blueteamnovel Chapter 136 She seems to have some ulterior motives.
Chapter 136 She seems to have some ulterior motives.
Chapter 137 She seems to have some ulterior motives.
The two of them shifted their weight forward together, and the skateboard started to accelerate. They had just learned to walk but hadn't learned to run yet, and unsurprisingly, they fell together again.
I still trusted Jiang Shuo too much.
However, he's now even tricking Xia Li—they've gotten to know each other well enough to consider Xia Li a friend.
Xia Li stood up, still dazed, holding her helmet. She glanced at Song Che and continued adjusting her skiing posture. She still believed it was because of her poor skills and had no suspicion that Jiang Shuo was behind it.
Actually, she doesn't need to learn any special skills anymore. What she needs to do now is practice makes perfect. She has already mastered the basics. She just needs to speed things up a little bit to be able to reach the same speed as Jiang Shuo and the others.
Zhang Hanyu called Jiang Shuo away, saying, "They're a young couple cultivating their relationship, what are you doing bothering them?"
"I taught them how to play."
"You're just taking advantage of Xia Li's ignorance. Wait until Brother Che beats you up."
"No, I was just kidding, I meant no harm—" Jiang Shuo waved his hands repeatedly, "Brother, am I still alive?"
"I'm not that petty." Song Che seemed quite happy to see Xia Li fall.
They both fell together, rolling around in the snow a few times, covered in snow. Song Che and she scrambled to their feet, looking at each other's silly faces, and Xia Li couldn't help but smile.
But she held it in.
What a legendary master of suppressing laughter!
Xia Li has been putting on a cool and aloof act for quite some time now.
One day, I'll make her laugh out loud.
Song Che followed Xia Li, and the two of them slowly made their way in the beginner area. This area was mostly for beginners, and there were no wild skiing techniques. Basically, dozens of people were slowly making their way along the slope, and the slope looked like a bunch of snails crawling on it. If anyone tried to go faster, they would fall over.
The sunlight streamed across the ski slopes, making the skis even brighter.
Xia Li skated all morning and made rapid progress.
It was her first time too, but she was definitely more adaptable than Song Che.
She sped down the ski slope, her legs slightly bent and together, her body leaning forward, her silver hair fluttering, creating a little snow mist as she slid down, giving her a dashing, youthful look.
Song Che's form was quite proper, his posture was fairly standard, and he didn't fall, indicating that he had already mastered the basics.
The midday sun was brighter than in the morning, and the number of people at the ski resort visibly decreased, with many going to eat and rest before returning in the afternoon.
The four of them took the cable car back to the top of the mountain. Jiang Shuo kept rubbing his knees the whole way, saying he had fallen five times, three of which were in the same position. Zhang Hanyu ignored him, leaned against the side, and closed his eyes to rest. His dark circles were even more pronounced where his snow goggles had been pressed against his skin.
When the cable car arrived at the station, Xia Li was much more skilled at taking off her skis than in the morning. However, she used too much force when prying open the buckles, and the skis bounced up and almost hit her. Song Che reached out to block it, and the edge of the ski hit his forearm. It didn't hurt through his ski suit, but it made a dull thud.
"I used the wrong force."
"It's okay, you'll get used to it the second time."
Xia Li looked down at her snowboard and then at the actions of the people next to her.
The hot spring hotel is next to the ski resort, a five-minute walk away. As soon as Jiang Shuo entered the lobby, he was hit by a wave of heat. He immediately complained about the heat and unzipped his ski jacket, revealing a thermal undershirt with a cartoon panda print underneath.
Zhang Hanyu glanced at it, his lips twitched, but he didn't say anything.
The restaurant is on the second floor, with floor-to-ceiling windows facing the ski resort. There are quite a few people eating at this time, mostly skiers with their equipment. Hats, gloves, and goggles are piled on the tables. Waiters carry trays and move between the tables, walking carefully because the ground is slippery. Since everyone here is from the ski resort, there is bound to be snow on the ground. Where there is snow, there is water, and where there is water, it becomes slippery.
There was only one four-person table left by the window. Jiang Shuo plopped down, picked up the menu and started flipping through it, muttering, "I'm starving, I'm starving." Zhang Hanyu sat opposite him, reached out and snatched the menu away, saying, "You're already embarrassing enough with those panda eyes, don't embarrass yourself by ordering anything else."
Jiang Shuo protested.
"That's called cute? What do you know?"
"Those who are obsessed with their younger sister will love clothes like this."
"You're talking nonsense!"
Xia Li sat down next to Song Che, took off her gloves and placed them on the chair next to her, then went to untie the ties of her top. As she was untying them, her fingers got stuck on the knot; she had tied it too tightly that morning, and now she couldn't untie it herself.
Song Che reached out to help, tugging twice to tighten the knot.
"."
Xia Li looked at him.
"I'll go back and get the scissors later." Song Che gave up. He hadn't noticed when he dressed her this morning, and she had tied another knot that was impossible to untie!
Zhang Hanyu glanced at the two of them, then looked down at the menu again.
Jiang Shuo leaned closer, "Brother, why are you tying Xia Li so tightly? Are you afraid she'll lose it?"
"I'm afraid the wind will get in," Song Che said.
"You don't need to tie it too tightly."
Xia Li interjected, "I'm in that department."
Jiang Shuo was stunned for a moment, then laughed.
Song Che didn't reply, but handed over the menu. "Let's order."
Zhang Hanyu ordered the dishes. She asked everyone about their dietary restrictions. Jiang Shuo said anything was fine, Song Che said it was all okay, and Xia Li said she could eat it. However, when Xia Li said she could eat it, she really meant it.
After listening, Zhang Hanyu remained silent for two seconds, then ordered four dishes and a soup, plus two more plates of meat.
While waiting for the food, Jiang Shuo lay on the table rubbing his legs, groaning as he did so.
"I definitely won't be able to get up tomorrow, I won't be able to get up the day after tomorrow, and I'm unlikely to get up the day after that either."
"Then don't go skiing this afternoon, just stay in the hotel and relax."
Jiang Shuo immediately sat up straight. "No, we'll continue skating this afternoon. We can't waste the ticket money."
"You wasted your money on that ticket," Zhang Hanyu said. "Five falls, that's an average of tens of yuan per fall."
"How did you calculate that?"
"Entrance fee plus ski equipment plus cable car, divide by five."
Jiang Shuo did the math, then his face fell. "Stop talking."
Xia Li, who was listening nearby, suddenly spoke up, "I fell four times."
Zhang Hanyu looked at her and asked, "Is this your first time skating?"
"Um."
"You're pretty good. I fell more than ten times on the first day."
Jiang Shuo immediately interjected, "Didn't you go skiing with me the first time? I remember you fell more than I did."
Zhang Hanyu glanced at him and said, "Then you're mistaken."
"If I remember correctly, you cried when you fell."
"Jiang Shuo".
"what?"
"Shut up."
Jiang Shuo shut up, but a smile still lingered on his lips, the kind of smile that says, "I've finally caught you red-handed."
Song Che poured a cup of hot water and handed it to Xia Li. Xia Li took it and held it in her hands, looking out the window.
People were still skiing down the slope, and from a distance, they could only be seen as tiny dots moving about. Occasionally, someone would fall, kicking up a small cloud of snow.
She was actually quite puzzled. Most of the skiers were beginners, and she didn't see many skilled skiers. Most of the time, it was just a bunch of beginners falling together.
"What are you looking at?" Song Che asked.
"They fell."
"Yes, that's how it is."
"I thought I was the only one who fell."
Song Che chuckled, "Everyone falls, but Jiang Shuo fell five times."
Jiang Shuo protested, "Can we please not talk about this anymore?"
The dishes were served quickly: braised pork, sweet and sour pork, garlic broccoli, and stir-fried cabbage with vinegar. The soup was tomato and egg soup, and the meat consisted of two plates of lamb slices used for washing pots.
When Zhang Hanyu ordered, he said he was worried there wouldn't be enough food, but when it arrived, he found that the table was almost overflowing.
Jiang Shuo picked up a piece of braised pork with his chopsticks, chewed it a couple of times, and his eyes lit up. "This meat is good."
Zhang Hanyu also took a bite, said nothing, but picked up a second piece.
Song Che glanced at her, then used serving chopsticks to put two pieces of braised pork in her bowl, and a few more pieces of cabbage.
Xia Li lowered her head to eat, and looked up at him after she finished.
"What else would you like to eat? I'll get it for you," Song Che said.
"I can do it myself."
"OK."
Xia Li lowered her head again and continued eating.
Jiang Shuo, watching from the side, whispered to Zhang Hanyu, "Is Brother Che raising her like a daughter?"
Zhang Hanyu kicked him under the table.
Jiang Shuo yelled, rubbing his calf as he looked at Zhang Hanyu, "What are you doing?"
"Don't talk while you eat."
"I only said one sentence."
Not a single word.
Jiang Shuo was unconvinced, but he didn't say anything more and buried his head in his rice.
Xia Li ate for a while, then put down her chopsticks and picked up her cup to drink some water. The water, poured by Song Che, was now lukewarm, no longer hot. She took two sips, put the cup down, and suddenly asked, "Was it still slippery this afternoon?"
"Do you want to skate?" Song Che asked.
"think."
"Then let's skate."
"And you guys?" Xia Li asked, looking at Jiang Shuo and Zhang Hanyu.
Zhang Hanyu nodded. "Slippery."
Jiang Shuo nodded, "Slippery, we can't waste the ticket money."
After finishing their meal, the four of them sat and rested for a while. They divided the money and handed it to Jiang Shuo to pay the bill. When they came back, they had four tickets in their hands, saying that they could go to the hot springs and soak in them after skiing in the afternoon.
"Should we go back the next day, or continue skating tomorrow?" Zhang Hanyu asked.
"Let's soak in the hot springs today and see if our butts hurt tomorrow." Jiang Shuo handed out tickets to everyone. "If they hurt, we can go back; if they don't, we can still play."
Song Che took the ticket, glanced at it, and put it in his pocket.
Xia Li followed his example.
After leaving the restaurant, there were many people waiting for the elevator, so the four of them took the stairs. The stairwell was empty, and their footsteps bounced on the concrete walls. Jiang Shuo walked in front, taking two steps at a time, and then stopped at the corner to wait.
"Are you going to the newbie zone again this afternoon?" he asked.
"Mm," Song Che said.
"Then Hanyu and I will go to the intermediate level. You guys practice slowly, and come find us when you're done."
Zhang Hanyu glanced at him. "You can reach the intermediate level?"
"Why can't I?"
"Who was the one who fell five times this morning?"
"That's the beginner level; the intermediate level is different."
"What's different?"
"The slopes are different."
"So you won't fall?"
Jiang Shuo choked for a moment, then said stiffly, "I'll give it a try."
Zhang Hanyu didn't tease him further, but just laughed. The laughter echoed in the stairwell, sounding somewhat gloating.
We arrived at the third floor. The door to the stairwell opened, revealing a deep red carpet in the hallway, landscape paintings on the walls, and floor-to-ceiling windows at the end, letting in sunlight that made the carpet appear even warmer.
The four people shared three rooms: Jiang Shuo and Zhang Hanyu each had a room, and Song Che and Xia Li shared a room, with their doors facing each other.
Xia Li swiped the door open and went inside first, looking around from the doorway. The room wasn't big, with a double bed, a wardrobe, a desk, two chairs, and the window facing the mountains behind, where she could see the unmelted snow.
Song Che leaned his ski equipment against the wall, took off his ski suit and hung it in the closet, then looked back to see Xia Li still standing there.
"What's wrong?"
"No." Xia Li walked over and took off her shirt.
This time, Song Che helped out, pulling twice to finally loosen the knot.
After hanging the clothes in the closet, Xia Li sat on the edge of the bed and reached out to touch the sheets; they smelled of hotel laundry detergent.
Song Che sat down next to her, and neither of them spoke; they just sat there.
A row of bare trees lined the mountain ridge outside the window, their branches swaying gently in the wind. Sunlight streamed in through the window, its edge brushing just over the tips of Xia Li's shoes.
"Are you tired?" Song Che asked.
"A little," Xia Li said. "My legs are sore, and it feels like something is throbbing in them."
"That's how it is the first time you ski."
Are you sour?
"acid."
Xia Li turned her head to look at him. "How many times did you fall?"
Song Che thought for a moment, "Five or six times."
"More than me."
"Yes, you learn quickly."
Hearing Teacher Song praise her, Xia Li pursed her lips and remained silent.
Not speaking—is just pretending to be an expert.
Song Che could tell at a glance that Xia Li was actually quite happy, and he could barely suppress a smile.
Xia Li can smile now.
After sitting for a while, Song Che stood up and poured himself a glass of water. There was a kettle in the room, so he boiled a kettle, poured it into a glass, and placed it on the bedside table to cool.
Xia Li watched his movements and suddenly said, "You used to do this too."
Song Che paused for a moment. "How?"
"Pour some water, let it cool, and give it to me."
Song Che put down the kettle. "I'm used to it. Back then, wasn't it you who asked for it, you spoiled little prince?"
Xia Li didn't speak, but her eyes kept looking at him. Song Che sat back down. "What are you looking at?"
"It's up to you."
"What's so interesting about me?"
Xia Li thought for a moment, "I don't know, I just want to see."
Song Che turned to look out the window. Xia Li's willfulness hadn't changed much; she was still willful, but she had become more sensible and knew how to suppress her willfulness.
Xia Li didn't say anything more, she just continued to look at him.
After a few seconds, Song Che turned back, "Take a nap, we have to go skating this afternoon."
"Will you come with me?"
"OK."
Xia Li took off her shoes, lay down on the bed, and moved over a bit, leaving half of herself exposed. Song Che also lay down, with a fist's distance between them, and neither of them moved.
The curtains weren't drawn, and the sunlight continued to stream in, moving from the tips of the shoes to the calves.
Xia Li stared at the ceiling for a while, then suddenly said, "I'm very happy today."
Song Che turned his head to look at her.
Xia Li's silver hair was spread out on the pillow, with a few strands falling across her face. She was thinking about something.
"As long as you're happy," Song Che said.
"And you?"
"I'm happy too."
Xia Li turned her head and met his gaze. "Really?"
"real."
"What were you trying to confirm when you looked at me just now?" Song Che asked.
"I'm making sure you're not just trying to comfort me."
Why would I comfort you?
"I don't know," Xia Li said. "People used to comfort me because they didn't want me to be unhappy."
Song Che paused for a moment, then asked, "Who?"
"Many people." Xia Li's voice was calm. "When I was in Hite, I had many people around me, and they would all comfort me. They comforted me when I was happy, and they comforted me when I was unhappy. Later I realized that they didn't really care whether I was happy or not; they were just afraid that something would happen if I was unhappy."
Song Che didn't say anything.
"But you're different," Xia Li said. "When you said you were happy, you really meant it."
How did you know?
"I could tell." Xia Li turned her head to look at him. "I could tell."
Song Che looked at her for a while, then reached out and brushed the silver hair from the side of her face.
"Go to sleep."
"Um."
Xia Li closed her eyes, and her breathing gradually calmed down.
Song Che wasn't asleep; he just lay there watching her. The sunlight moved forward a little further, shining on her chin and making that patch of skin glow.
Song Che sensed that Xia Li had some ulterior motives, but he didn't know exactly what she was thinking. If they were staying overnight at the hot spring hotel, could it be that she simply wanted to experience what it was like to be with her boyfriend? Xia Li was a rather proactive person. Once she decided on a boyfriend, she would take the initiative to get close to him. However, her approach was different from the kind of closeness Song Che had imagined a girl to have. She was rather naive.
Xia Li is always like this; the goodnight kiss last time was something she just copied off the cuff.
Occasionally, someone would pass by in the corridor, their footsteps muffled by the carpet.
After a long time, or perhaps not long, Song Che heard Xia Li's breathing become heavier, knowing she had fallen asleep. He got up, covered her with the blanket, and went to the window.
The trees on the mountain were still swaying, and the wind was stronger than before. You could see a few people skiing on the distant ski slopes.
My phone vibrated. It was a message from Jiang Shuo: "Brother, meet in the lobby at 2 o'clock?"
Song Che replied: Okay.
Jiang Shuo: Is your sister-in-law asleep?
Song Che: I'm asleep.
Jiang Shuo: And what about you?
Song Che: Standing.
Jiang Shuo sent a string of ellipses, then said: You two are really—
Xia Li was sleeping soundly, with one hand sticking out from under the covers and resting on the pillow, her fingers curled up. Song Che went over and put her hand back under the covers.
The sunlight outside the window shifted a little further and shone on her face.
Song Che stood by the bed and watched her for a while, then drew the curtains.