Volume 11: The Lingering Warmth of Melting Snow
Chapter 11: The First Night
Zhu Xi rarely ate until her mouth was greasy. She remembered that when she was a child, if she held her chopsticks too high while eating, she would be whipped thirty times with a bamboo stick by her grandmother and punished by not being allowed to eat for the rest of the day. Most of the scars on her hands were from that time. It had been a long time since she had eaten with such a lack of decorum.
“You, with the surname Lu.” Zhu Xi looked at the half-eaten piece of grilled meat in her hand. “Hey, you with the surname Lu.”
She called out a few times, but Lu Li didn’t respond. She turned her head and saw Lu Li lying on the ground, motionless. Zhu Xi’s heart tightened. She dragged her injured leg and crawled to Lu Li’s side, only to find that Lu Li had just fallen asleep. She couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief.
In truth, she was more familiar with him than Lu Li imagined. Long before Wen Hupo had confirmed her relationship with this scumbag man, Zhu Xi had been closely watching him. At first, she just wanted to see what kind of character this man who was so close to Zhu Qiao had. But later, she was gradually attracted to the relationships between him and the women around him. Just as women love to watch the melodramatic family ethics dramas on the eight o’clock slot, she also really wanted to see Lu Li being tormented by the vortex of women until he had no peace.
She didn’t like Lu Li. Never had. Although Lu Li was more outstanding than she had imagined, and although Lu Li had a sincerity she had never seen before, she didn’t like his philandering nature of loving one after another, nor did she like his shamelessness of “I want them all.” She had always secretly looked forward to Lu Li suffering a setback because of a woman, to him ruining his own future because of a woman.
Zhu Xi looked at Lu Li’s profile. She had to admit, this scumbag man had a good appearance for tricking girls. No wonder that naive girl Zhu Qiao was so hung up on him. Should I take this opportunity to disfigure this scumbag man? Zhu Xi thought.
She leaned against the wall, recalling everything that had happened tonight. Although she had many complaints about the scumbag man, if it weren’t for Lu Li tonight, she would have probably been long dead. She knew so many people, but among them, perhaps only he was capable of being so unwavering in a desperate situation. She had seen too many vows of eternal love and sincere hearts lose all their bottom lines and dignity in the face of disaster. She had never held too much hope for the human species.
Her coming to ski was just a coincidence. She had been searching for Zhu Qiao to no avail, and her anxiety was growing heavier and heavier, so she thought about skiing to adjust her mood—she wasn’t a robot, after all. If she kept being so tense, she would go mad sooner or later. Meeting Lu Li was also a coincidence. She hadn’t wanted to talk to Lu Li again, but seeing Lu Li go and join in the fun with that superficial woman Fu Li, she felt it was unfair to Zhu Qiao, and in a fit of anger, she had followed Lu Li. There was no noble motive, just to see him make a fool of himself.
…
She looked at the folding bed and the sleeping bag. Her own legs were in so much pain right now, so she couldn’t be bothered to fiddle with that equipment. She just lay down on the ground beside Lu Li. The floor was covered with a simple layer of animal hide, probably wolf skin. It hadn’t been cleaned properly and still had a wolfy smell, but at least it was warm.
The sound of the wind, the hail, and the cracking of trees outside was clearly audible, so noisy that she couldn’t sleep.
The cabin’s windproofing wasn’t very good. She noticed Lu Li’s body had curled up again, as if he were cold. Zhu Xi thought for a moment, moved closer to Lu Li, took off her down jacket, and used it as a blanket, covering both her and Lu Li horizontally. She had never thought she would be sleeping under the same “blanket” with a man.
The species known as “man” had never left a good impression on her. They were cowardly, wrathful, greedy, hypocritical, and dominated by their lower halves. She had once sworn on her birthday that in this life, she would forever protect Zhu Qiao and would not marry any man.
Not to mention this scumbag man, Lu Li…
As Zhu Xi’s mind was filled with thoughts, her spirit gradually relaxed, and she dazedly fell asleep. She didn’t know how long had passed when she sensed movement beside her. She woke up in an instant and reached for her gun, only to find it empty. Only then did she realize she was being held in mid-air by Lu Li.
“What are you doing?!” Zhu Xi was fierce in appearance but timid in heart, her voice trembling.
“Putting you in the sleeping bag.”
“…” Zhu Xi carefully felt her clothes and only then breathed a sigh of relief. If Lu Li had made a move on her, she would have definitely taken the scumbag man down with her. “Give me the gun.”
Lu Li put her in the sleeping bag, then picked up the heavy pistol from the ground and couldn’t help but take a few more looks at it. Men have a strange fascination with weapons, and Lu Li was no exception. This pistol had an exquisite design and felt just right in his hand. He couldn’t help but hold it for a while longer.
“You’re not planning to give it back to me?” Zhu Xi asked darkly. “Of course, I can’t stop you now. You can justifiably…” Before she could finish, Lu Li placed the gun on the folding bed.
“Stop thinking about dark things all day long. I have no mind to harm you, unlike you,” Lu Li said with a hint of disgust. “In this kind of extreme environment, instead of being on guard against each other, it’s better to unite and overcome the difficulties together.”
Zhu Xi was silent for a moment, then her tone softened. “What time is it?”
“I don’t know. It’s probably almost dawn.” Lu Li’s stomach rumbled. He hadn’t eaten anything last night and was starving.
Only then did Zhu Xi notice that the noisy sounds from outside the window seemed to have quieted down a lot. She knew this was just an illusion. When the next cold wave hit, the wind and snow would be more violent than ever before. She hoped this wooden cabin could hold up in the blizzard.
Seeing Lu Li sitting in front of the fire with his back to her, grilling meat, Zhu Xi hesitated for a moment before asking, “How’s your wound?”
Lu Li rubbed his left shoulder. “It’s stopped bleeding on its own. It doesn’t seem to be infected either.” He also found it strange. His constitution seemed to be better than in his past life, with more energy and vitality. After a night’s sleep, his limbs, which had been sore all over, were gradually filled with strength again. Lu Li thought that if he could get another good night’s sleep, he would be fully recovered.
“You should sleep. You probably didn’t sleep well last night. You were talking in your sleep,” Lu Li said.
“…What did I say in my sleep?” Zhu Xi’s heart tightened. She was worried she had said something she shouldn’t have in her sleep.
“You were calling for your mom,” Lu Li said simply.
“…You’re lying. My mom passed away a long time ago.”
“But you were definitely calling for your mom.” Lu Li shrugged. “Just assume I’m lying.”
“Weren’t you asleep?”
“You were crying and calling for your mom. You woke me up.”
“…”
“I had to pat your back, like coaxing a child, before you fell asleep again.” Lu Li flipped the meat. His mouth was watering. If he could be lucky enough to survive, he would definitely donate a large sum of money to the owner of this cabin.
“Hmph, a pack of lies,” Zhu Xi stubbornly denied.
Lu Li couldn’t be bothered to convince her. He had been woken up by Zhu Xi last night, and he had been stunned to see this woman crying and calling for her mom in her sleep. He had thought Zhu Xi was a truly invulnerable iron lady. Sure enough, everyone has a weakness. His weakness was women. Then was Zhu Xi’s weakness her mother?
After Lu Li finished eating the grilled meat and looked back, he saw that Zhu Xi had already fallen into a deep sleep, that custom-made pistol just casually placed by the head of the bed. She must be exhausted too. The mental pressure is probably even greater than mine, Lu Li thought.
