Chapter 33: Taking Off the Coat

Before Chi Xiao answered, Ming Can’s mind raced through various excuses. For example, they had coincidentally met at the ski resort and decided to hang out together. Or perhaps Chi Xiao was a ski instructor she had hired for her cousin. Or maybe Chi Xiao was a relative, so it made sense for them to take care of the child together… Some of these excuses were too far-fetched, while others were only temporary solutions. If they ran into someone again in the future, they wouldn’t know how to explain.

As for the excuse Chi Xiao had come up with, it was actually quite effective. As long as he was willing to play the part, he could continue to appear by her and Miaomiao’s side without raising suspicions. It was a one-time solution that would work indefinitely.

The only contradiction was that Ming Can had never allowed any suitor to cling to her side or constantly make their presence known.

This way, Chi Xiao would become her exception.

Ming Can pondered for a while.

If someone as aloof as Chi Xiao was willing to play the role of a suitor, what did she, as the one being pursued, have to complain about?

After all, it wasn’t like he was actually pursuing her.

“Alright,” Ming Can nodded lightly. “I think it works.”

Her eyes were fixed on the coffee table in front of her, not looking at Chi Xiao. Yet, for some reason, his words still echoed in her ears—I’m pursuing you. Wherever you go, I’ll follow. Perhaps it was because his voice was so clear and captivating, or perhaps it was the way he had looked at her when he spoke, his gaze both pure and profound. Even though Ming Can knew it was all a lie, a faint warmth still spread across the skin behind her ears.

At the same time, someone else was also pondering Chi Xiao’s words, and his understanding went even deeper. He had directly read Chi Xiao’s thoughts when he spoke—

[This excuse will never be exposed because it’s the truth. Besides, my roommates already see me as your backup.]

Backup?

Like a spare tire?

Miaomiao cupped his cheeks with both hands, his head swaying slightly as he tried to make sense of it. Unable to hold back, he accidentally blurted out, “What’s a backup?”

Ming Can: ?

Chi Xiao: ???

In the next moment, Miaomiao realized his mistake and quickly covered his mouth. Uncle System had emphasized to him that people with superpowers were very special and mysterious. He had to carefully guard the secret of his abilities so that he could amaze everyone without being treated like a monster and taken away for experiments.

Chi Xiao gave him a strange look. “Where did you learn that word?”

“From the tablet! I saw it on the tablet!” Miaomiao tapped the electronic device on his lap, looking completely innocent.

Ming Can: “What kind of nonsense have you been watching on that tablet?”

“Nothing bad,” Miaomiao said. “Is a backup something bad?”

“A backup is just a spare tire,” Ming Can explained. “But online, it has some other, not-so-nice meanings.”

Miaomiao, curious, asked, “What meanings?”

Ming Can thought for a moment and decided it wouldn’t hurt to explain to the child. “While all the other tires are rolling, the backup just sits in the trunk, waiting pitifully to be useful someday. Don’t you think it’s like a fool no one cares about?”

A fool no one cares about…

Miaomiao glanced at his dad with a pang of sympathy.

He looked calm on the surface, but Miaomiao knew his dad was just good at pretending to be aloof. Who would want to be a fool no one cared about? Dad must be really sad inside!

Chi Xiao sat on the couch, scrolling through his phone. The area near the university was pretty barren, with no high-end restaurants nearby. He had pre-ordered food from a distant Michelin-starred restaurant, and it should be arriving soon.

“Dad,” Miaomiao suddenly popped up beside him, holding a piece of chocolate. He handed it to Chi Xiao and said earnestly, “I care about you.”

Chi Xiao was taken aback. Although he didn’t understand why Miaomiao suddenly said this, he could feel the child’s pure affection. It was something unfamiliar and new to him, yet also very warm.

Chi Xiao’s eyes and brows softened unconsciously. He picked Miaomiao up and placed him on the couch, then took the chocolate from his hand and took a bite. It was overwhelmingly sweet.

“Thank you. I’m really happy,” Chi Xiao replied gently.

–

The ski trip was originally planned for two days and one night, with Miaomiao’s classes concentrated on the first day, running from morning to afternoon. Ming Can later felt that this schedule was a bit rushed, and now that Chi Xiao was around, finding accommodation wouldn’t be a problem. So, she decided to extend the trip to two days and two nights. They would leave on the afternoon of the 27th, rest overnight, and Miaomiao would have more energy for his classes the next day.

On the day of departure, Chi Xiao picked up the new car, and the license plate was officially registered in the property management system of Ming Can’s residential complex, so it wouldn’t be considered an external vehicle anymore.

A little past three in the afternoon, the car was parked in the underground garage, and Chi Xiao took the elevator up and down to move the luggage.

For a two-day trip, Ming Can had packed three large suitcases and a bunch of ski gear that couldn’t fit into the bags.

When Chi Xiao went down for the second trip, Ming Can followed to check the trunk and found there was still some space. She couldn’t help but compliment, “This car is really spacious. I’ll bring a few more things then.”

Chi Xiao followed her back upstairs.

He could carry the remaining items in one hand, so he waited at the entrance, ready to help with anything else Ming Can needed to bring.

A moment later, Ming Can came out carrying her small violin case, sheet music, and a music stand.

Given how much she was bringing, Ming Can felt a bit awkward facing Chi Xiao, who had been working so diligently. She explained with a sheepish smile, “The concert is coming up, and I need to practice at least an hour every day, or I’ll get rusty.”

Chi Xiao nodded without saying much. He walked over to her and naturally took the violin case from her shoulder, slinging it over his own, then took the music stand as well.

Ming Can was left holding only a few thin sheets of music.

“Let’s go.”

“Oh, okay.” Ming Can turned around and called out to the little figure sitting among the toys, saying his goodbyes. “Miaomiao, let’s go.”

After closing the door behind them, Ming Can walked into the elevator lobby and saw Chi Xiao standing at the elevator door, holding it open with his elbow, gesturing for them to enter first.

The elevator lobby had a small window, and sunlight poured through the glass, casting a clearly defined bright patch on the floor.

Chi Xiao stood half in the golden light, tall and upright, with her cream-colored triangular violin case on his back. The strap was a bit short for him, making the case press tightly against his coat. Against his tall frame, the case looked somewhat petite.

In that moment.

Ming Can suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu.

It was as if she had seen this scene before—Chi Xiao carrying a light-colored instrument case, appearing before her.

As they entered the elevator, Ming Can couldn’t help but ask, “Did you ever learn to play an instrument before?”

Chi Xiao: “I’ve learned piano.”

“What about string instruments, like the violin?”

“No.”

“Oh.” Ming Can nodded.

Since he hadn’t learned the violin, he naturally wouldn’t have carried a violin case. She must have misremembered.

When they reached the underground garage, Chi Xiao carefully placed each item into the trunk, arranging everything neatly. Ming Can’s violin case was placed on top of all the luggage and secured with sturdy straps to prevent it from sliding around.

Ming Can’s violin case was custom-made. At first glance, it appeared pure cream-colored, but upon closer inspection, one could see the subtle glitter. On the side of the case, near the middle, was engraved her English name—Seraphina Ming. Every one of Ming Can’s violins and cases had this mark, signifying her ownership.

Chi Xiao’s gaze swept over the faint English letters.

A long time ago, Chi Xiao only remembered her name as Seraphina. The teachers in the music room called her that, and she introduced herself to him the same way. After returning home, he looked it up and learned that the name Seraphina originated from Hebrew, representing a seraph in mythology, symbolizing light, fire, and burning.

The trunk closed automatically, and Chi Xiao got into the driver’s seat, setting up the navigation. On the map, the route stretched far north into the mountains of the suburbs.

Ming Can glanced at his phone. The drive would take an hour and forty minutes.

“Thanks for your hard work, Senior.” Ming Can held a bottle of mineral water, originally intending to open it for Miaomiao. She paused for a moment, then decided to hand it to Chi Xiao first. “Want some water?”

Chi Xiao took it. “Thank you for offering me the water I bought.”

“…” Ming Can was speechless. “If you don’t want it, give it back. I’ll give it to Miaomiao.”

Ming Can had already loosened the cap before handing it over. Chi Xiao took a quick sip, drinking about half the bottle, then screwed the cap back on and placed it in the center console.

Noticing Ming Can was still staring at him, he raised an eyebrow, pulled the bottle out of the console, and dangled it by the neck with his slender fingers. “I’ve already drunk from it. You still want it?”

“Take it away, take it away.” Ming Can said disdainfully. “Just drive already. Don’t let it get dark by the time we arrive.”

Miaomiao, amused, translated their conversation in his head. Dad was being unusually straightforward today, saying exactly what he was thinking, while Mom kept mentally cursing Dad for being annoying. After venting, she would calm herself down, reminding herself that since Dad was driving today, she’d grudgingly let it go and not take it to heart.

The road was clear, and Chi Xiao drove fast, arriving at the resort near the ski area almost twenty minutes earlier than expected.

By the time they got out of the car, the sun hadn’t set yet, hanging above the mountains, with endless snow stretching as far as the eye could see.

The villa they had booked had a small courtyard in front. Originally, the car was supposed to be parked in the outside lot, but Chi Xiao had contacted the hotel in advance. Knowing it was the investor’s car, no one dared to stop them, so they drove right up to the villa’s entrance.

Chi Xiao politely declined the hotel staff’s offer to help and carried all the luggage into the villa by himself.

It was a brand-new villa with an Alpine-style design. The exterior was framed with dark wooden beams, and the inner layer was made of transparent glass walls, allowing plenty of natural light. The first floor had a courtyard, while the second floor featured a balcony. To the left were snow-capped mountains, and to the right, a pine forest. Whether it was the environment, location, or the building’s facilities, there was nothing to complain about.

The heating inside had already been turned on, making it as warm as spring or summer. The living room on the first floor had a tatami-style sofa, and Miaomiao, barefoot, jumped onto it, rolling around excitedly.

Ming Can wandered around the first floor, taking everything in.

The bedrooms were all on the second floor. Chi Xiao carried the luggage up and down, not having assigned rooms yet. He temporarily placed everything in the small living area upstairs, waiting for Ming Can, the boss, to decide.

“Mom, I really, really, like this, sofa!” Miaomiao bounced on the sofa, saying a word with each bounce, like a monkey just freed from under a mountain, jumping around energetically.

Ming Can: “Stay here and don’t run around. I’m going upstairs to check things out.”

Miaomiao: “Got it!”

The indoor heating was intense, and Ming Can was still wearing her down jacket, planning to take it off once she got to the bedroom.

As she walked up the stairs to the second floor, the west side had a huge glass window. The sunset was just beginning to show, casting a brilliant golden light into the room. Chi Xiao stood by the window, his shadow stretching long, with a neat pile of luggage beside him.

Having just gone through a round of physical labor and with the room so warm, he seemed to have broken a sweat. He wiped his forehead and started taking off his clothes.

He peeled off his heavy windbreaker and casually tossed it onto the sofa. He glanced at the distant sunset, his figure bathed in the golden light, then quickly looked away. Lowering his gaze, he grabbed the hem of his hoodie and pulled it up.

Ming Can had just reached the top of the stairs and was about to walk forward when her steps suddenly froze.

Under the hoodie, he was wearing a white T-shirt. However, the two layers of clothing were tightly pressed together, and due to friction, as the hoodie was pulled up, the T-shirt underneath also lifted, revealing a narrow strip of his waist and a glimpse of well-defined muscles.

Ming Can stood frozen, screaming internally that she hadn’t seen anything.

Fortunately, the T-shirt quickly fell back down, covering the distracting view.

Chi Xiao tossed the hoodie on top of the windbreaker, now wearing just the T-shirt. It was still hot, and he was sweating around his neck.

Downstairs, Miaomiao was jumping on the sofa and shouting. Chi Xiao instinctively thought Ming Can was keeping him company.

He turned around, one hand picking up the clothes he had just thrown aside, looking for a place to put them, while the other hand lifted the loose hem of his white T-shirt—a habit of those who often played sports—using it to casually wipe the sweat off his collarbone.

When playing sports, he usually wore an extra layer of workout clothes underneath, but today he hadn’t.

As he looked up, he saw Ming Can standing a few meters away, her almond-shaped eyes wide, her cheeks glowing golden-red in the sunset. His movements froze.