BDBE 51

Chapter 51: Mountain Climbing

Qiongye Mountain was located on the southeastern outskirts of Qiongying City, 500 meters above sea level relative to the city center. It was a well-developed scenic area with a winding mountain road leading directly to the summit.

But since they were hiking, taking a direct ride to the summit would take all the fun out of it. So the group parked their two cars in the lot at the base of the mountain, got out, and planned to start their hike to the summit from there.

It was a holiday, so there were plenty of tourists on the popular hiking trails. Huo Tingsong had done his homework in advance and led everyone down a quiet, less-traveled path with fewer signs of development, offering a unique view.

Lu Niannian and Ning Beilei were captivated by the natural mountain scenery. Excited, they took photos and checked in on social media, one photo of her, one of Beilei, and then a group shot.

Fang Chi carried both girls’ backpacks, looking like the hardworking Sha Wujing.¹ He huffed and puffed as he climbed the mountain, then gasped for breath as he took breaks.

Zhou Mingchen was amazed and asked him, “Does Lu Niannian have something on you?”

Fang Chi’s face turned red, and he gritted his teeth in humiliation, “My mom said that if I’m at the bottom of the class again on the next test, she’ll make me quit the track team. Lu Niannian said she could help me improve my grades, but in exchange, I…”

“Now I’m her slave!” Fang Chi wiped away tears that weren’t even there.

Holy crap… Zhou Mingchen admired him.

Fang Chi quickly pulled himself together: “Actually, it’s not so bad. She hasn’t really made me do anything. Besides, their bags aren’t heavy, and carrying them up the mountain will help build my lung capacity. Lin Anyi! Let me carry your bag too; look how pale you are!”

Zhou Mingchen turned his head and saw that Lin Anyi ​unauthorized copy​was indeed covered in sweat, his lips and cheeks completely pale, as if he were about to faint, with a heavy backpack weighing down on his overly slender back.

Lin Anyi wiped the beads of sweat dripping down his face with the back of his hand and insisted, “I’m not tired, I just can’t stand the heat.”

After all, he was someone who had placed in several events at the school sports meet – albeit in short-distance running and high jump, which didn’t require much endurance – but he would never admit that he was exhausted just from carrying a load up a hill.

He just hated the heat.

The sun…was so annoying.

However, Fang Chi didn’t understand Lin Anyi’s stubbornness and called him out: “Looks like you’ve got some burst speed, but your endurance isn’t so great. Give me that backpack.”

Lin Anyi: “……” Damn it.

Zhou Mingchen found it funny and teased him without holding back: “Lin Anyi, are you a snowman? You melt as soon as the sun hits you.”

Lin Anyi was angry and quickly walked past Zhou Mingchen and Fang Chi, those two noisy jerks.

“Lin Anyi, don’t be a tough guy. If you’re really tired, I can help you carry the bag! It’s not like having an extra bag is going to weigh me down!” Fang Chi shouted as he kept walking.

Zhou Mingchen said nothing, but quickened his pace to catch up behind Lin Anyi. He reached out and took the backpack right off his back.

With the weight of nearly ten pounds gone, Lin Anyi felt instantly lighter and looked at Zhou Mingchen in surprise.

Zhou Mingchen looked at him with a smirk and said, with a touch of ​Read on​provocation: “Be careful you don’t melt into a puddle from the sun, Classmate Lin Xiao Xue.” (Xue=snow)

The gratitude he’d just felt vanished instantly. Lin Anyi chased after him, shouting, “Who’s Lin Xiao Xue? Give me back my bag! I don’t need your help. Don’t get any big-headed ideas. Give it back to me now!”

Zhou Mingchen, now carrying two bags on his back, ran off a good distance away.

Over on the other side, Huo Tingsong and Yu Tianqing were walking together. Seeing Fang Chi helping the girls carry their bags and Zhou Mingchen helping Lin Anyi, he was waiting for his chance to help Shen Chao carry his bag.

Helping the person you like carry their bag was the perfect opportunity to show off your boyfriend skills; Shen Chao was sure to be charmed by him.

Yu Tianqing calmly pointed ahead: “I don’t think he needs your help carrying his bag.”

Huo Tingsong: “…Shut up!”

The kids were all busy roughhousing and laughing, but Shen Wanchao and Zhou Hui were the only two seriously conserving their energy as they gradually made their way to the front of the group.

The narrow, undeveloped path was littered with rocks here and there, and the slope was steep. Shen Wanchao and Zhou Hui worked in perfect harmony, offering a helping hand to each other when needed. They even found two perfect sticks to use as walking aids. Whenever they stopped to drink water, the other would help hold whatever they were carrying.

The two reached a clearing where they could rest, stopped to stand for a moment, and looked down at the layers of deep green, dense forest below.

Zhou Hui stood beside Shen Wanchao and said, “It’s been a very, very long time since we last went hiking together.”

“If you count that time two years ago when I was filming in the mountains, it actually hasn’t been that long.”

After exercising, Shen Wanchao felt refreshed in both body and mind, and [visit our site]his tone took on a hint of nostalgia.

“Did you bring that up on purpose, Classmate Shen Xiaotu?”

Zhou Hui’s smile grew wider, and he whispered into Shen Wanchao’s ear.

Only then did Shen Wanchao remember what had actually happened two years ago, and he blushed.

That was the closest he’d come in recent years to deciding to undergo gland removal surgery.

Deep in the mountains, with torrential rain pouring down, his heat cycle had come unexpectedly, and with no inhibitor in sight, Shen Wanchao had no choice but to endure it alone.

Fortunately, they had already marked each other, so the pheromones he released wouldn’t affect anyone else. All he had to do was use his willpower to fight his instincts.

He locked himself in the car, and clutched a small fruit knife to suppress his desire with pain.

Shen Wanchao didn’t know when his assistant had notified Zhou Hui, but he had only endured six hours before the lover he craved appeared before him, soaked from head to toe in rain.

In the small village isolated deep in the mountains, they couldn’t find a place where they could safely ride out the heat, so Zhou Hui drove into the even denser forest.

And so, there they were in the car, in the deserted woods, surrounded by boundless, deep greenery, with torrential rain pouring down outside the window. It felt as if the whole world had been reduced to just the two of them, and they spent the entire night in a chaotic frenzy.

After it was over, Shen Wanchao inquired about a gland removal surgery, but ultimately decided against it out of concern for how it might affect Zhou Hui.

Shen Wanchao nudged Zhou Hui with his elbow, reminding him, “There are so many Read on kids here. Behave yourself.”

Zhou Hui had only been trying to tease him; now that he’d achieved his goal, he knew when to stop: “My bad.”

Shen Wanchao remembered something and asked him, “Come to think of it, is your leg okay after climbing such a high mountain?”

Zhou Hui paused, then smiled helplessly: “I’m fine. The injury itself wasn’t serious, and I’ve recovered well since then. It hasn’t really affected me.”

Shen Wanchao was skeptical. He hadn’t been there when Zhou Hui got hurt, so he wasn’t entirely sure how serious it had been.

“Give me your bag,” Shen Wanchao reached for Zhou Hui’s backpack.

Zhou Hui was taken aback and tried to refuse, but he couldn’t resist Shen Wanchao. He finally gave up and obediently handed him the bag, then relaxed and walked alongside him, “Is this what they call ‘boyfriend power,’ honey?”

Shen Wanchao slung Zhou Hui’s bag across his front. He glared at him, then couldn’t help but let a chuckle escape his lips.

“That’s right. Now that you’re with me, just sit back and enjoy the good life, Mrs. Shen,” Shen Wanchao said.

Mrs. Shen quickly pulled out a small fan to cool him down. “Don’t overexert yourself, honey. Here, let me fan you. Come on, I’ll give you a drink.”

Huo Tingsong, who was trailing behind them by several dozen meters, watched the whole scene unfold, completely dumbfounded: ???

He couldn’t hear the conversation between Shen Wanchao and Zhou Hui up ahead; he only saw the two of them stop to exchange a few words, then Shen Wanchao took the initiative to hoist Zhou Hui’s backpack onto his back.

Yu Tianqing delivered the perfect finishing visit our site blow: “See? I told you he didn’t need you to carry his backpack.”

Huo Tingsong felt as if a tiny piece of his heart had shattered…

By evening, the group finally reached the mountaintop campsite.

Shen Wanchao, who exercised regularly and had even trained in track and field for a while, had carried two backpacks the entire way. He was slightly out of breath, but after resting for a moment, he recovered.

Zhou Hui had been carrying no weight since halfway up the mountain, so he was naturally full of energy. After watching Shen Wanchao finish his water, he began setting up the tent.

Zhou Mingchen, still carrying two backpacks, trailed behind Lin Anyi, asking patiently, “Why are you mad? What’s there to be mad about? Did I do something wrong by helping you carry your backpack? Say something.”

Lin Anyi’s complexion was much better than his earlier pallor; on the contrary, because of his anger, both cheeks were flushed.

He really didn’t want to deal with Zhou Mingchen, that annoying fool, but he just couldn’t shake him off, so he kept hiding around the campsite with a sullen expression.

Zhou Mingchen was like a leech; he stuck close behind him and constantly called his name: “Lin Anyi, Lin Xiao Xue, Classmate Lin…”

Lu Niannian and Ning Beilei were a bit less fit, so they sat down to rest for a while to regain some strength to pitch the tent. The two girls began reading the instructions to figure out how to set up the tent.

No one was more exhausted than Fang Chi. Upon reaching the mountaintop, he plopped down on the ground and looked as if he intended to stay that way until the end of time.

Huo Tingsong was exhausted as well, mentally exhausted.

He sat on the grass. Even as Yu Tianqing read the instructions for setting up the tent, he couldn’t help but keep glancing [unauthorized copy]over to see what Shen Wanchao was doing.

Shen Wanchao had rested long enough. He took a blanket out of his backpack and spread it on the ground, then called over Zhou Mingchen, who had been tirelessly pestering Lin Anyi, to help set up the stove.

Huo Tingsong mustered his strength, stood up, and asked, “Shen Chao, since you’re setting up the stove, let me help you pitch the tent.”

Shen Wanchao looked up and gave him a gentle smile: “No need, I…”

“Shen Xiao Chao.” Zhou Hui’s voice suddenly rang out. He walked over and pointed to the sturdy tent standing behind him. “I’ve already set up your tent for you. Want to check it out?”

Huo Tingsong: “……”

“No need to check it. I trust your skills. You and Secretary Han go over there and fetch some water; we’ll make tea later.” Shen Wanchao instructed him, then turned back to Huo Tingsong, “Huo, you can rest a bit longer. I’ll call you guys when the grill is set up and we’re ready to barbecue.”

Huo Tingsong: “…………”

Huo Tingsong, who had been attending wilderness survival camps occasionally since his summer vacation at age ten and was therefore extremely confident in his tent-pitching skills, was shaken. He slumped back to his best friend, Yu Tianqing.

Yu Tianqing was struggling with the tent poles, which were sticking out in all directions: “Old Huo, how do you even set this thing up?”

Huo Tingsong lay down on the grass in a starfish position: “Figure it out yourself. I just want some peace and quiet.”

Yu Tianqing: “……” What a guy, prioritizing romance over friendship!

Camping and barbecuing go hand in hand. Everyone brought some ingredients, [Read on]snacks, and drinks, and gathered around the grill for a hearty meal.

Summer days are long; after dinner, it was still early, and they’d have to wait at least another hour before the sky cleared enough to see the stars. They agreed to spend the time doing whatever they wanted, but everyone had to be back at camp by sunset.

Zhou Hui had Han Zhen handed out a satellite phone to each person. His lavish generosity shocked all the younger students and made them realize just how much Zhou Hui valued their safety.

He really was a reliable adult.

The two girls wanted to take a photo together in the sunset, so they went off hand in hand to find a good spot.

Zhou Mingchen said he wanted to go mushroom picking and dragged Lin Anyi into the woods with him.

Fang Chi and Yu Tianqing still hadn’t figured out how to set up the tent. The two were drawn to each other and engaged in a heated debate over the proper way to pitch the tent.

Huo Tingsong stayed at the campsite to see where Shen Wanchao was going so he could follow.

Shen Wanchao exchanged a few words with Zhou Hui, then they both stood up and entered the woods from a different direction than Zhou Mingchen and the others.

Huo Tingsong was about to follow, but Han Zhen held him back by the shoulder.

Secretary Han smiled politely and said to Huo Tingsong, “I hear you want to apply to Jingjiang University. I imagine your grades are top-notch. I graduated from there myself. Shall we chat?”

Huo Tingsong: “……”