Since we are all reborn, let’s arrest the senior!

In the early morning, sunlight gently filtered through the sheer curtains into the bedroom, weaving dappled light and shadow on the floor. Jiang Yun slowly opened her eyes, and Lu Mingze's peaceful sleeping face came into view. His eyelashes cast a faint shadow beneath his eyes, his breathing was even and long, and his arm was still habitually wrapped around her, as if he didn't want to let go of this warmth even in his sleep.

Jiang Yun gently turned her wrist, the ginkgo leaf pendant shimmering in the morning light, shining like their beautiful memories. She gazed quietly at Lu Mingze, her heart filled with tenderness. After a while, Lu Mingze stirred slightly, his eyelashes fluttering, and he slowly opened his eyes.

"Awake?" His hoarse voice carried the languor of someone just waking up. He lowered his head and kissed the top of her head, nuzzling his chin against her soft hair like a loving big cat.

Jiang Yun smiled and reached out to stroke Lu Mingze's slightly stubbled chin, teasingly saying, "Mr. Lu, you should shave, it's making me a little itchy."

Lu Mingze took her hand, kissed it lightly, and said with a hint of slyness in his eyes, "Teacher Jiang, do you need any help? I trust your skills."

Jiang Yun smiled and nodded, and the two got up together and headed to the bathroom. The buzzing of the electric shaver filled the bathroom as Jiang Yun tiptoed, carefully shaving Lu Mingze's stubble. Warm breath gently brushed against his neck. Lu Mingze placed his hands on her waist, watching her intently, occasionally winking playfully to tease her.

"Don't move, be careful not to get scratched," Jiang Yun said gently, her eyes full of laughter. After shaving, Lu Mingze looked at himself in the mirror, nodded in satisfaction, and then pulled Jiang Yun into his arms, planting a series of kisses on her cheeks, which made Jiang Yun laugh and struggle.

After leaving the bathroom, the two went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Jiang Yun, wearing a bear apron, tiptoed to reach the coffee cup on the top shelf of the cabinet, but missed it several times. Lu Mingze wrapped his arms around her from behind, easily took the cup down, and stole a kiss on her cheek: "My little dwarf, leave these things to me from now on."

Jiang Yun turned around, pretending to glare at him angrily, but couldn't help laughing: "Lu Mingze, you're teasing me again." As she spoke, she started frying eggs, the aroma filling the kitchen. The two chatted casually about their plans for the day, a warm atmosphere flowing in the morning light.

"Let's go check out the rose garden this afternoon. I wonder if the snow has damaged the flower branches," Jiang Yun said to Lu Mingze as she plated the fried eggs.

Lu Mingze nodded, reached out and wiped the flour that had accidentally gotten on her cheek, and said gently, "Okay, and while you're at it, hang the music box on the swing. You've been wanting to keep it in mind."

After breakfast, the two tidied up the kitchen and went about their own business. Jiang Yun sat at her desk, continuing to design the invitation for the Rose Garden party. She wore gold-rimmed glasses, and when she lowered her gaze, her eyelashes cast fan-shaped shadows under her eyes. In her right hand, she held a colored pencil and lightly outlined the roses on the drawing paper. Sunlight streamed through the window, bathing her in a soft glow, making her appear like a tranquil and beautiful painting.

Lu Mingze was arranging the remaining Christmas lights in the living room, planning to redecorate the house. He would occasionally peek in to watch Jiang Yun as she diligently drew, and a smile would unconsciously creep onto his lips. As he watched, he couldn't help but walk up behind Jiang Yun, hug her from behind, and rest his chin on her shoulder: "Hmm... adding some gold here, like the sunlight in your hair, would definitely look even better."

Jiang Yun chuckled and patted his arm lightly, "You're always being cheeky." But she still followed his advice and started revising. The twilight outside the window deepened, and the orange sunset shone through the glass, casting a warm glow on her profile, making her smile even more captivating.

In the evening, the two had a simple dinner and then snuggled on the sofa, watching a rerun of the Christmas special on TV. Jiang Yun leaned on Lu Mingze's shoulder, and Lu Mingze's fingers unconsciously traced circles on her back. The cold light from the TV screen danced on his angular features, and Jiang Yun suddenly noticed that his gaze kept glancing at the skiing advertisement flashing in the corner of the screen.

“Lu Mingze,” Jiang Yun looked up at him, lightly tapping his chin with her fingertip, “Do you want to go skiing?”

Lu Mingze was taken aback, the tips of his ears turning slightly red, "How could you..."

“Whenever you want to do something but are too embarrassed to say it, you secretly look at that thing.” Jiang Yun sat up straight, her eyes filled with laughter. “Like last time when you wanted to adopt that stray cat, but you pretended to casually show me a video of a cat.”

Lu Mingze smiled helplessly and pulled her back into his arms. "Nothing can be hidden from Teacher Jiang. Actually, I've always wanted to learn to ski, but..." His voice trailed off, "I always felt like I wouldn't be good at it."

Jiang Yun turned around, wrapped her arms around his neck, and looked intently into his eyes. "Lu Mingze, have you forgotten? When you first started doing woodworking, you couldn't even hold a saw properly, but now you can make such beautiful signs and swings, can't you?" Her thumb gently stroked the skin on the back of his neck. "If you want to learn to ski, I'll teach you."

Lu Mingze was taken aback. "You know how to ski?"

“Not only can I,” Jiang Yun raised an eyebrow, her eyes sparkling with confidence, “I even participated in skiing competitions in college. But I haven’t skied in a long time, so it’s perfect to pick it up again with you.” She got up from the sofa and stepped barefoot onto the carpet. “We’ll go tomorrow. I know a ski resort that’s less crowded and has good snow quality, perfect for beginners.”

Watching her joyful figure disappear into the distance, Lu Mingze felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He hugged her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder. "Teacher Jiang, how can you be so kind?"

Jiang Yun turned and gave him a light peck on the lips. "Because I'm your personal coach. But—" she deliberately drew out her words, her fingertips tracing his chest, "the coach is very strict. Are you ready for some grueling training, Lu?"

"As long as it's Teacher Jiang who teaches, I will definitely learn diligently," Lu Mingze replied with a smile.

The next morning, Jiang Yun got up early and pulled out her ski suit from the depths of her wardrobe. The fitted design accentuated her curves, and paired with her leather gloves and goggles, she exuded a mature, intellectual, and capable aura. Lu Mingze stood at the door, watching her efficiently pack her ski gear, his gaze unconsciously drawn to her focused expression.

"What are you looking at?" Jiang Yun turned her head, a smile playing on her lips. "Hurry up and change your clothes."

The ski resort was a bit far from the city, and along the way, Jiang Yun explained the basics of skiing to Lu Mingze in detail. Her voice was steady and clear, as professional as if she were lecturing a student, "The most important thing in skiing is to master balance. Your center of gravity should be on the balls of your feet, and your knees should be slightly bent. Remember this posture..." Lu Mingze listened attentively, nodding from time to time, his eyes full of trust in Jiang Yun.

Upon arriving at the ski resort, Jiang Yun took Lu Mingze to rent ski equipment. She skillfully helped him choose suitable ski boots and skis, and patiently taught him how to put them on. "First, fasten the ski boots, but not too tight, make sure your ankles can move freely." She knelt on the ground and personally adjusted the tightness of Lu Mingze's ski boots. "Remember, comfort is the first step to skiing safety."

After donning their gear, the two arrived at the beginner slope. Jiang Yun gave a few simple demonstrations; her movements were fluid and elegant, her figure light as a butterfly, tracing graceful arcs across the snow. Lu Mingze stood to the side, completely absorbed in watching, forgetting his nervousness entirely.

“Come on, try to stand up.” Jiang Yun slid to his side and reached out to support his arm. “Don’t be afraid, I’m here with you.”

Lu Mingze carefully stood up, but his legs trembled uncontrollably. He gripped Jiang Yun's hand tightly. "No, I feel like I'm going to fall." "Relax, take a deep breath." Jiang Yun's voice was gentle yet firm. "Lower your center of gravity and imagine yourself as a tree rooted in the snow." She gently held his wrist, guiding him to adjust his posture. "Yes, that's it, hold this position."

With Jiang Yun's patient guidance, Lu Mingze gradually found his balance. He began to try small gliding motions, and although his movements were clumsy, the joy in his eyes could be seen with each success.

"Well done!" Jiang Yun encouraged him with a smile. "Now try turning." She skied in front of him and demonstrated how to use the inside of the skis to control direction. Lu Mingze tried to imitate her, but because he used too much force, he fell to one side.

Jiang Yun reacted quickly and rushed over to support him. The two of them tumbled together on the snow. As the snowflakes swirled in the air, Lu Mingze looked at Jiang Yun's wind-blown hair and the undisguised smile in her eyes, and suddenly felt his heart pounding uncontrollably.

"Does it hurt?" Jiang Yun propped herself up and looked at him with concern.

Lu Mingze shook his head. "It doesn't hurt, it's just... a little embarrassing." He turned his face away in embarrassment.

“Who doesn’t fall when learning to ski?” Jiang Yun reached out and wiped the snow off his face. “When I first learned, I fell even harder than you.” Her fingertips, still warm from her body, gently brushed his cheek. “The important thing is that you learn something every time you fall.”

For the next period of time, Jiang Yun stayed by Lu Mingze's side, teaching him step by step. From basic gliding and turning to braking techniques, she patiently explained and demonstrated repeatedly. Whenever Lu Mingze made even a little progress, she would praise him generously; and when he encountered difficulties, she would patiently analyze the problem and encourage him to try again.

As the sun set, Lu Mingze was finally able to ski the beginner slope independently. Although his movements were still not smooth enough, a proud smile spread across his face. Jiang Yun stood at the finish line, opening her arms to him, "That's fantastic! Lu, you're now a qualified beginner skier!"

Lu Mingze slid to her side and hugged her tightly. "Thanks to Teacher Jiang's careful guidance. Tell me, how can I thank you?"

Jiang Yun leaned against him, listening to his strong heartbeat, "Hmm... How about you cook tonight, make my favorite crème brûlée, and some gingerbread you baked?"

"Deal." Lu Mingze lowered his head and kissed her forehead. "But now, let me give my personal coach a good hug."

The two stood embraced in the snow, the setting sun casting its golden glow behind them. The distant snow-capped mountains shimmered in the afterglow, creating a breathtaking scene. Jiang Yun closed her eyes, feeling Lu Mingze's warmth and the comfort of his embrace, her heart overflowing with happiness.

On the way back, Lu Mingze drove while Jiang Yun rested against the passenger seat. Moonlight streamed through the window, casting a soft glow on her face. As the car entered the residential area, the streetlights cast warm yellow patches of light on the windshield.

Lu Mingze parked the car and turned to look at the passenger seat. Jiang Yun woke up with her eyelashes fluttering, a few unmelted snowflakes still clinging to the ends of her hair. "We're home." He reached out to unbuckle her seatbelt, his fingertips brushing against the side of her neck, eliciting a lazy hum in return.

In the entryway, Jiang Yun kicked off her snow boots and stretched her body barefoot on the carpet: "I've had enough exercise today, I'm sure I'll be sore all over tomorrow."

As she bent down to untie her scarf, Lu Mingze wrapped his arms around her from behind, his nose brushing against the top of her head: "Coach Jiang's teaching is too strict; the students can't even lift their arms now." He then deliberately made an exaggerated grin.

"Really?" Jiang Yun turned around, raised an eyebrow, and poked his muscular forearm with her fingertip. "Then Lu classmate needs to work on his training. I'll have to teach you how to use the snowplow brake next time."

As she spoke, she walked towards the kitchen, the outline of the elastic band from her ski back brace faintly visible beneath her white sweater. Lu Mingze leaned against the doorframe, watching her tiptoe to take a honey jar from the wall cabinet, her waist tracing a beautiful arc beneath the fabric. "I suddenly realized," he said slowly, "that Teacher Jiang looks particularly charming in her ski suit." Seeing her ears turn red, he added, "especially when she's adjusting my ski boots, the way she squats down in front of me so focused."

"Lu Mingze!" Jiang Yun turned around, holding a wooden spoon, her feigned anger barely concealing her amusement. "If you keep being cheeky, I won't make you hot cocoa." She poured milk into a mug, and as the steam rose, she suddenly remembered something: "Oh right, the ski resort has night sessions next week, shall we try it?"

Lu Mingze walked behind her, braced his hands on the table and pulled her into his arms, resting his chin on her shoulder: "Looking at the stars on the ski slope?" His voice, mixed with his breath, sprayed into her ear, "But let's make it clear first, Coach Jiang will hold the student's hand the whole time to prevent me from falling due to nervousness."

Jiang Yun chuckled, turning around and bumping into his warm chest. She looked up at him, her eyelashes casting delicate shadows in the lamplight: "Sure, sure," she said, her fingertips tracing the buttons of his sweater, "but Lu has to grant me one request—"

"What conditions?"

“Come with me for core training every night.” Jiang Yun winked mischievously. “That way, I can unlock more difficult moves next time I ski.” She reached out and pressed her hand against his abs. “Like when we’re side-skiing.” Before she could finish speaking, Lu Mingze lowered his head and cut her off.

In the kitchen, hot cocoa sizzled on the induction cooker, gradually releasing its sweet aroma. After a long while, Lu Mingze released her, his voice hoarse: "Deal. But as a reward, I want to reserve tomorrow's ski instruction video." He pulled out his phone and waved it, "The kind exclusively recorded by Coach Jiang."

Jiang Yun took the phone, unlocked it, and opened the photo album to find the photos taken during the day. In the picture, Lu Mingze was wearing comical goggles, awkwardly spreading his arms to maintain his balance, while she reached out to support him from off-camera. Both of them had snow on their faces, and their smiles were brighter than the sunshine.

“There are no instructional videos,” she said, zooming in on the photo and gently stroking it, “but there is a skiing memoir.”

Lu Mingze rested his chin on the top of her head, looked at himself in the photo, and suddenly laughed out loud: "So I fell down so miserably." He paused, his voice becoming gentle, "But with you by my side, even falling down becomes fun."

(End of this chapter)