Any Closer and I'll Lose Control - Chapter 19

Walking along the stone-paved path to the end of the alley, Meng Tang asked Wei Chuan, “Where do you want to go?”

Wei Chuan scratched his head. “I’ve never been here before. You decide.”

Meng Tang thought for a moment. “There’s an intangible cultural heritage museum nearby. If you go north from there, you’ll find Shuiyue Temple. It’s a very niche spot with a beautiful waterfall, but we only have time for one.”

The museum was open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and it was already almost 3 p.m. If they went to the museum, they wouldn’t make it to the temple.

“Let’s go to the temple, I’ll pray for good luck in my competition,” Wei Chuan said without hesitation.

“Alright.” Meng Tang lowered her eyes and called a taxi. “When are you leaving?”

Wei Chuan: “I’m heading back to school for training on the 4th. My train is booked for noon on the 3rd.”

The taxi arrived quickly, and Wei Chuan stepped forward to open the door for Meng Tang.

After she thanked him and got in, he circled around the car and sat beside her.

“Do you have anywhere you want to go tomorrow?” Meng Tang asked, glancing at him. “I can make a guide for you tonight.”

Wei Chuan chuckled. “You’re a local, you need to make a guide?”

Meng Tang: “…The city is huge. There are plenty of places I haven’t been to either.”

Wei Chuan’s eyes gleamed as he ventured, “Can I come to your place again tomorrow?”

“Why?”

Meng Tang immediately regretted her response and added, “I didn’t mean you can’t come.”

“I know,” Wei Chuan said. “When we passed through the front courtyard earlier, I was really interested in the small exhibition room. Too bad we didn’t have time to see it today.”

“Most of those are just practice pieces, nothing worth seeing. But Grandpa insists on displaying them.” Meng Tang didn’t understand why everyone was so fascinated by the carvings she’d made growing up.

Wei Chuan: “Can’t I just take a look? Aren’t we friends?”

“…Fine.” Meng Tang sighed. “We can finish all the fruit you bought tomorrow. My grandpa doesn’t eat that stuff.”

“Deal.”

They chatted the whole way and finally arrived at Shuiyue Temple at 3:30 p.m.

Many visitors were already starting their descent.

It was, after all, National Day, so the temple was crowded.

Meng Tang looked up and said, “The temple is built on the mountain. The best views are at the summit. Do you want to climb?”

Wei Chuan gave her another four-word mantra: “We are already here.”

Meng Tang sighed. “Alright.”

“Seriously? You’re tired before we even start?” Wei Chuan teased. “How do you have the energy to carve?”

Before the actual climb, there was a long slope.

Meng Tang struggled upward. “I still haven’t dared to tell Grandpa that I had to retake my fitness test.”

“Why?” Wei Chuan walked backward effortlessly.

Meng Tang said, “Because he always insists I exercise. If he finds out I slacked off, he’ll smack my palms.”

“How old are you?” Wei Chuan grinned. “He still smacks your hands?”

Meng Tang: “Health is the foundation of everything. No matter what you do, you need a strong body.”

But her coursework was already demanding, with heavy assignments. On top of that, she had to maintain her carving skills. By the time she got back to her dorm, showered, and lay down, she was out like a light.

She knew she was in the wrong, but sometimes she just didn’t have the energy.

“You know that, yet you still slack off?”

“I’ve been squeezing in time to practice, but it hasn’t helped much.”

“Fitness tests affect graduation and merit student awards. I suggest you take it more seriously.”

“I know.”

After the long slope came the mountain trail entrance.

There are two paths to the mountain summit: one is a stone staircase carved along the mountain’s contours, and the other is a broad, man-made road.

Most hikers choose the former, narrow as it may be, it’s far more interesting.

Meng Tang subtly veered to the right, only to be yanked back by Wei Chuan: “This way.”

“This way is exhausting,” Meng Tang protested, gripping the wooden railing of the narrow path. “Let’s just take the wide road.”

“We’re here to hike, not take a leisurely stroll,” Wei Chuan retorted. “Come on, the narrow path even has railings to lean on. If you don’t move, I’ll drag you.”

“No, no, no, I’ll climb.”

Grasping the railing, Meng Tang reluctantly lifted her foot.

“It’s only a 600-meter mountain, perfect for a little workout,” Wei Chuan said.

Meng Tang scoffed. “Thanks a lot.”

The narrow path could accommodate two or three people walking side by side. Wei Chuan caught up to her and grinned. “Seriously, it’s not that high. We’ll reach the top in half an hour. If you can’t walk anymore, I’ll pull you along.”

Meng Tang wasn’t incapable of making it up, she just would’ve preferred staying home carving wood during her rare days off. To her, going out on vacation felt like no vacation at all.

Wei Chuan had excellent stamina, barely winded even halfway up. In contrast, Meng Tang was panting heavily.

Breathless, she slumped against the railing and gasped, “There’s… a waterfall pavilion… halfway… Let’s rest…”

Wei Chuan stopped and pulled a water bottle from his bag, handing it to her.

Meng Tang took it and trudged to the pavilion to sit down.

The view suddenly opened up. Wei Chuan stepped onto the viewing platform, leaning against the railing and tilting his head back. The clean, sharp lines of his forehead, nose, and chin formed a striking silhouette.

“Meng Tang, come look.”

His smile was bright and unrestrained. Meng Tang screwed the cap back on her bottle and walked over.

Along the way, plants and flowers often spilled over the railings. A green leaf, brushed loose by Meng Tang’s clothes, ended up pinched between her fingers, idly twirled as she walked.

She reached over the stone railing and tossed the leaf into the pool below. The roar of the waterfall filled their ears, its torrents crashing down, yet the leaf remained undisturbed in a quiet corner, utterly still.

Meng Tang leaned on the railing, smiling faintly as she gazed down.

Wei Chuan sidled up to her. “What’s so funny?”

Meng Tang pointed at the leaf. “It looks like a tiny boat. The mountain and water, stillness and motion, complement each other perfectly. My grandfather once carved a scene like this. My landscapes are nowhere near as good as his.”

“Then compare again when you’re seventy.”

Meng Tang glanced sideways at him. “You’re quite the comfort-giver.”

Wei Chuan met her gaze. “Not wrong, though, am I?”

Meng Tang nodded. “The summit isn’t far now. Let’s go.”

They pushed through the remaining stretch in one go.

At the summit stood a massive tree adorned with red prayer ribbons. Wei Chuan stepped closer to inspect them, then turned back to Meng Tang. “Why are they all about love and romance?”

Meng Tang walked over to a prayer stall, bought a red cloth strip, and handed it to him. “There are also ones for career and wealth.”

Wei Chuan took it, blinking blankly. “What should I write?”

Meng Tang nearly laughed. “Write whatever you want.”

He picked up a pen from the stall but agonized over what to write. Worried about keeping Meng Tang waiting, he finally settled on drawing a flower on the cloth before hanging it up.

He’d taken so long that Meng Tang grew curious. “What did you wish for?”

“Nothing much,” Wei Chuan said, snapping the pen cap shut. “Ready to head down? Any good places to eat around here?”

Meng Tang nodded. “There’s a street at the foot of the mountain, mostly snack stalls.”

Wei Chuan grinned. “Let’s try it out.”

The descent was much quicker. The snack street was crowded, but they eventually found seats and ordered seafood noodles and stir-fried rice vermicelli.

The food hadn’t arrived yet when suddenly a group of guys crowded around. “Wei Chuan?”

Wei Chuan instinctively looked up, he didn’t recognize any of them.

“Holy shit, it’s really Brother Chuan!”

“We’re your fans, love watching you play ball.”

“Brother Chuan, mind if we join your table?”

“When does this year’s grassroots league start?”

Before Wei Chuan could even refuse, two of them had already taken seats next to Meng Tang, making her stiffen and shrink toward the center.

Seeing this, Wei Chuan got up and walked over.