Chapter 9 Snowy Hot Springs Night
When Cheng Nuo invited our whole family to the hot springs, I originally wanted to refuse.
But my mom forcefully dragged me along anyway.
He reserved the largest and most luxurious suite for our family.
The meals were all very exquisite too.
I felt very embarrassed.
"You spent too much," I said.
Cheng Nuo did not mind at all.
"It's all our family's property. It did not cost much money."
"The hot springs have not officially opened to the public yet."
"You and Uncle and Auntie can help me test it first. That way I can fix any issues in advance."
The hot springs resort was built very high-end.
My parents played excitedly all day and went to bed early that night.
It happened to be snowing outside.
I could not sleep and got the urge to experience soaking in the hot springs amid the snow.
Thick snowflakes fell all around, glowing like sparks under the lights.
In the cold, I slipped into the slightly warm spring water.
My whole body shivered involuntarily as every pore relaxed.
After soaking for a while, the snow grew heavier.
I got playful and reached out to grab some snow from the shore.
Suddenly, I heard rustling sounds from the hot spring behind me.
I got startled and shrank back into the water.
"Who?!"
"It is me."
Cheng Nuo's voice sounded.
"I was drinking over here. I did not expect you to be here too."
"I brought some sake. Want to drink?"
I was wearing my swimsuit and feeling a bit embarrassed.
Cheng Nuo did not come over.
His footsteps faded for a moment.
Then a wooden tray floated over along the water.
It held a bottle of sake and a delicate small wine glass.
"I really like this wine. Try it."
"Thanks."
The two of us drank together like that, separated by the bushes.
Heavy snow drifted down as we started chatting.
At first it was just casual small talk.
As we drank more, the conversation deepened.
I felt more and more in sync with Cheng Nuo.
Our ideas matched on many things.
Even our favorite movie was the same obscure one.
Cheng Nuo seemed to have had too much to drink too.
He suddenly asked,
"Why do you like Chen Yanzhou so much? I thought you two broke up. I did not expect you to get back together with him."
I thought for a moment and told him about my first encounter with Chen Yanzhou.
I did not know what I liked about Chen Yanzhou.
Was it the man himself, the halo of him saving me back then, or the unwilling obsession of all these years?
Cheng Nuo suddenly asked a question that stunned me.
"If it had been me back then instead, would you have liked me this much too?"
As his friend's girlfriend, I felt his question crossed the line a bit.
But I could not help wondering if it had been him, would I have liked him too?
Probably yes.
Cheng Nuo was so good. Who would not like him?
But I could not answer.
My heart was in a mess, and I planned to leave.
"It is too cold. I will go back first."
But after getting ashore, I accidentally stepped in snowy water.
My foot slipped, and I screamed as I fell backward!
Before the icy snow ground, a warm embrace arrived, carrying the scent of pine.
Cheng Nuo had rushed too fast. A branch had scratched his face.
Bright red blood beads slowly seeped from his fair skin. In the dim night, it looked like an enchanting, soul-stealing apparition.
"Are you okay?" he asked softly.
"Mm."
I thought he would let me go, but he kept holding me.
The pine scent mixed with the slight buzz of sake.
Only then did I notice Cheng Nuo's eyes were lighter in color than most people's.
But right now, they seemed even deeper.
In the heavy snow, I felt our distance closing.
I should have left.
But his body was too warm.
I could not bear to pull away.
The hand on my waist felt burning hot.
I snapped out of it and pushed him away hard!
Cheng Nuo's body stiffened. He looked up and stared at me.
"I will go first!" I avoided his gaze.
I grabbed my bathrobe and wrapped it around myself messily before turning to leave.
Behind me, Cheng Nuo stayed silent the whole time. He said nothing.