CIATB Chapter 124 Skiing!
Chapter 124 Skiing!
In the early morning at Changbai Mountain, the sunlight is like a handful of broken gold, scattered on the white snow, so bright that it's hard to open your eyes.
The private ski resort at the Snow Cloud Hotel was so quiet that only the sound of the wind could be heard.
"Zhang Yan! Don't let go! Don't let go!"
A scream shattered the tranquility.
On the beginner slope, which wasn't particularly steep, a figure wrapped up tightly in a pure white Descente co-branded ski suit was frozen in place in an extremely bizarre posture.
Nie Qingcheng's current appearance is indeed completely different from that of the queen who once dominated the business world.
She wore pink goggles, and her helmet even had two fluffy decorative ears on top. Her legs were not together, and her knees were bent inward. She looked like a frightened and bewildered emperor penguin.
"I won't let go."
Zhang Yan stood beside her, not wearing snowboards, his feet firmly planted on the snow.
He supported Nie Qingcheng's arm with one hand, while using the other hand to help her keep the helmet from slipping down.
Seeing his wife's alarmed expression, Zhang Yan couldn't help but let a wild smile creep up his face.
"Laugh! You're still laughing!"
Although Nie Qingcheng couldn't see his face, she heard that soft hum.
She was so angry that she wanted to stomp her feet, but the double boards under her feet slipped, and she swayed again. She was so scared that she quickly grabbed Zhang Yan's sleeve tightly.
"I've never done anything so out of control in my entire life!"
Nie Qingcheng gritted her teeth, "Is this damn board incompatible with my birth chart? Why does it always split in two?"
"That's because your center of gravity is off."
Zhang Yan sighed and reached out to pat the back of her expensive ski suit.
"Don't stick your butt out, tuck in your stomach, bend your knees slightly, and shift your weight forward."
"I've already made a lot of progress!"
"You're just sticking your neck out while your body is still hiding behind you."
Zhang Yan ruthlessly exposed her, saying, "Anyone who didn't know better would think you were bowing to the snow."
Nie Qingcheng blushed, but thankfully she had a face shield to cover it up.
"I'm not skating anymore!"
She started to act spoiled, saying, "This is not a skill that humans can master. I want to go back to having coffee."
She had only slid less than five meters when she felt more tired than after discussing cross-border mergers and acquisitions all day.
It's mainly embarrassing.
Think of Nie Qingcheng, she can learn anything in no time.
Unfortunately, he tripped and fell on this very ski.
"Really not going to study anymore?"
Zhang Yan raised an eyebrow. "But someone promised last night that there would be a reward if I learned it."
When the reward was mentioned, Nie Qingcheng's ears turned a little hot.
"Then...then you try one first and let me see."
She tried to save face, saying, "I don't think those coaches made it as mysterious as you described. It's just sliding down, right?"
"OK."
Zhang Yan released his grip. "Then stand still and don't move."
"Hey, hey, don't go too far!"
Nie Qingcheng frantically stuck her ski poles into the snow, barely managing to maintain her balance.
Zhang Yan stepped back a few paces and slowly stepped onto the restraints.
A crisp "click" sounded.
In that instant, Nie Qingcheng felt that Zhang Yan's aura had changed.
Just a moment ago, he was a somewhat lazy and roguish boyfriend, but now, as he puts on his goggles, he's like a sharp blade drawn from its sheath, his edge fully revealed.
The "God-level Skiing Mastery" skill given by the system is more than just knowing how to ski.
It combines the wildness of downhill skiing with the skills of freestyle skiing.
"Watch closely."
Zhang Yan left behind a sentence and gently tapped his snow cane.
"Whoosh—"
Without any running start, he just rushed out.
Instead of sliding down the gentle beginner slope, he turned sideways and rushed towards the off-piste slope with a gradient of nearly forty degrees that had never been used before.
"Zhang Yan! It's dangerous over there!"
Nie Qingcheng screamed in fright.
That's the "black area" reserved for top players, full of deep pink snow and forests. Ordinary people would suffer broken bones if they went in.
However, the next second, Nie Qingcheng's voice caught in her throat.
The black figure, upon contact with the steep slope, did not slow down but instead, like a hunting eagle, suddenly accelerated and swooped down.
The snowboards cut through the powder snow, creating two white waves of snow up to two meters high, which exploded in the sunlight like two pairs of crystal wings.
Rotate, engage the blade, shift the center of gravity.
Every movement was as precise as a textbook, no, even smoother than a textbook.
He seemed to grow out of the snow; the protruding rocks and the horizontal tree roots seemed to disappear beneath his feet.
"Buzz—"
Zhang Yan did not detour before that famous "cliff".
He lowered his center of gravity and jumped suddenly.
He soared into the air, tracing a perfect parabola.
A 360-degree spin followed by a graceful grabbing motion.
It landed steadily.
Snowflakes flew everywhere, like smoke and mist.
The whole process was so smooth and fast that it made you forget to breathe.
Zhang Yan made a sudden stop, coming to a steady halt at the bottom of the slope dozens of meters away. With a beautiful drift, the snow mist he stirred up even splashed onto the faces of the onlookers.
"Holy crap..."
"Is this guy a professional? On the national team?"
"That's freaking awesome! That core strength is incredible!"
Several tourists skiing in the distance stared in disbelief, some even taking out their phones to take pictures.
Nie Qingcheng stood on the hilltop, staring intently at the figure through her goggles.
My heart was pounding.
How can this man be so handsome?
Watching him cook, play the piano, and fight, I already find him quite charming.
But on the ski slopes, this unrestrained and all-encompassing hormone is a deadly weapon against women.
Zhang Yan carried his skis and used the "fishbone step" technique, a skill only experts possess, to quickly climb back to the top of the slope.
He pulled down his face shield, exhaled a puff of white breath, a few ice crystals clinging to his eyebrows, and smiled somewhat arrogantly.
"So, Mr. Nie, is this coach qualified?"
Nie Qingcheng swallowed.
She didn't want to ski right now; she wanted to just pounce on him in the snow.
[Ding! Nie Qingcheng's happiness level +0.5. Current: 99.5/100.]
0.5 more is needed.
Zhang Yan glanced at the progress bar and understood what was going on.
He put his skis back on and then skied up behind Nie Qingcheng.
"Come on, don't move."
He stretched out his arms and hugged Nie Qingcheng from behind, covering her hands with the back of her hands that were holding the snow pole.
This is an extremely ambiguous pose.
Nie Qingcheng's back was pressed tightly against Zhang Yan's chest, and she could even feel his slightly rapid heartbeat after the intense exercise, as well as the continuous flow of his body heat.
"relax."
Zhang Yan's voice was right next to her ear, deep and magnetic.
"Give yourself to me."
"If I don't let go, you won't fall."
Nie Qingcheng's body went limp instantly.
Fear and balance are irrelevant at this moment.
She felt enveloped in an immense sense of security.
"Walk."
Zhang Yan led her, slowly sliding down.
He controlled the speed with his skis and guided her center of gravity with his body.
"Turn left... press down on your left leg."
"Turn right...and fall into my arms."
The snowboards, which were originally disobedient, suddenly became compliant under Zhang Yan's guidance.
The two of them seemed to be one, drawing elegant S-shaped curves on the ski slope.
The wind blew past my ears, but it wasn't cold at all.
Nie Qingcheng even closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of flying on the snow.
"Zhang Yan".
"Um?"
"From now on... you can only teach me."
"That depends on whether the tuition fees are paid properly."
"All my wealth is yours, is that enough?"
"That's barely enough for a down payment."
The two skated all the way to the bottom and stopped next to the rest area.
Nie Qingcheng took off her goggles, her cheeks were rosy, and her eyes shone like stars.
[Ding! Nie Qingcheng's happiness level +0.5. Current: 100/100.]
[Congratulations, host! Mission complete!]
[Reward: The special item "Mechanical Heart (Fragment)" has been issued.]
Zhang Yan was secretly delighted.
This reward sounds good; I'll have to take a closer look at it later.
Just then, a screeching sound of brakes rang out from the side.
A large cloud of snow mist deliberately billowed towards the two of them.
Zhang Yan reacted extremely quickly, turning around instantly and using his back to shield Nie Qingcheng from the flying snowflakes, protecting her in his arms.
"Hey, isn't this the same place that had the lamb skewers last night?"
A sarcastic voice came from behind.
The snow and fog dissipated.
Five or six people dressed in professional racing gear stopped nearby.
The one leading the group was none other than Zhao Shao, the gray-haired man who had been kicked out last night.
Today, however, he had changed his gear, carrying a racing board that looked very expensive, and was followed by several burly foreigners who looked like they were trained athletes.
Zhao Shao took off his goggles, looked at Zhang Yan, his eyes filled with resentment and provocation.
"What's wrong? Instead of hiding on the terrace and living off your wife, you've come here to embarrass yourself?"
He glanced at the beginner's board on Nie Qingcheng's feet and sneered.
"They're with a complete novice who can't even stand up straight, and they're still hugging and cuddling."
"This is an advanced ski area, not a place for children to play house."
Zhao Shao pointed at Zhang Yan with his ski pole, then pointed to the extremely steep black path behind him.
"Weren't you very arrogant last night? Trying to scare me with a knife?"
"Let's try something different today."
"Do you dare to have a match with me?"
The foreigners behind him also joined in the commotion, whistling and shouting in broken Chinese, "Coward!"
Nie Qingcheng's face darkened.
Just as she was about to lash out, Zhang Yan pressed down on her shoulder.
Zhang Yan slowly brushed the snow off his body, turned around, and looked at Zhao Shao as if he were an idiot.
"Compare what?"
"Whoever reaches the foot of the mountain first wins."
Zhao Shao pointed to the pine forest that was faintly visible at the foot of the mountain and said fiercely.
"What's the stake?"
Zhang Yan asked.
"You lost. Kneel down and kowtow three times to me, then get out of the Xueyun Hotel."
Zhao Shao gritted his teeth, "I'm going to settle that score from last night with interest."
"What if you lose?"
Zhang Yan looked at him with amusement.
"I lost?"
As if he'd heard a joke, Zhao Shao pointed to a blond, blue-eyed foreigner behind him, "See that?"
"This is a retired downhill athlete, and also my coach."
"If I lose to a gigolo like you, I'll eat these snowboards right here and now!"
Zhang Yan nodded.
He glanced down at Nie Qingcheng and straightened her slightly askew hat.
"Honey, it's a bit noisy in here, I'll go clear the area."
After saying that, he looked at Zhao Shao, a chilling smile curving his lips.
"Eating snowboards is out of the question, those things are hard to digest."
"If I lose to you..."
Zhang Yan pointed to the diving platform next to him, which was ten meters high.
"Just jump off from there, naked."
"Dare you?"