Chapter 16 – Wilderness

When Meng Yi and Lu Anchi were preparing to leave, Chen Dahong, despite his worries, managed a strained smile and escorted the two to the village entrance.

Xuehua Village was located deep in the mountains, hard to reach. Although the government had built roads through the mountains, cars still couldn’t enter, and people had to walk in on foot.

The villagers watched from a distance, whispering among themselves, some even pointing accusingly at Chen Dahong. His face, already lined with deep wrinkles, grew even more awkward, as if he couldn’t wait to send these two unwanted guests away.

The police car was parked at the mountain pass. Meng Yi quickly hopped into the driver’s seat, while Lu Anchi opened the passenger door, hesitated for a moment, and suddenly said, “Chen Dahong, do you… want to come with us to see Yan Ru? Go pack your things, we can wait for you.”

To his surprise, Chen Dahong shook his head and waved his hands frantically, as if afraid the police would forcibly stuff him into the car, even taking two steps back.

“Officers, please spare me! I… I don’t want to see him again! I just want to live a peaceful life. Yan Ru, Yan Ru… Ah! Just consider me as having wronged him!”

Chen Dahong muttered these words, his expression pleading, his cloudy, aged eyes filled with rejection and fear.

Lu Anchi let out a long sigh, patted Chen Dahong on the shoulder, and got into the car.

The police car wound its way down the rugged mountain road.

Meng Yi sighed, “That Yan Ru is nothing but trouble, bringing harm wherever he goes. Look at how he’s terrified his foster father. Pitiful, really!”

Lu Anchi glanced at him, “Driving in the mountains is dangerous. Less talking!”

Meng Yi thought his mentor was far too rigid and dull. But then again, considering that his mentor was getting on in years, divorced early on, and with his only son taken abroad by his ex-wife—left alone and lonely—it was rather pitiful.

So he held his tongue and muttered a sullen, “Got it.”

Qi Youxuan was also fortunate—just starving. After devouring several buns, she quickly recovered.

“Thank you. I really thought I was going to die,” Qi Youxuan said.

“I have a question, purely out of curiosity,” I said, tapping the backpack she clung to tightly. “What’s in your bag? Others use bags to shield their heads, but you used your body to shield your bag.”

The color drained from Qi Youxuan’s delicate face. “This contains something very important, something I can never lose in my lifetime.”

A lifetime?

Hah, throwing around the word “lifetime” so casually.

But time is so long. Who can guarantee that something will never change? What is treasured now might be discarded the next moment.

Trampled, excluded, driven away.

The rain showed no sign of stopping. The metal sheet above us rattled non-stop lulling us into drowsiness. The sky darkened, and night would soon fall.

In such damp conditions, it was hard to start a fire. We had no choice but to wait helplessly for the moment when the light would vanish completely.

“Let’s move forward tomorrow,” I said. “Who knows when the rescue team will come? If they never show up, are we just supposed to wait here forever?”

Yan Ru sighed in agreement. “Right. Relying on others is never as good as relying on yourself.”

Qi Youxuan tied up her previously disheveled hair, her ponytail falling neatly behind her. “I’ll follow you two. Just don’t leave me alone, please.”

I grinned. “How could we? We don’t abandon friends easily, right, Yan Ru?”

“Mm.”

His response was brief but firm, yet for some reason, it made me inexplicably angry. The inferno in my heart was like a small flame—not yet a wildfire, but scorching enough to cause pain.

Because I knew I was a hypocritical rescuer, while Yan Ru was the genuinely kind one. The firmer he was, the more it exposed my falseness.

“I’m going to sleep first. Goodnight,” I said, then made my way to the makeshift “bed” we’d prepared over the past two days and lay down.

I closed my eyes and heard Qi Youxuan’s soft voice: “What’s wrong with Qin Yuezhang?”

Yan Ru replied, “Everyone’s nerves have been frayed these past few days. Mood swings are normal. Let me help you set up a sleeping spot. We used clothes from other people’s suitcases—I hope you don’t mind.”

“Of course not. Though it’s… not ideal, we don’t have any other options right now. Thank you, Yan Ru.”

“We barely survived. Helping each other is only natural. Sleep here. You’re a girl, but right now, we don’t have the luxury of worrying about modesty.”

The rustling sounds around me rose and fell, soon fading into silence.

I opened my eyes and saw that Yan Ru had hung a few long garments between us and Qi Youxuan, creating a makeshift partition.

Annoying.

Why was Yan Ru so good? Good to everyone.

The better he was—the more stable his emotions, the kinder and gentler his heart—the angrier and more frustrated I became.

Suddenly, I really wanted to know—what could tear apart his gentle facade, shatter his kind heart, reshape his understanding of the world, make him show the same confusion and helplessness, the same fear and panic, make him as hypocritical as me?

I desperately wanted to see that day. Just imagining it made me tremble with excitement.

“Qin Yuezhang, are you asleep?” Yan Ru suddenly called out to me in a low voice.

I replied, “No.”

Yan Ru sounded puzzled. “Then why are you grinding your teeth?”

Grinding my teeth?

Or should I say, gnashing them in frustration?

“Oh, dinner got stuck in my teeth.”

“Do you need—”

I cut him off sharply. “No need. Let’s sleep!”

I turned my back to him, and Yan Ru didn’t say anything else.

The night grew completely dark, and the rain finally stopped. Apart from their breathing and the occasional rustle of wind through the trees, there was nothing. Nights in the mountains were especially cold, especially after rain. The wind carried moisture, chilling the skin to the bone.

I tightened the clothes around me, just as I always did.

The night passed quickly. We gathered some essentials, each dragging an undamaged suitcase from the wreckage, and set off.

According to our plan, as long as we followed the railway tracks, we’d eventually reach the city. If we were lucky, we might even run into the rescue team.

The railway stretched endlessly through the valley, weeds growing thickly over the tracks—some even reaching past our calves.

Yan Ru took the lead, Qi Youxuan walked in the middle, and I brought up the rear.

I was worried about poisonous insects or snakes lurking in the grass, so I didn’t dare stray from the tracks, carefully stepping on the wooden sleepers instead.

Even so, our exposed skin was soon covered in red welts from mosquito bites.

After walking for who knows how long, my legs began to ache, the muscles in my calves stiffening painfully.

Just walking was miserable enough, but dragging the suitcase made it worse. Yet we couldn’t leave it behind—without it, we wouldn’t last long in these mountains.

Yan Ru turned back and said, “Let’s rest for a bit and eat something.”

“Okay!” Qi Youxuan plopped down onto the railway tracks, rubbing her calves.

I had to admit, I was impressed by her. Yan Ru and I weren’t slow, and though she seemed delicate, she had kept up without falling behind.

We opened our suitcases and ate, replenishing our energy.

“When we get out of here, this’ll be quite the unique life experience,” Qi Youxuan murmured.

Yan Ru said, “Definitely unique. I’ve never had to survive in the wilderness before.”

At his words, my heart skipped a beat. I lifted my gaze to look at Yan Ru.

Hadn’t he said he didn’t remember anything?

Yan Ru met my eyes and added, “I haven’t been able to sleep well these past few days. My gut tells me I’ve never slept out in the open like this before.”

I relaxed slightly.

I forced a lighthearted tone. “When we get out, we should write a memoir together—’True Wilderness Survival.’ It’d sell like crazy!”

They both laughed at that.

“What wilderness? This barely counts as wilderness!”

Just then, a slightly hoarse male voice sounded behind us, laced with teasing mockery. The three of us froze in shock.

There was someone else!

I spun around. Standing under a tree not far away, arms crossed—wasn’t that Gu Lanshan?!

He was alive?!

“What’s this? Playing house? Mom, dad, and daughter?” Gu Lanshan continued his taunting.

I was speechless. “You—!”

Gu Lanshan said, “I thought I was the only one who made it out. Turns out you guys are all buddy-buddy, keeping each other warm.”

Yan Ru asked, “This isn’t wilderness?”

“After I climbed out, I walked through the woods and found a countryside villa not far away. I bet there’s a village nearby. You… you guys weren’t seriously playing ‘Wilderness Adventure’ this whole time, were you?”

He really had a sharp tongue.