Landlord in the Arctic

Natasha stood up and stomped her feet lightly. Feeling the unique warmth, her eyes filled with affection.

Seeing this, Feng Shan’s lips curled into a slightly smug smile. "Of course. If you’re not going to wear it, give it back. I’ll keep it as a memento."

"In your dreams. You gave it to me, so it’s mine," Natasha retorted, her head held high. She crossed her arms, narrowed her eyes, and refused to back down.

The atmosphere inside the bus grew more relaxed and cheerful thanks to their banter.

The fur coat was a gift from Old Tom.

Feng Shan already had one made by his grand-uncle, which he’d left back at his cabin. This meant Natasha could have the new one.

They both finished dressing, carefully tucking in their collars and tying their boots tightly to make sure not a single draft could get through.

Feng Shan turned to Natasha. "Wait here inside. I’ll go out and start the snowmobile."

The bus camp wasn’t like River Beach Camp. The latter was protected by the Fire Seed, sheltered from the wind and snow.

But the bus camp was exposed in the Tundra Wilderness, completely at the mercy of the elements.

A blizzard had howled all through the previous night.

Feng Shan knew the snowmobile parked in the yard was likely buried deep under the snow.

He took a deep breath, grabbed a shovel, and yanked the door open.

WHOOSH!

In that instant, a frigid blast of wind, sharp as an ice blade and carrying a flurry of snowflakes, rushed into the bus.

The temperature in the space, once toasty from the stove’s fire, plummeted instantly. The bone-chilling cold was so sudden it made one shudder involuntarily.

Feng Shan didn’t dare hesitate. He quickly stepped out of the bus and swiftly pulled the door shut behind him.

He looked toward where he had parked.

Just as he’d expected.

The spot where the snowmobile had been parked was now a snowdrift. There wasn’t a single trace of the vehicle beneath the white blanket.

Feng Shan waded into the deep snow.

With every step, his legs sank deep, the snow rising past his thighs and making it difficult to move.

Relying on memory, he probed the snow with his shovel where he thought the snowmobile might be. Once he felt it hit something hard, he began to dig with all his might.

After some effort, he finally managed to dig the snowmobile out of the drift.

Without pausing to catch his breath, Feng Shan immediately started checking the vehicle’s condition.

He pressed the start button. The engine turned over with a hum, running smoothly. It was clear the extreme cold hadn’t affected it.

’Gotta say, this Arctic Cat is a quality machine.’

He let the engine run for a while to warm up completely before returning to the bus.

The moment he stepped inside, warmth enveloped him. The fire in the stove was still crackling away.

Feng Shan first walked over to the stove and closed the damper, cutting off the airflow. The flames immediately died down.

Next, he removed the remaining firewood from the furnace, walked quickly to the door, and tossed it out into the snow.

He then used the shovel to scoop up some snow, stuffed it all into the stove, and quickly closed the lid.

The remaining embers in the furnace sizzled as they met the snow, and the open flame was extinguished.

Feng Shan quickly scanned the interior of the bus, checking every corner one last time to ensure there were no safety hazards and that they hadn’t forgotten anything important.

He shouted toward the bedroom, "Natasha, it’s time to head back!"

Hearing his call, Natasha emerged from the room. The fur coat and reindeer-hide boots gave her a gallant and striking appearance.

When Natasha came out, Feng Shan walked up to her.

He instinctively reached out and carefully tightened her collar, pressing it down lightly to make sure no wind could get in.

After doing this, Feng Shan gave a slight nod and a barely perceptible smile of satisfaction before turning and striding out of the bus.

Natasha was taken aback for a moment by the thoughtful gesture. A warmth seemed to spread through her chest, like gentle ripples in a pond.

She stood still, watching his back disappear through the doorway.

For a fleeting moment, a complex emotion flickered in her eyes—a mix of gratitude and perhaps a touch of shyness.

But she quickly collected herself, took a deep breath, and followed him out the door.

Feng Shan straddled the snowmobile first and gripped the handlebars. Natasha then settled onto the seat behind him, her hands gently wrapping around his waist.

The snowmobile shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, leaving a deep track in the white snow as it sped out of the yard and toward River Beach Camp.

....

The two sped back to River Beach Camp on the snowmobile.

As they passed the site of the Christmas Eve party, the scene was a stark contrast to the previous night’s noisy festivities.

The area that had been brilliantly lit and filled with laughter was now nothing but a complete mess.

Colorful streamers lay scattered and crumpled on the ground. Empty bottles, disposable plates, and other trash were strewn about, a testament to the wildness of the previous night’s celebration.

Members of the Bear Tribe were busy cleaning up, some bent over picking up trash, others straightening tables and chairs. Everyone looked tired, but no one was complaining.

The roar of airplanes occasionally echoed through the sky.

They were the planes carrying guests away, breaking the camp’s silence.

"Khilla!" Just then, Zicao walked over, carrying a full bag of trash. Her cheeks were flushed red by the cold wind, like ripe apples.

"Why are you all cleaning up? Where is everyone else?" Feng Shan asked from his seat on the snowmobile, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"You forgot, Sister Jenny and the other women went home. There aren’t many people left in the camp now," Zicao replied, her voice as crisp and clear as a silver bell.

Her words made Feng Shan suddenly remember.

That’s right!

Jenny and the other female staff had left last night to go home for the Christmas holiday.

Thinking of this, a faint note of sadness crept into his voice as he asked,

"What about Alvin and the others?"

Zicao glanced at Natasha sitting behind Feng Shan, a flicker of envy in her eyes, before she replied.

"After you left last night, a lot of the crew and guests left by plane. Mr. Alvin tried to call you but couldn’t get through. He’s still at the camp."

Zicao paused, then added, "Oh, right. The tribal chiefs haven’t left."

After saying this, Zicao glanced around. Seeing no one else nearby, she lowered her voice and said mysteriously,

"Khilla, since last night, Chief Welta has been discussing something with the other chiefs. My father is with them in the tavern right now."

’What are those old geezers plotting?’

Feng Shan knew exactly what.

Last night at the party, he’d gotten drunk and created a bunch of spark totems by the bonfire.

’That old coot Welta must be getting antsy. The gears in his head are probably spinning like crazy.’

’He’s probably roping in a bunch of Inuit to pressure me into agreeing to turn the Crown Territory into a Holy Land for the Indians.’

But what confused Feng Shan was how Welta had managed to get the Inuit involved.

After all, the Indians and the Inuit were generational enemies.

The conflict and animosity between the two peoples were as deep-rooted as the icebergs in the Far North.

Still, Feng Shan understood one thing.

As long as he refused, it wouldn’t matter if they brought the president himself; it would be useless. They couldn’t change a thing.

With that thought, Feng Shan kept his expression impassive and asked Zicao and the Bear Tribe members to continue with the cleanup.

After all, with the sudden departure of Jenny and the staff the night before, the camp was short-handed, and a lot of things needed to be done.

Afterward, Feng Shan and Natasha rode the snowmobile back to the main part of the camp.

With most of the people gone, the once-bustling camp instantly felt deserted, like a balloon that had suddenly deflated.

Silence flooded in like the tide, once again taking hold of the area.

They parked the snowmobile and walked across the wooden bridge.

"Your Highness, you’ve returned." At the head of the bridge, Natalia’s weary voice called out. Her face was etched with fatigue, and the dark circles under her eyes suggested a sleepless night.

Standing beside her, the head of her security detail, Andrei, wore a stern expression. His eagle-like eyes were fixed on Feng Shan in a vicious glare.

It was as if Feng Shan had committed some unforgivable crime.

....