Night had fallen imperceptibly, and the rain gradually ceased. The once vast and beautiful landscape had transformed into an endless world of darkness. This patch of sky had cleared, with scattered clouds and a few lonely stars hanging above. By the car’s headlights, You Mingxu could make out the dim yellow terrain, dotted with undulating rocks and earthen mounds, reminiscent of yardang landforms. Lakes were scattered throughout, their surfaces gleaming with a quiet, ethereal blue in the night.
Despite the long drive, Gu Tiancheng remained focused and composed. You Mingxu realized that such a night, traveling with such a man along an endless wilderness road, wasn’t an unpleasant experience.
“Cold?” Gu Tiancheng asked.
The temperature had dropped faster after nightfall. You Mingxu hugged herself tighter. He steered with one hand, reaching back to grab a jacket from the rear seat, and placed it in her lap. It was a clean, slightly cool, dark gray men’s windbreaker. Too lazy to unbuckle her seatbelt, You Mingxu simply slipped her arms into it, letting it cover her body, the hem reaching her knees, leaving only her head exposed.
Gu Tiancheng laughed, saying, “Like a child.”
You Mingxu said, “I’m already twenty-five.”
He replied, “That makes you two years younger than me.”
You Mingxu fell silent. As she turned her face, it brushed against the jacket’s collar, the somewhat stiff fabric carrying an unexpected trace of men’s cologne. You Mingxu glanced up briefly at Gu Tiancheng.
“How much longer until we reach the Tibetan homes?” she asked.
Gu Tiancheng answered, “I’m not sure, but there were some in this area two years ago. Let’s keep driving and try our luck.”
Seeing her quiet, Gu Tiancheng thought for a moment and asked, “Want to listen to some music?”
You Mingxu said, “Sure.”
She expected him to turn on the radio or connect his phone via Bluetooth, but instead, he cleared his throat, placed one hand on his thigh, and started keeping time. Then he began to hum. Rather than singing the lyrics, he used his deep, clear voice to carry the melody with careful inflection. It was a famous folk song about leaving the city behind for distant places.
After listening to him hum seriously for a while, You Mingxu couldn’t help but laugh. Gu Tiancheng glanced at her sideways, his expression slightly lazy, but his eyes were animated and sparkling, showing a hint of childishness.
“What? Not good?” he challenged.
You Mingxu shook her head teasingly, “Why didn’t you mention you were a singing champion?”
Gu Tiancheng laughed too, his voice low, “Then you try.”
You Mingxu replied, “No way. I’ve never been able to sing. I won’t embarrass myself.”
His smile deepened, fingers tapping on the steering wheel, his whole demeanor becoming more relaxed and casual. You Mingxu found herself studying his shadowed profile in the darkness, the clean lines from his forehead to his nose to his chin clearly defined. She remembered reading somewhere that people with such features often possessed strong, perhaps stubborn, willpower.
He said, “Since you won’t sing and don’t appreciate my singing, we’ll have to settle for the radio.” He adjusted a few buttons, and after a brief burst of static, found a music station playing a melodious tune.
They both listened quietly.
The surrounding darkness seemed to deepen, the roadside scenery completely obscured now. The car felt as if it were plunging into an ever deeper, more distant world.
“Sleep if you’re tired,” Gu Tiancheng said.
You Mingxu answered, “Don’t want to.”
“You’re safe with me,” he said softly.
You Mingxu was quiet for a moment, then smiled slightly, a hint of bitterness in it. “Gu Tiancheng, I’ve only known you for two hours.”
He asked, “So?”
You Mingxu said, “Are you a good person? Can I trust you?”
Gu Tiancheng’s expression remained steady as he said, “Judge for yourself.”
After a while, he heard her say softly, “You are a good person.”
However, they weren’t the only ones delayed by the storm on this road tonight.
In the distance, they saw someone on a bicycle frantically waving at them. From the silhouette, it appeared to be a tall man. He wasn’t just waving but jumping up and down as well.
Gu Tiancheng’s car slowly decelerated. You Mingxu noticed his calm expression as he slightly furrowed his brow, studying the person as if assessing them. You Mingxu said, “You don’t want to give people rides, right?”
Gu Tiancheng’s brow smoothed as he glanced at her.
You Mingxu’s lips curved slightly: “Earlier when I wanted a ride, you seemed reluctant too. Almost left me to my fate, didn’t you?”
Gu Tiancheng smiled, saying, “It wasn’t that. There are just too many people wanting rides along this road. This trip was meant to be a vacation, just me driving slowly, going wherever I pleased. I was fine with sleeping in the car or a tent.”
You Mingxu understood completely and said again, “Thank you.”
Gu Tiancheng kept his eyes on the road: “I wanted to give you a ride.”
You Mingxu almost blurted out “why” but held back. Subconsciously, she didn’t want to ask.
The car had stopped beside the person.
He removed his helmet, revealing a very young man, barely in his twenties. His hair was somewhat long, almost covering his eyes. He had fair skin, a prominent nose, and full lips. He leaned against the car window, flashing a bright smile: “Hey brother, can I get a ride? It’s so late, I’m completely exhausted, tired, and hungry. Could you take me part of the way? Please?”
He glanced at You Mingxu. She noticed his misty eyes behind the long bangs, their expression somewhere between smiling and not.
Gu Tiancheng asked, “Where are you headed?”
The young man named a place, and before You, Mingxu could even process where it was located, Gu Tiancheng was already shaking his head: “We’re not going the same way. There should be Tibetan homes not far ahead, just ride a bit more and you’ll reach them.”
The young man protested, “Come on, I really can’t ride anymore. Don’t worry, I’m not a bad person, I’m a student from XX University. And I promise I won’t disturb your romantic time together! Just drop me off at any Tibetan home you find! If I keep riding, my legs are going to fall off. I’m begging you, don’t leave me here. What if some wandering serial killer gets me? How tragic would that be…”
Gu Tiancheng frowned slightly: “What nonsense are you talking about?”
Suddenly, he felt someone grip his arm. It was You Mingxu, looking at him, actually amused by the guy outside, saying softly, “Let’s give him a ride.”
Before Gu Tiancheng could respond, the young man outside had already heard, saying, “Wow, did you hear what your girlfriend said? A real man should listen to women, right?”
Now even Gu Tiancheng’s eyes showed amusement, while You Mingxu said, “I’m not his girlfriend.” She gave Gu Tiancheng a slight nod.
Suddenly, Gu Tiancheng found the young man outside not quite so annoying anymore. He thought about how she was right earlier—they’d only known each other for just over two hours. Yet somehow, they’d already developed a subtle understanding between them.
“Alright, stop pulling me, I’ll do as you say,” he said to her softly, then turned to the window and said, “Get in.”