Chapter 1 Camping Trip

The lazy morning light parted the thin veil of mist deep in the alley, tinging the mottled bluestone walls with a pale gold hue. Jiang Yining walked briskly on the familiar stone path, her backpack heavy on her shoulder, and two insulated bags filled to the brim in her hands.

She was oblivious to the deep red marks left on her fingertips by the bag, her lips curved in a smile, her mind filled with the beautiful scenery of Qiyun Mountain and the friends she was about to meet.

"With lemon"

A clear voice rang out from behind her, carrying a slight huskiness unique to the early morning. Jiang Yining turned around abruptly, her heart skipping a beat.

Under the dense shade of the old banyan tree at the alley entrance, Xie Shiyan leaned against a black sedan. Morning light filtered through the leaves, illuminating his neat short hair and sharply defined profile, making even his hand casually resting on the car door appear exceptionally handsome.

He stepped forward and took the heavy insulated bag from Jiang Yining's hand with remarkable ease, his fingertips inadvertently brushing against the back of her hand, which was red from being tied up.

"It's so heavy, why didn't you ask me to pick you up at the alley entrance?" His gaze fell on the several glaring red marks on her hands, his brows furrowed slightly, and a hint of barely perceptible heartache crept into his voice.

"The alley is too narrow, your car can't get in, it's such a hassle."

Jiang Yining tried to pull her hand away, but Xie Shiyan gently held it. His warm fingertips gently caressed the red marks on the back of her hand with a soothing touch.

"You call this nothing?" He lowered his voice, his gaze fixed intently on the red stain on her hand. "Don't do this again next time."

Jiang Yining felt her ears burning under his gaze. She forcefully pulled her hand back and deliberately spoke in a light tone, "I know, I know, thank you, Butler. Let's go, Xiao Xiao and the others must be getting impatient." She quickly opened the car door and jumped in, using her actions to hide her suddenly racing heartbeat.

Xie Shiyan looked at her slightly red ear tips, smiled silently, carefully put the insulated bag into the trunk, and got into the driver's seat.

With a soft hum of the engine, the car merged into the sparse traffic of the early morning, heading towards the lush mountain shadows on the edge of the city.

Qiyun Mountain truly lives up to its name, its verdant peaks half-hidden in the veil of morning mist. Xie Shiyan carried the enormous backpack filled with Jiang's mother's love, and held two insulated bags in one hand, yet his steps remained steady.

Jiang Yining followed behind him, carrying her small bag. After climbing for more than an hour, she felt as if her legs were made of lead, her lungs were on fire, and every step was incredibly heavy. Sweat soaked her forehead and clung miserably to her cheeks.

"I...I can't go on..." She leaned against a rough tree trunk, panting heavily, her voice broken and intermittent.

Xie Shiyan stopped and turned to look at her. Fine beads of sweat glistened on his forehead, but his eyes remained clear and gentle. He freed one hand and naturally extended it towards her. "We're almost there. Come on."

Jiang Yining hesitated for a moment, then placed her hand on his. A warm, gentle force immediately enveloped her, steadily pulling her forward. With his help, she climbed the last steep section of the mountain path, and suddenly the view opened up before her.

"Wow—" came out of her mouth in amazement.

A continuous, verdant mountain range stretched out beneath my feet, reaching to the horizon. A thin mist swirled among them, while the sunlight generously poured down, gilding everything with a flowing golden edge. The wind was crisp and clear, carrying the fragrance of grass, trees, and earth, rushing against my face and instantly washing away the fatigue of the climb.

"Jiang Yining, Xie Shiyan, over here?" Xiao Xiao's excited voice came from not far away. She and Lu Jingshen had already spread out a picnic blanket on a relatively flat patch of grass.

Xiao Xiao's gaze fell on Xie Shiyan's mountain-like backpack and the heavy insulated bag in his hand. She gasped dramatically, "My God, Jiang Yining, did you bring all your belongings here? Xie Shiyan, you've had a hard time." She winked mischievously at Jiang Yining.

Jiang Yining was so exhausted that she only had the strength to wave her hand; she couldn't even muster a word to argue. She almost stumbled and collapsed onto the wooden railing at the edge of the cliff, took a deep breath of the crisp, sweet air from the mountaintop, opened her arms, and shouted at the top of her lungs towards the vast valley below:

"Hello—hello everyone—" The clear voice echoed through the valley, taking away the last trace of Jiang Yining's fatigue.

On the other side, best friends Shen Nian'an and Zhou Yanzhe sat quietly on a large rock a little further away. Shen Nian'an was intently fiddling with a vintage camera. Zhou Yanzhe turned slightly to shield her from the side breeze, his gaze fixed on her focused profile, a faint, almost imperceptible smile playing on his lips.

Xie Shiyan unloaded his things methodically and began tidying up the campsite. Jiang Yining, having recovered, also went over to help. The two stood very close, their fingertips occasionally brushing together as they passed a folding chair.

As she took it, her fingertips brushed against his knuckles. Their eyes met briefly, and they smiled at each other, a blush creeping up their ears.

As night fell, the starry sky resembled an overturned diamond box, its countless tiny stars adorning the deep blue velvet. The campfire crackled, its leaping flames illuminating the young faces around them.

"Wow... a shooting star! Quick, make a wish!" Xiao Xiao, with her sharp eyes, grabbed Lu Jingshen's arm and shook it excitedly, pointing to a silver streak that suddenly flashed across the sky.