The man’s eyes darkened slightly. “Then we’ll have to save ourselves.”
As for why it was half an hour…
The trail they left as they slid down would soon be covered—thirty minutes was already the limit.
If the staff couldn’t find them within that time, then once the trail disappeared, it would be nearly impossible.
Over here, they were waiting for rescue. Over there, the three boys were still bickering.
“Bullsh*t—when did Jiang Fuyue agree to be your girlfriend? Why don’t I know about it?” Yici swore directly.
Zhong Ziang snorted and lifted his chin. “Why should you know? Anyway, I already confessed. You—and you—” He pointed at Yici, then at Ling Xuan, smugly, “None of you stand a chance! Better give up early.”
As if he didn’t know what these two were up to.
The young master might be carefree, but he wasn’t stupid.
Ling Xuan, who had barely spoken, narrowed his eyes. “Just you?”
Zhong Ziang chuckled and looked toward the ski field. “If you don’t believe me, go ask Jiang—huh? Where is she?”
Yici and Ling Xuan looked in the same direction. Jiang Fuyue was no longer on the slope.
Zhong Ziang frowned. “It’s your fault! She probably got annoyed and went back to her room.”
Yici: “You’re the one who started it.”
Ling Xuan frowned, feeling something was off.
Jiang Fuyue had been fully geared up, clearly intending to have fun. Why would she suddenly leave because of them?
That wasn’t like her.
“Let’s go check.”
Yici noticed his serious expression. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s probably nothing, but just in case, it’s best to alert the staff. We don’t want any accidents.”
“What’s going on?” Zhong Ziang was confused.
Staff? Just in case?
Ling Xuan didn’t answer. He took out his phone and dialed Jiang Fuyue’s number—
“Sorry, the number you dialed is currently unavailable…”
The boy’s pupils contracted. What was initially three parts doubt turned into seven parts certainty. “Something happened!”
…
Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye.
No one came.
Xie Dingyuan lowered his arm. “Time’s up. Let’s go.”
They discarded their snowboards, bindings, and all other unnecessary gear, keeping only what was worn close to the body, like hats and gloves.
“We came from the west side. Best to retrace our path.”
Jiang Fuyue nodded. “Judging by our sliding speed and the slope’s angle, the straight-line distance from our starting point is about… six kilometers.”
“Mm.”
Jiang Fuyue picked up a ski pole and tossed one to Xie Dingyuan. “Going downhill is easy. Uphill’s harder. Use this for support.”
He weighed it in his hand. “Feels good.”
Jiang Fuyue smiled.
Xie Dingyuan smiled too.
Just as they were about to set off—
Jiang Fuyue hesitated. “Did you hear something?”
Xie Dingyuan tilted his head and focused. Two seconds later, his face changed dramatically. “Run! Avalanche—!”
He reached out. She grabbed his hand. Their movements synchronized.
Their hands clasped tightly, and they ran madly in the same direction.
Xie Dingyuan had long legs and took large strides. Jiang Fuyue wasn’t slow, but she still fell half a step behind.
He dragged her forward.
The snow was thick. Every step sunk into a pit. They had to yank their legs out to move forward. Exhausted, they still couldn’t outrun the avalanche.
When a wall of white thundered down from above, the only thing Jiang Fuyue could feel was the unrelenting strength gripping her right hand.
Then, she was pulled into a warm embrace, her face buried against his chest, his crisp pinewood scent filling her nose.
Instantly, her heart calmed.
The force of the fall pulled them down. That sudden weightlessness struck, and the last thing Jiang Fuyue remembered before passing out was his voice, soft as a dream, whispering at her ear—
“Don’t be afraid.”
…
The sun set. Dusk fell.
The already quiet resort grew even more silent.
In the security room.
“Did you find them?” Ling Xuan stepped forward. The usually refined and gentle boy now wore a face of frost, his voice cold as ice.
The person in charge was drenched in sweat. “The surveillance shows Mr. Xie and Miss Jiang heading in the same direction, but where they stopped—we still have no accurate info from the search teams.”
“It’s been five hours. The sky’s about to go dark. Do you know what happens if they’re not found soon?!”
A night in these freezing conditions—death by exposure was very possible!
Of course, the manager knew. These two weren’t ordinary: one was a national treasure-level scientist, the other a genius girl who brought honor to the country. If anything happened to them, he couldn’t bear the consequences.
But what could he do if they just couldn’t be found?
Killing him wouldn’t help!
“The area they went to is the largest and most complex of the five undeveloped zones. When it was surveyed, the geologists reported an underground river. It wasn’t suitable for development, so it’s been left untouched until now.”
Zhong Ziang rushed up and grabbed him by the collar. “What’s your point? Trying to shift blame?!”
“Young Master Zhong, I wouldn’t dare!” The manager was nearly crying.
These people were all high-born, but those two missing were on a whole other level.
Yici stood. “At this point, we need to call the police.”
Zhong Ziang froze. The manager took the chance to break free and distance himself.
Ling Xuan nodded. “I agree.”
Zhong Ziang pulled out his phone at once.
At that moment, the door burst open. Two tall figures entered, one behind the other.
“Dad?!”
Yici and Ling Xuan spoke in unison, shock on their faces.
Ling Qingzhou was still in a suit—no cold-weather gear at all. Clearly, he had rushed up the mountain.
Yi Hansheng wore a tracksuit and a baseball cap—he had come straight from the golf course.
At that moment, both men wore the same grim expression and didn’t even glance at their sons.
The manager rushed forward. “President Ling, President Yi—you’re finally here!”
Ling Qingzhou gave a curt “Mm,” then walked to the computer. “Rewind the footage.”
The staff complied.
“Stop!”
The screen froze just a second before the two disappeared. Ling Qingzhou asked, “Which direction is this?”
“West.”
“You’re saying there’s a 99% chance they entered the undeveloped zone?”
“Yes.”
“How many search teams have been dispatched?”
“Five so far.”
Yi Hansheng asked, “Which directions did they go?”
“Uh… I’m not sure. They probably had their own plans…”
“Did they know the two went west?”
“The footage hadn’t been checked yet at the time…” The manager’s voice grew softer until it vanished.
Yi Hansheng nearly exploded from anger. “Call all the search teams now! Have them head west!”
The manager trembled. “Y-yes.”
“Dad,” Yici stepped forward. “Why are you here?”
“If I hadn’t come, you’d have torn a hole in the sky!” Yi Hansheng roared, spit flying.
Yici: “?”
“I’m not arguing with you now. If anything happens to Jiang Fuyue, I’ll skin you alive!”
Yici felt guilty at first, then confused.
Why was his dad so nervous about Jiang Fuyue?
Ling Xuan stood quietly, eyes half-lowered. He didn’t try to speak with Ling Qingzhou.
His father didn’t look at him either—just kept giving orders.
He didn’t say anything, but Ling Xuan could feel it. That anxiety and urgency people show when someone they care about is in danger.
He wondered: If his mother were in danger, would this man be just as frantic?
“Hey… don’t you think our dads are acting weird?” Yici asked quietly, walking over.
“Are they?” Ling Xuan smiled faintly.
“My dad’s never said anything that harsh even when I failed an exam. Now he’s threatening to skin me alive? Over Jiang Fuyue? Sure, they met at my birthday, but still—this reaction is too much.”
It was like… she was their daughter.
“And your dad—when did he and my dad get so chummy? Working together to organize a rescue? That’s seriously off.”
Ling Xuan’s lips tightened.
Even Yici had noticed. So… they weren’t even bothering to pretend anymore?
Or had the man he revered, thought fearless in all things, already lost his cool over Jiang Fuyue?
…
Jiang Fuyue woke from the cold.
Instinctively, she leaned toward the only source of heat, nestling closer and closer—
“Hiss!” Xie Dingyuan gasped.
Her soft, icy skin against his bare chest sent a wave of heat through his body.
Suddenly, her eyes snapped open.
They locked eyes. He froze, then gave her a sheepish but gentle smile.
Jiang Fuyue blinked, refocusing, quickly realizing the situation.
She was lying in Xie Dingyuan’s arms, arms wrapped around his neck, cheek pressed to his chest, greedily absorbing his warmth.
She tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through her left leg.
“Hiss…”
“Don’t move.”
Jiang Fuyue wisely stayed still, remaining in his arms.
“How long was I asleep?”
Her cheek still pressed to him. As she spoke, her warm breath tickled his skin, making him shiver.
Xie Dingyuan inhaled deeply, suppressing his restlessness. His voice hoarse, “…Two hours.”
He could suppress the restlessness—but not the pounding of his heart.
Hearing his racing heartbeat, Jiang Fuyue looked up. “Are you okay?”
That slight movement made her soft cheek brush against his skin again, sending another tremor through him.
She noticed his body trembling even more. “You…”
“Don’t—move!” he growled low, breath heavy and ragged.
In that instant, Jiang Fuyue seemed to understand. Her body stiffened, and her cheeks flushed crimson.
“You—”
“Don’t move. Just don’t move, and I’ll be fine.” He cut her off deliberately.
Jiang Fuyue pursed her lips, pretending to pull away, though she really didn’t want to lose that warmth.
She was freezing. Her lips trembled from the cold.
Sensing her intent, he pressed a large hand to her back, pulling her in again.
“I told you not to move. If something happens, who’ll take responsibility?”
His tone was stiff and slightly prickly.
If not for his red ears, Jiang Fuyue might have believed he was all serious.
What an act!
Keep pretending!
“You’re the one with the problem…”
Xie Dingyuan fell silent, mouth curved in restrained amusement.
Jiang Fuyue didn’t push her luck and quietly stayed nestled against him. “Where are we now?”
Though she didn’t move, her breath still spilled over his skin, seeping into every pore.
Xie Dingyuan felt like ants were crawling across his chest. “…Looks like an abandoned cellar.”
At the moment of the avalanche, he was prepared to be buried alive. His first instinct wasn’t to run—but to shield the girl in his arms.
Luckily, heaven left a path. Beneath the snow was a natural hollow, which hunters had once deepened into a cellar.
Not only did it block wind and snow, he had also found dry straw and cotton bedding inside.
That’s what now lay beneath them.
Jiang Fuyue asked, “How long do you think it’ll take for someone to find us?”
Xie Dingyuan smiled. “Are you testing me?”
“Yup. I want to see if your answer matches mine.”
“Being a scientist isn’t that great—I might not even be as good at math as a kid.”
“So what’s your answer?”
“Factoring in weather and terrain, plus probability and statistical modeling… Earliest would be around noon tomorrow.”
Night search would be ineffective, and snow-clearing in the morning would take time.
So, noon.
“Same as mine,” Jiang Fuyue smiled. “What happened to my leg?”
“Sprained. It’s already swollen, but luckily no broken bones.”
Jiang Fuyue looked toward the entrance. Her brows furrowed. “It’s dark.”
Xie Dingyuan followed her gaze and murmured in agreement.
Night had fallen.
And the real test was just beginning…
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