Chapter 9
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Chen Xi wasn’t sure if she had truly believed his words, but she tried to open her eyes. What met her gaze was an unfathomably deep cliff. She stood at the edge, with the constant danger of falling. Occasionally, rocks tumbled down, their crisp echoes faintly audible.
At that moment, Chen Xi’s heart pounded wildly, as if it would leap out of her throat, and fear rendered her speechless. Instinctively, she gripped Zhou Yanzhou’s arm tightly, unable to dare look down even once more.
Zhou Yanzhou steadied her shoulder and pointed into the distance. “Look over there, not down below.”
Trembling, Chen Xi cast her eyes forward and saw endless mountain ranges shrouded in clouds. Golden sunlight pierced through the mist, illuminating the peaks like a divine manifestation.
Chen Xi was stunned.
She had visited twice before but never realized how vast this area truly was. It felt as if she had stepped into a new world, opening a door to a fresh realm.
Seeing Chen Xi lost in thought, Zhou Yanzhou kindly reminded her, “The world is big. Don’t keep your eyes fixed on just the little patch of land right in front of you.”
A chill swept down Chen Xi’s back as the wind blew, lifting the hem of her pink skirt, threatening to push her off the cliff.
After finishing a cigarette, Zhou Yanzhou looked at the shivering Chen Xi and, showing rare kindness, said, “Let’s go back.”
Chen Xi’s taut shoulders relaxed instantly. She licked her lips and, with Zhou Yanzhou’s support, slowly returned to the car.
His hand rested on her wrist, unexpectedly dry and warm. His large hand easily enveloped hers.
The two were so close that Zhou Yanzhou’s breath brushed against Chen Xi’s neck.
His warm breath, tinged with a faint scent of cologne, slipped into her nostrils, making her even more nervous.
She rarely got this close to a man, and even more rarely had someone sincerely advise her to look further ahead.
Only she knew that she was an ambitious girl.
She wanted to escape this small town where everything was within sight, to own a home of her own, to have control over her life, and to possess the right to say no.
Before reaching the Zhongxiu Mountain Scenic Area, Zhou Yanzhou continued driving while Chen Xi sat silently in the passenger seat, staring blankly ahead.
Noticing her withdrawn posture, Zhou Yanzhou took a bottle of soda from the armrest and handed it to her. “Still scared?”
Chen Xi took the soda hesitantly, fingers curling around the bottle, shaking her head uncertainly.
Zhou Yanzhou glanced at the pensive young girl and patiently asked, “What are you thinking about?”
Chen Xi blinked, eyes fixed on the mountain peak ahead, and whispered, “I’m thinking about what Beijing looks like.”
Surprise flickered across Zhou Yanzhou’s face as he raised an eyebrow. “Want to go?”
Chen Xi turned her head to look at the man behind the wheel. His every gesture exuded composure, as if he had seen it all. For once, Chen Xi felt envious.
Envious that he was born into such good fortune.
Ignoring Zhou Yanzhou’s scrutinizing gaze, she smoothed her skirt and spoke dreamily, “It’s the capital. Who wouldn’t want to go?”
Zhou Yanzhou, disapproving of her youthful pretenses, glanced at her casually and said, “It’s just a trip to Beijing. If you want to go, I’ll take you sometime.”
“Once you get there, you’ll realize it’s not as great as you imagine.”
Perhaps it was his certainty that convinced her—at that moment, Chen Xi truly believed Zhou Yanzhou would bring her to Beijing.
And silently, she planted a seed of a dream—a dream connected to Beijing.
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The car stopped at the foot of Zhongxiu Mountain, in front of a small convenience store. Zhou Yanzhou pointed to the refrigerator by the door and asked Chen Xi, “Want an ice cream? It’s on me.”
Chen Xi wanted to say she wasn’t a child, but when she met Zhou Yanzhou’s warm, indulgent gaze, she suddenly changed her mind and nodded.
Zhou Yanzhou, too lazy to get out, waited in the car.
Chen Xi unbuckled her seatbelt, ready to open the door, but Zhou Yanzhou grabbed her wrist.
He pulled a wallet from his pocket and, with evident trust, handed it to Chen Xi, saying, “Buy whatever you want. Don’t worry about the cost.”
Chen Xi stared blankly at the unfamiliar wallet in her hand.
It was the very wallet she had hidden before—still full, the leather pristine and exuding undeniable elegance.
Holding it, she got out of the car in a daze, her footsteps unsteady as she entered the store.
Following the owner’s recommendation, Chen Xi bought two old Beijing-style ice pops.
Perhaps because Zhou Yanzhou had given her the freedom to open that wallet, or perhaps because he had quietly made many things easier for her, Chen Xi found herself hesitant to use the privilege openly.
It felt like a drowning person, gasping for breath, suddenly handed a bamboo pole but too afraid to grasp it.
Partly out of fear that such power might vanish in an instant, partly because she felt undeserving of such generosity.
When paying, Chen Xi hesitated before opening the wallet. The first ID card had been removed, but inside were still plenty of crisp bills.
It seemed he didn’t carry small change.
The two ice pops cost two yuan, but when Chen Xi handed over a bill, the shop owner frowned, saying she couldn’t make change.
In the end, Chen Xi picked a few more snacks to make up the amount.
Two minutes later, Chen Xi carried the wallet and a bag of snacks around the front of the car. Through the glass, she saw the man dozing in the driver’s seat. She pursed her lips and gently tapped the glass twice.
The man woke, groggy, eyes opening to find Chen Xi standing outside, calm and serene.
For a moment, Zhou Yanzhou saw in her the words “peaceful and good times.” Her obedient expression as she leaned closer made time seem to slow.
He pinched the bridge of his aching brow and slowly rolled down the window.
The hot, dry wind swept in. Zhou Yanzhou looked at the thin sheen of sweat on Chen Xi’s forehead, frowning slightly. “Why don’t you get in?”
Chen Xi blinked and pulled an ice pop from the plastic bag, holding it out. “Want one?”
The ice pop’s packaging still glistened with condensation.
The bright, pretty girl offered it with a serious expression, as if presenting a treasure.
Zhou Yanzhou, picky and never one to eat sweets or street snacks, found himself unable to refuse her genuine offering.
He reached out and took the ice pop, feeling the chill in his palm.
Chen Xi, seizing the moment, handed him the wallet and said, “Ice cream’s one yuan each. The chips and spicy sticks add up to twenty-four. They gave me seventy-five back in change. I put it all in the wallet.”
Zhou Yanzhou took the wallet and casually tossed it aside, then beckoned Chen Xi to get in.
Seeing that Zhou Yanzhou didn’t care about the money, Chen Xi licked her lips, withdrew her previous offer to let him count it, and climbed back into the passenger seat.
Before she could buckle her seatbelt, Zhou Yanzhou leaned over and rummaged through the snacks in the bag, frowning. “Is this all you bought?”
Chen Xi was stunned. “What else should I buy?”
Zhou Yanzhou glanced past her toward the convenience store and quickly realized there wasn’t much besides junk food inside.
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He raised his chin and lectured with mock sincerity, “Eat less junk food; it makes you fat.”
Chen Xi had just opened a bag of cucumber-flavored chips and scrunched her face, quietly retorting, “You sound just like my homeroom teacher.”
Zhou Yanzhou nearly laughed. Pointing at himself, he asked, “Me? Nagging?”
Seeing his irritation brewing, Chen Xi shut up instantly, pretending nothing had happened.
Zhou Yanzhou smirked, “Only you dare talk to me like that. If it were someone else, I’d have dealt with them by now.”
Chen Xi was speechless.
The Zhongxiu Mountain Scenic Area had little management, so Zhou Yanzhou parked the car at the start of the hiking trail.
The hike from the base to the summit was about two or three kilometers. Chen Xi was not a first-timer, so she remained calm.
Along the path were many Buddha statues, each with incense ash burned down in front.
It was the off-season; few tourists were around. Chen Xi walked ahead, while Zhou Yanzhou followed lazily behind.
Tall and long-legged, he soon caught up to Chen Xi.
Side by side, they climbed the steps. When encountering worshipers, Chen Xi would politely step aside.
Sometimes Zhou Yanzhou pointed to oddly shaped rocks, teasing, “Does that rock look like you?”
Chen Xi glanced over and saw a stone resembling a monkey. She frowned seriously and denied, “Not me.”
Zhou Yanzhou laughed and teased, “How not? Even when you’re angry, you’re just as vivid.”
Chen Xi gritted her teeth. “You’re the one who looks like that.”
Zhou Yanzhou arched an eyebrow and calmly asked, “How so? Tell me.”
Chen Xi seriously compared, but the more she did, the more disheartened she became.
They were worlds apart; how could he possibly look like that dull, ugly rock?
Seeing her gloom, Zhou Yanzhou suddenly pointed to a Manjushri Buddha statue nestled in a crevice not far off. “Want to pray? It might help you pass all your final exams.”
Chen Xi looked where he pointed—a one-meter-tall Manjushri statue placed at the cliff’s edge. Weathered by years of wind and rain, it was mottled and faded, the face no longer discernible.
Beside it stood the God of Wealth, surrounded by piles of incense ash, always a popular offering spot.
Chen Xi hesitated for a long time but ultimately gave up on praying. She thought to herself that what she sought wasn’t academic success.
Seeing Chen Xi’s hesitation, Zhou Yanzhou couldn’t help but laugh. “You believe in this stuff?”
Chen Xi turned quickly, wary. “We’re already on the mountain. Can you not say these things? The Buddha would be offended.”
Zhou Yanzhou found her small frown amusing. He lifted his chin and nodded halfheartedly. “Alright, alright, I won’t say more.”
Chen Xi’s brows relaxed as she whispered, “This place is very spiritual. If you don’t believe, don’t say it, or you might get bad karma.”
Zhou Yanzhou chuckled and said nonchalantly, “What karma could I get? I’m not a good person, but I’m not a heinous criminal either.”
Chen Xi was speechless.
She knew full well he wasn’t a good man.