Spirit Case Files

Chapter 16

The girl quickly looked up: "No, it's not something embarrassing to talk about. Actually... he's my manager."

"Agent?" Yuan Peilin searched his mind for the meaning of the word. "Then you are...?"

"Gu Xiangning, please take good care of me." With that, the girl gave a very proper bow.

"...Gu Xiangning? That name sounds familiar..."

Seeing Yuan Pei Lin deep in thought, Gu Xiangning was somewhat surprised. Suddenly, she saw him make a hand-pounding motion.

"Ah! I remember now! It's that super popular idol!" Yuan Peilin looked closely at Gu Xiangning's face and nodded. "Indeed, you are very beautiful."

"...Thank you." Gu Xiangning lowered her head shyly, but it was the first time she had ever felt happy because someone had praised her like that.

"It's getting late, let me help you get a taxi home." After a long pause, Yuan Peilin offered this reasonable suggestion.

For some reason, Gu Xiangning's expression was hesitant, but she finally nodded. The two walked side by side along the road ahead, and it would be a while before they could find a taxi that was open 24 hours a day.

The dim streetlights cast long shadows on either side of the road, and a gust of cold wind seemed to invigorate the two men. Winter was approaching, and even the chirping of insects had ceased; only the soft sound of footsteps echoed on the pavement.

Soon or long after, an intersection appeared ahead, where many vehicles were parked. However, Gu Xiangning stopped at this moment, and Yuan Peilin looked at her with puzzlement.

"What's wrong?"

“I also think I’m being very willful, but…” Gu Xiangning suddenly raised her head, her eyes glistening with tears, “I really don’t want to go home right now!”

"Why?"

“That kind of home… staying in that kind of home…” The girl clutched her chest, a look of desolation on her face, “always felt suffocating.”

Yuan stood beside Lin Muran, unsure how to comfort the girl. It seemed that even celebrities, admired by millions, had ordinary troubles. No, perhaps not ordinary troubles; perhaps for the girl before him, they were unbearable pain.

"and you……"

"I want to go to Yunyang Mountain."

"Um?"

Gu Xiangning looked on with anticipation: "I want to stand on the top of Yunyang Mountain and watch the sunrise..."

It turned out she just wanted to see the sunrise; Yuan Peilin understood the girl's feelings somewhat.

"...Is that not okay?" Gu Xiangning lowered her head in disappointment. "I'm sorry for making such an unreasonable request. I'd better go home..."

Just as Gu Xiangning was about to leave, Yuan Peilin called her back.

"If you go hiking now, you should be able to catch the sunrise."

The wounded girl finally broke into a radiant smile.

The taxi ride took about an hour to reach the foot of Yunyang Mountain. I got out under the driver's suspicious gaze, probably because this was the first time he'd seen a passenger hiking so late at night. Since it was very dark, there was no need to worry about Gu Xiangning's celebrity status being exposed.

Yunyang Mountain is a scenic spot on the outskirts of the city, and its summit is the highest point in the area. It's already evening, and the cable car has long been out of service, so you can only climb up the winding steps. Fortunately, there are railings along the steps, and there are lights at intervals, so there's no need to worry about slipping and falling.

Climbing steep mountains may seem simple—just lifting one foot after another—but it's actually an extremely physically demanding activity. Moreover, the paths here often twist and turn in unexpected directions, further increasing the difficulty of the climb.

---janeadam

Reply [37]: But to Yuan Peilin’s surprise, the delicate girl beside him, a popular idol star, had been enduring it all along. Fine beads of sweat could be seen on her forehead, and her breathing had become heavier, so Yuan Peilin slowed down.

"Why don't you take a rest?" Yuan Peilin was a little worried about whether the girl's body could hold on.

Gu Xiangning smiled and shook her head: "It's okay, I'm fine."

Have you been here before?

"...I came here when I was a child, but since I entered the entertainment industry..." Gu Xiangning didn't continue, and her eyes dimmed again.

"I see..." In fact, Yuan Peilin also roughly understood that idol stars don't have much time to themselves.

After that, neither of them spoke again, silently climbing the countless steps. Hara would also help the girl, who seemed to be struggling more and more, whenever possible.

And so, the last step finally became a thing of the past. Standing atop the mountain, a strange sense of accomplishment welled up within them.

As expected of the city's highest point, the wind picked up and became quite strong, even a bit chilly. The darkness in the distance resembled a thick, impenetrable wall—perhaps a harbinger of dawn.

"You haven't rested all night, are you feeling very tired?" Yuan Peilin asked in a low voice.

"Although I'm tired, I'm really happy. I haven't felt this way in a long time..." Gu Xiangning was still quite excited, but then suddenly became embarrassed. "I'm sorry for making you do such an excessive thing with me."

"...Actually, I came out because I couldn't sleep. It's nice to get some exercise."

Upon hearing this, Gu Xiangning became happy again: "I really want to know your name..."

"Yuan Peilin".

The boy answered her readily. The girl then murmured the answer several times, as if afraid she might accidentally forget it.

“Actually, I should really thank my agent now,” Gu Xiangning suddenly said.

"Why?"

“If he hadn’t tried to do that to me, I wouldn’t have met you.”

What an innocent girl! Yuan Peilin couldn't help but laugh. "It's best to avoid that kind of thing again."

“...It’s okay!” the girl replied firmly.

Yuan Peilin, of course, had no idea what was going on and could only look at her in confusion.