My Idol Turns Out To Be My Ex-Girlfriend - Chapter 31

“I’m extorting you?” Chen Shashuai laughed out of pure frustration. “What do you even have that’s worth extorting!”

Lin Sanyuan looked troubled. “You’ve been sitting on the ground for ages without getting up, asking me what to do. You look exactly like someone getting ready to run a scam.”

“Alright, that’s enough.” Yang Jiayan couldn’t watch any longer. She gave Lin Sanyuan a pointed, neutral look.

“He probably just wanted to strike up a conversation, even if his method was a bit off. Sanyuan, don’t take it so seriously. We’re out to have fun, and squatting here by yourself isn’t much of a vacation, is it? How about I find you a ski instructor? One of those six-foot-tall guys with eight-pack abs? It’s more fun when everyone plays together.”

Yang Jiayan had high emotional intelligence. She managed to save Chen Shashuai’s face while simultaneously creating distance between the two. She could tell that Lin Sanyuan was repulsed by the guy.

Lin Sanyuan toyed with her skis, suddenly feeling like the whole trip was a bore.

“You guys go ahead. I’m going to find Qiao Lian and head back to the hotel.”

Yang Jiayan patted her back and whispered, “I organized this party, okay? Don’t sour the mood now. He didn’t mean any harm, and with so many people around, what could he possibly do to you? Put away that persecution complex of yours for once, my dear.”

Lin Sanyuan opened her mouth to speak, but swallowed her words instead.

Facing Chen Shashuai’s aggressive and ill-intentioned approach, she hadn’t flinched. But as soon as Yang Jiayan spoke, it felt like every exit and every word had been blocked off. It made her look like the one being unreasonable.

Lin Sanyuan didn’t know if she should compromise. She truly hated bickering with people while everyone stood around watching.

“Sanyuan.”

A voice drifted past her ear, feeling like warm sunlight flowing over her, carrying a gentle, steadying power.

She looked up and saw a familiar face.

Tang Hengzhi stood not far away. The light traced the edges of her silhouette, creating a soft, beautiful outline. When she spoke Sanyuan’s name, it carried a peculiar rhythm, like the thin veil of steam rising from fresh tea.

She gave her a faint smile, one that was remarkably clean. “What a coincidence.”

The sudden greeting caused the surrounding gossip-hungry atmosphere to go abruptly silent.

Lin Sanyuan froze. It felt as if a silk thread was gently tugging at her scalp, making it tingle. Snapping back to reality, she offered a stiff greeting in return. “Teacher Tang, you’re here to ski too?”

He Wenyu waved at her. “Hello, hello, little Sanyuan! Why are you only greeting your Teacher Tang? Can’t you see your big sister?”

Lin Sanyuan pursed her lips. “Hello, Sister.”

Yang Jiayan instinctively looked at Han Chun. As expected, his eyes were bright, his attention completely captured by that woman.

“Teacher Tang, what a coincidence to meet again.” Han Chun greeted her with polished grace, a clear smile on his face.

Tang Hengzhi’s tone was very mild. “Hello.”

Han Chun wanted to continue the conversation, but Tang Hengzhi spoke again. “I’m sorry, I forgot to bring my skis. Sanyuan, could I borrow yours?”

Coming to a ski resort without skis?

Lin Sanyuan looked Tang Hengzhi over. She was dressed in black ski gear, the loose fit unable to hide the length of her legs. The outfit was layered perfectly. Her long hair draped over her shoulders, and even the brilliance of the snow couldn’t compete with the paleness of her skin. She was breathtakingly beautiful, exquisite, and effortlessly cool.

Tang Hengzhi’s beauty leaned toward a gentle coldness. She was quite tall, likely over five-foot-seven, slender and high-waisted, looking like someone who had been meticulously sculpted. She held her goggles in her hand rather than wearing them.

Tang Hengzhi wasn’t lying, she really didn’t have skis. The ticket office rented out equipment, but looking at her aura, Lin Sanyuan found it hard to imagine her using something shared by dozens of strangers. Even the three-thousand-yuan skis Sanyuan had bought seemed cheap by comparison.

“These boards… I’ve used them once. Do you mind?” Lin Sanyuan asked.

Tang Hengzhi blinked at her for a few seconds and chuckled. “I don’t mind.”

The back of Lin Sanyuan’s ears began to itch again. She wasn’t comfortable talking to someone while being the center of attention in such a quiet atmosphere. She prepared to walk over and hand her the skis.

But Tang Hengzhi didn’t wait. She proactively approached her, took the skis, and didn’t immediately move away. She looked down at her, blinked again, and said with a smile, “I’m not made of glass.”

“Huh?” Lin Sanyuan looked up, confused.

Tang Hengzhi really wanted to rub that round head of hers, wanting to find where this “Evil Silver Shaded” kitten had hidden its furry ears.

“My skills are actually quite good.”

Those words sounded familiar. Just a moment ago, Sanyuan had insulted Chen Shashuai for being both fragile and unskilled.

He Wenyu took a sharp breath in secret. That line… why did it sound so inappropriate?

Lin Sanyuan’s ears twitched. The look she gave as she tilted her head up was both puzzled and direct. “You want to take me with you?”

Not teach her how to ski, because Tang Hengzhi had taken her boards, leaving Sanyuan with nothing to play with. But she had said her skills were good, and there was a pull in her gaze. She was saying she didn’t want to play alone.

“Is that okay?” Tang Hengzhi pressed her lips into a beautiful curve, asking politely.

Lin Sanyuan thought she heard her heart skip a beat. She kept her face neutral, her tongue pressing against the back of her teeth. “I…”

She stammered slightly. Before she could finish, she heard Tang Hengzhi slowly exhale above her. “I won’t let you fall.”

“No…” Lin Sanyuan said, “I wanted to ask, is your hand feeling any better?”

Tang Hengzhi’s breath was quite close. She was smiling. “Are we playing?”

Her voice was incredibly alluring, making the small bones in Sanyuan’s ears vibrate. She didn’t answer Lin Sanyuan’s question.

Lin Sanyuan rubbed her ear, took a deep breath, and said, “Yes.”

Tang Hengzhi was a humble person. So, when she said she was “quite good” at something, you could take that “good” and double it in your mind to find her true level.

She brought Lin Sanyuan onto the skis with her. Lin Sanyuan crouched between her legs, hugging one of Tang Hengzhi’s long, straight legs. If they weren’t both women, the sight would have been quite intimate. The position was also a bit dangerous.

But Tang Hengzhi had said she wouldn’t let her fall.

Lin Sanyuan wasn’t good at sports, but that didn’t mean she disliked extreme activities like skiing. She couldn’t figure it out on her own, but if someone else was an expert and willing to take her along, she could be both a well-behaved and wild passenger.

Tang Hengzhi patted the hat on her head. “Put on your goggles.”

Lin Sanyuan obediently put them on and tightened her grip on Tang Hengzhi’s leg, hanging on like an accessory.

Tang Hengzhi bent her knees slightly, shifted her weight, and planted her poles, carving a smooth arc. Even with an extra person on the boards, her turns weren’t labored. The edges sliced through the snow, kicking up perfect “C” shaped silver arcs and fan-like waves of powder. Her movements were incredibly stylish, and she managed to keep the speed under control.

Lin Sanyuan felt the cold snow-dust scraping against her goggles. The long leg she was hugging felt lean and firm every time the muscles tensed. They were held close together amidst the flickering snow, wind, and the moving crowds.

Her heart was beating fast, so fast it felt wrong. That suffocating feeling she’d felt that night, the one that made her feel like she might die at any moment, washed over her heart like she was drowning.

If Lin Sanyuan tilted her head back just a little, she could see Tang Hengzhi’s porcelain-fine jaw and neck, the lines smooth and elegant. Under the goggles, her nose was high and graceful, and her lips were pressed into a cool line. She was truly beautiful in every possible way. How could someone in this world look like this?

Tang Hengzhi suddenly shifted her center of gravity backward, steadily clearing a small snow slope.

Lin Sanyuan spotted a familiar figure. “Qiao Lianlian!”

Qiao Lian used her poles to slow down. Seeing Lin Sanyuan clinging to Tang Hengzhi, she paused for a second before smiling. “Looks like you’re having a great time.”

Tang Hengzhi also slowed down to slide parallel with Qiao Lian. Lin Sanyuan lifted her chin, her expression a little proud, though only a little.

“I’ve caught a ride with a pro.”

Qiao Lian’s gaze landed on Tang Hengzhi’s leg, and she couldn’t help but chuckle. “Hello, Pro.”

Tang Hengzhi didn’t know her, but she recognized her voice. “Hello,” she replied with a smile.

Around 4:00 PM, the crowds at the resort began to thin out.

Tang Hengzhi sat on a bench in the open-air rest area drinking a Coke. There was a thin layer of sweat on the tip of her pale nose. She had unzipped her ski jacket, revealing a plain white T-shirt underneath and a stretch of her long neck that looked like fresh snow on a branch.

He Wenyu slapped her arm. “I thought you had better stamina than this? Keep going, don’t quit on me now.”

She had never realized before that this stone-faced woman had such a way with girls. However, the fact that she was choosing to flirt with her little brother’s girlfriend made He Wenyu feel a bit conflicted.

Lin Sanyuan, having had her fill of excitement, felt her mouth was dry. she asked Qiao Lian for a milk candy and lowered her head to peel off the wrapper.

Tang Hengzhi’s finger lightly traced the rim of her Coke can, her eyes lingering on the candy in Sanyuan’s hand. She looked lost in thought.

He Wenyu was still trying to goad Tang Hengzhi. Lin Sanyuan popped the candy into her mouth, pushing it to one side with her tongue so that one cheek puffed out. “Maybe we should stop? I’m a bit tired.”

He Wenyu glanced at her. “Little Sanyuan, tell me exactly where you’re tired. You were wild all afternoon, but you spent the whole time hanging onto her leg. Is that exhausting?”

The finger Tang Hengzhi was using to trace the can paused for a fraction of a second. She picked up the Coke and took a small sip.

“Cough, cough…” Qiao Lian, who was drinking water, suddenly seemed to choke. Her chin was soaked by the spilled water, looking quite damp.

“Oh dear,” Lin Sanyuan exclaimed, quickly pulling out a pack of tissues to wipe her chin. “You’re so grown up, how can you still have a ‘leaky chin’?”

Bringing the kid out to play and she couldn’t even drink water properly, it was a bit embarrassing for the “guardian.” Then again, Qiao Lian was too old for a bib.

He Wenyu froze, realizing she had accidentally made a bit of a dirty joke. She let out a wordless “tsk.”

Looking at Tang Hengzhi, who was usually straighter than the laundry pole on her balcony, it turned out that once you peeled back the surface, she was gayer than a coil of incense.

However, she was relieved to see that little Sanyuan’s reaction was perfectly “straight,” she hadn’t caught the dirty joke at all. Good… It looked like she might actually live to see the day this stone-faced woman got a taste of the cold shoulder.

Lin Sanyuan was a bit embarrassed to be called out so bluntly by He Wenyu. She’d had a blast that afternoon, but she really hadn’t exerted much effort. Tang Hengzhi was the one doing all the heavy lifting.

“Uh… it’s getting late. Aren’t you guys hungry?”

He Wenyu was still quite fond of this “sister-in-law,” and her attention was easily diverted. “Are you hungry?”