With everything prepared, Xi set off on the road toward Tian Mountain. This would be his next stop, and also his final one.
In the year 2030, Huaxia completed the Sichuan-Tibet high-speed railway line. Xi boarded the bullet train straight to the foot of Tian Mountain. Along the way, he learned that this high-speed rail was once a legend—known as the pinnacle of high-speed trains, the Fuxing, it was now a battle-hardened veteran.
And it would continue to write its legend...
Xi and Wu sat by the window. The canvas known as the sky was dyed with the intoxicating fire of the setting sun, its orange-red light casting a glow across Wu’s profile.
Driven by a yearning and appreciation for beauty, Xi carefully scrutinized the young girl before him, completely making no effort to hide it, hey.
Wu rested her cheek on one hand, her legs dangling and kicking in the air, her little mind wondering who knows what.
The sunlight shone from one side, while Xi happened to be on the other. Bathed in the warm sun, Wu’s cheeks were flushed with a wine-red hue, stretching the dimensions of warmth and aesthetic beauty infinitely, catching the gazes of countless men and women alike.
"Hmph, what are you looking at?" Wu's cheeks puffed out; she had long since noticed the many gazes focused on her.
"Looking at you!" Lost in his gazing, Xi accidentally blurted out his inner thoughts.
Xi hurriedly clamped his mouth shut, pretending as if nothing had happened. Yet his eyes still uncontrollably drifted back to Wu.
Xi: *My eyes, how could you be out of control... It was their own unauthorized decision, it has nothing to do with me, Xi.*
"Mm..." Wu certainly didn't believe Xi's nonsense, but Xi kept looking at me, could it be...
Ah ah... So shy 〃?〃
Wu’s pretty face flushed slightly, like pure white milk mixed with brown sugar, sweet enough to melt straight into her heart.
"Whoa, we're here." Xi hurriedly fled his seat.
At that moment, Wu caught a glimpse of a trace of awkwardness in Xi's eyes.
*Pfft, why are you feeling awkward, ha...*
"Our destination this time is Tianmen Temple." Xi proclaimed with towering heroism, standing on a rock and pointing at the sky at a 45-degree angle.
Wu felt as if great waves were sweeping past, inexplicably getting the vibe that Xi was quite awesome, Yazi.
"Ahem, little fellow, don't step on the village entrance monument." A passerby ruthlessly shattered the atmosphere.
"Uh... You're such a buzzkill—ouch..."
"I'm sorry, mister. My older brother's mind isn't quite clear sometimes, please allow me to apologize to you on his behalf." Wu offered an apologetic smile while pinching Xi's ear and dragging him over.
"Big brother, you're going to apologize properly, right?" Wu's gaze instantly turned gloomy, as if saying: *I'll bump you off, you know.*
"Ah, right, right, right. My mind suddenly cleared up, yay."
"Haha, sorry about that, mister."
"Sigh, just pay a bit of attention and it'll be fine." Upon learning the truth of the matter, the middle-aged man looked at Wu with a hint of sympathy.
*Sigh, what a pitiful girl... Bearing all the responsibility at such a young age. To have such a kind and cute younger sister, this brother is quite blessed.*
The enthusiastic man eagerly took on the role of a guide, meticulously explaining things to the two of them.
He was certainly enthusiastic, but why did his gaze toward me always feel a bit strange? Xi was utterly baffled.
*Alas, what a pair of suffering siblings.* The uncle had completely mistaken Xi's contemplation for a sign of mental derangement, which made him pity Wu all the more.
Xi: *Em, mm... I have a curse word I don't know whether I should say or not.*
After telling the uncle their destination, the man offered to find a reliable guide to take them to Tianmen Temple.
Tianmen Temple was located halfway up Tian Mountain, in a mysterious and perilous spot. Without a local to lead the way, one would likely get lost in the mountains, and by the time people found you, not even your bones would be left.
If you ask me how they find people when not even bones are left... Cutie, don't you still have clothes?
Therefore, having a local as a guide was the most crucial thing for a trip to Tian Mountain, and it had to be someone experienced; otherwise, the number of people needing to be searched for would simply increase by one.
How could Wu know any of this? She subconsciously glanced at Xi. Xi gave a slight nod, and only then did Wu agree.
Xi and Wu walked into Tian Mountain Village, officially stepping into Tian Mountain.
Below the snowline of the snow-white peaks lay an endless, winding expanse of emerald-green primeval forest. Dense Yunnan pines stood like opened giant umbrellas, their overlapping branches leaking mottled, fragmented spots of sunlight. A few scattered cloud-like flowers amidst the white snow looked like silver embroidery on white satin.
*Tian Mountain's snow often refuses to thaw; a thousand peaks and myriad ridges stand ruggedly capped in white.*
The dazzling sun hung at the very peak of Tian Mountain, blazing with brilliant light, cascading down from the summit as if welcoming the arrival of the two travelers.