CH 65

Chapter 65: Do you want to try again?

The flashlight fell into the grass on the ground, casting a beam of light that reached far. The surroundings were filled with the haze of the mountains at night. Yu Nian could feel the coolness on Xie You’s body and the rapid rise and fall of his own heart in his chest. He raised his hand and tightly grasped Xie You’s coat. At this moment, the boulder that had been hanging in mid-air in his heart finally fell.

He came.

Yu Nian didn’t know how to describe his emotions. He even realized that during the earthquake, he was able to remain calm and attentively observe the surroundings. But now, leaning on Xie You, his eyes were sore, and he had the urge to cry.

Sensing Yu Nian’s slight trembling, Xie You held him tightly and cautiously asked, “Nian Nian, are you hurt?”

Yu Nian raised the corners of his mouth and quickly replied, “I’m fine, I’m not injured. Maybe I was lucky. Many rocks fell from the mountain at that time, but none of them hit me. They fell into the water pool in front of me and splashed some water on me, but it has already dried.”

Yu Nian spoke lightly, but Xie You could imagine the danger he had faced. He tightened his arms around Yu Nian and asked in a low voice, “Are you scared?”

“Yes, I’m scared. Very scared,” Yu Nian answered honestly after a brief pause. “I still have many things to do, many goals to achieve. I’m afraid of dying, afraid of dying here.” At that time, it was only him and Yan Shu. One of them had to stay calm and not panic. But now, seeing Xie You, he realized that his fingertips couldn’t stop trembling.

Speaking of this, Yu Nian instinctively leaned against Xie You’s chest and said, “It’s still cold here. The temperature drops as soon as it gets dark. After the fire went out, it’s really cold.”

Hearing Yu Nian’s words, Xie You let go of his arms and took off his suit jacket, tightly wrapping it around Yu Nian.

At that moment, Xie You realized something. His actions suddenly paused, and then he quickly let go of his hand, standing in place, feeling somewhat at a loss.

All the lingering fear disappeared from Yu Nian’s heart. He found it amusing and bent down to pick up the flashlight and hold it in his hand.

On the other side, Yan Shu had already woken up. Yu Nian smiled and said, “Uncle Yan, the rescue team is here. We’ll be able to go up soon.”

Before he could finish speaking, several beams of light approached, and from a distance came Qu Xiaoran’s frustrated and angry cursing, “Damn it, Xie Xiaoyou, are you trying to get yourself killed? The road isn’t even fully cleared, and you jump down here. What if the road collapses halfway? What if you slip and fall? I know you’re worried about Yu Nian, but you can’t act recklessly!”

Xie You lowered his head and glanced at Yu Nian, explaining in a low voice, “I didn’t. I was careful when I walked; I didn’t act recklessly.”

Qu Xiaoran, wearing a thick camouflage jacket, stopped nearby and carefully observed Yu Nian under the light. Seeing Yu Nian wrapped in Xie You’s jacket, standing well, and not looking like he was injured, he breathed a sigh of relief. “Luckily, luckily, luckily, you’re okay!”

He held back half of what he wanted to say—if something really happened to you, Xie You would probably cry his eyes out!

Yu Nian smiled and thanked him, “Thank you.”

Qu Xiaoran waved his hand casually, “What do I have to be thanked for? Just thank the person next to you. I just followed along. You don’t know, as soon as he heard you were in trouble, Xie Xiaoyou was on the verge of exploding. He rushed over in a panic, throwing everything behind him, as if something happened to you, he would tear down this mountain!”

The group of people started walking up the mountain, with the light from the flashlight revealing the scattered rocks on the path. Xie You hesitated for a few seconds and then reached out his hand, “Let me hold your hand.”

Yu Nian didn’t refuse and placed his hand in Xie You’s.

The two of them walked at the back of the group. Qu Xiaoran turned his head and glanced, noticing that Xie You had finally taken the initiative. He felt relieved—Child, you’ve finally made a tiny bit of progress! It’s not easy!

After walking for a short distance, they heard the sound of flowing water. Yu Nian remembered and handed the bamboo tube filled with water to Xie You. “This is water from the spring in the mountains. I tasted it, it’s very sweet. I filled it up a bit, wanted you to taste it too.”

Xie You took it and held it in his hand.

Stepping on the gravel, Yu Nian observed the surroundings using the flashlight’s light. “How is the situation?”

Xie You walked cautiously with Yu Nian, taking every step carefully. “Not too bad. The epicenter was in the mountainous area, where there are no human settlements. We saw many collapsed houses on the roadside, but because the population density is low, the extent of the damage is not severe.” After thinking for a moment, Xie You continued, “Meng Yuan couldn’t keep his balance during the earthquake and fell, spraining his wrist. Shi Rou twisted her ankle, but they have been taken to receive treatment at the foot of the mountain. They’re fine. They were all very worried about you.”

Yu Nian pulled on the hand they were holding and waited for Xie You to turn around before asking, “And what about you?”

This time, Xie You didn’t avert his gaze. He honestly replied, “I’m worried about you too.”

Yu Nian continued to inquire, “Why are you worried about me?”

Xie You’s jaw twitched slightly, and after a few breaths, he finally gave an answer, “Because to me, you… are important. I’m afraid you would be scared down there, afraid you would get hurt, afraid you would feel cold, afraid that I would never… see you again.”

As he said the last few words, Xie You’s heart felt like it was being pulled by an iron hook.

The rescue team had already walked quite far. Yu Nian continued to softly ask Xie You, “How important am I to you?”

Xie You’s fingers tightened. “The most important.” After saying that, his ears turned hot. He tightened his grip on Yu Nian’s hand and continued walking forward without daring to look back.

Descending from the mountain, light was already visible on the horizon. The vast mountains gradually awakened in the dawn. Before Yu Nian could react, Shi Rou rushed over and hugged him tightly. She was disheveled, crying and laughing, “You scared me! Really scared me—”

Yu Nian raised his hand and patted her back. “I’m fine, perfectly fine, not even a scratch. See for yourself.”

Shi Rou then let go of Yu Nian, wiped her tears haphazardly, and scrutinized Yu Nian from head to toe. “Hmm, perfectly fine, no injuries.” Saying that she couldn’t help but shed more tears.

Meng Yuan, his left hand bandaged, also walked over and patted Yu Nian’s shoulder with his uninjured right hand. “It’s good that you’re okay.”

“En, I’m fine.” Yu Nian looked around and noticed only a few vehicles parked. “What about the others?”

Shi Rou sniffed, “They’ve all returned to the city. Originally, President Qu wanted us to go back too, but with you still here, how could we rest assured? So we’ve been waiting at the foot of the mountain.”

At that moment, Xie You walked over and said to Yu Nian, “There’s food in the car. Would you like to have something as a snack? The person who came up with you has already been sent back in a car.”

Yu Nian nodded, “Yes, that’s good.”

As the two turned away, Shi Rou blinked her teary eyes, opened her mouth, and stammered, “Wait, Brother Meng, I suddenly realized something. Why is President Xie here? And just now, was he asking if Nian Nian was hungry?”

Meng Yuan looked at the two figures walking away, unconsciously leaning close to each other, and rubbed his chin. He suddenly asked Shi Rou, “Do you remember President Xie’s height?”

“President Xie’s height?” Shi Rou was bewildered for a moment, trying hard to recall. “When I searched for his information when President Xie was with Nian Nian, the latest official report stated that he is 1.86 meters tall. Why?”

Meng Yuan retracted his gaze, not entirely sure. “I have a bold guess.”

Shi Rou became even more curious. “What’s your guess?”

“It’s a secret. I’ll tell you later.” Meng Yuan beckoned to Shi Rou. “Come on, let’s find a spot with a signal and go online. Let’s spread the news that Nian Nian has been found!”

Shi Rou’s attention was diverted, and she frowned. “Right! Those marketing accounts are shameless. I saw one marketing account confidently claiming that Nian Nian fell into a valley during the earthquake, and his life or death is unknown. It makes me so angry!”

Meng Yuan was a bit absent-minded. “Hmm, think about your wording and tone, clarify it later.”

Once inside the car, Xie You took out a pack of milk and opened a small box, handing it to Yu Nian. “These snacks are easy to digest. Try them and see if you like them.”

Yu Nian asked, “What if I don’t like them?”

Xie You answered seriously, “If you don’t like them, I also prepared rice balls, pancakes, cookies, candy, chocolate, beef jerky, canned food, dried fruits, and nuts.”

As he listed them one by one, Yu Nian’s smile grew wider. He took a bite of the snack, followed by a sip of milk. “It’s delicious!”

Xie You relaxed. “I’m glad you like it.”

Their eyes met, triggering something within them, and they instinctively looked away again.

Quietly finishing the last bite of the snack, Yu Nian closed the empty box and handed it over. “I’m done eating.”

Xie You reached out to take it, and their fingertips brushed against each other. Like an electric shock, Xie You quickly moved his fingers away.

Yu Nian pretended not to notice and wiped the crumbs from the corner of his mouth with a tissue.

After putting things away, Xie You opened the bamboo tube given to him by Yu Nian. Under the light, he could see the clear spring water inside, free of impurities. He cherished it and took a small sip, feeling the refreshing taste spread in his mouth.

It was very sweet.

The bamboo tube wasn’t big, and there wasn’t much water inside. Xie You finished drinking it quickly. He looked up and coincidentally met Yu Nian’s gaze, who was staring at him.

As if guided by an unknown force, Xie You thought of the notes he made while reading before and asked, “The spring water is very sweet, Nian Nian, do you… want to try it again?”

Yu Nian was puzzled. “Isn’t it gone?”

Xie You’s voice was slightly hoarse. “There’s more.” His heartbeat suddenly accelerated, and a rush of warmth surged through his body, as if every fiber of his being was about to ignite.

Xie You’s Adam’s apple moved nervously, his fingers tightened, holding the empty bamboo tube. His ears turned red. “My lips—they still have some.”

Just then, the car door was opened with a “click” from the outside, interrupting the unfinished sentence from Xie You.

A cold gust of wind rushed in, instantly dispelling the ambiguous atmosphere inside the car. Qu Xiaoran stood at the door, speaking quickly, “Xie Xiaoyou, the rescue expert asked me to tell you that it might start raining heavily soon, and it’s not safe here. We need to set off quickly!”

Facing Xie You’s frosty gaze, Qu Xiaoran looked puzzled. “What’s wrong?”