Chapter 74 Danger in the Mountains

On the third day of the family trip, the itinerary included a hike in the nearby Qixianling National Forest Park.

The mountain air was shrouded in mist at dawn, carrying the damp scent unique to tropical rainforests. Song Zhiyi wore a light gray quick-drying long-sleeved T-shirt and hiking pants, with professional hiking boots on her feet, and carried a small first-aid kit. She stood at the hotel entrance waiting for her ride, checking satellite maps on her phone.

When Huo Yanli walked over, he saw the densely packed terrain contour lines and markers on her phone screen.

"Are you studying the route?" he asked.

“Hmm.” Song Zhiyi didn’t look up. “This trail is eight kilometers long and has an elevation gain of four hundred meters. The weather forecast says there might be showers this afternoon, so we’d better come down before two o’clock.”

She spoke very professionally, like she was deploying a military operation.

Huo Yanli recalled the information mentioned in his assistant's investigation report—Song Zhiyi had worked in several war-torn regions, including the mountains of Afghanistan and the border areas of Syria. The terrain in those places was far more complex than here, and the level of danger was vastly different.

"You... hike often?" he asked.

"It's necessary for work." Song Zhiyi put away her phone. "In the wild, familiarity with the terrain can be a lifesaver."

She spoke casually, but Huo Yanli sensed the weight in her words.

The convoy arrived. The Huo family members boarded the cars one after another, the children chattering excitedly, and the adults discussing where they would have a picnic at noon. Lin Wei also arrived, dressed in stylish hiking attire and with exquisite makeup, looking more like she was going to shoot a fashion editorial than to hike.

"Sister Zhiyi, your outfit looks so professional," she greeted with a smile. "Unlike me, I bought this on the spot and I don't even know what I'm wearing."

Song Zhiyi nodded: "Safety first."

Those four simple words made Lin Wei's smile falter.

It was already nine o'clock in the morning when we arrived at the entrance of the forest park. Sunlight pierced through the mist, casting dappled shadows among the trees. Our guide was a local, experienced guide, surnamed Chen, in his fifties, with dark skin and a heavy Hainan accent.

"Everyone stay close to me and don't go astray," Guide Chen repeatedly reminded them. "The signal is bad in the mountains, and it would be a big problem if we got separated."

The group walked uphill along the stone path. Huo Siqi and several young cousins ​​led the way, posing for photos with laughter. Lin Wei deliberately lagged behind, looking for an opportunity to walk alongside Huo Yanli.

"Yanli, do you remember when we went hiking in Fragrant Hills during college?" she said softly. "Back then, you carried my bag, and when I sprained my ankle, you helped me all the way down the mountain..."

Huo Yanli frowned: "That's all in the past."

“But those memories are precious to me.” Lin Wei’s voice carried a deliberate sadness. “Sometimes I think, what if I hadn’t…”

"Lin Wei," Huo Yanli interrupted her, "I said, let bygones be bygones."

He quickened his pace and walked to Song Zhiyi's side. Song Zhiyi was talking to Guide Chen in the local dialect. Huo Yanli couldn't understand it, but he saw a look of surprise and admiration on Guide Chen's face.

"Is Miss Song very familiar with Hainan?"

“I’ve been here a few times before,” Song Zhiyi said. “After Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018, I came to assist with post-disaster reconstruction.”

Guide Chen suddenly realized: "No wonder! That explains how you knew that old road!"

The two continued to converse in their dialect, and Huo Yanli, unable to get a word in edgewise, could only follow silently. He noticed that when Song Zhiyi communicated with different people, she would naturally switch to the language and manner most comfortable for that person—speaking in dialect with Guide Chen, using technical jargon with the diplomat, and speaking in simple, easy-to-understand language with the children.

This is a rare ability. It's also a kind of...sense of distance.

At noon, the group rested at a viewing platform halfway up the mountain. Everyone took out the food they had prepared for a picnic, and the children ran around. After Huo Siqi finished eating, she pulled a few cousins ​​aside and said she wanted to find a "better angle for taking pictures."

"Don't go too far," Mrs. Huo instructed. "Be back within half an hour."

"Okay!"

Song Zhiyi glanced at the sky. The clouds in the distance were piling up, their color darkening.

"Guide Chen, how long does it usually take for this kind of cloud to bring rain?" she asked.

Guide Chen squinted at the sky: "It's hard to say. It could take one or two hours if things go quickly, or three or four hours if things go slowly. But judging from the current situation, it won't be too slow."

“Then we’ll descend right on time,” Song Zhiyi suggested.

Huo Yanli glanced at his watch: "Siqi and the others haven't returned yet."

“I’ll go get them,” a younger cousin volunteered.

"Wait," Song Zhiyi called out to him, "Do you know which way they went?"

My cousin pointed to a fork in the road to the west: "He said he wanted to go check out that place; there's a waterfall there."

Song Zhiyi frowned slightly. She opened her phone's map and zoomed in on the area: "That road leads down into a canyon, where there's no cell phone coverage. If it rains, the path will be very slippery."

She stood up: "I'll go find them. Guide Chen, you and the main force should descend as planned and wait for us at the foot of the mountain."

“This won’t do…” Mrs. Huo stood up. “It’s too dangerous.”

“I have experience.” Song Zhiyi had already begun checking the equipment in her backpack—first aid kit, waterproof matches, thermal blanket, compass, headlamp, “and I have a good memory of the terrain in that area.”

“I’ll go with you,” Huo Zheng suddenly said. He had already changed into more professional hiking boots and was holding a trekking pole.

Huo Yanli looked at them, a mix of emotions welling up inside him. There was an inexplicable tacit understanding between his uncle and Song Zhiyi when they stood together—they were both people who had experienced danger and knew how to survive in the wild.

“I’ll go too,” Huo Yanli said.

"Yanli, you stay here." Huo Zheng refused directly, "You need to take care of the elders. Zhiyi and I can go."

These words were spoken very naturally, but Huo Yanli understood the implication—his uncle believed that he couldn't help with wilderness rescue, but Song Zhiyi could.

Lin Wei grabbed Huo Yanli's arm: "Yanli, don't go, it's too dangerous..."

Huo Yanli withdrew his arm and looked at Song Zhiyi: "Be careful."

Song Zhiyi nodded, having already quickly discussed the route details with Guide Chen. She and Huo Zheng exchanged a glance, and almost simultaneously took a step towards the western fork in the road.

Their steps were quick, yet steady. Huo Yanli watched their figures disappear into the woods, realizing for the first time with such clarity—Song Zhiyi was truly far removed from his world.

By one o'clock in the afternoon, the dark clouds were already hanging very low. Thunder rumbled in the distance.

The main force began to retreat. Huo Yanli walked at the back of the group, frequently looking back. His cell phone signal was intermittent, and he received no reply to the messages he sent to Song Zhiyi.

"Brother Yanli, will your sister-in-law and the others be alright?" a cousin asked worriedly.

"No," Huo Yanli said confidently, but his palms were sweating.

He knew Song Zhiyi was capable. But he also knew that the power of nature was more unpredictable than any enemy.

At 1:30, it started to rain. At first, it was just sparse, large raindrops, but it quickly turned into a downpour. The rain washed over the mountain road, and visibility dropped sharply.

"Speed ​​up!" Guide Chen shouted, "The rain is too heavy!"

The team struggled to move forward in the rain. Suddenly, Huo Yanli's phone rang; it was Huo Zheng calling.

"We've found Siqi and the others!" Huo Zheng's voice was muffled by the rain and the crackling of electricity. "Siqi sprained her ankle and is trapped in the canyon. Zhiyi is handling it. I'll send you the location!"

How are you?

"It's alright! But the rain is too heavy, and the water level in the canyon is rising! We need reinforcements!"

The call ended. Huo Yanli looked at the coordinates he had received on his phone screen, and his heart sank.

That location is three kilometers away from here via a mountain road, and it's at the bottom of a canyon.

"Guide Chen!" he shouted. "Is there a shortcut? I need to get to this spot as soon as possible!"

Guide Chen glanced at the coordinates, his expression changing: "This shortcut is very steep, especially dangerous on rainy days..."

"Take me there." Huo Yanli's tone left no room for argument.

Mother Huo grasped his hand: "Yanli..."

"Mom, trust me." Huo Yanli looked at her. "And trust Zhiyi and Uncle. They can bring Siqi and the others back safely."

As he spoke, he followed Guide Chen onto another path that was almost completely covered by weeds.

The rain was pouring down harder. The mountain path was muddy and slippery, and Huo Yanli nearly fell several times. But he had only one thought in his mind—to get there.

He rushed to Song Zhiyi's side.

He recalled her calm face, her nonchalant tone when she said, "I have wilderness experience," and the unspoken understanding between her and Huo Zheng as they walked away side by side.

I also remembered the scar on her back.

That scar from saving a child on the battlefield.

If only someone had done what he is doing now, risking everything to save her back then.

In the rain, Huo Yanli's eyes reddened.

It's not rainwater.

He finally understood—

Some people appear in your life not to embellish it, but to make you realize how shallow you are.

Song Zhiyi is that kind of person.

And he almost missed it.