After a satisfying breakfast that replenished her energy, the psychological trauma from yesterday had been mostly dispelled by the power of food for Tong Hua.
Since she was already here, she couldn’t just give up skiing because of one accident, could she? That wasn’t her style at all.
So, the group geared up again and headed to the ski resort. Tong Hua changed into the same pink ski suit from yesterday, put on her little white cat hat, and stood at the top of the small slope where she had suffered her Waterloo.
Hands on her hips, she tried to reclaim her dignity and made what she thought was a grand declaration to the slope: “Hmph, I, the great Tong Hua, am back! You puny Alps! Got you in my grasp!” She even made a pinching gesture.
However, her skis seemed to have a mind of their own and couldn’t stand her arrogance of trying to run before she could even walk. As soon as she finished speaking, the skis under her feet began to slide forward uncontrollably.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa!!” Tong Hua panicked instantly, losing her balance. It looked like she was about to repeat yesterday’s mistake and go on another uncontrolled downhill dash. The terrifying memory of tearing someone’s pants off instantly flooded back, and she closed her eyes in fear.
Instead of the expected tumble and descent, the collar of her ski suit tightened as a large hand in black ski gloves precisely grabbed the back of her neck, steadying her forward-leaning momentum like lifting a disobedient kitten.
“Thank you~” Tong Hua, having narrowly escaped disaster, let out a long sigh of relief and instinctively flashed a grateful smile, turning around to see which kind soul had come to her rescue.
The smile froze, stiffened, and then completely collapsed the moment she turned and saw the handsome face of her rescuer.
Oh, crap! It’s the black-pants hottie! No! It’s He Sui!
Why would he help her? A weasel paying New Year’s respects to a chicken? Was it because she had embarrassed herself in public yesterday, and now he wanted to catch her personally to get revenge for that pants-tearing incident? She knew this kind of sharp-tongued, grudge-holding guy was no gentleman! Countless possibilities of retaliation flashed through her mind, making her hair stand on end.
He Sui let go of her and watched with amusement as her expression went through a series of dramatic changes. The corners of his mouth curled into that familiar, teasing, and mocking smile. “Little kid, learn how to brake before you get cocky next time. Don’t lose control and tear off someone’s pants again.”
He paused, giving her a meaningful glance. “Not everyone is as easygoing as I am. What if you run into someone who takes it seriously, thinks you’re harassing them and demands you take responsibility, or even calls the police to arrest you? Would your parents have to come bail you out? How embarrassing would that be?”
His tone was half-amused, half-mocking. The bright Alpine sun shone on his sharply defined face, a scene that should have been youthful and vibrant, but the words coming out of his 37-degree mouth could instantly make someone’s blood boil with rage.
Tong Hua’s face flushed red and then paled with a mix of embarrassment and anger, but she couldn’t even retort since she was the one at fault yesterday. After struggling for a long time, she finally stiffened her neck and shot back with a weak attempt at fierceness: “I-I-I get it! You can leave now! Hmph!” With that, like an angry penguin too scared to actually fight, she clumsily and indignantly shuffled her skis, trying to put some distance between herself and this dangerous individual.
He Sui watched her awkward, almost clumsy shuffling movements and couldn’t help but chuckle softly. Leaning lazily against the nearby guardrail with his arms crossed, his gaze followed with keen interest the pink figure struggling to convey “I’m angry, don’t mess with me” but only managing to appear adorably clumsy.
“What a cute little thing…” he murmured to himself.
Sure enough, before she had moved far, Tong Hua lost her balance and—thump—landed squarely on her bottom in the snow once again.
Grumbling, she got up, brushed the snow off herself, and stubbornly tried again.
What followed was a scene of pure comedy.
Tong Hua, on the beginner slope, seemed locked in a battle with the gentle incline—falling, getting up, sliding, falling again… over and over. Her determined back seemed to scream, “If I don’t conquer you today, my name isn’t Tong!”
Meanwhile, He Sui, whether out of boredom or sheer mischief, stayed active near the entrance to the intermediate slope, not far from her.
Every time Tong Hua tumbled head over heels in a clumsy mess, he would coincidentally be nearby, executing a smooth, stylish high-difficulty turn or a casual, effortless jump, landing steadily with a tap of his ski poles, stirring up a refreshing breeze and leaving behind a dashing silhouette.
His posture clearly said: See, this is how you ski~ Noob! Practice more~
Once or twice was fine, but after several times, even Tong Hua, as slow as she was, caught on. This guy was definitely doing it on purpose! Showing up precisely during her most embarrassing moments to show off—wasn’t he just trying to provoke her?
Finally, after another fall that left her dizzy and her bottom aching, she watched helplessly as He Sui carved past her with a graceful turn, even glancing her way in the process. Tong Hua completely lost it.
She grabbed a handful of snow and angrily threw it in He Sui’s direction, though it fell far short and posed no threat. “Go show off on the advanced slope if you’re so good! You poser!” she yelled.
She was furious! Why hadn’t she stripped off that flashy black underwear of his yesterday?! She regretted it so much! Now he had the chance to strut around here today! She should have embarrassed him so badly he’d buy a ticket back home overnight!
Not far away, Xiao Yu, Nan Chao, and Si Jin watched the whole scene unfold.
Si Jin skied over to He Sui, shaking his head with a tsk. “I say, Old He, is that how you bully a kid? Look how mad you’ve made her—her face is puffed up like a pufferfish.”
He Sui looked innocent, shrugging. “How am I bullying her? Did you open this ski resort? Is she the only one allowed to fall while I’m not allowed to ski?”
“Is that normal skiing?” Nan Chao couldn’t hold back. “That’s called targeted harassment—showing off on purpose when she falls.”
He Sui raised an eyebrow, wearing an infuriating grin. “She’s the one with faulty motor skills and terrible balance. Am I not allowed, as an expert, to demonstrate proper skiing techniques nearby and set a good example for her?”
“An example? More like you couldn’t find an audience on the advanced slope, so you came to show off in front of a newbie, right?” Xiao Yu hit the nail on the head.
He Sui turned to Xiao Yu, smirking mockingly. “If you’d used that analytical brain of yours during your final exams, maybe you wouldn’t have failed and needed to retake them.”
“Holy shit! He Sui, you dog! Just you wait, I’m gonna tear that mouth of yours to shreds today, the kind that even your mom would want to slap!” Xiao Yu, having been hit where it hurt, instantly bristled and lunged at He Sui with claws bared.
“Who’s afraid of who? When have you ever won? Can’t argue, can’t fight—my advice is you just quit life and start over, max out your mouthiness while you’re at it.”
He Sui easily dodged Xiao Yu’s lunge while continuing his verbal assault, his provocations continuing relentlessly.