Landlord in the Arctic

Feng Mountain snapped out of it, realizing he’d lost his composure.

He scrambled onto the vehicle and fumbled to start the engine.

The snowmobile’s engine roared to life, shattering the awkward silence.

Quickly.

The snowmobile sped away, leaving the area protected by the tribe’s Fire Seed.

Almost instantly, the surrounding temperature plummeted, dropping from a warm spring day into an icebox.

The two of them, who had just been enjoying the camp’s comfortable temperature, now plunged headfirst into the harsh reality of the Far North Tundra.

The extreme temperature of over forty degrees below zero and the omnipresent, freezing wind.

Natasha was clearly struggling to withstand the cold.

Although she was draped in Feng Mountain’s animal hide coat, she was still only wearing a thin evening gown underneath.

The biting, bone-chilling wind was like a thousand tiny, sharp knives, desperately trying to force its way through the gaps in the coat. Every sliver of cold that touched her skin felt like the prick of an icy needle, making her shiver from the pain.

Feng Mountain, who was completely focused on driving, suddenly felt a cold body press against his back.

Then, two hands as cold as blocks of ice slipped under the hem of his thermal wear without warning.

A bone-chilling cold shot through Feng Mountain’s entire body, making him go rigid. His hands jerked reflexively, and the snowmobile nearly spun out of control and tipped over.

Both startled and annoyed, Feng Mountain whipped his head around to glare at Natasha, who was now pressed against his back for warmth.

But when he saw her lips were turning purple from the cold, some of his anger subsided.

Gritting his teeth against the cold, he steadied the vehicle, twisted the throttle, and picked up speed.

Fortunately, the distance between the two camps wasn’t too great. Neither the howling wind nor the freezing temperature could stop the snowmobile’s advance.

The twenty-minute journey through the biting cold seemed to pass in an instant.

Finally, the snowmobile pulled into the bus camp.

He hadn’t had time to tidy up recently while preparing for the festival, so the camp’s yard was already covered in a blanket of white. The snow had piled up over a meter deep, and it shimmered with a cold, clear light under the polar night.

He drove the snowmobile right up to the bus door.

Feng Mountain leaped off the vehicle. The moment his sock-clad feet touched the ground, a bone-chilling cold shot up from his soles and into his legs.

He stomped his freezing feet while fumbling around the doorframe with both hands.

Finally, his fingers found a hidden key.

His fingers were stiff with cold, but he managed to insert the key into the lock and quickly open the door.

A wave of musty warmth washed over him.

Not caring about anything else, Feng Mountain dove into the bus.

At that moment, Natasha also got off, clutching the animal hide coat tightly around herself. She followed Feng Mountain into the bus with steps that were elegant, yet slightly unsteady.

’So cold, so cold, so cold!’

Feng Mountain’s teeth chattered as he muttered to himself.

’I gave Natasha the animal hide coat, and she’s wearing my boots, too.’

’Even with my status as a "Witch," this extreme cold is almost unbearable.’

His body trembling uncontrollably, he fumbled in the dark, pulling out some pine kindling and a few pieces of wood, and shoved them all into the stove.

As the flames began to lick upwards, waves of warmth started to radiate from the stove.

Feng Mountain eagerly held his hands out to the stove’s opening, feeling the flames gradually drive the chill from his body.

After a little while, feeling slowly returned to his body, and his frayed nerves began to relax.

It was only then that Feng Mountain suddenly remembered he hadn’t come alone.

He quickly turned and looked toward the bus’s living area.

Natasha was curled up comfortably in a rocking chair, a thick deerskin blanket draped over her. Her face wore a look of pure contentment, as if she was thoroughly enjoying herself.

Her slightly messy hair was scattered over her shoulders, and her flushed cheeks, illuminated by the firelight, looked particularly captivating.

Looking at her enjoying herself so much, Feng Mountain didn’t know whether to be annoyed or amused.

’A minute ago outside, she was frozen stiff like a ptarmigan, and now she’s perfectly comfortable.’

"I’m hungry. Go make something to eat." Natasha rocked the chair with a lazy sway. Her tone and expression were like those of a high and mighty Queen, issuing a command without a hint of courtesy.

"!!!"

Hearing this, Feng Mountain’s face, already grim from the cold, darkened several shades more. A flash of anger crossed his eyes.

A rather insane thought suddenly crossed his mind.

’He should just throw this woman, chair and all, back outside and let her get a real taste of a Far North Tundra winter.’

’She’s wearing my coat, wearing my boots, and was just stealing my body heat a minute ago.’

’Hasn’t she taken enough advantage of me?’

’And now, to top it all off, she’s ordering me to make her food.’

However, it was just a fleeting thought—something he could only imagine doing.

Feng Mountain took a deep breath, trying to suppress his dissatisfaction.

’For the fishing license.’

’I’ll endure.’

Though completely reluctant, Feng Mountain suppressed his irritation. He stuffed some more wood into the stove, got up, and went to the kitchen, where he found some canned beef and noodles.

At the same time, he made a silent vow.

’Once I get that fishing license, just you wait and see how I deal with you.’

Then, Feng Mountain grabbed a stew pot and pulled open the bus door. A blast of bone-chilling wind hit him in the face, making him shiver.

He quickly filled the pot with snow from outside, hurried back into the bus, and set the pot on the stove to boil.

As the temperature rose, the snow in the pot slowly began to melt. Wisps of steam rose and filled the narrow bus, adding a different kind of warmth to the cold space.

Feng Mountain used his Hunting Knife to open the can of beef, then dumped the meat and broth into the pot all at once.