Is not being able to do as you please also called rebirth?

Chapter 195 Winter Flames, Complex Relationships

After a warm and lively Lunar New Year's Eve, He Lingling embarked on her journey home, leaving behind the lingering memories shared by Yang Huimin, Jiang Xun, and their families. After all, it was already quite remarkable that she was able to leave her family behind to spend the New Year with Jiang Xun, so she should naturally go back to be with her family after the New Year.

Not long after, Jiang Xun learned that Xie Zhiyun and Yang Huimin, the two sisters-in-law, had made an appointment to go to Hemu to enjoy the snow together, and Yang Kaiyi was also going to come along. Most importantly, it seemed that both Yang Huimin and Xie Zhiyun were planning to invite Jiang Xun to go with them.

Goodness, Jiang Xun really couldn't imagine how he could manage to be on good terms with this group, but he couldn't refuse the enthusiastic invitation from the older sister and the director. Yang Kaiyi must also be secretly hoping that he would come along.

The warm afterglow of the farewell hug with He Lingling still lingered, but in the blink of an eye, the biting north wind swept coldly past my ears along with the airport announcements.

Jiang Xun stood in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window of WLMQ Diwopu Airport, gazing at the distant mountains covered in thick snow.

Xie Zhiyun's decision was abrupt yet poetic—escaping the chill of early spring and heading towards the true winter kingdom: XJ Hemu.

Perhaps Director Xie was tired of the tedious work and really wanted to go out and see the beautiful landscapes of the motherland. Or perhaps she also wanted to spend time with her daughter, as she always took Yang Kaiyi on trips during her holidays.

"What, you're already missing your sister Ling'er after only two days apart?" Yang Huimin's voice sounded behind him with a hint of lazy teasing.

Today, she was wearing a long black wool coat over a black undershirt. Her face was bare, and her features appeared exceptionally aloof. Only when her gaze met Jiang Xun's did a fleeting spark of light appear.

Jiang Xun turned around, winked at Yang Huimin, and lowered her voice so that only the two of them could hear, "It's not that I miss Ling'er, I'm just worried about whether my older sister will cry when she's all alone?"

He whispered the subtle word "cry" very lightly, yet it clearly reached Yang Huimin's ears.

Yang Huimin's earlobes seemed to blush slightly from the cold, or perhaps from those meaningful words.

She rolled her eyes at him, then turned around and urged Yang Kaiyi, who was dragging his luggage, "Kaiyi, hurry up, we're about to board."

Yang Kaiyi responded and quickly walked over, dragging a small suitcase.

She was wearing a light khaki fleece-lined sweatshirt, and her down jacket had been taken off and placed on top of her suitcase, like a ray of warm sunshine in winter. Her smile widened even more when she saw Jiang Xun.

"Jiang Xun, your backpack is huge! What treasures are inside?" she asked curiously.

"Some necessities, and some small things for everyone." Jiang Xun naturally reached out to take the box from her hand. "Let me do it."

Yang Kaiyi hesitated for a moment, then let go of Jiang Xun's hand. His fingertips brushed against Jiang Xun's hand, and a slight tingling sensation quietly arose.

"Thank you." Her voice was light, but two blushes rose on her cheeks, whether from the cold wind or her surging emotions, it was hard to tell.

Xie Zhiyun watched this subtle interaction from the side, pushed up her glasses, and a knowing smile appeared on her lips, but she didn't say anything.

She was dressed in a neat outdoor windbreaker, her demeanor calm and composed. "Ah Xun is always so thoughtful," she said softly to Yang Huimin as she approached.
Yang Huimin gave a vague reply, but her gaze was fixed on the tall figure who was helping Yang Kaiyi put away his luggage, with a complex emotion that she herself did not realize.

Was it relief? Jealousy? Or a secret, unspoken possessiveness stirring within her? She tightened her scarf, concealing the fleeting emotions within her.

The journey to Hemu is long and bumpy, taking you from the Turpan Basin to the Altai Mountains.

Outside the window, there was an endless expanse of silvery white, and roads were carved out of the snowfield.

The car was warm and cozy. Xie Zhiyun closed her eyes to rest, while Yang Kaiyi leaned against the window watching the fleeting snow scene, occasionally whispering a few words about his travel experiences to Jiang Xun.

Yang Huimin sat in the passenger seat, seemingly focused on the magnificent view outside the window.

However, on a long, icy mountain pass with a treacherous bend, Jiang Xun's hand, seemingly unintentionally, crossed the back of the seat and landed on Yang Huimin's hand, which was hanging naturally at her side.

My cold fingers were suddenly enveloped, covered, and gently kneaded by a warm substance.

Yang Huimin's body stiffened instantly, her heart felt as if it had been squeezed tightly, and then began to pound wildly in the next second.

She remained motionless, neither daring to return the grip nor to pull away. An immense surge of excitement welled up beneath the veneer of absolute pretense.

She could even feel Jiang Xun's fingertips gently caressing her knuckles, carrying an undeniable sense of possession.

She glanced nervously at the rearview mirror and saw Yang Kaiyi looking out the window with great interest, while Xie Zhiyun had her eyes closed and seemed completely unaware.

This subtle touch lasted only a few seconds, and was withdrawn as soon as the curve ended and the road leveled out, as if it had never happened.

But Yang Huimin's clenched fists were so tight that her nails dug deep into her palms. Only the low rumble of the engine and the sound of the heater filled the carriage; outside the icy snow, only her deafening heartbeat echoed.

……

Hemu Village is like a dream meticulously crafted by God and forgotten in the mortal world.

The pointed-roofed Tuvan wooden houses are covered with thick, fairytale-like snow caps, and the smoke from their chimneys rises straight up in the cold air, dissipating into the unreal blue sky.

A section of the Kanas River meanders through this area, with the part that is not completely frozen gurgling and steam rising from the water. Against the backdrop of the frost-covered trees on both banks, it looks even more ethereal.

The vast birch forest is now reduced to straight, black trunks, their branches laden with soft snow, resembling rows of soldiers silently awaiting inspection.

Looking out, the snow-capped mountains are surrounded, draped in a golden veil under the setting sun, appearing sacred and majestic.

They stayed in a detached Tuvan wooden cabin, a two-story structure that was spacious enough. Xie Zhiyun chose a quiet little room downstairs.

Yang Kaiyi lived next door to Jiang Xun, both upstairs. Yang Huimin's room was at the end of the corridor, relatively quiet.

Dinner was a sumptuous local feast. Tender roasted lamb chops, steaming hot braised chicken, and fragrant milk tea dispelled the chill. Everyone sat around the stove, enthusiastically sharing their awe-inspiring first impressions of Hemu.

Xie Zhiyun chatted with the guesthouse owner about the local customs and culture, while Yang Kaiyi excitedly planned to take photos in the birch forest and ride a horse-drawn sleigh to the viewing platform to watch the sunrise the next day.

Jiang Xun didn't talk much, but he always made sure to add tea and water in time, taking care of everyone's needs. His eyes, however, seemed to have hooks, sweeping over Yang Huimin again and again.

"Jiang Xun, I heard that the starry sky here is especially beautiful, and the Milky Way is clearly visible." Yang Huimin picked up her milk tea, took a sip, and casually mentioned it, avoiding his gaze.

“Yes, with less pollution and a high altitude, the stargazing conditions are indeed excellent. It’s common for the temperature to drop to minus 20 or 30 degrees Celsius at night, so if you want to see the stars, you have to be fully prepared and not get cold,” Jiang Xun replied, his gaze fixed on her.

“If you want to see it, Professor Yang, I can go with you. I have some knowledge of observation locations.”

This statement carries two meanings: it extends an invitation, but also implies an opportunity for undisturbed solitude.

The opportunity thus seemingly naturally reached a consensus.

As night deepened, the chill became biting.

The village lights went out one by one, leaving only scattered lights, and boundless silence and cold.

The entire city of Hemu seemed to have sunk into the embrace of an ice goddess. Upstairs in the corridor, the floorboards occasionally creaked softly in the cold. The night was deep and still. Jiang Xun lay in bed, wide awake.

Outside the window, scattered starlight seeped in through the small wooden pane. Time passed, and he, like a lurking cheetah, listened intently to any subtle sound from the next room.

When he heard that the faint, even breathing coming from Yang Kaiyi's room hadn't changed for a long time, he quietly got up.

Without needing to turn on the lights, he silently opened the door, relying on his excellent sense of direction and memory, and slipped into the deep darkness of the corridor like a shadow, stopping precisely in front of the door at the end.

He didn't knock, but simply placed his palm lightly on the cold wooden door, once, twice—this was their unspoken code.

There was a few seconds of silence inside the door, followed by a very soft "click" that was almost swallowed by the wooden planks—the door lock opened.

Jiang Xun slipped in and immediately pulled the body at the door, wrapped in thin pajamas and trembling slightly, into his arms. He then used his strength to push against the door, shutting out the cold world outside.

"Hoo..." Yang Huimin let out a soft groan as she was hit, and then all her voices were silenced.

No words were spoken! No words were needed!
In the dark room, the cold air seemed to ignite instantly.

Their breaths mingled rapidly, their lips eagerly seeking and frantically seizing each other.

This was a kiss so intense it was almost suffocating, like rain after a long drought, filled with frantic demands and wanton possession.

Jiang Xun's hand eagerly slipped under her clothes, kneading the familiar curves of her waist through her thermal underwear, curves that made his blood boil.

Yang Huimin breathed heavily, responding just as fiercely, her arms tightly wrapped around his neck, her fingers digging deep into his thick, short hair, like a drowning person grasping at a piece of driftwood.

The cold coat was eagerly ripped off, the chilly indoor air seeping in, only to be dispelled by the burning heat of the skin.

He held her, staggered a few steps, and fell onto the wooden couch covered with a thick fur rug.

A solitary wooden cabin on the icy plains is the perfect stage for the collision of desire and taboo.

Outside the window, the cold was enough to freeze one's blood; inside, the flames were enough to ignite one's soul.

The suppressed, rapid breathing, the occasional broken syllables that spilled from between the lips and teeth and were forcibly swallowed up, constituted the most secretive and breathtaking symphony of this cold, long night.

Jiang Xun's powerful physique and skillful seduction completely overwhelmed Yang Huimin, causing her to forget her identity and surroundings, leaving only an insatiable desire...

The Hemu viewing platform at dawn is a miracle born in the biting cold.

Jiang Xun and his companions were wrapped up like rice dumplings, relying on their burning willpower to climb step by step up the snow-covered hillside.

As the golden-red sunrise leaps above the horizon, the first rays of light, like a divine touch, gently dab the wooden rooftops of Hemu Village, which are covered in snow.

Golden light flowed and spread rapidly, illuminating every snow-mushroom-like roof and outlining the shape of every branch covered with ice crystals.

The entire valley was enveloped in a holy golden light. The water vapor from the Kanas River rose and turned into swirling milky white clouds, flowing between the villages and the golden birch forests, like flowing liquid gold.

Villages, forests, snow-capped mountains, and clouds, under the magic of light and color, create a breathtaking and magnificent picture.

"Wow...it's so beautiful!" Yang Kaiyi couldn't help but exclaim. Her bright eyes, reflecting the golden morning sun, were filled with pure joy and excitement on her small, red face from the cold.

She immediately took out her camera and started snapping photos frantically, trying to capture every second of the changing light and shadow.

Jiang Xun stood beside her, his tall figure blocking some of the cold wind.

His gaze was also drawn to the magnificent scenery, but out of the corner of his eye, he kept an eye on Yang Huimin, who was quietly gazing at this dreamlike landscape behind him.

The intense passion of the night seemed to have exhausted Yang Huimin; she appeared somewhat languid, wrapped in a thick scarf, with only her eyes showing, which were hazy and deep.

Only Jiang Xun could understand that deep within that hazy depth was an lingering charm that had not yet completely faded away.

In the afternoon, they participated in a horse-drawn sleigh ride.

Two horses pulled a large wooden sled, ploughing two smooth tracks through the deep snowfield.

All around was pure white, with tall larch trees standing on both sides, draped in snow. A local uncle driving a sled hummed a melodious Tuvan folk song, its desolate tune echoing across the silent snowfield.

Jiang Xun and Yang Huimin sat on either side of the sled.

The sled moved rhythmically up and down on the soft, deep snow. During another violent jolt, Yang Huimin seemed to lose her balance and suddenly fell towards Jiang Xun.

"Ah!" she exclaimed.

Jiang Xun instinctively opened his arms to support her.

But the next second, her soft body crashed heavily into his arms, carrying with it a sweet fragrance that he knew all too well.

The two pressed themselves together instantly. Her arms wrapped tightly around his waist, and her face was buried in the thick down jacket on his chest.

Jiang Xun's arm paused in mid-air for a second before landing on her back, patting her gently to comfort her: "Teacher Yang? Are you alright?" His tone was full of concern.

"N-nothing...it's just a scare." Yang Huimin's muffled voice came from his chest, sounding shaken. But a sly smile crept onto the corner of her mouth, hidden beneath her clothes.

Yang Kaiyi, who was sitting opposite them and was initially a little flustered from the swaying, froze instantly when he saw this scene.

She saw Yang Huimin clinging tightly, almost affectionately, to Jiang Xun, whose arms were completely encircling her.

A strange sense of bitterness and loss welled up in her heart, making her feel somewhat uncomfortable.

Xie Zhiyun didn't notice this scene. She seemed completely immersed in the rare natural scenery, and her whole demeanor was somewhat languid, completely shedding the coldness and authority of the director.

The week-long trip quickly came to an end. After flying back to the provincial capital of Guizhou, Jiang Xun would part ways with Xie Zhiyun and the other two, as he was heading to Shanghai to handle company matters.

At the airport, Xie Zhiyun hugged Jiang Xun and said, "Xun, thank you for spending these past few days with me. Some things are better planned ahead."

Yang Huimin looked at him with a half-smile, perhaps wanting to know how he would handle this complicated relationship.

Yang Kaiyi also looked at Jiang Xun with complicated eyes. The snow in Hemu was pure and flawless, covering all footprints, but it could not cover the mark left in his heart.

(End of this chapter)