What kind of fun should Tang Jianxi take this little antique to experience? To be honest, she was stumped too.
They couldn’t go somewhere with too many alphas. According to Gu Qing, Yun Chuji kept at least a three-meter distance from the alphas in her class, with only the one named Feng Ling allowed slightly closer.
They couldn’t go somewhere with too many omegas, either. The little antique seemed to care a great deal about the impropriety of close contact between alphas and omegas; at any rate, Tang Jianxi had never seen her make eye contact with the two omegas in their home.
So… Tang Jianxi typed a place name into her optical computer.
Before they got out of the car, Tang Jianxi sprayed Yun Chuji with a generous amount of perfume. Yun Chuji coughed from the overwhelming scent, her watery eyes asking why.
Tang Jianxi gave a mysterious smile and then doused herself in perfume as well.
When she opened the car door, a ski resort was revealed.
It was too boring for alphas, who preferred more confrontational activities, and too intense for omegas, whose stamina tended to perform poorly anywhere but the bedroom. For betas, however, it was just right.
“To B-have ourselves,” Tang Jianxi said with a bright laugh, shaking the inhibitor in her hand and making a corny pun.
Yun Chuji failed to grasp the humorous part of the sentence, but that didn’t diminish her joy. She leaped from the car into a snowdrift and shouted, “Miss Tang, this is my first time seeing snow!”
The beautiful alpha was wearing a white trench coat that reached her calves, layered over a very omega-style, lace-trimmed shirt dress that was also white—likely a recent purchase. Standing in a world of pure white, her long black hair fluttered in the wind, as did the white puffs of her warm breath. Only her black eyes were clear and resolute, like a mountain spring pooled in a stone hollow.
Standing a meter away, Tang Jianxi’s smile widened. She mimicked Yun Chuji, cupping her hands around her mouth as if shouting to the mountains beyond. “I’ll teach you how to ski!”
Yun Chuji bounced over to Tang Jianxi’s side, her eyes curving into crescents. For the first time, she set aside the etiquette of a well-bred young lady and took the other’s arm, nodding emphatically. “Okay!”
The ski resort covered about thirty square kilometers. A single glance revealed overlapping, snow-white peaks that stretched to the horizon. On the way to get their equipment, Yun Chuji excitedly looked left and right. If Tang Jianxi hadn’t been holding onto her, she probably would have wandered off and gotten lost at any moment.
The equipment rental was in a small, silver-white building staffed by one beta and a dozen AIs. As soon as they entered, an AI attendant followed them, its gentle male voice asking clearly, “Ladies, will you be needing the basic or the upgraded ski equipment?”
Tang Jianxi considered for a moment. “The basic, please.”
“Very well, miss. Please follow me.”
The AI led them to a rack of shelves. The snowboards here were of a primitive design, lacking any extra power systems. Correspondingly, skiing with them was less thrilling than with the upgraded models. It was said that the most advanced snowboards could glide through the air for several hundred meters, practically functioning as micro-fliers.
Once away from the snowy landscape, Yun Chuji calmed down considerably, reverting to her usual quiet and well-behaved demeanor. Only the occasional glance she cast out the window betrayed her restless excitement. Tang Jianxi crossed her arms and turned to ask her, “Pick a color.”
Yun Chuji’s eyes swept over the options, and she made a decision in less than two seconds. “White!”
So she really does like this color.
Tang Jianxi selected the equipment and apparel. Just as she was about to pay, Yun Chuji preemptively took out her optical computer. “Miss Tang, let me treat you!”
She remembered that the money her mother had given her was for covering Miss Tang’s living expenses. Although she highly doubted the sum was enough to support Miss Tang’s lifestyle, she had to seize every opportunity to pay for her. To be honest, she had been so happy eating barbecue earlier that she’d let Miss Tang settle the bill first, a fact she had regretted for quite some time.
“Oh?” Tang Jianxi raised an eyebrow but didn’t refuse, watching with amusement as the little antique stared blankly at the bill after paying.
The mischievous, wealthy young lady leaned in with a grin and asked, “How much is left?”
Yun Chuji’s face scrunched up in a pained expression. “That was twenty percent of it, just like that.”
This was, of course, after setting aside the money for her gland surgery, but even so, it shocked Yun Chuji. Didn’t this mean she could only treat Miss Tang four more times?
But they still had eleven months together!
Tang Jianxi burst out laughing and poked Yun Chuji’s furrowed brow. “Big sister has money. How about you let big sister pay from now on?”
Yun Chuji pressed her lips together and shook her head, impossibly stubborn. “I am already greatly indebted to you, Miss Tang. How could I allow you to spend more on my behalf?”
Tang Jianxi turned and followed the AI attendant toward the changing rooms, saying casually, “I’m not short on money. So, little antique, instead of thinking about repaying me with money, why don’t you just focus on making me happy?”
For instance, maintaining this pure and innocent state was extremely pleasing.
Yun Chuji mumbled an affirmative, trailing behind Tang Jianxi, her mind already racing with ways to earn money.
Become an official? No, an official who makes money is surely a corrupt one. Her ancestors would chase her down and beat her in the afterlife.
Go into business? That wouldn’t work either. Yun Chuji had to admit, with great shame, that she sometimes couldn’t even do basic accounting. Her mother had been so worried about her mismanaging the household finances after marriage that she had specifically chosen several dowry maids who were good with numbers for her.
After racking her brain, Yun Chuji could only think of one old-fashioned method. She quietly sidled up to Tang Jianxi and asked in a low voice, “Miss Tang, excuse me, but is being a landlord still profitable these days?”
Tang Jianxi stopped in her tracks and sized her up, as if trying to excavate something from her face and clothes. Suddenly, the serious expression on Tang Jianxi’s face vanished like a scent in the wind. She burst into laughter, laughing so hard she doubled over and had to lean on Yun Chuji just to stay upright.
Yun Chuji’s face, ears, and finally her neck turned red from the laughter.
She mumbled, a little angry and hurt, “What’s so funny!”
It couldn’t be that old-fashioned, could it?
Food is the first necessity of the people. People still had to farm, didn’t they?
Finally managing to stifle her laughter, Tang Jianxi wiped away a tear from the corner of her eye. “Do you know who does the farming now?”
Before Yun Chuji could answer, she said, “Robots.”
“Do you know who owns the land?”
“The Empire.”
“Do you know why food in the Empire is so cheap?”
“Because it’s all sold at cost.”
“So, hahahahahahaha…”
She started laughing again.
Yun Chuji was both embarrassed and angry. Tang Jianxi’s laughter was already drawing looks from many people. Miss Yun, who cared deeply about her dignity, couldn’t stand it anymore. The changing room was right in front of them. Forgetting the distinction between alphas and omegas for a moment, she crouched down, scooped the other woman into her arms, and ran inside.
A chorus of “Woah”s erupted behind them.
That kind of strength was a rare sight among female betas.
One male beta nudged his companion and said with a smirk, “Good thing you didn’t go ask for her contact info. Looks like they’re already taken care of internally.”
Hearing these comments, Yun Chuji buried her head and quickened her pace. The person in her arms seemed completely oblivious to the situation; seeing Yun Chuji’s flustered anger only made her laugh harder.
Her shoulders and chest bumped against Yun Chuji’s with every laugh, making the little antique feel both irritated and ashamed.
Since this ski resort was usually frequented only by betas, it had only two token changing rooms for alphas and omegas. As Tang Jianxi and Yun Chuji had sprayed themselves with a large amount of inhibitor, the AI treated them as female betas and directed them to the corresponding changing room.
The good news was, the changing rooms were private stalls.
The bad news was, there was only one.
After the AI dropped off their things and left, Tang Jianxi continued to laugh for a while. When she finally stopped, she started describing the image to Yun Chuji. “The moment I picture you in a tank top, farming alongside an AI, I just… hahahahahaha…”
Stop, you just can’t stop, can you?
And you call yourself a big sister. All you do is make fun of people. You don’t act like a big sister at all!
Yun Chuji sat off to the side, pouting. A moment ago, she had been worried about how they would change, but seeing Tang Jianxi like this, it was clear they wouldn’t be changing anytime soon!
By the time Tang Jianxi finally calmed down, Yun Chuji had nearly fumed herself into a steam pot.
Tang Jianxi looked at her and wanted to laugh again but forced herself to hold it in, adopting a mature and steady demeanor. “Ahem, let’s get changed. I’ll take you skiing.”
At this, Yun Chuji’s face scrunched up again, as if she were related to a bitter melon. She looked around. The changing room, accessible only with the optical computers they had just registered, was spacious and well-equipped, even furnished with a sofa. The only thing it lacked was a partition. “How… how are we supposed to change?”
“How about I go out first? You can call me back in when you’re done.”
Tang Jianxi’s eyes widened in surprise. “Is that necessary? Haven’t we already seen each other in the buff?”
With that, she placed her hand on the buttons of her suit. Before Tang Jianxi could undo a single one, the door was flung open and then slammed shut.
The person inside started laughing hysterically again.
—Even though I knew she’d react this way, it’s still hilarious.
After they changed, they headed to the beginner slope. Along the way, Tang Jianxi would look at Yun Chuji and burst out laughing from time to time. If it weren’t for the snow, Yun Chuji would have been tempted to walk off on her own.
So infuriating!
Bad big sister!
Tang Jianxi was having a grand time teasing her, but she was just as serious when it came to teaching.
Of course, part of it was that her student was exceptionally talented.
In her past life, Yun Chuji hadn’t run since she was a little girl. Any talk of her having athletic talent was just that—empty talk. But this alpha body was different. Even if the original owner hadn’t been a combative or aggressive alpha, she still had some proficiency in various alpha sports.
And compared to the sports the original owner had tried, like cliff diving and extreme scuba diving, skiing was relatively simple in every aspect.
In less than twenty minutes, Yun Chuji could already ski from the top of the slope to the bottom and had even taught herself a few maneuvering tricks.
So Tang Jianxi took her to the intermediate slope.
Half an hour later, they moved on to the advanced slope.
Yun Chuji’s skiing skills improved at a rapid pace, attracting the attention of many onlookers. A few even wanted to race her.
They were a group of young betas, both male and female, dressed in flashy outfits. They playfully challenged the two of them to a race.
Yun Chuji was a little hesitant, but Tang Jianxi’s encouraging gaze made her hesitation begin to recede. Besides, she wasn’t as wary of betas. The dopamine from the exercise took over. She adjusted her goggles and said, “Alright.”
Tang Jianxi joined in as well. Her skiing skills were surprisingly good. Yun Chuji thought that if the original owner had seen Miss Tang like this, she would have screamed that this was no omega.
Weaving through clouds of kicked-up snow, Yun Chuji made a turn and overtook another person. Now, she was only three meters behind Tang Jianxi.
Yun Chuji comfortably maintained this distance. Miss Tang in first, her in second. That was perfect.
But on the final ramp, Tang Jianxi turned to look at her. Beneath her goggles was a pair of smiling eyes. She shouted, “Dare to try something a little more exciting?”
Yun Chuji didn’t know what “exciting” meant.
But she soon found out.
Tang Jianxi executed a magnificent spin in mid-air. The group of betas behind them was stunned; one of them even fell over in shock.
Yun Chuji felt a rush of adrenaline. I think I can do that too, she thought.
She went up the ramp, launched into the air, and mimicked Tang Jianxi’s move, performing a moderately magnificent spin.
360 degrees—half of Tang Jianxi’s rotation.
Yun Chuji didn’t feel the least bit discouraged. She pulled off her goggles, tucked her snowboard under her arm, and hurried over to Tang Jianxi, her face flushed and her eyes shining brightly. “That was so much fun!”
Tang Jianxi reached out a hand. Yun Chuji immediately and obediently lowered her head. Tang Jianxi patted her on the head and said, “Want to go again?”
“Yes!”
The betas, arriving at the finish line one by one, crowded around them, showering Tang Jianxi with praise. “Oh my god, are you a professional?”
“Big sister, you’re so cool!”
“Want to go again? Even though we can’t beat you, I really want to see you do that spin again!”
…
Just as Tang Jianxi and Yun Chuji were struggling to handle the group’s enthusiasm, the optical computers on their wrists all beeped in unison.
“Alpha pheromones detected.”
“Alpha pheromones detected.”
The group exchanged glances, then scattered like startled birds, retreating a great distance. The warmth on their faces instantly froze over, replaced by expressions of panic and anger.
“I was wondering why their skills were so good. Turns out they’re alphas.”
“Why are alphas coming to our beta resort to boost their egos? So shameless.”
“Hey, hey, keep it down. What if they hit us?”
…
This sudden shift in attitude made Yun Chuji feel as if she’d been punched for no reason. She stood there, at a loss, unable to comprehend a world where one’s very identity could be considered an original sin.
Tang Jianxi sighed and took out the inhibitor, spraying another thick layer on both of them.
Seeing the little antique’s still-troubled expression, Tang Jianxi thought for a moment and said, “They don’t actually hate you. They hate alphas.”
“But I’m an alpha now.”
Alright, back to square one.
Tang Jianxi stood her ground and explained softly, “Betas don’t just dislike alphas. They dislike omegas, too.”
“Even though they don’t show it, they always try their best to avoid places where AOs are present. Because they think we’re troublesome.”
“One is too aggressive, the other too fragile.”
Yun Chuji frowned in protest. “That’s not true! I’m not aggressive at all, and Miss Tang isn’t fragile!”
“See? It’s all their stereotypes. There’s no reason for us to be angry, right?” Tang Jianxi said, as if coaxing a child.
“Do you want to keep skiing?”
Yun Chuji looked up at the long ski slope. “Our pheromones… they’ll always leak out during intense exercise, won’t they?”
“Not if we spray inhibitor in time.”
Yun Chuji didn’t seem to hear her, or perhaps she didn’t register it. She was quiet for a long while, then tilted her head and suddenly broke into a smile. “Miss Tang, can we build a snowman here?”
“Huh?”
“Let’s build a snowman, okay?”
“I’ve wanted to build a snowman since I was little, but the snow in Jiangnan was always too thin, and my governesses never let me.”
“Let’s build a snowman!”
“You don’t want to ski anymore?”
Yun Chuji lifted her chin and walked toward an empty patch of ground nearby, saying with a hint of pride, “No. I’m afraid of scaring them.”
One of the female betas had turned pale just now.
And that male beta with the child had run off as if fleeing for his life.
“Oh?” Tang Jianxi followed her, watching as she set her snowboard aside. Then, she said calmly, “But you know, there are slopes here specifically for AOs.”
The snow in Yun Chuji’s hands fell to the ground.
Like the big bad wolf in a fairy tale, Tang Jianxi tempted her, “Wanna try?”
“Yes!”
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