Chapter 9 – 09

The night gradually grew cooler. Liu Xiao Dong tossed a few dry branches into the fire, making the flames burn a bit brighter, dispelling some of the mountain’s chill.

“It’s getting late. How about we call it a night? Aren’t you all planning to watch the sunrise?” He broke a few more dead branches. “Don’t blame me if you can’t get up by then.”

Lou Jia took out her phone and glanced at it; it was already past ten o’clock. Seeing everyone getting up and heading to their tents, she grabbed Jiang Siwei’s arm and said, “Come with me to take a few photos over there.”

Jiang Siwei nodded and agreed.

Liu Xiao Dong, who was on night watch, reminded them, “Don’t go too far. It’s easy to lose your sense of direction at night.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll stay nearby and be back soon.” Lou Jia stood up, walked to the side of the tent, and picked up her backpack. “Let’s go.”

Jiang Siwei immediately followed, not noticing that Lou Jia only took her backpack but left her camera bag behind.

At night, the temperature in the mountains dropped sharply, and visibility between the shadows of the trees was low. Lou Jia didn’t dare to walk too far and stopped on a small slope.

Jiang Siwei watched her rummaging through her bag, glancing around but not seeing anything particularly scenic worth photographing. While lost in thought, Lou Jia suddenly turned around, holding a palm-sized cake in her hands.

It was the kind of small basket-shaped cake, with sweet, creamy frosting and a pink flower in the middle, that used to be commonly found outside school gates when they were kids.

Jiang Siwei hadn’t seen a cake like that in many years.

“Given the circumstances, you’ll have to make do,” Lou Jia said, holding the cake in one hand and a lighter in the other. With a click, the flame flickered to life.

She curved her lips into a smile. “Happy birthday, Siwei.”

Jiang Siwei’s lips trembled slightly, and a sudden surge of emotion made his eyes warm with tears. “Can I make a wish?”

“Of course,” Lou Jia tilted her head, signaling that he could wish upon the cake, the lighter, or even herself.

“I wish for a hug,” Jiang Siwei said softly, then lowered his head and blew out the “candle.” He looked at Lou Jia expectantly, like a little puppy eagerly seeking its owner’s attention.

Lou Jia was charmed by the image in her mind and was more than happy to fulfill his wish. While smiling, she opened her arms, and Jiang Siwei, understanding her gesture, embraced her.

The hug felt incredibly real.

For the first time, Lou Jia truly grasped the fact that Jiang Siwei had grown up. Pressed closely against him, she could smell the familiar scent of soap lingering between them.

In the quiet, the sound of their heartbeats was especially clear.

After who knows how long, Lou Jia finally mumbled, “Are you trying to suffocate me?”

Jiang Siwei, realizing belatedly, felt his face grow hot. He slowly loosened his hold and softly said, “This is my favorite birthday ever.”

“That’s all it takes to make you happy?” Lou Jia suddenly stepped away from the warmth, feeling the chill, and tossed the cake to Jiang Siwei. “Hurry up and eat it, then let’s head back.”

While holding the cake, Jiang Siwei suddenly asked, “Next year… will you still celebrate my birthday with me?”

“Next year…” Lou Jia’s eyes flickered slightly, and she laughed softly. “Depends on how hard you try.”

Jiang Siwei also laughed. “I think you will.”

Lou Jia shrugged slightly, neither confirming nor denying. She quietly watched as Jiang Siwei finished the small cake. “Let’s head back.”

Jiang Siwei responded with a hum, casually picking up the backpack from the ground. After taking a few steps, he suddenly regretted not making a better wish earlier.

After all, tonight Lou Jia had been so easygoing and indulgent toward him.

If he had asked for a goodnight kiss, would she have agreed too?

The more Jiang Siwei thought about it, the more he regretted it. While he lost in his thoughts, he failed to notice something underfoot and tripped, tumbling down the slope.

“Siwei!” Lou Jia shouted.

Lou Jia had been walking just ahead of him, only hearing the commotion. When she turned around, she saw him rolling down the side of the slope where they had been standing.

Fortunately, the slope wasn’t too steep, and the bottom formed a small depression. Jiang Siwei tumbled down with a thud, dust flying everywhere as he lay there, dazed for quite some time.

Lou Jia hurriedly slid down to the bottom, kneeling beside him. “Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself anywhere?”

Jiang Siwei’s face was covered in dirt and dried leaves. Lou Jia frantically checked him from head to toe. It was only after she had almost finished that he came to his senses and said, “I’m fine, just…”

Lou Jia anxiously waited for him to continue.

“I might need a goodnight kiss to help me stand back up,” Jiang Siwei said with complete seriousness.

“…” Lou Jia was both exasperated and amused. She punched him lightly on the shoulder. “Looks like what you need is a good beating. Get up already.”

Jiang Siwei pouted but didn’t dare argue. He slowly stood up.

Lou Jia stood up as well, crossing her arms and saying, “Looks like a punch is more effective than a goodnight kiss.”

“…”

Jiang Siwei didn’t dare joke around any further and obediently followed behind Lou Jia back to the campsite. He quickly washed up, and they each went into their own tents.

In the second half of the night, it was Jiang Siwei’s turn to stand watch. His emotions were still running high, and on top of that, the fall had left him bruised, with his back and arms aching in different spots. As a result, he barely slept at all.

He switched shifts with Liu Xiao Dong half an hour early. Just as dawn was approaching and he finally started to feel sleepy, he heard a sound and opened his eyes again.

Lou Jia had just emerged from her tent. The temperature difference was significant, so she pulled up the collar of her jacket. She fished out a mouthwash packet from her pocket, quickly freshened up, and then sat down by the fire. “They’re not up yet?”

“Yeah, Brother Dong said not to wake him, and Brother Jin…” Jiang Siwei motioned for her to listen to the snoring coming from one of the tents. “I don’t think we could wake him even if we tried.”

As they were talking, Ying Xi emerged from a nearby single-person tent. After rinsing her mouth, she walked over. “Just the two of you?”

“Yeah, no one else is up. He Miao set four or five alarms, and I woke up, but she didn’t make a sound,” Lou Jia said as she handed Ying Xi half of a roasted sweet potato that she had just pulled from the fire. “We won’t be able to see the sunrise from here, right?”

Ying Xi nodded, taking the sweet potato. “We’d need to walk a few hundred meters higher. There’s another flat area on the other side of the slope where we can see the sunrise.”

“Shall we go now?” Lou Jia asked.

“Seems like it’s about time,” Ying Xi said, taking a bite of the sweet potato. Her gaze swept over the two of them. “You two go ahead. I’m too lazy to watch it.”

“We came all this way,” Lou Jia said with a smile.

“You’ll have to say that to Fang Jin and He Miao,” Ying Xi chuckled. “Liu Xiao Dong and I have watched the sunrise in these mountains more times than I can count. We’ve had enough. You guys go ahead.”

“Alright then.”

Before leaving, Lou Jia and Jiang Siwei tried to wake He Miao and Fang Jin, but their efforts were in vain. They decided not to push further, grabbed the camera and headed up the mountain.

After climbing about seven or eight hundred meters, Lou Jia spotted a faint orange glow in the distance. She grabbed Jiang Siwei and dashed forward.

Sunrises and sunsets happen in the blink of an eye. In just a few steps, the orange light had spread across the sky, and a round sun was rising between the clouds and the mountain peaks.

Lou Jia’s eyes hadn’t even taken in the full view yet, but the camera had already clicked through a dozen shots.

Jiang Siwei was also taking pictures with his phone, but his lens was constantly focused on Lou Jia. In the narrow frame, she occasionally lowered her head to check her photos, or raised her camera to capture a shot.

Her profile was just as beautiful.

A full forehead, a high-bridged nose, and slightly pursed lips. When she noticed him secretly taking photos, she suddenly smiled—radiant and carefree.

After Jiang Siwei finished, he quickly lowered his head, tapping away on his phone. Lou Jia pointed her camera at him several times, but he didn’t even notice.

After watching the sunrise, Lou Jia and Jiang Siwei returned to the campsite. By then, Fang Jin and the others had woken up one after another. He Miao, holding her phone, shouted, “Such a beautiful sunrise! I can’t believe I missed it! Ahhhhh!”

Lou Jia tilted her head and glanced at her Moments, where she saw a new post from Jiang Siwei.

A perfectly arranged nine-photo grid.

The post featured photos from their hike the previous day: scenic shots, the tents at the campsite, the sunset, their group dinner, and a group photo of all of them, along with this morning’s sunrise.

And, in the very center of the nine-photo grid, was a picture of Lou Jia.

The caption consisted of only four characters:

—“What I like—”

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Author’s Note:

Little puppy: Is it too much to ask for a goodnight kiss on my birthday!!! qwq

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