Mountain Climbing

"I never expected you'd want to come here."

"It's nice."

The two spoke as they stood at the foot of a mountain. Ye Shuang hadn't imagined An Shiyu's second wish would be to hike—and on such an unchallenging-looking hill at that.

"Have you never climbed a mountain before?" Ye Shuang wanted to ask about An Shiyu's health but ultimately held back.

[Character: An Shiyu

Congenital heart disease, currently in poor health.]

To the naked eye, Ye Shuang could tell An Shiyu looked even weaker than before, noticeably thinner, as if carrying an invisible countdown.

"I have. I just want to breathe some fresh air," An Shiyu said casually before suddenly turning to Ye Shuang. "If you think this is too easy, why not carry me up?"

"Hiking turned into being carried up a mountain." She seemed to find the idea perfectly reasonable, even giving Ye Shuang a thumbs-up.

Ye Shuang: "..."

"I can carry you up," Ye Shuang said.

"Really?" An Shiyu looked genuinely surprised.

"Yeah."

"Then crouch down."

Ye Shuang bent down to let An Shiyu climb onto his back, but after a long pause, there was no movement. When he looked up, she was already walking away.

Ye Shuang: "..."

This girl.

He caught up to her, only to be met with her teasing smirk. "Sometimes I really want to turn you over and spank you," he said helplessly.

An Shiyu stopped in her tracks, her eyes suddenly reddening as she wiped away fake tears. "T-then go ahead. I won’t resist. I’m used to it at home anyway… As long as it makes you feel better."

Ye Shuang froze, baffled by her nonsense.

Then he noticed the judgmental stares from other hikers—some even looked ready to call the police.

"If you keep this up, I’m leaving," Ye Shuang said quickly.

"Ye Shuang… don’t…"

"And stop imitating Yu You!"

"Tch. Your tastes are so hard to please, old man. Is there even a girl out there who fits your type?" An Shiyu’s expression shifted like flipping a page. She tried to stuff her hands into her pockets but realized she was wearing a skirt.

A second later, she shoved her hands into Ye Shuang’s pockets instead.

"What are you doing?" Ye Shuang looked down to find her standing unusually close, her body carrying a faint antiseptic smell.

Come to think of it, it was the kind of scent you’d often find in hospitals.

Formaldehyde?

"Borrowing your pockets."

"What kind of weird habit is that?"

"My hands are tired."

Ye Shuang: "..."

After some back-and-forth, they finally began hiking properly. The mountain wasn’t tall, so it was a popular spot for locals, and quite a few people were around.

"Who knew so many people would hike in this heat?" Ye Shuang remarked, though the shade made it bearable. He glanced at An Shiyu—only to find her hunched over, one hand clutching her chest.

"An Shiyu, are you okay?!" Ye Shuang immediately bent down, but she suddenly grinned, her pale face lighting up. "I’m dying… Just kidding."

"Don’t joke like that."

"Wanted to test it out."

"Careful with crying wolf," Ye Shuang sighed in relief.

Honestly, he’d take this joke a thousand times over if it meant nothing was really wrong.

But in a moment Ye Shuang couldn’t see, An Shiyu clenched her fist tightly, her brow furrowed.

Halfway up, they came across a vending machine selling drinks and small trinkets.

"They’ve got quite a selection. Are you thirsty, An Shiyu?"

"What do you want to drink?" she countered.

"Me?" Ye Shuang scanned the options before settling on a Red Bull.

An Shiyu gave him a deadpan look. "Already giving up? Old man, you really need to work on your stamina."

"I just felt like drinking it, okay?!"

An Shiyu picked a grape juice.

As they continued climbing, Ye Shuang felt a tug on his sleeve.

"What’s up?"

"It’s gross. Let’s swap." She handed him the grape juice.

Ye Shuang: "..."

Then why buy it in the first place?

He sighed but took it anyway—though he didn’t offer her the Red Bull in return.

An Shiyu crossed her arms lazily. "Planning to hog both? Your kidneys might be weak, but your bladder’s sure strong."

"Who said I’m drinking both? Energy drinks aren’t good for you," Ye Shuang retorted. "And who told you my kidneys are weak?"

"Just a guess."

"Well, you guessed wrong."

They bickered the whole way but eventually reached the summit—a small platform.

Haizhu City didn’t have any towering mountains, so this one was only a few hundred meters high. Still, the view was breathtaking. From the platform, they could see an expansive ecological park, the cityscape, and even the distant coastline.

It was like taking in the best of Haizhu City all at once.

An Shiyu sat on a stone bench, resting her hands on her lap. Ye Shuang joined her, leaving some space between them.

"Second wish fulfilled, right?" he asked, though it hadn’t been much of a challenge.

"The view’s beautiful," An Shiyu murmured instead of answering. She stared at the cityscape as if memorizing every detail, time seeming to pause just for her.

Ye Shuang stayed quiet, following her gaze before respectfully leaving her to her thoughts.

"I probably won’t get to see this again. Kind of a shame," An Shiyu said softly, her pale face breaking into a smile. "The scenery in games is more fantastical, but I prefer this—the city I grew up in."

Ye Shuang hesitated before replying, "Why wouldn’t you have another chance?"

"You have to believe in yourself."

"Believe in myself…" An Shiyu nodded. "If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have made it this far."

The last part was so faint it might as well have been carried away by the wind, leaving Ye Shuang none the wiser.

"Old man."

"Yeah?"

"If… there’s a chance, let’s come back here again someday, okay?" Her voice was light, as if making a promise she knew she couldn’t keep.