UNCLTRD chapter 45

As expected, when Yang Tao woke up the next morning, he didn’t question why Chen Qiusu had brought him back to his room. His mind was entirely preoccupied with the upcoming snow trip.

Once Chen Qiusu wrapped up his work, he took Yang Shao and Yang Tao on their outing. The drive from home to the snow resort took nearly three hours, and they arrived at noon.

Yang Tao pressed himself against the car window, eyes wide with excitement as he took in the snowy landscape outside. “Daddy! Uncle Chen! It’s real snow!”

Back in the countryside, where it snowed every winter, Yang Shao didn’t find it particularly exciting. But for Yang Tao, who had grown up in the city and never ventured elsewhere, it was an entirely new experience.

Before getting out of the car, Yang Shao turned around and reminded him, “Make sure your hat and scarf are on properly.”

“They’re on!” Yang Tao replied enthusiastically. His grandma had prepared them specifically to keep their precious grandson warm.

Yang Tao was bursting with anticipation, urging Uncle Chen to park the car faster.

After parking, Chen Qiusu stepped out and opened the back door, lifting Yang Tao from the car. The biting cold wind hit them like a knife, a stark contrast to the city’s milder temperatures.

Yang Tao shivered but quickly shook it off, eager to test the ground himself. “Uncle Chen! I can walk on my own!”

“Alright, go ahead. Be careful,” Chen Qiusu replied indulgently.

The thick snow on the mountain felt soft and fluffy underfoot, like crushed ice. If his mouth weren’t covered by his scarf, Yang Tao would have been tempted to taste it.

Inside, Chen Qiusu checked them into the hotel. After giving his name, the front desk immediately arranged for parking assistance and had someone guide them to their room.

The hotel’s environment exceeded Yang Shao’s expectations, rivaling the quality of the hospital Chen Qiusu’s family owned. He hadn’t expected such a luxurious establishment in this remote mountain area.

The staff led the way, warmly introducing the hotel’s amenities and the details of the ski area. When the word “hot spring” was mentioned, Yang Shao’s eyes lit up. Who wouldn’t want to enjoy a good soak?

Once the door opened, the staff inserted the key card and said, “Mr. Chen, we won’t disturb your rest. If you need anything, just call the front desk. We’ve also prepared some gifts for the little one, and we hope he’ll like them.”

Hearing about the gifts, Yang Tao rushed in with his little suitcase, heading straight for the bed where a card and a jar of candy awaited. He ignored his luggage and came running back with the jar and card in hand.

“Daddy! What does it say?”

Yang Shao glanced at the card. “It says, ‘Have fun!’” This hotel really put in the effort.

Since the trip was mainly for Yang Tao, they had booked a family-friendly room.

Holding up the candy jar, Yang Tao asked his dad, “Are these candies for me? Can I eat them?”

Though Yang Shao rarely let Yang Tao indulge in candy, he decided to make an exception this time.

“Go ahead.”

Yang Tao handed the jar to Chen Qiusu to open. After popping a piece of chocolate into his mouth, he picked out all the chocolates from the jar and stuffed them into his pockets. When his dad noticed, Yang Tao gave him a mischievous grin.

….

The restaurant was outside the hotel, requiring a ride on a snowmobile to get there. Originally, they had planned to teach Yang Tao how to ski after eating, but both Yang Shao and Yang Tao became fascinated with the snowmobiles.

After taking Yang Tao for a short ride, the instructor noticed Yang Shao’s interest. “Want to try?”

“I’ll teach you,” Chen Qiusu offered.

Yang Shao shot him a skeptical look. It wasn’t that he doubted Chen Qiusu’s skills but that it didn’t quite align with his refined persona.

Snowmobiles weren’t particularly complicated, and after observing Chen Qiusu’s demonstration, Yang Shao got the hang of it quickly.

“Let me try.”

Chen Qiusu swapped seats with him, sitting behind and wrapping his arms around Yang Shao’s waist. “Go slow.”

The area wasn’t too crowded, with most skiers gathered on a nearby slope. With Chen Qiusu guiding him, Yang Shao quickly became confident.

Meanwhile, Yang Tao, seeing his dad and Uncle Chen together, couldn’t resist joining in. Once the instructor helped him off the snowmobile, he hurried over, yelling, “Daddy! I want to ride with you!”

Yang Shao didn’t even acknowledge him, teasingly calling back, “Catch up, and you can join us.”

Seeing Yang Tao struggling to chase after them was amusing. Just as Chen Qiusu was about to caution Yang Shao against teasing the child too much, Yang Tao tripped, face-planting into the snow. When he got up, his face was covered in white.

“Daddy!” Yang Tao wailed.

If not for Chen Qiusu stopping him, Yang Shao wouldn’t have even slowed down. Instead, he laughed from the snowmobile. “How does the snow taste?”

Yang Tao didn’t cry. He brushed off his face and glared at his dad, grumbling, “My boots are full of snow! Daddy, you’re the worst!”

Chen Qiusu scooped up Yang Tao and emptied the snow from his boots. His socks were damp, though it was hard to tell if it was from sweat or melted snow.

“His socks are wet. I’ll take him upstairs to change.”

But Yang Tao, still excited, refused to go. “No, I want to ride the snowmobile!”

Not wanting to push, Chen Qiusu relented. “Alright, I’ll go grab a pair of socks. Stay here with your dad and wait for me.”

Once Yang Tao’s protector was gone, he was no match for his dad and had no choice but to stifle his anger for now.

Yang Shao offered, “How about I give you a ride?”

With just one sentence, Yang Tao was coaxed into smiling and climbed onto the back seat, only to be pulled to the front by his dad just as he raised his leg.

Noticing something odd, Yang Shao finally realized something was missing. “Where’s your scarf? Aren’t you cold?”

Yang Tao hadn’t noticed until now. Touching his bare neck, he hesitated. “Uh… I think… I left it in the restaurant…”

“Unbelievable,” Yang Shao muttered, removing his own scarf and wrapping it around Yang Tao’s neck.

Yang Tao stroked the scarf, his excitement dimming. “But that was the one Grandma prepared for me. What do I do?”

“You knew it was from Grandma, and still managed to lose it after being reminded to keep everything on?”

The restaurant had been warm, so Yang Tao had taken it off while eating, and he didn’t notice he hadn’t picked it back up.

“Daddy, can you come with me to find it?”

In both their minds, troubling staff was a last resort. With the restaurant not too far away by snowmobile, Yang Shao agreed.

The terrain wasn’t fully developed, so they followed the markers. After some time, surrounded by a vast expanse of white, Yang Shao realized they hadn’t seen a sign in a while.

“Are we going the right way?”

“Yes,” Yang Tao affirmed confidently.

Though skeptical, Yang Shao continued forward.

Minutes passed before he stopped. “Are you sure it’s this way?”

“I don’t know anymore, Daddy,” Yang Tao confessed.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Yang Shao said, frustrated.

“But we definitely came this way before!”

Yang Shao’s instincts told him they had taken a wrong turn. The trip hadn’t taken this long earlier. Just as he decided to turn back, the snowmobile refused to start.

“What’s wrong, Daddy?” Yang Tao, sitting behind him, peeked out nervously.

Unsure if it was out of gas or frozen, Yang Shao grabbed Yang Tao and got off the vehicle. Taking out his phone to call Chen Qiusu, he was shocked to find no signal.

Could their luck get any worse?

He adjusted the scarf around Yang Tao’s neck. “We’ll have to walk back.”

“What about the snowmobile?”

Though uneasy about leaving it behind, Yang Shao had no other choice. “We’ll leave it here for now. If necessary, I’ll make Uncle Chen pay for it.”

Yang Tao tripped as soon as he took a step, falling into the snow. Yang Shao quickly picked him up, brushing off the snow. “You can’t even walk straight.”

Snowflakes landed on Yang Tao’s face as he gazed up at the sky. “Daddy, it looks like the snow is getting heavier.”

Their earlier tracks were now lightly covered. Yang Shao sighed and carried Yang Tao as he walked.

After what felt like an eternity, they found themselves back at the snowmobile. Yang Shao was stunned.

“Daddy, why are we back here?”

He had no answer. How could they have looped back?

Carrying Yang Tao through the snow was exhausting. He placed the boy back on the snowmobile, then tried starting it again to no avail.

“Daddy… are we lost?” Yang Tao whispered, hugging his father’s arm.

Frowning, Yang Shao wrapped Yang Tao tighter in his jacket. “Lost? That’s ridiculous… How could we get lost here?”

Yet, he couldn’t deny the truth to himself.

Yang Tao reached into his pocket and pulled out a few chocolates, offering them. “Daddy, want one?”

Opening the boy’s pocket revealed a stash of candies he’d secretly hidden.

After eating some, they rested briefly. Yang Shao picked him up again, determined to try once more.

Meanwhile, Chen Qiusu had returned with fresh socks but couldn’t find them. He questioned a nearby staff, only to learn they’d left on the snowmobile.

Panicked, he called Yang Shao repeatedly, but couldn’t get through.