Chapter 41—Fond of Another Man?

Fu Jiaojiao watched the man’s retreating figure with bitter unwillingness. As expected, he still walked back to Mu Ran’s side, thoughtfully opening the thermos and handing it over to her. Only in front of Mu Ran did Gu Beicheng’s powerful and cold aura seem to soften, his imposing presence reined in.

Fu Jiaojiao was so angry her head spun. She had to endure Mu Ran and Cheng Beigu’s attitude on the show, and then suffer the mockery and scorn of viewers in the live broadcast. She bitterly regretted not having destroyed Mu Ran’s reputation earlier, that despicable woman! Sullen, she sat in front of the live TV, ignoring the flood of comments from the audience, her resentful gaze fixed on Mu Ran.

As she watched Mu Ran surrounded by several men, Fu Jiaojiao’s eyes darkened, and a sly, sinister smile curled her flushed lips.

“Have some water.”

Gu Beicheng stepped between Mu Ran and Shao Ping. Although his face was grim, his tone toward the woman was gentle, even indulgent. Mu Ran accepted the thermos naturally, sipping a small mouthful, then immediately furrowed her brow. “It’s hot.”

She instinctively handed the thermos back to him, her lips glistening with droplets of water, looking particularly inviting. Gu Beicheng ignored everyone else, his broad hand covering Mu Ran’s slightly chilled cheek, gently wiping away the water at the corner of her lips.

Their tender exchange was unmistakably intimate, giving off the air of a real couple flaunting their affection on holiday.

“Too hot?”

Gu Beicheng’s deep black eyes gazed at the woman before him with intense concern. His slightly hoarse voice was tinged with displeasure, not directed at her but at himself.

Mu Ran lounged lazily in his embrace, not meeting his gaze, instead turning her face aside to watch the other guests’ skiing in the halfpipe. When she saw Bai Zehan preparing to drop in, leaping to grab his board, she couldn’t hide her disgust. Only then did she turn to Gu Beicheng. “Hot.”

Mu Ran wasn’t especially thirsty, nor did she enjoy drinking hot water. In fact, she hated it. In her previous life, no matter if she was unwell, in a bad mood, or faced with setbacks, her boyfriend Bai Zehan would only say one thing: “Drink more hot water.”

If she ever had the chance in this life, she would pour a kettle of scalding water over that worthless man, let him experience firsthand how miraculous “hot water” was supposed to be!

Gu Beicheng keenly sensed Mu Ran’s darkening mood. Thinking it was because the water he’d given her was too hot and had upset her, he said, “Let me cool it for you, just wait a moment.” He walked to the side.

“Mm.” Mu Ran didn’t give it much thought.

But the others were stunned to see Gu Beicheng, usually stern and unsmiling, now patiently blowing on hot water for Mu Ran.

Everyone present, including Shao Ping, stared in astonishment at the man who was so seriously and attentively “serving” Mu Ran.

“Mr. Song’s skills are impressive. You can tell he’s been skiing for many years,” Shao Ping remarked, glancing at Mu Ran, who remained silent and nonchalant, leaning lazily against a wooden post, then at Song Xiao in the halfpipe, trying to make conversation.

“Mm.”

Gu Beicheng, still blowing on the water, shot Shao Ping a frosty glare. Seeing that the man was standing a fair distance from Mu Ran, his expression softened a bit, and he lowered his head to continue.

As a professional athlete, Shao Ping was sensitive to wind direction—a crucial detail for skiers—and he felt a chill drifting from nearby. Looking over, he saw it was indeed Gu Beicheng, whose presence was as commanding and flawlessly handsome as ever.

Shao Ping, a shrewd judge of people, watched the two with a knowing glint in his eye, then subtly stepped further back, increasing the distance between himself and Mu Ran. Sure enough, he caught the faintest trace of a smile playing at the corner of Gu Beicheng’s lips.

“Why are you standing so far from me?” Mu Ran lifted her eyes languidly.

“Ran-jie, your brother-in-law treats you really well.”

“What did you say?” A dangerous note crept into Mu Ran’s voice. Did this kid have a death wish?

Shao Ping scratched his head and grinned sheepishly, then glanced at Gu Beicheng and nodded as if enlightened. “Right, right, I misspoke. I meant to say, our master treats you really well.” He leaned in to whisper this conspiratorially to Mu Ran, completely ignoring her warning and giving her a mischievous, animated look.

This time, even though Shao Ping was now standing quite close to Mu Ran, Gu Beicheng showed no displeasure. On the contrary, the smile at his lips became unmistakable—he had heard Shao Ping’s words.

Earlier, when Mu Ran had hugged Shao Ping, Gu Beicheng’s icy, lethal aura had spread across the entire ski field. He’d been about to go down and warn that kid away from Mu Ran, but now he realized there might be another kind of relationship between them.

Was it master and disciple?

Mu Ran was the first woman Gu Beicheng had ever truly wanted to understand. She was too mysterious—more than just a tabloid star, she had identities and skills unknown to the public. Her skiing ability was exceptional, and she was even the master of a world-renowned skier. Why was she so skilled?

“Try it again. It shouldn’t be too hot now.”

Gu Beicheng handed the thermos back to her, his voice gentle and negotiating. He deliberately moved closer, radiating an air of possessiveness.

“Um, Mr. Cheng, you’re amazing, truly worthy of being my—” Shao Ping was about to start flattering Gu Beicheng when Mu Ran, sipping her water, shot him a sharp warning glare.

“I mean, truly worthy of being the city’s most outstanding ski coach...” Shao Ping wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. “Mr. Cheng, with your skills, if you entered the Olympics, you’d win for sure.”

He wasn’t exaggerating or trying to flatter; he genuinely admired Mr. Cheng’s professionalism. If Mu Ran weren’t here, he might have tried to become Cheng Beigu’s student at their first meeting.

“I’m getting old,” Gu Beicheng replied with a mild smile, his tone mature.

“Don’t act like you’re eighty—Mr. Cheng is only twenty-five or six,” Mu Ran retorted, finishing her water and putting the thermos aside. She looked him straight in the eye. “Mr. Cheng, shall we have a match?”

“What do you want to compete in?” Gu Beicheng asked, a teasing smile curving his thin, flushed lips, his deep eyes locked on her face. He reached out and tapped her perky nose, full of affection. “If you lose, you can’t cry about it.”

Shao Ping’s mouth fell open and his eyes widened as he glanced at Mr. Cheng. As Cheng Beigu spoke, his perfect profile took on a rakish charm. As a spirited young man himself, Shao Ping had to admit, this Mr. Cheng was incredibly handsome.

Mu Ran’s bright eyes glimmered with confidence, her cheeks flushed with excitement. “Freestyle big air.”

“That’s the biggest joke I’ve heard today,” Bai Zehan called out with a smug smile, making his way toward Mu Ran. The other guests, having finished their halfpipe runs, followed behind him.

“What does it have to do with you? Are you competing with me?” Mu Ran shot Bai Zehan a scornful glance, her disgust toward him even greater than for Fu Jiaojiao. He was worse than the most contemptible scoundrel—hypocritical, a gold digger!

Bai Zehan’s face went cold, his eyes narrowing, lips pressed tight. He said nothing.

“If you’re useless, stop making a scene. Biggest joke? Why don’t you laugh yourself to death?” Mu Ran’s words were sharp, leaving Bai Zehan at a loss for a retort.

“No bet, no match.”

Gu Beicheng was thoroughly enjoying Mu Ran’s razor-sharp tongue—she was simply adorable.

Mu Ran turned to him, her delicate brows knitting. “If you win, I’ll agree to do one thing for you. How about that?”

“What thing? Be specific.”

Mu Ran’s eyes showed a trace of suspicion. Her instincts told her this man was up to no good. “You say it.”

“If I win, you have to call me ‘husband’ for the next two days and one night. If you win, I’ll do whatever you ask.” Gu Beicheng’s gaze turned ambiguous, his presence dangerous as he stepped closer, about to pull her into his arms.

Mu Ran placed her right hand on his chest, her cool face turning shy and pink, her lips pouting. She gritted her teeth. “If I win, you have to introduce me to someone.”

Gu Beicheng’s eagle-sharp eyes narrowed. He sensed that the person Mu Ran wanted to meet was a man.

“Who?” He didn’t agree immediately.

“Nanyang. You definitely know him. If I win, you’ll introduce us.”

Mu Ran was sure this man knew Nanyang, the world freestyle skiing grand slam champion and her only idol, though he’d retired early and she’d never had the chance to meet him. Some of Gu Beicheng’s most difficult ski moves were almost identical to Nanyang’s signature techniques—there had to be a connection.

“All right. If you win, I’ll take you to meet him,” Gu Beicheng agreed in a low voice.

When he saw her face light up with joy, his heart grew increasingly vexed. What was so great about Nanyang? This woman actually liked another man!

“I’ll be your judge! Let’s get started!” Shao Ping was eager for the excitement.

Everyone present was puzzled by Mu Ran’s enthusiasm for the skier Nanyang. None of them had expected that a D-list scandal-ridden actress would be so passionate about sports, let alone that her skiing skills would be good enough to challenge Coach Cheng Beigu to a big air contest!