Chapter 60

Although the desolate mountains and wild ridges have a unique romantic charm, Xiang Feiran believed that at the very least, the bed should be soft for their solemn first time together, and… there were no provisions here.

Shang Mingbao’s courage was only so little, swayed by the apocalyptic weather outside, and it deflated with his rejection. She was already feeling scared, still remembering the heavy, scorching, and overwhelming sensation when she first touched and held hands with him. Throughout their relationship, almost every time they met involved intimate contact, but her service to him was limited to using her hands, and not long after, she would become flustered by his kisses, often ending up with him taking the initiative.

With no conditions in the wilderness to completely clean themselves, Shang Mingbao felt ashamed, avoiding Xiang Feiran from going further and playfully kissing him. In the end, nothing was accomplished, they kissed for a while, and she fell asleep in the crook of his arm.

After a night of snowfall, the next morning, the frost and snow covered the earth, transforming the world.

The accumulated snow on the tent fell with Shang Mingbao’s movements as she stepped out, hearing the crunch of the snow under her feet. The ditch had a thin layer of ice, and Tashi used a knife to break the ice, allowing the water to flow again. Brushing her teeth and washing her face with the chilling water, Shang Mingbao shivered, feeling her face tighten. Returning to the tent to moisturize her skin, she tore open her daily disposable contact lenses—

Fresh, frozen solid, the beautiful gray-green iris was trapped inside.

Shang Mingbao took a photo in her palm, showing off the world’s ninth wonder one by one:

“Xiang Feiran ge, look, the colored contacts are frozen!”

“Tashi, look, the lens is frozen!”

“Daru, look—”

Forget it, Daru wouldn’t understand.

Can frozen colored contacts still be used? She didn’t know, but she still placed the contact lens case outside the tent, waiting for the sun to rise.

The grassland in the early morning was a mixed feeling, as everything covered in dew looked lovely, but the livestock manure turned disgusting due to moisture. After three days, Shang Mingbao learned to skillfully bypass these obstacles without looking askance, tiptoeing like crossing a mountain stream.

After drinking the red bean and mixed grain porridge brewed by Tashi, they packed up, cleaned up the trash, restored the grassland to its original state, and then began their descent.

Despite stretching every night and receiving professional massages from Xiang Feiran, after three days of climbing, Shang Mingbao’s legs were still sore and unbearable. She had to walk down the mountain leaning to the side, like a lame person, and if she didn’t have two trekking poles to lean on, she thought she might just roll all the way down.

Xiang Feiran always followed behind her, guarding against her slipping.

His foresight and insight were proven—Shang Mingbao slipped three times, and each time, he quickly grabbed the collar of her jacket in the nick of time while she paddled with both hands.

In these thrilling moments, he remained expressionless, only a slight flicker in his eyes. After stabilizing her, he would barely exhale a sigh of relief.

Until the fourth time, Shang Mingbao slipped too hard, dragging Xiang Feiran along for a while. The mountain spring water flowing over the forest floor had softened the soil into mud, and both of them ended up covered in it.

“…”

Well, this Gore-Tex jacket had been with him for three years, enduring storms and rains, but it had never suffered this kind of ordeal.

What could he do? Xiang Feiran could only stay silent for a few breaths, patting Shang Mingbao’s shoulder and saying, “…you fell quite well.”

At the foot of the mountain, Wangmumu, who was waiting in the van, laughed heartily.

“Professor Xiang, I didn’t know you could fall like that too.”

Xiang Feiran shook his head, as if at a loss for words.

“I’m dirty, so I won’t ride in your car, you take them back first.”

In fact, this van shuttled many guests back and forth, not much cleaner than his clothes. But Wangmumu sensed his unwillingness to cause trouble, so he took Shang Mingbao and Tashi back to the village.

Shang Mingbao nestled in his arms, puffing her cheeks playfully, “Do you want me to accompany you?”

Xiang Feiran removed his glove and covered her face with his palm, chuckling, “Save it.”

The climbing pack was also dirty, he took it off and threw it unceremoniously in the trunk, only taking out a pack of cigarettes from the side pocket.

As the van drove away, Shang Mingbao fidgeted with the seat back, resting her chin on it, anxiously watching Feiran for a while.

Wangmumu caught a glimpse of her through the rearview mirror and chuckled, “Don’t worry, Professor Xiang, this road is nothing to him.”

“He’s not a professor yet,” Shang Mingbao corrected her.

“He will be eventually,” Wangmumu casually remarked, “Next time, bring students with you.”

Her words seemed to imply that in the future, everyone around Feiran would be Shang Mingbao. Shang Mingbao bit her lip, choosing not to argue.

Wangmumu changed the sheets for them, and the solar-powered hot water was abundant. Shang Mingbao took a long hot shower, washing from head to toe. She blow-dried her hair halfway, sitting on the balcony on the second floor, basking in the sun.

There was signal in the village, and her phone, fully charged and turned on, buzzed for a minute, but she didn’t even touch it.

Her gaze extended from the eaves of the first floor, catching sight of Feiran’s figure turning from the cliff below, crossing the stream from the apple tree bridge with steady steps. The green shadows enveloped him, and Shang Mingbao stared intently, leaning on the half-wall with her hands, burying her face.

After a few seconds, Feiran’s steps halted, his absent-minded expression pausing as well. Standing in the middle of the wooden bridge, he raised his gaze, locking eyes with her directly, tilting his chin, exchanging a meaningful glance with her.

Shang Mingbao felt a sense of panic at being caught, her heart skipping a beat, unable to resist his gaze. She buried her face in the crook of her arm, smiling while her ears turned red.

In a few minutes, Feiran arrived downstairs. After a brief chat with Wangmumu and Renyang, he ascended to the second floor.

Dressed in sharkskin pants and a clean Gore-Tex jacket with a fleece lining, Shang Mingbao ran over, her long hair billowing in the sunlight. She threw herself into Feiran’s arms, a fragrant breeze of body wash and shampoo trailing behind her.

Feiran used some force to push her shoulder, as if to push her away, but not too harshly.

“Dirty, wait for me to shower,” he said in a deep voice, his hand that had just been washed by the creek running through her hair.

Shang Mingbao tilted her face up, rising on her toes to kiss him for a while.

While Feiran packed their belongings and showered, she finally had the mind to return to civilization.

First, she checked in with Sophie, then called Wen Youyi and Shang Yuye, informing them that the fieldwork was over and they would return to Hong Kong the next day. Next, she replied on Snapchat to Liao Yunuo, Wu Baiyan, and various other contacts. Two wealthy women she had met at Wendy’s private gathering inquired about her availability, and after checking her schedule, Shang Mingbao made arrangements and replied accordingly.

The photographer had finished editing the video of Shang Mingbao’s final attendance at a high-end brand exhibition before returning to the country, and sent it to her email for review.

In the video, Shang Mingbao wore a classic black boxy collar dress, exuding an air of elegance and sophistication, quite different from her cute and sweet demeanor in front of family and Feiran. The camera followed her, presenting the exclusive invitation-only exhibition in detail. Anyone would say it was a professional and insightful sharing session, tracing the brand’s history, explaining design origins, and reviewing material quality.

She had her own standards and aesthetics, more discerning than those wealthy women, unafraid to offend the brand. Therefore, instead of mere flattery, she provided sharp critiques.

After watching the ten-minute video from start to finish, Shang Mingbao sent the corresponding time adjustments to the photographer for editing, to be directly published on her account once completed.

Having done all this, she rose from the uncomfortably hard chair, pushed open Feiran’s room.

The steam from the shower room mixed with a fragrant scent had not dissipated, turning into a misty dampness in the afternoon sunlight. Feiran was standing by the window dealing with emails, and upon hearing the sound of the door closing, he put away his phone and gazed at her for a while with a serious expression, “Not locking?”

Shang Mingbao’s heart skipped a beat at the implication in his words, fidgeting with her fingertips, and with a click, the door was locked.

Before reaching the window, he pulled her into his arms. The towering white cliff directly in front, the rumbling stream below the window, mirrored the beating of her heart in her chest.

In the sunlight, Feiran lowered his gaze to her, his eyes calm and serene, seemingly unaffected. His raised finger traced gently and slowly down her face.

He didn’t speak, but Shang Mingbao’s breath was already in disarray, feeling a mix of panic and a sudden urge to escape. This time, there was no chance, no playful coaxing like last night—her wrist was firmly held by Feiran, and in this position, he kissed her fiercely.

Caught off guard by his aggressive kiss, Shang Mingbao felt that his restraint and hesitance from the past three days had transitioned into something more intense. She was powerless to resist, losing all initiative or interactive rights, simply enduring it, unable to swallow, her mouth wet with saliva.

The sun was too bright, and she felt extreme shame. If someone stood on that half-cliff, they would see her clinging to Feiran’s shoulders, trembling from the warmth of his body.

As she was led to the edge of the bed, with a swift motion, the blackout curtain was forcefully pulled down.

The skin-like texture of the sharkskin pants felt real, and she couldn’t tell if he was deliberately holding back or not, as he massaged her with a callused palm for a long time before pulling it off without reservation.

At the critical moment, Shang Mingbao panicked again, unable to speak, her pupils round and staring at him, bright yet fearful.

Feiran covered her eyes, “Not here.”

Shang Mingbao visibly relaxed her tense body, and Feiran laughed beside her, “Afraid like this?”

“Not… it’s just that you’re too…” Shang Mingbao struggled to speak, “too…”

“Too big?” he helped her finish her sentence.

Shang Mingbao wanted to avoid his gaze, but Feiran wouldn’t allow it. He held her captive, his gaze deep, looking at her, kissing her, and asking, “Is it?”

Shang Mingbao could only nod.

“Then have some wine?” he suggested, “You might be in a better state.”

“No.” Shang Mingbao blurted out.

Xiang Feiran raised an eyebrow.

Shang Mingbao’s face flushed red, she bit her lip, her eyes hiding apprehension, “I’m afraid of pain. Will it hurt a lot?”

“How am I supposed to answer that?”

“…”

The fabric beneath her unknowingly shifted to the side.

“Does it hurt?” Xiang Feiran looked into her eyes and asked calmly.

His index finger felt a tight warmth, with a natural suction, familiar yet impossible to tire of.

Shang Mingbao shook her head.

“Like this?”

He added another finger, asking slowly.

Shang Mingbao’s forehead broke out in a sweat, her swallow betraying her anxiety, “Don’t go any deeper…”

He knew what she was worried about, lowered his gaze, and said briefly, “No, I know where you are.”

After a while, a stream of liquid slid down his finger, merging with the palm of his hand.

“Seems like it doesn’t hurt,” he curled his lips, a faint chuckle escaping him. With composure, his voice took on a hint of huskiness, “You’re tougher than you think, darling.”

He had done all these actions before, even more intense and rough. Now, he was patiently and meticulously testing it, as if conducting an experiment.

It was clearly intentional…

Shang Mingbao was drenched in shame, but her senses betrayed her, completely switching sides under his leisurely technique.

As the test continued, the initial purpose was forgotten. The window curtains were blown by the wind, the sun shining on the white silk curtains and onto Shang Mingbao’s upturned face. She knelt on the edge of the bed, tears of physiological stress welling up in the corners of her eyes. Xiang Feiran was reluctant, initially wanting to stop her, but when he heard her say, “I want it,” the restraint he had held within him also lost control, the order he had upheld for her crumbled.

Reluctance was real, desire was real.

Amidst the internal conflict, a moist touch enveloped him, making his scalp tighten.

Even saints can lose their composure, let alone him, who is unworthy. He had drawn a line in the sand many times, but this time he didn’t want to do it again.

But Shang Mingbao, as always, gave up halfway. Her cheeks were aching, and when Xiang Feiran pulled her onto his lap, her lips and the corners of her eyes were red and vibrant. Even the most serene and detached person, when seeing the small wound on the corner of her mouth, would feel a surge of possessive rage.

He rubbed his fingertips repeatedly on the corner of her lips, the corner of her lips that was broken for him. He didn’t say a word, his gaze darkening until he kissed her fiercely again.

When Wangmu came upstairs to hang up the sheets, she saw both of them standing on the balcony, cleaning their clothes.

The village was quiet, the atmosphere serene, it was hard to imagine that these two had just gone through something so intense.

She did notice the swelling on the corner of Shang Mingbao’s mouth. Wangmu said, “Are you feeling hot?”

Shang Mingbao felt very guilty and reflexively touched it, “No, no…”

“Not yet? You’ve been working too hard these past three days, and you haven’t been eating well either,” Wangmu straightened the sheets and said, “I have some medicine, I’ll give it to you when you have dinner later.”

As soon as she left, Shang Mingbao kicked Xiang Feiran in anger.

Xiang Feiran didn’t dodge or avoid, a smile playing on his lips.

The Gore-Tex jacket and pants were too dirty, and they could only be sent to a professional cleaner, so he could only use a wet towel to wipe the surface lightly.

Shang Mingbao couldn’t help, so she could only help him fetch a basin of water and stand by the side, watching him patiently and meticulously doing this.

The early spring sun at three in the afternoon was clear and gentle, warmly basking the two who had just showered.

After cleaning the Gore-Tex jacket, Xiang Feiran asked Shang Mingbao to fetch her hiking boots. To prevent slipping, hiking boots usually have large teeth on the soles, and when you look at the upside-down shoe, these teeth are filled with mud.

“What about the pants you wore today?”

Shang Mingbao brought the pants over, and Xiang Feiran unrolled the hem of her pants, shaking out a pile of dirt and grass.

“Want to do an experiment?” He scraped the wet mud from the bottom of the shoe and the dirt and grass from the pants into a pile using a scraper.

“What?”

“There was a botanist named Salisbury, one day he poured the dirt from the hem of his pants into a flowerpot, curious to see what would happen.”

“What happened?” Shang Mingbao squatted down, facing him.

“He cultivated over 300 plants from it.”

“That many?!” Shang Mingbao widened her eyes, looking at the unremarkable pile of dirt in front of her.

Xiang Feiran smiled, “Want to try it?”

Shang Mingbao nodded vigorously, “Yes, yes, yes!”

“Then we’ll take this dirt back?”

Shang Mingbao immediately got up, “I’ll go find a jar!”

“A non-woven bag will do, for samples, I have some in my room.”

Shang Mingbao had already figured out his habit of storing things in his hiking pack, and she came back quickly. Xiang Feiran still used the scraper, packing the dirt into a translucent bag, then tightening the drawstring on both sides, placing it in her palm.

Shang Mingbao felt like she wasn’t holding a handful of dirt, but 300 flowers swaying in the wind.

“When you get back to New York, we’ll plant them together.”

Xiang Feiran would fly back to New York directly after returning to Kunming tomorrow, while Shang Mingbao would spend the rest of her vacation in Hong Kong.

“But if I wait until I get back to plant them, will they be dead by then?” Shang Mingbao was worried.

“You underestimate the vitality of these flowers and plants. Many plant seeds have a dormancy mechanism. To cope with harsh environments and preserve population reproduction, their seeds can lie dormant underground for years, until the natural environment becomes safe and stable.” Xiang Feiran curled his lips, to reassure her, he asked her to guess how long the toughest seeds have been dormant.

Shang Mingbao thought for a moment, “Ten years?”

“That’s nothing.”

“Thirty years?”

“Still not right.”

Shang Mingbao widened her eyes and took a big guess, “It can’t be a hundred years, right?”

Xiang Feiran revealed the answer, “Two thousand years.”

“What?!”

“Archaeologists unearthed seeds of silphium from Roman ruins over two thousand years old, and they were still intact, sprouting after being exposed to daylight again.”

“You’re making up stories to fool me.” Shang Mingbao looked at him with a mix of belief and doubt, trying to see if she could find a clue on his face.

Xiang Feiran chuckled, “The stories of plants themselves are fascinating enough, they don’t need limited human imagination to deliberately concoct them.”

Shang Mingbao mumbled, “These plants can really endure loneliness.”

“If the timing is right, they can also seize the opportunity and sprout quickly.”

“How fast?”

“Thirty-six minutes.”

After saying this, Xiang Feiran looked into her eyes without compromise, “People are the same.”

Enduring loneliness, just like he had for three years without her.

Being decisive without hesitation, just like their third encounter after reuniting.

Shang Mingbao swallowed. She had already experienced his patience and decisiveness, and the longer she endured, the less polite she would be in her actions.

She couldn’t withstand his gaze now.

Shang Mingbao took the small bag of items into the sunlight, opened the camera on her phone, and casually took a few pictures, her heart pounding.

Xiang Feiran let her go, went back to his room to drink water. When he came out again, the blush on Shang Mingbao’s ears had faded.

“This is my souvenir for this time.” She pressed the bag to her chest and asked, “What will bloom from this?”

“It’s hard to say, maybe there will be hound’s tongue, sedum, gilliflower, columbine, water avens, wood sorrel, sugar beet, knotweed, plantain, amaranth… too many, Salisbury’s three hundred plants had more than twenty species, maybe yours will have more.”

“Will it bloom into a star-shaped snow rabbit?” Shang Mingbao asked hopefully.

Xiang Feiran chuckled and gently looked at her, “You like that one? Don’t you like gentian?”

“I like the name star-shaped snow rabbit!” Shang Mingbao said confidently, “I also like gentian…”

“What do you like?” Do you like its cobalt blue flowers, or its tenacious vitality?”

“I like the people who study it.”

“…”

Xiang Feiran held the thermos cup, furrowed his brow at the steam rising from the cup, as if doubting life.

“What’s with that expression?”

“Is it too cliché?”

“…”

Shang Mingbao was so angry her face turned crimson, fuming until she said to Xiang Feiran, “Say it again.”

“No.”

“It won’t sound cliché if you listen more.” He wasn’t sure who he was deceiving.

“You go away.”

Xiang Feiran didn’t leave, instead he pulled her into his arms, buried his face in her neck, and laughed for a while.

“Really.” His laughter was genuine, but his breath deepened as he nuzzled her earlobe, “Instead of that, why don’t you tell me if the food we just had was good?”