Chapter20

After taking a shower in the evening, Cen Zhen lay on the hotel bed, looking at the group messages on her phone.

To keep Director Xie updated on the progress, the crew shared training clips in the group every day. Cen Zhen would also watch those videos before bed to review her movements.

“Did Young Master Meng scold you?” Chi Yu, following the doctor's advice, came to apply medicine on Cen Zhen and curiously asked.

Cen Zhen shook her head, “No.”

Chi Yu squeezed some ointment into her hand and casually said, “Then why did you two stay so long?”

Cen Zhen’s gaze fell on the training clip she had just opened, but her thoughts drifted with Chi Yu’s words.

Had they really stayed that long in the small snow hut?

Cen Zhen only remembered that when she sat back on his lap, he inexplicably smiled and said to her, “Cen Zhen, you’re really impressive.”

Cen Zhen didn’t understand what he meant. When she slightly turned her head, her eyes collided with the ambiguous look in his eyes.

The faint smile hadn’t faded, and his eyes were slightly raised as he stared at her. His gaze slowly became intense, as if a fleeting emotion had crossed, only to vanish in the blink of an eye.

This time, he wasn’t wearing a suit. The loose black flight jacket he wore gave off a rebellious, boyish vibe.

It was strange; this outfit made Cen Zhen feel that this was the rebellious, free-spirited second son of the Meng family that the rumors had spoken of.

Everything before wasn’t really him.

At this moment, even though their relationship was purely transactional, sitting on a man’s lap—on a man with impeccable looks—Cen Zhen still couldn’t help but blush.

His presence was overwhelming, and she had to avoid his gaze. Finally, she managed to ask, “Young Master Meng, where are you connecting your flight to in Mingzhou?”

“Hong Kong.”

“…?” Hearing this, Cen Zhen looked at him, confused.

There were so many direct flights from Shanghai to Hong Kong. Why would he go all the way north to Mingzhou, only to then fly south to Hong Kong?

Was he okay?

Meng Fanchuan clearly understood Cen Zhen’s confusion, but he didn’t feel like explaining. He leaned back slightly and asked, “I heard there’s coffee here.”

Cen Zhen, who had just been “rewarded” with sugar, naturally understood, and took the opportunity to get off his lap. “Mm, I’ll make you a cup.”

Even though she was no longer sitting on him, Cen Zhen could still feel his gaze lingering on her back, direct and unsettling, filled with quiet but overwhelming danger.

“Cen Zhen,” his voice softly reminded from behind, “You know what kind of role you’re getting.”

Cen Zhen, of course, knew.

She lowered her head and made the coffee, walking back to place the cup in front of him, before hesitatingly asking, “Do you… mind?”

He was the financier, and if he didn’t like her performing with other men, he could easily use his connections to alter the plot, interfere with the filming.

But Cen Zhen didn’t want that.

Movies were serious; they were complete works. Every plotline was intricately woven throughout. If the story was changed just because of his personal dislike, then why should she go through all the trouble to get the role of Li Tao, a character that was imperfect but full of potential?

She could easily play roles like Zhang Tao or Wang Tao—any character that capital liked.

Cen Zhen waited for Meng Fanchuan’s answer, but he only drank the coffee she had made and didn’t say anything further.

…

“You’re spacing out again?” Chi Yu gently patted Cen Zhen’s waist. “Turn around, raise your leg.”

Cen Zhen’s thoughts were pulled back by Chi Yu, and she instinctively obeyed.

She lay on the bed, gently bending her left knee, causing her nightgown to slip down to her waist, revealing her slim and smooth legs.

Chi Yu glanced at her and couldn’t help but feel envious of how unfair nature was.

They were both girls, but Cen Zhen seemed like a beautifully sculpted artwork—where her body should be slender, it was delicate and graceful; where it should be firm, it was smooth like snow, with no excess fat anywhere. Chi Yu couldn’t help but look at her again and again.

“Did you eat anything special growing up?” Chi Yu curiously touched her leg, feeling as though she was touching a peeled egg white.

But her body was so cold, “Are you cold?”

Cen Zhen felt itchy from Chi Yu’s touch, and she covered herself with the blanket, putting an end to Chi Yu’s curiosity. “It’s getting late, go to bed.”

Chi Yu chuckled twice. “Now I understand why Young Master Meng signed you. You’re so beautiful. If I were the boss, I’d sign you too.”

“…”Is that so?

Maybe.

When Meng Fanchuan said she had the best cards, he must have meant her appearance. It was because he appreciated it that she was able to get these opportunities.

Cen Zhen's mood suddenly faded.

It wasn’t long before Chi Yu left, and Cen Zhen fell asleep. In her half-sleepy state, she felt cold. No matter how much she wrapped herself in the blanket, it felt like the sudden chill couldn’t be fought off. She opened her eyes and realized the air conditioner had stopped.

Confused, Cen Zhen got out of bed and pressed the remote a few times, but there was no response.

She casually pulled open the curtains in the room, and outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the snow-capped mountains were dark and silent. The night lights on the ski slopes, which were usually on, had all been extinguished.

To train more efficiently, Cen Zhen had earlier canceled the hotel that Wen Hui had booked for her in the city and directly stayed near the ski resort. The conditions here weren’t great, but the one advantage was the proximity.

Looking at her phone, it was only 10:30 p.m.

It was still far from dawn. Cen Zhen put on her coat and was about to ask the front desk what had happened when Chi Yu sent a message informing her: The ski resort had suddenly experienced a large-scale power outage, and the hotel’s emergency power could only support public facilities like the elevator. The electrical repair was in progress, but the recovery time was uncertain.

"Are you scared? Should I come sleep with you?"

Cen Zhen didn’t want to trouble Chi Yu to get out of bed from the warm covers, so she replied, “It’s fine, no need.”

Putting her phone away, Cen Zhen slowly realized that there was a more troublesome problem than the fear of the surrounding darkness.

The room, having lost heating, seemed to have been instantly consumed by cold. Even with all her thick clothes piled on top of the blanket, it was still hard to withstand the sub-zero temperature.

Her breath turned to mist as soon as it left her mouth. Cen Zhen rubbed her palms gently under the covers, trying to warm herself up. But the night felt too long, and the cold made the wait excruciating.

Cen Zhen had always been sensitive to the cold. Every winter, her hands and feet would freeze. At this moment, she was so cold she couldn’t sleep and had no choice but to lie there, staring blankly into the dark.

After tossing and turning, someone suddenly knocked on the door.

Thinking it was Chi Yu, Cen Zhen went to open the door, only to find a stranger standing there. “Miss Cen, Young Master Meng sent me to pick you up.”

Cen Zhen froze. “Pick me up?”

As soon as she spoke, a text from Meng Fanchuan seemed to arrive at just the right moment on her phone.

No extra words, just three simple ones: "Come sleep."

Cen Zhen: "..."

Cen Zhen didn’t know that, after being scolded in the afternoon, Chi Yu was now too scared to slack off in any of her duties, especially after hearing about the power outage. She immediately reported to Wen Hui.

So, when Cen Zhen faced the person who came to pick her up, she instinctively thought of something unspeakable.

After a few seconds of silence, she nodded. “Wait for me to change clothes.”

Cen Zhen had now learned to face whatever might happen between her and Meng Fanchuan with composure. Moreover, since he had fulfilled his promise, she should take the initiative to be more understanding.

Ten minutes later, Cen Zhen was driven to the hotel where Meng Fanchuan and Wen Hui were staying.

In the city center, the most luxurious five-star hotel in Mingzhou, even in the northern region. Every night, countless men and women would spend a wonderful night here.

As Cen Zhen entered the elevator, she thought to herself, hoping that this night wouldn't turn out too badly for her.

The elevator stopped at the 12th floor. The person leading her swiped the room card, turned, and said, “Please rest well here, good night.”

As the door opened, warm air rushed in. Cen Zhen thanked him and paused for a moment at the door. After preparing herself mentally, she walked inside.

She expected to see Meng Fanchuan, but when she entered, she was surprised to find the room was empty.

The bed was neatly made, and it was clear that no one had stayed there yet.

Cen Zhen was a bit puzzled. She wondered if Meng Fanchuan had gone out and hadn’t returned yet. As she looked around, unsure whether to sit or stand, Wen Hui suddenly appeared at the door.

She knocked twice. “You’re here?”

Cen Zhen froze. “Aunt Hui?”

Wen Hui walked up to her, checked the heating in the room, and said, “Since you’re here, rest quickly.”

Cen Zhen was still a bit confused. Meng Fanchuan asked her to come here to sleep—could it be just to… sleep?

Wen Hui didn’t notice her inner confusion and continued, “I spoke with Director Xie and the coach tonight. They agreed to give you two days off to take a break. You’ve been practicing too hard lately. Be good.”

After saying this, she gently ruffled Cen Zhen’s hair and was about to leave. Before she left, she casually touched Cen Zhen’s hand. “So cold? No wonder Fanchuan said you’re afraid of the cold. Rest well.”

Cen Zhen: “…”

Wen Hui closed the door and left, and the room instantly fell silent.

Her last sentence lingered in Cen Zhen's ears.

How did Meng Fanchuan know she was afraid of the cold?Oh, it seems like when they first met, he had asked why she didn’t stay in Beicheng to develop her career. She had casually mentioned it once.

Did he really remember that?

Cen Zhen slowly sat down in the empty room, unsure if it was because the heating had been turned up or for some other reason, but her icy body slowly started to warm up. The warmth spread through her limbs and body, subtly swaying in the depths of her heart at some deep point.

As Wen Hui had said, Cen Zhen slept soundly and didn’t see Meng Fanchuan all night.

The next day, Cen Zhen woke up early as usual. She wanted to tell Wen Hui before she left, but she didn’t know which room she was in.

Left with no choice, she sent a message to both Wen Hui and Meng Fanchuan.

A minute later, Meng Fanchuan called.

His name in her contacts had long been changed from “Secretary Miss” to “Young Master Meng.” Now it flashed on the screen, and Cen Zhen calmed herself before answering.

"Hello?"

"The coach said you should take two days off." His voice was a bit lazy and hoarse, as if he had just woken up.

Cen Zhen naturally knew that, but with only two weeks of training, she wished she could stretch 24 hours into 48 hours, and there was no time to rest.

"My legs are fine, at most, I’ll reduce the training volume today." Cen Zhen tried to convince Meng Fanchuan.

There was a brief silence on the other end, followed by the sound of a blanket being lifted. "A coach can’t keep an eye on two people."

Cen Zhen didn’t understand what he was trying to say. "So, what do you mean?"

Meng Fanchuan: "If you insist on practicing, I’ll watch you."

"?"

By the time they were standing at the foot of the ski slope together, Cen Zhen was still somewhat dazed. Let’s not even talk about how dangerous professional skiing is—taking a step back, was this really the place where he and she had joked and flirted?

She was here to work, and she could not let personal matters mix with her professional ones.

"Young Master Meng," Cen Zhen said, her expression serious and earnest, "This isn’t a place to play. Skiing is dangerous."

Meng Fanchuan glanced at the object Cen Zhen was holding, then laughed. "What’s this?"

Cen Zhen paused and awkwardly hid the "turtle pad" behind her. "Chi Yu bought it for me, it’s a fall-protection pad…"

Cen Zhen felt too embarrassed to say the words “butt pad.”

During the first two days of learning skiing, she wore this, but later she felt it was childish and stopped bringing it. However, after what happened yesterday, in order to avoid further injuries that could delay her progress, Cen Zhen decided to take as many precautions as possible.

She felt that Meng Fanchuan was deliberately changing the subject and returned to the main point. "Did you hear what I just said? Skiing is not a joke. If you get injured, I—"

There was a brief pause.

"Hmm?" Meng Fanchuan waited for her to finish, "What about you?"

What else could Cen Zhen say? Of course, she was afraid she couldn’t bear that responsibility.

She could already imagine the headline in the news—"Young Master of a Rich Family Skis to Win a Smile, Suffers Multiple Bone Fractures."

It wasn’t that Cen Zhen was overthinking; she often heard the staff at the ski resort say that accidents happened every year, usually involving people who either lacked skill or were overly confident. For example, someone who could only ski on beginner slopes would still go to the intermediate or advanced slopes to show off.

But now that Meng Fanchuan asked, Cen Zhen of course knew what he wanted to hear. She pressed her lips together and replied, "Of course, I’d be worried about your safety."

Meng Fanchuan looked at her, as if confirming how sincere her words were. After a slight pause, he turned his gaze away and casually smiled, pointing toward the advanced slopes in the distance. "Wait for me there."

Cen Zhen: "..."

It was exactly as she feared.

Unable to persuade Meng Fanchuan, Cen Zhen quickly called Wen Hui, but the call didn’t go through—Wen Hui was probably still asleep. So, Cen Zhen sent her a message instead:

"Aunt Hui, Young Master Meng wants to ski with me, and he insists on going to the advanced slope. I can’t stop him."

After sending the message, Cen Zhen hurriedly changed into her snow gear in the locker room. Once ready, she headed straight toward the advanced slope that Meng Fanchuan had just pointed out.

It was 7:30 in the morning, and the ski resort was almost empty, the snow-covered ground stretching out white in every direction.

As the name suggested, the advanced slope was more suitable for experienced skiers. Cen Zhen had struggled for a whole week on the teaching slope before she was barely able to ski smoothly on the beginner slope. Meng Fanchuan, on the other hand, went straight to the highest difficulty—the black line No. 9 slope, which was the steepest, almost like a cliff-jumping experience.

At the foot of the mountain, Cen Zhen didn’t see anyone. She guessed that Meng Fanchuan had probably taken the cable car up to the top. Although he had asked her to wait here, how could she just let him go?

She initially planned to take the cable car too, but was worried she might miss him halfway up, so after some thought, she decided to hike up the mountain from the base.

The advanced slope was about 1,200 meters long, with various large and small gradients that stretched endlessly into the distance. Cen Zhen carried her skis and began walking up. Thankfully, they had arrived early, and there was not a single person on the slope, so at least she didn’t have to deal with a crowd.

After walking nearly 200 meters, Cen Zhen sensed movement above the mountain and stopped to look.

In the distance, above the snow-covered mountains, a black figure appeared, moving quickly in her direction, against the light.Cen Zhen froze for a moment, her face showing an expression of disbelief.

The figure’s movements were incredibly agile, and the black snow suit hung loosely, every turn executed with an effortless, almost wild precision.

His movements were so natural, gliding through the slopes as though it were second nature—smooth and even a little reckless.

So much so that when he suddenly performed a mid-air twist and landed steadily, Cen Zhen thought she might have imagined it.

What was that black thing that just flew past…

The huge snow mist created by the friction temporarily blurred Cen Zhen’s vision. When the swirling snow cleared, she saw that Meng Fanchuan had already stopped at the foot of the mountain.

He removed his helmet, standing there nonchalantly, gazing at Cen Zhen from a distance, as if asking:

—Am I qualified to keep an eye on you?

Suddenly, her phone vibrated in her pocket. Cen Zhen, still reeling from the visual shock, numbly took out her phone.

It was a message from Wen Hui—

"Don’t worry. He started skiing in Canada at 19, doing off-piste skiing. Your coach might not even be as skilled as him."

Cen Zhen: "…"

Cen Zhen blankly opened her mouth, feeling like she was in some surreal dream. It wasn’t until Wen Hui sent a video that the scene before her became real.

"Fanchuan won a freestyle skiing gold medal in Canada at 20. You can trust him to teach you."

She clicked on the video. Under the thick blanket of snow, Meng Fanchuan, dressed in a sleek black snow suit, completely controlled his snowboard as if it were part of his body. He effortlessly navigated the treacherous slopes, performing complex tricks with ease, even leaving the camera struggling to keep up with his spinning speed.

This was the first time Cen Zhen saw the unfamiliar, another side of Meng Fanchuan.

It was wild, youthful freedom—passion and courage.

Cen Zhen faintly felt that he seemed different from what she had imagined.

Slowly shutting off her phone, she made her way down the mountain. Dragging her snowboard, she approached Meng Fanchuan. Gone was the skepticism from earlier, and she pursed her lips, humbly asking, "…Where should we practice?"

Before signing the contract with Meng Fanchuan, Cen Zhen had imagined countless possible ways to interact with him, but she never imagined that one day they would be on a vast snowy mountain, with him teaching her how to ski.

How fresh would that sound?

Meng Fanchuan still exuded his usual rich and aloof air, having reserved an entire beginner slope just for Cen Zhen. He casually followed behind her, a mere novice, correcting her posture.

Cen Zhen didn’t know if this counted as their own little world?

The person didn’t pull any punches. Whenever Cen Zhen did something incorrectly, he made her repeat it. Occasionally, when Cen Zhen fell by accident, he would laugh at the "turtle shell butt pad" on her back before helping her up.

He didn’t seem like the rich benefactor at all.

At times, Cen Zhen couldn’t help but feel that if you took away his wealthy family background and unattainable status—

Perhaps they could be really good friends.

"Cen Zhen, brake, what are you doing?"

The voice suddenly reached her ears. Cen Zhen snapped back to reality and realized that she had forgotten to turn in time and was now sliding directly toward where Meng Fanchuan was standing.

He was telling her to brake, but as she looked at his face, her mind seemed to go blank, and she just kept heading straight for him.

She felt like she was about to crash into Meng Fanchuan, and her face turned pale. "Move!"

But Meng Fanchuan was also wearing his snowboard, and with Cen Zhen’s rapid acceleration, the short distance between them wasn’t enough for him to move aside.

He simply stood still, waiting for Cen Zhen to crash right into him. He resignedly reached out to catch her.

He caught her, but the immense inertia made Meng Fanchuan fall backward. Before he could catch his breath, a soft body followed closely behind and landed on top of him.

Meng Fanchuan let out a muffled grunt.

"…"

"…"

The surroundings were quiet, and no one knew that a little collision had occurred here. Even if someone had noticed, they would probably think it was just a cute couple playfully bickering.

The woman was lying on top of the man, her buttocks still wearing a "turtle shell" butt pad, while his hands were resting on her waist—

How cute.

How affectionate.

Cen Zhen had been practicing on the beginner slope for days, and such an embarrassing thing had never happened before. Her face quickly turned red to her ears. She moved slightly, but the hands around her waist hadn’t loosened.The man beneath her seemed to sigh silently.

"Are you an idiot? How can you fall like this?"

Cen Zhen: "…"

Cen Zhen raised her head and weakly defended herself, "I told you to move!"

Their gazes met right there, and that deceptive face was close enough to touch. Their eyes locked, and through the snow suits, their chest cavities seemed to rise and fall in sync. Cen Zhen's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she quickly averted her gaze.

In the cold outdoors, she suddenly felt a bit dry in her mouth and throat, swallowing nervously. "Meng Shaoye, maybe you shouldn't teach me anymore."

"Why?"

Cen Zhen spoke honestly, "I'll get distracted."

Their relationship was what it was—there would never be a normal, healthy dynamic between them. She just wanted to focus on training without having to deal with him.

Meng Fanchuan paused for a moment, then released his hands from her waist. "Understood."

It seemed like he didn't care much about her being "distracted." Instead, he seemed lost in his own thoughts. After a long pause, he lightly smiled. "Actually, I was taking the opportunity."

Cen Zhen took the chance to stand up, stepping back two paces to distance herself, unsure of what he meant. "Taking the opportunity?"

After two seconds of thought, it seemed like she understood. "You mean... you haven’t skied in a long time?"

It had indeed been a long time.

The first rift in his father-son relationship probably started when he was 18 and took up skiing—arguments, obstruction, and a gradual collapse.

Meng Fanchuan didn’t answer Cen Zhen. He unstrapped his snowboard and stood up, saying softly, "I’m flying out of Mingzhou tomorrow morning."

Cen Zhen clearly noticed the sudden shift in his mood, and thought she might have said something wrong. She opened her mouth to speak but didn’t know how to fix it. In a confused moment, she blurted out, "Are you coming back?"

Meng Fanchuan looked up at her.

Cen Zhen froze, realizing what she had just asked. She wanted to take it back but it was too late. The air suddenly thickened with an unspoken tension, and his gaze seemed to burn through her, causing an awkward heat to spread across her cheeks. Cen Zhen hastily lowered her head. "What I mean is—"

She couldn’t explain, and her voice held an unintentional, fragile vulnerability.

Meng Fanchuan just stared at her, then paused. Suddenly, he walked over and pulled her into his arms.

In the freezing snow, Cen Zhen smelled a pleasant scent on him, faint but filled with youthful wildness and vigor. She obediently let him hold her, absorbing the warmth coming from him. Her body didn’t feel as stiff as the last time.

Maybe, after playing the game for so long, she had started to adapt.

"Didn’t the coach give you two days off?"

The voice came from above, and Cen Zhen looked up in confusion, only to see Meng Fanchuan looking at her from above. He spoke naturally:

"Come with me to Hong Kong tomorrow."