Online Love, Based on the Real Object - Chapter 57

The weather had been lovely over the past few days, and Chonghai City had officially entered winter.

Winter temperatures in Chonghai hover around 10°C, though it feels a bit warmer on sunny days. Chu Yunjing took several thick coats and down jackets out of the wardrobe and brought them to the balcony to air them out in the sun.

 

“Why are you taking out so many clothes?” Qi Ning asked, a bit puzzled. “It is going to be so hot wearing things that thick.”

 

Chu Yunjing finished hanging the clothes and stepped back inside, closing the sliding glass door behind her. “I am going to Lianshan in a couple of days.”

 

Lianshan was much colder than Chonghai. Qi Ning nodded and asked, “How long will you be gone?”

 

“About a week, I expect.” Chu Yunjing paused for a moment before adding voluntarily, “He Hao is coming along this time as well.”

 

“Oh?” Qi Ning remembered that Chu Yunjing usually went to the mountains alone every year. She had never heard of He Hao joining before, so it felt like a significant change.

 

Chu Yunjing explained, “We plan to donate toward building a Charity Primary School there. When we went last year, the classrooms were drafty and leaking. The children’s learning environment is simply too harsh.”

 

Qi Ning nodded, though she was still a little worried. “Is it just the two of you? How many people are going in total?”

 

“A few partners could not make it this year, so the group is smaller. I would estimate thirteen or fourteen people.”

 

“What is the male-to-female ratio?”

 

“Ten men, and the rest are women.”

 

“That is acceptable then,” Qi Ning noted. She had recently grabbed dinner with a colleague and the topic of charity work had come up.

 

She had heard a real-life “The Farmer and the Viper” story about four or five women who went into the deep mountains for charity. They had brought plenty of grain, oil, books, and stationery, wanting to show some heart. Unexpectedly, the locals saw that they were all women and easy targets, and they were subjected to a violent assault. Fortunately, they managed to escape, and the incident was eventually brought to light.

 

With ten men in the group to look out for one another, there should not be any problems. Qi Ning felt slightly more at ease.

 

Chu Yunjing patted her head and said with a smile, “Make sure you remember to eat on time while you are home alone.”

 

Qi Ning swatted her hand away. “You have not even left yet, and you are making it sound like a tragic final parting.”

 

Chu Yunjing just smiled and said nothing.

 

That night, Qi Ning suffered from insomnia, tossing and turning in bed.

 

The next day at work, once her tasks were finished, she opened a browser to search for information on Lianshan. Lianshan was located in the western mountain ranges within the Guangping Lianshan Autonomous Prefecture. Most of the photos online showed endless stretches of mountains; it looked beautiful.

 

However, Qi Ning had seen plenty of documentaries. She knew the transportation in the mountains was bound to be difficult. The peaks were high, the slopes were steep, and the terrain was treacherous. The journey to the village would involve literal mountain climbing and river fording.

 

While Qi Ning was enthusiastic about charity, the idea of actually experiencing mountain life herself was something she felt would be hard to endure.

 

The tragedy of those girls who went into the mountains kept echoing in her mind, making her even more worried about Chu Yunjing’s situation. Even if the group consisted of partners she knew, she worried about what might happen if an accident occurred.

 

The thought of various natural and man-made disasters made her unable to sit still.

 

When she returned home that evening, Chu Yunjing was making dinner. Qi Ning stood in the kitchen watching her for a long while before quietly backing out. She glanced into the master bedroom and saw an open suitcase on the floor, already half-packed.

 

“What is wrong? You have seemed distracted all evening.” Chu Yunjing noticed the anomaly during dinner and asked, “Are you feeling unwell?”

 

“No,” Qi Ning shook her head. Her brow furrowed unconsciously as if she were wrestling with a difficult decision.

 

Chu Yunjing watched her, but since Qi Ning did not speak up, Chu Yunjing did not press further. She changed the subject. “I am heading out tomorrow. Remember to keep the doors and windows locked while you are home alone. I saw the weather forecast said it is going to rain soon.”

 

“Yunjing.” Qi Ning put down her utensils, her expression heavy as if she had something vital to say.

 

Chu Yunjing quickly fell silent, waiting for her to continue.

 

“I will go with you,” Qi Ning said suddenly after a few seconds of silence, looking as though she had summoned great resolve.

 

“Go where?” Chu Yunjing was surprised. “Lianshan?”

 

Qi Ning nodded.

 

Now it was Chu Yunjing’s turn to look serious. She had invited Qi Ning to go with her before, but Qi Ning had always said she did not want to suffer the hardship. Now that she was volunteering, Chu Yunjing actually did not want her to go. The conditions in the mountains were too grueling.

 

“Are you serious?” Chu Yunjing could not help but say, “The conditions there are very poor. You should stay here.”

 

Ignoring her, Qi Ning muttered to herself, “I have ten days of annual leave left anyway. I will just treat it like a vacation.”

 

“The scenery is nice, but having no phone signal is the norm. There is no bubble tea, barbecue, or late-night snacks. It is not suitable for a vacation. If you want a holiday, you can go somewhere else. Besides, it is very cold there. The village chief said it started snowing two days ago.”

 

As Chu Yunjing continued to persuade her, Qi Ning interrupted her directly. “I am going!”

 

Chu Yunjing assumed it was just a whim and felt helpless. “Be good and wait at home. If you want to see the scenery, I will take photos for you along the way.”

 

“No.” Qi Ning pouted, staring at the table and whispering, “I am worried about you going alone.”

 

She said it very softly, almost to herself, but Chu Yunjing heard it. The corners of Chu Yunjing’s mouth curled up because she finally understood the reason.

 

“Alright.” Chu Yunjing smiled, her expression softening. “Then we need to pack your bags after dinner. Our flight is at nine tomorrow morning.”

 

After dinner, Qi Ning went to her room to start packing. She found her suitcase in the corner. Because it was too large for frequent use, the dust cover had accumulated a thin layer of grime and things were piled on top of it. After quite a bit of effort, she managed to pull the suitcase out and lay it open on the floor.

 

Then she began searching the wardrobe for clothes.

 

It was so cold there that dresses were definitely out of the question. Qi Ning pulled out several thick hoodies and fleece-lined trousers. She rarely traveled long distances in winter, so most of her clothes were only suitable for climates above 5°C. It took her a long time to find a few sets of extra-thick clothing.

 

She counted two down jackets, two overcoats, and other essentials while standing by the bed.

 

“Yunjing, I…” Qi Ning excitedly pushed open Chu Yunjing’s door, but she froze when she saw what the person inside was doing.

 

Chu Yunjing was changing. She had just taken off her clothes when Qi Ning burst in. Hearing the sound, she turned around and their eyes met.

 

Stumbling upon the scene and seeing those graceful lines and skin as white as snow made Qi Ning feel flustered and embarrassed for the first time. She managed to squeeze out a smile, intending to say she would come back later, only to see Chu Yunjing calmly lean over to pick up the clothes on the bed and put them on unhurriedly.

 

As she dressed, Chu Yunjing asked, “What is it?”

 

“Oh.” Qi Ning rubbed her ear. Seeing how calm the other woman was, her embarrassment faded slightly. She asked instead, “Are you changing because you are going out?”

 

“Yes, I am going to buy some heat packs. We will need them there.” Chu Yunjing paused and turned toward her. “What were you going to say?”

 

Qi Ning led her to her own room. Upon opening the door, they saw a mountain of clothes on the bed. A few thick items had already been packed into the suitcase, but Qi Ning felt it was not enough.

 

“Should I go buy a few more outfits?” she asked.

 

“It is too late to buy them now.” Chu Yunjing squatted down to look through the clothes in the suitcase. After rummaging a bit, she said, “I have a few sweaters and down jackets; you can wear mine when the time comes.”

 

While she could borrow Chu Yunjing’s clothes, Qi Ning still had not prepared all her essentials. After a quick inventory, she realized there was quite a lot to buy, so she decided to head out with Chu Yunjing.

 

The moment they stepped out of the car, a cold wind howled past. Qi Ning could not help but shiver. Seeing this, Chu Yunjing scolded her, “I told you to wear more just now, but you would not listen. You chose fashion over warmth, and now you know how cold it is.”

 

Qi Ning pouted. She could not do anything except listen to the lecture.

 

Inside the mall, the crowded areas became warm. Right at the entrance, they saw a snack promotion, and Qi Ning immediately picked up a snack gift pack.

 

“Let us buy this to take with us!”

 

Chu Yunjing glanced at it. The gift pack was so large it was nearly as wide as a person’s shoulders. “There is a problem though: how are you going to fit that in your suitcase?”

 

Qi Ning pouted and gave up on the snacks.

 

After buying the heat packs, they passed the clothing section and turned in. Chu Yunjing picked up a thick wool scarf and held it up against Qi Ning. “What do you think of this scarf?”

 

Thinking Chu Yunjing wanted it for herself, Qi Ning said, “It is okay.”

 

“Alright then.” Chu Yunjing felt the fabric and asked, “What color do you want?”

 

Qi Ning only then realized it was being bought for her. She shook her head quickly. “I do not want that. It will scratch my neck, and it is very ugly!”

 

As a fashionista, Qi Ning insisted on looking beautiful even in a world of ice and snow. She would not let a drab, gray scarf that would make her neck look twice as large ruin her aesthetic.

 

“It is very cold there,” Chu Yunjing said. “A scarf will keep you warmer.”

 

“I will just wear turtlenecks!” she insisted.

 

“Fine.” Seeing this, Chu Yunjing said no more and placed the dark gray scarf into the cart anyway.

 

After picking out the scarf, Chu Yunjing picked up a pair of windproof, fleece-lined outdoor trousers and asked, “How about these?”

 

Knowing her intention now, Qi Ning replied instantly, “No way, they are hideous.”

 

Chu Yunjing gave her a long look, then quietly picked out two pairs in the correct size and put them in the cart. Qi Ning assumed she was buying them for herself and did not interfere.

 

They also bought two sets of thermal underwear. Qi Ning could not help but remark, “You are buying so much.” She was a bit confused. Since Chu Yunjing had been to Lianshan before, she wondered why she needed to buy so many clothes this time.

 

To this, Chu Yunjing replied with only four words: “Better safe than sorry.”

 

After finishing their shopping and returning home, they both retired to their rooms to sleep, as they had to wake up early for the flight.

 

Chu Yunjing set her alarm for 7:00 AM. As soon as it rang, she got up and went to the guest bedroom to wake the person who was still dreaming.

 

“I am getting up now.” Qi Ning rolled over, buried her face in the pillow, and held up five fingers. “Give me five more minutes.”

 

Chu Yunjing’s lips twitched. She had known Qi Ning would oversleep. Saying nothing, she went to wash up. When she finished, Qi Ning was still in the exact same position, having not moved an inch.

 

By the time breakfast was ready at 7:30 AM, Chu Yunjing pushed the door open again. The person inside had rolled over to lie flat on the bed, still fast asleep.

 

“Maybe you should not go after all,” Chu Yunjing said. “Wait for me at home.”

 

These words had an immediate effect. Qi Ning sat bolt upright instantly, as if she had been shocked awake.

 

She blurted out, “I am getting up right now!” With that, she threw off the covers, hopped out of bed, and padded barefoot toward the bathroom.

 

Chu Yunjing shouted after her, “Put some shoes on!”

 

Twenty minutes later, Qi Ning emerged from the bedroom, looking completely transformed. Even if she was going on a poverty alleviation trip, it did not stop her from putting on exquisite makeup. However, because she had woken up so early, she lacked energy and let out a huge yawn the moment she stepped out.

 

Once Qi Ning was ready, it was time to leave. Chu Yunjing knew time would be tight, so she had made a simple breakfast. She put sandwiches into transparent bags and stuffed a bottle of milk into the bag.

 

“Let us go.” Chu Yunjing had already pushed the two suitcases to the door. After confirming the windows, water, and electricity were all off, they headed out together.

 

The airport was not far from the apartment. Once they were in the taxi, Qi Ning pulled out a sandwich and started eating.

 

“This lettuce is very good.” She spoke while eating, and her mouth became smeared with salad dressing.

 

Her hands were full, so Chu Yunjing pulled a pack of tissues from her pocket, took one out, and wiped Qi Ning’s mouth. Her expression was somewhat helpless as she said, “Eat slowly, do not choke.”

 

The act of wiping her mouth was a bit too intimate, or perhaps Chu Yunjing’s expression was just too tender at that moment. Qi Ning froze and stared straight at her, her cheeks puffed out like a hamster hoarding food.

 

After locking eyes for no more than three seconds, Qi Ning looked away first. She swallowed her food and whispered, “Having someone wipe your mouth feels so cheesy.”

 

Chu Yunjing looked at the salad dressing on the tissue, then at Qi Ning’s lips, and said, “Should I smear it back on then?”

 

Qi Ning was silent for two seconds before nudging her with her shoulder. “Go away.”

 

Clearly, the moment of tenderness had passed.

 

Chu Yunjing did not say anything. She tilted her head slightly to glance at the person leaning on her shoulder eating a sandwich, and the corners of her mouth turned up into a faint smile.