Zhou Bin quickly announced on the group chat that they had arrived at Longxu Town and were waiting for them at a local old restaurant to eat. He also provided detailed directions.

The three cars turned off the main road and entered the old mountain pass. The village road was narrow, and occasionally, they had to slow down as cows, sheep, chickens, and ducks ran across the road. By the time they reached the destination, it was already past 1 p.m.

Bian Yiqiu had been sleeping the entire way. No matter how bumpy the ride was, it didn’t wake him up. Of course, it’s also possible that he woke up but was too lazy to open his eyes.

After drinking coffee and soy milk on the car, he felt some pressure on his bladder. He asked the owner’s wife where the bathroom was and went to relieve himself.

Once he took care of his business, he comfortably buckled his belt and opened the door. Fang Rui and Li Ze were outside washing their hands, and they greeted him politely when they saw him.

Fang Rui appeared gentle on the surface, but deep down, he was quite aloof. He didn’t usually speak to people he wasn’t familiar with, and after exchanging greetings, he led the way out. On the other hand, Li Ze was very easygoing. By the time he came out of the bathroom, he was already chatting with Bian Yiqiu about what Jiu’an’s main business was.

Bian Yiqiu almost blurted out “in the gang,” but after thinking for a moment, he gave a more proper answer: “They’re in import and export.”

“Import and export sounds good. I also have a company that does foreign trade. If we have time, we can see if there’s an opportunity to collaborate.”

“Sure,” Bian Yiqiu replied with a nod. It wasn’t until much later that he realized Li Ze’s “foreign trade company” was actually a massive trading group with an annual STO of over 100 billion, and his father was the top leader of Z City’s customs. The last time Hongyuan’s cargo ship was involved in a drug-smuggling scandal, it was actually Li’s family who helped Ke Mingxuan resolve the issue.

“Since Jiu’an’s main business is import and export, why are they competing with Huarui for land? Are they venturing into real estate?” Li Ze continued to ask.

“Not really. They’re eyeing that piece of land to build a hotel,” Bian Yiqiu replied. After saying that, his peripheral vision caught sight of Ke Mingxuan and Lin Jiayan standing by the edge of the yard, talking. He wasn’t sure how Ke Mingxuan had managed to persuade him, but it seemed like they had reconciled. Lin Jiayan’s face had cleared up, and he looked quite pleased.

The old restaurant was right by the roadside. Entering through the door led to a small farmhouse courtyard with a fairly large grapevine trellis. However, in winter, the leaves had all fallen, leaving only the tangled brown vines, lifelessly climbing the frame, with no view to speak of.

Bian Yiqiu pulled his gaze back toward the house. Li Ze, walking beside him, casually remarked, “You’re the first person who’s ever dared to challenge Lin Jiayan to his face.”

“Did I challenge him?” Bian Yiqiu played dumb. “I didn’t do anything.”

Li Ze chuckled. “Anyway, with Lin Jiayan, it’s best not to make an enemy if you can avoid it.”

“Thanks for the reminder. I’ll let him have the Hummer this afternoon,” Bian Yiqiu said, half-joking, as he lifted his foot to step through the door. Zhou Bin was waving for them to come over, so Li Ze didn’t say anything further.

The boss lady started bringing out the dishes one by one. They were all seasonal vegetables from the farm, along with freshly slaughtered chickens, ducks, and live fish. While the taste couldn’t compare to a city five-star hotel, the freshness of the ingredients and the unique flavors made up for it.

Soon, Ke Mingxuan and Lin Jiayan entered, sitting next to each other in the available seats. There was a gap between Ke Mingxuan and Bian Yiqiu, with Li Ze sitting between them. Throughout the meal, not a word was exchanged between them; the only conversation was Li Ze arguing with Ruan Chengjie.

After eating and drinking enough, they continued their journey. Bian Yiqiu exchanged a few words with Zhou Bin and said, “Your car’s nice. Let me take it for a spin.”

Zhou Bin replied, “Have you ever done off-roading? This afternoon is the main event, and the mountain roads aren’t easy.”

“As long as you’ve driven it, it’s fine,” Bian Yiqiu said, not waiting for a response. He walked straight toward the Wrangler.

“Fuck, is he going to practice with my car?” Zhou Bin turned around and looked at Ke Mingxuan, who didn’t even lift his eyelids while sitting on the bench.

Zhou Bin had no choice but to follow and, after calling him “Bian Ge” and “Qiu Ge” repeatedly, he finally persuaded Bian Yiqiu to give up driving and sit in the passenger seat instead.

Ruan Chengjie, with more off-roading experience, took the lead, driving in the front, while Li Ze followed. Ke Mingxuan’s Hummer brought up the rear.

.

The off-road trail from Fengling to Luwei Slope was quite famous in the community. The untouched, purely natural scenery along the entire route was almost a luxury for urban men and women who had long been accustomed to the concrete jungle. The Yuegu River, gently flowing down from the mountain, was serene and graceful. The water was shallow and crystal clear, perfect for an “off-road thrill ride” with a 4WD. Driving upstream, against the current, created a unique experience that even Bian Yiqiu, who wasn’t particularly interested in off-roading, found exciting due to the never-before-experienced thrill.

After driving along a stretch of cobblestone road by the river, they entered the primitive forest. The awe-inspiring, breathtaking scenery unfolded before them like a scroll of painting, layer upon layer, so beautiful it was soul-stirring. The over 100 kilometers of asphalt road meandered through the forest, with towering ancient trees and lush shrubs rushing past on both sides of the car. The cold, fresh air surged from all directions, rushing into every pore of their bodies. The oxygen-filled air made their bodies feel light as if they were floating, more blissful than the peak of an orgasm.

After passing through the forest, they reached the mountainous area, where the bumpy dirt road had deep tire tracks from years of off-road vehicles passing through. On the left was a steep slope, and on the right was a sheer cliff. At the foot of the slope were rows of tea plantations. The evergreens of the tea trees remained dark green even in winter, with old leaves standing in contrast to the flowing clouds and the expansive, distant sky.

Ruan Chengjie’s voice came through the radio, reminding everyone to switch the transfer case to 4L, put the car in first gear, slow down, and proceed cautiously. In addition to watching out for the bumps in the road, they also had to be wary of falling rocks from above.

Before he could finish, Bian Yiqiu heard something crashing down onto the roof of the car. He couldn’t help but curse, “Damn it.”

Ke Mingxuan asked over the radio, “What’s going on?”

Zhou Bin shouted into the intercom, “Ruan Chengjie, you jinx! There are two dents on my car roof!”

“You’re just unlucky. We passed through without a problem. Watch out for the cars behind,” Ruan Chengjie responded, not bothering to argue. He carefully turned the wheel and continued driving forward.

Less than five minutes later, there was a loud thud from the front, and then Zhou Bin and Bian Yiqiu saw Ruan Chengjie’s Land Rover tip to the right and stop moving.

“Flat tire,” Bian Yiqiu said just as Ruan Chengjie’s furious curses came through the radio.

“Damn it!” followed by the sound of the car door opening and slamming shut.

Zhou Bin parked the car at the side of the road, and Bian Yiqiu got out to help. Ke Mingxuan’s voice came through the intercom, reminding Zhou Bin, “Get a helmet for Bian Yiqiu, watch out for the rocks above.”

Zhou Bin grabbed two helmets from the back seat—one for himself and one for Bian Yiqiu.

With enough people now, the occupants of the other two cars didn’t need to get out.

It was the right front tire that had blown. Ruan Chengjie found a large rock to wedge under the left rear wheel to prevent the car from sliding. Li Ze opened the trunk, taking out a socket wrench and various screwdrivers and nuts.

Bian Yiqiu took the tools from Li Ze’s hands, squatted down, loosened the screws, then placed the jack under the car. He skillfully removed the blown tire.

Ruan Chengjie handed him the spare tire. “You’re quicker than I am. Do you change tires often?”

“I wear out tires when I drive,” Bian Yiqiu replied, taking the spare tire and quickly swapping it out. In no time, he had it mounted on the axle and tightened the anti-theft bolts.

Ruan Chengjie lowered the jack and let the car down. “So, you don’t do off-roading, you do racing?”

“Occasionally,” Bian Yiqiu replied, tightening the bolts once more before standing up and brushing his hands off. “Alright, it’s done.”

“Let’s find some time to go drive at Wuye Mountain. I just bought a sports car recently but haven’t had the chance to take it out yet.”

“Sounds good. Just let me know when,” Bian Yiqiu responded.

After changing the tire, they continued on without further issues. By the time they reached Luwei Slope, it was just before evening, and the rare winter sunset was beginning to dip below the horizon, casting a reddish hue over the vast, rolling mountains in the distance.

The group wasn’t tired and, with daylight still lingering, they took the opportunity to drive and have some fun with their vehicles. Bian Yiqiu tried his hand at it too, and when he raced down the steep slope, it almost knocked the breath out of him.

Liang Ziyue, now a domesticated man since marrying his wife, found a sheltered spot to set up a stove. He rummaged through the trunk, pulling out pots, pans, and simple ingredients to cook a meal. Fang Rui stood nearby, making a phone call.

Bian Yiqiu got out of the car, and Zhou Bin asked if he was still interested in playing. He waved him off and replied, “I think I’m more suited to chasing speed.”

So, Zhou Bin went off to play on his own.

Bian Yiqiu walked over to Liang Ziyue’s side and asked if he needed help.

Liang Ziyue was in the process of starting a fire. Before he could answer, Ke Mingxuan’s voice came from behind him.

“Can you cook?”

Bian Yiqiu glanced at him but didn’t answer. Instead, he asked, “Why aren’t you playing cars with your Sister Lin?”

When Liang Ziyue heard the words “Sister Lin,” his hand shook, nearly tossing the fuel he had just lit into the pot.

Ke Mingxuan’s lips twitched, and he turned to look at Lin Jiayan, who was recklessly speeding in the Hummer. “Have you ever seen such a wild ‘Sister Lin’?”

“Well, it’s a good opportunity to broaden my horizons,” Bian Yiqiu replied.

“Bian Yiqiu,” Ke Mingxuan suddenly called his name.

Bian Yiqiu squinted at him, waiting for him to continue.

Ke Mingxuan leaned in close to his ear and whispered, “With the way you’re acting right now, I might think you’re jealous.”

Originally, he said that just to see Boss Bian lose his temper, but Bian Yiqiu seemed to intentionally not let him have his way. With great seriousness, he put on a thoughtful expression and said, “I do think I’m jealous.”

This time, it was Ke Mingxuan who was stunned. So, Bian Yiqiu, mimicking the way he had just done, leaned in close to his ear and gently said, “I think what you just said is even funnier than when I asked you last time if you were in love with me.”

After saying that, Boss Bian casually stepped aside and walked away with great flair. Ke Mingxuan didn’t realize until Bian Yiqiu had walked ten steps away that he had just been completely tricked by him.

Last time, he had mocked him over the phone for a good while, and now, it was his turn to get a taste of his own medicine. He’d been waiting for this moment all week.

Due to its remote location and inconvenient transportation, Luwei Slope isn’t a popular tourist destination. Apart from off-road enthusiasts who visit frequently, there are no other tourists, which has allowed it to retain its most primitive natural scenery.

Though the winters in southern cities aren’t very cold, the ground is very damp. That wet, sticky chill rises from beneath the earth, clinging to your skin and veins, seeping into your bones, freezing your blood into shards of ice. No matter how much you try to warm up, it just won’t go away.

Bian Yiqiu stood under a crooked old tree, smoking. The scarlet tip of the cigarette flickered in the dim light. Not far from him, others were setting up tents.

He stamped his nearly frozen feet and cursed Ke Mingxuan’s ancestors from top to bottom in his mind, but the frustration in his heart still wouldn’t go away. Because, he hadn’t brought a tent, and he didn’t have a sleeping bag.

He didn’t know if it was an honest mistake or if Ke Mingxuan had done it on purpose, but one thing was clear, Ke Mingxuan never bothered to remind him about it. Of course, Bian Yiqiu, with no experience in off-roading, would never have thought to bring equipment.

Now, with the temperature as low as it was, sleeping in the car was simply not an option. Without the engine running, he’d freeze to death, but keeping it on for heating posed the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning if the exhaust system was faulty or blocked by snow. Bian Yiqiu, after all, was a respected boss of a gang, and dying in either of those ways would be too humiliating.

So, should he drive to the town and find somewhere to stay? It was possible, but given the road conditions on the way here, driving at night would likely result in falling off a cliff and dying.

Bian Yiqiu felt dejected, so much so that he thought about kicking Ke Mingxuan off the mountain to feed the wild dogs. However, putting this idea into action would be quite difficult. Not to mention that everyone here, except him, was Ke Mingxuan’s friend, but even if it were just the two of them, defeating him in a fight wouldn’t be easy. Still, he could always invite him over for a cigarette and then push him when he wasn’t looking…

“What are you thinking about?”

The sudden voice startled Bian Yiqiu. Just as he turned his head, the cigarette in his mouth was taken away and placed into someone else’s mouth.

Ke Mingxuan took a deep drag from the remaining half of the cigarette, slowly exhaling after a long pause.

The light was already dim, and with a layer of swirling smoke between them, Bian Yiqiu couldn’t quite make out his expression even though he was so close.

“I was thinking about how to kill you.”

“Ha.” Ke Mingxuan let out a short laugh. Bian Yiqiu thought he was going to say something, but after waiting for a while, all he saw was Ke Mingxuan taking another drag, remaining silent.

So, Bian Yiqiu asked, “Where am I staying tonight?”

He was always a straightforward person, never one to beat around the bush. He would say whatever was on his mind, without hesitation.

Ke Mingxuan looked at him strangely for a moment. “Of course, you’ll stay with me.”

“What?” Bian Yiqiu couldn’t quite process the answer at first.

Ke Mingxuan squinted his eyes. “You don’t actually think that because there’s nowhere for you to sleep tonight, you want to kill me, do you?”