Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Chen Mo had never been this close to anyone in both of his lifetimes.

Especially when he could clearly feel his knee being controlled by someone's palm, it made him feel somewhat at a loss.

Xi Siyan, under the dim light, seemed very natural, and his movements were not awkward at all.

"You seem to be good at taking care of others," Chen Mo said.

Xi Siyan changed the towel once more before speaking, "I grew up with my grandparents. You know, as people get older, they tend to have various issues."

Chen Mo: "So you must have a good relationship with them."

"It's alright," Xi Siyan said with a slight smile.

He insisted on continuing the hot compress for nearly ten minutes before stopping, "It’s done."

"Thank you." Chen Mo pulled back his leg and sat cross-legged on the bed.

The room was warm from the air conditioner. Xi Siyan's gaze swept over Chen Mo's red knees, then down, and casually asked, "Is that a burn on your foot?"

"This?" Chen Mo rubbed the scar near his ankle and asked.

"Mm."

"It's from a cigarette burn." Chen Mo said casually, "I didn't treat it at the time, and it was summer, so it got infected later, leaving a noticeable scar."

Xi Siyan had seen the scars on Chen Mo's body before.

Not just this one.

That day at the Yang family villa, when he came out of the swimming pool, many people saw them.

But no one would ask, why in the news, the poor but harmonious family that adopted him would allow a seventeen-year-old boy to have so many old scars.

His experiences, during their last visit to the traditional Chinese medicine clinic, Xi Siyan had already glimpsed the truth from his words.

Yet, when his fingers accidentally touched that circular scar just now, he couldn't help but ask again. Chen Mo's skin was pale, and even though he had a tough upbringing, it hadn't dulled his fair complexion, making the scars stand out even more. The person sitting cross-legged on the bed, talking about the cause without any concern, even gave Xi Siyan a sense of illusion.

The person in front of him had an absolutely mature and resilient soul, strong enough to support all his current situations and pains.

And the one who found it unbearable was the bystander.

Xi Siyan did not press further.

"Get some rest early," he said.

Chen Mo had long since ignored the slight discomfort. After the warmth of the hot compress, sleep soon overtook him.

Chen Mo slept soundly through the night.

He didn't dream at all.

When he woke up the next morning, it was already nine o'clock.

The outdoor ski slope was covered in white snow. The small snowfall in Icefield Town continued throughout the night.

The air in the room was dry due to the air conditioner running all night.

Chen Mo turned and found a glass of water on his bedside table, while Xi Siyan was nowhere to be seen.

Chen Mo checked his phone.

He saw Xi Siyan's message and realized that everyone else had gone to the ski slope early in the morning.

Chen Mo called Lao Gou.

"Hello! Chen Mo!" The sound of howling wind accompanied Lao Gou's voice.

Chen Mo propped himself up against the headboard, took a sip of water, and asked, "Did you hit the slopes?"

"Yeah, Jiang Xu and I are still practicing the basics. We're falling so much our moms won't recognize us!"

Chen Mo laughed and put down the cup, "I'll come find you later."

"Don't come," Lao Gou immediately stopped him, "Brother Yan said your leg hurt last night, so we didn't call you. Rest well; we'll be back before noon."

Chen Mo: "What about the others?"

"They're at the advanced track." Lao Gou panted heavily, "Those rich kids are showing off their skills there, and lots of people are watching."

Chen Mo wasn't surprised.

In his previous life, Yang Shule learned skiing because Qi Lin and his group knew how to do it, and every winter, they organized activities.

Chen Mo later learned many skills like golf, billiards, and sailing.

Mostly for business entertaining.

He really didn't know how to ski and didn't plan to join the crowd.

However, after getting up and finishing his morning routine, he still took the cable car up to the mountain top.

The mountain top was filled with shops and food stalls, and it was packed due to the New Year's holiday. Chen Mo wandered around the ski hall and explored the area.

"Hey, handsome." Someone suddenly blocked his path.

Chen Mo looked at the two young girls who jumped in front of him, probably around seventeen or eighteen years old, wearing white ski suits. One of them, a round-faced girl with bangs, asked, "Are you alone?"

"I'm with my classmates," Chen Mo said.

Chen Mo didn't know why they had stopped him and asked, "Is there something you need from me?"

The two girls exchanged a glance, and the round-faced girl stepped forward, speaking softly, "We just started, and we're heading to the beginner track. Seeing that you're alone, we were wondering if you'd like to team up?"

"Oh." Chen Mo waved his hand and smiled, "At least you two have made it through the door; I don't even know which way it opens. I won't be skiing, sorry."

The girls looked disappointed and whispered to Chen Mo, "The coaches here are so expensive. We were hoping to find someone skilled to guide us."

Chen Mo chuckled, "Do I look like a pro?"

"Mainly because you're really handsome," the girl replied straightforwardly.

The two girls had been observing him for quite some time.

Among all the people who came to ski, he was the only one wandering aimlessly on the mountain top in a black down jacket, making his legs look exceptionally long.

The round-faced girl really didn't want to give up, especially after seeing how nice Chen Mo was. She suggested, "It's so cold anyway, and we're not particularly keen on skiing. How about we find somewhere to get a drink together?"

If Chen Mo still couldn't see where this was going by now, he would have lived in vain.

However, he found their spontaneous approach amusing and politely declined, "I'm not thirsty, so I'll pass. What would you like to drink? It's on me."

Meanwhile, at the advanced track.

Qi Lin and Bai Cheng, along with a few others, had enjoyed enough of the admiring glances from passersby and stopped to rest.

"Where's Old Xi?" Qi Lin asked.

Someone pointed behind them and said ambiguously, "Discussing techniques with a girl."

Qi Lin glanced back, slapped the person's head, and said, "Don't talk nonsense. That's Xixi from the UI Club. She's being groomed for the national team. At nineteen, she's already considered a veteran in the skiing world and has many apprentices."

Bai Cheng remarked, "Old Xi seems pretty familiar with her."

Qi Lin responded, "How could they not be? They're senior and junior siblings, trained by the same master."

"But isn't she older than Brother Yan? Why is she still called junior sister?"

"Old Xi started skiing when he was six. Who can match his experience?"

As these words fell, two figures, one red and one black, swooped down the mountain, their skills evident to anyone who knew anything about skiing. Every move was textbook perfect.

They skidded to a stop nearby, sending walls of snow several meters high into the air.

"Damn!" The group complained, covered in snow, "Was that intentional?"

"So mean."

"You guys should be banned from the slopes!"

The girl in red lifted her goggles and laughed, turning to the person behind her, "You brought quite a few new friends this year." Then she turned back and greeted the group, "Hello everyone."

Everyone responded, "Hello, Miss."

"Old Xi, introduce us."

The person in black, fully geared up and face hidden, showed no intention of introducing anyone. He simply said to the girl, "I couldn't answer your professional questions. You should ask a coach."

"I just wanted to test you," the girl smiled brightly, "Every year you come and beat my supposedly professional crew. I need to check if you've improved or regressed."

"Let's go," Xi Siyan called out to the others.

The girl exclaimed, "Hey, leaving so soon?!"

But the person she called had already disappeared down the slope.

Her junior sister was baffled and turned to Qi Lin, "What's going on? He usually spends half a day here. How long has he been here?"

Qi Lin shrugged, "How would I know?"

When everyone gathered back at the ski hall, Lao Gou and the others had also returned from the beginner track.

There were a lot of tourists this year, and the hall was packed.

Lao Gou complained to Qi Lin, "You should have seen the beginner track; it was like throwing dumplings into boiling water. No fun at all, just amateurs floundering around."

"Where are we headed next?" Qi Lin asked.

Lao Gou replied, "Let's go back first. Chen Mo is still at the lodge."

This reminded everyone.

"Is Brother Mo okay?"

"Old Xi only said his leg hurt. It shouldn't be serious."

"Let's head back then. It's almost lunchtime."

The group started walking out.

Just as they left, someone pointed at a beverage shop and asked, "Isn't that Young Master Mo?"

"Nonsense," Lao Gou instinctively retorted, "He called me at nine. Damn."

At that moment, everyone saw the scene before them.

Chen Mo was leaning against a chair, smiling as he listened to someone speak. Across from him sat two girls, chattering away and discussing enthusiastically.

Chen Mo had no idea that he was being watched by acquaintances.

He had originally planned to pay and leave, but the girls kept asking questions without stopping. Chen Mo wasn't really listening to what they were saying; his mind was elsewhere.

Yet, despite his wandering thoughts, he managed to give the impression of attentive listening.

Until the glass door of the beverage shop was pushed open again.

Just then, one of the girls asked if he knew anyone particularly skilled at skiing. Chen Mo nodded toward the door, "Your expert has arrived."

The two girls turned around simultaneously.

And froze on the spot.

Chen Mo was just wondering about their reaction when he saw a girl walking out behind Xi Siyan.

The girl looked at their table and whispered something to Xi Siyan.

They seemed quite familiar with each other.

While they were talking, Chen Mo noticed a group of conspicuous people standing outside the glass window on his left. Seeing him look over, they waved frantically, looking quite happy.

Chen Mo wanted to ask why they didn't come in.

But then he realized Xi Siyan and the girl were already approaching.

The two girls across from Chen Mo spoke before him: "Senior Sister."

Then they turned to the other person, timidly, "Senior Brother."

Chen Mo: "..."

He raised an eyebrow at Xi Siyan, "Do you know them?"

Xi Siyan was still wearing his black ski suit, likely having just come down from the slopes, giving him a cold and stern demeanor.

He acknowledged the girls' greeting with a nod.

Chen Mo then noticed the girl next to Xi Siyan, who wore a smug expression as she said to the other two girls, "I told you not to flirt so much, now look what happened. You've flirted with Senior Brother's acquaintance."

The round-faced girl blushed deeply.

"We just had a drink together."

Chen Mo found the atmosphere rather strange.

He asked the person beside him in surprise, "Where did you suddenly get all these junior sisters from?"

"Still not leaving?" Xi Siyan had already taken the bag hanging on the chair.

Chen Mo didn't say anything and got up smoothly.

As they reached the door.

Chen Mo turned back and heard the conversation continuing.

"Senior Sister, why is Senior Brother here? Doesn't he usually not take beginners?"

"Classmates? Why can't classmates be acquaintances? Senior Brother is too domineering."