Chapter 58 Heartbeat
"Jingjing, this is what you call being a hooligan." [First update]
June 5th is World Environment Day.
It was also the day that had been previously arranged for the Hundred Schools Alliance to select five people to go deep into the Hoh Xil no-man's-land with staff from the protection station and the environmental protection bureau for a patrol and investigation.
As the founders, Qi Woxue and Xu Jibai were naturally the first to bear the brunt.
Then came Lin Yujing and Zhang Jiale, one in charge of photography and documentation, and the other forming a medical team with Qi Woxue.
The last person chosen was surprisingly Chen Jingshu.
The patrol team in the Hoh Xil no-man's-land consisted of 15 people and set off in three vehicles.
When they saw the "No Man's Land" sign, the vast and pristine Tibetan wilderness appeared before them.
This place is still known as the "forbidden zone of life" to this day, desolate, bleak, and accompanied by unknown dangers.
Every year, the patrol staff at the station enter this uninhabited area countless times, just to protect a figure in this dangerous place.
Perhaps it's an occupational hazard, but every time Gongga Jiebu takes volunteers into the no-man's-land, he introduces the story of Hoh Xil and the Tibetan antelope.
"Based on fossil discoveries, it is inferred that the Tibetan antelope was a creature that lived on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau approximately 2.6 million years ago during the early Pleistocene."
As a typical representative of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau fauna and a vital component of the local natural ecosystem, the Tibetan antelope is highly valued by the Chinese government. Following the promulgation of the "National Key Protected Wild Animals List" in 1988, the State Council immediately approved and designated the Tibetan antelope as a Class I protected wild animal, strictly prohibiting its illegal hunting.
The government has successively established several nature reserves, equipped with professional management agencies and law enforcement teams to conduct regular patrols and monitor the activities of Tibetan antelope populations in real time.
At this point, Gongga Jiebu couldn't help but sigh, "These lambs, because their wool, skin, meat, and horns have extremely high economic value, were called 'soft gold' by those merchants and almost suffered a catastrophic disaster. In recent years, the situation has been better controlled, and there is also legal regulation. In the past, hundreds or even tens of thousands of Tibetan antelopes were often slaughtered in groups, and some ewes even had fully developed lambs in their bellies."
Despite this, poachers still cruelly cut open the ewes' bellies...
"They only think about making money, but they ignore the fact that the Tibetan antelope is a crucial layer in the Hoh Xil food chain, feeding almost all the carnivores in the region. Once the antelope becomes extinct, it will only cause the grassland rats at the bottom to grow rampantly, causing a disaster and eating crops and basic vegetation. That is the real key link that will shake the local environment and ecology, and even the economy."
After a professional protection department was established, the number of Tibetan antelopes finally began to increase steadily.
Staff at the station began monitoring the migration routes and timing of Tibetan antelopes without disrupting the ecosystem. They discovered that they are divided into four major geographical populations: the Qiangtang region of Tibet, the Hoh Xil region of Qinghai, the Sanjiangyuan region of Qinghai, and the Altun Mountains of Xinjiang. Every year after the winter solstice, male and female Tibetan antelopes separate into two groups and migrate from their winter habitats to their summer habitats.
The patrol team often encounters herds of female Tibetan antelopes, and they help the newborn lambs the most.
Patrol the mountain, monitor, record, and assist.
These seemingly profound tasks, in reality, are often accompanied by monotony, high altitude, and lack of oxygen.
It's both sacred and boring.
"Work always has its constraints, but I grew up on this land, and it's only natural to give back. Besides, with Brother Jeb leading the way, I didn't feel it was too hard at all." Xiao Liu from the station had a simple, honest smile on his face. The high UV rays had tanned his cheeks dark and peeling, and he was telling everyone about the honors and medals they had received over the years. "Our station is closest to the no-man's-land, so we've rescued the most animals. But the one I remember most clearly is the rescue of our comrade Xiao Lin in the no-man's-land two years ago."
Instantly, Lin Yujing felt a chill run down her spine.
Her pride prevented her from wanting Chen Jingshu to know about her past.
She didn't want more people to know that she had almost been sold by her own father for a dowry.
Just as Lin Yujing was worried that they would talk in detail, Chen Jingshu took the binoculars away from his eyes and said, "There seems to be a lone Tibetan antelope in the distance."
In one sentence, he successfully drew everyone's attention.
Even Gongga Jebu raised his binoculars to search for the lone lamb that Chen Jingshu had mentioned.
"It really is a lamb," Gongga Jiebu said with delight. "Xiao Liu, observe the terrain and make sure there are no hunting wolves or other animals around before we go forward."
Lin Yujing bit her lower lip and operated the drone to patrol the surroundings. "I haven't found anything unusual here."
Xiao Liu: "It's normal on my end too."
The convoy then began to head towards the lamb's location, and no one paid any more attention to Lin Yujing's past with the station.
Lin Yujing kept her head down, only glancing at Chen Jingshu out of the corner of her eye.
Fortunately, his expression remained unchanged; he had probably been focused on the lone lamb and hadn't heard what Xiao Liu said.
Lin Yujing breathed a sigh of relief, then couldn't help but smile self-deprecatingly.
A sensitive, arrogant, and insecure person is truly...
-
For Chen Jingshu, the name Lin Yujing was like a special search term.
He could always quickly grasp information about her, her emotional changes, and respond accordingly.
So when Xiao Liu mentioned Lin Yujing's name, his eyebrows twitched slightly.
He knew that Hoh Xil meant something different to Lin Yujing; it was rooted in her very vulnerability.
This is the underlying reason for her low self-esteem, so he is not only afraid that she will find out, but also afraid that more of his friends on the bus will find out.
At the same time, every time someone mentions it, it feels like reopening a scabbed wound for her.
Chen Jingshu kept looking out the window, but he actually had a breath stuck in his throat.
Because I felt sorry for her, I wanted to hug her even more.
It wasn't out of pity, but rather out of resentment for not being open and brave enough back then; otherwise, Lin Yujing would never have faced such hardships in her life.
Despite his self-proclaimed love for her, upon closer examination, he realized he hadn't done enough and still felt deeply indebted to the young girl.
Chen Jingshu squeezed his binoculars, and finally, when the vehicle stopped next to the little Tibetan antelope, he quickly got out of the car, turned his back to Lin Yujing, and wiped away his tears.
-
Before getting out of the car, Lin Yujing was busy changing the recording equipment. Once the car was stable, she was only focused on recording the video of the rescue of the Tibetan antelope behind Qi Woxue, so she did not notice Chen Jingshu's low mood.
Everyone felt nothing while sitting in the car until they stood in the open, unobstructed wilderness.
Only then did I realize that the biting cold wind was making it difficult to even breathe.
Lin Yujing was slender and thin, carrying a telephoto camera, her calves trembling slightly.
It felt like there were many knives scraping the flesh deep into the marrow on his cheeks.
Chen Jingshu stepped forward and stood beside her, saying, "I'll take care of it."
Before she could refuse, Chen Jingshu had already taken the camera. "Don't worry, I studied it for a whole day before coming."
During those nearly two weeks, he was almost always by her side, so he has basic video recording skills.
Lin Yujing nodded and released the camera.
The car was moving too fast, and she didn't have much time to take in the scenery or feel the wind blowing on her face in the deserted area.
That suffocating and desolate feeling, when I see it again now, feels like a fleeting memory, yet everything has changed.
The light, which had just been obscured by dark clouds, broke through the clouds.
The warm yellow light shines on the Gobi Desert, creating a scene that is both miraculous and magnificent, desolate yet full of life.
As Lin Yujing watched Chen Jingshu's back turn, a huge weight seemed to crack in her heart.
"You stay put and set up the camping tents for the night. The station chief, Comrade Xiao Zhang, and I will escort the little antelope back to the team."
According to the rules for venturing deep into uninhabited areas, they need to stay overnight and return the next day.
So Gongga Jiebu, Xiao Liu, and Zhang Jiale went to send the baby Tibetan antelope back to the team, while the rest of the team carried out other tasks as previously arranged.
By the time the three returned, the sun was setting over the no-man's-land.
Everyone lit a bonfire, sat on the ground, looked up at the starry sky above, and ate a bowl of self-heating rice with relish.
Lin Yujing blinked, thinking that the last time she saw such a sky full of stars was in Chen Jingshu's rooftop courtyard house.
However, the stars in the no-man's-land are not quite the same as the stars in the city; their starlight has a slightly cool hue.
But when she looked up and saw Chen Jingshu right beside her, a warm feeling welled up in her heart.
"Why did you all choose your current jobs and majors?" Perhaps in the vast, primeval wilderness, even the questions that suddenly arise carry a sense of faith.
Gongga Jebu said, “I grew up on this land. When I was a child, I only wanted to leave the mountains, and later I did. But after going far away, I realized that instead of leaving by myself, I should take everyone with me.”
"I hope that I can personally measure the Tibetan people's lives and the most primitive historical ecology with my own feet and eyes. I want to promote the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau so that children in the Tibetan area can also have such a vast life."
The subsequent statements from several local environmental protection bureau leaders were almost identical.
In remote areas like theirs, development possibilities are limited by geographical factors, which is why there is a continuous stream of college graduate village officials returning to their hometowns.
When the topic returned to the volunteers, a different answer finally emerged.
Zhang Jiale said, "Both my parents are doctors, so studying medicine was a planned arrangement from a very young age."
He used to be confused, even though everyone called him a child prodigy. But that kind of bewilderment, born from the limitations of youth, was like a seemingly wide road, yet only one path was not obscured by the white fog.
In contrast to Qi Woxue, who often acted for others, she simply said, "I didn't think too much about it. I just felt that studying was a very pure thing, and before I knew it, I had a doctorate."
Lin Yujing looked up and met Qi Woxue's gaze, even though she knew what Qi Woxue really meant.
But the two just smiled at each other, with a hint of helplessness at things not going as planned.
Xu Jibai was a man of few words, expressing only his passion with the simplest of two words: "passion."
When everyone looked at Chen Jingshu, he scratched his head, with a hint of helplessness, "Well, it's a family business, I don't have a choice. But in the end, it's all the same, just to... make a living."
Lin Yujing looked at him and saw a kind of lofty man who had fallen into the mortal world, covered in dust and grime, yet still retaining a sense of untamed spirit.
Sometimes she would have a moment of disorientation, wondering if she had ever risked ruining their relationship by sending him to that desolate mountaintop.
Isn't he also unhappy and feeling constrained?
If she had softened her stance on her own selfish desires back then, wouldn't she and Chen Jingshu already have a home together?
She wouldn't have gone through all that followed, and she wouldn't have been standing alone on the flagpole of Chang'an Avenue during times of family joy.
Chang'an, Chang'an, when will she be able to exchange her overdue tranquility for lasting peace?
"Where is Comrade Xiao Lin?" Only Lin Yujing remained silent, so Gongga Jiebu took the initiative to ask.
Lin Yujing smiled faintly, and after a long while said, "I'm similar to Uncle Jeb, but I just want to go out and never go back. I want to see the outside world and experience different kinds of lives. I want a free life, one that isn't defined or bound by gender or age."
She wanted to escape that man-eating mountain, that mountain that devoured girls.
We must also leave that place where rules are always set by class.
After Lin Yujing finished speaking, she quickly moved two seats closer to Chen Jingshu and sat down next to her.
His arm brushed against her waist, protecting her in a way that gave her a sense of absolute security.
At the same time, a deep and gentle voice sounded in her ear, "We'll stay quiet, we'll definitely make it."
It was no longer the ridicule of before, but genuine admiration.
Although what she said had nothing to do with him, and the freedom she spoke of might very well leave him behind again.
He remained the same, supporting her.
Lin Yujing looked into his eyes and said, "As long as a person has a goal and the drive, there is nothing they cannot do."
Chen Jingshu smiled and looked directly into her eyes, asking in a seemingly ambiguous tone, "Is that so? Then it seems I can also do what I want to do."
Whether it was a special understanding or not, Lin Yujing felt that she had roughly guessed the meaning behind Chen Jingshu's words.
So she could only roll her eyes at him and say reproachfully, "Dream on."
Chen Jingshu squinted at her, and after a long while chuckled softly, "Indeed beautiful."
-
Before going to bed, in case of sudden danger at night, the station staff assign a rotating night watch list in pairs.
Considering that Chen Jingshu's health condition prevented him from staying up late, he was placed first in the group, and Gongga Jiebu arranged for Lin Yujing to be in the same group with him.
Lin Yujing sat by the campfire, roasting a potato with a stick.
Chen Jingshu groped around in the tent for a while before finally coming out. As soon as he sat down, he put an electronic bracelet on her wrist.
"What's this?"
"The location system can also monitor your health. Mine is in home mode, so I can receive reports of any abnormalities in your health at any time."
Lin Yujing looked at the pink heart-shaped pattern flashing on her wrist and said, "A surveillance bracelet?"
"If I really wanted to monitor you, I would stay by your side every moment," Chen Jingshu said.
Lin Yujing seemed a little nervous. "Everyone is probably still awake, so don't say anything out of the ordinary."
"They're asleep." He had stopped in the boys' tent for a while, waiting until they were all asleep, "that's why I dared to have a little romance with you."
"Don't talk nonsense, I didn't say that."
"Okay. Then let's have some illicit relationships."
Lin Yujing slapped him in embarrassment, "Can't you be serious for once?"
“If we’re already having inappropriate relationships, how proper can I be?” Chen Jingshu reached out and took her hand, which was holding a wooden stick to roast potatoes. “Besides, we’ve been completely honest with each other for a long time.”
Lin Yujing pulled her hand away and scolded, "Get lost! Stop acting like a hooligan here."
Upon hearing this, Chen Jingshu frowned slightly.
The next moment, a warm, moist kiss landed on Lin Yujing's lips.
It was like a dragonfly skimming the water, yet it was also full of tenderness.
In this uninhabited area with no cover, there is warmth.
Lin Yujing's chest heaved and her heart pounded faster because of the ambiguous and provocative kiss.
It even directly triggered an anomaly report on Chen Jingshu's watch: Jingjing's heart rate is too fast, 120 bpm.
Chen Jingshu noticed it too, tilted his head and rested it against her shoulder blade, licking her earlobe with the tip of his tongue, and said, "Jingjing, this is what you call being a hooligan."
A note from the author:
There's a second update coming!
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2023-10-20 22:20:42 and 2023-10-21 17:01:15!
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Zha Zha Meng and Gu Cheng Jiu Xiang (1 bottle);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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