Chapter 68

The wind and snow raged all night, right through until the next morning.

A night passed. Some were still dreaming, while others had been utterly transformed.

Early Wednesday morning, Huo Cheng was already up.

Dawn was just breaking. Hu Ying was woken by the sounds of him washing up. She opened her eyes, fumbled for her phone to check the time, and groaned, 'Huo Cheng, do you have to get up so early?'

Huo Cheng came out of the bathroom, wiping his face. 'You've got so much skincare stuff. Can I use some of your face cream?'

Hu Ying propped herself up on the headboard, opening her eyes to look at Huo Cheng. His face was still damp, his pajama collar open, revealing well-defined chest muscles. He looked full of energy, exceptionally vigorous.

'What does a rough guy need skincare for? Weren't you just calling me girly yesterday?'

Huo Cheng smiled. 'The north wind here's strong. My skin feels a bit dry.'

Wen Nu sat up. 'You can use mine.'

'You can both use mine. I brought a ton of skincare, I won't finish it anyway,' Hu Ying said. 'You can use the cleanser first, then pat on toner and serum, then the cream.'

'You're so meticulous,' Huo Cheng said.

Hu Ying sat bolt upright. 'That's such a rough, straight-guy mindset. What era is this? Skincare isn't gendered! The pursuit of beauty is every boy and girl's right!'

'Too much trouble. I'll just slap on some cream.' Huo Cheng dabbed on a bit. 'Your face cream must be expensive, right? I'll use a little extra.'

'Caviar essence luxury cream. A few thousand.'

Wen Nu's eyes went wide. 'More expensive than La Mer?'

His knowledge was limited. When it came to expensive skincare, he only knew about things like 'Miracle Water' and 'Little Brown Bottle.' He'd heard about La Mer from Jin Qian—she said she'd gritted her teeth and bought herself a bottle for her birthday this year, two or three thousand.

Hu Ying started educating Wen Nu about La Prairie, saying things like 'even princesses use it' and listing its various benefits.

Huo Cheng patted his face a couple of times, changed in the bathroom, and came out. He put on his down jacket. 'I'm heading out.'

'Zhai Xingchen might not even be up yet,' Hu Ying said.

'I'll just wander around first.' Huo Cheng smiled and put on his 'Lei Feng' hat.

He already looked like someone from the Northeast Region. Wearing a thick down jacket and that hat, he looked just like a local.

Seeing Wen Nu was up, Hu Ying lay back down, picked up her phone, and put on a song. Right as the music was playing, she saw Huo Cheng come back. 'Holy shit, come out and look. The snow's so thick you can't even push the hotel door open.'

Hearing this, Hu Ying immediately scrambled up.

She was pretty excited.

After all, you rarely get a chance in your life to come to a place this cold. She'd only ever seen it on short videos—how in some parts of the Northeast Region, after one night, the doors get blocked.

She wrapped herself in her down jacket and went down to look. The snow outside wasn't as exaggerated as Huo Cheng made it sound, but she could see the snow by the entrance was almost shin-deep.

'So much snow.'

As a South City native, she really didn't often get to see snow this heavy. She handed her phone to Huo Cheng. 'Here, film me falling backwards into the snow. I want to post it on Weibo.'

Huo Cheng took her phone. Hu Ying hadn't washed up at all, completely bare-faced, her hair a messy bird's nest, wearing an extra-puffy puffer jacket. She made a heart shape at the camera. 'Ready?'

'Ready.'

Hu Ying spread her arms and jumped backwards.

With a 'thump,' her whole body disappeared into the thick snow, completely submerged.

Huo Cheng was startled and quickly dug her out. Hu Ying tried to climb out a few times but couldn't. By the time she emerged, she'd swallowed a couple mouthfuls of snow. She spat, hurriedly took off her down jacket, and shook the snow out of it. Huo Cheng just laughed heartily.

The hotel owner said this wasn't even considered a heavy snowfall. Their record snowfall lasted several days in a row, completely blocking the entire door.

None of them had ever seen snow that heavy.

The Production Team had mobilized everyone first thing in the morning, going with the Scenic Area staff to shovel snow.

Zhai Xingchen was startled awake by the noise outside. He sat up and saw Yan Zhi come in, blowing on his hands. 'The snow outside our door is almost knee-deep. Don't get up yet. They probably won't be able to come over for breakfast this morning. Sleep a bit more. I've already got the porridge going.'

Zhai Xingchen checked the time and glanced out the window, finding it completely plastered with snow.

He was seeing this kind of sight for the first time.

He rolled over and got up in one motion.

Yan Zhi smiled. 'I knew you'd get up. Well, dress warmly. It's really cold outside.'

'Has the snow stopped?'

'Stopped.'

Zhai Xingchen scrambled up. 'Where's my sweater?'

As he spoke, he threw back the covers. Yan Zhi hurriedly said, 'Almost forgot. Wait a sec.'

Yan Zhi rushed out and came back into the bedroom a moment later, carrying his sweater, long johns, and the like.

Zhai Xingchen didn't understand.

Yan Zhi said, 'When I got up, I noticed the indoor temperature was really low today. I was afraid your clothes would be cold when you put them on, so I put them on the heated kang next door.'

This inn also relied on fire for heating. But unlike the heated kang in Room 3 or the heated wall in Room 2, this building, to ensure guests slept more comfortably—not too hot, not too dry—had five rooms and a Sento Pool. Only three rooms were for living in; the other two were specifically for the heating fire. There was a heated kang right next to their room, connected to the heated wall on the other side.

Zhai Xingchen touched the clothes. They were warm and cozy, really comfortable.

Wow, that was so thoughtful.

'Thanks,' he said, pleasantly surprised.

Yan Zhi smiled. 'Hurry up and put them on before they get cold again.'

Zhai Xingchen quickly got out of the covers, took off his pajamas, and pulled on the long johns and such. He noticed Yan Zhi was watching him and looked up. Yan Zhi smiled and said, 'Your hair's like a bird's nest.'

Zhai Xingchen felt Yan Zhi seemed a bit different today.

Was it because he wasn't wearing glasses?

His features looked much brighter, sharper too.

It felt like he was a different person.

The him with gold-rimmed glasses had seemed gentle and gentlemanly. The him without glasses now looked like a tiger out of its cage, his whole person carrying a hint of aggression.

'You're not wearing glasses?' he asked, putting on his shoes.

'Wearing contacts,' Yan Zhi said. 'How do I look?'

Zhai Xingchen smiled and nodded. 'Very handsome.'

Yan Zhi smiled.

Zhai Xingchen tied his shoelaces and looked up at Yan Zhi again.

It seemed like, in just one night, Yan Zhi had changed.

Because it was so cold, he even put on the fleece hat Pei Xu had given him. The path outside Room 1 had already been cleared by the Production Team. Zhai Xingchen and Yan Zhi followed the team to clear the path outside Room 2.

The heavy snowfall had buried Lin Qingning's awkwardness and embarrassment. Wearing thick gloves and a hat, he panted as he watched Zhai Xingchen and the others coming from afar to shovel snow. He smiled and said, 'What heavy snow.'

Duan Yihua also straightened up, panting. 'Can't do it. Getting old, my back can't take it.'

They gradually converged. Lin Qingning's eyes went wide. 'I've been wanting to ask—who's that next to Zhai Xingchen? He looks like Yan Zhi, but he's not wearing glasses. I thought he was a Production Team staffer. I was thinking, how could the Production Team have such a handsome staff member!'

Hearing this, Duan Yihua looked at the person next to Zhai Xingchen. 'It is Yan Zhi.'

He hadn't recognized him either.

The two of them stared at Yan Zhi for a good while. 'Yan Zhi with glasses and without glasses are completely two different vibes.'

Yan Zhi smiled, took Zhai Xingchen's gloves from his pocket, and handed them to him.

'Even more handsome,' Lin Qingning assessed.

The gentle feeling was much diminished. His features were clearer, more outstanding.

After clearing a path through the snow outside Room 2, they took their shovels and went together to Room 3 to see Pei Xu.

The two Snowman figures Pei Xu had built at the intersection yesterday were both half-buried in fresh snow. Pei Xu was out there alone, clearing the path through the courtyard, his nose gone red from the cold.

'Pei-ge.'

Hearing Zhai Xingchen call him, he looked up and saw Zhai Xingchen wearing the navy-blue hat he'd given him, in his thick black down jacket.

Pei Xu smiled, stood up, and waved to everyone.

They all worked together to clear out Room 3. Zhai Xingchen said, 'Pei-ge, your internal heat's gotten worse.'

The redness and swelling on his lips were even more obvious.

'Didn't sleep well,' Pei Xu said.

'I'll make you some egg drop tea later to clear the heat,' Zhai Xingchen said.

Pei Xu smiled, looking at Zhai Xingchen, his eyes full of light.

Was it because of the snowlight?

Why did he feel like everyone's eyes were especially bright today, like they were all different from last night?!

Hmm, it must be because he'd been looking at the snowfield for too long, giving him this feeling.