for Lin Xiuyuan to catch up.

That way, the two of them could slide down together, a bit like a couple's outing; she had even imagined that scene before going to sleep last night.

As a result, the two of them were now at the very front and the very back of the group.

Lin Xiuyuan was flying at the very front.

She was sliding slowly at the very back.

Thinking of this, Park Jiyeon looked down at her snowboard, then looked up at the figure in the distance that had turned into a small dot, and couldn't help but mutter, "Oppa, this guy, is just too outrageous."

On this point, she was truly caught off guard.

By the time the Tara members arrived at the foot of the mountain one after another, Lin Xiuyuan, who was at the very front, had already been waiting there for a while.

Standing in an open space on the edge of the ski resort, his snowboard stuck in the snow, his arms crossed over his chest.

The whole person looked incredibly energetic.

Seeing the others slide down from afar, he also raised his head, his eyes lighting up. When they got closer, he said impatiently, "I ask you, why do you like sliding on powder snow so much? This is completely different from those icy, slushy trails on the groomed runs!"

While speaking, he couldn't help but gesture, "The feeling of pressing the snowboard into the snow surface and then 'whoosh'—rushing out—it's simply too exhilarating!"

After finishing, Lin Xiuyuan took a breath, as if he were still immersed in the thrill of the sliding he had just experienced.

"Really."

"No wonder so many people are obsessed with this."

Then he clapped his hands, "Let's go, let's go, let's continue!"

His tone was as excited as a child who had just received a new toy, "How about we go straight to the summit this time?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, his right arm was gently pulled by someone.

Turning his head to look, Xian Enjing was standing right beside him.

She wasn't using force, just holding his arm quite naturally, but her movement was very firm, "No, Xiuyuan, let's slide for a while longer at the mid-mountain level first."

Looking into Lin Xiuyuan's eyes, Xian Enjing patiently explained to him, "You are indeed skiing very well now, and your talent is also obvious, but for something like skiing, you still need to turn the movements into muscle memory first. Slide a few more runs first to let your body fully adapt."

She added one last sentence, "Not to mention anything else, in any case, you can't be in a hurry; safety comes first."

"9"

Lin Xiuyuan looked at her; those eyes were very serious, without the slightest hint of joking.

So he immediately beamed with a smile, nodded, and agreed quite readily, "Alright, then let's take it slow."

Thus, Lin Xiuyuan, who had just been preparing to "take off," was firmly held back by Xian Enjing just like that.

For the entire afternoon that followed.

The few of them almost skied across the mid-mountain slopes of the several ski resorts here in Niseko.

From Hirafu to Hanazono, then cut from Hanazono to Annupuri, and then skied all the way back to Hirafu from Annupuri.

Switching back and forth between several ski runs.

The powder snow was carved open over and over again, only to be gently covered by newly fallen fine snow.

And Lin Xiuyuan's technique also became more and more proficient during this process; at the beginning, he would still pause slightly to confirm his landing point and center of gravity.

By the end, many movements had almost become instinct.

His body leaned slightly forward, and his skis gently changed edges.

His whole person rose and fell naturally along with the terrain.

That mastery of the center of gravity, as well as the control over the skis, gradually carved itself into his bones.

Several ski guides standing nearby watched and couldn't help but exchange glances.

They had truly never seen someone who improved so quickly.

And time also passed slowly in this run after run of skiing.

Until the sky gradually darkened, and the distant snow-capped mountains began to be dyed with a faint blue-purple by the twilight.

Only then did everyone end today's skiing.

When everyone walked out of the ski resort, the sky also happened to welcome that beautiful blue hour.

The entire sky transitioned slowly from deep blue to light blue, and then to a touch of soft orange-red at the horizon; the distant snow-capped mountains shimmered with a faint purple in the twilight.

The snowfield was shrouded in cold-toned light, appearing quiet and dreamy.

And the lights in the ski resort also began to light up one by one; looking from afar, it was as if stars had fallen onto the ground.

With such a beautiful background, it was naturally impossible for the ladies who were idols to let it go.

So the few people who had already agreed to go back to find food almost instantly switched modes.

They changed from ski athletes into pictorial idol models.

Park Jiyeon was the first to take out her phone, pushed her snow goggles to the top of her head, raised her phone, and looked for angles against the sky and the snow-capped mountains.

"Click."

"Click."

First came a few selfies.

Then Li Juli stood slowly on a small slope, turned her body to the side, and her long hair was gently blown by the evening breeze.

Xian Enjing stood on the other side, and after raising her phone to take a few photos of the scenery, she began acting as a photographer for her.

Under these circumstances, Park Hyomin, who loved taking photos the most, naturally did not want to fall behind.

After finding a spot where the lights had just turned on, she began to take photos while adjusting her pose, "Wait a second, wait a second, I want to take some too."

Li Juli, who had already obtained a few photos, suddenly shouted, "Let's take a group photo!"

"Very quickly, it's fine, it's fine."

"Unnie, wait for me."

After a burst of chaos, the few people immediately gathered together and quickly formed a small circle on the snow.

"I'll take it."

Park Jiyeon, who had just raised her phone, was looked at by Li Juli regarding the angle at which she held the phone; she immediately reached out and took the phone, very dismissive, "That angle of yours won't work, it makes the face look big, I'll do it."

Just at this moment.

In the distance, a car door slammed shut with a "bang."

Only to see Li Shaoxi jogging over from the parking spot, carrying a bag in her hand that was bulging.

When she walked closer, everyone realized that she had actually brought a camera and an instant camera.

This discovery made Li Juli's eyes light up, and she immediately stuffed her phone back into her pocket, "Great, we must take enough photos today."

The enthusiasm for taking photos was instantly maxed out at this moment.

By the time they finished taking beautiful photos, the sky had completely darkened.

The light in the valley sank bit by bit, and the distant snow slopes became quiet and deep in the night, with only sporadic lights shining along the road.

Only then did everyone pack up their things and get into the cars one after another, preparing to return to the Apartment.

After the cars started, the interior of the car soon became lively again.

The few people gathered together to flip through the photos they had just taken, and the phone screen slid past one picture after another.

"This one looks good!"

"Wait a second, wait a second, I blinked in this one, delete it."

"Oh my, Juli Unnie looks like a magazine cover in this one."

Lin Xiuyuan sat in the passenger seat, his body leaning casually against the back of the chair; he did not participate in the discussion in the back row, just quietly looking out the car window.

Niseko in the night was very quiet, and the accumulated snow on both sides of the road shimmered with a soft light under the street lamps.

The shadows of the mountains in the distance spread out in layers, like sleeping silhouettes.

After returning to the Apartment, everyone first went back to their respective rooms to wash up simply and change their clothes.

After all, having skied for the whole day, a bit of chill still lingered on her face and hair; it was only when warm water washed over her face that she slowly recovered.

After tidying up, everyone gathered in the Living Room again, putting on their coats to prepare to head out.

Tonight's destination was a yakitori restaurant that had been booked in advance.

This place is quite famous in Niseko, specializing in charcoal-grilled yakitori.

The storefront isn't large; from the outside, it looks like a very ordinary little wooden shop, with warm-colored lanterns hanging at The Gate.

Pushing open The Gate to enter, one is met with a wave of warm charcoal air.

The warm yellow lighting makes the entire space feel very soft, the wooden tables and chairs have a slightly worn texture, and the charcoal fire on the grill behind the bar is glowing red, with tiny sparks occasionally dancing lightly.

Rows of skewered ingredients are neatly arranged next to the cutting board.

Chicken thigh meat, chicken skin, chicken liver, chicken heart, as well as green peppers, shiitake mushrooms, and scallion segments.

Several people were led by a staff member to sit down at a long table.

Because it was a set menu, there was no need to order at all; they could just sit down and wait to eat.

However, since the chef had to cook it bit by bit, the meal was eaten at a leisurely pace, but as everyone chatted about the day's skiing fun while waiting, the atmosphere was quite relaxed and lively.

By the time they came out of the yakitori restaurant, it was already approaching late night on the streets.

But their itinerary wasn't over yet, so they ran off to find a very famous bar.

But it wasn't for drinking, but rather to eat a type of ice cream inside.

It is said that this shop's Milk ice cream is a specialty of Niseko, using fresh Milk from a local farm that very day, and it even has a secret recipe.

The shop is not big, but there are quite a few people queuing up.

Many people come specifically for this ice cream; there are some who drink, but they are in the minority.

When it was their turn, everyone took an ice cream.

The white Milk ice cream looked exceptionally delicate under the lights.

Several people just stood there at the shop entrance, chatting while eating their ice cream.

The night wind blew through the street, carrying a hint of the scent of snow.

The air was cold, but the ice cream in their hands and the laughter around them made one not feel cold at all.

By the time the last bite was finished, the time was already teetering on the edge of late night.

Only then did the group slowly walk back, returning to the Apartment to rest.

The next day.

The weather remained gloomy, with moderate snow.

There was already movement in the Living Room.

Several people were sitting by the dining table, with simple Breakfast items like bread and Milk laid out on the table.

But their state was clearly a bit different from yesterday; it wasn't that they were injured, just that the powder snow slopes yesterday afternoon had caused them all to fall a few times.

Although they weren't major injuries, the soreness of their bodies was certainly unavoidable.

Just at this moment, the gazes of several people fell simultaneously onto Lin Xiuyuan.

That man was standing over by the entryway.

He took out several pairs of snow goggles from a place nearby, trying them on one by one, and even looked left and right in the mirror.

His movements were relaxed, his posture casual.

He looked incredibly energetic, showing absolutely no signs of fatigue or soreness.

Several people exchanged glances with each other.

Those eyes held a bit of helplessness, and also a bit of envy.

Then Park Jiyeon was the first to be unable to hold back, "Oppa, your energy and talent are just too enviable; how can someone learn to ski in half a day and then directly graduate from powder snow?

"

Lin Xiuyuan was trying on a pair of LV snow goggles at this moment.

Only after hearing this did he turn his head, his expression dead serious, "Don't worship brother, brother is just a legend."

The dining table went quiet for a second.

The next second.

Park Hyomin rolled her eyes directly.

Park Jiyeon gave a light huff.

Li Juli and Xian Enjing couldn't help but laugh out loud.

However, Lin Xiuyuan didn't care at all, continuing to adjust that pair of LV goggles in the mirror.

He looked at the effect and seemed quite satisfied.

So he took the goggles off, carefully put them into his backpack, and casually stuffed a spare pair inside as well.

As the zipper closed with a "swish," he turned and walked over to the dining table to sit down.

He picked up a slice of bread, took a bite, and then looked at Li Juli, "I heard we aren't skiing in Niseko today?"

Li Juli was eating her bread slowly; upon hearing the question, she nodded, "Mm, today we're going to the ski resort over at Rusutsu. I heard the powder snow there is better, and the scale of the resort is also larger."

Xian Enjing, who was here skiing for the first time, was a bit puzzled.

She raised her head to look at Li Juli, "Didn't they say Niseko's ski resort is the biggest?"

Lin Xiuyuan heard this, smiled, and explained in a relaxed tone, "She probably means the largest single one."

He then raised his hand to point in the direction outside the window, as if gesturing the terrain.

"You should know from skiing yesterday that Niseko is actually four ski resorts pieced together; I don't even remember the names. But the overall scale is indeed very large, though it's actually the total area of several resorts connected together."

Then his tone shifted, "But Rusutsu is different; it only has one ski resort. The entire mountain is basically its ski runs, so if we're talking about the scale of a single resort, then Rusutsu is the biggest."

After finishing, he turned his head to look at Li Juli, "How about it, I'm not wrong, right?"

Li Juli was drinking Milk slowly, and upon hearing him say this, she raised her eyes to look at him.

She did not open her mouth to answer, but simply raised her hand and gave him a thumbs-up.

The expression on her face carried a hint of a smile that wasn't quite a smile.

The meaning was very clear.

Well said.

After finishing Breakfast, everyone began to pack up their gear.

Snow goggles, helmets, gloves, face masks, backpacks—checking them one by one.

Then, carrying their respective ski bags, they went downstairs, got into that Mercedes-Benz Viano, and drove toward Rusutsu.

The scenery outside the window kept receding past the car windows.

Snow-capped mountains, forests, small towns, and the occasional wooden house and Hot Spring Inn they passed by appeared exceptionally quiet under this gloomy, snowy, and foggy weather.

More than an hour later.

The parking lot of the Rusutsu ski resort appeared in their field of vision.

A large expanse of open snow, and in the distance, the ski runs and cable car lines of the entire mountain.

Those few ski guides from yesterday were already waiting there.

So, everyone put on their gear and walked toward the ski resort.

Today's skiing officially began from this moment.

The Rusutsu ski resort was indeed very large.

Looking up from the foot of the mountain, the entire mountain was covered in crisscrossing cable car lines.

Ski runs extended down from the summit, covering the entire hillside like white ribbons.

On the mountain ridge in the distance, one could faintly see some figures skiing off-piste.

They skied along areas that hadn't been groomed, leaving long arcs in the deep powder snow.

It looked dangerous, yet it made one unable to help but feel tempted.

After familiarizing themselves throughout the entire day yesterday, the skiing memories in the bodies of Li Juli and the others slowly returned.

So when they started skiing today, their movements were clearly much smoother, and they didn't fall at every turn like they did yesterday.

Their center of gravity control and turning rhythm gradually stabilized.

When they were skiing, everyone felt much more relaxed.

And the soft sensation of the powder snow being sliced by the skis made one more addicted the more they skied.

However, compared to their steady and solid rhythm, Lin Xiuyuan was clearly starting to become restless.

After skiing a few runs, this man was no longer satisfied with simply skiing along the groomed runs.

After getting bored of small turns, he began looking around, his gaze sweeping toward the slopes and undulating terrain to the side from time to time.

Until once again, he suddenly leaned over to his fellow countryman.

He lowered his voice and asked, "Ruska, are there any small slopes around here that you can fly off?"

Upon hearing this, Ruska was stunned for a moment, then looked at him, "You want to fly?"

Although he had demonstrated it twice yesterday and explained the technique, the Lin Xiuyuan before him had never tried it before.

"I want to try."

Hearing this, Ruska thought for a moment, seemingly preparing to point out a direction for him—

Just at this moment, a voice suddenly came from not far away.

"Xiuyuan, no."

It was the voice of Xian Enjing.

Lin Xiuyuan, who turned his head subconsciously, saw Xian Enjing standing not far away, her whole body standing straight, her gaze staring straight at him.

That look was practically written with four words: Don't even think about it.

Seeing this, Lin Xiuyuan immediately revealed a somewhat awkward smile.

He coughed lightly, "Cough, I was just asking."

The plan to fly off a slope was temporarily pressed with a pause button.

But he clearly had not given up completely.

After Xian Enjing skied a bit further away, he quietly approached Ruska again and whispered a few words.

The two of them looked as if they were secretly discussing something.

Not long after, Lin Xiuyuan began to slowly ski toward the more remote ski runs.

His route deviated from the main path bit by bit.

It was clear he intended to leave Xian Enjing's line of sight.

However, the result of such an operation was that during the lunch break, he was fiercely "criticized" by both Xian Enjing and Park Jiyeon.

Calling it criticism, it was actually more like nagging born from excessive worry.

The restaurant was noisy, and outside the window were large, bright snow slopes; not long after the group sat down, Xian Enjing spoke first, "Xiuyuan, do you know how dangerous that is?"

Park Jiyeon immediately followed up from the side, her voice clearly more agitated.

"What if you fall!"

"You go drilling into that kind of place all by yourself, where no one can even see you!"

"How could you do that!"

The two of them sat on the left and right of Lin Xiuyuan, almost forming a pincer movement.

Xian Enjing frowned while speaking, her eyes carrying obvious disapproval;

Park Jiyeon became more agitated the more she spoke, and the fork in her hand shook along with her.

The tall and sturdy Lin Xiuyuan lowered his head, listening to the lecture honestly, looking as if he dared not refute a single word.

Once the two of them had said about enough, he hurriedly raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.

He said in a very sincere tone, "I know, I know, I won't sneak off next time."

"Really?" Xian Enjing stared at him for a moment, her eyes clearly filled with suspicion.

Lin Xiuyuan nodded immediately, "Really."

Park Jiyeon also leaned over to look at him, her large eyes filled with scrutiny.

To this, Lin Xiuyuan could only maintain his look of sincerity, trying hard to make himself appear more credible.

The atmosphere remained tense for two seconds.

In the end, it was Li Juli who couldn't help but laugh out loud from the side.

"Alright, alright, if he didn't court death, he wouldn't be a man; keep a close eye on him later."

A burst of laughter suddenly erupted around the table.

When resting after lunch, the group took advantage of being in Rusutsu to go out for a stroll.

There was a short street next to the ski resort.

On both sides of the street were a few ski equipment shops, souvenir shops, and several cafes that looked very cozy.

Rows of icicles hung under the eaves, and wooden signs swayed gently in the cold wind.

The group walked slowly, looking around as they strolled.

They tried on new wool hats in one equipment shop and picked out a few refrigerator magnets in another souvenir shop.

During this time, Xian Enjing bought two cups of hot coffee and handed them to everyone to warm their hands.

Once they were done shopping, the time slowly reached the afternoon.

The group then returned to the ski resort to continue today's skiing.

But when they got back on the ski run in the afternoon, it was unclear if it was because they were tired from shopping or if their stamina had begun to drop after a full day of skiing.

The speed of Xian Enjing, Li Juli, and the others gradually slowed down, and their skiing rhythm was not as fast as it had been in the morning.

Lin Xiuyuan, on the contrary, became more excited the more he skied.

After a few runs, he had slowly skied to the very front.

Watching this scene, Park Hyomin gritted her back teeth.

"This guy—" she muttered, then accelerated to catch up.

Thus, the group soon naturally split into two.

The front group consisted of Lin Xiuyuan, Park Hyomin, and that local ski guide, Rusuka.

The back group consisted of Li Juli, Xian Enjing, and Park Jiyeon, plus five ski guides.

They skied slowly along the established routes of the ski resort.

The rhythm was stable and safer.

And the front group was clearly skiing more wildly.

As a beginner, Lin Xiuyuan, in order to find thicker and fresher powder snow, had a skiing route that was becoming increasingly off-piste.

Looking around while skiing, he soon left the main ski run.

Park Hyomin and Rusuka followed behind him, and the three of them passed through one pine forest after another.

Their skis cut arcs into the powder snow, crossing one small slope after another.

The snow under their feet became thicker and softer.

Every time they turned, the snow would spray up like white mist.

The surrounding trees also became denser.

Those tall pine trees stood one after another, their branches weighed down by thick snow.

The light gradually became somewhat dim.

Just as they discovered a slope of powder snow with almost no ski tracks, Rusuka, who had sensed something was wrong, suddenly shouted.

"Wait a second, Xiuyuan."

His tone was clearly a bit more nervous, "Something is not right."

Hearing the voice, Lin Xiuyuan performed a beautiful small-turn brake, his skis carving a smooth arc on the snow surface.

He came to a steady stop.

Then he raised his hand to take off his goggles and turned his head to look at Rusuka, "What's wrong?"

Rusuka stood on a downhill slope with an unobstructed view, looked up into the distance, and pointed toward the ridge.

"We seem to have strayed a bit too far. The cable car is on that ridge over there."

Then he looked at the forest under their feet, "We are here now, it feels like we've strayed quite far."

At this moment, Park Hyomin, who had finally caught up, also stopped beside them and looked around.

She first looked at the small forest on the hillside under their feet, then looked at the undulating slopes in the distance.

She frowned, "The trees here are getting denser."

Only then did Lin Xiuyuan seriously look around.

Indeed, the surrounding pine trees were significantly denser than before.

The trunks stood side by side, and the snow on the branches hung very low, almost obscuring part of the sky.

The entire area seemed excessively quiet.

Pushing up his goggles, he looked up at the direction again, "It does seem a bit off, but it shouldn't be a problem, right?"

As the ski guide, Rusuka took a deep breath, and the expression on his face became serious.

"I'll lead the way this time; follow me and don't get lost."

After saying this, he turned around and was the first to glide toward the front.

Lin Xiuyuan and Park Hyomin looked at each other, then followed him at the same time.

The three of them glided toward the quiet forest below.

But after a while, Ruska suddenly stopped.

This time he stood on a slightly raised small slope, his whole person standing motionless as he gazed in the direction to the side; at this moment, the surroundings of the three were entirely a dense pine forest, the tall trunks almost filling the entire field of vision, with thick snow hanging from the branches, looking from afar like a sea interwoven with white and deep green.

It was just that looking at it for too long made one feel a bit creeped out, so Ruska's expression slowly became a bit stiff.

"Damn it, Xiuyuan, something is completely wrong."

Lin Xiuyuan, who had glided over from behind, stopped beside him, his skis pressing lightly on the powder snow, kicking up a small cloud of white snow mist.

"What's wrong?"

Ruska did not answer immediately, but instead scanned the pine forest to the side, and then looked at the mountain ridge in the distance through the gaps.

Only then did he lower his voice and say, "It's a bit terrifying here; we need to leave this area quickly."

When he spoke this time, his tone was no longer as relaxed as it had been just a moment ago.

At this, Lin Xiuyuan stopped waiting and took his phone out of his pocket, glancing at the screen.

"My phone signal still works; check if your phone map works?"

Hearing this, Ruska also took out his phone, tapped on the map, and looked at it for a while, "It works, the map is still visible."

As he spoke, he lowered his head to look at the map, zooming in and out and in again, and finally held the phone up slightly for Lin Xiuyuan to see, "Look, we are here, and the ski resort is over there. Actually, it's not particularly far from the ski resort; it's just that we glided a bit off course."

After finishing, he looked up at the increasingly dense forest all around, then sighed, "It feels like we'll have to take off our skis and start hiking next."

Then he pointed in a direction and said, "Because the parking lot and the cable car are probably over there, in the current situation, let's not continue heading up the mountain; let's just traverse directly toward the parking lot direction, that will be safer."

After listening to him, Lin Xiuyuan pondered for a moment and nodded.

"Alright."

Just then, the phone inside his ski jacket suddenly rang.

The screen displayed Li Juli.

After hesitating for a moment, Lin Xiuyuan answered the call, "Hello?"

Li Juli's voice quickly came from the other end of the line, her tone clearly a bit anxious, "Xiuyuan, where are you guys? Why haven't you come down yet?"

In the background, there was also the sound of wind and other people talking; clearly, they had already been waiting below the ski slope for a while.

Lin Xiuyuan looked around.

The vast, white forest showed almost no traces of any ski slope.

So he organized his wording, "Uh, we seem to have deviated from the route a bit."

A single sentence nearly caused the person on the other end of the phone to explode.

"What?"

Li Juli's voice rose by an entire octave.

As the organizer of this ski trip, she did not want any accidents to happen, so upon hearing this answer from Lin Xiuyuan, her heart almost stopped.

Immediately after, the voices of Xian Enjing and Park Jiyeon came from the side.

"What do you mean by deviated?"

"Where are you?"

"Oppa, do you guys need to call for rescue?"

For a moment, the other end of the phone was in chaos, and Lin Xiuyuan hurriedly spoke up to interrupt their wild imagination, "No, no, no, stay calm, stay calm, don't talk for a second, listen to me."

Only then did the background noise on that side quiet down significantly, and he tried his best to keep his own tone relaxed.

"We don't have much of a problem right now; the map and signal are still working. It's just that we're a bit off-course, and we should be able to get out after walking for a bit. Don't worry too much, just keep in touch by phone."

The other end of the phone went quiet again for a moment.

It seemed like the few of them had looked at each other over there.

Then Xian Enjing's voice came through; she was clearly trying hard to calm herself down.

"Then—you guys be careful."

"Contact us immediately if there's any situation."

"Okay."

Lin Xiuyuan replied, then hung up the phone.

Afterward, the three-person team began to detach their skis.

The bindings were loosened, the skis were taken off their feet, and then they picked up the skis and began to hike.

But the moment they took their first step into the snow, all three of them sank at the same time.

The snow was too deep.

One step down, and it went straight up to their calves.

Finally, after discussing it, they decided that Ruska would walk in the very front to break the path.

He stepped firmly with every step, letting the snow pack down a bit so that it would be much easier for the people behind to walk.

Lin Xiuyuan followed behind him.

Park Hyomin walked at the very back.

The three of them just like that, slowly climbed upward in the quiet forest.

Almost no other sounds could be heard in the surroundings.

Only the "crunch, crunch" sound made when stepping on the snow.

After walking for a stretch, Ruska looked back.

"Follow my footprints, that way you won't sink too deep again, and it can save a lot of energy."

"I know." Lin Xiuyuan nodded.

After saying this, he turned his head to glance at Park Hyomin.

With her head lowered, Park Hyomin did not complain about anything, just following his footprints step by step as she climbed upward.

Even though her breathing had already become somewhat rapid, her expression remained calm.

It was just that the stray hairs on her forehead were slightly dampened by sweat.

However, this stretch of road was much longer than they had imagined.

After the three of them had climbed the entire slope, they still could not see an obvious exit.

All around them was still the same forest, the same snowy slope.

At this, Park Hyomin's footsteps gradually slowed down, and her breathing grew heavier.

Every step required her to lift her leg, step down, and then shift her body forward a little bit.

The thick snow and the slope were consuming her stamina almost simultaneously.

As a woman, her stamina was naturally a bit worse than the other two people.

Added to the fact that she had been skiing all morning, she really couldn't take it anymore now.

But she still gritted her teeth, not saying a single word of "wait."

Fortunately, just at this moment—

A hand suddenly reached out from in front, "Give your skis to me."

Lin Xiuyuan had stopped at some point and was standing in front of her, smiling slightly, "I'll carry them."

Park Hyomin raised her head, and the two of them looked at each other for a moment.

In his eyes, she could see that Lin Xiuyuan's gaze was very calm, and even carried a bit of soothing gentleness.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Lin Xiuyuan teased her a little, "I'm the one who led you off course, so of course I have to be responsible."

Looking at this man, Park Hyomin had originally wanted to act tough and say "no need."

But the feeling of weakness in the soles of her feet made her very clear about her current state.

Continuing to force herself would only slow everyone down.

So she very readily handed over the skis.

Lin Xiuyuan took them smoothly.

The two skis were held together in his single hand, looking completely effortless.

At this time, Park Hyomin suddenly spoke, "Xiuyuan."

"Hm?"

"Aren't you afraid—that something might actually happen?"

This sentence made Lin Xiuyuan turn his head to look at her.

But it was just a glance, and then he continued walking forward, his tone very casual, even carrying a smile, "What's there to be afraid of?"

The signal still works, and the map can still be viewed, which means we aren't far from the ski resort, at most just a little off course.

Stepping on the footprints of the person in front, Lin Xiuyuan walked upward step by step, "Don't worry too much, we will definitely be able to walk back."

But Park Hyomin was still a bit uneasy.

"What if?"

Lin Xiuyuan didn't even turn his head, just laughed softly again, "What if what? I'm not that pessimistic."

He looked up at the surrounding snowy forest.

White snow pressed down on the pine branches, and the air was as quiet as a painting.

"Don't be too down, and don't be afraid, just keep your spirits up. Skiing is such a fun thing, and we can see such beautiful snow scenery, how could there be such a thought as a 'pessimistic what if'?"

Facing this explanation from Lin Xiuyuan, Park Hyomin was stunned for a moment.

Then she lowered her head to look at the row of clear footprints under her feet, and after a moment, she followed silently.

That sentence, in this somewhat strange and somewhat quiet snowy forest, gave her a very wonderful sense of peace of mind.

Just like that, the few of them walked another stretch of the road.

The snowy ground was still soft, every step taken would make a slight "creak" sound, and their breath turned into clusters of white mist in the cold air, soon to be blown away by the wind.

During this time, Lin Xiuyuan glanced at Park Hyomin when he turned his head once.

He had originally thought the other person was just a little slow, but looking at her movements, which had become obviously strenuous when lifting her legs, he couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong, are you tired?"

Park Hyomin paused for a moment, not denying it by acting tough, but instead nodded gently.

"A little."

Her voice was not loud, but very honest.

Hearing this, Lin Xiuyuan didn't think much of it.

He adjusted the skis in his hand, then reached out his other empty left hand, "Come on, come over and hold onto my ski jacket."

As he said this, he swayed that hand forward, "If I lead you forward like this, you can save a lot of energy."

Park Hyomin looked at the hand that was extended toward her, not responding immediately.

Her gaze first landed on his hand, then slowly moved to the two skis he was carrying in his right hand.

Those two skis seemed to have no weight in his hands, but she knew very well that just walking in this thick snow while carrying skis was already very exhausting.

So she pursed her lips, was silent for two seconds, and finally shook her head gently.

"It's okay, I can still keep up."

Lin Xiuyuan looked at her, seemingly assessing her state, and then did not insist any further.

He turned his head to look at the slope in front, "Alright then, it's fine if you walk slowly, no rush, we'll wait for you."

"Mm."

""

Park Hyomin gave a low response.

She then lowered her head again, stepping into the footprints Lin Xiuyuan had just left, walking forward one step at a time.

As she walked, Park Hyomin suddenly discovered something quite wonderful.

As she stopped looking at the snow beneath her feet and instead raised her head to look at the back of the person in front of her.

Even though the sky was already growing dark, the light reflected from the snow still outlined a very clear silhouette for Lin Xiuyuan.

His shoulders were broad.

His walking rhythm was also very steady.

Every step he took pressed the snow down firmly before he continued to move forward.

That row of footprints appeared exceptionally clear in the snow, and she just followed that row of footprints forward.

Slowly, those messy thoughts in her mind seemed to disappear bit by bit.

Thoughts like "Will we be able to make it out?"

Thoughts like "What will we do if it gets dark?"

Those pessimistic thoughts that had occasionally popped up were soon buried as if by the snow.

All that remained was one very simple thought.

And that was to follow the person in front.

It seemed that as long as that back was still in front, things wouldn't be too bad.

Even the bit of strength in her body that was about to run out seemed to have been squeezed out a little more.

It was as if that back had a strange power.

In this somewhat unfamiliar and somewhat dangerous environment, it gave her a sense of security that was hard to explain.

Her heart, which had been beating violently, also slowly calmed down.

After another while, Lin Xiuyuan and Rusuka swapped positions.

This time he walked to the very front, becoming the one to break the path.

The thick snow was pressed firm by his feet, leaving clear footprints.

Rusuka and Park Hyomin behind him followed his footprints forward.

The terrain in the distance began to slowly lower.

The outline of the ski resort could also be vaguely seen; the towering cable car pylons stood on the distant hillside like thin lines.

But at the same time.

The sky was also darkening bit by bit; the originally bright snowfield began to be dyed a grayish-blue, and the lines of the mountain ridges became softer and softer.

The three of them, having already experienced this situation for a day, knew very well that it would be completely night here before long.

So the three of them quickened their pace in unison.

No one said anything more.

Only the sound of stepping on snow continued to ring out in the forest.

In the blink of an eye, the blue hour arrived quietly.

The sky slowly transitioned from deep blue to light blue, and the snow-capped mountains glowed with a faint purple in the twilight.

The whole world seemed to be wrapped in a soft filter.

Quiet, and vast.

At this moment, Lin Xiuyuan and the other two finally walked out of that snowfield.

They had circled out from the side.

The ground under their feet gradually became level, and the lights of the parking lot in the distance also lit up.

At the same time, they saw that group of figures.

Xian Enjing.

Li Juli.

——

Park Jiyeon.

And those few ski guides.

Everyone had been standing at the edge of the parking lot, looking toward the hillside from time to time, clearly having waited for a long time.

So much so that when the figures of Lin Xiuyuan and the other two appeared on the snow, that group of people moved almost simultaneously.

"Xiuyuan!"

"Unnie!"

"You're out!"

The few who ran over stepped on the snow, splashing up a spray of fine snowflakes.

Then they quickly surrounded Lin Xiuyuan and Park Hyomin, asking questions all at once.

"Are you okay?"

"Are you hurt?"

"How did you end up over there?"

After walking out of the snowfield, Lin Xiuyuan immediately put his snowboard on the ground and brushed the snow off his hands.

He smiled and waved his hand, saying in a relaxed tone, "It's fine, it's fine, we just slid a bit off course."

Then he looked back at the distant snowfield, "And then we walked for a while and came out."

Xian Enjing stood in front of him, staring at him the whole time, as if confirming whether he was injured.

As she watched, her eyes suddenly turned a little red, and her voice lowered, "You scared me to death; do you know what we would do if something happened to you?"

This reaction of hers made Lin Xiuyuan pause in surprise.

He seemed not to have expected that she would actually cry.

So he smiled, raised his hand, and gently patted her shoulder, "Alright, didn't I come back?"

To the side, Park Jiyeon also felt her nose sting and threw herself into Lin Xiuyuan's embrace.

Nearby.

Park Hyomin stood where she was without speaking; even when Li Juli asked her what was wrong, she did not answer.

She just watched this scene quietly, her gaze lingering on Lin Xiuyuan's back for a few seconds.

That back was the same as it had been in the snowfield just moments ago.

Broad, steady.

As if always walking at the very front.

It was not until a while later that she withdrew her gaze and turned to look at the snow-capped mountains in the distance.

By this time, the twilight had completely spread out.

That snowfield they had just walked out of lay quietly there in the night.

Very beautiful, very hazy.

And also very unforgettable.

However.

Tomorrow's weather: Blizzard!!!

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