Gu Qingtong recalled the actions of the other person and couldn’t help but feel that it had nothing to do with “playful banter.” It seemed like every time Yan Chi’s interest was piqued, she always focused on one thing, gradually progressing, and only when that “thing” was thoroughly explored would she turn her attention to other aspects. It was as if she was….slowly enlightening her.
Even more strangely, she didn’t feel repulsed by it; instead, she felt a sense of familiarity. At first, she thought it might be related to the incident when she was drunk and couldn’t remember. But as this happened more and more frequently, she became increasingly aware that this sense of familiarity seemed to have another source.
However, besides seeing Yan Chi once when she was a child, she had no real connection with her. And Yan Chi might not even remember the little girl from back then.
Just as she was still trying to figure it out, Yan Chi suddenly withdrew the hand that was around her waist, and her tone changed from the intimate one to a more business-like one: “Go learn to ski.”
Glancing around, Gu Qingtong realized that the staff had arrived to lead them to the beginner’s ski slope. She suddenly became flustered, setting aside her previous thoughts and becoming preoccupied with worries about skiing and falling.
“Do I really have to learn…?” She asked again, but it seemed that nobody paid attention to her plea.
Feeling a bit unhappy, Gu Qingtong didn’t want to make a fool of herself in front of the cameras, nor did she want to end up hurting all over from falling. However, having been in the entertainment industry for so long, she knew that many times she couldn’t be willful.
In variety shows, there would eventually be tasks she didn’t like, and she had to take that step forward. If not taught by Yan Chi, she would be chosen by someone else. In that case, she’d rather follow Yan Chi, who gave her a sense of security.
Yan Chi noticed Gu Qingtong’s somber expression and immediately understood that she was worried about falling. She comforted her: “Don’t worry, I won’t let you fall.”
Upon hearing Yan Chi’s reassurance, the other staff members realized that they shouldn’t be dismissive and tried to encourage Gu Qingtong instead. They straightened up and tried to hide any trace of concern on their faces: “Teacher Yan is a great skier, she will definitely teach you well. Don’t worry.”
Gu Qingtong knew that if she continued to be gloomy, it would only make her seem melodramatic to the audience. So, she finally nodded and said: “Thank you teacher Yan and everyone. I will learn well.”
However, as she looked at the vast expanse of the snow-covered slope, her natural fear did not diminish much despite her words.
Apart from their group, Chu Yu was chosen by Bai Jin to be her skiing partner for the teaching session. However, since Bai Jin had gone to the medical room, Chu Yu was now holding her phone and accompanying the two to the beginner’s ski slope, helping with the live streaming of their skiing lesson.
Seeing the barrage of comments on the live stream, Chu Yu’s eyebrows slightly furrowed.
Ever since Bai Jin and Yan Chi had their skiing competition, the barrage of comments on the live stream was no longer dominated by the fans of the “Silent Gaze” CP. Instead, it became a battleground for fans of Yan Chi and Bai Jin, who were engaging in heated arguments.
Chu Yu, not being a part of either of their fan groups, had no authority to intervene in the situation. Moreover, with the live stream nearing its end after two hours of broadcasting, Chu Yu decided it was better to stay out of it. They couldn’t show all the footage, and the skiing lesson was the final segment.
Unbeknownst to Chu Yu, the tension between Yan Chi and Bai Jin was being amplified by certain individuals who were instigating conflicts in the live stream comments. These individuals were likely hired by certain parties to stir up trouble between the two fan groups. The live stream was intended to allow fans to get closer to their favorite CPs, increasing their loyalty and engagement. However, some people were taking advantage of this opportunity to provoke conflicts between Yan Chi’s fans and “Silent Gaze” CP fans.
However, everything had its pros and cons. While Chu Yu chose not to disclose certain parts of the live stream to avoid spoilers, it inadvertently led to the leaking of certain scenes when taken out of context. This allowed malicious individuals to exploit unexpected events and disrupt the flow of the live stream.
Whether it was Yan Chi, Gu Qingtong, or the show “Love Game” itself, there were people with ill intentions who wanted to provoke conflicts involving them. While no one was aware of it, some individuals were closely monitoring this particular live stream, trying to find any mistakes or mishaps to exploit.
Furthermore, some individuals even deployed manipulative internet trolls at the beginning of the live stream, but their disruptive comments were mostly overshadowed by the high level of engagement from genuine fans. As the live stream approached its end, the influence of these trolls became more apparent.
When Bai Jin failed in the competition and went to the medical room, these manipulative trolls took advantage of the situation and started stirring up trouble. As a result, the barrage of comments became chaotic, with fans arguing, speculating, or just enjoying the show.
In the midst of the chaos, Yan Chi and Bai Jin’s fans suddenly remembered that the reason for their competition was to select someone to partner with first. They then pinned the blame on Gu Qingtong.
Unknowingly, Gu Qingtong got involved in the dispute between the two sides, caught up in the crossfire without understanding why.
Just as Gu Qingtong repeatedly expressed her fear of skiing, it happened to fall into the sights of those trolls who were engaging in the heated debate. Their comments began to question her sincerity:
[Both of them are trying so hard to help her, but she’s acting like she doesn’t want to learn. I’ve never seen anyone so fake.]
[Is she really that scared?…I don’t know why, but I feel like she’s just pretending.]
Seeing the current situation, Chu Yu furrowed her brows even more. To be honest, if it were the first time she had met Gu Qingtong, back when she was a small-time, inexperienced, and insignificant actress, Chu Yu wouldn’t have cared about her at all. But now, having shared experiences together and seen her being attacked by trolls, Chu Yu couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
Finally, unable to bear it any longer, Chu Yu decided to intervene and spoke directly to the live stream: “What about the fans of the ‘Silent Gaze’ CP? Aren’t you all always thanking me and supporting my live streams? I’ve been sticking with this live stream till the end, so why don’t you come out and show your support?”
With this interaction, the previously feuding barrage of comments from the ‘Silent Gaze’ CP fans gradually subsided. The fans who were eagerly awaiting sweetness and moments of affection resurfaced and pushed down the toxic comments, allowing the atmosphere to calm down.
Meanwhile, Yan Chi and Gu Qingtong had arrived at the beginner’s snow trail. Compared to the thrilling race track from earlier, the beginner’s trail was indeed much smoother. After witnessing Yan Chi’s incredible performance on the challenging track, Gu Qingtong suddenly felt that this easy trail was surprisingly manageable.
This illusion gave her the courage to step onto the thick snow-covered trail with her snowboard and ski poles in hand.
“Are you ready?” Yan Chi’s voice came from beside her, but Gu Qingtong instantly panicked, shaking her head frantically: “Wait, let me review the video again!”
Saying that, she hurriedly took out her phone from her pocket and opened the “From Novice to Pro in 30 minutes” video that she had hastily watched before. At least she needed to know what she was about to face and be prepared, right? However, in this environment and state of mind, all she could see were those few lines from the comments: “Learn to ski in thirty minutes and take great responsibility for oneself”, “Parallel Turn”, and so on. The more she looked at them, the more she felt that she was not far from falling to her death.
Yan Chi had already noticed that Gu Qingtong’s mind was completely blank at the moment. Without saying a word, she took the phone that was causing her to overthink and put it into her own side pocket.
“It seems like you won’t learn by watching that. First, put on your snowboard,” Yan Chi’s gaze shifted to her feet, “can you do it yourself?”
With that gaze and the events from the changing room, Gu Qingtong quickly responded: “I can do it!”
Even though she knew that Yan Chi wouldn’t do anything in front of so many cameras, she had clearly learned her lesson from being “helped” to change earlier.
Gu Qingtong reflexively recalled what happened in the changing room half an hour ago. If someone had walked in at that time, they would have seen Yan Chi grabbing her ankle, leaving her with nowhere to escape.
“Tongtong, can you step on me?” Yan Chi fixed her gaze on the tip of her foot, her eyes filled with a dark intention.
Hearing these words, Gu Qingtong was completely dumbfounded and stammered, “Step… step on you?!” Her brain seemed to crash, making it impossible for her to think.
Before Gu Qingtong could finish her sentence, she saw Yan Chi leaning in closer. Her coat had already disappeared at some point, and her thin clothes naturally slid down due to this approaching motion.
“You, didn’t you say you wouldn’t touch me?” Gu Qingtong had a vague idea of what was happening. She was at a loss, trying to step back, but her ankle was still in Yan Chi’s hand.
“Tongtong, look at me. I really haven’t touched you, right? But I like Tongtong’s little feet so much, I like them so much that I want to eat them up or be stepped on. I know you’re afraid, so I chose something more gentle,” Yan Chi lifted her foot, her gaze carrying a hint of emotions, but it was hard to discern clearly.
Gu Qingtong pursed her lips and tried to move backward, seemingly trying to avoid something. What…what is she trying to do? What does “step” mean? Where does she want her to step on?!
“Do…do I really have to do this?” Gu Qingtong felt strange, her eyes starting to turn red, and her eyelashes dampened with some tears, looking at Yan Chi with a distressed expression.
As she asked this question, she felt like she was being silly. The answer was obvious—why show weakness!
If she didn’t take the initiative, Yan Chi might do it on her own, and she couldn’t be sure if she could even walk out of the changing room. After all, every time Yan Chi got a little excited, she would leave satisfied.
Yan Chi knew too many secrets about Gu Qingtong and could easily use them to “persuade” her. Compared to that, Gu Qingtong felt that Yan Chi could still accept being stepped on. Perhaps… she would just leave it like that?
“Wh-where?” She blinked anxiously, not daring to meet Yan Chi’s gaze so close to her.
“I already brought it over. Tongtong, didn’t you like it before?” At the moment when Yan Chi leaned over, Gu Qingtong had already anticipated what was coming.
“Then let go of me first, I’ll do it myself.” Her face turned hot, and she didn’t know how she had once again agreed in a daze.
Gu Qingtong was originally not very familiar with these things, but when she was in front of Yan Chi, she inexplicably felt a sense of familiarity.
Yan Chi let go, but her posture remained unchanged; indeed, she had already brought it over to Gu Qingtong.
Gu Qingtong placed both hands on the chair, with one foot on the chair to maintain balance, and slowly lifted the other foot until it gently pressed down.
Soft… this was the only word in her mind.
However, what she didn’t expect was that Yan Chi’s face also suddenly flushed like that day.
Yan Chi seemed really…excited.
She wanted more, and Gu Qingtong could only comply, performing with a delicate touch.
With each touch, Yan Chi’s eyes would reflexively narrow slightly.
She didn’t know how long it had passed, but her feet were sore before Yan Chi finally let her go.
❖❖❖❖❖
Hastily driving away all the jumbled thoughts from her mind, she began to recite the rules she just learned from the video, trying to regain her focus.
“Put on the snowboard near the bottom of the mountain, toes first and then heels…”
Gu Qingtong repeated the rules to herself, although she was hesitant, she had been preparing for this moment all along. Yan Chi looked at Gu Qingtong, her heart was once again charmed by her cuteness in an instant.
She hastily took the snowboard, looking at it to find where to put her feet. There was a groove in the middle, just like in the video she watched earlier. She lifted her foot and tried to slide her toes and heels in, following the steps in the video. However, to her surprise, she couldn’t fit her feet in properly. How could it be that she couldn’t get them in when she was doing exactly what she saw in the video?!
Before Gu Qingtong could react in panic, she saw Yan Chi bend over. Still feeling a bit unsettled from the previous incident, she took a step back on the snow, and let out a small cry of surprise.
As a result, Yan Chi only adjusted the bindings on the snowboard and put it down, giving her a meaningful look as she stood up. “Now you can put them on, give it a try,” Yan Chi said, sounding encouraging and seemingly unconcerned about the trouble.
Taking a step forward, she effortlessly slid her feet into the bindings, finally heaving a sigh of relief. With one foot secured on the snowboard, Gu Qingtong seemed to forget how to walk. She stood in place, afraid to lift her feet, taking a while to adjust before gingerly shuffling her feet on the snow, seemingly coping well for the moment.
As Yan Chi helped her put on the other foot, Gu Qingtong couldn’t contain her anxiety any longer. Stammering, she said: “This, this snow is so slippery, I’m sure I’ll fall with both feet on.”
Yan Chi reached out her arm and said: “You can hold my hand for now.”
Knowing that she would have to face it sooner or later, Gu Qingtong could only tightly grasp the sleeve of Yan Chi’s ski suit and clumsily lift one foot to slide it into the bindings.
Soon, her boots were on, but Gu Qingtong seemed to have turned into a koala clinging to Yan Chi. She held onto Yan Chi’s arm like a life-saving straw and refused to let go. This was just what the program crew had planned. No matter how forced the CP interaction was, when faced with such a slippery teaching session where they would easily fall if not sticking close, they had no choice but to stay glued together from start to finish.
The fans of the CP in the live chat were overjoyed and began envisioning various scenes of the two colliding. At that moment, the fans of “Silent Gaze” overwhelmed the fans of both “Yan Bai1CP name for Yan Chi and Bai Jin” and “Bai Tong2CP name for Bai Jin and Gu Qingtong” who were previously arguing, silencing them completely.
In her heart, Gu Qingtong felt conflicted, but she finally persuaded herself that it was a necessary sacrifice. Just surviving and making it out of the ski slope alive today was already quite a feat. She decided to deal with the forced interactions later….after getting through this ordeal.
Holding onto Yan Chi’s arm, Gu Qingtong followed Yan Chi’s instructions and tried to slide her feet, shifting her weight forward and backward. To her astonishment, such a small board could actually support her weight. After this realization, Gu Qingtong seemed to have found her balance and gradually let go of Yan Chi. Feeling more confident, she even dared to slide forward and backward with both feet.
However, just as she was gliding….something unexpected happened. Perhaps it was due to a wrong movement on her part, but she suddenly felt that the resistance between the board and the snow decreased significantly, causing one of her feet to slip. Gu Qingtong’s lips were trembling with fear, and she instinctively lunged towards Yan Chi. Without hesitation, she tightly embraced Yan Chi’s waist, feeling as if she had been saved. She dared not let go, afraid that her balance might be off and she would float downhill. Apologizing profusely, she awkwardly continued hugging Yan Chi tightly like a koala: “Teacher Yan, I didn’t mean to hug you! It’s just that it was so slippery, and I almost flew off…”
This was the first time Yan Chi had been embraced so proactively by her, and of course, she enjoyed it. However, her expression remained calm, giving no indication of any change in her mood.
“It’s alright, I said I wouldn’t let you get hurt.” Yan Chi suddenly changed the word “fall” to “hurt,” and Gu Qingtong was surprised by this alteration, wondering about the intention behind it.
In just a short moment of initiating the skiing movement, they went from holding hands to hugging each other’s waists, which delighted the fans of “Silent Gaze”:
[Cling! They can cling to each other!]
[They hugged each other again!! The program’s production team is brilliant! They know exactly what we like to see!]
[Who would have thought we could witness such a touching scene near the end? We must work hard and save money for the hot spring trip! I will be the first to watch it!]
The fans who were initially complaining about Gu Qingtong, the followers of Yan Chi, have now become silent. Seeing Gu Qingtong holding Yan Chi’s waist, they understood it was to avoid falling.
Of course, the internet trolls couldn’t let the recently stirred-up commotion die down. So, they disguised themselves as Yan Chi’s fans and started provoking trouble, saying things like:
[The intention to promote their relationship is so obvious. If it were fake, they wouldn’t let go, right?]
However, this attempt at stirring up trouble didn’t receive support from the true fans or casual viewers. Instead, the CP fans directly responded with [What? They can keep being close? That’s such a good thing!] They knew that CP fans were like emotionless candy-eating machines. They support whatever they’re given, and it’s not easy to manipulate them.
“Try moving forward, the board will support you.” Although she was teaching, Yan Chi slowly pulled Gu Qingtong up from her embrace, prompting her to look at her. Gu Qingtong pouted and said with a hint of grievance: “wu, wu, I’m scared…” Her eyes drooped with a sad expression.
Whenever Gu Qingtong acted like this, Yan Chi couldn’t help but respond: “Be obedient, Tong… Qingtong.” Fortunately, she didn’t complete the “T” sound, swiftly covering it up, so Gu Qingtong’s name didn’t get caught by the microphone.
After mentally preparing herself again, Gu Qingtong followed Yan Chi’s instructions for the second attempt. She felt like her whole body was so tense that it could make a creaking sound. This time, she managed not to fail again, and at least she could proceed to the next step.
At this point, Gu Qingtong was surrounded by nervousness and fear, making her forget the other steps from the video. She could only look at Yan Chi pitifully.
So, Yan Chi demonstrated two different methods for moving forward on flat ground and asked her to try them out herself.
