Lin Gaoyuan

"El? What are you doing here?"

"I heard you were here, Zhou, so I came to take a look!"

Even through the helmet and ski goggles, hearing his slightly shy voice made it easy to picture his expression.

Only Lin Gaoyuan, still sitting on the ground, wore a blank look of utter confusion. Who on earth was this?

"Get up, Gaoyuan. Sitting on the ice too long isn't good." Duan Nanzhou quickly pulled Lin Gaoyuan up and began introducing them to each other, conveniently explaining to El why she happened to be at the beginner ski slope.

"So that's how it is! Since you're Zhou's friend, I can tag along and play with you guys too!"

El's slightly excited voice rang out, but it finally made Lin Gaoyuan, who had just processed the situation, feel that something was amiss.

Who is this? Nanzhou's friend? Why does their dynamic feel a bit off?

"That won't be necessary, El. We're about to wrap up and head over to change our gear!"

Duan Nanzhou refused; she was starting to get hungry.

"Oh, alright then. I'm finishing up too, so let's all head to the lounge together!"

With that, El acted completely at home, falling in step right beside the two as they walked back. The entire way, he chatted animatedly with Duan Nanzhou, giving Lin Gaoyuan—who was already reserved around strangers—zero opportunity to get a word in.

All the way to the changing room, Lin Gaoyuan grew increasingly convinced that this so-called El and Nanzhou were more than just ordinary friends. The main evidence was how skillfully El draped his arm over Duan Nanzhou's shoulder along the path and helped her carry her skis.

These slightly intimate gestures, unless one shared a very close relationship with Duan Nanzhou and had her tacit approval, were generally never permitted.

Thus, alarm bells kept ringing in Lin Gaoyuan's head. Could Nanzhou have made a new boyfriend?

After changing out of their ski suits, upon hearing that the two were going out for a meal, El enthusiastically expressed his desire to tag along.

However, knowing Lin Gaoyuan's somewhat shy disposition with strangers, and considering she had originally invited him to Switzerland for a few days, Duan Nanzhou decided it was better not to involve outsiders just yet, and politely declined El.

Watching El depart with a dejected silhouette, the two got into the car and prepared to head to the restaurant.

Along the way, Lin Gaoyuan remained entirely silent, which struck Duan Nanzhou as rather strange. In her experience, Lin Gaoyuan was usually quite talkative and rarely let the atmosphere grow this quiet.

"Gaoyuan, what's wrong? Too exhausted from skiing?"

"No."

Lin Gaoyuan felt mentally exhausted. He seemed to have no standing to obstruct Duan Nanzhou from starting a new romance; at best, he was merely an ex who wasn't even her first true love.

Now that they were ostensibly good friends, could he really stand on a friend's platform to critique her love life?

Yet, Lin Gaoyuan was also terrified that if he pushed forward as a pursuer, Duan Nanzhou would push him away. He knew all too well how ruthless Duan Nanzhou could be toward people she had no interest in; otherwise, he would never have had the chance to seize the opportunity and become her first boyfriend back then.

Still, keeping it bottled up caused a dull ache in his chest. Finally, driven by impulse, the question slipped out:

"Nanzhou, is that El guy your boyfriend?"

"Huh?"

Duan Nanzhou's momentary flash of surprise was a purely instinctive reaction, which paradoxically gave Lin Gaoyuan a shred of comfort—until her next sentence shattered it completely:

"Of course not, we're just in the ambiguous dating phase!"

At that moment, Lin Gaoyuan's heart completely shattered into irreparable pieces.

Yet, Duan Nanzhou wasn't lying. El was a handsome young Swiss guy she had met at the ski resort, even a year younger than her.

At the time, El had also signed up for Coach Luca's lessons, and their paths had crossed during a skiing session. After watching Duan Nanzhou tackle high-difficulty ski drills, El's eyes had lit up; he was already completely won over by her skill.

Later, introduced by their coach, they exchanged names and became acquaintances. Upon discovering Duan Nanzhou's stunning looks, his infatuation only deepened.

From then on, El constantly fished for information from Luca regarding Duan Nanzhou's skiing schedule, making sure to show up at the exact same times, which gradually grew their familiarity.

Slowly and naturally, Duan Nanzhou easily picked up on the young man's intentions. He made zero effort to conceal his feelings, always wearing a radiant, happy expression whenever he spoke to her.

Looking at the handsome youth in the prime of his youth—with his blonde hair, blue eyes, broad shoulders, and narrow waist—Duan Nanzhou felt a shameful surge of attraction. Besides, she was single right now; what harm was there in dating?

However, Duan Nanzhou hadn't taken the initiative herself; she had simply allowed his approach to unfold, which was why she described them as being in the ambiguous stage.

During the subsequent meal, Lin Gaoyuan remained listless, his mind looping endlessly over the phrase "just in the ambiguous dating phase." Not a single word Duan Nanzhou said toward the end registered in his brain as he mechanically walked into the hotel.

Watching Lin Gaoyuan walk blankly into the hotel, Duan Nanzhou offered a helpless smile. On her drive back home, a storm of chaotic thoughts swirled in her mind.

Duan Nanzhou wasn't playing dumb regarding Lin Gaoyuan's attitude toward her. Back then, she had indeed taken advantage of him and later coaxed him into a "breakup." Maintaining a friendship now was primarily a way to keep him grounded.

Furthermore, Duan Nanzhou genuinely considered him a friend; the camaraderie and familiarity built over their past lives together were real.

When Lin Gaoyuan asked about her relationship with El this time, part of her intention had been to gently signal to him that she had past, present, and future emotional lives of her own. It would be best if Lin Gaoyuan could come to terms with this and stop wasting his time on her.

Especially now that Lin Gaoyuan was gradually emerging in the national team and gaining recognition, he needed to pour his primary focus into his table tennis career. Entangling himself with her was entirely impractical.

Of course, another crucial factor was that the current Lin Gaoyuan simply did not align with Duan Nanzhou's aesthetic preferences; his style felt a bit too unconventional. Their interactions in childhood had amounted to nothing more than innocent kid friendships.

Having experienced the face-slapping realization of someone she once deemed a friend suddenly turning into a lover, Duan Nanzhou no longer locked herself into rigid definitions. All she could say was that the current Lin Gaoyuan fell outside her dating pool, though who could predict the future?

The day Duan Nanzhou truly fell in love with Lin Gaoyuan, she wouldn't put up a stubborn front and deny her feelings. When it came to matters of the heart, Duan Nanzhou was gradually learning to be unburdened and carefree.

For now, however, remaining good friends was the optimal outcome. If Lin Gaoyuan preferred to cut ties, Duan Nanzhou wouldn't force her presence upon him. Given their current standing, being ordinary friends was the most appropriate arrangement.

She just wondered if little Lin could come to terms with it the way she had.

Clearly, he could not.

Returning to his hotel room, Lin Gaoyuan collapsed straight onto the bed. His mind was an absolute maze of complex emotions, total bewilderment, and absolute helplessness.

Should he start pursuing Nanzhou right now?

Leaving aside the sheer physical distance—one of them in China, the other abroad—the time zone difference alone posed a massive hurdle.

Moreover, Lin Gaoyuan's national team training schedule was intensely strict, leaving him with virtually no free time. Relying on those tiny pockets of time to maintain a long-distance connection with Duan Nanzhou was simply unrealistic.

Another critical factor was that Lin Gaoyuan felt his current personal image was far from perfect. That fellow El he saw in the afternoon—even if Lin Gaoyuan despised him, he had to admit the guy was exceptionally handsome.

Summing it all up, Lin Gaoyuan concluded he had zero chance of winning, and would likely end up losing even the status of a friend.

Thus, a master plan involving strict grooming management and the strategy of slowly boiling the frog in warm water began to take shape in Lin Gaoyuan's mind, continuously enriching itself until its eventual flawless execution.

The next day, when Duan Nanzhou arrived at the hotel to pick up Lin Gaoyuan, she was nearly frightened by his dark eye bags.

"Did you seriously stay up all night?"

"I guess I wasn't quite used to the environment. It's fine, I'll catch up on some sleep on the plane later."

Lin Gaoyuan replied with an embarrassed smile, keeping his grand master plan locked safely in his head.

Duan Nanzhou nodded at his words. Once Lin Gaoyuan loaded his luggage into the car, she started the engine and drove him toward the airport.

"Gaoyuan, how was this trip to Switzerland? If it was decent, you're welcome to visit again sometime!"

"It was absolute perfection, Nanzhou! Everything you arranged was wonderful, I'm so happy!"

Lin Gaoyuan instantly transformed into a praise-singing machine, showering Duan Nanzhou with compliments on every single aspect of the trip.

"Nanzhou, will you return to China after graduating from college?"

"I will! But probably not right away."

Duan Nanzhou knew she would definitely go back eventually. While everything here was great, the food left much to be desired; her authentic Chinese stomach desperately craved the comfort of home.

Even though Duan Nanzhou possessed decent cooking skills herself and often whipped up meals to treat herself, there were times she felt lazy, and she longed to return home to indulge in all those local delicacies!

"I'm planning to complete my bachelor's, master's, and doctorate degrees here, so I probably won't be heading back for the next few years."

Duan Nanzhou added another caveat.

"Oh... I see."

Lin Gaoyuan immediately felt the need to add a brand-new sub-plan on how to make a fortune to his agenda. The moment he flew back, he would train like a madman, aggressively pursue tournament entries to boost his commercial value, and rake in money.

Then, whenever time and opportunity permitted, he would fly to Switzerland to see Nanzhou. Otherwise, if she ever suddenly dropped the news that she was getting married, he would genuinely break down in tears.