Chapter 15

Since the driver had also gone to Beijing, Xiang Feiran had to drive them to the city himself.

The two young women sat in the back seat, with a laptop in the front passenger seat. The results from last night’s feedback were not ideal, so today he needed to find a place to rewrite the code. If he had time, he also wanted to visit Zhou Yingshu.

The ongoing Gentianaceae project was not going smoothly. Although Zhou Yingshu, whose main research focus was on bamboo, had provided some support and guidance on methods, Xiang Feiran had gone through a lot of trouble just to obtain sufficient samples. To do so, he even worked as a research laborer at Qiu Yuanbai for a year as part of a research group exchange. Zhou Yingshu had already personally discussed direct doctoral admission with him, but he also knew that the Gentianaceae project was the only thing Xiang Feiran wanted to do before turning thirty, and the most outstanding team working on it was at Columbia University.

The United States was a destination Xiang Feiran had decided on early.

Fang Suining, with a clear conscience, asked while buckling her seatbelt tightly, “Did you get any sleep last night? Aren’t you worried about getting drowsy?”

The greenery was thick, as if a set of camera shots was moving across the windshield.

Xiang Feiran, one hand on the window ledge and the other on the steering wheel, lazily replied, “Don’t worry, I checked the fortune; it’s stable.”

Fang Suining rolled her eyes. When they passed a convenience store at the village entrance on the way down the mountain, she insisted on getting out to buy him a can of Red Bull.

Under the big banyan tree in front of the store, Xiang Feiran opened the can with his fingers and heard Fang Suining ask, “What time did you actually go to sleep last night?”

Xiang Feiran answered precisely, “Between four and six.”

“Ah? Only two hours to fall asleep?”

Xiang Feiran glanced at her, noting her lack of insight: “I slept from four to six.”

As soon as he finished speaking, his cousin’s iron hand patted his back, causing him to choke on a sip of water.

“Ugh—cough cough cough!”

Fang Suining glared at him angrily, “Who allowed you to drive while tired?”

Xiang Feiran, not joking, said, “Alright, I promise, I took a 45-minute nap before leaving, so I’m absolutely awake now.”

After saying that, he glanced at the silent Shang Mingbao and crushed the empty can, tossing it into the trash can.

With a thud, he added in a whisper that only Shang Mingbao heard:

“Don’t worry, while you’re in the car, I won’t be reckless.”

—

After dropping them off at the mall closest to the library, Xiang Feiran went to the study room with his laptop.

He had given Fang Suining a comprehensive list. As for selecting quality and hardware parameters, Fang Suining had accumulated some experience over the years; if in doubt, just go for the most expensive.

In Xiang Feiran’s expectation, this should be a quick process because outdoor gear was… rather plain and simple. Reliable brands were few, and there weren’t many elaborate options to choose from. But from the continuously sent photos, he realized he was terribly wrong.

Every time Shang Mingbao tried on a piece of clothing, Fang Suining would take a photo and send it to him, asking: 【How about this one?】

Xiang Feiran, in his straightforward manner, replied: 【Fine】

Fang Suining: 【What about this one?】

Xiang Feiran: 【OK】

Fang Suining: 【This one looks good too】

Xiang Feiran: 【……】

Fang Suining: 【This one!】

Xiang Feiran: 【Sleep.emoji Computer. emoji】

Fang Suining: “Feiran gege can’t give an opinion.”

Shang Mingbao felt deflated: “Didn’t you take a good picture of me?”

Fang Suining: “I took great photos! And you look good in everything!”

“He didn’t say which one was particularly good?”

Fang Suining: “He stopped replying to me.”

Shang Mingbao felt disheartened and took off the creamy white soft shell she was wearing.

It must have been Fang Suining’s terrible angle that made her look so bad in the photos; so embarrassing. Should have never let her take the pictures. How could Xiang Feiran choose clothes for a girl?

The sales assistant was exhausted and, seeing the two young women browsing outdoor gear alone, didn’t seem genuinely interested in buying, their expression had long turned sour.

Shang Mingbao picked up her bag and said listlessly, “Forget it, just pack everything.”

The sales assistant’s expression lost control, and Fang Suining was also stunned: “Huh?”

The sales assistant smiled and reminded her, “Miss, our average price is around 8,000, and you’ve already tried on all our women’s styles.”

Shang Mingbao turned to Fang Suining and asked, “Didn’t you say this is a top outdoor brand? So cheap?”

Fang Suining: “……”

Shang Mingbao sipped the pearls from her milk tea, “Just pack it all up, have it delivered to me,” then turned to Fang Suining, “Suining, leave the address with her.”

Fang Suining urgently called Xiang Feiran, but he hung up mercilessly. She reassured Shang Mingbao, “Don’t make impulsive purchases, don’t waste your parents’ money; they work hard to earn it… wait, I’ll find someone with better taste.”

The two sat in the store for a while, with the sales assistant bringing tea and candies, when they were hit with another blow—

“A three-story flagship store, and not a single VIP room? Don’t they have VIP customers?”

When Jiang Shaokang appeared at the door, panting, Fang Suining felt relieved: “Good thing you live nearby!”

Jiang Shaokang caught his breath and first waved at Shang Mingbao with a “hi,” then looked at Fang Suining with a hint of meaning in his words, “It’s not that close, came here on purpose.”

Fang Suining also said with a meaningful tone, “Oh…” and blinked, “Then can you help Mingbao choose?”

Shang Mingbao wasn’t in the mood and sat lazily on the sofa, “No, trying on clothes is so annoying.”

What terrible clothes, and she had to try them herself, not even a fitting model available.

Jiang Shaokang immediately and understandingly said, “Did you just take photos? Let me have a look.”

Fang Suining showed Jiang Shaokang the photos she had sent to Xiang Feiran, and Jiang Shaokang gave some thoughtful suggestions for each piece. Shang Mingbao, initially indifferent, started paying more attention to his advice.

Jiang Shaokang squatted in front of her and said, “Babe, if you trust me, let me see those two pieces again?”

Shang Mingbao pouted, and with great compassion, said, “Alright then.”

The final results were decided, and Fang Suining breathed a sigh of relief. While waiting in line to pay, she checked WeChat and found that Xiang Feiran had replied to her message five minutes ago, choosing one of the options and noting: 【Just turned on Do Not Disturb.】

The chosen item, designed to withstand heavy rain, had heavier material and less breathability, so it wasn’t suitable for this trip and had already been functionally ruled out. It was understandable that Xiang Feiran, having never seen the actual item, made the wrong choice. Fang Suining didn’t tell Shang Mingbao.

Fang Suining replied: 【Chosen, picked another one.】

Xiang Feiran: 【Okay】

Fang Suining: 【Next task is shoes.】

Xiang Feiran: 【Sure】

The research group’s server was quite good, capable of running several tasks simultaneously. He had just rewritten the instructions and was running annotations for two new sets of transcriptomes, so he still had some free time.

Fang Suining sent photos in batches of ten or so, with every angle covered. Xiang Feiran, rarely patient, carefully reviewed each one and gave feedback. A few photos clearly showed Shang Mingbao’s growing impatience, as she stretched her legs out straight, waiting for the sales assistant to tie her shoelaces, with a pout.

The awkward angles made her look crazy, but Xiang Feiran couldn’t help but chuckle, and mischievously saved a few.

Afterward, he locked his phone, turned on Do Not Disturb mode, and began reviewing the literature that had filled his memory.

It was only around four in the afternoon that Fang Suining finally contacted him again.

Fang Suining: 【All done, want to have dinner together?】

Xiang Feiran: 【Address, time】

Fang Suining sent him the location.

Xiang Feiran waited until the last set of data had finished running, closed his laptop, and left the library. The restaurant wasn’t far away, a classic Japanese eatery run by Japanese people, just one block away. He walked over.

It had been a long time since he had a proper meal with someone outside. Walking past towering buildings, the dark gray glass façades reflected his silhouette in a T-shirt, strolling calmly.

From a casual glance at his reflection, Xiang Feiran confirmed his mood.

He was looking forward to it.

When he arrived at the restaurant, he saw Fang Suining waving at him while waiting. The staff guided him inside. At the booth, he found an unfamiliar, but not entirely unknown, face.

Jiang Shaokang greeted him honestly, “Hi, ge.”

Xiang Feiran, with stable emotions, nodded at him, keeping the same smile he had worn all the way here.

The booth was for four people, with Jiang Shaokang and Shang Mingbao on one side, and Fang Suining and Xiang Feiran on the other. The day’s shopping had clearly been fruitful, with several shopping bags piled up on Jiang Shaokang’s side, making him and Shang Mingbao appear very close.

Fang Suining was always the most talkative, chattering away about the day’s events, mocking him: “Your taste is terrible; the pair of shoes you picked was actually the worst-looking. It’s a good thing Mingbao trusted you, or she would have almost bought that one.”

Xiang Feiran’s expression remained unchanged: “So, which one did she end up choosing?”

“Of course, it was chosen by our Young Master Jiang,” Fang Suining said, giving a thumbs up.

‘Young Master Jiang’ was a playful nickname they used because his family was indeed quite wealthy, making him stand out even in an international school.

Jiang Shaokang, somehow feeling slightly less impressive in front of Xiang Feiran, modestly said, “Don’t call me that, just call me Xiao Jiang.”

Xiang Feiran smiled and nodded: “As long as she ended up with something she likes.”

He now felt that the young man wasn’t so unworthy of her after all; he was acceptable.

Better than him.

Shang Mingbao stared at the menu for a long time without making much headway and handed it to Jiang Shaokang. “You order.”

Jiang Shaokang naturally said, “Then I’ll order. I come here often, so I’ll treat today.”

The teacup at his lips paused, perfectly hiding a trace of Xiang Feiran’s self-deprecating smile.

He should make a gesture.

So he said, “I’ll treat.”

Shang Mingbao suddenly looked up at him, her lips parting as if she had something to say.

Hadn’t he already spent a lot on cheap cigarettes? Why would he want to treat? She could tell this place was not inexpensive.

Xiang Feiran spoke naturally, “It’s a farewell treat in advance.”

Shang Mingbao was momentarily stunned, turning her head as if looking at the foreign guests at the next table who were deep in conversation.

Her heart was inexplicably stung, and her eyes felt warm, though no one could see through her.

Because Xiang Feiran spoke little, the atmosphere during the meal relied on Jiang Shaokang and Fang Suining to keep things lively. He was very gentlemanly, proactively adjusting the wasabi for Shang Mingbao, and always refilled her water since she couldn’t drink alcohol. He even made sure to hand her a wet wipe first when she needed one.

Fang Suining propped her chin on her hand, looking at Xiang Feiran with a sarcastic tone, “It feels like we’re the third wheels.”

Shang Mingbao lightly kicked her under the table. But she missed and kicked Xiang Feiran instead.

Xiang Feiran, still looking slightly absent-minded, nodded and smiled at her.

Naturally, the conversation turned to tomorrow’s mountain trip.

Jiang Shaokang casually remarked, “It sounds interesting. Can I come along?”

“You’re a biology failure, just as bad as me. Why would you come?” Fang Suining retorted.

“Exactly because I’m a failure that I want to go, right, ge?” Jiang Shaokang looked at Xiang Feiran.

Before Xiang Feiran could respond, Fang Suining “oh-ed” and turned to him, “But having one more guy to help look after us girls does make it a bit more convenient. Another guy means more help carrying things?”

Shang Mingbao didn’t say anything, but her innocent eyes betrayed her anxiety as she looked at Xiang Feiran, her hands gripping the napkin tightly under the table.

No.

No.

No.

Jiang Shaokang turned to her, seeking her opinion, “Babe, can I come?”

Shang Mingbao took a deep breath inwardly.

He had been carrying her bags all day, so for this, she couldn’t show any rudeness.

“Sure,” she said nonchalantly, dropping her gaze due to the lie.

Xiang Feiran could tell the implication and asked, without emotion, “Do you have any gear?”

Jiang Shaokang said he had the gear, so they agreed to meet up at 10 AM the next morning.

Xiang Feiran opened WeChat: “I’ll send you the location.”

Shang Mingbao leaned over to Jiang Shaokang. “Oh, you both have WeChat?”

Her hair was fragrant, making Jiang Shaokang’s expression soften. “You added me when you went to the hospital that day.”

“Oh.” Shang Mingbao wasn’t really interested in this detail. Seizing the opportunity, she finally looked up at Xiang Feiran and smoothly asked, “Xiang Feiran, why haven’t you added me?”

“He has his Moments set to private,” Jiang Shaokang preemptively answered.

“Who asked you?” Shang Mingbao made an effort to conceal her resentful tone, which came off a bit coquettish.

Xiang Feiran was browsing through his saved locations without looking up. “It’s fine to call me if you need something. You know my number.”

This implied that he wasn’t going to add her.

Fang Suining, witnessing this, commented, “He really is like that. You see, all those photos I sent him, he probably hasn’t even looked at them.”

He had looked. He had spent his precious time downloading each original photo and selected the one he liked but she definitely disliked, saving it in his album solely for plants.

If only there was a plant called Mingbao in the world, it would make his action seem justified.

But in the end, he still hadn’t added her on WeChat.

—

After dinner, Xiang Feiran went to the library to get his car while the two girls waited at the square exit.

Jiang Shaokang stayed with them, buying each of them a gelato and thoughtfully pointing out, “This one has a hint of rum flavor and macadamia nuts. You can’t drink alcohol, but you might like the taste of it.”

Shang Mingbao kept her thoughts to herself, while Fang Suining noticed something.

Are you serious?

“Jiang Shaokang, Mingbao will be going back to Hong Kong in five days.”

Jiang Shaokang glanced at Shang Mingbao and said, “Hong Kong is so close, just a quick trip through customs.”

Shang Mingbao wasn’t paying attention, distractedly thinking that she should have walked back to the library with Xiang Feiran to get the car.

Yes, why didn’t she go with him? Even though it was only seven or eight hundred meters, those seven or eight hundred meters would definitely be more interesting than the fifteen minutes here. There were no plants to talk about; she wondered what Xiang Feiran would say. Would he just remain silent?

But that would be interesting too.

She had never walked alongside him between the buildings.

The red flag car slowly approached, parking with its hazard lights on by the roadside. The passenger seat window rolled down, revealing the young man’s profile as he held the steering wheel.

With a real boyfriend present, there was no reason for him to make a fuss.

Jiang Shaokang moved the shopping bags into the trunk, opened the car door, and invited the two girls in, then specifically said to Shang Mingbao, “See you tomorrow. Good night.”

Shang Mingbao fastened her seatbelt and said good night as well.

The car door gently clicked shut, and her bright and polite smile faded.

Fang Suining was about to tease Jiang Shaokang for having ulterior motives when Xiang Feiran’s phone rang. It was the band’s lead singer, calling to say that he had another live performance with a high fee, but the catch was that the drummer had to be present. In other words, the lead singer and the guitarist didn’t matter, but the drummer was essential.

The lead singer squatted by the roadside, wiping his face. “Xiang Ge, you’re the face of the band. How about it? Are you interested in coming back?”

Xiang Feiran responded coldly, “I’m not available for the next two weeks.”

He wasn’t a magician; he could only focus on two of his commitments at a time—research, the band, and fieldwork. Although the mountain trip was only three days and two nights, it meant he couldn’t make any progress elsewhere, and any delays would need to be caught up later.

“You’re not like yourself if you don’t earn money,” the lead singer reminded him. “You just borrowed 1,388 yuan from me.”

The amount with its specific figure meant financial strain.

“I’ll pay you back in a few days,” he replied succinctly and ended the call.

He glanced at the back seat through the rearview mirror and saw that the two girls had each leaned to one side and fallen asleep quietly. In the dim car, everything was only illuminated by the city lights, casting a golden glow over the girls’ faces.

Xiang Feiran looked away, turned down the volume of the CD, and drove steadily back home.

He couldn’t rely on them for packing supplies, but fortunately, Aunt Lan was experienced and had already laid out the tent, sleeping bags, and other gear.

Xiang Feiran assigned Fang Suining the task of teaching Shang Mingbao how to make a standard dried leaf specimen, including the steps and tools required.

“Specimen folders, corrugated paper, newspapers, heat guns, tags, collecting trowels, branch cutters, various sizes of seal bags, color-changing silica gel, insect nets, centrifuge tubes, FAA fixative, and nylon webbing…”

While Xiang Feiran packed his mountaineering bag in the yard, Fang Suining stayed with Shang Mingbao in the specimen room, showing her all the tools.

“A dried leaf specimen can clearly show how well it was pressed,” she explained in detail. “Let me show you Xiang Feiran’s.”

Shang Mingbao followed her over and took out the sorted plants from the specimen cabinet.

They were flowers, leaves, stems, and roots, meticulously pressed and fixed onto the mounting paper. Some were calm, some bold, some curled, and some spread out, with black ink descriptions of their shapes, identification, and signatures. Some plants were so small that they included anatomical diagrams arranged in an indescribable geometric beauty.

As Fang Suining said, specimens can also be beautiful. Compared to the narrow-leaved Hong Kong Yuanzhi in her room, these were far more attractive, beautiful enough to make one want to collect them and to imagine the patience, gaze, and fingertips of the specimen’s owner.

“You haven’t been to Brother Feiran’s study. He also draws scientific illustrations—they’re super, super beautiful.” Fang Suining used the word “super” twice.

“But he draws very rarely now, only if he comes across a plant that he finds really beautiful and likes.”

Shang Mingbao tiptoed and pulled out a manually bound book from the top shelf. She thought it was a specimen book, but it turned out to be a fieldwork journal, printed in full color.

The author’s name on it wasn’t Xiang Feiran but a name with a poetic touch: Tan Shuo Yue.

Last night, when they mentioned “Miss Tan,” Shang Mingbao thought of “Tan” as in “Tan,” so she didn’t make the connection and just said, “There’s a book here—might it be misplaced?”

Fang Suining glanced over, his expression slightly changing, and said casually, “It should be misplaced.”

Shang Mingbao had already started flipping through it: “What an interesting work journal.

It resembled a diary, detailing the locations visited today, what they ate, the type of guide they found, the plants discovered, and their habitats, accompanied by lively and charming hand-drawn sketches and habitat photographs.

This didn’t look like a published book but more like a self-printed and bound commemorative volume.

“Of course, she’s a well-known plant photographer, scientific illustrator, and popular science writer in China,” Fang Suining casually said. “She can identify over six thousand plant species in the wild. Even Brother Feiran is in awe of her.”

“Over six thousand species?” Shang Mingbao thought that’s almost as many as the English words she knows how to spell.

On a whim, she searched for a unique and memorable name on the internet.

It read:

“Tan Tan Yue, a renowned Chinese plant photographer, scientific illustrator, popular science writer, and botanist. She was a council member of the International Biodiversity Program China Committee and met with an accident five years ago in the Liushi Beach area of Shangri-La, Yunnan.”

Liushi Beach… this unfamiliar geographical term seemed vaguely familiar to her.

But where had she heard it before? She couldn’t quite remember. Perhaps it was on TV.

Fang Suining took her phone away: “Stop looking. I found a beginner’s guide to plant specimen collection, preparation, and management from the Institute of Botany at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Let’s study it together after we finish our showers?”

Shang Mingbao was indeed distracted. She carefully returned the work journal to its place and followed Fang Suining out, closing the specimen room she would soon be leaving behind.

—

The next morning, the Jiang family sent their young master up the mountain in a Rolls-Royce Phantom.

Seeing the Jiang family’s car made Shang Mingbao even angrier, thinking to herself how infuriating—so rich, yet still had Brother Feiran buy coffee that day.

Jiang Shaokang was also grumbling internally. Although the Xiang family’s house looked simple, it was actually quite refined, especially in this uniquely favorable mountainous area with hot springs. Why did he have to borrow two hundred for Shang Mingbao’s medical expenses last time?

His outdoor gear was all top-of-the-line, bought on a whim, but lacking experience, he didn’t know how to organize it, so he brought it all along and had the driver unload it in the yard for reorganization.

Heavy items like tents, moisture-proof mats, camping cookware, and folding chairs were naturally carried by the two boys, each carrying their own sleeping bags. In addition, the heater and pine specimen folder were packed into Xiang Feiran’s climbing bag.

His back injury was far from healed, and these items were heavier than when he entered the mountains alone. After putting it on his shoulders, the muscles ached, but he didn’t utter a word.

Xiang Feiran always wore the same outfit for mountain trips: a black softshell jacket with a bird logo on the chest, indicating it was his most expensive jacket, black quick-dry windproof pants, desert-colored high-top hiking boots, and the black Velcro half-finger gloves that Shang Mingbao remembered from their first meeting.

She still recalled how those hands tossed and caught a coin in the lush greenery.

She also remembered the sound of him tearing the Velcro.

In just ten days, it felt almost like a time travel.

In the animal world, males compete for attention, and humans are no different. Jiang Shaokang scratched his forehead, feeling thoroughly defeated. Damn, he looked so impressive, he couldn’t help but say.

Xiang Feiran noticed the evaluating glance and couldn’t help but chuckle to himself.

After reorganizing the four climbing bags, he handed out the multi-purpose towels, raincoats, and emergency blankets to the three, instructing them to keep these items in the most accessible places.

Jiang Shaokang held up a folded silver aluminum blanket—the emergency blanket—and asked, “Does this really work for emergencies?”

Xiang Feiran glanced at him while busy and replied calmly, “If you encounter an emergency, sudden weather changes, or get lost overnight, you can unfold it and wrap it around yourself. It reflects 80% of body heat, which helps prevent hypothermia. If there’s a search and rescue team, the reflection can help them locate you faster.”

Fang Suining watched him nervously during this explanation, but Xiang Feiran spoke in a normal tone and with smooth breathing.

Jiang Shaokang listened and honestly put the small blanket into the side pocket of his climbing bag.

“The walkie-talkies are set up, one for each of you. The satellite phone is with me. There’s no signal in the mountains, so use the walkie-talkie if you get separated. Don’t worry; its signal covers eight kilometers. With your pace, you won’t be too far from me. Stay put if anything happens, and I’ll find you.”

The three high school students moved a step closer to him in unison: “Don’t worry, we won’t leave you even if we have to die!”

Beneath the loosely stacked multi-purpose towels, a slight smile appeared at the corner of Xiang Feiran’s lips.

This was his first time leading a group of elementary school students, and the only challenge for him was to avoid Fang Suining smoking over the next three days.

This time, he didn’t drive himself but had the Jiang family’s driver take them to the trailhead.

Although he had scared them with extreme scenarios before setting off, he still softened his demeanor and tone before they officially began: “Welcome back to nature.”

This mountain was different from the back mountain of the Xiang residence—deeper, more expansive, and more mysterious and silent. A winding path led up, alongside which a stream flowed downhill. If it were up to Xiang Feiran alone, he would go straight to the summit campsite, which meant an ascent of 1,200 meters and a distance of 25 kilometers. However, because of Shang Mingbao, he planned the camping site for tonight to be in the middle of the journey.

This was different from what Shang Mingbao had imagined about going outdoors.

She had envisioned that, no matter what, Xiang Feiran would accompany her, explaining interesting things about plants along the way.

But, in reality, Jiang Shaokang was accompanying her while Xiang Feiran and Fang Suining led the way in front.

It seemed like he was intentionally avoiding her, as if avoiding some kind of suspicion.

Shang Mingbao didn’t understand and walked unhappily, pulling up grass roots. Jiang Shaokang, who brought a camera to take her photos, received a forced smile from her. But Jiang Shaokang, being somewhat clueless, said that she looked beautiful even when she was cool, which made Shang Mingbao so angry that she wanted to hit him with a rock.

Later, when she was moving too slowly, Fang Suining and Xiang Feiran’s pace was too fast, and they had to frequently stop and wait for them.

Fang Suining volunteered: “I’ve downloaded the satellite tracking. I’ll take Jiang Shaokang to set up the tent first, and you can accompany Mingbao slowly.”

The arrangement was reasonable, and no one objected.

Shang Mingbao allowed them to arrange it as they wished and sat on a large rock with her trekking poles to rest.

So tired! Who thought of this activity? Just looking at plants, walking one or two kilometers that night would have been fine. Why does it have to be ten kilometers?

Xiang Feiran approached her and stood in front of her for a moment, saying, “There’s a snake.”

Shang Mingbao screamed, threw her trekking poles up, and instinctively threw herself into his arms.

Xiang Feiran stumbled a step from her sudden embrace, steadying her by holding her shoulders: “… The snake was scared away by you.”

“You’re lying to me!” Shang Mingbao kept her eyes tightly closed.

“Am I that bored?” Xiang Feiran said helplessly in an extremely calm tone, describing, “It was a small bamboo viper, sunning itself on that pebble. Very cute.”

“What’s cute about that!” Shang Mingbao refused to turn around. With her limited knowledge of nature, she knew that a bamboo viper was highly poisonous!

Xiang Feiran tilted his chin slightly: “Really, look, it’s flicking its tongue.”

Shang Mingbao was almost in tears: “I want to go home.”

Xiang Feiran remained relaxed, standing with one hand in his pocket and the other resting lightly on her lightest backpack, like a tree, providing her with stability.

“If you won’t look, then fine. Get up,” he said, lowering his face with a hint of regret, and softly commanded, “Shang Mingbao, don’t be so lazy, or we won’t make it by dark.”

Shang Mingbao held onto his arm to steady herself, her face pale and pitiful.

Xiang Feiran smiled slightly and suddenly realized that the jacket she had chosen yesterday suited her well, especially with its beautiful collar design. With the zipper pulled up, it made her chin appear delicate. She had applied rose-colored lip gloss, which had smeared slightly onto her black hair as she rushed over. Without thinking much, Xiang Feiran raised his hand and gently brushed away the stray strand of hair from her temple.

His dark green gloves, carrying the scent of the stream, plant leaves, and moss, mixed with the familiar pine aroma, lightly brushed past Shang Mingbao’s nose.

It was a very casual and effortless action, but because their gazes met, it seemed to have the magic to pause time.

Xiang Feiran’s movement paused, the multi-purpose towel completely concealing the movement of his Adam’s apple. The stream roared, and he was confident it was loud enough to cover his swallowing sound.

What else could be exposed?

His breath, both stagnant and warming.

His gaze, from casual to frozen on her face, should have moved away but couldn’t.

Xiang Feiran, you’re going crazy.

He gently pushed her on the shoulder, his other hand already behind her to prevent her from falling. But his words were gentle: “Let’s go.”

Shang Mingbao wasn’t sure if her heartbeat was lighter than the sound of the stream. On her wrist, the watch beeped softly with warnings.

It was the mountain climbing that was too intense, not her heart losing control for someone else.

She covered the sleeve of her jacket over the watch, feeling a strange sensation bubbling inside her.

An impulse to break through the unknown barriers of this life surged within her. Because she hadn’t broken through, she felt very uncomfortable, every cell and pore in her body felt uneasy.

If only he had just…

Shang Mingbao clutched her head with both hands and stared wide-eyed, muttering to herself, “Shang Mingbao, what are you doing?!”

Xiang Feiran frowned and turned back, hesitatingly asking, “Did you just… say something?”

Shang Mingbao’s face turned bright red. “No!”

A voice came through the walkie-talkie from Fang Suining, reporting her current location and asking how things were going. Xiang Feiran detached the walkie-talkie from his shoulder strap and told them to continue without waiting for him.

Fang Suining thought to himself that things were going to be slow; Jiang Shaokang was turning back every ten steps, and the pace couldn’t pick up even if he wanted to…

Shang Mingbao could barely breathe after walking just a couple of steps and started to sulk: “Brother Feiran, pull me up…”

Xiang Feiran kept a two-step distance from her. “Let the trekking poles help you.”

“…”

He could easily tell whether she was truly exhausted or just trying to be lazy based on his experience. Sometimes, after walking just over a hundred meters, he would sit on a rock by the stream, smoking and waiting for her. His long legs would be crossed casually, appearing lost in thought as he gazed absently at the dense tung trees and the lush foliage around.

She had taken photos of him in those unaware moments.

He had the most fluid and three-dimensional profile she had ever seen. His brows were sharp, and his bone structure was deep yet delicate.

Eventually, he reached out and took her hand, separated only by the ends of their trekking poles.

After climbing the final steep slope, they finally caught up with Fang Suining and the others. Following this was a gentle slope, and then they would reach the campsite. There were no more forks in the path, so Xiang Feiran handed Shang Mingbao over to Jiang Shaokang and went ahead to the campsite alone.

Without the burden, his pace was astonishingly fast, and he quickly disappeared into the forest. Shang Mingbao realized that the earlier part of the journey must have been like a leisurely stroll for him. No wonder he had the leisure to weave a crown of small bay leaves for her, silently handing it over and saying it was a reward for walking an extra twenty meters.

Jiang Shaokang also made a crown while waiting, but his was crafted from wildflowers, grasses, and vines, and was more delicate. Since they both thought the flower crown suited her better, Shang Mingbao put it on and gave the bay leaf crown to Fang Suining.

When they reached the last slope before the campsite, they saw Xiang Feiran had already set up a tent.

It was a spacious square three-person tent. The tent flap was propped up as a sunshade, and an outdoor stove was burning in front, with a kettle on it. The water was just boiling and bubbling away.

Xiang Feiran was sitting in a folding camp chair, his backpack resting at his feet. He looked down, picked up the teapot, and poured hot water into a stainless steel mug that looked like it had been mass-produced and probably had twenty identical copies.

Shang Mingbao seemed to glimpse many years of his daily routine from this distant sight.

Leading a group of elementary school students was indeed very troublesome. As Xiang Feiran waited for the tea to steep, he pondered whether to settle for classic canned loach with instant noodles for lunch or to make a curry chicken rice (from a can). Hearing Fang Suining’s enthusiastic cheer, he took a sip of tea and looked towards the direction of the path.

Fang Suining dashed up to him, wearing the bay leaf crown, and kneeled down with a thud. She looked at him with eager eyes, asking for tea or coffee, even instant coffee would be fine.

Xiang Feiran’s gaze lingered on the bay leaf crown for a couple of seconds. After confirming it was the one he had casually made, he nonchalantly said to his cousin, “If you want it, just ask me. Why pick up what others don’t want?”

“But I wanted a flower crown,” Fang Suining pouted. “Jiang Shaokang’s is full of flowers. Yours is all dull. Don’t you have any sense of aesthetics?”

Xiang Feiran replied, “Alright, alright.”

After waiting a few more minutes without seeing anyone, he asked, “Where are they?”

“They’re behind. Shang Mingbao’s stamina is too poor, so Jiang Shaokang is pulling her along.”

Xiang Feiran made a cup of hot tea for his cousin as well and said quietly after a while, “It’s the least I can do.”

He was certainly willing to help her, holding her hand and lending her strength. But her boyfriend was walking ahead. What did this mean? Although she had genuinely asked him for help, his extended hand was full of ulterior motives.

Xiang Feiran went down the mountain again, this time to get the backpack from Jiang Shaokang because the other tent was with him. After retrieving the backpack, he looked down at the flower crown on Shang Mingbao’s head, nodded, and said, “There’s less than a kilometer left, it’s a highland meadow with good scenery. You can take your time.”

After he left, Jiang Shaokang stayed with Shang Mingbao for a while. Accidentally, he mentioned something.

“Last night, Brother Feiran sent me a long list of precautions and tips. At first, I thought it was basic outdoor hiking knowledge, but then I found it very practical. It even detailed how to dress for the cold and heat. He sent it around three o’clock, and then sent another message telling me to take good care of you on the road, saying that you might faint if your stamina was low, and to replenish your energy in time, eat more trail food, and also to make sure you walk on the inner side and face the cliff when passing narrow paths.

“I was so scared by what he said that I almost thought about not coming. But today, he came to accompany you at the end… By the way, how did you get through that dangerous cliff? Fang Suining and I went through one at a time. But seeing you walk so unsteadily later, Fang Suining and I were really worried.”

Shang Mingbao stared blankly at Jiang Shaokang.

That section of the path was where Xiang Feiran accompanied her. She stood on the inner side, he stood on the outer side, facing the cliff with his back to it, calmly facing her and telling her that the slope was covered with dense bamboo and tung trees, and it was not dangerous at all. She was leaning on the inner side, feeling a bit dizzy from overexertion of her heart. In her daze, he quickly pushed her back against the mountain wall.

It seemed like she heard his swallowing sound. Her palms were sweaty under her half-fingered gloves, but she couldn’t tell.

He still raised his hand, touched her cheek, and gently adjusted her pale face with his cool fingertips. His gaze was firm and close as he said:

“Look at me, Shang Mingbao. I’m here. You don’t have to be afraid at all.”