North City Ski Resort.
Beibei was fully decked out in the brand-new ski gear he bought yesterday, happily learning to ski under the guidance of the instructor. Yin Qi patiently followed along, taking pictures. Meanwhile, Li Si was trailing behind Yin Xian, gliding slowly. For Li Si, who hadn't skied in years, the tumbles she just took weren't a big deal.
The real problem lay in the crushing sense of inadequacy. She had thought she had a decent advantage in skiing, but in the face of Yin Xian's poised and elegant form up ahead, her confidence shattered like broken glass!
"Li Si, hurry up! What's wrong?"
When Yin Xian got to the finish line, he noticed Li Si wasn't as enthusiastic as she had been earlier, looking a bit dejected.
"Yin Xian, can I ask you something? Is there anything you're bad at or not good at?" Li Si hesitated for a long time but eventually asked.
"Haha, you're not the first person to ask me that. Of course, there are things I'm not good at, but… well, I can't tell you that just yet!" If Yin Xian weren't wearing thick ski gloves, he'd love to pat Li Si's adorable little head.
"Fine, don't tell me then! I don't care anyway. Ugh, the life of a genius, as if someone like me could understand." Li Si muttered under her breath.
"What are you mumbling about over there? Speak louder!" Yin Xian was too far away to catch what she said.
"Ah! I said, forget it if you don't want to tell me!" Li Si shouted back. "Did you hear me this time?"
"Haha, yep, got it. I'll tell you when I get the chance!" Yin Xian replied cheerfully.
At this moment, Yin Qi walked over with the camera, asking the instructor to help everyone take a group photo.
Afterward, Beibei was thrilled, squeezing himself affectionately between Li Si and Yin Xian to snap a few photos. Then, Beibei adamantly demanded that his uncle step aside so he could take a solo photo with Li Si.
Li Si smiled at the little guy, carefully fixing her outfit, and struck a few poses he seemed satisfied with. Yin Xian took the camera and snapped a few shots of Yin Qi and Li Si together.
"Hey, Auntie, we all took solo photos with you. But why doesn't Uncle have one with you?" Beibei asked curiously.
"Oh, right, I almost forgot. Come on, Li Si, Sister Qi will take one of you two." Yin Qi took the camera and looked through the lens at the handsome man and beautiful girl standing in front of her. For a moment, it struck her how well they seemed to match.
Li Si stood bashfully next to Yin Xian, her smile stiff and awkward. Yin Xian, on the other hand, looked completely at ease, his lips slightly curved upward, his eyes shining with joy.
"One, two, three, cheese!" As Yin Qi pressed the shutter, she thought to herself that she was probably overthinking it. She knew her brother too well—there was no way he'd like someone like Li Si.
It wasn't that Li Si was bad or anything, but no one could shake Weiwei's position in his heart. Even though several years had passed, and Yin Xian had never shown any sign of lingering feelings, she just knew he hadn't let go entirely.
After a few hours of fun, Beibei, being quite young, got tired. The group decided to change out of their gear and head back to the city.
In the changing room, Li Si had just finished changing her clothes and was about to step outside when she unexpectedly ran into Yao Meiling.
"Li Si? You're here to ski?" Yao Meiling looked haughty, holding a ski jacket in her hand, ready to change. Behind her were a few girls that Li Si didn't recognize.
"Yeah, I'm leaving now. Have fun! Bye!" Li Si exchanged a few polite words and prepared to leave.
But Yao Meiling wasn't ready to let it end just like that. Her eyes gleamed as she enthusiastically said, "Li Si, don't be in such a rush. Let me introduce you. These are our middle school classmates. Today's actually our middle school reunion! Everyone, meet Li Si, my college classmate and roommate!"
The group of girls all greeted Li Si one after another. Yao Meiling then continued, "Li Si, it's perfect we bumped into you. I've been meaning to tell you something. Li Fei, that's your sister, right? Could you tell her to cut it out? Meng Zijun has already said he doesn't like her, but she clings to him like gum that won't come off!"
"And what good would it do to tell me that? You know how strained things are between us. We barely even speak! Plus, how she's pestering someone doesn't seem to have anything to do with me, does it?" Li Si frowned deeply, unwilling to get involved in their drama.
"Oh, you're so wrong, Li Si. You're relatives, right? If she embarrasses herself, doesn't that reflect poorly on you? It's just a few words—it won't cost you much to try. She might even listen to you, and Brother Zijun might end up thinking better of you. Isn't that a win-win?"
Yao Meiling blocked Li Si, stubbornly pressing her point. The girls around them, having overheard, cast mocking glances at Li Si.
"Yao Meiling, are you kidding me? Why would I do that? I couldn't care less what Meng Zijun thinks of me. Now, could you kindly move?" Li Si grew more furious as she spoke, frustrated by how self-centered Yao Meiling was, acting as if the whole world revolved around her whims.
"Wow, look at you now, Li Si. I used to go easy on you in the name of being roommates, but don't think I won't spill your secrets. Who do you think you're fooling, acting all high and mighty? You're just a poor little orphan without a dad or mom. Listen, you're going to help with this, whether you want to or not. Otherwise, don't blame me for being harsh. Who do you think paid for that fancy computer of yours? Care to explain that?"
At this point, Yao Meiling was feeling emboldened, not least because she had just reunited with Da Gang, a guy from middle school who used to have a thing for her. Now, Da Gang was living large, backed by a big-name boss, making him one of North City's elite. He had even told her he'd have her back for anything, so she was brimming with confidence.
Li Si scoffed coldly. "I get it now. You're not trying to get me to talk to Li Fei—not really. This is just your excuse to pick a fight, isn't it? Let me guess, it's about that computer we both bought, and then the whole Kong Dan incident? Still bitter about that and looking for revenge, huh?"
Yao Meiling clicked her tongue. "And what if I am? What can you do about it? Face it, Li Si, you're all alone here. Let me tell you straight—I've been sick of you this whole semester! Why is it that you always end up doing exactly what I do? I buy a computer; you buy the same one. I was supposed to play the piano at the department's welcome party, but how did that end up going to you? Who do you think you are? Don't think that just because you're a little prettier now, you can look down on everyone!"
Li Si had no interest in explaining anything to her. Once people made up their minds about something, no amount of reasoning would change them.
"Stop wasting time. Just tell me what you want. I'm standing right here. What do you want to do?"
Li Si subtly observed the positions and heights of the group, guessing they used to run together and still carried the demeanor of street delinquents. She realized that Yao Meiling had likely been part of that crowd, masking it well all these years.
"Ladies, why waste words? Let's go! Avoid her face—aim for the body!"
One of them suddenly chimed in, and the group quickly surrounded Li Si. The other people in the changing room quietly slipped away.
Li Si set down her ski jacket, sneering coldly. Perfect. These girls would be excellent practice. Ever since her bone marrow cleansing, she hadn't really tested her fighting abilities.
Yao Meiling stood in the back, watching smugly as if she could already see Li Si beaten and begging for mercy.
The girls attacked in unison, aiming their fists and kicks at Li Si's body. But Li Si agilely dodged their blows and countered with a swift kick to one girl's stomach. Using only half her strength, the girl flew several meters back, crashing against a locker before coming to a stop.