Chapter 73 His Lips Touched Mine

“Jinsui, be good and wear this protective gear. It’ll keep you from getting hurt if you fall,” Nian Yixin tried to sound serious, but the sight of so many turtle-shaped pads made him chuckle uncontrollably.

“Wearing protective gear is fine, but couldn’t you have picked something more normal and low-key? Wearing these turtles is so embarrassing!” Nian Jinsui protested reluctantly.

“These turtles are adorable! They’re perfect for young people like you,” Nian Yixin said, barely holding back laughter. He turned to Lin Shuqian for backup. “What do you think, Shuqian?”

“They’re definitely suitable,” Lin Shuqian said, laughing. “We bought them for Chengyu too. Neither of you knows how to ski, so you both have to wear them. Let him join you in the embarrassment.”

The thought of the formidable Qin Chengyu wearing something so ridiculous made Nian Jinsui reconsider. It suddenly didn’t seem so bad.

“Alright, I’ll wear them if Chengyu does,” Nian Jinsui conceded.

Nian Yixin turned to Qin Chengyu. “Chengyu, you don’t mind, right? Jinsui’s not experienced at skiing, and it’s easy to get hurt.”

Caught off guard, Qin Chengyu hesitated. The idea of wearing multiple turtle-shaped pads was mortifying—perhaps worse than being beaten—but compared to Nian Jinsui, it was nothing.

“Alright,” Qin Chengyu agreed decisively.

“Dad, can you help me put them on?” Nian Jinsui asked.

“Let Chengyu help you! Why should we old folks have to do it?” Nian Yixin refused flatly.

“You’re only in your forties! How are you ‘old folks’?” Nian Jinsui retorted, baffled.

“Add us together, and we’re over 90! That counts as old,” Nian Yixin replied smugly.

Left speechless, Nian Jinsui could only exchange help with Qin Chengyu. Internally, he grumbled about how Nian Yixin, who used to dote on him, had suddenly changed.

Still, he liked this version of his father better. Instead of tiptoeing around his feelings, they could now laugh and joke, like a real family.

Once Nian Jinsui and Qin Chengyu were geared up, Nian Yixin gleefully took out his phone, snapping pictures and even asking a passerby to take a group photo of the four of them.

“You two didn’t even smile in a single picture,” Nian Yixin complained while scrolling through the photos.

With five turtle pads each, Nian Jinsui and Qin Chengyu simply couldn’t muster a smile.

“Turns out, children are just their parents’ toys,” Nian Jinsui concluded with a sigh.

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The four of them boarded the ski lift with their boards in tow.

“At the beginner’s slope, there’s a coach waiting for you two,” Nian Yixin instructed. “Shuqian and I will head straight to the advanced slope.”

“Father, Dad, aren’t you going to teach us?” Nian Jinsui protested.

Lin Shuqian, already aligned with Nian Yixin’s matchmaking plans, teased, “We offered to teach you before, but you wouldn’t learn. Don’t interrupt our couple’s time now.”

“Fine, parents are true love, and children are just accidents,” Nian Jinsui sighed dramatically.

Nian Yixin laughed and teased, “We’re at the beginner’s slope. Time for the ‘accident’ to get off the lift!”

Reluctantly, Nian Jinsui and Qin Chengyu disembarked at the beginner’s slope and met up with their coach. The coach demonstrated the basics and gave them some tips.

“Alright, your turn now! Who wants to go first?” the coach asked.

“I’ll go first,” Qin Chengyu volunteered confidently.

“Remember what I said—don’t be afraid. Keep your knees bent, arms relaxed… Yes, that’s it. Slow and steady… Whoa! Careful! Wait, how is he so good? Is he pretending to be a beginner? Why is he wearing turtles if he’s this skilled?” The coach’s stream of astonished comments left Nian Jinsui grinding his teeth.

I knew it!

How could a normal person be this good at skiing on their first try?

Is this logical? Is this scientific?

But then again, Qin Chengyu was the ultimate villain in this novel world.

Fine, it’s probably “villain logic.”

The coach turned to Nian Jinsui, brimming with expectation. “And you—”

“I really don’t know how to ski,” Nian Jinsui interrupted, raising a hand.

“Perfect! Your friend can teach you. He’s more than qualified,” the coach said, packing up his gear with surprising speed and vanishing before Nian Jinsui could react.

Dumbfounded, Nian Jinsui muttered, “Since when is it this easy to make money as a coach?”

When Qin Chengyu returned to the slope, he noticed the coach’s absence and quickly deduced Nian Yixin’s interference. Pretending not to know, he asked, “Where’s the coach?”

“I wish I knew,” Nian Jinsui replied helplessly.

“No problem. I’ll teach you,” Qin Chengyu said, gliding backward with ease. “Come on, Jinsui. Slide down slowly. Don’t worry.”

Once again, Nian Jinsui was awestruck by Qin Chengyu’s natural talent. He had only skied once and could already ski backward!

Why is the difference between villains so vast?

Reluctantly, Nian Jinsui focused and tried to follow Qin Chengyu’s instructions. Initially, the gentle slope was manageable, but as the speed increased, panic set in.

Inevitably, he fell, landing on his backside with a thud.

“Jinsui, are you alright?” Qin Chengyu rushed over, concern etched on his face.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Nian Jinsui said, embarrassed as he covered his face. “The turtles did their job—it doesn’t hurt.”

“Good. Let me help you up,” Qin Chengyu said, extending his hand.

Feeling a pang of jealousy as he glanced at Qin Chengyu, Nian Jinsui’s mischievous side took over. Grinning slyly, he grabbed Qin Chengyu’s hand and pulled hard, hoping to topple him.

But instead of falling beside him as planned, Qin Chengyu shifted his weight and…

…fell directly onto Nian Jinsui.

Their faces grew closer, and before Nian Jinsui could react, a cool, soft sensation brushed against his lips.

Qin Chengyu’s lips.

For a moment, Nian Jinsui’s mind went completely blank, like a static-filled TV with no channel. The world seemed to stop.

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