He who doesn't reach the Great Wall is not a true man.

Chapter 235

In the early morning, sunlight pierced through the floor-to-ceiling windows, spilling unceremoniously onto the carpet.

Gu Ran opened his eyes; his biological clock woke him up punctually at seven o'clock.

There was no hangover headache as one might expect. A young body's metabolism was incredibly fast.

Plus, he had actually been the most sensible drinker last night. At this moment, he only felt refreshed and clear-headed.

He got up and washed up.

He changed into a sleek black tracksuit.

The young man looked at himself in the mirror, his gaze falling on the dark red bite mark on the side of his neck.

"Must be a dog."

He let out a soft chuckle, dug a Band-Aid out of his toiletry bag, and slapped it on in an extremely perfunctory manner.

Pushing open the door to the guest bedroom, it was completely quiet inside.

On the sofa, a massive lump was curled up like a shrimp, letting out soft snores.

Ye Jinliang was covered with a thin blanket, his brows tightly furrowed as if he were making some difficult decision in his dreams.

Gu Ran walked over and mercilessly kicked the nightstand.

Thud!

"Who! Who stole my blue buff!"

Ye Jinliang shot up from the sofa, staring at Gu Ran with unfocused eyes. It took him a long time to finally focus.

"Brother... Brother Gu?"

Ye Jinliang wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth, sporting two massive dark circles under his eyes.

His whole person gave off a decadent vibe, looking like his life force had been sucked dry by a succubus.

The young man crossed his arms, scrutinizing him from above.

"Did you go out thieving last night?"

At the mention of last night, Ye Jinliang's chubby face flushed a deep liver-red.

His eyes darted away, and he stammered.

"N-no, it's just... the bed was too soft, I couldn't sleep."

"Heh."

Gu Ran sneered, hitting the nail on the head.

"Was the bed too soft, or were you too soft? You carried her back to the room, then stared at her from the bedside all night, not even daring to hold her hand?"

Ye Jinliang's eyes widened in sheer horror, looking as if he had seen a ghost.

"Y-y-you... how do you know? Did you plant a hidden camera on me?!"

Gu Ran rolled his eyes.

With this guy's pathetic level of courage, did he really need a hidden camera?

If Ye Jinliang had actually dared to do anything, his face would have been bruised and battered by now, rather than sporting this sexually frustrated, constipated look.

"Animal."

Gu Ran commented.

Ye Jinliang was just about to retort that he was a perfect gentleman.

When the young man followed up with another stab.

"Doing absolutely nothing when the girl you like is drunk makes you worse than an animal."

Ye Jinliang:

"..."

Just then, the door to the master bedroom opened.

"Ah... my head hurts so much..."

"Who am I... where am I... who shook my brains up..."

Two girls walked out, leaning on the doorframe for support.

The scene was practically a horror movie.

Ye Zhenzhen's hair was frizzed up like a bird's nest, her silk nightgown hung loosely, and her eyes were glazed over.

Pei Susu was even worse off; one of her slippers was nowhere to be found.

She walked as if stepping on cotton, muttering under her breath.

"Water, I need water."

Gu Ran turned and walked into the open kitchen, bringing out four glasses of pre-warmed milk, and pointed at the table.

"Drink up. We leave in half an hour."

Ye Zhenzhen held the warm milk, taking small sips, her eyes gradually regaining a trace of clarity.

She stole a glance at Gu Ran, and when her eyes fell on the Band-Aid on his neck, she froze for a moment.

"What happened to your neck?"

She asked subconsciously.

The young man paused his movements, looking at her with a half-smile.

"Got bitten by a wild cat last night. It was pretty fierce, even ground its teeth on me."

The girl blinked blankly.

"There are wild cats in the hotel?"

He gave a meaningful "Mhm."

"It's a domestic one, actually. It just gets wild when it drinks too much."

Ye Zhenzhen couldn't shake the feeling that he was insinuating something, but her memory of last night had completely blacked out after getting into the taxi.

All she had in her head were some fragmented, feverish flashes.

Like... very soft lips, and the faint scent of alcohol.

Her face turned red, and she hurriedly lowered her head to drink her milk, not asking any more questions.

"Leave? Go where?"

Pei Susu finally came back to life, looking warily at Gu Ran in his tracksuit.

The latter pulled four tickets from his pocket and waved them.

"Badaling. The Great Wall."

A moment of silence.

Three seconds later, wails echoed throughout the presidential suite.

"Gu Ran, you're inhuman!"

Pei Susu grabbed her hair in a breakdown.

"Do we look like we can climb the Great Wall in this half-dead state? I want to sleep! I need to go back to bed!"

Ye Jinliang also begged for mercy with a bitter face.

"Brother Gu, my dearest brother, spare me. My legs are still jelly right now..."

Although Ye Zhenzhen didn't speak, her big, watery eyes were screaming the word "Resistance."

Gu Ran methodically finished the last sip of his milk and set the glass down.

"Since we're already here."

Those few words, the ultimate curse for Chinese people.

"Besides, I looked it up. Sweating it out by climbing the Great Wall is the fastest way to cure a hangover. Also, I've already bought the tickets. VIP access, private car transfer. If you don't go..."

Gu Ran paused, flashing a mouthful of stark white teeth.

"I'll post a certain someone's audio recordings from last night to my social media feed."

Although there were absolutely no recordings, the guilty trio instantly shut their mouths.

...

An hour later.

At the foot of Badaling.

The towering city walls coiled like a giant dragon among the high mountains and lofty hills, desolate yet magnificent.

But in the eyes of the hungover foursome, this was the stairway to hell.

"What a sin..."

Pei Susu held her knees, staring at the nearly vertical steps, feeling her vision go dark.

Ye Zhenzhen's small face was also pale white. She tugged at the corner of Gu Ran's shirt and said weakly.

"Do we really have to climb it? Can't we just take a picture at the bottom?"

Gu Ran reached out and tucked her stray hairs behind her ear.

His movements were gentle, but his tone left no room for negotiation.

"No. He who has never been to the Great Wall is not a true man."

He took Ye Zhenzhen's hand, intertwining their fingers.

"Let's go, Heroine Ye. I'll pull you along."

As the warmth from his palm spread to hers, Ye Zhenzhen's cheeks flushed slightly.

The resistance in her heart inexplicably dissipated for the most part, and she obediently let him lead her up.

Behind them, Ye Jinliang was dumbfounded.

That actually works?

He turned to look at Pei Susu, mustered his courage, and held out his hand.

"Sister Susu, um... should I pull you along too?"

Pei Susu gave a disgusted look at his fleshy hand, which was still sweating coldly, and slapped it away.

"Pull my ass! I can walk by myself! Don't get in my way!"

After saying that, Pei Susu gritted her teeth and started walking, charging up as if she were going to fight Gu Ran to the death.

Ye Jinliang:

"..."

Why did the same trick have such a different outcome?

Climbing the Great Wall is a tremendous test of willpower, especially for a group of hungover college students.

The first part of the journey was okay.

Reaching the middle section, the incline grew steeper.

Ye Jinliang was already completely wasted.

His face was deathly pale, and sweat dripped down his chin.

With every step he took, he had to take three heavy breaths, his throat making wheezing sounds like a bellows.

"Brother... Brother Gu... I can't do it anymore... I really can't..."

Ye Jinliang plopped down on the steps, giving up completely.

"You guys go on up. Just bury me right here. Remember to burn some joss paper for me next Tomb-Sweeping Day..."

Gu Ran turned around and looked at this guy's half-dead demeanor. He was just about to mock him a bit.

When a burst of upbeat music suddenly came from nearby.

"The boundless horizon is my love~ Flowers are blooming at the foot of the endless green mountains~"

Immediately following, a tour group of energetic elderly people wearing red hats.

Marched past them with vigorous strides, whizzing by.

The leading old man was carrying a large speaker in his hand.

As he passed by Ye Jinliang, he purposely stopped and cast a disdainful look.

"Young man, giving up already? You look pretty sturdy, how come you're so weak? You lack exercise!"

The old man shook his head, leaving the group with a dashing view of his back.

"Keep it up, youngsters! Don't lose to us old bones!"

It wasn't very damaging, but it was highly insulting.

Pei Susu, who had already collapsed limply, instantly got red eyes upon hearing this.

It was the flame of fury.

"Weak? Who's weak?!"

Pei Susu grabbed Ye Jinliang from the ground and roared.

"Damn fatty, get up! We can lose to anyone but not to an old man! Charge! If you don't climb to the top today, don't even think about eating tonight!"

Ye Jinliang shuddered in fear from his goddess's roar.

He didn't know where he got the strength, but he wailed as he was dragged up.

"Charge! Charge!"

Ahead of them, Ye Zhenzhen's competitive spirit was also roused. She bit her lip and tightly gripped Gu Ran's hand in return.

"Let's hurry up too!"

Gu Ran looked at the three who had suddenly been pumped full of adrenaline, a playful smirk curling the corners of his lips.

Sure enough, human potential is limitless, as long as the taunting hits the right spot.

An hour later.

Hero's Slope.

When their feet finally stepped onto the highest beacon tower.

That extreme exhaustion was instantly washed away by the sudden, wide-open scenery before them.

Inside and outside the Great Wall, the rolling mountains were lush and vibrantly green.

The wind blew from beyond the pass, carrying the weight and coolness of history, drying the sweat on their bodies.

"Ah!!!"

Pei Susu cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted loudly at the mountains.

"Gu Ran is a big jerk!!!"

Gu Ran: "?"

Ye Jinliang was paralyzed on the ground, his tongue hanging out like a dead dog.

But he also raised his hand and shouted weakly.

"Jerk... jerk..."

Ye Zhenzhen leaned against the city wall, panting heavily.

Her small face was flushed red, as if painted with the finest rouge.

She looked at the tall, handsome youth beside her.

Gu Ran was gazing into the distance, his side profile looking especially striking in the sunlight.

His brows and eyes carried a high-spirited vigor that he had never possessed in his previous life.

As if sensing her gaze, the youth turned his head, and their eyes met.

He smiled, took a bottle of water out of his bag, unscrewed the cap, and handed it over.

"Tired?"

"Tired."

Ye Zhenzhen nodded honestly, took the water, took a sip, and added.

"But I feel a super sense of accomplishment!"

"That's good."

Gu Ran reached out to wipe the beads of sweat from her forehead.

"Um... excuse me."

A gentle voice chimed in.

The four turned around to see a middle-aged uncle carrying an array of professional cameras smiling at them.

"I'm a photography enthusiast. I was watching you guys cheer each other on as you climbed up from below, and I thought it was full of youthful vitality."

The uncle pointed to the camera in his hand.

"Do you mind if I take a group photo of you? The lighting is perfect right now."

"Take it! You must take it!"

Pei Susu perked up and immediately adjusted her messy bangs.

She also kicked Ye Jinliang in passing.

"Get up, don't embarrass yourself lying there."

The four stood in front of the battlements of the beacon tower.

Behind them was the giant dragon winding for thousands of miles, and above them was a sky as clear and blue as washed glass.

"Come on, look at the camera, say cheese!"

"Three, two, one!"

The moment the shutter clicked.

Pei Susu was reaching out, wanting to pinch Ye Jinliang's chubby cheeks.

Ye Jinliang had a silly smile on his face, his eyes full of doting affection, completely ignoring the camera.

Ye Zhenzhen gave a silly peace sign to the camera, her smile as bright as the midday sun.

And Gu Ran.

He didn't look at the camera; instead, he tilted his head slightly, his gaze falling on the young girl beside him.

The tenderness in the depths of his eyes was richer than the spring scenery covering the mountains.

"Click."

The scene froze.

The uncle had a portable photo printer with him.

With two buzzing sounds, a brightly colored photo popped out.

"This is for you. It's so good to be young."

The uncle sighed with emotion, waving his hand as he left.

The four gathered around to look at the photo.

"Wow! Gu Ran, you're so sneaky!"

Pei Susu pointed at the photo and yelled.

"We're all making funny faces or smiling like idiots, and you're the only one pretending to be deeply affectionate!!"

Ye Jinliang was also indignant.

"Exactly! It makes me look like the foolish son of a wealthy landlord!"

Ye Zhenzhen looked at the way Gu Ran was looking at her in the photo, and her heart skipped a beat, silently adding a mental stab.

A well-dressed scoundrel.

"I'll keep this one."

Gu Ran was quick on the draw, snatching the photo away and casually tucking it into his wallet.

"On what grounds!"

"Because I'm the Sugar Daddy."

Gu Ran turned around righteously and walked down the mountain, waving his hand with his back to them.

"We're having a big feast when we get down, my treat."

The three who originally wanted to protest instantly switched sides.

"Godfather! Slow down!"

"Wait for me! I want to eat..."

The setting sun stretched the shadows of the four people very long, intertwining together as if they would never part.

Gu Ran touched the photo pressed against his chest.

In his previous life, he had walked the Great Wall countless times, but he had never felt the scenery was so moving.

It turned out that whether the scenery was good or not did not depend on how high the mountains were or how far the road went.

But rather, on who was standing by your side.

"Gu Ran!"

Came the young girl's crisp shout from behind.

Gu Ran stopped, turned around, and opened his arms.

He steadily caught the figure that threw itself at him.

"Slow down, I'm not going to run away."

......