Chapter 34
Sitting on this high-speed, shock-absorbing “convertible” wasn’t physically comfortable. But feeling the wind rush past her ears, the exhilarating descent, and the slender, supple waist in her grasp, from Li Qinyue’s perspective, it was an unparalleled enjoyment.
The white snow rushed forward, then retreated. Li Qinyue tucked her hair behind her ear, pressing her cold cheek against Zhuo Zhi’s shoulder.
Initially, Zhuo Zhi’s neck was cool, but it quickly warmed up from Li Qinyue’s touch, becoming hot as if steam were rising.
Li Qinyue’s hand quickly went back into Zhuo Zhi’s pocket, giving it a squeeze.
Zhuo Zhi steered to the right, the raft spinning half a circle.
Li Qinyue laughed and asked, “Doesn’t it tickle when I squeeze your waist?”
“It does,” Zhuo Zhi said, her neck stiff, fully focused on steering, “But I can endure it.”
“Oh.” Li Qinyue stopped squeezing, but gently tickled Zhuo Zhi’s waist as they approached a bend.
The raft swayed precariously, almost hitting the barrier before Zhuo Zhi used her leg to brake and steer.
Li Qinyue burst into laughter. Zhuo Zhi planted her feet on the ground, jumped up, and exclaimed, “You can’t do that, Sister!”
“Do what?” Li Qinyue looked up at her with a smile, “What did I do?”
“You tickled me,” Zhuo Zhi shouted.
“I was just playing with the steering wheel, can’t I do that?” Li Qinyue said, “You should see my car, the steering wheel is almost bald from me playing with it.”
Zhuo Zhi stared at her, speechless.
“Let’s not go further down,” Zhuo Zhi turned around, “It’ll be a long way back home if we go any further.”
“Okay,” Li Qinyue agreed, standing up and walking uphill with Zhuo Zhi, “Let’s do this section again.”
“Yeah!” Zhuo Zhi nodded enthusiastically, clearly enjoying herself.
She hopped uphill, the raft leaving a long trail, flattening the fresh snow. Li Qinyue reached out, scooped up some snow from a protruding rock, packed it, and formed a snowball.
Zhuo Zhi was completely unaware of the approaching danger. Li Qinyue, aiming for a perfect hit, took large strides towards her, only throwing the snowball when she was a meter away.
“Thwack,” the crisp sound echoed as the snowball hit the back of Zhuo Zhi’s head, scattering snow everywhere.
Zhuo Zhi flinched, then burst into laughter. Li Qinyue ran a few steps away, thinking the girl was a little silly, “You’re laughing even after I hit you?”
“It’s just…” Zhuo Zhi doubled over with laughter, then suddenly scooped up some snow and threw it at Li Qinyue, “I can’t move until the enemy moves. I’ve never lost a snowball fight, hahaha…”
Li Qinyue couldn’t understand how Zhuo Zhi could effortlessly form a snowball with just a scoop of snow, and she, with her agility, actually failed to dodge it.
The snowball hit her leg. It didn’t hurt, but she had a feeling that she was doomed.
And within the next two minutes, it turned out that she wasn’t wrong.
She must have been crazy to hit Zhuo Zhi. This mountain girl, trained by who knows who, had more tricks up her sleeve than a martial arts movie on fast forward.
Li Qinyue couldn’t even hit her, let alone dodge her attacks.
She was chased around, slipping on the snow and landing on her butt with a thud.
It was utterly humiliating.
Li Qinyue simply sat on the ground, not bothering to get up. Zhuo Zhi, playing with a snowball in her hand, approached her cautiously, “Did you fall, Sister?”
“Yes,” Li Qinyue seized the opportunity, “I think I sprained my hip.”
Zhuo Zhi threw the snowball aside and rushed over to her, squatting down, “Let me see.”
Li Qinyue smiled, grabbed Zhuo Zhi’s arm, and pulled her into her lap.
They fell back together, landing on the soft snow, the coldness seeping through their clothes.
But their bodies were warm, their laughter warm. Zhuo Zhi struggled symbolically for a moment, then gave up.
She rested her head on Li Qinyue’s arm, looking up at the sky with her.
Snowflakes, like dust falling under dim lights, filled their vision with a hazy curtain.
Zhuo Zhi said, “It’s going to snow heavily soon, Sister.”
“A blizzard?”
“Yes,” Zhuo Zhi nodded, her hair brushing against Li Qinyue’s cheek, “Big, visible snowflakes.”
“Childish, I stopped being fascinated with snow when I was your age.”
“I used to stare at the snow for hours,” Zhuo Zhi reached out to catch a snowflake, “I used to wish someone would lie in the snow with me and watch it fall.”
“Now you have someone,” Li Qinyue also reached out, her hand grasping Zhuo Zhi’s, “To celebrate this dream come true, don’t you have anything to offer?”
Zhuo Zhi didn’t answer. After a while, she turned and kissed Li Qinyue on the cheek.
Li Qinyue was stunned, thinking, “What kind of childish way is this to express gratitude?” But the world was silent, and she was too lazy to move. This kiss seemed enough.
They lay there for almost twenty minutes. When they got up, their backs were numb from the cold.
“Want to play more?” Zhuo Zhi brushed the snow off Li Qinyue’s back.
“No more,” Li Qinyue said, “I’m hungry.”
“Okay,” Zhuo Zhi quickly gathered their things, “There’s no shortage of snow in Nanhai City, we can play another day.”
Zhuo Zhi’s words were prophetic. For the next few days, it snowed intermittently.
The snow on the rooftops would accumulate before it even had a chance to melt. At night, they could hear the occasional “crack” as tree branches snapped under the weight of the snow.
The heavy snow sealed the mountain, making the villa complex even quieter. Apart from the occasional supply truck, there were hardly any people around.
Most people stayed in their rooms, keeping warm by the fireplace and eating hotpot. Zhuo Zhi took Li Qinyue through all the classic snow activities, playing like a child. After a few days of this, Li Qinyue felt like she was becoming a child herself.
When the snow finally stopped, the world was wet and slushy.
The roads weren’t cleared in time, and were muddy and slippery. It wasn’t until Lan Xi called that Li Qinyue had the thought of going down the mountain.
However, it was just a thought. Whether they would actually go depended mainly on whether the little fool was interested.
Li Qinyue hung up the phone and shouted towards the kitchen, “Chick!”
“Yes!” Zhuo Zhi responded. She had gotten used to it now, she would answer to anything Li Qinyue called her in this house.
“Come out for a minute,” Li Qinyue called out.
“Wait a minute, wait a minute, the pot’s about to boil.”
“Oh, then no rush,” Li Qinyue pressed a button on the remote control, “Food is important!”
Food was indeed the most important thing. Zhuo Zhi was making a Northeast stew, with all kinds of ingredients, a big pot of it, emitting a delicious aroma.
They moved the coffee table in front of the sofa, their usual routine, and ate while watching TV. By the time the show was over, they had also finished their meal.
Only then did Zhuo Zhi remember, “What did you want to ask me earlier, Sister?”
“It’s nothing important,” Li Qinyue pointed at the TV, “This show, do you want to go see it live?”
“Huh?” Zhuo Zhi’s eyes widened, “‘I’m a Musician’?!”
“Yes,” Li Qinyue stretched.
Zhuo Zhi leaned closer to her excitedly, “‘I’m a Musician’?! That judge is… is…”
“Yes, it’s Old Xu, the one you grew up listening to,” Li Qinyue said, pursing her lips.
“Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!!!” Zhuo Zhi’s eyes sparkled. She grabbed Li Qinyue’s arm, still holding her chopsticks, “You’re amazing, Sister, how do you manage to get everything…”
“Go, go, go,” Li Qinyue pushed her away in mock disgust, “Hurry up and clean up, we’re leaving soon.”
Zhuo Zhi practically skipped as she washed the dishes in the kitchen, singing along to old songs, only remembering the choruses.
When the dishes were done, the car arrived. Zhuo Zhi tidied herself up before getting in.
The car, fitted with snow chains, slowly descended the mountain. Once they reached the city, the roads were clear, and they sped up.
While watching TV with Li Qinyue, Zhuo Zhi had asked her many questions about filming variety shows.
She had thought that she would be like an ordinary audience member, arriving early, waiting for a long time, recording a few cheers for the cameras, eagerly awaiting the arrival of her favorite judges, and then watching the show.
But she was completely wrong. A staff member with a director’s badge led them through the backstage area, taking them to the audience seats. They sat down just as the break ended, and Zhuo Zhi realized that the recording of this episode of “I’m a Musician” was already nearing its end.
She stared at the back of Old Xu’s head, the singer she had grown up listening to, feeling deeply regretful. How could a meal be more important than watching the show?
She glanced at Li Qinyue with a hint of resentment. Li Qinyue raised an eyebrow, ignoring her, looking like a serious audience member.
It was a challenger round, where previously eliminated contestants could return based on their popularity and compete against the selected contestants.
The time difference between recording and broadcasting made Zhuo Zhi a little confused about the current situation, but it didn’t dampen her enthusiasm for watching a live show for the first time. She cheered with the other audience members and laughed with them.
But when the other audience members cried, she didn’t.
She was too happy to cry.
After just one song, the challenger round ended. Zhuo Zhi, clutching her pants leg, felt unsatisfied. Fortunately, the host suddenly announced that there was a new rule this time, in addition to the eliminated contestants, there would also be a special “airdrop” contestant.
The audience gasped in surprise, whispers filling the air.
Zhuo Zhi figured that this “airdrop” contestant was a pre-planned highlight of the show or someone with powerful backing. Just as she turned to ask for Li Qinyue’s opinion, she saw Lan Xi walking onto the stage.
Lan Xi had changed her hair color, but thankfully, because of that dinner, Zhuo Zhi remembered her name.
With her low-key, short brown hair and clothes that cleverly concealed her tattoos, Lan Xi adjusted the microphone and briefly introduced herself.
Li Qinyue asked, “What’s wrong?” Her breath tickled Zhuo Zhi’s cheek. Zhuo Zhi sat up straight and said, “Nothing.”
She looked at Lan Xi on stage, unsure if it was the lighting or the makeup, but she felt that this person looked much more vibrant than before.
And much more beautiful.
Lan Xi started singing. Her voice was beautiful, with that unique quality of a musician, as Li Qinyue had described.
Zhuo Zhi leaned forward slightly, staring at her, remembering how Lan Xi had been hugging the toilet and throwing up in the bathroom. She felt a pang of sympathy.
After the song ended, the judges unanimously declared her the winner of the challenger round.
Lan Xi smiled, a genuine smile. Zhuo Zhi had never seen her smile like this before, it made her look so gentle.
Zhuo Zhi suddenly felt that this was the real Lan Xi.
This episode of the show was basically over now.
The judges left, and the staff organized the audience. Li Qinyue obviously didn’t have to leave with the crowd. She held Zhuo Zhi’s hand and led her backstage.
The director who had brought them in earlier was waiting for them. He handed an album to Zhuo Zhi, “Old Xu just signed it, it’s still warm.”
This was a pleasant surprise. Zhuo Zhi repeatedly thanked him, carefully examining the album. It wasn’t just signed, it was a personalized autograph with her name on it.
She turned to Li Qinyue and whispered, “You’re amazing, Sister.”
Li Qinyue smiled, “Think about how to repay me.”
They left the studio, and a gust of cold wind hit them, making Zhuo Zhi sneeze.
She took out a mask from her pocket and quickly handed it to Li Qinyue, “Sister, put this on.”
Li Qinyue took the mask. Zhuo Zhi then pulled up the hood of her jacket, covering Li Qinyue’s head.
Only her beautiful eyes were visible, looking at Zhuo Zhi with a smile, “Isn’t this a bit too much?”
“In this weather, warmth is more important,” Zhuo Zhi said, pulling up the hood of her own down jacket.
They came out of the corridor and bumped into a small group of fans, probably of some celebrity, who started taking pictures of them with their phones. Zhuo Zhi shielded Li Qinyue, quickly leading her away, acting like a true bodyguard.
After getting away from the fans, Zhuo Zhi asked Li Qinyue, “Why were they taking pictures?”
“They probably don’t even know,” Li Qinyue tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, “I guess I have a star aura.”
“Sister, you just don’t want to be a celebrity,” Zhuo Zhi immediately flattered her sincerely, “We’ve been watching talent shows for days, none of them are as pretty as you.”
Li Qinyue stopped and tilted her chin, “That one is, right? Your eyes almost popped out of your head when she was singing.”
Zhuo Zhi looked over. Lan Xi, wearing a hat and a mask, was standing not far away, watching them.
“I was just a little surprised,” Zhuo Zhi said, “She said she went to the dinner to see you.”
“Hmm,” Li Qinyue responded.
Zhuo Zhi’s brows furrowed in confusion, “Then was she really there to see you? Did Wang Zilai give her this ‘airdrop’ spot, or did you arrange it?”
“I arranged it,” Li Qinyue looked at her sideways, “Why do you use the word ‘arrange’ when it comes to me? It sounds so bad.”
Zhuo Zhi ignored her last sentence, her frown deepening, “But she said she wanted to see you because she liked you. But now it turns out she just wanted a spot on the show?”
“Are those two things mutually exclusive?” Li Qinyue said, “If you have to pay a price for these things, wouldn’t it be the best of both worlds to pay it to someone you like?”
“That kind of liking isn’t pure,” Zhuo Zhi said firmly.
Li Qinyue looked at her serious expression and chuckled, “Are you sure your liking is pure?”
Zhuo Zhi nodded with certainty, “If I like someone, it’s from the bottom of my heart. I don’t want their money, their power, I just want them to be happy.”
“Tsk,” Li Qinyue rubbed Zhuo Zhi’s head, which was covered by a thick hat, “Whoever wins your heart will be very lucky.”
Zhuo Zhi giggled.
When they were a few steps away, Lan Xi walked towards them, took off her mask, and said to Li Qinyue, “President Li.”
Li Qinyue nodded. Lan Xi looked at Zhuo Zhi, “Zhuo Zhi, you’re here too.”
“Yes,” Zhuo Zhi said, “Wherever President Li goes, I follow.”
Lan Xi’s eyes flickered, then she quickly turned to point at a car nearby, “You’ve worked hard, let’s have dinner together.”
“No need,” Li Qinyue said, “Get some rest, don’t you have to film the VCR tomorrow?” ( `video cassette recorder. ‘)
“It’s fine, I’ve filmed short films before, I’m experienced,” Lan Xi paused and looked at Li Qinyue, “The rest of the band is here, they want to see you.”
Li Qinyue raised an eyebrow and nudged Zhuo Zhi, “Honey, should we have dinner outside?”
Her hint was very obvious. Zhuo Zhi, who had already slipped into the “girlfriend” role, immediately responded. She linked arms with Li Qinyue and said with a sweet and exaggerated smile, “Darling, you decide.”
Li Qinyue smiled and rubbed her chin, “We’ve been cooped up at home for so long, it’s time to get some fresh air.”
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