cos0

cos0 – Chapter 2 – Don’t Touch Me

The vehicle drove into the newly moved-in residential area. The security guard stood straight and saluted.

When Xu Ji returned home, he turned on the lights with a “click”. What came into his view was seven or eight various types of snowboards and equipment hanging on the wall.

This new home had a minimalistic decoration style, with gray carpets and bedding, no colors to be seen. A large display screen was embedded in the white wall, showing the time “7:59”.

He had just planned to take a shower when Chen Lian called.

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Ever since he got married, his parents’ crazy calls have only increased, making Xu Ji’s heart skip a beat every time he hears the ringtone. The deep-seated revulsion made him irritable before even knowing what the matter was.

He took a deep breath and answered, “What is it?”

Chen Lian asked, “Are you not going home today as well? Xiao Ting said… I mean, you haven’t been home for so many days, shouldn’t you at least go home to take a look sometime?”

Xu Ji’s disgust towards Li Ting reached its peak at this moment. He sneered, “Why? He’s even snitching to you?”

Chen Lian became anxious, “No, I spoke wrong, it’s just…”

“If it’s about this matter in the future, don’t call me again.”

Xu Ji was not in the mood to listen. He was in a bad mood, so annoyed that he wanted to throw things. Thanks to his marriage, he finally recognized for the first time in his 26 years of life that he had a quick temper.

He took out a cigarette and bit it with his teeth, not wanting to move, feeling very frustrated. He stared at the ceiling expressionlessly, even a single hair in the air could make him explode.

When the bitter taste of tobacco filled his mouth, he stood up and walked towards the bathroom. But his phone rang again just after he had taken off his shirt.

Xu Ji suddenly exploded and growled in a cold voice, “Stop f//king bothering me! Is it fun talking about the same thing several times a day?”

The other side fell silent for a long time before carefully asking, “Ge, it’s me, um… Is this a bad time? Should I call you later?”

It was Ji Fangchi, a young 18-year-old skiing friend he had met at the Altay Wild Snow Park.

Xu Ji felt as if he had been hit in the face with a frying pan, his anger had nowhere to go. He suppressed the flames that were about to erupt again and said, “No, what’s up?”

“Ge, you sound like you’re going to kill me…” Ji Fangchi was scared, but also restless. “Wanna go skiing the day after tomorrow? It’s so boring! I’m starting to get moldy at home.”

It was a good opportunity to relax, Xu Zhi did not hesitate, “Let’s go.”

The Nanta Ski Resort was the only ski resort in G City, although it was an artificial snow resort.

Oddly enough, as a southerner who isn’t able to see snow at all, Xu Ji actually fell in love with snowboarding.

“Yo,” came the voice before the person, “why are you so slow, you sh/t your pants or what?”

Ji Chi stood at the entrance with his hands in his pockets and a teasing smile on his face that made Xu Ji want to punch him.

“Ge,” Ji Fangchi patted his older brother on the back, “don’t say such vulgar things so loudly.”

Today, Xu Ji donned a pure black ski jacket, zipped up all the way till the collar covered his lips. A matching black snowboard bag rested upon his back, akin to an ancient warrior carrying a bloody dagger. His cold and aloof aura made anyone within three meters of him stay away.

Ji Fangchi felt as if he had seen the King of Hell, “Damn… Ge, you look like you’re here to kill me.”

When putting on his equipment, Ji Chi accurately stepped on another landmine, “I heard you recently got yourself a wife?”

Hearing this, Xu Ji paused as he was bending over to fasten his buckles. The wave of anger that made him want to hit everyone he saw surged within him, and he coldly replied, “Shut up. Don’t mention him[she/her/he/him sound the same in chinese[/mfn] to me.”

Ji Fangchi was unaware of the gravity of the situation and curiously asked, “Really? It’s been circulating in our circle. So, how is she? Is my sister-in-law pretty, ge? Is she pretty? Is she pretty?”

Xu Ji stood up and looked at the two brothers with a blank expression, but he could not hide his desire to cut them in the eyes, “My snowboard is telling me that it wants to shovel you both into broken bones.”

Unexpectedly, his words actually became true for himself.

The ski resort was crowded on weekends. When they were passing through the beginner and intermediate courses on their way to the advanced one, they felt like dumplings boiled in a water park during the summer. Many people didn’t even come to actually ski, wearing a little vest in the middle of ice and snow to take photos, which made Xu Ji even more annoyed.

As they took the car lift up the mountain, the person in front of them seemed to be a first-timer and hesitated for a long time to get down. He dawdled for half a day, climbing back after getting off halfway, just like a slug.

Xu Ji closed his eyes and slowly let out a breath.

Even Ji Chi was getting impatient, he said, “Just jump, you won’t die from falling!”

Fortunately, there were fewer people on the advanced course, and they all knew how to ski and follow the rules. A big sign at the entrance read “Advanced Course,” and the loudspeaker kept repeating, “This is the advanced course, this is the advanced course. You should know whether you have the ability to ski here. You won’t be able to afford the consequences if you crashed into someone else, and you won’t be able to handle the injury if you crashed yourself.”

Xu Ji and Ji Chi both used snowboards, while Ji Fangchi used a pair of skis. Snowboarding was harder to start with, but easier to advance, while skiing was the opposite. Ji Fangchi was originally going to learn snowboarding from his brother, but after falling for a week, he angrily changed to skiing.

Xu Ji’s snowboarding style was rough, agile, and bold. He had a good sense of balance, strong core strength, and fast speed.

From the perspective of others, he seemed to be flying. His body tilted so close to the surface of the snow that he could feel the biting cold wind scraping across his face through the scarf. He left a continuous trail on the snow, this was called carving.

Ji Fangchi was skiing next to him and couldn’t help but exclaim, “So cool…I regret it, I should have stuck to snowboarding.”

Xu Ji let out a puff of white breath and straightened up to slow down. He loves this feeling of being able to abandon all complicated feelings as he moves.

He glanced at Ji Fangchi on his right and was about to speak when he heard him shout loudly, “Ge! Behind you! Dodge…”

Xu Ji’s front foot was his left foot, so the left rear was his blind spot. Hearing the word “dodge”, he instinctively switched edges to try and avoid the collision, but it was too late. The next second, he was hit by a huge force and flew off, his back slamming hard onto the snow.

Upon hearing a sound from behind, Ji Chi turned around and saw two people on the ground, then quickly hurried back.

The advanced course was steep, and all Xu Ji could see was darkness before his eyes. Wrapped in snow and dizziness, he tumbled down the slope. Amid the confusion, he felt someone gently patting him, and then heard the two brothers arguing with someone.

Ji Fangchi’s voice, “I saw the whole process from behind! It was this torpedo that crashed into him straight on!”

Ah, torpedoes, referring to the newbies who didn’t know how to slow down or change direction on the snow trail, making them prone to losing control.

Ji Chi’s voice, “I already called the resort. You are fully responsible, don’t even think about leaving, we’re all going to the hospital together.”

The stranger’s voice, “The f//k? How am I responsible for two people colliding with each other? Besides, I’m already standing up, maybe this brother of yours is trying to scam me instead?”

“The skiers in front have the right of way,” Xu Ji said with a weak voice, lying on the snow. “the one behind is fully responsible.”

Xu Ji was also impressed with himself for being able to speak so calmly. The moment he was knocked down, he felt the annoyance and anger he had suppressed for so long burst like soda bubbles with a “pop”. But after this moment, he only had speechlessness and confusion left in him.

Ji Fangchi and Ji Chi immediately surrounded him, “You okay? Where does it hurt? Do you feel clear-headed or dizzy?”

As a snowboarder, Xu Ji was already familiar with accidents such as fractures. He sat up, felt each bone on his body that was in pain, then gently moved his legs and feet.

After a while, he released the fixation device on him and stood up again. He saw that the man who crashed into him also had a companion standing next to him, with a pretty face that showed no concern.

Xu Ji looked at him for a while, then he slowly lifted his snow goggles, revealing his eyebrows, eyes, and a few strands of hair that weren’t tucked into his hat. Immediately, just as he wanted, he saw the look without concern disappear without a trace.

Li Ting’s expression turned from surprise to shock, and finally to worry.

“You’re all good, right?” That man was still all smiles, “Collisions happen all the time in skiing.”

Xu Ji didn’t reply to him, he fixed his dark eyes on Li Ting.

Li Ting had a pair of skis at his feet, and they were novice skis rented at the ski resort. He opened his mouth, and took a few steps as if he wanted to support Xu Ji’s arm but also didn’t dare to. In the end, he only touched the latter’s snowsuit with his slender white fingertips.

“Scram,” Xu Ji shook him off, “don’t touch me.”