Chapter Sixty-Nine

"Yu Xi, keep an eye on the surveillance footage tonight. Those guys should be back in the next couple of days."

Yu Xi was packing up his tools when he heard his master's voice behind him. He deftly tightened the nylon rope, hoisted the machine onto his shoulder, and said, "Don't worry, Master."

Guang Sheng is fifty-seven years old this year. People call him a spirited little old man. He stepped forward and wanted to pat Yu Xi on the shoulder, but because of his height, he couldn't reach him, so he could only pat Yu Xi's arm instead. "I trust you to get things done. But you should also worry about your own affairs. How's what I told you the other day going?"

Yu Xi looked troubled. "Master, I've said it many times, I don't want to have a boyfriend, I don't want to date, and I don't want to get married."

"Nonsense!" Guang Sheng pulled out his pipe from his waist and tapped Yu Xi on the forehead. The force was light, but the admonition was strong. "Everyone in this world always has something to care about. Look at these guys we filmed. Only by following the laws of nature can they continue to thrive."

“There are already too many people in this world. Society is about survival of the fittest, and we should also learn to survive. Master, someone like me would only be a burden to anyone I marry. Really, please stop trying to persuade me.” Guang Sheng was about to hit someone with his pipe again when Yu Xi quickly grabbed Guang Sheng’s hand and pulled him toward the tent not far away. “You haven’t slept all night. I’ll keep watch for you. Go to sleep.”

Guang Sheng pouted, somewhat unhappy that he hadn't been able to play matchmaker for his beloved young apprentice. "I know you young people are impulsive. Are you one of those people on the internet who's a celibate or a Platonic?"

“Let me make this clear. You’re so tall and good-looking, all the girls outside are smitten with you. Last time, the day I asked you to drive your second brother to receive an award, a photo of your profile was taken, and a lot of people came to ask me about it. Yu Xi, the most important thing in life is marriage.”

"Reproduction is also a human instinct."

Yu Xi: "Master, not everyone has to follow their instincts, and not everyone can be a good adult or a good parent. I know what kind of person I am, so..."

Guang Sheng sighed, put away his pipe, put his hands behind his back. The ravages of time had made him unable to straighten his back. People always have to admit that they will grow old. No matter how crazy or flamboyant they were when they were young, they will eventually return to calm and yearn for the feelings and things they once scoffed at.

Guang Sheng felt that Yu Xi was too young, which was why he described his long life as something that could be seen through at a glance.

Young people these days are always like this; they have their own ideas and their own paths to follow.

But there's an old saying that goes, "Those who don't heed the advice of their elders will suffer the consequences."

Yu Xi watched Guang Sheng enter the tent. He found a place to sit, casually plucked a blade of grass, and chewed it. The bitter juice spread in his mouth. He liked doing this; it gave him a sense of connection with nature and even more so with these animals.

Since leaving Ming'an City, he has wandered around, stopping and starting, and has seen many places he had only ever seen on television or in books.

Arriving at the extremely cold place he had longed for as a child, everyone around him was wrapped up in their clothes, but Yu Xi stretched out his limbs and embraced the cold air he had never been exposed to before. The locals looked at Yu Xi as if he were a fool.

Yu Xi felt that she was physically strong and that being chilled for a while shouldn't cause any serious problems.

As a result, he fell ill for more than half a month. The guesthouse owner was a warm and hospitable man from Northeast China. Knowing that Yu Xi was sick, he would come to inquire about her from time to time. Yu Xi suspected that he was so enthusiastic because he was afraid that she would die in his guesthouse.

But after he recovered from his illness, the boss still came to talk to him. Northeasterners are warm and friendly, and they can become sworn brothers after a few drinks. Yu Xi was won over by this straightforward personality and had no choice but to join in. The spirit of the Northeastern brother is easy to understand; he is straightforward and sincere.

Yu Xi listened to his stories of the Northeast in the past, to hear about the black soil beneath his feet and how people in the past lived through an era that now seems magical. The Northeast was a place where everything flourished, and although it was not as developed as it is now, it was full of vitality.

My older brother said that people have become bad these days, not as good as they used to be. Last month, a tourist stole his router, which made him so angry that he yelled and screamed, and it took him three days of drinking to calm down.

Yu Xi listened quietly until her older brother finally fell asleep, snoring loudly. Even such a powerful sound couldn't completely drown out the sound of snow falling outside.

From that moment on, Yu Xi couldn't help but marvel at how amazing the Earth was, encompassing everything and forming its own unique system.

He was engrossed in looking out the window when a silly dog ​​suddenly and unexpectedly entered his field of vision.

The dung beetle looks a bit like a deer, but if you look closely, you can see that they are completely different creatures.

The silly dog's eyes were clear, staring straight at Yu Xi in the room. Yu Xi got up and walked to the window, looking at it across the frosty windowpane.

Yu Xi: "Why aren't you afraid of people?" He subconsciously softened his voice, afraid of scaring away the little guy outside the window.

"Because it's stupid, if you go out at this time, you can still see it burying its head in the snow."

That was the first time Yu Xi and Guang Sheng met.

Guang Sheng is a wildlife photographer who is somewhat well-known in the field. He has taken many photos that have gone viral, but his personal recognition is inversely proportional to the popularity of his work. He doesn't like to use himself for publicity. He photographs wild animals for three reasons: to understand them, to protect them, and because he loves it.

Yu Xi originally planned to travel to the Northwest after recovering from his illness, as he longed to see the sands of the Northwest. However, he did not expect to be held up by people from the Northeast.

Because of the cold air, the boss...

Because of the boss, Guang Sheng was born.

And so, Yu Xi followed Guang Sheng and became an intern wildlife photographer.

This work, or rather, this new hobby, is extremely to Yu Xi's liking and also very suitable for her personality.

Calmness, boldness, intuition, and plenty of patience.

He can lie in the same spot for 24 hours straight, just to film wildlife walking around there.

The images are invaluable; they can reveal a great deal about the wildlife in the area, such as their health and territorial disputes.

Of course, injuries are not unavoidable, and Yu Xi doesn't take these wounds seriously.

Because he experiences both joy and pain.

Pain makes him feel alive.

Happiness is like a poison; if you take it, you will die.

“Yu Xi, your thinking is too extreme. Is happiness poison? Even if it is, it’s one man’s poison and another man’s honey.”

Yu Xi's second brother was also Guang Sheng's apprentice. His original name was Wu Er, and he belonged to a minority ethnic group. Wu Er himself was not quite sure which ethnic group he belonged to, but his appearance was obviously different from that of Han Chinese people, so he gave himself a name that matched his appearance.

Ul has a very lively personality. He is only three years older than Yu Xi, but sometimes his behavior is much more childish than Yu Xi's. Guang Sheng doesn't scold Ul for this. Ul just lets it go in one ear and out the other, and can even take the time to make a funny face to amuse Yu Xi.

Yu Xi lived with them for three years and felt very fulfilled.

Perhaps one day, separation will come between them, but Yu Xi guessed that it would be different from Zhou Mo's separation.

It won't hurt so much you can't stand it.