Chapter 20

Chapter 20

*

Chen Yuanshan complained over the phone, but he knew that being called over in the middle of the night meant serious business. Less than fifteen minutes after hanging up, Chen Yuanshan appeared at the door of Yin Jihong's office.

As soon as he pushed the door open, he saw the man sprawled on the sofa, pale and wrapped up like a dumpling. Chen Yuanshan raised an eyebrow. "You got the flu?"

Yin Jihong shook his head weakly, his voice hoarse. "Just a regular cold."

"A cold did this to you?" Chen Yuanshan sat down on the sofa across from him and clicked his tongue. "Yin Jihong, with that weak little body of yours, you probably couldn't even handle an inflatable doll."

Yin Jihong's legs were long, so with a slight stretch, he landed a precise kick on Chen Yuanshan.

But in his weakened state, the force behind it was laughably feeble—weaker than a tickle.

Chen Yuanshan chuckled. "Alright, what's the real reason you called me here in the middle of the night?"

"Do me a solid." Yin Jihong winced at the stabbing pain in his throat, pausing every few words. "Tomorrow morning, go with Momo to Xinjiang for me."

"We were supposed to head to Xinjiang for skiing tomorrow." He kept it as brief as possible. "As you can see, there's no way I can travel in this state."

Chen Yuanshan caught on immediately. "Momo wants to go to Xinjiang alone, you're worried, but you don't want her to know you can't go because of a fever. So you want someone you trust to tag along."

Yin Jihong gave a weak snap of his fingers.

Chen Yuanshan laughed in exasperation again. "Yin Jihong, do you think I've got nothing better to do? I just landed and you've got me playing chauffeur, and now you want me to fly to Xinjiang as her bodyguard? You treating me like your personal maid?"

Yin Jihong coughed heavily. "You're my bro."

"Don't get ahead of yourself." Chen Yuanshan scoffed. "Being the Young Master of the Yin family's brother is no different from being a maid. Anyone who wants that job can have it."

Yin Jihong's eyes were red from the fever. He was weak, but he had to win Chen Yuanshan over. "In this world, I only trust you and Guozi."

Dan Jingchuan was busy keeping his girl hidden away, and since neither he nor Jin Mo had ever met Dan Jingchuan's girlfriend, sending a taken man to be her bodyguard just didn't seem right.

Chen Yuanshan, on the other hand, was first and foremost a childhood friend of both his and Jin Mo's—someone who genuinely treated Jin Mo like his own little sister. Second, he was single, with no strings attached. And most importantly, Chen Yuanshan's fighting skills were worth an entire army. Having him by Jin Mo's side gave Yin Jihong more peace of mind than twenty bodyguards would.

Chen Yuanshan could read his mind perfectly and gave him a thumbs-up. "The fever didn't fry your brain—it just sharpened your scheming."

Before Yin Jihong could respond, Chen Yuanshan deliberately teased him. "You really trust me that much? A man and a woman alone in Xinjiang—aren't you afraid I'll steal her from you?"

"Momo's no different from Xishan in your eyes." Yin Jihong slowly picked up the water glass from the table and took a few sips. "You genuinely treat her like your own little sister... unlike me."

Chen Xishan was Chen Yuanshan's biological sister.

Chen Yuanshan had already mentally accepted the job, but he wasn't about to let Yin Jihong off the hook verbally. "So only you get to be the beast, huh?"

Yin Jihong smirked. "Momo isn't your type anyway. You're a glutton for punishment—you like making things difficult for yourself. I bet a spoiled, dramatic little princess would be perfect for you."

"You should quit your day job and become a matchmaker." Chen Yuanshan snorted. "Yin Jihong, even maids get paid. You're working me this hard for nothing?"

Yin Jihong seemed to have anticipated the shakedown and knew a small bribe wouldn't satisfy this big shot.

So he raised his hand and held up three fingers. "If the A+ deal goes through, I'll give you three percent of the shares."

Chen Yuanshan didn't hold back. "You're treating me like a beggar?"

"Five percent, and not a cent more." Yin Jihong didn't have the energy to haggle; he just wanted to sleep it off. "Try to shake me down again, and I'll ask Ke Qingteng to send his twin bodyguards instead. Business is business—I'd actually feel safer working with that misogynist."

"Besides, this fever might break by tomorrow. You'd be on the job for at most a day before I let you go."

Chen Yuanshan got the underlying threat, kicked him back in annoyance, grabbed his jacket, and walked out.

...

Since Xinjiang was off the table, Yin Jihong called the A+ team back and continued playing mind games with them.

The whole room hadn't rested in days, and Yin Jihong—sick and unable to go to Xinjiang—was venting his frustration on all of them. Anyone who said something he didn't like would get subjected to his passive-aggressive sarcasm for ages.

The A+ crew and Yin Corporation's executives were all silently suffering, too afraid to complain.

Feeling the resentful stares from the room, Yin Jihong snatched his phone back from Cheng Shu and finally replied to texts himself.

After replying, he placed the phone in front of him, waved Cheng Shu off, and decided to handle his own phone from then on.

Before that, he turned back to Cheng Shu and said, "Can't even send a proper text. No wonder you've been single your whole life."

Cheng Shu was speechless.

Boss, aren't you in the same boat?

Then Yin Jihong tapped the table with his knuckles and said in fluent English to everyone present: "My Spring Festival is already ruined. I don't want to be eating tangyuan on Lantern Festival while staring at your miserable faces."

-

Meanwhile, Jin Mo, getting ready to board, finally got Yin Jihong's reply.

Baby: "He wants to learn how to ski."

Baby: "Also wants to find a pretty girl in Xinjiang for a fling."

Baby: "He's getting old and desperate. Give him a break."

Baby: "Feel free to boss him around—he's getting paid way more than a maid would."

Jin Mo wasn't naive. From these few messages alone, she could tell that Chen Yuanshan had been specially dispatched by Yin Jihong to accompany her to Xinjiang.

Countless beauties had tried to win Chen Yuanshan's favor, but he was hardly the type to be easily swayed, let alone actively seek out a romantic fling. As for skiing, Jin Mo knew very well that Chen Yuanshan had never been fond of extreme sports—his daily life was already thrilling and adrenaline-packed enough.

Clearly, Yin Jihong must have sweetened the deal for his good brother to agree to play bodyguard and escort during the New Year.

At the thought, she felt both amused and warm inside.

But then came a deeper sense of regret and disappointment.

Even though having Chen Yuanshan accompany her to Xinjiang was far safer than going alone, this companion was ultimately not the one she had truly hoped for.

She sent Yin Jihong a sticker in reply, put away her phone, and looked at Chen Yuanshan, speaking softly. "Thanks, Brother Yuanshan. Sorry for the trouble."

Chen Yuanshan patted her shoulder. "We're family. No problem."

He casually placed a black suitcase on the conveyor belt, and her eyes lingered on it. It looked oddly familiar.

She recalled that Yin Jihong had the same suitcase.

So she pointed at the black suitcase and casually remarked, "Brother Yuanshan, your suitcase looks like the same as mine."

Chen Yuanshan was straightforward about it. "I borrowed it from the Young Master. His is bigger than mine, so it holds more."

Jin Mo didn't think anything of it and nodded.

During the Spring Festival, there was no end to the travelers heading to Xinjiang for skiing. The flight was on time and packed. After finishing their coffee in the VIP lounge, Jin Mo and Chen Yuanshan boarded, and the first-class cabin was almost full.

The flight attendant warmly guided them to their seats, handing them each a hot towel and a small blanket, along with welcome drinks and the day's menu.

After Jin Mo placed her order, the attendant turned to the passenger to her left and said respectfully, "Mr. Shen, what would you like for lunch?"

"Chicken noodle soup and coffee, thanks."

The moment his voice fell, Jin Mo's heart skipped a beat—she had a nagging feeling she'd heard that voice somewhere before.

She slowly turned her head, and the moment she saw the man's face, she completely froze.

Though it had been late that night, thanks to the KTV lights and the streetlamps, she could still clearly picture the face of the young man who had rescued her from those two lecherous men.

After all, his looks and demeanor were far from ordinary, naturally making a deeper impression than most people would.

Noticing her gaze, the man addressed as Mr. Shen turned his head and looked back at her.

"Small world." Their eyes met, and he gave her a slight nod. "Actually, I saw you the moment you walked in, but I was afraid that randomly striking up a conversation might make you feel uncomfortable."

Jin Mo immediately understood what he meant and said softly, "It wasn't a bad experience, and the awkwardness of that night has already passed. Regardless, thank you."

A faint smile formed behind the man's glasses. "Shen Yi."

"Jin Mo," she replied quietly.

Shen Yi's gaze swept over her, then landed on Chen Yuanshan behind her. "Are you two headed to Xinjiang?"

Jin Mo shook her head. "Skiing."

"Keketuohai?"

"Jikepulin."

Noticing a hint of surprise in Shen Yi's eyes, Jin Mo paused. "Are you going there too, by any chance?"

Shen Yi: "Keketuohai is a hassle to get up and down the mountain, and Jiangjun Mountain is more for beginners. Jikepulin has the most developed backcountry snow conditions—I booked a backcountry ski park this time."

Jin Mo couldn't help thinking the world was impossibly small, the coincidence was almost theatrical. "Who knows, we might even be headed to the same backcountry ski park."

Shen Yi named the park, and she said, "Indeed."

Shen Yi didn't seem to have expected that this quiet, mild-mannered girl would enjoy an extreme sport like skiing, let alone take on the most challenging backcountry terrain. His gaze on her unconsciously deepened a little.

He asked again, "Have you skied off-piste before?"

Jin Mo: "A few times."

"Niseko?"

"Yeah, and Whistler Blackcomb in Canada."

Shen Yi raised an eyebrow slightly. "I used to hit Blackcomb and Vail a lot. Doesn't backcountry skiing scare you?"

Jin Mo's eyes curved as she said lightly, cheerfully, "Not at all—I actually find it thrilling."

Running into strangers headed to the same place on a ski trip was nothing unusual. In the past, when she traveled with Yin Jihong to places like Jilin, Hokkaido, and Canada, they'd always run into plenty of like-minded ski buddies along the way.

Though the Young Master of the Yin family had a distinguished status, he never acted stuck-up around strangers. His laid-back attitude and pride were etched into his bones, but so were his integrity and kindness—traits that balanced perfectly in him.

He could roll with any joke and had a quick wit, so a group of strangers would quickly hit it off. She never felt awkward or bored around him and fit right in easily. Sometimes, when they hit it off, everyone would agree to ski together and even gather for dinner in the evening.

That was the extra perk her favorite extreme sport brought her.

But now, he wasn't around.

Chen Yuanshan seemed gentle but wasn't one to start conversations; she was naturally reserved by nature, and dry small talk with Shen Yi, who also didn't seem very outgoing, didn't go far.

So, after a few rounds of simple exchanges, the conversation quickly fizzled out.

As the plane was about to take off, Chen Yuanshan on her right leaned slightly and asked in a low voice, "An acquaintance?"

"Not exactly," she answered honestly. "The circumstances of how we met were a bit awkward, but he's someone who helped me. He happens to be headed to the same place as us."

Chen Yuanshan took a long look at Shen Yi, who was resting with his eyes closed on Jin Mo's left, then withdrew his gaze. "What a coincidence."

With that, he casually opened his chat with Yin Jihong and typed out two words to send.

Shanmei: "Oh ho."

In the meeting room, Yin Jihong was already at his wit's end dealing with the A+ Americans' unreasonable demands. When he saw the message pop up, he thought it might be something important, but upon opening it and finding it was just junk, he grew even more furious.

Ji: "Psycho."

——————————

Author's note:

Red envelopes continue to drop randomly! Please keep hitting me with your bookmarks, comments, and nutrient solutions—love you all! Also, don't forget to bookmark my author page! Feel free to check out and bookmark my next novel, "The Crane," a Beijing circle story (might also switch to a Beijing circle ensemble piece)—either way, it's all mature men and women, very exciting, haha.

Hahahaha, I was cracking up by the end!! Shanmei! That junk message was perfectly sent! If it were me, I'd send him "Oh ho" too! Can't wait to see him panic!!!

The Shen Yi you've all been waiting for has finally appeared. Oh ho, little dog, your health really isn't up to par—why don't you stay sick a few more days? By the time your wife and Brother Yi are happily carving down the slopes together, your home will be stolen!!!

Who gets it! Our Ke and the twins (the Zheng siblings)! A match made in heaven, forever iconic! The world's most handsome man who explodes the moment he appears in dialogue! Hiding Easter eggs from old novels in new ones is just too fun! Write a 100-chapter side story for him!

Everyone! Leave passionate comments! Let's row our oars together and laugh at the little dog!!