Although the scenic area has winding mountain roads and driving up might be steep and not reach the summit, it is possible to reach halfway up the mountain, making it closer to the coupleâs destination.
In the last two years, due to the popularity of a specific rural TV series, the concept of farmhouses and vacation villas has quietly emerged in China. Local governments have been supporting farmers to run farmhouses. Xiao Qian and Yu Minglangâs destination was a well-known farmhouse in Xiaojiao Mountain Scenic Area, one hourâs drive from Lin City.
Xiao Qian hadnât heard of this place in her past life. She imagined that a well-known farmhouse must be a standalone villa in the mountains, surrounded by peaceful scenery, easily accessible by car, and equipped with all kinds of modern conveniences while offering a tranquil retreat from city life.
Her plan was to drive along the winding mountain road until she reached the designated parking lot halfway up the mountain, and then hike for about an hour with Yu Minglang to reach their destination.
However, Yu Minglang firmly rejected her proposal.
His reasoning was that hiking should involve some exercise and sweating; otherwise, it wouldnât count as actually climbing the mountain.
Shamelessly, he told Xiao Qian they would reach their destination in just one hour. In reality, they had been on the trail for several hours and hadnât arrived yet.
He carried the bags while Xiao Qian only had to take care of herself and her umbrella, yet she still felt exhausted, as if her legs were filled with lead.
âHang in there, baby. Weâll be there soon.â Yu Minglang appeared energized, showing no sign of fatigue.
âIâm not going any further! Iâm not taking another step! You big liar, didnât you say weâd get there in an hour?â Not caring about her appearance, Xiao Qian plopped down on a large rock and refused to budge.
âI didnât lie to you. Considering our pace, an hour was actually generous. Who knew youâd be so delicateâ¦â
Speaking the truth was bound to get him hit, and, unsurprisingly, Yu Minglang was struck.
Xiao Qian hit him with her umbrella, âYou dare to say that? Can my physical strength compare to your inhuman endurance?â
âItâs obviously because you donât exercise regularly. Look at you, walking two steps and resting for three minutes. At this rate, we wonât reach our destination even when it gets dark.â
I donât want to climb anymore; you can go on your own; I want to go home!â Xiao Qian now regretted ever agreeing to accompany Yu Minglang on this torturous mountain adventure in the sweltering heat.
âXiao Mei, do you know why I brought you here to have fun?â
âTo torture me?â
âWrong! The purpose of travel, like marriage, is to face and overcome the challenges along the long journey. You canât just give up when faced with difficulties.â
Surprisingly, he made a lot of sense, and she has nothing to say in response!
âI shouldnât have come in the first place!â Wouldnât staying at home, writing her thesis, and perusing fashion catalogs have been better? What was the point of coming all this way and enduring such exhaustion?
âLook at you, being so extreme. Come on, take a look at the scenery around us â the majestic peaks and singing waterfalls. When we reach the top, weâll experience the clouds looking back at us, people disappearing in the mist!â
Although his words were inspiring and motivational, Xiao Qian would not be swayed by this poisonous chicken soup (bad advice).
âAre you sure Iâll have the energy to reach the state of mind youâre talking about with my current condition?â
âItâs such a good thing that people say itâs best to travel together before getting married. If I hadnât dragged you out from the air-conditioned room, I wouldnât have seen this side of you.â
In Yu Minglangâs memory, Xiao Qian spent most of her time strategizing, and seeing her so unappealingly stubborn was rare.
Xiao Qian was furious now.
âYu Minglang, you bastard! Iâm not taking another step! Do whatever you want!â Narrowing her eyes, Xiao Qian gazed into the distance, becoming more skeptical as the hiking route seemed to get tougher.
âAre you sure we didnât come to the wrong place?â Why were there fewer people, and why was the path growing steeper the further they walked?
When she bought the entrance tickets, she had asked the staff at the scenic spot, who told her that the mountain was accessible by car up to the halfway point. How had she and Yu Minglang ended up in such a desolate, deserted area after just a short walk along the winding road?
Looking at the steep, twisting path ahead, Xiao Qian had no desire to continue.
âAre you doubting my sense of direction? Can you get lost with your elder brother? I used to go into the mountains for training all the time.â
What a proud tone~
âThen tell me, why are there no people on this section of the road?â Xiao Qian looked at him suspiciously.
Although it wasnât a holiday, there should still be visitors. How could they walk for several hours without seeing a single person? There were many tourists when they first entered the mountain.
âOrdinary people only know shortcuts and canât understand our enjoyment. This path is specially prepared by me for us. Keep walking, and weâll see a little-known one-line sky view! Then, looking at the magnificent waterfall in the distance, and continue walking â â
âStop! So youâre saying you deliberately took me on a detour?! You fooled me into walking like a fool for so long. God, thereâs no signal in this godforsaken place!â
Xiao Qian took out her phone and found no reception.
She couldnât even call a car to get down the mountain now, stuck between ascent and descent. In both of her smart lifetimes, she had never made such a stupid decision. Why, when she encountered him, did her IQ become challenged?
âQian Bao, thereâs no turning back now. Whether youâre complaining or unwilling, we have no other choice but to move forward. Complaining wonât solve the problem; when faced with difficulties, think about solutions. If we canât escape it, letâs enjoy the scenery!â
Yu Minglang, the so-called chicken soup master, started brewing more soul-stirring soup, and Xiao Qian was on the verge of exploding.
She jumped off the rock and aimed a kick at Yu Minglang.
âTo hell with your âenjoyment!'â
Knowing that Xiao Mei would get angry, Yu Minglang was unfazed by her furious expression. In fact, deep down, he was proud of himself.
He had a perfect backup plan in mind that he believed Xiao Mei would appreciate. Hmph!
It was true that Professor Liu had advised Yu Minglang to take Xiao Qian mountain climbing.
However, the actions that followed â angering Xiao Qian by taking her on the most difficult and deserted path, challenging her psychological endurance â were all his own doing.
Seeing Xiao Qian on the verge of an explosion, Yu Minglang finally revealed his trump card.