Snow Mountain
Life is like gears, constantly rotating.
Zhu Shiyi's resume is inadequate; he joined the company not as an independent musician, but as a music planner.
Music planners have a lot of work to do, and working overtime is common. When there are program projects, they may even have to work night shifts, and their daily routines are completely out of control.
The company is located in the center of Jinrong Old Town, which is quite far from Pan Yue's new town. Therefore, Zhu Shiyi did not live with Pan Yue, but rented a small apartment near the company. Only when they were both free on weekends would Pan Yue drive to meet her.
No matter how busy she is with work, Zhu Shiyi has never given up on self-media and original music composition. Thanks to her parents' support during her university years, she has all the necessary music equipment. However, her work keeps her energy and inspiration running low.
Whenever Zhu Shiyi thought about this, he wanted to resign.
Yu Fan advised her not to act impulsively, saying that people with jobs might want to die, but without jobs, they might just die.
Pan Yue wasn't good at comforting people, so he simply asked Zhu Shiyi if she wanted to go out and clear her head. Zhu Shiyi certainly did; she'd been so busy lately that she hadn't even gone on a trip after graduation.
Before long, Pan Yue immediately devised an actionable plan—
At the end of October, he planned to drive with Lin Changren to inspect a scenic area in Rongxi. The Rongxi Plateau Scenic Area was being developed, and ecotourism construction was to be carried out. MEETING participated in the bidding and booked the eco-camping project. Zhu Shiyi could go with him and Yu Fan could also come along.
Zhu Shiyi happened to have some annual leave left, and with the weekend, she could have seven days to take a short trip on the small loop. After discussing it with Yu Fan, Zhu Shiyi immediately agreed and decided to go.
With anticipation in her heart, Zhu Shiyi felt much more relaxed during the next few days at work.
Like any couple living in the same city but in a long-distance relationship, Pan Yue drove downstairs on Sunday to pick up Zhu Shiyi, as usual; the difference this time was that Zhu Shiyi got into the back seat.
"Is there anything else I forgot to bring?" In the driver's seat, Pan Yue rested his hands on the steering wheel and leaned back slightly.
"It's okay, we'll just buy whatever we need." Yu Fan laughed freely in the back seat.
"Exactly, what's the point of all this talk?" Lin Changren waved casually from the passenger seat. "Let's go, let's go!"
Zhu Shiyi smiled, her eyes crinkling.
On a crisp autumn morning, clouds climbed over the city's skyscrapers, weaving through the dim light. A sea of clouds stretched before your eyes, and sitting in your car felt like being in a deep-sea aquarium. The roadside buildings resembled coral, and the diverse pedestrians looked like koi fish. The most ordinary driving in the city became an adventure in the deep sea aboard a submarine.
Zhu Shiyi is ready to embark on this adventure.
"Since there are few cars on the road and we're still in the city, why don't you let me drive?" she volunteered.
Pan Yue paused for a moment, then nodded and smiled.
“I’m the experienced driver, I’ll sit in the passenger seat,” Yu Fan raised an eyebrow. “President Pan, don’t try to take it from me.”
Pan Yue relaxed and curled his lips: "Please go ahead."
Under Yu Fan's guidance, Zhu Shiyi drove more and more smoothly, even driving on the highway for a while. It turned out that driving wasn't so difficult after all.
They stopped at a gas station. "Let's take a break, I'll drive for a bit," Yu Fan offered to drive.
Zhu Shiyi was tired, so she agreed and naturally sat in the passenger seat, becoming Yu Fan's personal feeder.
Lin Changren said sourly, "Anyone who didn't know better would think you two were dating."
Yu Fan glanced at him speechlessly, rolled his eyes, and turned to Zhu Shiyi gently, saying, "He's mentally ill, don't pay him any attention."
Zhu Shiyi chuckled and glanced at the back row, meeting Pan Yue's eyes, which were filled with tenderness and doting. He unwrapped the cookie in his hand, leaned forward to offer it to Zhu Shiyi, who took it with her mouth. As Pan Yue extended his hand, she naturally lowered her head, letting the cookie crumbs fall into his palm.
Pan Yue showed no sign of disgust, grabbed a wet tissue to wipe his hands, and then turned to Lin Changren, nodding his chin in response.
Lin Changren was furious, but he had no choice but to obediently unfold the trash bag in his hand and catch the paper that Pan Yue was about to throw away.
Pan Yue half-closed his eyes, a hint of mockery flashing in them, which made Lin Changren even angrier.
Paper is not paper; it is a sweet burden.
That's absolutely provocative!
......
With a wide view from the front row, and distant mountains and clouds flashing by, Zhu Shiyi finally understood what people meant when they said that the most beautiful scenery in Rongxi is on the road.
Before long, they entered a tunnel complex. The long darkness made them drowsy, but Lin Changren couldn't stay still and started making a fuss about taking over the music playback rights.
"Get ready!" Lin Changren's eyes darted around as he fiddled with his phone. "Let me show you what a holographic experience is all about!"
No one understood what Lin Changren was saying, but everyone was in a great mood during the trip and played along with his performance.
The tunnel was dark, but after walking for several miles, it seemed as if there was light. Lin Changren was so excited that he almost jumped up, and started counting down to himself.
"Three! Two! One!"
"......"
The bright sunlight hit me head-on, blinding me, but after a couple of seconds I recovered and nothing happened.
"Don't mind him, everyone, Lin Changren is having another episode," Yu Fan joked.
Pan Yue chimed in, "I'm used to it."
"This lousy internet!" Lin Changren exclaimed angrily, "You guys don't understand my romance!"
Yu Fan: "Hmm, the patient's romance."
The car then entered the tunnel.
The next second, the car's music started playing.
"Towards the Clouds~"
After a moment of stunned silence, Zhu Shiyi realized what was happening and burst into laughter.
Yu Fan clearly understood, but he still stubbornly said, "You're a little late to the cloud."
Lin Changren snorted, "I'm not playing anymore!"
Yu Fan went along with him: "Okay, okay, I won't play anymore, be good. Playing music isn't suitable for you. Let your sister do it. You go play Candy Crush."
Lin Changren: "...No! I'm going to let it go!"
Yu Fan: "Alright, alright, go ahead and do it. You're sick, so I'll let you have your way."
Zhu Shiyi chuckled to himself.
Lin Changren is such a lively character, and Yu Fan is so good at teasing. Even the boring car ride is filled with joy, and we can't stop laughing.
Although Pan Yue was a man of few words, he was meticulous in everything he did. Realizing that the signal was poor on the plateau, he quietly opened the navigation app and downloaded an offline map.
Lin Changren became obedient and let the music play automatically.
A white light flashed before my eyes, and suddenly everything became clear.
As the drumbeats began, a warm and free melody filled the air. Before them stretched a bright, sunny sky and towering mountains, while below lay deep canyons and rushing rivers. Zhu Shiyi couldn't help but shout out, as they unexpectedly, together with the song, ascended to the true heights of the clouds.
"It's so damn beautiful!" Yu Fan couldn't stop shaking his head. "It's a pity I'm uncultured; all I can say is 'fuck!'"
Lin Changren added a strange shout from the side: "You only realize how little you know when you need it; blue sky, white clouds, and water will all disappear."
Zhu Shiyi laughed himself to death.
"Old Pan," Lin Changren nudged Pan Yue, urging him, "call him out!"
Pan Yue chuckled lightly, remaining silent, utterly disapproving of such childish behavior.
The next second, Zhu Shiyi turned her head and blinked her big, dark eyes: "Call me."
Pan Yue half-closed his eyes, propped his forehead up, and hid his burning face.
"Learn from me!" Zhu Shiyi roared.
Pan Yue coughed lightly and spoke in a deep voice.
"ah."
“You’re not doing it right. Get a little more excited. Do it like this, ah—” Zhu Shiyi rolled down the car window a little, opened her arms, and let the cold wind blow her hair.
Pan Yue couldn't imitate it, but Yu Fan tried to shout it out, and Lin Changren shouted loudly again, creating a cacophony of noise in the car.
In the distance, the mountain walls are covered in golden and red blossoms, ripening in late autumn. A quick glance upwards reveals a breathtakingly blue sky, with a gentle breeze, light clouds, and a clear, bright sky.
"Look at the snow-capped mountains!" Zhu Shiyi blinked, staring at the white expanse where the Tianshan Mountains meet. "This is the first time I've ever seen snow-capped mountains!"
Yu Fan took a closer look, then burst out laughing, calling her silly: "Goodness, that's a cloud!"
"Is it a cloud?" Zhu Shiyi squinted and looked closely, doubting his own judgment.
Lin Changren crouched low, arched his back, and peered out like a monkey: "It really is a cloud."
“Okay,” Zhu Shiyi pouted and muttered, “I want to see the snow-capped mountains.”
Pan Yue didn't speak, but turned on his phone's camera and zoomed in on the snow-white area. The pure white clusters were mixed with light gray, and at first glance, they really did look like clouds tinged with haze. However, there were sharp, dark black, and powerful vertical lines on the white parts, which were not the structure of soft, fluffy clouds.
“It’s a snow-capped mountain,” Pan Yue said with certainty.
Zhu Shiyi's eyes lit up again, his anticipation reaching its peak.
As the car drew closer, the high-altitude winds blew away the clouds and mist, parting the curtains of the snow-capped mountains.
"I knew it was a snow mountain!" Zhu Shiyi exclaimed in surprise and delight, pulling out her phone to take pictures like crazy.
Yu Fan was even more excited. He found a spot to park on the side of the road, shooed the group out of the car, and vowed to make a film.
Lin Changren, Yu Fan's boyfriend, naturally took on the role of photographer, but no matter how many photos he took, Yu Fan was never satisfied.
"What kind of film is this? You didn't even warn me about the overhead lighting!"
"How was I supposed to know it was top lighting? Everything was fine when we were shooting!"
"How could you take such an ugly picture of me!"
"Nothing about it is ugly! You're just as beautiful as you are."
"You even called me ugly!"
"I'm innocent! I didn't!"
"......"
Zhu Shiyi listened with a mixture of helplessness and amusement, secretly shaking his head and leaning against Pan Yue.
"Luckily, I don't like taking pictures." Gazing at her friends' playful figures, her gaze softened involuntarily, revealing a hint of longing.
Pan Yue saw it all.
"Let me take your picture."
Zhu Shiyi was startled for a moment, then realized what she meant and said, "Okay."
She stood before the snow-capped mountain, and a gust of wind swept by, causing her to turn her head slightly. Pan Yue froze for a moment, capturing this instant.
"What do you think? What do you think?" Zhu Shiyi ran excitedly to Pan Yue's side, eager to see. The scenery was magnificent, the lighting was bright, the people were natural, and the atmosphere was wonderful; she really liked it.
Zhu Shiyi couldn't wait to show off to Yu Fan, which made Yu Fan even angrier, and he gave Lin Changren a hot snort.
“Let’s all take a picture like this!” Zhu Shiyi suggested.
Pan Yue: "I'll take the photos for you."
"You have to take a picture too!" Zhu Shiyi emphasized. No one really dislikes taking pictures; who wouldn't want to keep a memento for themselves? It's just that some people might have social anxiety or worry that the photos won't look good.
In the end, following Pan Yue's angle, all four of them had the same photo. Yu Fan pulled Zhu Shiyi to take a selfie and also took a group photo of Zhu Shiyi and Pan Yue.
Zhu Shiyi pieced together several photos, admired them for a long time, and couldn't help but like them.
She was in the east, and he was in the west; during the two years of separation, whenever he felt the breeze, saw the mountains and rivers, and looked at the eastward-blowing mountain wind and flowing water, Zhu Shiyi could not stop missing her.
The wind rises from the west, the water flows from the high mountains. In the energy contained in the wind, is there a message carried by someone? In the cool and gentle mountains and waters, is there someone hiding warmth and coldness?
On a whim, Zhu Shiyi lowered the car window slightly to let in the wind blowing in from all directions, which was mixed with a chill. He took a closer sniff and smelled the fragrance of grass covered in dew.
It's the scent of fresh grass on my lover.
Subconsciously turning my head, I met her warm eyes, vast and deep like the sky, yet filled with her gentle gaze. The complex universe suddenly became one; the world was so simple after all, just one person, and that was everything.
Pan Yue patted her head: "Are you feeling unwell?"
My nose suddenly felt sore.
"No," Zhu Shiyi sniffed, "the wind is making me a little cold."
"Then close the window."
"No," Zhu Shiyi said, wanting to enjoy the moment, "I want to blow."
Pan Yue hummed in agreement, took her woolen scarf, and draped it over her shoulders.
......
We had lunch in the local county town, took a short walk around the small county in the canyon, and then got back into the car, this time with Lin Changren as the driver.
This outing took several hours, and by the afternoon, the road to Rongxi was completely jammed with cars. They had left early in the morning to avoid the rush hour traffic, but they got carried away and neglected their plans.
Fortunately, no one on the bus spoiled the fun. Even when stuck in traffic, everyone was happy, eating and drinking as usual. Oh, they did control their drinking, though, because they didn't know when they would encounter a restroom, so no one dared to drink too much water.
Lin Changren was impatient and would get anxious when stuck in traffic, so he switched drivers back to Pan Yue.
After driving and stopping along a narrow, single-lane road, we had to climb a steep mountain road. Traffic jams on steep slopes are a serious danger, so local traffic police took charge, putting up signs to temporarily make all vehicles wait in different areas and prevent traffic from passing through the main road.
This area isn't a tourist attraction; it's desolate and deserted, the signal is bad, and there's nothing to do on my phone. It's incredibly boring.
A few local drivers weren't waiting on the main road; instead, they turned and headed up the mountain road. Lin Changren, bold as ever, rolled down his window and shouted in his dialect, "Brother, which way is this?"
The older brother was also very cheerful: "This is a dirt road, you can go over the mountain, but it's steep. Sedans can't go up, but your SUVs will have no problem."
"Alright, thanks bro!" Lin Changren snapped his fingers, smugly proud, "I'm the best, I got it done in one go."
Zhu Shiyi exclaimed in amazement, "You're too amazing!"
Lin Changren was overjoyed by the praise: "When you're traveling, you have to help each other."
He's right, but when traveling, girls are always more wary than boys. Yu Fan said cautiously, "We don't even know where this road leads. It's a mountain road, how does it end? What if we don't get to where we're going?"
Lin Changren paused for a moment: "Let me ask again."
Zhu Shiyi: "Maybe we should be more cautious. What if we get lost and encounter savages on the way, and they kill us and dump the bodies?"
Yu Fan chuckled: "You really have a vivid imagination."
Zhu Shiyi smiled in agreement, glancing at the silent Pan Yue. He frowned slightly, looking down at his phone. Curious, she leaned back in her chair to look: "How come you still have internet?"
“No internet,” Pan Yue pointed to the signal in the upper right corner, “offline map. Once we have a signal, you can all download the navigation app.”
"How do we do this!" Zhu Shiyi's eyes lit up.
“I’ll teach you later,” Pan Yue swiped his phone and shifted gears in the car. “We can drive on mountain roads. The navigation shows there’s a road that leads to our destination.”
The passengers were no longer stuck in traffic and turned onto the mountain road. Today, Pan Yue was the vehicle's map for getting lost.
The mountain road was very steep, with many rocks along the way. With each bump and jolt, Zhu Shiyi couldn't tell whether he was worried about the safety of everyone in the car or heartbroken about the car that cost over 900,000 yuan.
As they climbed the mountain, the altitude increased, and Lin Changren began to feel unwell, leaning against the car in a daze.
"How are you?" Yu Fan asked, his brows furrowed, as he gently stroked Lin Changren's head.
Lin Changren groaned in discomfort.
Pan Yue: "There is an oxygen tank in the trunk."
Yu Fan was overjoyed and quickly found the oxygen, turned it on, and gave it to Lin Changren to breathe.
"Are you feeling unwell?" Pan Yue asked the two women with concern, but his eyes were fixed on Zhu Shiyi.
Yu Fan shook his head.
Zhu Shiyi carefully felt it; her chest seemed a little tight, but as long as she didn't think about it, it was actually nothing serious.
"And you?" she asked, also concerned about Pan Yue.
"I'm fine," Pan Yue steadied his breathing. "I've been to this area before, so my body can get used to it."
Before coming, Zhu Shiyi had learned that men, especially those who are athletic, have a higher oxygen requirement and are more prone to altitude sickness. Worried, she took a bottle of oxygen from the trunk for Pan Yue to breathe in. Pan Yue took a couple of breaths and then turned his head to tell her to breathe in some too.
After going uphill, it went downhill again. The air gradually thickened, and people started to appear along the roadside. Colorful flags fluttered in the wind in the gaps between the piled stones.
Lin Changren had also recovered, and the group went up to a little-known observation deck before sunset. Although the view wasn't as good as the popular "Instagrammable" observation decks and the location was more remote, the view was just as expansive, and there were fewer people.
The sunset glowed brilliantly, the snow-covered landscape was breathtaking, the snow and gold reflecting each other in a dazzling and vibrant display. How fortunate they were to witness the golden sunrise on their first trip to the plateau.
Zhu Shiyi gazed quietly at the beautiful scenery, so still that she dared not breathe, afraid of disturbing the tranquility of the sacred mountain. Pan Yue stood beside her, silently tightening his arms around her waist. Zhu Shiyi followed his gaze and saw, in the dim light and backlighting, the man's profile was strong and aggressive, yet his eyes were gentle.
Seeing this scene, Zhu Shiyi felt only peace.
Unable to resist, Zhu Shiyi tiptoed and kissed Pan Yue's cheek. Suddenly realizing something, she quickly shrank back and looked around. Yu Fan and Lin Changren were already embracing and kissing happily, oblivious to everyone else.
Zhu Shiyi couldn't bear to look, yet she was genuinely happy. The scene was beautiful, but she had no interest in taking pictures; all she wanted was to wrap her arms around her lover's waist and run into his warm embrace.
Pan Yue gently embraced her, bowed his head, and, witnessed by the sacred mountain, devoutly kissed his lover's forehead.
She was the love of his life, and his only love.
He hid all his unspoken love in his lover's brow with kisses.
......
Although this area is sparsely populated, it is not completely deserted because it has a classic viewpoint. There was even a traffic jam when we got off the viewing platform.
The golden sunrise on the mountain symbolizes good fortune.
But they don't seem to be very lucky.
Traffic jams mean frequent stops and starts, and sometimes when it's crowded, you have to turn off the engine to save fuel, since the next gas station is still dozens of kilometers away.
Another seemingly ordinary engine stall occurred, but when the car was restarted, an unexpected incident occurred.
The car engine just won't start.
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