“Oh my god! This one tastes amazing! And this one too! And this, and this, and this… I want to try them all!” Wan Xiutong’s eyes sparkled with little stars.
Beside her, Jiang Han—who had already tried every drink—quietly let out a burp.
Liu Bowen was stuffing a sandwich into his mouth, chewing while cheering Wan Xiutong on: “Drink!”
And with that, Wan Xiutong actually started drinking.
Jiang Han suddenly thought maybe she could be friends with this shy little bunny-type classmate.
After all, they were both “drink addicts.”
Compared to drinks, Lin Qiao was more interested in all the different desserts.
Macarons, taro rolls, pork floss cakes, durian mille crepes…
While Wan Xiutong rotated through all the drinks, Lin Qiao made her rounds through all the sweets.
Lin Qiao: “Burp~ I feel like I’ve been treated like royalty. This one, this one, and this one—are all my royal concubines! Those over there, and those too, all my imperial consorts!”
Oh lord!
It was just too delicious!
She wanted to kneel and thank Han Mama!
They stayed at the villa until ten. When Zhong Ziang called to rush them, the group finally came out and walked to the entrance.
Ge Meng: “Are we waiting here?”
Jiang Fuyue gave a light “Mm.”
Wan Xiutong, remembering their last unpleasant experience, suggested, “It’s so big inside, it’ll be hard for Classmate Zhong to find us. Why don’t we wait at the main gate?”
Liu Bowen nodded, “We almost got lost earlier. Better to wait outside.”
Lin Qiao agreed, “This neighborhood is like a maze.”
Just as she finished speaking, a car with little wings on its logo drove up toward them.
Wan Xiutong whispered, “What kind of car is that?”
Lin Qiao: “A Bentley.”
“Is it expensive?”
“Probably worth more than a whole villa.”
Wan Xiutong stood there, stunned.
But Ge Meng noticed something else: “Why’s the car coming from the side?”
“Isn’t the road in front of us?”
“That way’s another villa, isn’t it?”
When the car stopped, Zhong Ziang got out and called, “Everyone’s here? Great, let’s go—if we leave now, we’ll catch the next lunch round!”
“Classmate Zhong, is that your car?”
“To be exact, it’s my uncle’s. Get in, don’t be shy.”
“You got lost too, didn’t you? Otherwise why come in from the side?”
Zhong Ziang: “Huh? I didn’t get lost—it’s the fast way.”
Liu Bowen: “How’d you come from behind another villa if you didn’t get lost? Don’t be embarrassed, we got totally confused earlier too, not ashamed at all. It’s this neighborhood’s fault—way too big!”
Bowed sincerity from Classmate Liu.
But Zhong Ziang blinked in confusion— “I came from the side… because my house is right there.”
Liu Bowen: “?”
Ge Meng swallowed hard: “Uh… you mean, the villa next door… is your house?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“I live right next to Jiang Fuyue. It’s just a short walk over. No need to go around.”
Everyone: “……”
Liu Bowen: “……” Should’ve kept my mouth shut. I have sinned.
Jiang Han had her own car and took Ge Meng and Liu Sisi.
Liu Bowen, Wan Xiutong, Lin Qiao, and Jiang Fuyue rode in Zhong Ziang’s Bentley.
“Whoa! There’s a driver…” Wan Xiutong exclaimed.
Liu Bowen lowered his voice: “Cars like this usually come with one.”
“Ohhh…”
It was a two-and-a-half-hour drive, and they arrived at the base of Tianluo Mountain around noon.
They parked in the underground lot, changed into special cold-weather gear at the visitor center, and the group of eight took the cable car up the mountain.
Lin Qiao: “There are so few people!”
Zhong Ziang explained, “It’s not open to the public yet. So for now, no other tourists.”
“Huh? So we’re the only ones on the whole mountain?”
“Of course not. Other invited guests will be coming too. I heard it snowed yesterday—the scenery up there is gorgeous right now. That’s why lots of people picked today to visit.”
Everyone latched onto one keyword—
Invited guests!
So this place required a special invitation?! No wonder their winter gear was all brand-new, and the visitor center was spotless—as if no one had used it yet.
“Classmate Zhong, what exactly does your family do?”
Rumors had circulated at school for a while: high-ranking officials, rich from land redevelopment, fish farm tycoons…
A new theory every day, none confirmed by him.
So naturally, everyone was curious.
What did Zhong Ziang’s family do?
They were neighbors with Sister Yue, lived in a luxury villa, rode in a Bentley with a driver, and even invited them to a members-only mountain resort—
Too extravagant to be true!
Zhong Ziang didn’t bother to hide it and answered frankly: “Business.”
“What kind of business?”
“The kind you can probably think of. We directly manage a small part; most are indirect holdings.”
“……”
Ah. Got it. The conglomerate kind.
The cable car reached halfway up the mountain.
“Look! So much snow! It’s thick everywhere! And the tree branches are all coated too—so beautiful…”
“Is that a frozen river?! It’s all sparkly!”
“So Linhuai does get snow! I always thought my mom was lying…”
Zhong Ziang: “It’s even prettier up top.”
Sure enough, when they reached the summit, rows of well-aligned chalet-style buildings came into view. All had floor-to-ceiling windows, elegant designs, and unique décor.
Beside them was a massive outdoor ski area. A vast field of white, with only a few scattered people. Far classier than those overcrowded indoor ski halls!
Zhong Ziang led everyone to the reception to check in. They were assigned the building with the best view, the best floor, and all single rooms!
“Young Master Zhong’s amazing.”
“Money meets freedom.”
“Uh… he didn’t even pay though.”
“You don’t get it. This is a level beyond money—it’s status~”
Jiang Fuyue’s room was in the center of the third floor—easy to access, best angle.
While waiting for the elevator, the group chattered away, excitement still buzzing.
“This lobby’s fancier than any five-star hotel I’ve been in. It’s glowing!”
“The staff ladies are all tall, slim, and super pretty.”
“Must cost a fortune to stay here, huh?”
Zhong Ziang cleared his throat: “It’s free. No charge.”
“……” Envy. Kneecaps ready to offer.
Ding!
The elevator arrived.
They all stepped in.
Jiang Fuyue and Zhong Ziang got off on the third floor.
The others went up to the fourth.
“Everyone’s free to do what they like. The restaurant serves food until two—you can go down to eat, or call room service.”
“If you need anything, talk to your assigned butler. One-on-one service. If that still doesn’t solve it, call me or message me.”
Zhong Ziang wrapped up his instructions, waved goodbye, and exited with Jiang Fuyue.
As the elevator doors closed, he leaned over to her and said proudly, “There are three rooms on the third floor with the best view. One was booked early, so I kept the other two for us. One each, hehe…”
“Thanks.” Jiang Fuyue dragged her suitcase and scanned into her room.
Zhong Ziang tried to follow her in. She raised her arm and blocked the door, successfully stopping him.
“What are you doing?”
“Uh… just helping you check for cockroaches.”
“Oh, I’m not scared of those.”
“Oh…” What a shame.
Jiang Fuyue raised a brow: “Aren’t you going to your own room?”
“Huh? Oh! Right! I’ll go now! I’ll come get you for lunch once I’ve unpacked?”
“Okay.”
Satisfied, Zhong Ziang finally left.
Jiang Fuyue closed the door. Just before it shut completely, she caught sight of a figure passing by outside—strangely familiar…
Click! The door closed.
She didn’t bother reopening it.
Probably just her imagination…
This trip was planned as a short getaway—three days, two nights.
Everyone brought suitcases, Jiang Fuyue included.
Two sets of clothes, one set of pajamas, knee and elbow pads, gloves, a hat, and a laptop.
Not a lot, so she packed quickly.
So quickly, in fact, that when she messaged Zhong Ziang to say she was ready, he had just come out of the bathroom and hadn’t even opened his suitcase yet.
Jiang Fuyue: [Waiting 15 minutes. If you’re not done by then, I’ll go down myself.]
Zhong Ziang: [Got it!]
While she waited, Jiang Fuyue checked the room thoroughly.
No signs of cockroaches.
Clearly, Zhong Ziang was just making an excuse.
She chuckled and shook her head, opened the sliding glass door, and stepped out onto the balcony.
The cold wind hit her face. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
The air was crisp and icy, laced with the sharp bite of snow—it made her shiver.
Just then, the balcony door next to hers opened.
A man stepped out…
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