Speaking of romance, almost every time Lin Yiran had internet access and opened her social media, she could see Li Qianduo brightly flaunting her small happiness, completely like a young girl dizzy with love.

Sometimes Lin Yiran would receive many messages from her in a row.

She had found a boyfriend much older than her, very strong with thick muscles, who could treat her like a child and comfort her.

Lin Yiran felt happy for her and hoped she could always be happy.

On the day Qiu Xing was coming, he messaged Lin Yiran early in the morning saying he was heading to the airport.

Lin Yiran no longer told him not to come, only replying: [Okay, be safe, let me know when you land.]

Qiu Xing: [Got it.]

Lin Yiran added: [I don’t need anything, don’t bring too many things up the mountain, it’s heavy.]

Qiu Xing again replied: [Got it.]

Lin Yiran cleaned up the room in advance. This time, since they had discussed it beforehand, she prepared a separate room for him. Lin Yiran took a set of her bedding to make his bed and also prepared toiletries.

During the day, she kept her phone in her pocket, occasionally checking it, waiting for Qiu Xing’s message.

But from afternoon until nearly dark, she never received a message saying he had landed.

Although she knew nothing bad would likely happen, as time went on, Lin Yiran became increasingly worried.

“What’s wrong?” Her senior walked over and asked, standing beside her.

Lin Yiran shook her head, saying it was nothing.

“Where is he now?” Senior Xiao Xu asked with a smile. Lin Yiran had told her Qiu Xing was coming, and her senior had asked him to bring up a package for her.

Lin Yiran said: “I don’t know, I can’t get through to him by phone.”

“Maybe there’s no signal, don’t worry,” her senior said.

Lin Yiran made an “mm” sound and nodded.

Senior Xiao Xu went back to her tasks, and Lin Yiran tried calling again, but still couldn’t get through.

By the time it was completely dark, she still hadn’t received any messages. Although she kept telling herself there was nothing to worry about, Lin Yiran couldn’t sit still anymore.

Now she suddenly understood why Qiu Xing had seemed so angry the first time he came here.

This feeling of not being able to find someone was truly unpleasant, making one’s heart unable to settle, constantly suspended.

By nine in the evening, Lin Yiran couldn’t wait any longer.

She put on her jacket, took her phone, and went out.

“Teacher Lin, where are you going?” The principal saw her leaving and asked.

Lin Yiran said she was going down the mountain to meet Qiu Xing.

“Don’t go down, it’s dark, it’s not safe for you to go down the mountain alone,” the principal advised.

Lin Yiran’s mind was in chaos, not wanting to say more, so she nodded and said: “Alright, then I’ll just wait on the path.”

The principal spent quite some time cautioning her, saying if she wanted to go down the mountain, he would accompany her, and that she shouldn’t walk the mountain path alone.

Lin Yiran agreed and left the school by herself.

The mountain at night was completely different from during the day.

During the day, the mountains were lush and green, full of vitality. But at night, they were shrouded in absolute darkness, with no light except blackness. The nearby forests were barriers blocking vision, and the distant mountains seemed like black holes devouring everything.

There was no color before her eyes except black, but Lin Yiran didn’t find it frightening at all; this concern didn’t even cross her mind.

She followed the mountain path downward, thinking of many possible reasons why she couldn’t contact Qiu Xing, feeling increasingly uneasy.

*

Qiu Xing, carrying a hiking backpack, walked quickly along the mountain path. Because he was walking fast, he was sweating, wearing only a short-sleeved shirt, with his jacket tied to his backpack strap.

One hand held his phone for illumination, while the other carried a bag. Apart from the darkness making it difficult to see the path clearly, climbing the mountain wasn’t particularly strenuous for him.

Lin Yiran heard sounds from below, but she couldn’t see anything.

She stopped, waving her phone light downward, but still couldn’t see. She became motionless, almost holding her breath, listening carefully to the sound.

As the sound came closer and closer, Lin Yiran’s heart gradually calmed.

She could be certain it was Qiu Xing.

After Qiu Xing turned a bend, suddenly a beam of light fell upon him.

Lin Yiran’s unsteady voice came: “Qiu Xing.”

Qiu Xing immediately looked up in surprise, using his flashlight to look upward, seeing Lin Yiran standing not far above.

“Why did you come down?” Qiu Xing asked.

Lin Yiran, wearing a windbreaker jacket and track pants, stood at a spot slightly higher than Qiu Xing, no longer walking.

She put away her phone light, took a deep breath, and said: “You scared me to death.”

Her voice already carried a subtle hint of crying, perhaps from the uneven breathing of descending the mountain—in any case, it was emotional, not calm.

“What’s wrong?” Qiu Xing asked.

Lin Yiran sniffled and said: “I couldn’t contact you at all. Didn’t I ask you to let me know when you landed?”

Now her inclination to cry was more obvious.

Qiu Xing paused, then quickly took a few steps up, reached Lin Yiran, and directly lifted her in his arms.

Qiu Xing was still holding things in his hands, so the movement made quite a sound. Lin Yiran was suddenly lifted high, but she wasn’t afraid, her hands resting on Qiu Xing’s shoulders, touching the fabric warmed by his body heat.

Although Qiu Xing was wearing a short-sleeved shirt, his entire body seemed to be radiating heat.

This made Lin Yiran, being carried by him, feel completely grounded, no longer unsettled. She only felt vibrant warmth.

Qiu Xing carried her for a short distance, then put her down when they reached a relatively flat section of the path.

As Lin Yiran touched the ground, her windbreaker made a slight rustling sound, and she was immediately embraced by Qiu Xing.

Her hair lay disheveled across Qiu Xing’s arm, and he pressed the back of her head, comfortingly stroking it.

Lin Yiran buried her face against Qiu Xing’s shoulder, enveloped by his scent. Her hands clutched the straps of his backpack, feeling that everything had fallen back into place.

“The plane was delayed by four hours. I’ve been messaging you all day, but you didn’t reply,” Qiu Xing explained.

Lin Yiran, her face still pressed against him, replied in a muffled voice: “I didn’t receive anything.”

Qiu Xing pressed his cheek against her ear, but didn’t kiss her.

Lin Yiran was led up the mountain holding Qiu Xing’s hand. Qiu Xing walked in front of her, and Lin Yiran was held by him, steadily guided back.

Qiu Xing said to her: “Don’t go down the mountain alone at night in the future.”

Lin Yiran didn’t argue back, obediently agreeing: “Okay.”

“Aren’t you being careless?” Qiu Xing continued. “If you fell, you wouldn’t even be able to call for help.”

“I was very careful,” Lin Yiran said.

Qiu Xing turned his head, pulled her forward a bit, and asked: “What if the person you met wasn’t me?”

Lin Yiran didn’t respond, and Qiu Xing asked again: “If you met a man who wasn’t me, wouldn’t you be afraid?”

After considering for a few seconds, Lin Yiran honestly said: “Yes, I would.”

She was so forthright that Qiu Xing didn’t want to scold her anymore, so he stopped talking and just led her up the mountain.

Lin Yiran’s cold palm was warmed by Qiu Xing’s grasp. Her thumb rested against the base of his thumb. Qiu Xing’s hand was very rough, but Lin Yiran, being held by him, felt that this was exactly how it should be.

First, Qiu Xing’s plane had been delayed by more than four hours, then he couldn’t find transportation to this area. By the time he reached the foot of the mountain, it was completely dark. Logically, he shouldn’t have come up today. The driver who had brought him there also advised him not to climb the mountain at night, but Qiu Xing didn’t take it seriously at all, getting out of the car and immediately starting up the mountain.

Fortunately, he had come up; otherwise, Lin Yiran would have continued down, and by that time she probably would have been truly crying.

When they reached the school gate, Lin Yiran slowly withdrew her hand from Qiu Xing’s.

Qiu Xing looked back at her once. Although the small light at the school gate wasn’t bright, it was enough to see clearly. Qiu Xing didn’t say anything and walked in.

Everyone else was already asleep, so they quietly walked to the room prepared for Qiu Xing.

Lin Yiran closed the door, and Qiu Xing placed the bag he was carrying on the table and took off his backpack, setting it on the floor.

In the bag were many loaves of bread, boxed cookies, and milk tea packets that Qiu Xing had bought when passing through the city center and seeing a bakery. The backpack contained clothes and blankets he had brought for Lin Yiran.

“I told you not to bring too many things,” Lin Yiran said in a low voice, afraid of disturbing the teacher sleeping in the next room.

Qiu Xing took off his jacket from the backpack strap, casually tossed it on the headboard, and said nonchalantly: “It’s not tiring.”

“How is Auntie Fang?” Lin Yiran asked.

“She’s very healthy, gained weight, doesn’t want me to mention it.” Qiu Xing smiled slightly, then added, “She misses you.”

“I miss her too,” Lin Yiran’s eyes curved in a smile as she said, “She’s so adorable now.”

Qiu Xing made an “mm” sound and told Lin Yiran: “There are things she sent for you in the bag.”

Auntie Fang had sent two sets of underwear, two pairs of thermal leggings with warm waistbands, and a small hot water bottle.

Lin Yiran hugged them in her arms, intending to take them directly. Her heart felt warm, and she truly missed Auntie Fang, knowing she was being cared for like a daughter.

As for the other things Qiu Xing had brought, she didn’t take them yet, leaving them there to sort out tomorrow.

“I’ve boiled water for you. Just wash up quickly and go to sleep early,” Lin Yiran said to Qiu Xing, then hugged the items and prepared to leave.

Qiu Xing stood by the bed, looking at her, appearing as if he had something to say but was hesitating.

Lin Yiran was in a good mood and asked him with a slight smile: “What is it?”

Qiu Xing also smiled a bit and shook his head.

When he smiled, he was very handsome—Lin Yiran had always thought so, from before until now. Qiu Xing usually looked tough, but when he smiled, he became softer and younger. Sometimes when his smile was expansive, he looked like a very sunny student. That was how he was originally meant to be.

At this moment, although Qiu Xing’s smile wasn’t that cheerful, his eyes and brows were still very gentle, extremely handsome.

“What are you doing?” Lin Yiran asked him with a smile. “What do you want to say?”

Qiu Xing didn’t speak at first, but seeing Lin Yiran still looking at him, his smile became more apparent.

Lin Yiran raised her eyebrows slightly, puzzled, waiting for him to speak.

“I want to hug you,” Qiu Xing said to Lin Yiran in a commanding tone, putting on a show of authority. “Hug me before you go.”

Lin Yiran’s eyes widened completely, looking at him in surprise.

This didn’t sound like something Qiu Xing would say. Starting from that phone call a few days ago, Qiu Xing had occasionally been causing astonishment.

“You…” Lin Yiran looked at Qiu Xing, who was deliberately speaking as if he were justified, feeling emotionally complex and not knowing what to say. She felt both incredulity and a mysterious sense of satisfaction, while her heart began to pound a bit.

Lin Yiran turned and left, saying as she walked: “Hug me in your dreams.”

She pushed open the door and left, closing Qiu Xing’s door behind her, and went straight back to her room.

The smile in Qiu Xing’s eyes remained. After Lin Yiran left, Qiu Xing took his toiletries and towel to the simple bathroom in the back and took a cold shower. He had sweated a lot climbing the mountain and wouldn’t be able to sleep without washing.

By the time everything was settled, some time had passed. Qiu Xing lay on the bed, surrounded by that familiar scent of Lin Yiran.

It was a scent that made Qiu Xing feel peaceful and comfortable.

Qiu Xing closed his eyes, preparing to sleep.

Just then, there was a gentle knock on the door.

Qiu Xing opened his eyes, and although he couldn’t see clearly, he sat up.

Before he could ask what was happening, a cool presence gently enveloped him, and Lin Yiran’s cool hair touched Qiu Xing’s cheek and neck.

Lin Yiran bent over to embrace him, wearing soft pajamas, carrying a fresh fragrance.

Qiu Xing raised his hands to hold her waist, but didn’t grip tightly, not using enough force to prevent her from leaving. He smiled and asked her: “With such a soft heart, won’t you be taken advantage of in the future?”

“Being taken advantage of is a blessing,” Lin Yiran said with a stiff chin, apparently thinking of something, her tone hardened as she said, “Besides, I’m not soft-hearted. I remember everything.”

“Alright,” Qiu Xing smiled again, didn’t kiss her, smoothed her hair, and said, “I won’t let you be taken advantage of in the future.”

Lin Yiran hugged him for a few more seconds, then stood up, muttering: “Who says I have a future with you?”

With that, she turned and left.

Qiu Xing didn’t hold her back, watching as Lin Yiran walked out and closed the door, the room returning to complete darkness.

His body was enveloped in darkness, but Qiu Xing’s world was growing increasingly bright.

Before, Qiu Xing had felt like he was living in a quagmire, or alone in a desolate and cold cave, isolated from the world.

But from some unknown moment, he had been gently warmed by sunlight, steadfastly and continuously gazed upon by a certain gaze.

When he looked around, he discovered green grass and blue sky like a curtain, clouds riding on small rivers, sunlight flooding the mountains and forests, the world brilliantly illuminated.