Chapter 24

Chapter 24

*

Jin Mo had always known that Jin Yuan's temperament had changed completely since they first met her.

Every time they met, Jin Yuan would either silently shed tears or repeatedly complain to them, rambling on about her tangled, unresolved grievances. A young, beautiful woman had been reduced to a bitter, resentful, hostile figure.

Sometimes, watching Jin Yuan immersed in her own sorrow, indifferent to the outside world, Jin Mo would feel a sense of unreality—the vibrant, gentle Jin Yuan she once knew seemed to have vanished from this world completely.

Her soul had long been corroded and polluted by that wrong love, piece by piece, until it was beyond recognition.

"Actually, since the second half of last year, I've suspected she might be depressed," Jin Mo recalled the details of the past. "I asked her several times, but she denied it every time, insisting she was fine. I saw her taking medicine once, and the bottle said it was regular vitamins, so I let my guard down..."

"Silly girl, she could've put her depression meds in a vitamin bottle!" Yan Qinxuan sighed, her voice laced with indignation. "Ugh, I can't believe it. She's over here at death's door, while that bastard is abroad living it up with his wife and kids, not giving a damn about her at all! Tell me, besides the two of us, who else in this world really cares about her?"

Yan Qinxuan had always been all bark but no bite. She complained that Jin Yuan got on her nerves, but when it really counted, she was the one who couldn't let go of Jin Yuan.

Besides, Jin Yuan had never had much of a place in her own family. The Jin family favored sons over daughters—she had an older brother who held all the power and a younger brother who was a spoiled little brat. Growing up, her parents' eyes had always been on their two sons, never once giving her real care or affection.

Jin Yuan's gradual descent into that doomed love affair was inseparable from her toxic family environment.

A childhood starved of love and security had left her unable to tell where emotional boundaries lay. The man ten years her senior was perhaps never her lover to begin with—just a "life raft" she desperately clung to, someone from whom she sought a warmth like the paternal love she'd never received.

Jin Mo took a deep breath, pushing down her anxiety. "I'm going to change my flight to tomorrow morning and come back to look for her with you."

"No!" Yan Qinxuan immediately stopped her. "Stay put for now. You finally managed to sneak away from your parents for a ski trip—don't blow it. I'll go to her place first thing tomorrow morning. Whether she opens the door or not, I'm going to see her and check on her. I'll hit you up the moment I have any news, okay?"

Her tone was urgent, each word measured: "It's settled then. I'm going tomorrow morning. We can't wait any longer. If she actually does something stupid, we'll never forgive ourselves for the rest of our lives."

They talked for a while longer, repeatedly telling each other to keep an eye out for any news, before Jin Mo finally hung up, her heart heavy.

That night, she slept terribly, tossing and turning until the early hours, her mind full of images of Jin Yuan.

She couldn't help thinking back to their university days.

Jin Yuan huddled with them on the dorm bed eating snacks while watching horror movies, gripping her and Yan Qinxuan's arms in terror, screaming as she dove under the covers; on summer afternoons, she'd bring back a bag of fresh fruit, carefully cut it up, and arrange it on a plate, then pull out little homemade cakes she'd brought from home and smile as she handed them over; in the dead of winter, she'd knit thick scarves and gloves for her and Yan Qinxuan with her nimble hands.

It was precisely because that gentle, kind Jin Yuan had once truly existed that she couldn't stand by and watch the Jin Yuan of today—so changed, so stuck in the mud—without doing something.

After washing up and sitting on the edge of her bed the next morning, her left eyelid twitching nonstop, a sudden, overwhelming urge surged through her.

She felt like calling Yin Jihong.

She had never breathed a word to Yin Jihong about Jin Yuan's secret love affair. It was Jin Yuan's private business, and Jin Yuan had begged her and Yan Qinxuan over and over never to tell anyone. So no matter how close she was to him, she had to keep her word.

But even if she couldn't confide in him about what was really bothering her, she still wanted to hear his voice.

Even just his usual lazy, teasing, joke-cracking tone would be enough to ease the tension in her chest, even just a little.

She tapped her phone and sent Yin Jihong a WeChat voice call. But the phone barely rang once before it was cut off, and the screen showed "The other party is temporarily unavailable."

Jin Mo found it strange—that message usually only popped up when the other person's phone was off.

In her memory, Yin Jihong was always on standby 24/7. No matter how late or how busy he was, his phone was never off, and he never missed a message from her.

She tried twice more, but both times there was no answer.

Jin Mo slowly set down her phone, her heart growing heavier, and her left eyelid twitched even harder.

She got up, planning to head downstairs for breakfast, but the urge to change her flight and head back early grew stronger and stronger.

Just as she sat down at a table in the dining area, she got another message from Wang Xu.

Wang Xu told her he'd had diarrhea all night and couldn't pry himself off the toilet. Shen Yi had already called a doctor over to check on him, and there was no way he could go with her to the ski resort today.

She quickly told Wang Xu to rest up, and the moment she put down her phone, her right eyelid started twitching like crazy too.

This state of extreme unease lasted until Chen Yuanshan came downstairs to join her for breakfast. The moment he sat down across from her, she spoke up: "Brother Yuanshan, I want to change my flight and go back to S City today."

Chen Yuanshan was slightly taken aback. Unlike his usual immediate agreement, he looked at her gently and asked in a low voice, "Why? It's rare for you to come to Xinjiang—you've only skied for one day."

"A friend of mine might be in trouble. I'm worried about her and want to get back early to check on her." Jin Mo paused, then couldn't help asking, "Brother Yuanshan, have you been in touch with Brother Ji today? I called him, but his phone seems to be off—I can't get through."

A glint of sharpness flashed through Chen Yuanshan's eyes.

The girl in front of him, with her beautiful doe-like eyes so pure and free of any pretense, stared straight at him with nothing but worry—it made it hard for him to spin her a convincing lie.

"I haven't been in touch with him. Maybe the signal at the Yin Corporation building is bad, or perhaps there's something wrong with his phone." After a moment's deliberation, he softened his tone and patiently persuaded her, "Momo, why don't you think it over? Yin Jihong specifically arranged this trip for you because he wanted you to enjoy this ski getaway. As for your friend, wait a bit longer for news. If you really can't stop worrying, we can change our flights to tonight or tomorrow morning. Does that work?"

His tone was unhurried, measured, and reasonable—hard to refuse.

Growing up, compared to the free-spirited and impulsive Yin Jihong, Jin Mo had always held Chen Yuanshan in greater reverence. After all, she truly regarded him as an older brother. Chen Yuanshan appeared gentle, but he carried an inherent authority that compelled belief.

Jin Mo thought for a moment and ultimately nodded, accepting Chen Yuanshan's advice. "Alright, I'll wait a bit longer."

Just as they were finishing breakfast, Shen Yi came down.

After Wang Xu had told her that morning that he was out of commission, Shen Yi had sent her a message saying he'd already eaten breakfast and was planning to hit the gym for a bit, then come down to find her once she was done.

And sure enough, he was now fully geared up, carrying his ski equipment. He walked straight over to their table, looked down at Jin Mo, and said in a gentle tone, "Wang Xu gave me the car keys. I'll drive you to the ski resort."

Chen Yuanshan leaned back slightly in his chair, looked up at Shen Yi, and curled his lips into a faint, ambiguous smile. "Mr. Shen is truly helpful. One Coach Wang goes down, and Mr. Shen personally steps in to fill his shoes as our Momo's practice partner. Isn't that beneath your station?"

Shen Yi remained unruffled by the subtle jab, replying with a light smile, "Mr. Chen flatters me. I'm hardly qualified to be a coach. We just happen to be skiing together—keeping each other company, that's all."

"Is that so?" Chen Yuanshan raised an eyebrow, his tone pointed. "Mr. Shen, I've noticed you seem to enjoy rising to a challenge. What, does taking what belongs to someone else taste better than what's your own?"

Shen Yi's expression remained calm, not a ripple in his eyes. He simply replied, "Mr. Chen, you've got it wrong. What do you mean 'taking'? Whether it belongs to someone else remains to be seen."

Jin Mo's mind was entirely consumed by the missing Jin Yuan and the unreachable Yin Jihong with his dead phone. She paid no attention to their tension-laden exchange, not even glancing their way.

It wasn't until Shen Yi had been standing quietly beside her for a good while that she snapped back to reality. She quickly stood up, a hint of apology on her face. "Ah, sorry—I'm done eating... Have you been waiting long?"

Shen Yi shook his head gently. "No, no rush. Go upstairs and change into your ski gear and grab your equipment. I'll wait for you in the car. Take your time."

-

Not long after the car set off toward the ski resort, Jin Mo's phone suddenly rang urgently—it was Yan Qinxuan.

On the other end, she said anxiously that Jin Yuan wasn't at home at all. Her parents had no idea about her situation, only saying that Jin Yuan had left home two days ago, claiming she was going on a trip. They even assumed she was with the two of them.

There was no way Jin Yuan would let her parents know about her mess—she must have deliberately left home without telling them. Yan Qinxuan understood this too, and naturally didn't dare voice her concerns about Jin Yuan to her parents. She could only force a lighthearted tone and half-jokingly told them she'd come to "confront" Jin Yuan for sneaking off on her own without them.

Jin Mo's heart grew even more tangled. Both her eyelids were twitching harder now, throbbing with pain.

The situation had truly become more dire. Jin Yuan's disappearance wasn't a rash impulse—combined with her previous state, she might be in danger right now. The top priority was to find her as quickly as possible.

But she also knew that once they involved the police, things would blow up completely. The Jin family would soon learn the truth, and they would surely blame and berate Jin Yuan, which would only agitate her further—the consequences would be unthinkable.

"Tianli and I are driving around S City right now, searching every place she might go." Yan Qinxuan said in a low voice. "Momo, at this point, there's no room for secrecy anymore. Why don't you ask Young Master? He knows a lot of people—tracking someone down through his connections would be faster than going to the police!"

At this critical moment, it was no longer about keeping secrets—it was about saving a life.

After hanging up, Jin Mo tried Yin Jihong again with both WeChat voice calls and regular calls, but every attempt confirmed his phone was off.

Chen Yuanshan, standing beside her, took in her anxious, flustered state, gave her arm a gentle pat, and said soothingly: "Momo, put the phone down for a sec. Just tell me—what's going on?"

Jin Mo looked up and, without thinking, glanced at Shen Yi in the driver's seat.

He was focused on the road, eyes straight ahead, seemingly not tuned into their conversation. But Jin Mo still didn't want to air Jin Yuan's personal business in front of an outsider.

Chen Yuanshan read her like a book. Without a word, he pulled out his phone and tapped her knee with it, signaling her to text him.

Jin Mo immediately opened their chat and quickly filled him in: "My best friend is showing signs of wanting to end her life. She ran off two days ago, no one knows where she is, and she's not answering calls or texts. Brother Ji knows a ton of people, so I was hoping he could help track her down."

Shan: "Send me her name."

Mo: "Jin Yuan."

She also dug up a photo of Jin Yuan and sent it over.

Shan: "Don't worry, I'll go grab Guozi. Your Brother Ji basically has him on call 24/7 anyway."

Mo: "Okay."

By the time they pulled up to the ski resort, Jin Mo had made up her mind. She pushed open the car door and said firmly to Chen Yuanshan: "Brother Yuanshan, I need to change my flight. I'm heading back this afternoon."

This time, Chen Yuanshan didn't try to talk her out of it. He just nodded: "Go ski first. I'll take care of the flight change."

Shen Yi had gone out of his way to drive her all the way here, so it would be rude to just bail. She should at least hit one run with him.

She rubbed her eyelid, which was still twitching, and headed to the trunk. Shen Yi had already pulled out her snowboard and was about to shut the trunk when Jin Mo reached out and pressed it down: "Hold on, I still need to grab something."

With one hand on the trunk lid, she smoothly pulled out the backcountry ski backpack Yin Jihong had packed for her, slung it over her shoulder, and clipped the straps shut.

Shen Yi watched her for a few seconds, his expression dark and unreadable.

Once inside the resort, the two of them started skiing the same route as yesterday.

Her mind a mess, Jin Mo unconsciously picked up speed. Luckily, her skills were solid—even at that speed, she didn't make a single mistake, her form stayed steady, but the usual easy smile was gone.

They quickly finished all of yesterday's runs. Jin Mo didn't stop, pushing deeper into the backcountry.

Wang Xu had mentioned yesterday that the snow out there was softer, with no one around—way more fun to ride.

By now, her eyelid was twitching even harder, her heart was racing, and her chest felt tight and suffocating. A heavy sense of dread gripped her. But she just wanted to lose herself in the rush of skiing, so she kept going.

The wind screamed past her ears, growing louder and louder, nearly drowning out everything else.

Shen Yi, skiing behind her, had a bad feeling. He sped up, trying to call her back: "Jin Mo! Don't go any deeper! The terrain gets tricky in there—it's dangerous!"

But Jin Mo was already zoned out, her ears filled with nothing but her own heartbeat and the wind. She kept going, and after rounding a steep snow slope, she instinctively dropped into a full charge downhill.

Just then, a low rumble shook the ground beneath her. Snow started tumbling down from above, fine flakes stinging her face with icy cold.

Jin Mo snapped her head up, pupils shrinking, and it felt like every drop of blood in her body froze in that instant.

A wall of white, packed with rocks and broken branches, slammed toward her like a runaway beast with world-ending force.

It was an avalanche!

"Oh no!" Jin Mo's heart seized, and a chill shot from her feet straight to the top of her head.

She instinctively tried to turn and bolt, but she was going too fast—momentum kept shoving her forward, making it impossible to stop or even slow down.

The heavy snowboard weighed her down, making every move a fight. Her ears rang with the roar of cascading snow, her vision was swallowed by whiteout, and she couldn't even tell which way was up.

In a daze, she thought she heard a familiar, urgent shout piercing through the wind and snow, desperately grabbing hold of her consciousness:

"Momo——!!"

———————————

Author's Note:

Red envelopes continue to drop randomly! Please keep showing your love with collections, comments, and nutrient solutions~ Love you all! Also, don't forget to check out my column! Feel free to check out my next new book "The Crane" in my column, a Beijing circle story (might also switch to a Beijing circle ensemble piece), anyway it's all about mature men and women, very exciting haha.

Ahhhh the avalanche!!! (My mental state has collapsed too!!!) What do we do ahhhh!!! Why is this Sang Jie stuck here again??? This is killing me!

Little dog!!! It's time for you to step up!! Go!! Mom is looking forward to your brilliant performance!! The fierce competition in the male arena!! And the aggressive pursuit!! Sweet enough to kill everyone!!!!

The ski trip has more excitement coming, and of course Jin Yuan is also a very important plot character!!! Want to steal my draft box? Come on~

Where are your comments!! Come on!! I wrote 4600 words today!! Praise me!