Crossing the Clouds and Sky to Fall in Love with You - Chapter 38

The path down the mountain was also 8.5 kilometers, but being all downhill, the steps that were going up before now all led down. Logically, it should have been easier.

However, having gone through continuous physical endurance tests, I seemed to have reached my limit.

“Sīqǐ…” I couldn’t help but sit down against a large rock. I was walking ahead, and this was less than two kilometers from the bottom. “I think there’s something wrong with my feet…”

“Something wrong?” She frowned, immediately putting down her trekking pole. I propped up my leg, feeling my ankles were hot and shaking. “What’s wrong? Where does it hurt?”

“I think I might have twisted something.”

“Which foot?” She lifted the cuff of my right pant leg and gently pressed my ankle. As she touched a certain spot, the soreness and weakness made me groan! “The right foot?”

“It seems so… What should I do?” I wanted to rest, but we had already been walking for almost four hours, and Uncle Lin was probably about to arrive.

“Can you still walk?”

“I can, but not fast.”

She told me to stand up. I put most of my weight on my left foot. She originally wanted me to hook onto her shoulder, but unfortunately, the height difference was too big! She could only let me hold her waist, and she also put her arm around me for support. We walked slowly, step by step, like a three-legged race.

“I can’t believe we almost made it to the end only to stumble at the finish line!” I forced a smile, and she smiled along. However, having her support really helped a lot, and it felt much less strenuous.

“For someone who rarely exercises, reaching this point has really impressed me! Perhaps you’d make a good backpacker?” She winked, and I immediately knew she was teasing me.

“I think I’ll pass! At most, I’ll follow you around to play. I can’t plan itineraries, run around, and travel like you.”

“Alright then! Next time, I’ll take you to climb a more difficult snow-capped mountain!”

Another mountain! “Can we switch it up? Like a tour of ancient cities or something…”

“Just a few hours ago, someone was reluctant to leave the mountaintop, right? Did that feel fade so quickly?”

“It’s precisely because I was so moved that I don’t want to talk about the next mountain so soon!” I made up an excuse, and she laughed heartily, so I pinched her waist as a way to vent my frustration!

The descent was quicker. We only took slightly more than four hours to get back to the trailhead. Uncle Lin was leaning against the car smoking, looking completely unbothered. The moment I saw his car; I almost burst into tears of gratitude. For a moment, I couldn’t tell if I was more moved by the sunrise or by this SUV that felt like a lifesaver!

Once in the car, I inevitably reported the trip’s results to Uncle Lin, but all I wanted to do was sleep. Sīqǐ let me rest my head on her lap. She described me as someone who had regained confidence and purpose, which earned a whistle from Uncle Lin. I was too lazy to figure out what that meant and continued to rely on her as I drifted off to sleep.

Looking back, Uncle Lin didn’t say anything about our interactions in the car, which resembled those of a couple. Could it be that he already knew Sīqǐ’s sexual orientation?

We found a restaurant nearby for a meal. I was genuinely hungry, but perhaps I was too tired, so I didn’t have much appetite. After hastily eating a little, Uncle Lin drove us straight back to Taipei, to Sīqǐ’s apartment.

Aside from the tent and the hiking backpack I carried, the rest were Sīqǐ’s things. Finally, back in a familiar place, the sense of relaxation made my exhaustion even harder to hide, even though I had slept almost the entire journey.

The clean clothes I had brought for the trip were almost all used up. “Did you bring your key?” Right, most of my clothes were still here, so theoretically, I could go back to my room to get them.

But—”I didn’t bring it!” So I had no clothes to change into! She sighed with a smile, “Oh! How was I supposed to know we’d need it?”

“Did you forget that we’d be returning to Taipei first? Seriously… I guess I’ll have to wear yours for now.” She took off the knitted shirt she had worn for two days, revealing a black, long-sleeved moisture-wicking shirt.

She squatted in front of the wardrobe to look for clothes. My right foot was still weak from the twist, but it wasn’t too painful. “Why don’t you take a shower first? After showering, change into my clothes and rest. I’ll tidy up a bit and then take our clothes downstairs to wash.”

“Okay… But I’m having you take care of me again!”

“There’s nothing wrong with taking care of one’s girlfriend, is there?” She pursed her lips and smiled, turning back to unfold a form-fitting, long-sleeved cotton shirt. “This one is very warm! Borrow it. The sleeves might be a little long, but the size shouldn’t be too far off…”

I took it. Before she could stand up, I bent over and kissed her. She seemed a little flustered but quickly settled down to enjoy my kiss.

“Every time you call me your girlfriend, I still can’t quite believe it. I didn’t expect that I would actually get a girlfriend…” And a beautiful, independent, and reliable one at that. She was simply a dream come true.

She lifted her head and lightly pecked my lips. “If you don’t believe it, a few more kisses and a few more hugs should convince you, right?” She stood up and tightly embraced me. I buried my face in her chest, feeling her softness. I had seen her naked. Her breasts were beautiful, and so were the curves of her body… Just imagining it made my heart race and my face blush!

“Actually, even I can’t believe you would agree to my pursuit so readily. I’m really happy. Xiăoníng, I love you.”

“Me too… I, I love you.”

Hearing me say I loved her seemed to genuinely move her, but she restrained herself, saying to me in a tense voice, “You go shower first!”

That look in her eyes wasn’t unfamiliar to me, but I was even more grateful for her patience. Although I had accepted this person mentally, I was still unsure how my body would react if she touched me like a man would… Would I feel the same kind of anticipation I felt when intimate with a man?

I took a comfortable hot shower, and only after wrapping myself in a towel and stepping out did I realize… “You only gave me a top, nothing else!” Although her top was long enough to cover the “important parts,” this meant I wasn’t wearing anything underneath!

She froze. She had already changed her clothes, and the dirty ones I had tossed out were gone. She must have gone downstairs to use the coin-operated washing machine while I was showering!

“Then… should I lend you mine?”

“Even between girls, you don’t borrow underwear, do you!”

The moment the words left her mouth, even she found it funny! “Then… I guess I’ll give you a pair of long pants first?”

I gave her a sidelong glance. “I’d probably need stilts to wear your long pants!” We’re twenty-five centimeters apart in height! How dare she still laugh!

“Then I’ll lend you shorts!” She covered her mouth, stifling a laugh, and climbed over to the wardrobe to look for summer clothes. I, on the other hand, ruthlessly threw the towel over her head!

She quickly ran off to shower, and I, in shorts, could only endure the cold by curling up on the small sofa to watch TV. My phone had been put on charge. I took the opportunity to text my family to let them know I was safe and that I was currently in Taipei, and would go home either tomorrow or the day after to prepare for the New Year.

She quickly finished her shower and put on a jacket before coming downstairs. I was organizing some of my things and noticed that there were still snacks left, and we hadn’t eaten much of them. Recalling the entire trip and remembering her expression when she found out I brought these things, even I laughed at myself. It really was funny. Thankfully, we ate at least two bags, or else bringing them and taking them back would have just added extra weight.

When she finally brought the clothes up, I no longer felt awkward wearing my own clothes, but I was getting sleepy again. I checked the time; it was only ten o’clock.

She organized her gear and finally had time to deal with the camera and photos. I couldn’t help but lean closer. “Can you send me a copy? The photos from this trip.”

She wrapped her arm around me, letting me sit on her lap. “Of course, I can. You’re my girlfriend, after all.”

I poked her shoulder, finding it inexplicably amusing. “Why do you keep emphasizing that? Are you afraid I’ll change my mind?”

“Of course! Especially since you made a secret phone call before you came home!” She raised an eyebrow, and I stared at her, unable to hide my surprise.

“You know… who I called?”

“I don’t know, but it definitely wasn’t your family, was it? Otherwise, you wouldn’t have walked so far away on purpose.”

I remained silent for a moment. She gently squeezed my waist. “Xiaoníng, I’m not doubting your sincerity to me, and I wouldn’t check your phone records. I just hope you can trust me more; even if that call was to a guy, I wouldn’t get angry…”

“It was to a guy, alright.” I interrupted her, considering when I could finally be honest with her.

“Mm.” She sighed. The computer screen stayed on her fan page. After two days, the number of likes was already close to six thousand.

She held me and moved to the bed. I didn’t know what she was going to do. She first turned on the desk lamp, turned off the main light, closed the laptop, and finally came back to my side. “Are you going to sleep?” Damn it! I was the one who asked the question, but my eyelids were dropping faster than hers.

She nodded. “I barely slept on the way back. I’m tired too. How about you?”

“This is the first time I’ve walked such a long mountain path. Now my whole-body aches!”

“Then let’s sleep!” We burrowed under the duvet, and I lay on my own pillow. I just remembered I hadn’t taken my pillow back to my room the last night either, instead sleeping on another pillow I didn’t usually use.

“Sīqǐ.”

“Hmm?” She opened her eyes. I looked at her, then snuggled into her arms. “What is it?”

“I’ve been thinking…” I wrapped my arms around her waist, resting my head against her chest, smelling the familiar scent of shower gel. “I feel I should tell you, especially since we’re together.”

“Oh? About what?”

“About your younger brother.” Her previously relaxed body tensed up at my words.

“You’re right. That phone call was to a guy… to your brother, to Tao Yian.”

“You…” When I said the name “Tao Yian,” she gasped in surprise. “How did you know…”

It was time to confess. “The guy sitting across from me when we had the spicy hot pot that day was him.” I moistened my lips. “Including why I knew you were Chu first, and why I started caring about the issues between you and your family… it’s all because I know Tao Yian. He transferred schools and came to ours to study Art.”

Her eyes suddenly sharpened, and her arms around me tightened abruptly. “Xiaoníng… Tell me everything I should know.”