After Marrying the Aloof Beauty, I Totally Fell for Her - Chapter 29

Chapter 29:  Fell Into the Soft Snow

“Mom, I don’t think we need to bring this, right? I’m only going for a week, it’s not like I’m moving there permanently.” An Ning held up the herbal pillow in her hand, half laughing and half crying.

Ever since her mom found out she was going on a trip with Mu Yan, she had been stuffing all kinds of useful and useless items into her suitcase for the past few days, as if preparing for her to celebrate the New Year over there. To fit everything, An Ning had already changed to her third suitcase.

Now the suitcase was almost as tall as her waist when standing upright.

“Aiya, don’t you have a car?” her mom replied while stuffing two vacuum-packed pork knuckles—gifts from her aunt—into the suitcase. “Take these to eat on the way. And that pillow’s not even for you, it’s for Yan Yan. That child has trouble sleeping in unfamiliar places, and the herbal pillow helps calm the nerves. Just give it to her.”

An Ning lifted the pillow to her nose and gave it a sniff. The strong herbal scent made her wrinkle her nose.

If it really had calming effects, it was probably because the smell knocked you out.

Sighing, An Ning stuffed the small pillow into the suitcase. She didn’t refuse her mother’s good intentions.

She opened WeChat, their chat from this morning still open.

MY: I’ll pick you up at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

So… she was really going on a trip with Teacher Mu?

And she had been the one to invite her.

Although it had already been over two months since she learned about the trip, An Ning still felt a bit surreal.

The doctor had been very certain: if she didn’t take proper care of her injury, it would scar. Under pressure from both Mu Yan and her teammates, An Ning eventually gave up her spot in the semi-finals.

It was a real shame for her career, but like her coach said, life is long—save the face.

From the day of the match until now, she hadn’t seen Mu Yan once. Partly because of increasing schoolwork and training, and partly because she couldn’t find the right opportunity.

She couldn’t exactly ask Teacher Mu to walk the school track with her…

They seemed familiar, sure—they’d even hugged. How could you say they weren’t?

But when she thought about it carefully, their familiarity felt rather surface-level.

Mu Yan understood her well. Mu Yan indulged her.

And she really wanted to get closer to Mu Yan.

But everything she knew about her came from hearsay or personal observation.

Mu Yan’s past. Her preferences. Her inner thoughts.

She knew nothing.

Or maybe she used to know—but had forgotten.

Even though they were supposed to create new memories together, An Ning wasn’t someone good at surprises. Aside from playing in matches, she really had nothing she was confident in.

Looking at her mother still fussing over packing, a tinge of worry welled up inside her, but she quickly cheered herself up.

Take it one step at a time. As long as I don’t mess things up like last time. This trip is a good chance to make memories—just be happy.

An Ning patted her cheeks and walked over to help her mom finish packing.

The next day, just before 9 a.m., Mu Yan saw someone standing at the entrance of the porcelain factory residential compound. They were bundled up tightly, pulling a suitcase about the size of an eight-year-old child.

“Are you moving?” Mu Yan couldn’t help but tease as she watched An Ning struggle to load the suitcase into the car.

“Uh, most of this stuff is from my mom. She said better to be overprepared than underprepared.” An Ning pulled down her scarf as she got into the car, speaking with exasperation.

Mu Yan didn’t respond, her expression showing that she was remembering something from the past.

By mid-January, Yun City—typical of the north—was already bitterly cold. Outside, the wind was fierce, but the car was warm and cozy.

An Ning took off her extra-long, thick down coat and finally felt like she could breathe. She then had time to take a good look at the Mu teacher she hadn’t seen in so long.

She wore a gray knit sweater and black trousers. Even dressed for winter, her figure still appeared slim and delicate.

She was focused on driving and didn’t notice An Ning’s gaze.

An Ning’s eyes traced over the slightly upturned corner of her eyes and finally landed on her small, fair earlobe.

She parted her lips and imagined wrapping her mouth around that soft lobe.

Suddenly, a scene from a fanfic she’d once read popped into her mind.

She choked on her own saliva and began coughing violently.

“What’s wrong?” Mu Yan glanced at her, her elegant but distant eyes carrying a hint of concern.

Yet An Ning’s brain kept feeding her random fragments of fanfiction.

Her long eyelashes brushed her cheek, teasing her heart.

“N-No, nothing!” An Ning felt the urge to slap herself. She coughed uncontrollably, trying to explain while turning her head away to hide her flushed face. “I think I choked on the cold air when I got in the car.”

Is this karma for reading too much fanfiction?

Clutching her wildly thumping chest, An Ning vowed not to look at Teacher Mu again until she calmed down.

Not because it was immoral—but because it was just rude.

“Did you bring a water bottle? Have some water.” Thankfully, Mu Yan was busy driving and didn’t question her lie.

They arrived at the station and boarded the express train to Snow City.

Snow City wasn’t far from Yun City, and since it was a direct line, it took less than an hour to arrive.

Inside the station was fine, but as soon as they stepped outside, An Ning involuntarily shivered.

At the bustling station entrance, the sky was a pale blue, and delicate snowflakes drifted from above.

Snow City lived up to its name. An Ning had thought Yun City was already freezing, but apparently, some places didn’t need wind to chill you to the bone.

“Teacher Mu, here.” She noticed Mu Yan only wore a thin-looking down jacket and quickly unwrapped her own scarf to put around the other woman’s neck.

“No need—” Mu Yan didn’t even get to finish her refusal before the warm scarf, still carrying An Ning’s body heat, was already wrapped halfway around her face.

It smelled like An Ning—sweet.

Startled, Mu Yan froze for a moment, and before she could react, An Ning had already finished tying the scarf.

“You—” She tried to protest again, but An Ning’s light laughter cut her off.

“Heh, truly seeing is believing.”

An Ning followed Mu Yan’s gaze and saw a woman standing at the entrance with an umbrella.

She looked about the same age as Mu Yan, wore a long black trench coat, and had a sharp, confident face. She smiled brightly at them.

Seeing their gaze shift over, she waved at Mu Yan. “Mu classmate, long time no see.”

Mu Yan gave a slight nod.

The woman didn’t mind Mu Yan’s usual coldness and turned to An Ning with interest, offering a handshake. “You must be Mu’s… girlfriend, right? Hello, I’m Ni Jiang, her college roommate. Pleased to meet you.”

“Oh, h-hi.” An Ning shook her hand. “I’m An Ning, from Yun University.”

Despite being a stranger, Ni Jiang gave off a warm, friendly vibe.

Mu Yan’s college friend? She seems amazing too.

“I’m just here to drop off the car. Hope I’m not intruding.” Noticing her nervousness, Ni Jiang smiled and led them to the parking lot. “Follow me.”

She reached for Mu Yan’s suitcase.

Mu Yan stepped back slightly. “No need.”

Seeing Ni Jiang look over, An Ning quickly waved her hands. “Mine’s really heavy. I’ll manage, thank you.”

Ni Jiang shrugged indifferently and led the way.

Her car was a sleek black sedan—clearly expensive.

The three of them got in. An Ning wanted to sit with Mu Yan but didn’t want to leave their host alone in front, so she took the passenger seat.

“I’ll drop the car off at the company. You two can drive it to the Ice and Snow Town—it’s beautiful there right now.”

“Uh, are you a business owner?”

Mu Yan didn’t respond, and not wanting an awkward silence, An Ning stepped in to keep the conversation going.

She had her reasons—Ni Jiang just didn’t seem like an average office worker.

“Kind of. I founded YuanTu Genetics. But these days I focus on research, not the business side.”

“Huh?”

Her tone was so casual, but An Ning vaguely remembered the name YuanTu Genetics. “Is that… related to the gene matching system?”

“Oh, yes. That’s a joint government project—our most successful one so far.”

An Ning: “……”

What the hell?

The system that matched her with Mu Yan was developed by this person’s company?

An Ning stared at her in shock.

Why was someone in scientific research living with someone in the arts?

Ni Jiang seemed to read her mind. “The year we enrolled, the dorms at Dream University were being renovated, so the housing was co-ed.”

“Oh, oh.” An Ning nodded, her brain only echoing one thought.

No wonder she’s Mu Yan’s friend.

Then she thought—maybe this was a good chance to learn more about Mu Yan.

She peeked at Mu Yan, who was resting with her eyes closed in the backseat, hesitated, then asked, “So, you and Teacher Mu must be close, right?”

Ni Jiang chuckled. “She wouldn’t even let me carry her suitcase. What do you think?”

An Ning: “……”

She wanted to say, That’s just how Teacher Mu is—she didn’t let me carry anything either. But that felt like saying I’m closer to her than you are, which didn’t sound right. Yet Ni Jiang’s comment seemed off too.

If they weren’t close, how could Teacher Mu borrow her car?

“Ni Jiang.”

Just as her mind was about to explode, Mu Yan called from the back.

She didn’t say anything else—just her name—but An Ning could hear the faint displeasure.

Ni Jiang clearly noticed too. She smiled, “Alright, alright, I’ll stop teasing. I just haven’t seen someone this well-behaved in a while. The people at my lab are all weirdos. Don’t be mad.”

She turned to An Ning and added, “Like you saw, that’s the kind of relationship we have. But I can assure you, I rank in the top three of Mu classmate’s university friends.”

Wait… are all top-three friends like this?

An Ning suddenly felt that Mu Yan was unusually kind to her.

The rest of the drive was quiet. When they arrived at the towering Yuantu Tech Building, Mu Yan got out first to switch drivers.

“Mu classmate is a great person. Just unlucky sometimes,” Ni Jiang said softly while undoing her seatbelt. “Take good care of her.”

Before An Ning could respond, Ni Jiang had already exited the car and waved goodbye to Mu Yan like nothing had happened.

She hadn’t misheard.

An Ning was sure she said that.

“What’s wrong?” Mu Yan asked as she slid into the driver’s seat, noticing An Ning still staring at the direction Ni Jiang had left.

“N-Nothing.” An Ning turned to the snow outside the window.

Ni Jiang had said it so Mu Yan wouldn’t hear.

But…

A wave of grievance bubbled up inside An Ning.

Of course she knew Mu Yan was a good person. Of course she’d treat her well.

She might be average compared to people like them…

But she didn’t need anyone to tell her that.

If she hadn’t forgotten… maybe she’d know even more about Mu Yan than anyone else.

Startled by her own defiant thoughts, An Ning stared blankly at the falling snow.

Ni Jiang meant well. Why was she upset?

Was it because she acted like she knew Mu Yan better than she did?

It made perfect sense—they were college roommates for four years.

Why did she feel jealous?

Her tangled emotions wouldn’t settle, so she closed her eyes to calm down.

“We’re almost there.”

Mu Yan’s voice pulled her back. An Ning opened her eyes and looked out the window.

The Ice and Snow Town was located in the outskirts of Snow City. They were now on a forest road, thick snow resting on the pine trees, everything outside painted in white. In the distance, she could even see a white snow castle, like a fairy tale come to life.

“Wow…” An Ning let out a soft gasp. Snow fell in Yun City too, but she’d never gone out into the wild during heavy snowfall. City snow never accumulated like this.

After another ten minutes, a snowy white arch appeared ahead of them.

After showing their tickets to the gatekeeper, the car entered the resort’s residential area.

It was a pretty little town, filled with red-roofed blue houses dotted across the vast resort. Snow blanketed them, but couldn’t hide their bright colors—if anything, it made them stand out more.

Because the resort was still in soft opening, there weren’t many people. An Ning only saw a group of kids having a snowball fight in the center square.

The front desk girl wore decorative reindeer antlers and greeted them with a smile.

“Hello, checking in?”

She glanced at them and her eyes lit up with excitement.

An Ning: ?

“Your ticket includes the deluxe couple package, including a candlelight dinner at the castle. Let our staff know when you’re ready.”

Mu Yan took a deep breath and thankfully didn’t blow up in front of the receptionist.

An Ning: “……”

Why did I let Ni Jiang get under my skin again?

“Um, are you two An Ning and Teacher Mu?”

Just as they were about to leave, the front desk girl couldn’t hold back anymore and asked.

They turned at the same time and saw her holding out a postcard, eyes sparkling with excitement.

“Can I get your autograph?”

The picture on the postcard was exactly the same one An Ning used as her profile picture.

She opened her mouth, flustered and touched, but couldn’t speak.

Mu Yan casually took the pen and wrote her surname on it.

An Ning quickly followed suit with hers, and the girl beamed as she watched them leave.

“Teacher Mu, you’ve seen that video too?” An Ning finally asked as they approached their lodging.

She had considered the possibility but never asked—after all, they weren’t really a couple, and talking about it felt awkward.

Mu Yan, who was about to unlock the door, paused and gave her an unamused look.

“I’m not offline, you know.”