Chapter 25

Chapter 25

*

The odds of hitting an avalanche on a groomed resort run are basically zero—nothing worth worrying about.

But once you head into the backcountry—especially after days of heavy snow, wild temperature swings, and unstable layers on steep slopes—you're looking at a very real avalanche risk at any second.

This backcountry ski park was only half-developed, and she was now deep in the completely untouched, rarely traveled backwoods.

Her eyelid had been twitching like crazy all morning—and now it felt like the cruelest kind of confirmation. Jin Mo got slammed down by a massive force, helplessly watching the heavy snow swallow her ankles, then her calves, while icy powder crept into her collar and froze her solid.

All her book smarts and mental prep went out the window in the face of a real natural disaster.

Jin Mo fought to keep her head straight and stay calm, but the snow just kept pouring in without mercy. Her weak strength and fading body heat were no match for that raw, brutal force of nature.

When she'd dropped in, she hadn't seen a single soul around—not even Shen Yi, who'd been following her, could've made it this far in.

She was completely on her own out here.

Who in their right mind would risk their life charging into an avalanche to save her?

No matter how cool and collected she usually was, Jin Mo couldn't hold back the terror flooding up from deep inside her.

Only one thought was left in her head:

I'm done for.

Just as she was about to give up, she heard a muffled thud of snow collapsing behind her. Her eyes suddenly lit up, like she'd just grabbed the last life raft in a sea of despair.

The backcountry pack!

She instinctively grabbed the avalanche airbag pull cord on the pack Yin Jihong had prepped for her, and with every last bit of strength, yanked it hard!

With a loud "bang," the trigger fired and the airbag instantly inflated—a giant orange safety cloud that caught her upper body and held her half above the snow, keeping her from being buried alive.

The beacon built into the pack kept sending out high-frequency signals, the only clear locator in the middle of the storm.

Jin Mo clung to the pack, trying to ride the buoyancy higher, but the avalanche was moving too fast and the snow was too heavy—the pack's lift started slowing down noticeably halfway.

The hope that had just sparked was snuffed out again. As the snow surged back, she was stuck fast in the layer, unable to move, feeling her strength slowly drain away.

In that moment of sheer desperation, the face that flashed through her mind was—of all people—Yin Jihong's.

"Momo!"

Just then, a desperate, ragged cry cut through the wind and snow again, followed by the harsh scrape of skis. A figure dropped in like a godsend, breaking into her blurry vision.

When Jin Mo finally made out who it was, she couldn't believe her eyes.

It was actually... Yin Jihong.

Was she seriously not dreaming?

He was in his ski gear, the same backcountry pack deployed on his back, snow clinging to his hair, flakes dusted through the strands, and his whole face was carved with an urgency she'd never seen on him before.

The second he saw her half-buried in the snow, his eyes went red. He charged over like his life depended on it, tossed his skis aside, and started frantically digging her out with both hands, voice shaking: "Momo! Hang in there!"

His fingers were raw and red from the coarse snow, cut up and bleeding from the rocks, snowmelt and blood smeared across his hands—but he didn't even notice, not for a second. He kept digging and calling her name in a trembling voice: "Open your eyes! Look at me! I'm getting you out of here right now!"

Jin Mo, barely able to breathe under the weight of the snow, followed his voice and forced her eyes open. Seeing the bloodshot veins in the handsome man's eyes right in front of her, her nose suddenly stung.

She was a pessimist at heart. She never hoped for dreams to come true—she was convinced miracles didn't exist in this world.

But this man, over and over again, had made her believe.

Believing that he was her miracle.

...

With the help of two top-tier backcountry packs, Yin Jihong finally managed to pull her out of the snow on his own. He didn't care that he was covered in snow himself—he ripped off his ski jacket and wrapped it around her, pulling her tight into his arms, shielding her from the falling powder with his own body, warming her with everything he had: "Don't be scared, I'm here, you're okay, you're okay now..."

His voice still carried a faint tremor of fear, and his arms were wrapped around her so tight, like the second he let go, she'd disappear for good.

Luckily, it was only a small avalanche—it lasted about ten seconds and was already dying down by the time Yin Jihong got there.

Jin Mo leaned against his chest and saw rescue workers in resort uniforms rushing up behind him—along with Shen Yi.

The haze of barely surviving made her already foggy mind even more scrambled. She looked at Yin Jihong's profile, struggling to speak, her voice hoarse and weak: "...How did you get here?"

Now that she was safe, the panic in Yin Jihong's chest eased a little.

He gently brushed the snow from the corners of her eyes and brows, his voice just as hoarse, but he still put on that lazy, teasing tone from before: "How could I not come? Didn't you summon me?"

Seeing her staring at him in a daze, he curled his lips into a smirk: "Did you just make a wish on an Aladdin's lamp, hoping I'd show up in front of you in a flash? Hmm?"

Jin Mo looked at him, completely speechless.

...Because just now, when her mind was slipping, his image really had flashed through her head.

Deep down, he really did feel like an all-powerful genie to her.

He turned his face slightly, his jawline sharp yet soft. Then he shifted, crouched down steadily with his back to her, and signaled for her to climb on: "Jin Mo's exclusive genie—always at your service."

Yin Jihong's voice was roughed up by the cold wind, but every word landed heavy enough to carve itself into her bones:

"You never have to get used to being without me, because in this lifetime, I will never let you be alone."

"Whether you need me or not, I'll always show up by your side."

...

Jin Mo's nose stung and her eyes went hot. Looking at his face red from the cold and his slightly wrecked appearance, her heart turned to mush.

So this was why she couldn't get ahold of him this morning.

He'd been fighting with everything he had, racing through the storm to get to her.

Afraid she'd freeze, Yin Jihong didn't let her space out for long. He hoisted her up onto his back and trudged step by step toward safety.

Deep footprints trailed behind them in the snow, every step firm and steady.

Jin Mo leaned against his back, feeling his breath and the warmth coming off him. The anxiety that had been hanging over her all morning finally settled for real.

All the panic, unease, and helplessness that had been clinging to her all morning vanished the second he showed up.

Her soul had found its anchor. Her spirit had found its home.

The rescue workers came up and tried to help Yin Jihong hold Jin Mo up, but he smoothly sidestepped them.

The crew exchanged confused looks, then heard him lazily toss out: "Just grab our skis and packs."

After walking a few more steps, they encountered Shen Yi standing off to the side.

Clearly, he was the one who had called the rescue team, and he was still holding the avalanche safety kit, clearly ready to go rescue Jin Mo himself.

"Are you okay?" Seeing them approach, Shen Yi quickly stepped forward, carefully observing Jin Mo's condition. "Are you hurt? Any discomfort?"

"I'm fine." Jin Mo coughed softly, forcing a weak smile, and said to Shen Yi, "Thank you."

Seeing she seemed fine, Shen Yi noticed instead that the man carrying her had slightly trembling shoulders and an unusually red face—he actually looked worse off than she did.

"Do you need any help?"

He looked at Jin Mo, but he was talking to Yin Jihong.

Yin Jihong stared at his calm face for a full three seconds, then turned away without any expression and walked past him without a backward glance.

Like he hadn't even seen him.

Jin Mo picked up on his coldness and hostility toward Shen Yi, not sure if he'd recognized Shen Yi from that brief KTV meeting that night.

She was about to tell him Shen Yi had been looking out for her these past two days and meant no harm, when she heard him mutter darkly:

"This godforsaken place has not only avalanches but also a giant stink bug. If this happens a second time, I'll take the ski resort's surname."

Jin Mo: "..."

She suddenly realized what those weird messages from him yesterday meant.

Jin Mo couldn't help but let out a soft laugh, wanting to say something, but feeling words were pointless right now.

As long as he showed up, she was happy.

Jin Mo looked at Yin Jihong's messy hair, reached out to gently brush the snow from his strands, then wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

Even if it was too forward, right now she just wanted to be closer to him.

Even through his thick ski suit, Yin Jihong caught her subtle move. A delighted smile curled at the corner of his mouth as he teased her lazily: "Only a few days apart, and you already miss your Brother Ji this much?"

Jin Mo was too embarrassed to answer his teasing, but he hit the nail on the head, and at this moment, she didn't want to lie or brush him off casually.

In the freezing snow, she still had snow clinging to her, but her heart was pounding hot and hard.

Each beat loud and clear.

After a moment, Yin Jihong felt her arms around his neck tighten silently.

At the same time, she cautiously nuzzled her head against his back.

From the angle she couldn't see, his smile spread like spring, impossible to hide.

"I know." His clear, gentle voice reached her ear. "Brother missed you too."

...

Shen Yi stood still, his gaze deep as he watched Yin Jihong carry Jin Mo away step by step into the distance.

The rescue workers came back with their snowboards and asked him respectfully, "Mr. Shen, need any help?"

Shen Yi shook his head. "No, thank you."

He handed the avalanche kit back, pulled his goggles down, and got back on his snowboard.

He'd originally thought Chen Yuanshan was exaggerating about how much Yin Jihong cared for Jin Mo, meant to scare him off and make him give up the tiny spark of hope in his heart.

But just now, when he'd gone back to call for help, he'd seen Yin Jihong charge without hesitation toward the still-raging avalanche to reach Jin Mo. That truly shook him.

So there really are people in this world who value someone else's life more than their own.

-

Chen Yuanshan was already waiting at the entrance of the closed-off ski resort, with the professional medical team he'd urgently called in from the city, all standing ready.

The sudden mini-avalanche caught everyone off guard, but luckily, the resort staff reacted fast and activated the emergency evacuation plan in time. Most skiers got to safety quickly, and there were no serious injuries. Only a few skiers had minor scrapes from debris or frostbite from the snow during the evacuation, and they'd already been treated by medics and sent to the nearest hospital for further care, with nothing serious.

Yin Jihong carefully handed Jin Mo to the medics, not forgetting to give detailed instructions: "She was buried in the snow earlier—check her thoroughly, every inch, especially her hands and feet, for frostbite."

After the medics helped Jin Mo into the vehicle, he still felt uneasy, frowning, and instinctively stepped forward to add a few more reminders.

But the moment he took that step, his vision went black, and all his strength seemed to drain away.

Then his body went limp, and he collapsed to the ground without warning.

Jin Mo happened to look back and saw it, her face going white with fear. She pushed the medics' hands away, scrambled out of the vehicle, and staggered over to him.

Chen Yuanshan, standing nearby, reacted fast. The instant Yin Jihong fell, he reached out and caught him, letting him lean against his shoulder to stop him from hitting the snow hard.

Jin Mo rushed over, her eyes instantly red with panic. She grabbed his wrist, her voice shaking: "Brother Ji! Yin Jihong!"

Yin Jihong's eyes were shut tight, his brows furrowed, his breathing heavy and fast—he was completely out cold, no response at all.

Honestly, she should've noticed something was off with him while he carried her out. His breathing had been way too fast; even that night he carried her up the long stone steps at Chenghua Temple, she'd never seen him panting like that.

Now, up close, she saw his face was unusually red. She instinctively touched his forehead and felt burning heat.

"He's actually had a fever for several days now."

Chen Yuanshan gestured for the medics to take over, his tone calm but helpless. "It's just a cold, but weirdly, the fever won't break—it keeps coming and going. After that crazy sprint to save you just now, his temperature's probably about to hit a new high."

He looked down at Jin Mo, whose face had gone pale: "Mo Mo, you get it now? Why he insisted on dragging me to Xinjiang first."

"The day before we left, he was burning up so bad he couldn't even walk out of his office, couldn't even stand straight."

Jin Mo's heart tightened at his words, and the corners of her eyes slowly turned red.