Wild Trail for a Spring Hike

The Next Morning.

Sunlight streamed through the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows, spilling into the opulent bedroom on the top floor of the East Lake Private Club.

Su Bai woke up from that custom-made king-sized bed worth two million yuan. After washing up, he casually picked out a high-end black tailored casual shirt with an exquisite texture, grabbed his car keys, and walked out of the club.

With a low, roaring engine sound, that multi-million-dollar Koenigsegg supercar sped out of East Lake like a black steel beast, heading straight toward Jiangcheng University.

This morning, there was a school-wide elective “fluff course.” For Su Bai as he was now, attending class was just a way to spice up his college life experience.

When the Koenigsegg’s sci-fi-style scissor doors slowly rose in the Jiangda parking lot, nearby students immediately stopped in their tracks, gasping in astonishment.

“Holy crap! Whose car is that? Too cool!”

“This is a Koenigsegg Jesko! A top-tier godly car worth tens of millions! Since when did our school have a tycoon on this level?”

“Look! It’s Su Bai! I knew it—around Jiangda, who else but Bai Ge could handle a beast like this?”

Beneath the shocked, awestruck, and fanatical gazes of the students around him, Su Bai calmly locked the car, stuck one hand in his pocket, and walked toward the lecture hall with a relaxed stride.

Inside the lecture hall, quite a few people were already seated. Since it was a low-pressure elective, most students were either looking down at their phones or napping.

Su Bai walked straight to the familiar corner in the back row.

His roommates, Chu Mingzhe and Xue Tao, were already sitting there.

“Bai Ge, here you are,” Chu Mingzhe said, quickly clearing the seat next to him, a flattering smile on his face.

Su Bai nodded, pulled out a chair, and sat down.

Chu Mingzhe was staring at his phone, which was filled with videos from travel bloggers. Sighing, he complained helplessly, “Spring’s here. The flowers have bloomed in several spots around Jiangcheng. I was planning to ask a girl to go flower-watching this weekend, but when I checked the tips—man, everywhere is packed with people, you can’t even find a parking spot. It’s more like watching a sea of heads than flowers.”

Hearing Chu Mingzhe’s complaints, Xue Tao, sitting nearby, suddenly straightened up, a smug expression spreading across his face.

Ever since that camping trip at Tianrong Mountain, when his new flame Huang Ran and his ex-girlfriend Liu Yuanyuan got into a fight, leading to him accidentally getting kicked in a sensitive spot and ending up in the hospital, Xue Tao had been deeply shaken.

After being discharged, he not only decided to see through worldly matters and focus on studying, but also became obsessed with fitness and outdoor sports, trying to regain his dignity as a man through physical strength.

For today’s fluff class, Xue Tao had deliberately worn a full set of expensive Arc'teryx outdoor gear, complete with a pair of remarkably thick professional hiking boots. He looked noticeably tougher than before.

“Old Chu, you call that flower-watching?” Xue Tao leaned back in his chair, striking the pose of an experienced veteran, his tone dripping with disdain. “Going to those developed spots and squeezing through crowds? That’s what dumb tourists do. Real players don’t waste their time in places like that.”

Chu Mingzhe was stunned: “If not the scenic spots, where then? Go look at the greenbelts by the road?”

“Tsk, I told you you’re an amateur, but you won’t admit it,” Xue Tao sneered, smugly flicking the waterproof fabric of his jacket. “Listen up—what’s trending in high-end circles now is outdoor hiking! And I don’t mean those paved leisure trails. I’m talking about pure, untouched ‘wild routes’!”

A few nearby guys who had been playing on their phones overheard this and turned their heads curiously toward Xue Tao.

Feeling the attention, Xue Tao’s vanity was thoroughly satisfied. He cleared his throat and continued showing off: “I’ve been chatting with a few hardcore experts on an outdoor forum recently. They shared an absolutely niche wild route with me. It’s deep in the Heifeng Mountains on the outskirts of Jiangcheng!”

“That place hasn’t been developed at all—it doesn’t even have a proper trail! It’s all primeval forest and steep cliffs. The scenery is that jaw-dropping, raw natural beauty. The best part? It’s got a bit of an edge—seriously tests a man’s stamina, guts, and wilderness survival skills!”

Xue Tao grew more excited as he went on, his voice unconsciously rising: “I’m planning to take Huang Ran on that wild route this weekend. With women, sure, they care about what car you drive and what clothes you wear, but out in the wilderness, what matters is a man’s true strength! Once I’m cutting through thorns for her by the cliffs, she’ll worship me like crazy!”

The other guys exchanged glances.

“Tao Ge, those undeveloped wild routes are pretty dangerous, right? What if you get lost or run into wild animals?” one of them couldn’t help asking.

“What’s there to fear? That’s exactly what makes a man’s sense of adventure!” Xue Tao waved dismissively, flexing his arm to show off the slight muscle definition he’d built at the gym lately. “As long as you’re fit enough and bring the right gear, that little bit of danger is nothing. Now that’s real excitement!”

After that grand speech, Xue Tao suddenly turned his gaze to Su Bai, who still hadn’t spoken.

Looking at Su Bai’s calm, flawlessly handsome face, a strange impulse surged in Xue Tao’s heart.

He knew Su Bai was incredibly wealthy now—driving a multi-million-dollar supercar, living in a top-tier mansion, and surrounded by stunning women coming one after another. In terms of wealth and status, Xue Tao couldn’t even touch Su Bai’s heels in this lifetime.

But!

What did outdoor hiking test? Physical fitness! The spirit of endurance!

Thinking this over, Xue Tao saw it as a golden opportunity—a chance to outshine Su Bai in one particular area and reclaim a little pathetic pride.

“Bai Ge, how about joining us for an experience?”

Xue Tao stared at Su Bai, egging him on: “If you think going alone is boring, you can bring along some of those beauties by your side. But I’ve got to warn you—that route is seriously thrilling. If your stamina’s not up to par and your legs give out halfway, it’ll be pretty embarrassing. So, what do you say? Dare to come see it with us?”

The back of the classroom fell deathly silent.

A few of the guys who had been listening stared at Xue Tao as if he were an idiot, gasping sharply.

“Holy crap, is Xue Tao crazy? He actually dares to challenge Bai Ge?”

“Has he lost his mind? Bai Ge’s status is that of a super-tycoon who casually splashes billions—why would he go digging around in some remote mountains with him? Is he even worthy?”

“And comparing stamina with Bai Ge? Did he forget how Bai Ge broke Niu Zhihong’s buddy’s ribs during that basketball game?”

Su Bai refused immediately: “No. I only go on legal routes. I don’t plan on ending up as a casualty on some true-crime channel.”

“... No way, right?” Xue Tao’s face showed a hint of uncertainty.

“What do you mean no way? You’d better behave yourself too. Don’t take your girlfriend on some sketchy secret route—you’ll regret it if something goes wrong.”

Su Bai laughed and cursed, giving Xue Tao a couple of playful punches.

Hearing Su Bai say this, Xue Tao started to waver. After thinking it over, he decided to listen to Su Bai.

After all, even though he often talked back, deep down he had to admit that Su Bai was the most mature among their group of classmates.