Chapter 36 — The Renowned Skier Shao Ping

"Muran, do you know what you're saying?" Gu Beicheng's deep eyes locked onto the woman's flushed face. What kind of feelings did this stubborn woman have for him—did she really like him?

Muran felt as if everything before her was spinning, even Gu Beicheng's handsome face seemed to swirl in her vision. She reached out, trying to grasp hold of something.

Suddenly, a pair of small hands cupped Gu Beicheng’s face. The woman, her breath heavy with the scent of alcohol, declared, "Of course I know what I’m saying. I’m not drunk! I’m perfectly sober!"

Gu Beicheng was at a loss with this woman, forced to let her hit and scold him as she pleased.

"Muran, we're with the production team right now, and we're live on air," he whispered a reminder.

Muran, in her drunken state, was like a little wildcat, leaving him utterly helpless.

"I don’t care. Ever since my debut, I’ve been hated. No matter what I do, it’s always wrong. No one likes me. No matter how hard I try, they’ll never like me."

Gu Beicheng gazed deeply at the woman curled up before him. Normally, she was like a little hedgehog, bristling with quills, yet now she exposed her softest belly to him.

He gripped her shoulders, his low, husky voice cutting through the woman’s muddled thoughts. "There’s no one who doesn’t like you. You’re wonderful."

Muran grinned foolishly and waved her hand. "It doesn’t matter. As long as I’m true to myself, that’s enough."

With that, she once again cradled the man's face in her hands, pouting her lips as her flushed face drew closer.

"Pop—"

Her kiss landed on the tip of Gu Beicheng's nose.

"Muran, you..." Gu Beicheng was stunned, a faint surprise rising in his heart at how adorable and bold she was when drunk.

He turned to look at her, only to find her asleep in his arms.

Muran slept for half an hour, lying on the warm kang bed, her little face glowing red from the heat.

"You’re awake." The man's voice carried a hint of laughter.

Muran felt a bit embarrassed. Her tolerance for alcohol had never been good, and she was certain she must have done something to Gu Beicheng just now, though she couldn’t quite remember what.

She sat up slowly, hugging her knees, her face flushed with embarrassment. "Um... Teacher Cheng, I was drunk just now. I didn’t do anything to you, did I?"

"You did." Gu Beicheng replied concisely.

Muran’s face stiffened. "Don’t mind it."

"You just said you liked me, and then..." Gu Beicheng pointed to his lips, the meaning unmistakable.

Muran could hardly believe she’d been so wild. She turned to look at the live broadcast camera, her face suddenly falling. Everything that had happened had been aired live.

"Why didn’t you stop me at the time?" Muran’s beautiful eyes glared angrily at the man whose lips curled in a mischievous smile.

Gu Beicheng raised his thick eyebrows. "I did warn you, but you said you didn’t care and insisted."

He shook his head, wearing the look of a victim.

"Couldn’t you have dodged? Don’t you know to keep your distance from someone you don’t like?" Muran got up, slipped on her shoes, and eyed Gu Beicheng’s amused expression with suspicion. She was convinced he was tricking her!

She would never have done something so foolish!

"Muran, you’re awake?" As Muran and Gu Beicheng returned to the original room, Gao Minglang approached, concern written all over his face.

Muran nodded, her gaze drifting to the burly man with the puppy-like face.

"Teacher Cheng, Muran, this is our guest assistant—Shao Ping, one of the nation’s finest ski athletes."

Gu Beicheng nodded, his expression calm.

"You’re here," Muran beckoned to Shao Ping, lifting her chin in a manner befitting an elder addressing a junior.

Shao Ping, excited, moved toward Muran but was stopped short by her sharp gaze. His sunny, handsome face creased with disappointment, like a child denied a treat.

Comments scrolled across the screen—

"Shao Ping looks so fresh!"

"Why did fate close a window for Shao Ping?"

"Why is Muran being harsh to Shao Ping?"

"He’s only eighteen—is he too young to be my husband?"

"Dear guests, there’s a very luxurious, large-scale ski resort in Snow Village. We’re about to depart. Please take measures to keep warm—we’ll be outdoors for several hours." Gao Minglang’s words were clearly directed at Fu Jiaojiao.

Fu Jiaojiao looked distressed, having brought neither a down jacket nor snow boots. "Director, I didn’t bring… Does the production team have any spare coats and shoes? It’s too cold outside."

Gao Minglang looked troubled, glancing back at the staff with a silent inquiry.

A makeup artist reluctantly produced a down jacket and snow boots. "These are mine. If Teacher Fu doesn’t mind, she can wear them."

The makeup artist was a young woman fresh out of college, skilled in her craft, who had joined the production team to do makeup for female celebrities. She had been responsible for Fu Jiaojiao’s makeup throughout these episodes.

"Ah, Xiao Rong, thank you," Fu Jiaojiao exclaimed, a hint of surprise in her eyes. She hadn’t expected the makeup artist to be so considerate. Truly, those at the bottom always serve others.

A smile flickered on Xiao Rong’s clean face, but when she looked up and saw the disdain in Fu Jiaojiao’s eyes, her smile quickly faded. "No need to thank me." All she hoped was that this troublesome celebrity would stop making things difficult for her.

The group stepped out of the farmhouse.

"Guests, we’ve prepared three snowmobiles. If you answer our questions correctly, you’ll earn a ride to the ski resort," announced Gao Minglang.

"We’ll use a buzzer system."

Nine guests stood before the farmhouse, arms crossed, faces red from the cold.

[There are six questions in total. Whoever answers correctly the most times gets to ride the snowmobile.]

Gao Tiange asked, "Director, are we competing as couples?"

[Since there are nine guests and Shao Ping hasn’t paired up, this round will be individual competition.]

[Here’s the first question: Who is our nation’s world champion in freestyle skiing grand slams?]

Qi Jun quickly stepped up to the answer podium, gripping the microphone tightly, then confidently raised his right hand. "It’s Mu Mu!"

[Incorrect.]

No one noticed Shao Ping lightly bump Muran’s shoulder, his smile full of youthful energy.

Muran frowned, and as Qi Jun stepped down, she quickly approached the podium. "It’s Nanyang—my only idol."

[Correct.]

Gu Beicheng’s thick brows furrowed upon hearing her answer, and a chill emanated from him. Qi Jun, standing nearby, shivered unexpectedly, nudged Gu Beicheng, and casually reassured him, "Teacher Cheng, don’t be jealous. Nanyang really is exceptional—not just Muran, I like that athlete too, though I’ve never seen his face, just heard he has a scruffy beard."

Gu Beicheng shot Qi Jun a cold glance, his icy aura intensifying.

Qi Jun helplessly edged away. In this frozen Snow Village, where everyone was chilled to the bone, Gu Beicheng’s coldness pierced right through him.

[Second question: Who is our nation’s all-around champion in snow sports?]

Shao Ping rushed to the podium with lightning speed, his face brimming with pride. "It’s Mu Mu! Our finest freestyle skiing champion and ski jumping champion!"

[Correct. At fourteen, Mu Mu earned the world’s third highest score—a versatile genius, three consecutive years as world freestyle skiing champion.]

"Such a pity. Because of a ski accident, Mu Mu was disfigured. All her photos were deleted from the internet," Qi Jun lamented. He had traveled to a neighboring country in high school to watch her compete, witnessing the accident firsthand—the vivid red blood staining the snowy slope, heartbreaking for the nation. A genius vanished from the scene.

Gu Beicheng, who had been lost in thought over Muran’s earlier words, now looked at Qi Jun. Skiing was his sole hobby outside work, and only on the slopes could he find a moment of true peace. He knew all the famous figures in the field, many of whom were good friends.

But Mu Mu was a mystery. Gu Beicheng had never known what she looked like; her excellence had prompted him to investigate, but he found nothing.

Because athletes in the nation could choose to keep their identities private, as competing was for national honor, not for media attention.

Thus, some athletes, for various reasons, never appeared in the public eye.

Nanyang and Mu Mu were such athletes.