Chapter 399: Put it on~

After sliding all the way down from the back mountain, Lin Xiuyuan stopped his snowboard immediately, took off his goggles, and then pulled down the face mask on his face.

Then he took a deep breath.

Although the air at the foot of the mountain was still icy cold and the snow was falling heavily, it no longer had the knife-like chill of the mountain peak.

As the cold air poured into his lungs, he felt much more clear-headed, and at the same time, the tightness in his chest slowly began to loosen.

Then Lin Xiuyuan looked up at Ruska beside him, his face still lingering with the excitement of having survived a disaster, along with a hint of delayed shock.

"Wow, it was really thrilling up there just now."

As he spoke, he subconsciously looked back at the area on the mountain shrouded in clouds and mist, then shifted his gaze to the side, "Ruska, when did you realize you were separated from us? We couldn't find you guys just now."

Ruska had also just braked his snowboard to a stop; upon hearing this, he immediately looked at Lin Xiuyuan and recalled the situation from just a moment ago.

"Not long after you said the snow started to collapse, you and Xiaomin slid further and further away. By the time we turned back to look for you, we couldn't see your shadows anymore, so we could only look for you while sliding."

Hearing this, Lin Xiuyuan nodded, unbuckling his snowboard bindings while pulling his feet out of the board.

Then he looked at the snowflakes above his head, "Tsk tsk, this is quite strange. It's just snowing here at the foot of the mountain, and even the climb to the peak earlier wasn't that windy, so why was that area on the back mountain so terrifying?"

While saying this, he squinted his eyes as if savoring the experience, his lips slightly pursed.

"But this feeling of escaping death is really quite stimulating."

The second after Lin Xiuyuan finished this sentence, a rustling sound suddenly came from behind him.

The sound was very familiar.

It was the movement of snow boots stepping on soft, accumulated snow.

So, hearing the sound, Lin Xiuyuan was just about to turn around to see who it was.

As a result, the moment he turned, a delicate little face crashed directly into his line of sight.

The distance was so close they were almost face-to-face.

Then a warm, soft body threw itself into his arms, two arms hooking tightly around his neck.

Immediately, she went all-in, kissing him without hesitation.

This kiss of survival came too suddenly and was also extremely fiery.

It was a kiss given with all her might, without reservation.

It carried the suppressed fear from just moments ago, the relief of having survived, and many emotions that could not be put into words.

So much so that the ambushed Lin Xiuyuan was stunned for a moment before he reacted, subconsciously reaching out to hold Park Hyomin's waist and pulling her firmly into his embrace.

Nearby, Ruska and those few ski guides were frozen in place, their eyes wide open, their expressions momentarily even a bit dazed.

They had just been discussing the blizzard, and in the blink of an eye, they saw two people passionately kissing in the snow.

The contrast was simply too great.

Among them, Li Juli's eyes were opened even wider.

Looking at them over there, her mind went blank for a moment.

After a few seconds, she suddenly thought of something and hurriedly looked left and right.

Fortunately, this was the back mountain route, and the flow of people was not large; besides a few cars parked on the side of the road, almost no other skiers were passing by, as everyone was over on the other side.

The entire snow slope was empty, so no one noticed the two people embracing and kissing here.

After looking around, Li Juli finally let out a light sigh of relief.

However, when she turned to look at Ruska, the other party already had a very tactful smile on his face, and the few ski guides beside him had similar expressions.

The group tacitly looked at the sky, the snow, and the distant mountains, just not at that side.

Li Juli helplessly pursed her lips, then cast her gaze back toward the two figures.

After a while.

The two people kissing over there finally slowly separated.

Because Lin Xiuyuan felt a slight salty taste suddenly appear on his lips, he lowered his head to look at Park Hyomin in his arms.

The corners of her eyes were bright red, and tears were still flowing out, sliding down her cheeks, dropping one by one onto her snow suit and the snow.

That originally delicate and pretty little face was now full of tear tracks, like a pear blossom drenched in rain.

Seeing this, Lin Xiuyuan's hand on her waist moved slowly upward, gently cupping her face.

His thumb brushed across her cheek, wiping away those tears bit by bit.

He spoke in a gentle tone, "Why are you doing this? We lived another day, isn't that great? Why are you crying?"

Park Hyomin looked at him, her lips trembling and pale.

Then she burst into tears, crying out with a sobbing voice and complex emotions, "I almost thought I was going to die."

Lingering fear, grievance, and a little bit of undeniable dependence.

At this moment, it was released by her once again.

Over there, Ruska and the others, who had been pretending not to see, were all stunned upon hearing this sentence.

The few of them looked at each other.

What exactly happened on the mountain peak just now?

At this time, Li Juli had already walked over quickly, looking at the two with obvious worry on her face, "What's going on? What exactly happened to you two on the mountain just now?"

Before her, Lin Xiuyuan still had one arm around Park Hyomin, and he looked up at Li Juli with a faint smile.

"It's nothing, just that after we got lost, Xiaomin's emotions were a bit overwhelmed, don't overthink it."

He did not intend to tell them what happened on the mountain peak just now.

There was no need, and it wasn't necessary.

Saying it would only make everyone worry unnecessarily.

More importantly, if Xian Enjing and Park Jiyeon found out, it would basically mean everyone in the 'Thirteen Years' group chat would know.

And if it spread even further to that group of mature women and wives in the 'Twenty-Five Years' group—

It is estimated that they will also have to settle accounts with him one by one.

Lin Xiuyuan just thought about the scene at that time, and his sword-like eyebrows lifted slightly.

He would likely be locked in a dark room and have to be lectured as well.

So it was better to just keep it a secret.

Although thinking this way was a bit selfish.

But I have to say, the thrill just now was truly exhilarating.

In these twenty-plus years of life, apart from the emotional fluctuations when he first discovered the Time Gate at the beginning of the year, the next runner-up was probably the snow mountain storm just now.

Anyway, working backward from the result, it is good that everyone is fine now.

Li Juli looked at Lin Xiuyuan, then lowered her head to look at Park Hyomin in his arms.

Park Hyomin was quietly keeping her head down, her eyelashes drooping slightly, not refuting Lin Xiuyuan's words from just a moment ago.

At this moment, she was like a kitten that had finally calmed down after being frightened, the whole person leaning obediently in his arms, her hand still gently clutching a corner of his clothes, as if she could feel at ease just by doing so.

Moreover, the way the other party had opened her mouth just now and then closed it again made Li Juli's eyes narrow slightly.

She knew Xiaomin too well.

The other party's appearance was clearly trying to fool her.

But since the person was perfectly fine now, without even any obvious injuries, and she was unwilling to talk, it was impossible for her to really drag her up and interrogate her.

So, after staring at the two of them for a few seconds, Li Juli finally sighed softly.

Forget it.

She raised her hand to rub the center of her brows, as if she were too lazy to rack her brain any further, and did not continue to press for answers.

However, Li Juli made a final decision: for the rest of the skiing trip, no one should think about going up that route on the back mountain again.

As for why the wind on the back mountain was so strong it felt like it would flip people over, while the ski trail at the top of the mountain was just quietly snowing.

Even Lusika could not explain this problem very clearly.

Standing there scratching his head, thinking for a long time, he finally only gave a few vague explanations.

Perhaps it was a matter of altitude difference, or maybe there were no obstacles on that mountain ridge, so once the wind picked up, it would be amplified.

Plus things like valley airflow, the wind tunnel effect, and so on.

It sounded quite professional, but upon closer thought, no one could really explain it.

In short, the result was: the wind over there was like crazy, while it was still normal here.

Anyway, if it cannot be explained, then let it go unexplained.

After Lin Xiuyuan had completely comforted Park Hyomin and her emotions had mostly recovered, another ski guide who was leading a team on the other side of the ski resort also drove over.

A white van slowly stopped at the edge of the snow, the tires crunching as they pressed over the accumulated snow.

The driver poked his head out of the window and waved at them; he had come to pick them up for a meal.

It was getting late, and the next part was lunchtime.

In the blink of an eye, the group arrived at a restaurant.

The restaurant was not large, the wooden hall was lit with warm yellow light, and there were very few people, basically only two or three tables.

Because this was not a restaurant inside the ski resort, but one found on the commercial street.

After entering the restaurant, Lin Xiuyuan and the others found a table by the window and sat down.

Outside the window was a vast expanse of white snow; the hillsides, forests, and distant ski trails were all covered in snow, quiet as a painting.

Inside, however, it was warm and cozy, and a thin layer of mist had even faintly formed on the glass.

Because she guessed that Lin Xiuyuan did not want Xian Enjing and Park Jiyeon to know about what happened on the back mountain, Park Hyomin acted exceptionally calm during lunch.

She acted as if nothing had happened at all, and was even able to enthusiastically chat with them about the experience of skiing on the back mountain.

While talking, she gestured excitedly, her tone so light that it did not sound like she had just experienced something thrilling.

Xian Enjing listened very carefully, her chopsticks even coming to a stop.

Park Jiyeon leaned in directly, resting her chin on her hand and asking, "Is that back mountain really hard to get up?"

"It's alright." Park Hyomin thought for a moment and smiled dismissively, "You just have to climb a short section yourself, it's just a bit tiring."

The tone was so relaxed, as if she were describing an ordinary experience.

Opposite her, Li Juli held her cup, took a slow sip of hot tea, and then looked up at her.

Those eyes were blinking.

Her expression looked very calm, but in her heart, she was thinking: How can this Xiaomin lie without even blushing?

For lunch, everyone ate spicy hot pot and army stew.

One pot per person, small gas stoves were placed in front of each of them, the soup in the pots bubbling away, steam rising continuously, enveloping the whole table in a faint white mist.

The spicy hot pot soup base was temptingly red, while the army stew was all-encompassing, containing everything.

On such a snowy day, sitting around the pots eating piping hot food, everyone unconsciously relaxed.

Lin Xiuyuan picked up a piece of Wagyu beef, blew on it twice, and stuffed it into his mouth; the heat traveled down his throat and instantly spread to his chest.

The cold that had accumulated in the snow just now seemed to be driven away completely in an instant.

So he could not help but let out a sigh of relief, his whole body warming up.

After finishing lunch, everyone did not immediately return to the ski resort to continue skiing.

Because the snow was still falling outside, the atmosphere made people feel a bit lazy.

So the group simply wandered around the neighborhood.

It just so happened that there was a short street right next to the restaurant.

The streets were crowded with all kinds of shops, including ski equipment stores, souvenir shops, small cafes, and a few small shops selling local specialties.

The display windows were filled with various ski helmets, goggles, and snowsuits, and with the lights shining down, it looked very atmospheric.

The group walked along, looking around casually, sometimes stopping to peer at items in shop windows, and other times being drawn to small trinkets on the roadside.

Their pace was leisurely, with no sense of being in a rush at all.

It wasn't until they reached the entrance of a shop that Park Hyomin suddenly stopped and turned her head to look at the sign.

It was a pop-up store for Arc'teryx.

Seeing the storefront, she led the group into the snow-hut-themed space without a moment's hesitation.

There weren't many people in the shop.

The space was very clean, the lighting was bright, and various skiing equipment was arranged neatly.

Rows of snowsuits hung on the walls, in colors ranging from understated black and gray to vibrant orange and red.

Park Hyomin strolled slowly through the shop, her gaze sweeping over each snowsuit, occasionally reaching out to touch the fabric or picking one up to check the label, looking very serious.

She first picked up a white snowsuit, held it up to the light to examine it, then lowered her head to feel the material.

After a moment of thought, she put it back and then picked out another one.

After looking through a few sets this way, she directly selected a black snowsuit in a size suitable for Lin Xiuyuan, and casually grabbed a few inner layers from the side.

Then she walked straight to the checkout counter, swiped her card, and paid.

The entire sequence of actions was crisp and efficient, almost done in one go.

She didn't give Lin Xiuyuan, who was standing nearby, any chance to open his mouth and refuse.

Standing to the side, he watched this series of operations by her and was a bit stunned, intending to say "no need."

Before he could finish, Park Hyomin turned her head and glanced at him.

Her gaze was very calm, "Don't speak."

So Lin Xiuyuan, who had opened his mouth, silently closed it again.

As Park Hyomin finished swiping the card, she handed the bag packed by the clerk to him.

Lin Xiuyuan took the bag and glanced at her again, only to find that her figure had already walked to a display rack nearby.

She was standing there with her head tilted slightly, looking at a snowboard hanging on the rack.

It was a collaboration-model snowboard.

The board design was very unique, with bold patterns and lines, and an eye-catching color scheme.

Under the lights, it looked very cool.

Lin Xiuyuan walked over and stood beside her, also looking up, "It looks pretty good."

As a result, this casual remark caused Park Hyomin to turn her head and look at him, "Do you like it?"

After locking eyes with her for a moment, Lin Xiuyuan understood the meaning behind her words in the blink of an eye.

So he shook his head quickly, very decisively, "I don't like it, I was just saying, you absolutely must not get carried away."

Park Hyomin looked at him in silence for a second, her gaze somewhat meaningful.

"You really don't like it?" she asked again.

"I really don't." Lin Xiuyuan nodded forcefully, his tone as firm as if he were taking an oath.

Park Hyomin, who had looked at him for a moment, then withdrew her gaze.

She just looked at the snowboard again, her eyes lingering on it for a short while.

Then she turned around and walked out of the shop.

All of her behaviors were seen by Xian Enjing and Park Jiyeon, who were following behind, and it left the two of them completely stunned.

They were stunned almost simultaneously, their gazes shifting back and forth between Park Hyomin and Lin Xiuyuan several times.

Then they exchanged a look.

In that instant, the expressions of the two were almost identical, their faces full of confusion.

Immediately after, Xian Enjing and Park Jiyeon very tacitly cast their gazes toward Li Juli, the questioning intent in their eyes couldn't have been more obvious.

"Unnie, what exactly happened during that hour or so when you went up the mountain earlier?"

"Yeah, why does it feel like the atmosphere between these two has suddenly changed?"

It was perfectly normal before, but now it looks as if something incredible just happened.

Li Juli felt like laughing at being stared at by them, but she still shrugged, looking innocent.

"I don't know either, it was just the normal going up the mountain, skiing, and coming back down."

After saying this, she even spread her hands.

As if things were really that simple.

With her sharp intuition, she could naturally tell that Lin Xiuyuan clearly had no intention of telling these two about what happened at the back mountain earlier.

Since the person involved wasn't bringing it up, she couldn't be bothered to talk too much; besides, having less trouble was fine too.

So she simply pretended to know nothing and didn't want to say a single extra word.

And so, the previous situation suddenly became very interesting.

Because originally, it was Xian Enjing and Park Jiyeon who had been "isolating" Park Hyomin and Li Juli regarding the secret of the Time Gate.

But now, the roles of attacker and defender had reversed.

The two who were originally the "curious ones" had suddenly become the side holding the secret.

And Xian Enjing and Park Jiyeon, on the contrary, had become the two kept in the dark by "another secret."

This made them feel stifled, as if their hearts were being scratched by a cat, itching uncontrollably.

The more they thought about it, the more curious they became, and the more their hearts itched.

So after leaving that pop-up store, the two quickly set their sights on another breakthrough point, which was Lin Xiuyuan.

Since it seemed difficult to get information out of Park Hyomin, they would start with Lin Xiuyuan, intending to pry the secret out of him.

But unfortunately, the source was with Lin Xiuyuan to begin with, so how could they possibly get anything out of him?

So, no matter how they tried to fish for information.

"Did nothing really happen back at the mountain behind us?"

"How did you two suddenly get so close?"

"Why is Xiaomin suddenly so concerned about you, and why is she being so affectionate toward you, oppa?"

Facing this series of questions, Lin Xiuyuan's reaction remained the same throughout.

"It's nothing."

"Just normal skiing."

1

"You guys are overthinking it."

When he answered, his expression was so sincere that it was practically as if he were telling the truth.

This led the two of them to keep asking back and forth for a long time, but in the end, they couldn't extract any useful information.

In the end, they could only give up.

This situation continued until the evening, when the day's skiing trip ended.

The two of them still hadn't obtained any answers.

However, there was one thing they were seeing more and more clearly.

That was that the relationship between Park Hyomin and Lin Xiuyuan was clearly getting closer and closer, even becoming a bit too intimate.

Sometimes they walked side by side, their shoulders almost touching.

Sometimes when they talked, the two of them would unconsciously lean in very close.

That feeling was hard to describe, but it was just different from the morning, as if they were different people.

This thought made Xian Enjing and Park Jiyeon exchange glances again.

In both pairs of eyes, there was nothing but confusion.

No, did we miss some key plot point?

Nighttime.

Because they had been skiing for two days in a row, everyone was somewhat exhausted.

Their legs were sore, and their shoulders were a bit tight.

So, after discussing it, the group simply found a spa that offered essential oil massages to properly relax.

The private room was warm, the lighting was adjusted to be very soft, and the air was filled with a faint scent of essential oils.

Listening to the background music flowing gently and feeling the technician's professional technique as the warm essential oil was slowly pushed into their muscles, the originally tense areas were pressed loose bit by bit.

So comfortable!!!

The group lay on the massage beds.

Before long, they were so comfortable that they were too lazy to even speak and drifted straight to sleep.

After the massage ended, everyone found a place to eat something.

——

By the time they slowly made their way back to the Apartment, it was already late at night.

The group sat casually on the sofa and chatted for a while longer.

Chatting about today's skiing.

Chatting about that beautiful snow forest on the mountain behind them.

Chatting about whether to continue skiing tomorrow.

Until they had chatted enough, everyone said their goodbyes and returned to their respective rooms.

More than half an hour later.

The Apartment gradually quieted down.

The lights in the Living Room were already off, leaving only the snow light from outside the window to filter in, spreading a faint silvery-white layer over the floor and walls.

The sound of wind blowing past the eaves could be heard occasionally from afar, making the whole house seem exceptionally quiet.

In the small room nearby, Li Shaoxi had already tossed and turned on the bed several times.

The quilt was a bit messy from her rolling around; one moment she pulled it up to her shoulders, the next she kicked it down to her legs, but no matter how she adjusted her position, she just couldn't close her eyes.

It wasn't because she was excited or suffering from insomnia.

It was very simple: she had drunk too much water.

She had drunk quite a bit of hot water after returning from the spa, and now her stomach felt a bit bloated.

So, after staring at the ceiling for a while, she sighed softly, then resignedly threw off the quilt, got up, and dragged her feet out of the room.

The Living Room was pitch black.

The curtains weren't fully drawn, and the faint light reflected from the snow outside filtered in, giving the whole space a hazy glow.

Moreover, the air was extremely quiet.

Li Shaoxi, stepping lightly in her slippers, walked cautiously toward the bathroom.

But just as she passed the door to Lin Xiuyuan's room, her footsteps suddenly stopped.

Although the door to that room was closed, she still heard the faint sound of voices coming from inside.

The sound wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the quiet night.

It also made Li Shaoxi freeze subconsciously.

If it were just a normal conversation, she probably would have just listened for a sentence or two, then hurried to the bathroom and returned to bed to gossip properly.

But the few sentences she heard next froze her in place entirely.

"Put it on."

This is Lin Xiuyuan's voice.

There is a hint of helplessness in his tone, as if he is patiently trying to persuade someone.

Li Shaoxi blinked.

Before she could react, another voice rang out in the room.

"No." This voice is soft, but very familiar, "Xiuyuan, I am safe today. Even if something were to happen, I will take responsibility for it myself, so you don't need to worry about it, okay?"

Outside The Gate.

Hearing these words, Li Shaoxi froze in place, her mind suddenly going blank.

Inside the room, Lin Xiuyuan's voice sounded again, "Don't be like that."

Then he seemed to sigh, "You should still wear it."

After a brief silence, Park Hyomin's voice sounded again, "No."

Her tone is a bit firmer than before.

Outside The Gate.

Li Shaoxi stood there, completely petrified, even her breathing unconsciously becoming lighter.

Only one question remained in her mind.

Wear what?

As soon as this question appeared, countless messy thoughts flashed through her mind.

And these thoughts almost all pointed in the same direction.

These thoughts made her ears burn slightly and her heartbeat inexplicably quicken, and then she quickly fled back to her own room.

As for going to the bathroom or whatever, she will just hold it for now.