Chapter 37: Knockdown

As soon as the words left his mouth, Ming Can could almost feel Chi Xiao’s cold, infuriating gaze through his goggles, shamelessly resting on her face.

He wanted her to call him older brother?

And did he just reach out and shake her head?

In that moment, Ming Can’s body moved faster than her brain. She lifted her foot and kicked Chi Xiao, the ski boot thudding against his shin. Chi Xiao didn’t dodge, taking the hit without so much as a grunt.

“You’re dreaming,” she sneered.

Chi Xiao pressed his lips together, almost letting out a careless “Mm” in response.

After kicking and scolding him, Ming Can ignored him. She suppressed the irritation in her heart and shifted her attention to the snowy field ahead, watching as the children slid out of the gondola one by one. The first to emerge was a little boy in yellow. The woman next to Ming Can immediately called out excitedly, “Yuan Yuan! Mom’s here!”

Yuan Yuan looked about a year older than Miaomiao. He was on double skis, and when he saw his parents, he excitedly skied toward them. Perhaps because he was too excited, he lost control of his skis, and his body’s momentum outpaced his skis. With a thud, he fell face-first into the snow.

The parents gasped in unison, and Ming Can couldn’t help but suck in a breath. She turned her gaze and saw a small blue figure sliding out sideways on a snowboard, waving at Ming Can as he glided. “Brother, Sister, I’m here!”

“Miaomiao’s out!” Ming Can instinctively reached out and tugged at Chi Xiao’s sleeve. “Look at him! He’s skiing so well! He’s amazing!”

Chi Xiao finally pushed his goggles up, and the bright daylight and snow rushed into his view. His gaze lingered briefly on Ming Can’s slender, pale fingers before shifting to the enthusiastic little boy skiing ahead.

Not just Ming Can, but the other parents also noticed how smooth and skilled the little boy in the blue ski suit was. He glided like a leaf skimming across water, effortlessly and confidently, even pulling off S-turns with ease.

Ming Can overheard others praising Miaomiao for his skill, saying how impressive it was for someone so young. Her eyes curved into crescents as she smiled.

It was a strange feeling—others were complimenting Miaomiao, but she felt even happier than if they had been praising her.

Just as Ming Can was basking in the pride of “my son is amazing,” a small red figure zipped past the group of children, drawing another round of admiration.

It was a little girl with a ponytail, about the same age as Miaomiao. Her bright red ski suit made her look like a lively little dragon fruit from a distance.

The little girl’s nickname happened to be Guoguo (Fruit). She shared a coach with Yuan Yuan, but she thought Yuan Yuan skied terribly and was too timid. She wanted to ski with the boy in the blue suit—he looked really skilled. But he had his own coach, and that coach only taught him.

When Guoguo passed by Miaomiao, she deliberately slowed down and greeted him—

“Hello,” Guoguo said to Miaomiao. “Can you do jumps?”

Miaomiao shook his head. “Not yet.”

“Oh,” Guoguo said. “I can’t either. I’ve seen people do it on TV. It looks so cool.”

Miaomiao had seen more than just TV: “My dad… I mean, my Brother can! He looks super cool when he does it!”

As he spoke, Miaomiao pointed to the side. Guoguo followed his gaze and saw a tall, incredibly handsome guy in a light gray-blue ski suit, carrying a snowboard under one arm.

Chi Xiao was wondering what the two kids were pointing at and chatting about when, the next second, they excitedly ran up to him, asking if he could take them to the park trail.

The park trail referred to a ski slope equipped with features like waves, jumps, and U-shaped pools, emphasizing fun and freestyle skiing.

“Is that park trail dangerous?” Ming Can asked.

“Not really,” Chi Xiao replied. “The features here range from easy to difficult. In theory, there’s no age or skill limit. Anyone who wants to try can give it a go.”

Ming Can: “Really?”

[That sounds fun… No, no, jumps and stuff—if I’m not careful, I’ll wipe out and embarrass myself. I’d better not challenge myself…]

Miaomiao thought this mindset was completely wrong and couldn’t help but blurt out loudly, “Kids who are afraid of falling will never learn to walk!”

…

No one understood why he suddenly shouted that.

Only Ming Can felt as if Miaomiao had seen right through her. She guiltily twitched the corner of her mouth.

After agreeing to go to the park trail together after class, Miaomiao and Guoguo split up to find their respective coaches.

Chi Xiao pulled a GoPro out of his bag and followed Miaomiao and his coach, recording the learning process.

This was the most important task Ming Can had assigned him today.

Chi Xiao glided on his snowboard, always maintaining a distance of two to three meters from Miaomiao. Although the beginner’s slope was gentle, filming while skiing like this was still quite technically demanding.

As they glided to the middle section of the beginner’s slope, a young couple caught sight of them.

“Wow, that little kid skis so well,” the girl said, leaning on her ski poles with envy. “Do you think I’ll ever be that good?”

The boy thought to himself, Not likely. I’d be grateful if you could ski 100 meters without falling.

He comfortingly patted his girlfriend’s head and muttered as his eyes followed the kid’s cameraman, “That cameraman skis pretty impressively… Huh, he kind of looks like my roommate.”

The girl: “Aren’t your roommates all skiing on the intermediate slope?”

“Not those two,” the boy said. “I mean Chi Xiao.”

“Chi Xiao?” The girl also knew him and squinted to get a better look. “The build does look similar.”

The boy shook his head. “It can’t be him. If Chi Xiao were here, he would’ve told us. He’s the one who gave us the tickets.”

After a pause, as he watched them ski away, the boy chuckled. “Look at how the cameraman is circling the kid like he’s filming a 360-degree shot. He’s definitely the kid’s dad.”

–

The ski lesson ended at 3 p.m. After a half-hour break, the group took the gondola to the starting point of the park trail.

The sunlight was just right—warm and not too harsh. Besides Guoguo and her parents, Yuan Yuan’s family had also joined. The three kids chatted and laughed up front, while the parents chatted enthusiastically behind them. Mostly, it was Yuan Yuan’s and Guoguo’s parents doing the talking, with Ming Can and Chi Xiao rarely chiming in. The age gap of over a decade was enough to create a noticeable generation gap.

Throughout the ride, Ming Can’s phone kept vibrating in her pocket. She had initially taken it out to check but then tossed it back in, ignoring it.

“Not going to answer?” Chi Xiao asked her.

Ming Can: “It’s from home. I’ll deal with it later.”

Since Ming Can wasn’t answering her phone, Ming Zheng sent her a message, asking when she would be coming home now that winter break had started.

He thought she was still living in the dorm and mentioned that he would send a car to pick her up from school in the next couple of days.

When Ming Can saw the message, her expression darkened, and her brows furrowed.

The most troublesome issue had finally arrived.

After starting university, Ming Can didn’t like going home, but during long holidays like winter and summer breaks—unlike weekends—a teenage girl like her would still have to return home.

She had considered using excuses like internships or school activities to avoid going back, but these excuses didn’t fundamentally conflict with living at home. Moreover, if she kept refusing to return home for extended periods, her father might grow suspicious. With just a little investigation, he could easily find out that she no longer lived in the dorm and had rented a place off-campus.

Ming Can’s current life couldn’t withstand such scrutiny.

The safest way to handle this was to go home for the holidays as usual, not giving her family any reason to suspect anything.

But what about Miaomiao? Could she just leave him entirely to Chi Xiao? Would he be able to take care of him properly? And didn’t Chi Xiao need to go home for the holidays too?

Ming Can’s head was splitting with worry, but she decided to think it over some more. She couldn’t just leave Miaomiao and go home.

“Sister!” Miaomiao called out from ahead. “Hurry up! The jump is right up front!”

Ming Can snapped out of her thoughts and realized she had fallen far behind. She quickly pushed forward with her ski poles.

When they reached a jump about four to five meters long, Chi Xiao was practically pushed onto it by the three kids. He stood on his snowboard, gliding at a leisurely pace, then lazily took off, landed smoothly, and came to a steady stop.

“Too easy,” Miaomiao directed. “Brother, do a trick this time! How about the backside stalefish?”

The backside stalefish was a trick where the rider jumps backward, twists mid-air, and grabs the board. Miaomiao remembered the last time he went skiing with his dad, a bunch of aunties had screamed and swooned when he pulled off this move.

Ming Can finally caught up just as Chi Xiao pushed off with one foot to return to the starting point of the jump. The two of them passed each other.

“Sister, pay attention,” Miaomiao reminded Ming Can. “Brother looks super cool doing this trick!”

Ming Can: “Oh.”

Ming Can’s inner thoughts: [Him being super cool has nothing to do with me. It’s not like I’m the one being super cool.]

Mom was really stubborn.

Miaomiao sighed.

He still had faith in his dad. Mom was just being tough now, but once she saw Dad jump with her own eyes, she’d definitely be impressed!

Several pairs of eyes were fixed on Chi Xiao as he glided more than ten meters past the jump. The three kids cheered and waved enthusiastically, their voices drawing even more onlookers.

This jump wasn’t particularly high for Chi Xiao. Flying straight over it and adding a trick was no problem at all.

A cold wind blew against his face. He adjusted his goggles and helmet, feeling an inexplicable hint of nervousness.

Ming Can stood with her arms crossed, watching leisurely as Chi Xiao glided toward the jump from a distance.

The man moved as swiftly as the wind. As he approached the jump, he crouched slightly to build momentum, then launched himself backward into the air. For a moment, it seemed as if he had defied gravity, hovering lightly in the air. He twisted his body, bent his knees, and grabbed the back of his board with one hand, spinning 360 degrees before landing smoothly on the snow. He then sped toward the three kids, the edge of his board kicking up a spray of snow as he came to an abrupt stop.

The kids were stunned for a moment, then erupted into cheers—

“Ahhh! Big brother is amazing!”

“So cool!”

“I told you my brother is super handsome! Right? Right?!”

Not bad.

On the surface, Ming Can didn’t react much. Besides the kids’ excited chatter, she also overheard the two moms beside her whispering with barely concealed excitement. They seemed to be close friends, and their conversation was shamelessly bold—

“Youth is such a gift. Look at that waist, those legs—especially the waist! That twist and grab move? If my husband tried that, he’d snap his back in ten places!”

“Even if my husband were twenty years younger, he couldn’t pull that off. It’s all about the person. This guy is just too good. Did you see him take off his goggles earlier? He’s ridiculously handsome!”

“If I could’ve landed someone like that when I was young, I’d be laughing in my dreams. Actually, no—he wouldn’t let me have the energy to dream.”

“Hahaha, keep it down. Your husband is right there watching you.”

…

Their conversation grew increasingly risqué, veering into late-night territory. Ming Can, an inexperienced young woman, felt her ears burning and quietly moved away, putting some distance between herself and them.

Miaomiao ran over to Ming Can, eagerly asking, “Sister, what did you think of brother’s jump?”

Ming Can raised an eyebrow. “Not bad.”

Her expression was calm, but her inner thoughts had been completely derailed by the two aunties: [So impressive. Miaomiao’s mom really hit the jackpot.]

Miaomiao: ?

What did Miaomiao’s mom eat?

Wait, isn’t Miaomiao’s mom just herself?

Miaomiao was utterly confused, unsure whether his mom was praising his dad or mocking him.

After Chi Xiao’s demonstration, the kids were eager to try the jump themselves. However, given their current skill level, even the smallest jump was too dangerous. So, Chi Xiao took them to a few gentle bumps on the park trail to practice the simplest jumps and landings.

Jumping with skis required strong core strength and balance. The kids were wobbly at first, but Chi Xiao stood at the bottom of the bumps to catch them. If anyone was about to fall, he quickly reached out to steady them, preventing any hard landings.

The kids were light, and Chi Xiao caught them effortlessly. After a few rounds, Miaomiao and Guoguo, who had a natural talent, no longer needed his help and could land steadily on their own.

Ming Can stood to the side, recording a few videos of Miaomiao on her phone.

Just then, another call came in—this time from her dad’s assistant. Ming Can sighed in frustration, walked to a quieter spot, and answered the phone. She explained that she was skiing with friends and would talk later.

After hanging up and returning, Ming Can’s mood had noticeably darkened.

The moms of Yuan Yuan and Guoguo, who had been standing beside her earlier, had somehow made their way to the back of the snow bumps to join the kids in line.

When it was their turn to jump, the ones standing at the bottom to catch them naturally became Yuan Yuan’s dad and Guoguo’s dad.

Yuan Yuan’s mom was the worst skier among the group, but she was bold and challenged herself anyway. She jumped with full force, and when she landed, her husband used all his strength to steady her, managing to prevent her from falling.

Ming Can, feeling frustrated, momentarily forgot about the risk of embarrassment. She wanted to let loose and challenge herself on the small snow bump to vent her pent-up emotions.

She slowly glided toward the back of the snow bump with her ski poles, passing by Chi Xiao. Casually, she said, “Don’t worry about me later. I’m not afraid of falling.”

Chi Xiao: “Mm.”

Ming Can: “…”

“She’s lying,” Miaomiao whispered to his dad once Ming Can had skied further away. “Mom just told a fib. She’s actually the most afraid of falling. You have to protect her.”

Chi Xiao couldn’t help but chuckle. “How do you know?”

Miaomiao blinked, looking mysterious. “I just know! Mom is a huge tsundere—she always says the opposite of what she means!”

Chi Xiao raised an eyebrow. “You know quite a lot.”

Soon, it was Ming Can’s turn.

The moment she pushed off, she realized that what had looked like a gentle snow bump from a distance was actually a nerve-wracking obstacle on the way down.

Because she was in a bad mood and wanted to vent, Ming Can skied faster than usual.

As she approached the bump, she caught sight of Chi Xiao standing where she was about to land. Tall and upright, he had pushed his goggles up, revealing his entire handsome face. Against the backdrop of the snowy landscape and the gradually brightening sunset, his calm eyes followed her intently, exuding an inexplicable sense of reliability.

On the slopes, collisions between people were actually one of the most dangerous accidents. Chi Xiao dared to stand at the bottom to catch others because he knew exactly how to help cushion their landing. His strong physique allowed him to protect himself while also safeguarding others to the greatest extent, ensuring there wouldn’t be any disastrous chain reactions.

Ming Can had watched Chi Xiao catch the kids earlier. Miaomiao weighed around 40 jin (20 kg), and Yuan Yuan was probably over 50 jin (25 kg). Chi Xiao had effortlessly steadied them as they wobbled down. Ming Can, slender and weighing less than 100 jin (50 kg)—about the weight of two Miaomiaos—figured Chi Xiao catching her and preventing her from face-planting shouldn’t be too difficult, right?

Ming Can took a deep breath, charged up the snow bump, and felt her heart leap into her throat as the slope changed.

Oh my, this is terrifying.

Gritting her teeth, Ming Can pushed off with both legs, launching herself into the air with her skis.

Her explosive strength wasn’t bad—she jumped quite high, and for a moment, the exhilaration of being airborne made all her worries seem to vanish into thin air.

As for the landing…

Ming Can had no idea how to maintain her balance while jumping and ensure her skis touched the ground smoothly.

She didn’t bend her knees to cushion the impact, so her body fell straight down, and her skis predictably went every which way, her center of gravity completely out of control.

“Ahhh! Chi Xiao!”

In her panic, Ming Can shouted for help, and he didn’t disappoint. He moved swiftly, stepping in front of her in a flash. His long, strong arms wrapped around her shoulders, absorbing some of the momentum.

Instinctively, Ming Can grabbed onto Chi Xiao’s ski suit like a lifeline, her body tilting forward as she lost her balance, her chest colliding with his.

With a dull thud, Ming Can’s forward momentum didn’t stabilize. Instead, the person in front of her couldn’t hold her back and was dragged down by her force. In a whirl of confusion, the two of them tumbled onto the soft snow!

…

Screams erupted around them, but Ming Can’s mind went blank. And a pained grunt reached her ears.

In dramas, when a man and woman fall together, they always end up kissing—it’s like some kind of rule. But in the real world, the area of two mouths is so small. Statistically, it’s not that easy for them to align perfectly. Usually, they end up hitting somewhere else.

For example, like Ming Can right now, her mouth slid from the corner of Chi Xiao’s lips all the way to behind his ear, heavy and forceful.

She had touched up her makeup after lunch, a muted rose-colored lipstick, which was now smeared all over Chi Xiao’s pale face.

His face was a bit cool, not as cold and hard as she had imagined. It felt surprisingly soft to the touch.

This thought flashed abruptly through Ming Can’s mind.

Ah—!

She screamed internally, struggling to move her face away from Chi Xiao’s.

Although she had a cushion beneath her, Ming Can wasn’t injured, but her arms and legs felt numb, making it hard to get up immediately.

She didn’t understand.

Chi Xiao was tall and strong, standing like a sturdy mast on the snow, seemingly unshakable. How had he been so easily knocked over by her? It wasn’t like she was that heavy, right?

“Ahem.”

The guy beneath her seemed to have been knocked out of his senses and only now began to recover.

He lay on his back in the snow, his eyelids slightly lifted as his dark eyes glanced at her. His voice, tinged with weakness, carried a hint of amusement as he quipped, “Miaomiao’s mom, you’re really something.”