Chapter 595
It's a pity it didn't snow.
That night, Han Zhou had another dream, and it was a truly bizarre one.
It was a rainy day.
The rain was so thick it seemed to crush the entire world; large raindrops pounded on our heads, shoulders, and the ground, making a continuous, muffled sound.
The phone clearly showed 3 PM, but the sky was already almost indistinguishable from evening.
The dirt road beneath our feet was soaked through by the rain, with weeds lying haphazardly and mud churning everywhere. Every step required a struggle to pull our legs out of the mud, and the soles of our shoes were covered in sticky black mud.
In this awful weather, he stumbled and staggered to an extremely remote place.
That was probably an abandoned highway.
The rain was getting heavier and heavier, and the sky was getting darker and darker. He couldn't see anything until there was a sudden explosion in the sky and a bolt of lightning ripped across the horizon.
In that brief moment of light, he saw a figure with disheveled hair and wearing a red dress standing across the road.
Horror movie?
The thought had barely crossed his mind when, a blinding light flashed past Han Zhou's left, making it almost impossible for him to open his eyes.
The lights shone directly at him, like a mad beast.
The air seemed to freeze, and it wasn't until he heard the screeching sound of brakes that he finally realized he was seeing headlights—it was an out-of-control truck.
"careful!"
A scream and the screeching of tires rang out simultaneously from somewhere, but the distance between them was less than three meters, and there was obviously no time to dodge.
Bang!
The wind howled, the rain slanted, and a huge crash resounded.
Han Zhou was like a kite with a broken string; he flew a great distance in an instant and crashed heavily into a boulder by the roadside. His bones were broken, his body was covered in blood and flesh, and he lay motionless, losing his breath in an instant.
But he didn't actually die, nor did he feel any pain, which is why he realized he was dreaming.
His body was covered in crimson blood mixed with rainwater.
The truck slid a considerable distance before finally coming to a stop. The door opened, and a blurry-faced figure slowly got out.
The man didn't run away immediately, nor did he panic. He simply stared quietly through the rain at the mangled corpse, whether he was terrified or admiring his "masterpiece," it was hard to tell.
The bright red blood spread with the rain, the air grew increasingly oppressive, and the torrential rain raged, leaving only a cold corpse on the remote, abandoned highway.
However, the next second, something unexpected happened.
The corpse on the boulder slowly opened its eyes, its wounds healing at a visible speed, and even its broken bones reconnecting.
In just a few seconds, Han Zhou was completely unharmed. If it weren't for the blood still covering his clothes, probably no one would know that he had been in a car accident.
What's going on? I've become Superman?
When he came to his senses, he realized that the truck, the blurry figure, and the woman in the red dress had all disappeared.
And that's when he woke up.
"What kind of crazy dream is this..."
Han Zhou lay in bed for a while before rubbing his face and getting up. They say that what you think about during the day, you dream about at night. Could it be because he was too guilty when he discovered that the guzheng had become intuitive yesterday, and subconsciously worried that the guzheng would drive a truck and kill him, that he had such a bizarre dream?
But what about those who die and come back to life?
Could it be that deep down, even I think I'm an utterly wicked scumbag who's not satisfied with being hit and killed once, so I should come back to life and be hit and killed a few more times?
The Prometheus of scumbags?
Han Zhou put on his clothes while lost in thought, turned off the electric heater by the bed, and left the room.
It was still dark outside the window, but the main room and kitchen were already bathed in warm yellow light.
Elderly people in the countryside have a habit of getting up early. Han Zhou thought it was Grandpa Wang making breakfast, so he went into the kitchen to help, but he saw Zhong Ling's figure.
The orange flames flickered on the stove, reflecting the girl's focused profile. She held a spatula in her hand, occasionally lifting the wooden pot lid, causing steam to rise suddenly, only to be quickly swallowed up by the cold indoor air.
Good morning, senior.
Although it was unexpected, Han Zhou still greeted him. However, perhaps because he was too focused, Zhong Ling seemed startled when she heard his voice, and almost dropped the pot lid in her hand.
She hurriedly grabbed the pot lid before turning to look at the pot. Perhaps to make cooking easier, she wasn't wearing a coat, only a thick, off-white sweater. The soft fabric accentuated her full figure and made her skin appear even whiter.
What's amusing is that her fair face has several gray streaks, and her nose and chin are also covered in charcoal ash, but instead of looking disheveled, she has a kind of clumsy cuteness.
Clearly, as a city dweller accustomed to natural gas, this senior student was not good at cooking over a fire; it took her quite a bit of effort just to get the fire going.
Upon seeing Han Zhou, Zhong Ling seemed to pause for a moment, then curved her lips into a gentle smile.
Good morning, junior.
Are you cooking?
"It's just reheating yesterday's leftovers..."
She lowered her head somewhat embarrassedly, "I'm not very good at using this stove..."
"It's already amazing that you were able to light the fire on your first try. Let me help you."
Han Zhou smiled, walked to the stove, and stuffed some dry firewood into the firebox. The dry firewood crackled and popped as it burned, and waves of warmth enveloped him, bringing some feeling back to his stiff fingers.
My fingers got so cold after just a short time out of bed. At this rate, it'll probably snow in a few days...
He rubbed his hands together, his gaze falling on Zhong Ling's cat-like face, finding her even more adorable. Out of a slightly mischievous impulse, he didn't immediately remind her to wipe away the dust, but instead asked curiously, "Senior, why did you get up so early today?"
"I didn't sleep well, and I couldn't fall back asleep after waking up."
Zhong Ling answered softly, also with some curiosity, "And you?"
"I didn't sleep well either."
Han Zhou shrugged and didn't tell her about the strange dream. After all, with a rainstorm and a car accident involved, he was afraid it would frighten the senior who already had psychological trauma.
"Oh right, senior, I haven't thanked you yet."
As if suddenly remembering something, he said, "Thanks to you yesterday, I had the opportunity to check Senior Wang Lengqiu's suitcase."
Zhong Ling was slightly taken aback, then lowered her head somewhat awkwardly: "But I didn't do anything..."
She only got the password because of the guzheng, and she hadn't been able to buy time for her junior as promised, so she felt she hadn't helped at all. "Look at what you're saying."
Han Zhou knew she would say that, so he had already prepared his words, "I heard from Gu Zheng that if it weren't for you being there, senior, she wouldn't have given up the password."
"Huh?"
Zhong Ling looked up, puzzled, her oval face filled with confusion. "Because I was there...why?"
Han Zhou's expression was solemn. He first looked around to make sure no one was around before beckoning her to come closer.
Zhong Ling hesitated for a moment, her face flushed, and cautiously leaned her head closer.
"Of course it's because you're so innocent and adorable, senior."
Han Zhou lowered his voice and said seriously, "Whenever people see you, they can't help but let their guard down and feel the urge to share."
Zhong Ling was taken aback at first, then her cheeks quickly flushed red, and she said weakly, "Junior...please don't make fun of me..."
“I’m telling the truth.”
Han Zhou smiled and said, "I'll definitely share more interesting things with you in the future. In exchange, can you share more of your things with me too?"
In order to help this senior student resolve her inner conflict, he needed to gain a deeper understanding of her.
Zhong Ling instinctively reached for the small cloth bag at her waist, but realized halfway there that she didn't have a backpack. She could only awkwardly tug at the hem of her clothes, her voice growing softer and softer: "But what I'm going to share might be boring, you know, I don't usually go out much..."
Han Zhou shook his head and said seriously, "Even the most boring things become interesting when they come out of your mouth, senior."
"Okay, alright..."
Seeing the girl's face turn red instantly, Han Zhou chuckled, but also felt a strange sense of melancholy.
When exactly did I start to become so glib and slick?
Although I hate to admit it, he seems to be getting more and more adept at saying these things, and he really is becoming more and more like a scumbag...
It's no wonder that Sister Yin is so averse to boys getting close to her. With her tendency to blush easily and her lack of guard, if she were to be lured away by some blond-haired guy with a few sweet words, he would definitely pull out a wrench.
The two were busy in the kitchen for a while when they heard noises coming from the main room. Han Zhou seemed to suddenly remember something and reminded her, "By the way, senior, you have charcoal ash on your face. You should wipe it off before you go out."
Without waiting for Zhong Ling's stunned expression, he hurriedly ran out of the kitchen.
The crisp morning air rushed towards me, and I could faintly hear the sound of soft footsteps behind me.
……
They ate lunch early, checked the weather forecast again, and confirmed that it wouldn't rain for the next few days before starting preparations for the hike.
Han Zhou estimated yesterday that the mountains here are not very high, and with the mountain trails, it would only take two or three hours to reach the summit. However, considering that it gets dark very quickly now and the temperature will drop sharply at night, it would be safer to set off at noon.
"It might get colder tonight, so it's best to bring an extra jacket."
After getting ready, he slung his huge backpack over his shoulder and went to the door of the three girls' room, where he knocked.
The door wasn't closed; it opened automatically with a gentle knock. Han Zhou's heart skipped a beat as he saw the three of them picking out clothes from their suitcases, but he didn't show it on his face.
Fortunately, none of the three seemed to notice anything amiss. He stood in the courtyard for a while and then saw the three of them come out, each carrying a bag.
After greeting Grandpa Wang, the four of them headed towards the mountain path together. Along the way, Han Zhou would occasionally emphasize some precautions for climbing the mountain, appearing quite experienced. However, Gu Zheng was in high spirits at the moment and assumed that he had prepared a plan in advance, so she didn't think much of it.
The entrance to the mountain path is at the end of the town, with bamboo groves lining both sides. Although it is early winter, the bamboo in the mountains still stands stubbornly, but most of the originally green bamboo leaves have turned yellow and hang sparsely on the branches. When the wind blows, they fall down and cover the ground with a thin layer.
It was noon, and the fine bamboo leaves on the ground were still wet, making a slight rustling sound when stepped on.
The air was as crisp as mineral water straight from the freezer. Taking a breath, the coolness seeped into your lungs through your nasal cavity, making you involuntarily shrink your neck and then exhale deeply.
As the altitude gradually increases, the field of vision gradually opens up.
Near the halfway point of the mountain, there is a natural viewing platform. From here, you can look down and see the entire town in one go – the houses and tiled roofs are scattered in a staggered pattern, and wisps of smoke rise from the chimneys of each household, twisting into lazy thin lines in the midday sun. From a distance, it has a bit of the artistic conception of an ink painting.
Further up, broad-leaved forests replaced bamboo groves, and sunlight began to filter through the branches, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
Occasionally, a few tits would fly overhead, the subtle sound of their wings beating through the air sounding exceptionally clear in the silent forest. Every now and then, a squirrel or two would emerge from the pile of dead leaves, clutching nuts and warily eyeing the uninvited guests. Once they were sure there was no threat, they would quickly dart back into their tree holes.
Gu Zheng had excellent stamina and hardly stopped along the way, while Wang Lengqiu seemed much more leisurely, stopping from time to time to look up at the sky, which was fragmented by the leaves, with the light reflected in her eyes.
Zhong Ling smiled faintly, and kept taking pictures with her phone the whole way. It was obvious that she was taking pictures for Sister Yin to see.
Perhaps at her sister's request, she took a few selfies, her little face flushed, which perfectly framed Han Zhou behind her.
Han Zhou walked at the back, his gaze sweeping across the undulating mountain ridge in the distance before returning to the backs of the girls ahead.
The mountain breeze blew through the gaps in the forest, carrying the scent of grass, trees, and earth. He subconsciously tightened the collar of his coat, a relaxed smile appearing on his face.
It seems there is a difference between non-snow-capped mountains in winter and snow-capped mountains in autumn; this trip was definitely worthwhile.
Finally, around 2 p.m., they embarked on the last steep stretch of mountain path.
After climbing for more than ten minutes using both hands and feet, the view suddenly opened up before me—
They reached the summit.
The surrounding area is a gentle alpine meadow, with withered grass undulating in the wind like a golden ocean.
Looking into the distance, the mountains stretch like waves, endlessly extending to the horizon. The sky is so blue it's almost transparent, with a few wisps of white clouds hanging low, seemingly within reach.
"What a nice view……"
Gu Zheng couldn't help but let out a soft cry. The mountain wind howled past, lifting the strands of hair by her ears, and her eyes reflected the vast sky and clouds.
A moment later, she raised her hand to smooth the stray hairs on her forehead, as if she had suddenly thought of something. Her gaze inadvertently swept over Han Zhou behind her, then quickly looked away.
Immediately afterwards, she took out her phone from her pocket, took off her gloves, tapped the screen a few times to bring up the camera, took a picture of the scene in front of her, and then sent it to Mo Yixia via Fetion.
At this time, Mo Yixia, a high school student, should clearly be in class and shouldn't have a cell phone, yet she quickly replied to a message.
"It's beautiful, it's a pity it didn't snow." (End of Chapter)