Song Shi'an changed into his own clothes. The dozens of outfits he had tried on that day were all packed up and given to him by the brand. He wouldn't need to buy clothes for the next year; Lin Fan had simply mailed them back to him via express delivery.
The next morning, Altay, home to the largest vertical drop in China at 1,466 meters, and a massive 60-square-kilometer off-piste area with pristine dry powder snow in the Altai Mountains, which also features the FWT Freeride World Tour Huaxia Station course.
With abundant resources including long-distance downhill rappelling, forest snow, bowl-shaped steep slopes, and leaven powder, it is a core gathering place for professional extreme sports enthusiasts and snowboarding masters in China.
Upon arrival, the two headed straight to the hotel. The moment the car door opened, Song Shi'an was almost frozen stiff. The temperature difference between the city and Capital was at least twenty degrees Celsius, and the cold wind felt like knives slicing across his face.
The accompanying stylist immediately had him change into the new winter clothes, saying it was a warm-up and to take more photos of his daily training.
After changing his clothes, Song Shi'an felt like he had come back to life. He had to admit that although the clothes looked thin like an autumn style, they were actually very warm and didn't make him look bulky.
Lin Fan was wrapped in a long down jacket, looking like a walking sleeping bag. Standing next to his brother, he seemed to be in a completely different season.
A large group of people set off for the ski resort, where the temperature was five or six degrees lower than outside, and their breath turned to ice.
The coach was already waiting; he looked to be no more than twenty-three or twenty-four years old, with a tall and straight figure, standing in the snow like a javelin.
Xie Hanzheng, a consecutive FIS Alpine World Ski Championships winner, is temporarily unable to participate in competitions due to a leg injury that has not fully healed. However, feeling restless, he came to work as a coach at a friend's ski resort.
Then he was assigned to a minor celebrity and taught how to shoot endorsement deals.
He found it ridiculous that an artist with no experience could reach the level of a professional gamer in just one week. He might as well hire a stunt double to film the scenes to avoid wasting time.
At first glance, Song Shi'an appeared to be just as he had imagined—a vase with only outward appearance.
He's seen too many celebrities and internet influencers trying to ride the coattails of his fame at the ski resort lately. They put on ski clothes, take a few photos, and leave without even properly using the skis.
Song Shi'an greeted him warmly, "Hello Coach, I'm Song Shi'an. Please guide me through the coming week."
Xie Hanzheng hummed in agreement. "How much do you know about skiing?"
Song Shi'an explained what he knew, from snowboarding stance to weight transfer, from snowplow braking to the principle of edge changing. Although it was all theory, it was well-organized and not made up.
Xie Hanzheng then looked at him properly, realizing he wasn't entirely ignorant.
He brought Song Shi'an to the Elementary Path. There were quite a few people there, many with their families, and the children were even more slippery than the adults.
He was just about to let Song Shi'an get a feel for his balance when he turned around and he was gone.
Looking further, I saw someone in the corner of the rental area putting on a green turtle-shaped butt pad.
As soon as Song Shi'an arrived at the ski resort, he saw the rental stall in the corner, with a row of colorful butt pads hanging there, including little turtles, little pandas, and little dinosaurs.
Although the people queuing to rent skis were all girls, it was his first time skiing, and he knew he only had one life; a fall was no joke.
Besides, this turtle is so cute! He tied the strap of the butt pad around his waist and patted the turtle's head.
The girl next to him had already noticed this extremely handsome guy; his tall and slender figure was encased in a gray and white patchwork functional ski suit.
His short hair was covered in fine snow, blue ski goggles were held up to his forehead, and his pale skin stood out against the snowfield. He leaned against a black snowboard, his eyes were cool and languid, and he looked like an extreme skier with a strong impact in the snowy mountains.
Then he spun around with lightning speed, revealing a green turtle butt pad strapped to his waist that bounced up and down with his walk. The girl, seeing this before she could even think, snapped a picture.
A photo was posted on a certain book.
The caption reads, "Sisters, what do I do when I meet my dream guy? I want to ask for his contact information, but I'm too scared! Help! I'm so smitten, and someone has already asked him. Is it okay for me to go now?!"
The comment section exploded shortly afterward.
"Sister, where did you find such a gem!"
"Oh my god, he looks familiar. The address is in Altay, which is so far away. I'd love to run into him there too."
"I laugh every time I see this butt cushion, but it doesn't look out of place on this handsome guy at all; he's still very handsome!"
"I must have opened my eyes wrong, isn't that Song Shi'an! How did he end up in Altay!"
"Sister, forget about it, she's got way too many female fans."
"He has female fans? Am I the only one who's a 'mommy fan'?"
"This is a An'an I've never seen before! Another new look, so handsome! Is she filming a drama?"
"Oh? It's a celebrity. My heart is broken again. I was there too, but I didn't dare go up and say hello."
"Did you buy this turtle butt cushion? I want to buy the same one too, so that An'an and I can wear matching outfits."
"Upstairs, isn't your focus a bit off? Are you referring to turtle butt pads when you say 'couple outfits'?"
The girl was heartbroken when she saw the comments section. She doesn't follow celebrities or watch dramas; she just loves traveling. She just searched for it, and it's quite popular.
The budding spark of attraction was instantly extinguished; there's practically no chance between celebrities and ordinary people.
She sighed, but then perked up again. If he couldn't be her girlfriend, she could be a fan! Her idol-chasing spirit burned brightly!
Song Shi'an stepped onto the snowboard, fastened the harness, and tried several times before he could stand up unsteadily.
This seems much more difficult than I imagined. The plank under my feet seems to have a mind of its own; if I want to go left, it veers to the right.
Xie Hanzheng skated over, glanced at the conspicuous green turtle on his waist, and twitched his lips. "If you're afraid of falling, you'll never get good practice."
Song Shi'an smiled and said, "I've only just started, how do I know I won't be able to do it well? It's precisely because I know I'll definitely fall that I take precautions, which allows me to practice boldly."
Xie Hanzheng was taken aback. This person had a whole set of twisted arguments, but upon closer inspection, they did seem to make some sense.
He shook his head and helped Song Shi'an slowly move to the side of the beginner's path.
A guy next to me just rushed down the slope with a bold move, then plopped down on the snow and slid all the way to the bottom, yelling all the while.
Song Shi'an silently glanced down at the turtle on his back; wearing a butt pad was the right decision.
Xie Hanzheng taught him step by step from the very basics: how to stand, how to shift his center of gravity, and how to use the blade.
Song Shi'an studied very diligently, as this concerned his 1.8 million yuan. He studied with the same intensity he would use to prepare for the college entrance examination, repeating every word his coach said to him three times in his mind.