Chapter 528

By the way, who is this little girl to Brother Shiguang? She's been traveling with him for so long—doesn't her family trust her at all? If it were me, I'd have brought her home long ago; even if you're traveling, you can't stay away this long, and isn't she at an age to be in school?

That's right! Why isn't this little girl in school? Fine, it's almost New Year, but before this, she's been following Brother Shiguang everywhere—so why didn't they go home for New Year?

Brother Shiguang's going back for New Year, and you're going to livestream your travels and singing? Without Brother Shiguang, I'm done for—I can't live like this anymore.

Something's off! Something's off! Nothing adds up! There must be some hidden truth we don't know about! I'm so curious—what's their real relationship? Could she be his illegitimate daughter?

Whoa! Don't say stuff like that, guy upstairs! That kind of speculation is dangerous! Look, Brother Shiguang's gaze at the girl is clearly friendly, not romantic—so your theory is completely wrong.

It's strange—why did she cry while climbing?

Don't you guys have any empathy at all? This girl clearly cried from pure joy after pushing herself to the summit—that's the kind of emotion that makes you burst into tears!

Exactly! That's right! When I climbed last time, it was exactly like that—I climbed Mount Tai as a tourist, and halfway up, I couldn't take it anymore and burst into tears. In the end, my boyfriend carried me step by step all the way to the top—it took forever.

When I finally reached the summit, I just burst into tears—I've never felt so moved in my life. Looking out at the endless landscape, thinking how every inch was my own step, my own effort—I felt thrilled, moved, and utterly fulfilled, like every desire had been satisfied.

Now that you say it, it really does sound like that!

They stayed a little longer on the mountain.

Ning Chen looked at Zhang Xiao and said, "Shall we go, or stay a little longer here?"

This was Zhang Xiao's first time climbing a mountain, so this time, Ning Chen wanted to consult her opinion before deciding whether to leave or stay.

Zhang Xiao paused, then thought carefully.

Finally, she said, "I have one more thing I want to do!"

"What's that?" Ning Chen asked.

Zhang Xiao smiled, crouched down, gathered snow into a pile, and looked at Ning Chen. "I'm going to build a snowman here!"

"Huh?" Ning Chen was slightly surprised, then suddenly understood.

She, Zhang Xiao, really is still a child.

Though she's experienced much, and appears far more mature than her peers,

that pure heart has never changed.

"Will you help me build the snowman?" Zhang Xiao stared at Ning Chen with wide, clear, utterly sincere eyes.

Ning Chen nodded. "I'll help you build the snowman."

Saying that,

Ning Chen also bent down and began gathering snow together.

Soon,

through their combined efforts, the basic shape of a snowman took form.

Zhang Xiao exhaled a puff of cold air, then frowned. "Big brother, snowmen have noses, eyes, and mouths! But we don't have any props!"

Ning Chen thought for a moment. "The nose is easy."

Saying that,

Ning Chen picked up a small stone from the ground and stuck it right in the center of the snowman's face.

Just the right size—a black nose.

Zhang Xiao smiled happily upon seeing it.

Then,

Ning Chen took off two buttons from his coat and used them as the snowman's eyes.

"But how do we make the mouth?" Ning Chen murmured.

Zhang Xiao also looked troubled, then glanced at the red string on her wrist. "Big brother, can I use this?"

Ning Chen watched as Zhang Xiao removed the red string from her wrist and froze. "Are you sure you want to put this here? This is your New Year gift!"

"I can buy another one! But the snowman won't get a second chance!" Zhang Xiao laughed.

Ning Chen respected her choice and nodded. "Fine. We'll give the red string to the snowman. When we reach the city, I'll buy you another—one for you, and one for the snowman."

"We'll reach the next place soon."

376. That place is right at Mount Yulongxue!

"Okay!" Zhang Xiao nodded and placed the red string on the snowman's face.

After positioning it properly, she successfully gave the snowman a red lip.

"Hahaha! Perfect fit! On this icy mountain, it adds a splash of color—no longer just dull white and blue!" Zhang Xiao laughed loudly.

Ning Chen looked over—it really did look amusing.

Thus,

the snowman on the mountain was complete!

"Let's go, Big brother! I'm satisfied!" Zhang Xiao smiled.

Ning Chen nodded. "Then let's go down the mountain, and head to another one."

"Another mountain?" Zhang Xiao asked in surprise.

Ning Chen pointed to the side. "That's the real Mount Yulongxue—too high. We'll need to take an aerial cable car to get there."

"Cable car?!" Zhang Xiao was both shocked and delighted. "I've seen them! I used to watch them on TV—those things that carry two people, hanging from a single cable, moving back and forth, right?!"

Ning Chen nodded. "Exactly. After we go down, we'll take one. Once we reach the peak of the real Mount Yulongxue, we'll leave."

"Great! Awesome!" Zhang Xiao jumped up happily—her earlier sadness was completely gone.

After a while,

Ning Chen led Zhang Xiao down the mountain.

Going down is much easier than going up, but you must watch your speed and danger.

Soon,

thirty minutes passed.

Ning Chen led Zhang Xiao down the mountain.

Then he hurried back toward Mount Yulongxue.

Zhang Xiao looked up at the cable car stretching from the landing site to Mount Yulongxue, her eyes gleaming with Jin Guang—she seemed deeply fascinated by the cable car.

Finally.

After they waited in line for a while.

They finally boarded the aerial cable car.

Zhang Xiao had a slight fear of heights; climbing mountains didn't bother her much.

But when she was suddenly suspended high in the air, far from the ground,

she couldn't stop trembling.

At this moment,

Zhang Xiao clutched Ning Chen's arm tightly and peeked out with one tiny eye.

The sky outside was a deep blue, like an ocean in the heavens.

Zhang Xiao gazed curiously outward and spotted the mountain she had climbed before—even the snowman was visible.

Zhang Xiao excitedly pointed at the snowman and said to Ning Chen, "Look! It's the snowman we built!"

Ning Chen turned to look; the snowman stood alone on the mountain, unsure when it would melt.

"I hope it stays well," Ning Chen murmured suddenly.

Hearing this, Zhang Xiao froze, then quickly pressed her palms together and prayed: "I hope the snowman doesn't disappear, I hope the snowman doesn't disappear, I hope the snowman doesn't disappear."

Soon,

they passed over the snowman's position.

Then they continued ascending higher.

At this point, Zhang Xiao had grown somewhat accustomed to it and no longer needed to cling to Ning Chen's arm.

She turned her head back and forth, gazing out from the cable car.

Every time she gazed far into the distance, she seemed to spot something new.

Ning Chen sat quietly.

This check-in task should be easy to complete.

He pulled a camera from his pocket.

It was the instant camera from before.

Since the last check-in was completed,

he hadn't used it in a long time.