The two sat on a bench, Luo Xiao sipping water, Wen Ran nibbling on the candied hawthorn, while he watched him.
Luo Xiao had traveled far over the years, always alone, never thinking about being with anyone. To him, being with someone meant finding a true soulmate.
But soulmates were rare. Luo Xiao knew that from experience; as he matured, he realized how difficult it was to find one.
Another point: his family background was excellent, with loving parents and siblings, freedom to grow, friends who shared his interests, mentors who guided him, and the ability to pursue passions and climb toward goals. He had developed into a resilient, capable person.
For someone like him, love was never lacking. Even without it, he could live very well. Being alone didn’t matter.
Yet these past few days, especially today…
Luo Xiao withdrew his gaze from Wen Ran, his heart still stirred. He smiled inwardly—his life had been very fortunate, in the right place at the right time. He had come here just for a friend’s wedding, yet had met Wen Ran.
“Good?” he finally asked.
“Mm.” Wen Ran nodded. “Climbing is necessary—only on the way up do you get the candied hawthorn. Cable cars don’t have it; the summit doesn’t either.”
“Why get there so early?” Luo Xiao asked casually.
“Just to be there first and wait for you,” Wen Ran said, eating.
“I think seeing me waiting changes the feeling of reaching the summit, right? Modern life is great—cable cars, elevators, helicopters. You climb your way, I take mine, and we meet at the top to enjoy the view together.”
Luo Xiao’s expression softened: “What if there’s a part you can’t reach?”
Wen Ran shrugged: “Then I don’t. You just need to know someone who loves you is waiting.”
“Even at peaks ordinary people can’t reach, every photo, every thought, every breath—someone cares.”
“Knowing that while climbing changes everything.”
Luo Xiao kept watching him, his inner winds as strong as the mountain gusts.
Later that day, he posted on social media for the first time in a while: photos from the climb, the summit’s popular photo spots, and a side profile of Wen Ran enjoying the candied hawthorn, captioned:
“A feeling I’ve never had before.”
Likes and comments poured in:
[You’re really in C City? So early!]
[God, climbing Linglu Mountain—a little hill—really?]
[…]
One comment from Jia Xin: [What a feeling, son. Heard you’re settled in C City.]
Luo Xiao didn’t reply; he was walking down the mountain with Wen Ran.
They chose to descend on foot to see the sights Luo Xiao had passed on the way up. At the halfway temple, they stopped for vegetarian noodles.
Whenever the path was steep, Luo Xiao would go ahead, extend a hand to help Wen Ran down.
Wen Ran asked, teasing: “Do you always help others like this when climbing?”
“Which ‘others’?” Luo Xiao replied. “Usually only if their life’s in danger.”
“Oh?” Wen Ran pressed. “Have you saved many people?”
“In the past couple of years, more people are hiking. Many are poorly equipped or reckless. I come across someone needing help at least once a year.”
“Ever been in danger yourself?” Wen Ran asked, clearly concerned.
“I’m fine. You do what your abilities allow. Life’s your own. And you have family—you can’t make them worry.”
And so, they walked, talked, and finally reached the temple midway. Wen Ran, familiar with the place, paid, got a number, and queued for noodles.
“The noodles are really good here,” Wen Ran said. “People come to pray and eat.”
Luo Xiao asked, “Pray for what? What’s the most effective?”
“Love,” Wen Ran teased. “Just kidding. Nowadays, mostly money.”
“Why not pray for something else?”
Luo Xiao, having lived away from the city for the past two years, realized he didn’t quite understand ordinary urban life.
“Because it’s useless.”
Wen Ran analyzed: “Fortune, prosperity, longevity, happiness, wealth, luck.”
“Longevity? Come on, in modern times, no one really wants to live forever.”
“Fortune, prosperity, luck—too abstract. Money is more tangible.”
“People are stressed—mortgages, car loans—better to have cash in hand.”
“What do you pray for?”
Luo Xiao, tall and towering, lowered his head to look at Wen Ran.
“Don’t you know what I pray for?”
Wen Ran didn’t beat around the bush. “I pray for you.”
“I pray for ‘double happiness,’” he added with a playful smile.
Wen Ran reached up, tugging lightly at Luo Xiao’s shirt, eyes glinting. “Do you think it’ll work?”
Luo Xiao just smiled silently, placing a hand on Wen Ran’s back as they moved forward in line. Tall as they both were, they looked unmistakably like a couple to everyone else.
After noodles, they continued down the mountain. Wen Ran’s energy returned, stepping briskly: “Let’s go to the camping site—I’ve already made plans.”
Luo Xiao was surprised Wen Ran had arranged more activities.
Once down the mountain, Wen Ran took the passenger seat, Luo Xiao drove. They navigated an hour to the camping site.
In the car, Wen Ran looked down at his phone. “I booked a tent—we’ll sleep in it tonight.”
“There are also RVs there; I booked one. We can barbecue.”
“What kind of tent?”
“Just a regular one with sleeping bags,” Wen Ran replied, scrolling through the images.
Luo Xiao nodded. “Sleeping in a tent, huh? Not very comfortable.”
“For fun,” Wen Ran said brightly. “I’ve never done it—want to try.”
He continued, describing plans: build a fire, grill food, and enjoy the view. Some reviews even said they could see the sunrise.
“How long’s your leave? If you have work tomorrow, we can watch the sunrise and head back—won’t keep you from your repair shop.”
“No rush,” Luo Xiao said. “If we can’t return in time, I can take another day off.”
The camping site sat on a mountainside, a large area with RVs for barbecue and a tent area. After registering and getting the tent number, they went to their RV. Though shaped like vehicles, they were stationary structures with sofas, tables, fridges, and outdoor grills, all lit by string lights overhead. Families and couples were already barbecuing.
Initially, Wen Ran and Luo Xiao divided tasks—one skewered the food, the other stoked the fire. Soon, they were cooking together outside the RV, chatting casually.
Luo Xiao asked, “You’ve drawn so much—aren’t any for me?”
“I told you,” Wen Ran replied, sketching from his seat. “When I draw myself, clothed and nude, then I’ll give them to you.”
They also talked about camping habits. Luo Xiao admitted, “I don’t usually barbecue—but some bring pots to cook instant noodles. At high altitudes, water boils poorly, so food is half-cooked. It’s just something to eat.”
Under the string lights, Wen Ran’s focused, serene expression captivated Luo Xiao. He photographed him several times.
After eating, they moved to a viewpoint overlooking the city—a sloped platform with a railing. Night had fully fallen; a few people lingered to enjoy the view. Wen Ran and Luo Xiao sat close together.
Wen Ran took something from his pocket and gently placed it on Luo Xiao’s wrist—a titanium, sapphire-blue sport watch, a Huawei Extraordinary Master model, suited for outdoor use.
“Is it okay?” Wen Ran asked, modestly. “Not expensive. I thought it’d fit your outdoor lifestyle.”
Luo Xiao looked at the watch, then at Wen Ran. How could he not understand? This wasn’t just a gift—it was his heart, earnest and wholehearted.
“I like it,” he said, already warmed by the sincerity behind it.
He lifted the wrist with the watch, drew Wen Ran close, and looked at him in the dim light. “You gave me this—what do you want?”
“You know what I want,” Wen Ran said softly. “Will you give it?”
“I will,” Luo Xiao said without hesitation.
In the cool mountain wind, he kissed Wen Ran, murmuring, “All yours.”
Wen Ran’s eyes sparkled. “Really!?”
Before he could finish, Luo Xiao kissed him again, voice low and husky: “You’re too good at tempting me. How could I ever let you go?”