Time flew by, and soon it was the following week. Early in the morning, Xiyu was already awake, brimming with excitement.

The temperature dropped sharply that day. Bitter, icy winds came in gusts, slipping into the gaps of their clothes and cutting painfully against the skin.

After placing the prepared luggage into the trunk, Ji Yu casually draped a coat over Shi Xing’s shoulders. Taking advantage of the moment when neither of them was paying attention, Xiyu darted straight into the back seat.

Shi Xing sniffed from the cold and couldn’t help complaining, “The weather turned cold way too fast.”

Ji Yu smiled without saying anything, lowered his gaze to look at her, and nodded slightly.

Once they boarded the plane, Shi Xing stretched lazily in the first-class cabin. The flight from Jinggang Airport to Lannæs Airport would take over twenty hours, just enough time for her to catch up on some sleep.

At that moment, an unusual sound came from the aisle. A young man was chatting and laughing with his companion as they walked by.

He was tall, wearing a gray coat. His jet-black, slightly tousled hair fell loosely over his forehead. His nose bridge was sharp, his facial features well-defined, and there was a roguish air about him.

The instant Shi Xing lifted her eyes, their gazes met. The young man froze for a few seconds, only snapping out of it when his companion called him several times.

Shi Xing didn’t notice anything unusual. She leaned back into her seat and closed her eyes to rest.

The plane slowly took off, cutting across the sky and diving into the clouds, gradually carrying them farther away from the city.

It wasn’t until the next day that they finally arrived at their destination. As the plane descended, Shi Xing looked down from above. The Nordic fjords slowly came into view—nature’s breathtaking craftsmanship on full display. Under the flight attendants’ guidance, the passengers disembarked one after another.

Because the airport was quite small, Ji Yu directly took Shi Xing’s hand and followed the crowd to the parking lot. The car he had booked arrived quickly. Once inside, Xiyu, clearly bursting with pent-up energy, barked several times in a row.

Shi Xing rubbed its head and softly soothed it. The driver was an elderly local man, warm and hospitable. Before they even asked, he enthusiastically began introducing nearby attractions.

The temperature in Tromsø was much lower than in Jinggang City. Even inside the car, Shi Xing couldn’t help shivering from the cold.

Ji Yu noticed and, seemingly out of nowhere, pulled out a blanket and draped it over her. His gaze darkened slightly as he said in a gentler tone, “It gets colder at night.”

Shi Xing nodded and wrapped the blanket tightly around herself.

After about half an hour of driving, they arrived at their hotel. Snow had begun to fall outside, slanting down under the glow of the streetlights. A few scattered trees were already covered in snow, and the ground was blanketed in thick white. There were very few pedestrians.

At the same time, another car pulled up. Chen Jiayu stepped out briskly, but when he caught sight of a familiar figure, he froze.

Shi Xing led Xiyu into the hotel, while Ji Yu followed behind, carrying the suitcase in one hand. From an outsider’s perspective, the two of them looked remarkably well-matched.

Seeing Chen Jiayu standing there without moving, Glasses nudged him and asked curiously, “What’s wrong with you today? You were spacing out when I talked to you on the plane, and now you’re like this again?”

At some point, a cigarette had found its way between Chen Jiayu’s lips. He flicked open his lighter, lowered his head to light it, and took a deep drag. Frowning slightly in irritation, he said vaguely, “Let’s go.”

Seeing his reaction, Glasses didn’t press further.

Early the next morning, the two of them went downstairs and noticed Shi Xing standing alone at the front desk, speaking with the receptionist.

Because her phone’s network was lagging, the translation app couldn’t accurately convey her meaning. She gestured for quite a while, but the staff still looked confused.

Chen Jiayu quickly stepped forward and explained everything fluently in Norwegian.

Shi Xing thanked him repeatedly. Taking the opportunity, he struck up a conversation with her. Watching from the side, Glasses couldn’t help sighing—no wonder Chen Jiayu had been acting strange yesterday. Turns out he’d fallen in love.

When Ji Yu came downstairs, what he saw was his girlfriend chatting happily with a strange man at the front desk.

A wave of irritation surged in his chest, mixed with a subtle jealousy.

His expression darkened. The easygoing calm on his face was replaced by a trace of displeasure as he spoke in a low voice, calling out to Shi Xing, “Let’s go.”

Shi Xing had been discussing travel plans when she caught sight of Ji Yu’s expression. She paused, the smile frozen on her lips.

Chen Jiayu followed the voice and looked over. The moment their eyes met, the hostility between the two was unmistakable—thick with tension.

Ji Yu shot him a cold glance, walked straight over to Shi Xing, and casually pulled her into his arms. Lowering his head, he said, “The car’s here.”

It was unclear who he was addressing.

Sensing Ji Yu’s foul mood, Shi Xing awkwardly said goodbye to Chen Jiayu, “We’ll be heading off now.”

Just as they were about to leave, a voice sounded behind them, “We’re going to the cathedral today as well. If it’s convenient, we could share a ride.”

Before Shi Xing could respond, Ji Yu coldly replied, “Not convenient.”

His usual lazy demeanor was completely gone, replaced by sharp, piercing coldness.

After they left, Glasses walked up and patted Chen Jiayu’s shoulder, exasperated. “He already has a boyfriend, and you still dare get close? Aren’t you afraid her boyfriend will tear you apart?”

Chen Jiayu raised an eyebrow and replied indifferently, “It’s not like there aren’t cases of someone coming out on top later.”

Glasses twitched his mouth and immediately took a step back. “I’d better keep my distance. If you get beaten up, I don’t want to get dragged into it.”

Chen Jiayu let out a lazy chuckle and jerked his chin forward. “Let’s go.”

“Where to?”

“The cathedral.”

As soon as Shi Xing got into the car, she heard Ji Yu speaking to the driver in Norwegian. Soon after, the driver changed routes.

Curious, she asked, “Are we going somewhere else?”

Ji Yu nodded lightly in response. The chill in his eyes eased somewhat.

Their new destination was a kennel that hosted one of the city’s most popular activities—dog sledding.

As soon as they arrived, Xiyu couldn’t wait to jump out of the car. Shi Xing nearly couldn’t hold it back, and only after Ji Yu stepped in to discipline it did Xiyu finally behave.

While Ji Yu spoke with the owner, he learned that sled dogs were usually professionally trained Alaskan Malamutes and Huskies. A pet dog like Xiyu wasn’t really suitable. But unable to resist Xiyu’s relentless fawning, the owner eventually gave in and assigned it a spot.

While the owner went to train Xiyu, the two of them sat down for a meal.

When someone came to call them, they put on their gear and climbed into the sled. With a sharp whistle from the driver, all the dogs surged forward at once.

The sled sped through snow-covered forests. The morning sun slowly rose over the horizon, distant mountains glowing with soft light—it was impossible to look away.

Shi Xing stared in awe at the scenery. Ji Yu turned his head to look at her, the corners of his mouth gradually lifting.

Xiyu grew more and more excited, running as if it had returned to its natural domain, completely at ease.

When the activity ended, Shi Xing still felt unsatisfied. Back at the kennel, they entered the free petting session. The guide introduced facts about sled dogs while leading them closer.

One Alaskan Malamute was especially affectionate. Before Shi Xing even reached out, it tilted its head and eagerly pressed against her.

Seeing this, the guide joked, “This one really likes pretty women.”

Shi Xing leaned toward Ji Yu and whispered curiously, “What did he just say?”

“He said it likes you,” Ji Yu replied with a teasing smile.

Feeling embarrassed, Shi Xing lowered her head and laughed softly.

It was already very late by the time they returned to the hotel.

When they reached their room, they were startled to see Chen Jiayu coming out of the room next door.

What a coincidence.

After all that back and forth, they turned out to be neighbors.

Realizing he’d been tricked by Ji Yu earlier that day, Chen Jiayu shot him an annoyed sidelong glance and snorted. “Did you have fun today?”

Shi Xing was about to answer, but Ji Yu cut in smoothly, raising an eyebrow. “Of course.”

He deliberately emphasized the words. Anyone could tell the two men were at odds.

Shi Xing quickly pushed Ji Yu into the room to prevent things from escalating.

But not long after they entered, Ji Yu wrapped one arm around her waist. His familiar scent enveloped her instantly.

Her breathing grew warm. Just as she tried to push him away, she realized Ji Yu was holding her tightly.

Ignoring her slight struggle, he lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers.

She was soon lost in his kiss, their intimate sounds filling the entire room.

Back in his own room, Chen Jiayu faintly heard sounds of entanglement from next door. At first, he didn’t pay attention, assuming it was the wind outside.

But then he realized something was wrong. Their two rooms were isolated from the others. If it wasn’t the wind, there was only one explanation.

As if suddenly understanding everything, he gritted his teeth and kicked the wall hard.

Shi Xing was still dazed when she heard a faint noise and asked in confusion, “What was that sound?”

“You imagined it,” Ji Yu replied instantly, soothing her.

The next morning, as Shi Xing stood in front of the mirror and saw the dense marks covering her neck, she couldn’t help clicking her tongue. Just as she reached for her compact to see if she could cover them—

The item was suddenly snatched from her hand.

“You look pretty like this. No need to hide it,” Ji Yu said casually, his brows raised, voice low.

Shi Xing naturally didn’t believe him. Seeing that Ji Yu refused to return the compact, she could only grab a scarf from the corner and wrap it around her neck.

Ji Yu chuckled softly but didn’t stop her any further.

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