Chapter 76: Her Temperament Doesn’t Quite Fit

“Of course.” Tan Qingya nodded with a perfectly calm expression. “No matter who it is, everyone takes a few spills when they first learn to ski. That’s perfectly normal.”

The logic made sense, but Zhou Jianghao simply couldn’t imagine Tan Qingya tumbling head over heels on the slopes.

“You don’t believe me?” The skepticism was written all over Zhou Jianghao’s face, impossible to hide. Tan Qingya let out a muffled chuckle. “The Old Madam has videos of me from when I was first learning. Once you get the hang of it, I’ll take you to see her, and she can show them to you.”

“Really?” Interest lit up Zhou Jianghao’s entire face.

“I wouldn’t kid you.” As she spoke, Tan Qingya pulled off her glove. “Want to pinky swear on it?”

Pinky swear?

Zhou Jianghao hesitated, words catching in her throat. Wasn’t that a little childish?

She glanced around discreetly. Seeing no one paying attention to them, she hurriedly extended one hand with careful caution.

It was only when her hand touched Tan Qingya’s that she realized she hadn’t taken off her own glove. Her other hand was still clutching Tan Qingya’s tightly—she couldn’t pull it free at all.

“…”

“It’s not actually that easy to fall. Don’t be scared.” Tan Qingya had no choice but to make a fist and gently bump it against Zhou Jianghao’s. She slipped her glove back on and continued the lesson. “It’s like doing a deep squat—shift your center of gravity back, but don’t squat too low…”

With that, she adjusted Zhou Jianghao’s posture.

Zhou Jianghao wasn’t a timid sort of girl. She quickly adjusted her mindset and, under Tan Qingya’s patient guidance, began trying it out little by little.

Tan Qingya taught with meticulous care and had no intention of letting her take a nasty spill right from the start. She swapped onto a pair of skis herself, faced Zhou Jianghao, took hold of her hand, and slowly led her around the beginner area.

“How’s it feel? Not bad, right?”

Zhou Jianghao was learning with intense focus, her little face taut with concentration. Tan Qingya spoke up first, trying to ease her tension.

“Mm.”

Zhou Jianghao mumbled a vague response. For now, it didn’t feel all that great. There was always this nagging sense of losing control, which left her feeling profoundly insecure.

The two of them made it halfway around the loop. Seeing that Zhou Jianghao had started to grasp the basics, Tan Qingya said, “I’ll let go in a bit. Don’t be afraid—give it a bold try.”

Zhou Jianghao nodded decisively. “Okay.”

Letting go was inevitable sooner or later. Compared to all the other beginners around them who’d already eaten snow a dozen times over, she’d been shielded pretty well.

Even so, when she truly hit the ground, she couldn’t help startling.

Startled or not, she hadn’t forgotten a single one of Tan Qingya’s pointers. In that split second of total weightlessness, she swiftly corrected her posture, protecting herself as best she could on impact. It didn’t hurt at all—in fact, it felt kind of thrilling.

Flat on her back in the snow, she gazed up at the somewhat hazy sky and let out a long, heavy breath. The instant Tan Qingya had released her hand, the weightlessness had surged back in, but Zhou Jianghao had already gained some experience in controlling herself, if only briefly. Sure, she’d wiped out in the end, but it had been exhilarating.

“You okay?”

If anything, it was Tan Qingya—the one who’d just insisted that a few falls were no big deal—who anxiously helped her up, her voice brimming with concern.

She even reached down to check her legs. “Did you hurt yourself anywhere?”

“Nope.” Zhou Jianghao shook her head. “I’m all layered up thick, and it wasn’t a heavy fall.”

She’d been skiing extra carefully—even her wipeout had been slow and gentle. With the techniques applied, it hadn’t hurt a bit.

This time, without leaning on Tan Qingya for support, she wobbled back to her feet on her own. Her whole body looked rigid, her red lips pressed tight as she clumsily shuffled forward.

Her movements were awkward, but there was a tenacious resilience to them that quietly stirred Tan Qingya’s memories of that stubbornly fierce Zhou Jianghao from long ago.

Tan Qingya didn’t step in to help. She glided off to one side and quietly trailed behind Zhou Jianghao.

“Can I try that little slope over there?” Zhou Jianghao pointed to a nearby incline not far off.

“Of course.” Tan Qingya nodded, though with slight hesitation. It was still within the beginner zone, nothing too steep. Watching Zhou Jianghao’s determined little figure inching along, she furrowed her brow. “Just be careful. And steer clear of other people.”

The girl might lack natural balance, but her comprehension was sharp. Tan Qingya had only explained once, and she’d already nailed the essentials. She was basically ready to fly solo.

But the other beginners sure as hell weren’t as quick on the uptake.

Any newbie could turn into a runaway projectile. With Zhou Jianghao’s petite frame, one solid bump might send her flying.

The more Tan Qingya mulled it over, the less at ease she felt.

Calling for a slope clear-out now was out of the question. She let out a quiet sigh and stuck close behind Zhou Jianghao, keeping a sharp eye on their surroundings.

In the end, Tan Qingya’s worries proved a touch excessive. The slope wasn’t steep enough to build real speed. Zhou Jianghao slid down in her unsteady fashion and inevitably took a tumble—but it was a soft one, no real harm done. If anything, the fall had ignited her confidence.

“I think I’ve got it now.”

She was clearly thrilled; even the lilt at the end of her words carried a rare spark of delight.

Tan Qingya found herself smiling, swept up in the mood. “Mm, you’re amazing—the fastest learner and quickest to master the techniques of any student I’ve ever had.”

Zhou Jianghao looked up at that. “You’ve taught a lot of people how to do this?”

The instant the image flashed in her mind—Tan Qingya patiently holding someone else’s hand—the delight slowly drained from her face. She hadn’t even noticed, but beneath her goggles, her brows had knotted into a tiny ridge.

“How could I? Not just anyone qualifies as my student.” Tan Qingya arched a brow and lifted her chin with a hint of haughty pride. “You’re the only one—past, present, or future.”

She had zero bandwidth for anyone else.

As she spoke, she took Zhou Jianghao’s hand and gently pressed a kiss to the back of it, right through the chill of the glove. “I only provide service to Little Doctor Zhou.”

Zhou Jianghao went still.

Tan Qingya hadn’t said she served her wife. She’d said she served her—alone.

An inexpressible joy bubbled up in her chest.

“Then I’ll make sure to learn it right.” She pulled herself together, shoving down those fluttering thoughts, and nodded with vigorous emphasis. “I won’t embarrass you.”

“Even if you don’t get it perfect, that’s fine. You won’t embarrass me.” Not wanting to heap too much pressure on her, Tan Qingya patted her head. “It’s just a fun activity. There’s no rule saying my student—my wife—has to be flawless at it.”

“Okay.” Zhou Jianghao’s lips curved in a smile.

Tan Qingya might not demand perfection, but Zhou Jianghao felt that anyone standing at her side simply had to shine, or else they’d look downright lackluster by comparison.

Practice makes perfect, after all. Nearly an hour later, she could already cruise down from the top of the slope with relative ease, braking to a clean stop without wiping out.

Her confidence skyrocketed in that moment. She turned to Tan Qingya and pointed toward the broader, more expansive area. “Let’s head over there.”

“That’s riskier.” Tan Qingya hesitated. That zone mixed novices and experts, with steeper pitches—perfect breeding ground for dangerous collisions that could lead to real injuries.

“It’s okay. I can’t stick to the beginner area forever, can I?”

Besides, she didn’t want Tan Qingya’s entire visit to consist of watching her flail around like a total noob. She wanted to see Tan Qingya tearing up the slopes in freeform glory.

Dressed in that gear alone, Tan Qingya had already captivated countless onlookers. Zhou Jianghao could only imagine how utterly badass she’d look bombing down from on high.

“Why not?” Tan Qingya laughed lightly. “You want to go there, we go there. Remember, it’s just for fun—don’t stress yourself out.”

Zhou Jianghao was clearly set on it, eyes shining with determination, so Tan Qingya didn’t stand in her way. The two made their way over. Only now did they truly enter the heart of the ski resort.

Every now and then, someone would rocket down from a taller drop, kicking up a massive spray of snow and drawing gasps from the crowd.

“You should go play too.” Spotting Tan Qingya glancing that way, Zhou Jianghao said considerately. “I can handle it on my own now.”

“Not quite yet.” Tan Qingya didn’t mince words, though she chuckled as she said it. “Stop fretting over me. If I feel like skiing, the family resort gives me all the space I need—no need to rush here.”

“The family ski resort?” Zhou Jianghao blinked in stunned surprise.

“Of course.” Tan Qingya nodded, then gave her a suspicious look. Did this girl actually think the Tan Family couldn’t swing one?

“I’ll take you next time. It’s way more open and peaceful.” Nothing like the constant whoops and screams here.

Zhou Jianghao hadn’t even had a chance to reply when she heard voices calling her name.

It was a few of her colleagues. Not wanting to seem like they were leaving her out in the cold, they’d come over on purpose, beaming as they said, “Little Zhou, you’re picking it up so quick! Now that you’ve got your wife here, don’t forget about us coworkers—come play with us!”

These were Zhou Jianghao’s colleagues. Tan Qingya held back, leaving plenty of room for her to shine.

Zhou Jianghao nodded. “Sure.”

She turned to Tan Qingya. “I’ll go with my colleagues. You go ahead and enjoy yourself.”

It was a team-building outing, after all. She couldn’t blow off her coworkers just because of Tan Qingya, nor selfishly keep her tethered to her side.

The words came out so straightforward and unhesitating that Tan Qingya’s brow arched ever so slightly.

Still, she simply nodded. “Alright.”

She couldn’t keep her penned in her safe little bubble forever, after all.

Once Tan Qingya had glided off, the colleagues let out a collective sigh of relief. The more gossipy ones wasted no time. “Doctor Zhou, your wife’s really an instructor here?”

“No way,” another chimed in. “Her temperament doesn’t quite fit.”

“Aren’t we here to ski?” Zhou Jianghao fiddled with her ski poles and gently steered the conversation elsewhere.

Liu Zhiyi nodded at once. “Yeah, if we don’t do a few more runs, it’ll be lunchtime soon.”

The two of them were perfectly in sync, and the others chuckled at the sight. “You two are so in tune with each other—no wonder all those little nurses ship you as a couple.”

Zhou Jianghao blinked in confusion.

Ship?

Ship what?

“Little Hao is married, and her wife is right here,” Zhou Jianghao said, her tone rather flat. Liu Zhiyi, on the other hand, picked up on the teasing in their words and spoke up more seriously. “So everyone, let’s not make jokes like that.”

The others exchanged glances, laughed a couple of times, and let it drop. They were all adults, after all—they knew when to stop. Pushing it further when the person involved clearly wasn’t amused would just make them look bad.

While the rest chatted and laughed among themselves, Zhou Jianghao turned to Liu Zhiyi with sincere gratitude. “Thank you.”

“No need to be so polite.” Liu Zhiyi paused for a moment, then explained on behalf of her colleagues. “They didn’t mean any harm. They just like to joke around. They’ve teased me and Doctor Zhu like that plenty of times before.”

Zhou Jianghao nodded.

Suddenly, a wave of exclamations rose up again. Zhou Jianghao instinctively looked over, and her breath caught in her throat.

Amid everyone’s gasps of surprise, a figure shot down from the top of the slope without a moment’s hesitation. She looked utterly fearless and wild—nothing like Zhou Jianghao’s own stiff, clumsy attempts. This woman was stunning and cool as hell, her movements sharp and precise, her expression perfectly controlled. With her red lips curved in a slight smile and an air of triumphant confidence, she was breathtaking.

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