Crossing the Clouds and Sky to Fall in Love with You - Chapter 37

The snow fell more urgently, stinging my face and obscuring my vision. I tilted my head slightly, reorienting myself on the sections of the path that lacked guide chains. Looking at the mountaineers ahead who had stopped to rest, my every step became more resolute.

Even though the blister on my right foot felt like it had burst, causing an intolerable ache and itch.

Even though every breath I exhaled was so cold and damp that it distressed me.

Even though I was completely soaked and was shivering from the cold, despite my continuous movement.

An occasional gust of misty, white wind blew past, looking exactly like the clouds I usually observed from afar. I subconsciously reached out to catch it; a cold, gentle sensation wrapped around my fingers before vanishing without a trace.

It felt as though I was standing among the clouds.

If a person could “walk among the clouds and mist” by ascending to a certain altitude, then I must have already exceeded that height, even if my steps now felt as cumbersome as a snail’s.

But realizing this, my mood ironically lifted. I tightened my wool hat, and the corner of my mouth couldn’t help but turn up. After passing a few more bends, a structure resembling a tunnel suddenly appeared before me.

Siqi, who was behind me, reached out and put her hand on my shoulder. “We’ve reached the windbreak.” Many hikers were huddled inside resting, but there was still some space left.

The snow and wind were howling at the very front, allowing me to see only a tiny bit. The people who followed us couldn’t stay inside, so they settled for standing at the bend where we had just ascended, leaning against the cold rock to rest.

Siqi and I nestled together. She wrapped her arms around me and took out the sports drink she had brought. I took a sip. Although it was cold, it felt incredibly refreshing at that moment. Only when my body stopped moving did I realize I was completely drenched! The previous stretch of climbing had truly drained my energy.

“You walked very quickly on the last section when you were in front.”

“Really?” She nodded. I pursed my lips. “It’s probably because you were blocking the wind earlier, which made it easier for me to walk.”

“I’d say your fighting spirit was awakened,” she countered. It seemed she had a point.

“If we keep going like this, we won’t see the sunrise,” I vaguely heard someone say. But we had come all this way—wouldn’t turning back just because we might miss the sunrise be a terrible waste?

“The wind and snow are dying down!” Soon, I heard the excited voice of someone behind us. As if they had rested enough, or perhaps emboldened by the improving weather, the people at the very front started to emerge from the structure. I heard a rush of fierce wind. The people ahead briefly paused their steps, then plunged forward with their heads down, just as they had done on the screen slope earlier.

Soon it was our turn to stand at the windbreak. Only at the very front could one feel the powerful wind here. Siqi waited a moment, then seized an opportunity and shouted low to me, “Go!”

I darted out of the windbreak, and she followed closely behind. We kept our bodies low and moved forward. The snow had virtually stopped now. After walking a distance, the strong wind pressing down on us mysteriously disappeared. I continued along the path, feeling a joyous anticipation of reaching the finish line.

The sky was already brightening, but it remained a colorless, gray-white. The cloudless parts were a deep blue, like a starry night. I noticed that a corner of the sky was clean, as if it had been washed. The mere contrast of the different sky colors was enough to keep me captivated for a long while.

“Almost there.”

I heard Siqi say this. As we crested the final, small gentle slope, the view suddenly opened up. All the hikers who had been huddled at the front of the windbreak were now either sitting or standing, finding empty spots to rest.

The path had reached its end.

Some people were already taking photos by the summit monument with their flashlights on, but more were simply pulling their raincoats or jackets tight, drinking water, and resting. By the time we arrived, nearly all the good spots were taken, yet more people continued to stream up.

“Are we here?” I turned around, and she was already raising her camera. The sudden flash made me squint. After adjusting the flash angle, she took another shot.

“Mhm.” She reached out and took my hand. After a moment’s hesitation, she embraced me with open arms as if no one else was around.

“You’ve completed the summit ascent. You are standing at the highest point on the island. You have successfully passed the test,” she said to me with tender emotion. My chin rested against her raincoat, feeling the coldness of the melted snow. Exhaling warm air, I felt an inexplicable urge to cry, not because I was moved by standing on the highest peak.

It was because of the pride in her voice as she complimented me, as if she had received the rarest and most precious treasure.

She was proud of me.

“I…” Even though my feet ached so much that I desperately wanted to sit down, and the cold wind howled around me, each gust whipping through my heavy clothes like a lash, and my soaked clothes stuck to my back making me uncomfortable… None of it mattered anymore. This physical pain was no longer important. Even the trivial worries that had plagued me earlier could be forgotten. I had completed the most significant part of this journey—with her.

She shook her head and, through her gloves and wool hat, stroked my face. “Look at this view. This is the reward for all your effort.” She pointed toward the sea of clouds and the mountains. I focused on the clean, washed-out color of the sky. The gray-white sky began to acquire color. She explained to me which peak was Mount Xifeng and which was Mount Xiuguluan. I couldn’t remember the names, only that we had a chance to see the sunrise.

A patch of blue sky first jumped over the eastern peaks, faintly revealing a white halo. Then the white turned to golden yellow. When the first ray of dawn finally shot toward us, my tears could no longer be held back.

A cheer erupted around us. I gazed up at the boundless sky: blue, purplish-blue, the snow-white clouds, and the golden-yellow dawn merged into one. The green between the peaks and slopes gradually became clearer. I quietly watched it all, with her leaning close beside me. She held her camera, capturing this natural beauty, continuously pressing the shutter as if unwilling to miss a single opportunity.

Meeting my eyes, she stopped shooting. I was crying, yet I was also smiling. I read a tenderness and emotion in her eyes that was meant only for me. She said nothing, only gripping my hand tightly.

Even with the strong, cold wind around us, being bathed in the sunlight allowed me to feel its warmth. A group of hikers who had enjoyed the dawn began to leave after taking commemorative photos, and the people behind them immediately filled the space.

I turned toward a less crowded area. The cold wind suddenly paused. The mountain at my feet, which had not yet been touched by the light, still appeared in silent black and gray.

She walked closer. “What are you looking at?”

“Over there, there’s still a sea of clouds,” I sighed, unable to suppress my emotion, and covered my mouth. “It’s truly beautiful… Did you know? I actually don’t really like the outdoors. I’ve mostly stayed in the city since I was a child. This is my first time in a place like this…”

“Do you like it?”

“I love it!” I smiled brightly. “But I don’t know when I’ll have the chance to come back a second time; maybe this will be the only time in my life.”

“One precious memory is enough. More often than not, it’s not the quantity that matters.”

I strongly agreed with her words and stood there, admiring the scenery. Turning back, I found the summit almost completely empty. We had stayed longer than everyone else.

The sun had risen to a higher position, and the cold wind seemed to have slightly weakened. I began to feel a little warm.

“Shall we go down?”

I shook my head. “Just a little while longer.” Stepping away from her, I walked alone to the stone monument, facing the warm dawn. I was a little reluctant to leave, but I knew very well that I couldn’t stay here forever, and after the initial excitement wore off, I realized my head was throbbing from the cold.

My heart was beating fast. Looking at this vast and boundless landscape, an uncontrollable urge to sing came over me—the melody becoming clearer in the sound of the wind in my ears.

I closed my eyes.

“After the dark night, the sun will rise After the storm, the sky will clear When we hold hands and walk forward together A rainbow resides in our hearts The road of life will surely have wind and rain Use tears to nurture the courage of life Use hope to transform into wings in the wind Let dreams carry away the sorrow in our hearts…”

“Aren’t you going to keep singing?” I opened my eyes and realized she had walked up beside me. “That was beautiful.”

I shook my head, smiling self-consciously with my lips pressed together. “I forgot the rest of the lyrics!” I looked up, meeting her warm gaze. I took a deep breath. A fervent excitement welled up in my chest, ready to burst forth at any moment. “I feel like… I think I know what I should do now.”

“Mhm, I think I know too.” She leaned down and gave me a butterfly kiss. “Shall we go down?”

Surveying the scenery one last time, I finally nodded without any lingering regret. “Mhm!”

With a feeling of contentment and inspiration, the moment I stepped off the summit, I confirmed one thing.

The easily hurt, withdrawn Yu Xiaoning—I had left her behind in that beautiful view on the mountain peak. The person I would be from now on was the smiling me.

A brand new me.

We stayed at the summit for a full forty minutes. Although we left with feelings of fulfillment and emotion, challenges always struck in unexpected places.

We took two days to reach the summit, but the descent had to be completed on the same day! I realized this as I packed my bags back at the mountain cabin and couldn’t help but groan as I collapsed onto the bunk!

“Of course! Did you think we’d be able to sleep here for another night?” Siqi looked at me amusedly. “Get up now! Rest up. The people who are sleeping here tonight will probably arrive soon!”

“Oh… I’m so tired!” I really was tired! My knees felt like they were constantly bearing the weight of my body while descending the scree slope, leaving my entire leg aching now. And, predictably, the blister had burst. I cleaned and disinfected it with an alcohol pad before putting on a new bandage. After the snow that morning, my athletic shoes were soaked. I only had this one pair, so I had to endure the cold and heavy feeling of the wet shoes as I descended the mountain.

I really wanted to borrow her shoes, but I knew—her feet were too large, I couldn’t possibly wear them.

The ascent was indeed a test, but I hadn’t expected the descent to be even more painful. The round trip to the summit, plus the walk from the cabin to the trailhead, meant we had much more ground to cover today than yesterday.

We rested for about an hour, refilled our water, and prepared to set off on our return journey.

“Oh, by the way, lend me your phone,” she suddenly requested as we stepped out of the cabin door.

“Who are you calling?”

“Lin-ge!” she raised an eyebrow, as if it were obvious. “I made an arrangement with him. He took the day off today too. If we call him now, he might just arrive at the trailhead by the time we get there.”

I finally turned on my phone, which had been off for two days. Seeing the familiar wallpaper, I suddenly thought that I seemed to have a good reason to update my phone wallpaper.

She handed it back to me after finishing the call. “Alright! He’ll pick us up directly at the trailhead. Let’s go!”

“Wait a moment!” I clutched the phone tightly and stopped her as she was about to stride away grandly. “I—I also remembered I have a call to make.”

“Are you calling home to let them know you’re safe?”

“Uh… yes! The reception isn’t great here; I’ll go over there!” I walked a few steps away from her, and her gaze on me held a hint of confusion. “Just take a random photo or something! I’ll be quick.”

Wandering to the other side, I changed my wallpaper to the photo of her taking a picture of the Married Trees, ensuring that her face was mostly obscured by the camera. Perfect. It shouldn’t be easy for others to recognize her.

Then, I found the number that I hadn’t called since saving it.

Taking a deep breath, and having decided on how to start, I pressed the call button.

‘Hello?’ The person on the other end sounded very surprised and excited when the call connected.

Biting my lip, I knew I shouldn’t hesitate now. “It’s me… I have something to tell you.”