My face flushed red as I hastily brushed off the curious tourists. Fang Nan next to me seemed about to laugh, but fearing she might upset me, she suppressed her laughter and looked at me cautiously: "Chen Yang, I'm sorry. I should have known better than to get off the bus... Or, let's go back."
"No, let's keep looking." I said helplessly, "Since everyone has already seen it, if I go back now and don't look anymore, wouldn't all the time I spent being looked at be wasted?"
Those sculptures and such... I don't really understand them, and I'm not particularly interested in the murals and fabric paintings either. This place is man-made. Those murals and fabric paintings were made by craftsmen; they're not cultural relics. Frankly, it's just a tourist attraction using the guise of ethnic culture to draw visitors.
However, Fang Nan and I were more interested in the ancient pictographic script of the Naxi people.
"Chen Yang, do you know what this writing means?" Fang Nan suddenly asked, pointing to a pattern painted with colored paint on the wooden board in front of them.
This is a hieroglyphic character. In terms of its shape, it looks like a man and a woman standing close together, and above their heads are two strokes that seem to represent smoke...
I glanced at it twice. I shook my head: "I don't know."
"This pictograph actually means 'love'," a tour guide at a nearby attraction explained enthusiastically. "Look how close this man and woman are; they are a loving couple. And above their heads is a cloud of smoke, as if symbolizing that their love will last forever."
Hearing this explanation, a thought stirred within me. Just then, a soft, smooth little hand slipped into my palm. I glanced at Fang Nan and found her looking at me too, her eyes filled with a deep affection that could melt anyone's heart…
"You're not angry with me anymore? You don't hate me anymore?" We got back into the car, and I sat next to Fang Nan. I asked her in a low voice with a smile.
"When have I ever been angry with you? When have I ever hated you?" Fang Nan's brows furrowed with deep melancholy. "I only hate myself. Why, why can't I let you go..."
I sighed, reached out and put my arm around her shoulder. Fang Nan leaned her head against my shoulder and asked softly, "Chen Yang, where's your girlfriend Yan Di? I heard she went to Canada, is that right?"
I didn't want to lie to her, so I said directly, "Yes, and she also came to Lijiang with me this time."
"Oh..." Fang Nan responded softly, then suddenly added, "I'm sorry, don't misunderstand, I didn't mean anything by it."
I tightened my grip on her shoulder and said frankly, "No, it should be me who is sorry to you."
"Perhaps in other people's eyes, I should be a despicable and vile woman..." Fang Nan's voice was very soft: "I'm much older than you, already an old woman in my thirties. Yet I've fallen in love with a young man like you, and even though I know you have a girlfriend, I'm still pestering you..."
I immediately interrupted her, squeezed her hand, and said in a deep voice, "If you say that, it will only make me feel more ashamed." I held her hand and said seriously, "Fang Nan, you are a good woman. You really are a good woman. It's just that I, Chen Yang, have let you down. I'm afraid I can't give you happiness... I can't afford it. I feel very guilty because I don't want you to waste your youth on someone like me... Do you understand? That's what I meant when I said that to you in the bar this afternoon. It's not that I'm rejecting you, nor that I'm cold-hearted. It's just... I don't want you to continue to sacrifice and suffer like this for me. Do you understand?"
Although Fang Nan's face darkened, she suddenly asked softly, "Chen Yang, may I ask you a question?"
"Um?"
"If..." Fang Nan looked at me cautiously, "If I had met you before your girlfriend, would you have accepted me? Would you have thought I was older than you? Would you have hesitated to pursue me because of my family background? I know I was quite harsh with you when we first met..."
“How could I possibly look down on you?” I looked at her and said softly, “Fang Nan. To have your favor is nothing short of amazing and overwhelming! You come from a prestigious family and are so noble and beautiful… Ah, who said you’re old? You know, when I first met you, I couldn’t help but wonder how the boss of this company could be such a young and beautiful woman? I thought you were only in your early twenties.”
Although I said it to make her happy, it was also true. Fang Nan's appearance was indeed enough to make many women envious, even insanely jealous. In her early thirties, her skin was still so delicate, smooth, and tender, like that of a woman in her twenties. And beyond her stunning beauty, she also possessed a languid and alluring charm of a mature woman that young girls couldn't have.
"So…," Fang Nan said, her voice trembling, suddenly becoming extremely nervous as she glanced at me furtively, "Have you… ever liked me? Seriously! Even just a little bit…"
After asking that question, she looked at me expectantly, her face clearly showing a mixture of hope and anxiety.
"Yes," I answered earnestly, looking at her as I did so.
Fang Nan relaxed completely, a surprised smile spreading across her face...
We then drove back. However, Fang Nan suggested that we drive around the road at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain before sunset, so we could enjoy the scenery of the snow-capped mountain.
I know this is just an excuse Fang Nan made up; she knows that once we return to Lijiang, I will have to leave her. Right now, she just wants to find a chance to spend as much time as possible with me in the mountains.
I felt guilty towards this woman who was so pitifully tormented by love, so naturally I agreed to her request.
We drove slowly along the road at the foot of the snow-capped mountain. The majestic Jade Dragon Snow Mountain was less than a kilometer away, but neither of us glanced at it. I was driving now, and Fang Nan leaned her head on my shoulder, her arms wrapped around my waist, completely absorbed in a blissful contentment.
We drove along the highway to the south side of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. We were supposed to turn back here, but seeing the pitiful look in Fang Nan's eyes, my heart softened, and I blurted out, "Let's not rush back. Let's drive a little further and see what scenery is ahead."
And so, our car continued driving down the highway, getting further and further away from Lijiang City.
It wasn't until the sun had completely set that I checked the time; it was already quite late. I sighed. Fang Nan understood that at this point, we had no choice but to go back. She didn't say anything, just nestled close to me.
And then, by sheer coincidence... Just as I turned the car around and was about to drive back, suddenly, the engine made a strange noise, and then I felt the car jolt violently! The car moved forward weakly for another ten meters or so before finally coming to a stop.
I tried to start it twice, but the engine sounded like someone with bronchitis coughing weakly...
Holy crap! This is a Hummer!! Shouldn't the engine performance of a Hummer off-road vehicle be incredibly powerful?
I tried a few more times, but finally gave up. I looked outside; it was already dark, the sun had sunk below the horizon, and night was approaching. On both sides were open fields, with only this lonely road stretching across them… I sighed helplessly and said to Fang Nan in my arms with a wry smile, “It seems our car has broken down.”
Part Two: The Road to Success, Chapter 130: Passion in the Wilderness
There was no village in sight, no shop in sight. Our Hummer H3, touted as the world's best off-road vehicle, a massive metal behemoth that was supposed to be able to operate normally around the clock, was completely frozen to death on the side of this road.
I did some calculations, and I remember the last time I saw buildings by the roadside was at a rest stop at the foot of the eastern side of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. There were parking lots, gas stations, and restaurants there. But that was probably the only place within dozens of miles where we could call for help.
Unfortunately, I clearly remember that an hour has passed since we passed that place. Based on my cruising speed of 80 kilometers per hour, we should be about 80 kilometers away from there…”
Eighty kilometers, walking eighty kilometers on a deserted highway at night. By the time we arrived, it would probably be almost dawn.
My phone was already waterlogged and completely ruined when I fell into that ditch in Lijiang Old Town. As for Fang Nan… I glanced at her, and she innocently pulled out her phone and waved it at me: “It’s out of battery.”
Depend on!
It was completely dark by now. All around us was the vast, open plateau, with Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in the distance, and we were standing on this road. I waited there for almost another hour…
Not a single car passed by.
Spending the night in the open fields of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau is still quite cold! Especially since we're at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, and it's early spring. The temperature isn't high. And at night, the temperature drops sharply in the open fields.
I told Fang Nan to stay in the car, then turned on the air conditioning, closed the windows, and waited. I took a flashlight out of the trunk, wrapped myself in a blanket, and stood by the roadside to wait.
I started to shiver from the cold, but Fang Nan jumped out of the car and ran to my side, hugging me tightly without saying a word: "Let's go inside the car and wait. Anyway, the view is so open here, we can see any car coming from far away."
I nodded and got into the car with Fang Nan. My clothes, which had been soaked that afternoon, had dried by now. I changed into my own clothes and finally escaped the half-naked state of being wrapped in a blanket.
We sat close together in the car. The lights were off; we just stared silently out the window. Neither of us spoke, but Fang Nan kept nuzzling her head against my chest.
Finally, a strange "cooing" sound broke the silence in the darkness. I was startled for a moment, then there were two more "cooing" sounds...
I glanced at Fang Nan, but she kept her head down, her face flushed with embarrassment, and said through gritted teeth, "It's...it's me! I'm so hungry."
Seeing my almost-laughing expression, Fang Nan glared at me and said, "Hmph, don't forget, you ate lunch, but I didn't! I went to that tavern to eat lunch, but then I ran into you, and I ran out without even eating. It's already evening now. All I ate today was a bowl of oatmeal this morning..."
I thought for a moment: "Don't you have any food in your car?"
"This is the filming crew's vehicle. Since the crew also plans to shoot outdoor scenes in the wild, there are some survival tools and equipment in the trunk—but no food. Oh well, there's a bottle of mineral water in the back."
Seeing Fang Nan's depressed look, I suddenly had an idea and smiled: "Oh right, I remember now, I still have some food on me."
I turned my coat pockets inside out, and sure enough, I pulled out a bag of chocolate wafer biscuits.
It was quite a coincidence, and luckily, that we had a little girl in our group. Kids always have a sweet tooth and love snacks. This bag of chocolate wafer biscuits was the one Yandi bought for the little girl before we left the hotel this morning, but she just casually put it in my pocket.
A small bag of chocolate wafers wasn't enough to fill two people up. Luckily, the bag was vacuum-packed and didn't get wet when I fell into the ditch. However, I forgot I had them on me and accidentally crushed them. After tearing open the packaging, the wafers were all reduced to crumbs.
Despite her hunger, Fang Nan ate with great relish. Feeling sorry for her, I didn't eat a single bite myself and gave it all to her. Fang Nan, having been starving, finished her meal in one go before suddenly realizing I hadn't eaten. She couldn't help but feel slightly apologetic: "You... oh dear, I've finished eating. You must be hungry too."
I just smiled and shook my head: "I don't like eating these sweet things."
It seems like fate is really against us; after making a series of strange noises, the air conditioners also stopped working. I was annoyed and banged on them a few times, but they still stopped blowing air.
"Damn it!" I angrily punched the air conditioner vent.
The temperature was quite high at night. If I hadn't had air conditioning, I might have been able to endure the cold all night, but a frail woman like Fang Nan would definitely have gotten sick.
"We have to find a way to keep warm," I sighed.
Fang Nan suddenly blinked: "I almost forgot, I have something good here!"
She suddenly reached under her seat and pulled out a bottle! It was a bottle of Chivas Regal 78-year-old whisky, and there was still more than half a bottle left.
"Huh? How come you have this in your car?" I picked it up and looked at it.
Fang Nan thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled bitterly: "These days, whenever I'm in a bad mood, I like to have a drink or two."
I immediately understood what she meant by "feeling bad," and with that thought, I reached out and hugged her.
I let Fang Nan drink a couple of sips, and then I drank a couple of sips myself. As the wine went down, a warm feeling and heat immediately rose from my chest and abdomen.
I screwed the bottle cap back on: "Who knows when we'll be rescued? Maybe not until tomorrow morning. We'd better drink this wine sparingly."
I released Fang Nan and jumped out of the car. I immediately felt the temperature drop significantly. Being in the open, the cool breeze instantly invigorated me! However, I quickly realized that while I was still quite warm, this cool breeze felt comforting. But if I stayed in the open at night for too long, I would freeze! And besides, it wasn't even midnight yet! The real cold hadn't even arrived!
Holding a flashlight in one hand and pulling open the trunk with the other, I rummaged through a large toolbox for a long time. Finally, I cheered and found a canvas bag inside. I recognized it as an inflatable outdoor tent! Although it was the kind for one person, in the current situation, two people could squeeze in and it would be usable.
I found another alcohol stove, although there was no alcohol to burn... but luckily, we still had gasoline in our car's gas tank!
I found a few more tools and took them with me.
Thank God, there really was a lot of stuff in the trunk of this SUV.
I tapped on the car window and called out to Fang Nan through it, "You wait here, I'll go check on things over there!"
Using the pipe I found, I siphoned some gasoline from the car's fuel tank and poured it into the fuel canister of the alcohol stove. Then, carrying this huge pile of stuff, I left the road and walked down into the open field to my left.
The wilderness here is all hard soil, cold and hard to the touch. Most of the land is barren and exposed, with only a few low shrubs here and there.
I stopped about a hundred paces from the car; the terrain was good. I put down what I was carrying, set up my flashlight, and pointed it at an open space at my feet. Then I picked up a shovel I found in the trunk and started digging.
The weather was so cold, and the hard ground beneath my feet was frozen solid! The first shovel stroke even made my arm go numb from the impact. Fortunately, though, my strength and physical condition are far superior to the average person.
I dug a shallow hole, then went to the bushes nearby and used a shovel to chop and cut a pair of branches. I threw the branches into the hole, then carefully poured a little gasoline on them and lit them with a lighter...
With a whoosh, flames shot up in front of me, and I had just started an open-air campfire.
I lit the alcohol stove and then boiled some water in a stainless steel pot. Just then, I saw Fang Nan jump out of the car and run quickly towards me. When she reached me, having finished everything, I glanced at her and asked, "Why weren't you in the car?"
"I want to be with you." Fang Nan came over and hugged one of my arms.
"I'm dirty; I just shoveled some dirt."
"No, I don't care, I don't mind." Fang Nan not only didn't let go of me, but instead rubbed against me even more: "What are you doing?"
"It's simple. Just start a fire and boil some water; that will keep us warm." I smiled and glanced at the car in the distance. "Is there anything else in the car? Did you lock it?"
Fang Nan smiled and said, "Never mind, the car is broken anyway, so who can just sneak it away?"
I smiled, but still ran to the car and rummaged through it for anything usable. I took the blanket, along with a large folded piece of canvas.
I spread the canvas next to the fire, and the two of us sat side by side on it, then stretched out our arms to warm ourselves by the fire. I also gathered some branches to use as firewood and set them aside for later use.
Although I was still a little hungry, I had some hot water to drink and a fire to roast myself, which made me quite satisfied in the open wilderness.
"How long do you think we'll have to stay here before a passing car comes?" I smiled.
Fang Nan tilted her head and thought for a while, then she raised her head and said seriously, "I hope it never will."
"Huh?" I didn't react.
Fang Nan sighed softly, hugged my arm, rested her head on my shoulder, and said quietly, "That way we can be together forever."