Another afternoon.
Goose-feather snow drifted down outside the window, while inside, the heating was so dry it made one's lips crack.
In a trendy, artsy book cafe, bathed in the warm, orange glow of the lights, Lin Chu ordered a pot of pear soup and read a copy of *Tomb Raider Notes*.
Changbai Mountain featured prominently in the bestselling book, a windfall the local tourism industry had fully capitalized on. Of course, it was hard to say who was riding whose coattails. In any case, the place he was staying was now called Yunding Market.
Truthfully, Lin Chu had wanted to go skiing in the blizzard. It would have been an absolutely insane and thrilling experience, like a frenzied dance with the snowflakes—a feeling of becoming one with nature.
However, the ski resort had chickened out. For safety reasons, the slopes were closed, and entry was forbidden.
With no other choice, he had to settle for the next best thing: killing time by reading a novel.
Hibernating.
