Chapter 33: Mudslide

That night, Lin Yiwei truly shared a bed with Xie Bo for the first time, spending the entire night together, sharing the same bed and pillow, embracing each other in sleep.

In the previous few times, they had slept in separate beds after making love. Making love was the goal, only for the long buildup and the momentary fall from the clouds. Holding each other meant unreservedly handing over their most defenseless and vulnerable states to each other.

Before, Lin Yiwei was not used to sleeping in the same room with anyone. In a university dormitory for four, she forced herself to overcome this finicky discomfort.

But sharing a bed with someone… her whole body resisted. It was impossible to sleep. Strangely, sleeping in the same bed with Xie Bo, especially when this guy was entwined around her like an octopus, she could actually fall asleep peacefully.

In her dreams, she could feel this man’s passionate kisses. He was always kissing her, tirelessly, kissing every inch of her skin, prying open her mouth, entangling with her stubbornly, treating her like a candy that would never melt, indulging in her.

Later, Lin Yiwei grabbed onto something and never let go.

Until she woke up the next day, Xie Bo chuckled in her ear, saying she had held onto him all night.

Lin Yiwei pulled back her hand, counter attacking, “I like to sleep touching something soft.”

Xie Bo wasn’t angry, “You don’t let a man use his weapon, and you blame it for being soft.”

The two of them lazed around in bed, bickering aimlessly. After bickering, they cuddled together again, laughing and rolling a few times in the soft down comforter. Lin Yiwei almost fell off the bed but was pulled back by Xie Bo. They wrapped themselves in the blanket, hid in the quilt to kiss, playfully bullied each other, and used all kinds of tricks, neither giving in to the other.

Before, Lin Yiwei didn’t know what a decadent and debauched life was like. Now she had a bit of understanding, it was continuously enjoying the love of the body, other than eating, there was only love, until exhaustion…

Until someone knocked on the door, interrupting the two’s entanglement in the quilt.

The sound of Chi Xiyu’s voice came through:

“Weiwei, are you awake? We’re going sketching today!”

“Oh, okay!”

Lin Yiwei dramatically threw off the covers, got up, and Xie Bo, still reluctant, grabbed her ankle and pulled her into his arms, refusing to let go:

“Give me a kiss.”

She was shocked and quickly covered his mouth, telling him to be quiet.

Xie Bo bit her hand, still smiling, wanting to speak, but Lin Yiwei silenced him with a kiss until the footsteps outside gradually faded away.

She freed herself from Xie Bo’s grasp, got up to get dressed, and reminded him, “You stay in the room until everyone leaves, then you can come out.”

Xie Bo, shirtless, the blanket covering his abdomen, leaned on the soft mattress, leisurely watching her.

She only wore a black underwear and bra, her waistline smooth, her butterfly bones on her back moving with her body… graceful and elegant.

She went to the bathroom to freshen up first, then squatted by the suitcase to find clothes.

She no longer treated him as a stranger.

“Do we seem like we’re having an affair?” he asked.

Lin Yiwei looked up, seeing the man’s playful peach blossom eyes, with a teasing smile.

She knew he had a bit of a perverse taste.

Lin Yiwei put on her knitted sweater and said seriously, “You’re not anyone’s boyfriend, and I’m not anyone’s girlfriend, so it’s not stealing.”

“Then why are you so afraid of being seen by others?”

“Even though it’s not stealing, there’s no love either,” Lin Yiwei said frankly, “What kind of relationship we have, don’t you understand? Do you think this kind of relationship can withstand scrutiny?”

Xie Bo looked at her coldly. “Sure there’s no love? Last night, you hugged me all night, and when I fell asleep, you kissed me.”

“I… I didn’t.”

“I wasn’t asleep, silly.”

Lin Yiwei’s cheeks flushed, grabbing a pillow to hit him. Xie Bo knew she was getting angry again, she was always like this…

He didn’t want to provoke her, so he took the pillow.

“Alright, alright, I was dreaming. Let’s pretend neither of us loves each other and remain as clear-headed as robots.”

Lin Yiwei stared at him, telling herself she couldn’t let herself get stuck in the mud, irredeemable.

Absolutely not.

After freshening up, she sat at the mirror and applied a light makeup. When she left, Xie Bo went back to sleep.

He usually woke up earlier than her. This was Lin Yiwei’s first time seeing him still in bed.

The sheets half-covered his back. Should she say it or not, his skin was truly white, his lines smooth, his muscles full, altogether enticing.

Lin Yiwei checked the time, knowing she should leave, but couldn’t resist walking over, leaning on the edge of the bed to watch him.

Xie Bo had beautiful bone structure, his eyebrows were straight, the slightly messy slanting brows didn’t affect his handsome features.

His eyelashes were a bit too long.

Lin Yiwei couldn’t help but lean in and kiss his thin lips.

He smirked, “No love, do you think I believe that?”

“There really isn’t.”

He hugged her, cradling the back of her head, kissing her gently, as if there were truly subtle and lingering feelings flowing silently like a stream on moss-covered walls…

Lin Yiwei’s hands rested on his chest, her legs involuntarily parting.

Xie Bo slipped in, holding her slender waist.”Yiyi,” he rubbed her with his nose, “You like me, right? It’s fine, you like me, and we’ll get along even better from now on.”

“I like you, but what about the future? What can you give me?”

“What do you want?”

In that moment, Lin Yiwei almost blurted out that she wanted Chi Xiyu to tell her the truth—where did those paintings really come from?

Lin Yiwei restrained herself, rationality making her sober up. The chaotic beauty gradually mesmerized her eyes, and the entwined love could blind everything.

Would Xie Bo give up everything he had been enduring and plotting for over a decade for the brief pleasure of this night? Before he handed over everything, how could she truly trust him?

“Do you like me?” she asked him.

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

She continued, “What kind of like?”

Xie Bo lazily explained, unwilling to speak.

Lin Yiwei stood up to leave, but he grabbed her hand, held back for a long time, and blurted out,

“I have never liked anyone in the way you mean.”

His deep black eyes showed no hint of jest.

Lin Yiwei said, “I should go.”

“Just one more minute.”

She gave him a minute, got up to tie her hair, and walked out of the door.

“I have never liked someone else’s kind of like.”

This sentence kept echoing in Lin Yiwei’s mind, like a buzzing earworm playing endlessly.

She tried hard to shake off this sentence from her mind.

A person without a place of burial, that certainly wasn’t her.

…

It rained last night, and the air carried a faint mossy smell.

They set up easels by the ancient town’s covered bridge, painting the reflection of the white pagoda and the shimmering river surface.

“By the way, how is your brother?” she asked Chi Xiyu.

Chi Xiyu was dabbing on the palette, casually saying, “He broke a rib. He was rushed to the hospital in Qinggang City last night.”

“Is it serious?”

“Yeah, the attack was really vicious.”

She tentatively asked, “Have they found the culprit?”

Chi Xiyu shrugged helplessly, “They haven’t found the person. My brother is going mad, saying he will dig three feet into the ground to find the culprit, but he probably doesn’t have the strength to dig three feet now.”

Lin Yiwei struggled to suppress a smile at the corner of her mouth, “I inquired. Although this ancient town is trying to develop tourism, the people here are tough, and the crime rate is quite high. So, the tourism industry has never really taken off. It’s better to be careful.”

“He deserves a lesson, always up to no good.”

Chi Xiyu wasn’t very concerned about her brother’s condition.

After chatting for a while, they focused on their paintings.

Lin Yiwei occasionally glanced at Chi Xiyu’s painting next to her.

Both in color and line, it was miles away from her award-winning works.

Obviously, they were not created by the same hands.

Seeing Lin Yiwei staring at her painting, Chi Xiyu realized that after spending the whole day here, she had produced a mess.

She impatiently packed up the easel and left.

Lin Yi hurriedly asked, “Where are you going?”

“What’s there to paint in these artificial scenic spots? I’m going to the mountains to paint some natural scenery.”

She knew her strengths and weaknesses well. Drawing artificial landscapes, especially retro buildings, was a bit challenging for Chi Xiyu, but she excelled in using bright colors to depict forest greenery.

She followed the path along the stream and went to the forest alone.

Lin Yiwei looked at Xu Qianxi and the others, “Are we going together?”

Xu Qianxi, holding a pencil, said disdainfully, “Aren’t you her follower? You go, I’ve already half-finished my painting, can’t leave.”

Lin Yiwei could only follow Chi Xiyu to the forest alone.

Raindrops danced in the air again, Lin Yiwei watched as Chi Xiyu followed the stream, upstream, searching for a suitable panoramic scene to paint.

However, after searching for a while, the stubborn young lady couldn’t find a scene that satisfied her.

Ahead was a canyon, the stream became a bit turbulent, with roaring white waves crashing against the rugged cliffs on both sides.

There were small waterfalls cascading down from the cliffs, hitting the slanted rocks, creating thousands of fine water splashes.

The mist floated on their faces, refreshing.

Lin Yiwei listened to the increasing sound of waves uneasily and said to Chi Xiyu, “Xixi, let’s go back.”

“What’s the rush?”

Chi Xiyu stepped on the stream and reached a large slanted rock on the shore. Looking around at the cliffs and canyons, she finally felt satisfied, set up her easel, and prepared to paint here.

Lin Yiwei checked the surroundings, feeling worried. “It’s getting dark, and there’s hardly anyone here. Let’s go back.”

“I’ll just sketch the outline now and add color when we go back tonight.” Chi Xiyu took a photo of the stream and forest scenery with her phone, then took out a pencil.

Lin Yiwei could only patiently wait by her side, paying attention to the surroundings, wary of any wild animals.

The ancient town wasn’t far from here. There shouldn’t be any danger.

“Weiwei, I think you’re the best.” Chi Xiyu said as she sketched, “Your temperament is really good, I like making friends with people who are emotionally stable.”

“Some people say I have a bad temper.”

“Do they? Then they have no taste.”

“Perhaps, different people bring out different sides.”

The two chatted casually, but Lin Yiwei heard that the sound of water seemed to be getting louder and became uneasy.

“Xixi, let’s go back.”

“What’s the hurry? Just a little more.”

“But…”

“Shut up, don’t disturb me! I need to focus!”

Before, Lin Yiwei had seen the thrilling moment of a flood approaching in the news, but she had never imagined how terrifying it would be to witness it firsthand.

With a deafening roar, when they turned around, they saw the surging waves rushing from the end of the canyon, leaving both of them stunned.

After a few seconds, Chi Xiyu screamed.

Lin Yiwei grabbed her and ran towards the shore, but it was too late. The torrent, with its irresistible force of nature, engulfed them both.

Lin Yiwei felt the bone-chilling water flowing into her body, choking on several mouthfuls of water.

Luckily… she was a decent swimmer, not likely to drown.

She surfaced and saw Chi Xiyu struggling not far away, unable to swim.

Lin Yiwei was swept away by the current, grabbed Chi Xiyu’s collar tightly, and she clung to Lin Yiwei like a desperate wild animal, embracing her.

The instinct to survive made her desperately push Lin Yiwei underwater, trying to keep herself afloat, breathing heavily.

Lin Yiwei struggled, broke free from her grip, choked on several mouthfuls of water, and finally managed to resurface, breathing air.

She looked at her at that moment, hatred surged.

She was really almost drowned by Chi Xiyu!

Maybe… let her die here… don’t save her.

However, the next moment Lin Yiwei dismissed the thought. If she didn’t save her, where would her brother find her… alive or dead?

They must be seen alive, if not, at least seen dead!

After struggling in the water with Chi Xiyu for a while, she finally ran out of strength. Lin Yiwei seized the opportunity when the current turned, grabbed Chi Xiyu with one hand, and grabbed a vine hanging down from the bank with the other.

She let go several times, her palms were cut, and the imminent threat of death made Lin Yiwei maximize her survival instinct. Finally, she firmly grasped a longer vine, swung Chi Xiyu onto the shore, and followed her back to the life-saving sandbank at the bend.

Chi Xiyu was soaked, barely conscious, and collapsed on the ground.

Lin Yiwei endured the soreness and pain in her body, helped Chi Xiyu up, and ran towards the woods, away from the suddenly rising canyon stream.

As dusk fell, the two wandered aimlessly in the woods, with Chi Xiyu trembling from the cold, her whole body as cold as ice.

“So cold, Weiwei, I’m so cold.”

“I’m cold too.”

Lin Yiwei wasn’t much better off. She found a relatively open place in the woods and they both sat down.

She exhaled hot air to warm her frozen hands, but the hot air in her mouth was also icy cold, having no effect.

The surrounding dry twigs were too wet to ignite because of the recent rain. Even if they could, without a lighter, Lin Yiwei wouldn’t know how to use wilderness survival skills to start a fire.

She could only hold Chi Xiyu tightly, using each other’s body heat to keep warm.

Though it was like a drop in the bucket, it was the only thing they could do.

Chi Xiyu was on the verge of fainting, while Lin Yiwei was slightly better off, perhaps because she was accustomed to both cold and heat, enduring harsh environments better than Chi Xiyu, who was like a delicate flower in a greenhouse.

“Chi Xiyu, don’t fall asleep, talk to me.”

“Weiwei, are we going to die?”

“No, if they see we haven’t returned and can’t reach us by phone, they should call the police. Maybe someone is already searching for us.”

Lin Yiwei wasn’t sure, but she couldn’t lose hope, especially in such an environment. Willpower was the only thing keeping her awake…

“I’m so cold, I’m so cold…” Chi Xiyu shivered, her teeth chattering. “I’m going to die.”

“No, I don’t want to die, I won’t die.” Lin Yiwei felt the warmth slowly leaving her body, gritting her teeth. “I don’t want to die.”

Chi Xiyu’s mind was in turmoil. She clutched Lin Yiwei’s sleeve, tears streaming down her face, and sobbed, “I know, I know everything, Xu Qianxi and them… they actually… actually dislike me.”

“You’re overthinking.”

“I’ve heard… heard them gossiping about me in the bathroom, saying I’m fake. They thought I wasn’t there, but I was behind the door, I heard it…” Her teeth chattered, “I don’t have the courage to break up with them, they’re my only friends.”

Lin Yiwei seized her hand, “Xixi, they’re not your only friends, there’s me.”

Chi Xiyu hugged Lin Yiwei in despair. At this moment, like in the river, Lin Yiwei was her only lifeline.

“I’m sorry, I’ve been so mean to you before, really sorry.”

“It’s all in the past, don’t think about it.”

“It’s all fake, Xu Qianxi and them are fake, I’m fake, my paintings are fake…” The girl seemed to be confessing on her deathbed, “I’m not a good girl… I have to win more awards, I have to be excellent, I’m like a painting on display, but you know, I hate painting the most… I’ve done even more despicable things to keep all this, I let my dad figure out a way to keep that person, maybe everything that happened today is retribution.”

Lin Yiwei’s heart trembled violently, “Keep who, who are you talking about?”

“My painting…” Chi Xiyu’s teeth continued to chatter, confusedly, “I had no choice. After the first award, I was stuck there. I couldn’t let others know it was fake… I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”

“So that person… he…”

Before the words fell, a man’s voice came from the jungle, “Found them! They’re here!”

Men wearing firefighting uniforms ran over, followed by doctors and nurses in white coats, with police sirens blaring in the distance.

In the chaos, Lin Yiwei saw a familiar figure.

Xie Bo wore a black tactical vest, his silhouette appearing cold and tough under the chaotic flashlight. Chi Xiyu saw him and burst into tears. Xie Bo squatted down to comfort her, saying it’s okay.

She couldn’t say a word, choked up, reaching out to hug him. Xie Bo let her cling to him, but his eyes glanced towards Lin Yiwei, who was just a short distance away.

He gripped Lin Yiwei’s hand tightly, trembling as if shaken.

“It’s okay.”

Chi Xiyu hugged him, crying and trembling, “Xie Bo, I knew you’d come, you’d definitely find me.”

Xie Bo looked at Lin Yiwei with profound eyes until she summoned the last bit of strength to push him away.

She stood up shakily, walked to the stretcher carried by the doctors, and collapsed like a dead person.

Tears fell for the truth that was so close yet abruptly interrupted…