In such a cold place, cold jokes seem even colder. The two of them couldn't be bothered to respond, hurrying to the place where the downhill cable car was. They noticed that even the cable car had already stopped, showing how much time they had wasted and that everyone else had truly left.

When they finally untied their shoes and ran to the cable car's drop-off point, they saw there was still someone on duty in the control room. When they handed over the pass given below. The person received it expressionlessly: "We've been waiting for you. We have to make a special trip just for you!"

"Sorry, we didn't bring our phones, or a watch, and we didn't notice it was getting dark, plus we went far, so it was quite tiring to get back," Qiao Huanxuan explained.

Li Yan wanted to say that they were consumers, so there was no need to look at this person's face or explain anything. But then he remembered that they had been invited for free by Zhao Yipeng when they came up, and the cable car ticket was for a round trip when purchased, so it wasn't really appropriate to say anything. In hindsight, they probably shouldn't have accepted his free offer.

The three of them took their snowboards onto the cable car and closed the door. Once it was confirmed that they were seated properly, the person started the cable car. Maybe it was because they had been waiting impatiently or because this was the last trip down, and nothing more would happen. After starting it, he left for the shop at the mountain top base, closing the door and going off-duty.

Li Yan and his friends felt they had enjoyed themselves, chatting about the day's events on the cable car. Despite being covered in snow from their rush back, they didn't feel cold.

"Do you think those people will be waiting for us below?" Qiao Huanxuan recalled the people they had a confrontation with in the afternoon.

Li Yan smiled and said, "Maybe! They might have been waiting around here to find us, but since they didn't see us, they probably thought we chickened out and left first."

Zhang Yurong thought about it and persuaded, "If they are really waiting below, don't have a conflict with them, just say it was an accident, and they know the truth. There are security guards at the resort, and they wouldn't dare do anything reckless. Once we leave, just drive a bit faster."

"Alright! I'll listen to you. It's the first day of the new year, there's no need to stoop to their level."

Feeling cheerful, Qiao Huanxuan didn't want to discuss mood-ruining topics, so she changed the subject: "When we get home, they'll definitely be waiting for us for dinner."

"Yeah, plus our phones are left in the lockers, who knows if anyone has called us." Yurong just remembered that it was the first day of the new year, and perhaps her mother or other relatives might have called.

As the three of them chatted, the cable car descended slowly. Although this was an enclosed cable car, it wasn't very tight, and cold wind would still blow in as it crossed the air. It was already evening, the temperature was dropping as usual, along with a snowstorm moving in, making it even colder. Though their run back had warmed them up a bit, sitting on the cold seats made them feel the chill quickly.

"Cold?" Li Yan hugged Yurong, but with their ski suits on, it didn't offer much actual warmth, just a mental comfort.

Yurong shook her head, "It's fine. I'm not that delicate."

"It's not that you're delicate, it's just that you're not used to this kind of weather being a southerner," Qiao Huanxuan, still sitting opposite them, looked a bit envious of Zhang Yurong being hugged by Li Yan, "Hey... Li Yan, maybe you should drive later! None of us feel like driving, and I just want to take a hot bath as soon as we get down."

That's the charm of the resort hotel's added-value room features! When you're tired of playing and feeling cold, you can immediately head back to your room and soak in a hot bath, reducing the chances of catching a wind-borne cold, and it's incredibly satisfying. Of course, from the price of their lunch, it's sure that the room rates here are not cheaper than a five-star hotel in the city.

Li Yan considered Qiao Huanxuan's suggestion and looked at Zhang Yurong again. Though she hadn't said anything, she was a bit tempted. So, he proposed, "How about we book a room to rest for a while? Or head straight to a shower, they surely have saunas and baths here. No worries, I will drive back later, we can go back quickly."

When he indeed suggested it, both of the girls immediately said forget it, feeling it was a waste and unnecessary. Also, it might take too long and they'd be late getting back. Besides, they had heard that hotel saunas and baths often cater mainly to male customers, not suitable for them. Anyway, a little delay and they'd be home, too. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Li Yan actually thought his suggestion was feasible, since his home lacked a bathtub and only had a shower. Besides, it would take some time to get back, and they might be very cold by then.

Just as they spoke, the cable car creaked and then stopped mid-air!

...

The three looked at each other. On the way up, there were a lot of people along with them, everyone stopping mid-air, so there was nothing to be afraid of like before. Now, however, there were only the three of them on the cable car, and it felt different when something goes wrong.

"What the heck? Stopped again?" Qiao Huanxuan looked outside, guessing they were just halfway.

"Never mind, maybe it's like going up, they need to pause every time, but it should be okay after a while," Zhang Yurong comforted.

Qiao Huanxuan felt a bit discouraged, glancing above and below, anxiously waiting.

As a result, none of them felt like chatting anymore, their thoughts focused on the cable car stopping, making time drag on longer when waiting idly. After about two minutes, it seemed the same as the pause on the way up, so Qiao Huanxuan couldn't help but open the door and shouted outside: "Hey! Is anyone there?! We're still up here!"