Yu Xi had thought too simply about this trip.
The mountain climb did not go smoothly.
First, when they were halfway up, a sunshower started, making the ground slippery.
Then, Wu Zhiqi slipped and fell into a ditch by the mountain path.
Next, as Yi Chen reached out to pull her up, a tree branch scratched a long gash across his arm.
Finally, after much effort in climbing, everyone arrived at White Cloud Peak’s newest development project: the Glass Mountain Path.
The Glass Staircase was newly built and not yet open to the public. There were no footprints on it, no signs of use at all. It was constructed along the edge of a cliff, with the abyss thousands of feet below clearly visible, as if hanging in midair.
“This is our latest project, the Glass Mountain Path,” the White Cloud Peak scenic area staff introduced. “You’re the first visitors to step onto it!”
Yu Xi’s expression darkened, and his steps abruptly halted. He then forced himself to regain his composure.
The livestream viewers keenly caught the change in Yu Xi’s expression.
【Hahahahaha! Stop pretending! We saw it!】
【Our Teacher Yu Xi is the mos~t afraid~of~heights~】
【Afraid of heights is one thing, but he covers our mouths and won’t let us say it! Deletes comments as soon as they appear! Hey~ You can’t delete the barrage, you~can’t~de~lete~it~】
“Wow! So high and thrilling! Thank you, administrator, for letting us be the first to climb the Glass Mountain Path!” Wu Zhiqi’s eyes sparkled. “I’m going first!”
Fang Peng waved his hand. “I’m an old man; it’s too stimulating for me. I’ll take the regular hiking path. Have fun, guys. See you later.”
Wen Yimeng said nothing, hands in his pockets, looking disinterested in everything. He coolly and indifferently headed toward the Glass Mountain Path. Before leaving, he turned his head and glanced lightly at Yu Xi, where Yi Chen was whispering in his ear.
Wen Yimeng quickly withdrew his gaze and continued forward.
Yi Chen whispered in Yu Xi’s ear, “Why don’t we take the regular path together?”
He sincerely suggested it, with no intention of bickering or teasing.
Fear of heights was not something to joke about.
“What’s there to be afraid of? Just glass!”
Yu Xi strode forward righteously, stepping onto the Glass Staircase and climbing several steps in a row.
With the abyss thousands of feet deep and treetops swaying below, the terror of heights could not be controlled by willpower alone. No matter how he adjusted, Yu Xi felt his heart racing, his legs frozen as if glued to the steps.
Yu Xi: “…”
【Hahahahahaha!】
【Hard-controlled!】
【Sorry, I know it’s bad to laugh now, but I really love seeing Yu Yu suffer a setback!】
【New friends! Our Yu Yu is super afraid of heights! And he won’t let us say it! I’m gonna say it, gonna say it, gonna say it!!】
【Afraid of heights? Doesn’t look like it? He seems pretty calm!】
【Our Yu Yu! A natural actor!!】
【 Check out the VCR!】
Someone posted links in the comments: edited videos from a variety show Yu Xi had participated in before.
It was also a high-altitude glass bridge, but the difference was that the show had equipped each guest with a heart rate monitor.
Yu Xi walked across nonchalantly, his expression showing no abnormality, his steps relaxed. But his heart rate shot straight up!
“Hmm…” The expert invited by the show analyzed seriously at the time. “This young man appears calm on the surface, but he’s already scared to the point of nearly fainting! Impressive, a natural actor.”
After the segment, Yu Xi didn’t know the camera was still on and got recorded calling Guan Zifan.
“How how how how, how come no one told me there was a glass bridge segment!”
“My tongue was trembling!”
“Look! My legs! Guan Zifan, does your heart even beat? Did you see my legs shaking like afterimages?!!”
“One more second and I’d faint, you know? Do you know what kept me going? Not money! Face!!!”
“Teacher Yu Xi!” Wu Zhiqi noticed he had fallen behind and ran back toward him, shouting as she ran, “Don’t be scared! I’ll hold you!”
“No!” Yu Xi rejected decisively.
“That’s better than fainting and losing face!” Wu Zhiqi teased, poking at his lungs with a smile.
“…” Yu Xi. “It has nothing to do with fainting or not. We’d get rumored to have an affair, and it’d steal your screen time. Not good for you.”
Wu Zhiqi paused.
A breeze blew, scattering the clouds. A ray of sunlight fell right on her eyes, making them sting. She lowered her head slightly, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously lifted into a smile.
Yu Xi struggled to move his frozen legs when suddenly a tree branch appeared in front of him.
It was Yi Chen.
He had picked up a branch from somewhere and held it out to Yu Xi.
“Hold on to it,” Yi Chen said.
Yu Xi didn’t hesitate much and decisively chose the latter between being welded to the Glass Staircase or moving forward a bit. He reached out and grasped the other end of the branch. “I’m just giving you face.”
“Mm, I know. You don’t want to reject me and make me look bad. Not afraid of heights,” Yi Chen said.
The two held the same branch, one in front and one behind, walking on the Glass Staircase.
Yi Chen didn’t actually pull very hard, but that slight force transmitted through the branch always provided a sense of security. Amid the uncontrollable fear of heights in his heart, a thread of calm emerged.
For a moment, memory and reality overlapped.
On some past day, Yi Chen had done the same, using a branch to lead an extremely anxious him forward.
“If you’re afraid of heights, don’t push yourself,” Yi Chen said.
Yu Xi was stubborn. “When did I push myself? I’ve never been afraid!”
“Your legs aren’t shaking?”
“I’m just tired!”
Yi Chen didn’t respond, merely chuckling softly.
Yu Xi had been “blind” for a while once.
Not truly blind—his eyes had undergone minor surgery, and he couldn’t see light for half a month.
They weren’t together then; they fought whenever they met and bickered whenever they spoke.
During that time, Yi Chen hadn’t seen Yu Xi for several days, no news at all.
The unusual quiet in his ears made him irritable instead.
Until that day, outside the small courtyard at Yu Xi’s home, he saw Yu Xi squatting at the door, bandages over his eyes.
“Scram.”
From the breathing, Yu Xi knew it was Yi Chen standing before him.
Yi Chen didn’t scram. “What are you doing?”
“Gazing into the distance.”
“With your sightless eyes?”
Yu Xi: “…”
Yu Xi turned his head away, and footsteps sounded in his ear.
Yi Chen had left.
Yu Xi: “?”
Wasn’t it? This guy’s place was in a completely different direction. He detoured here just to roast him?
Yu Xi almost laughed in anger.
But the next second, something hard and cool touched his hand.
Yi Chen had found a branch.
“West Street Alley Restaurant, right? I’ll take you there.”
Yu Xi: “How did you know?”
“You’re hungry. They don’t deliver, and takeout isn’t as good. I know you’re picky. I’ll take you. The driver’s with my dad these days, no car. I’ll walk you there?”
Maybe he was hungry and dazed, but that day—and the days after—Yu Xi inexplicably grasped the other end of the branch.
The same evening, the same muggy yet humid air, the same people. Pulses and heartbeats transmitted and connected along that small branch.
Thump thump.
Thump thump.
The inexplicable heartbeat from back then seemed to overlap with the one now.
His breathing grew heavier, his heartbeat heavier. All the blood in his body seemed to fuel the heartbeat. Yu Xi felt his brain go foggy, his legs gradually losing strength—not from exhaustion from climbing, but as if all his strength had been suddenly drained.
He touched his back: sweat had soaked it entirely.
“Summer mountain climbing is really hot,” Yu Xi said, voice somewhat panting.
“Hot?”
“Of course hot. Sweating buckets.”
“?” Yi Chen turned his head.
Yu Xi didn’t look right. The corners of his eyes were red, his breathing rapid, fine beads of sweat on his nose tip.
Yi Chen paused and gently touched Yu Xi’s cheek.
So hot.
“Did you get heatstroke?” Yi Chen asked.
“No?” Yu Xi just felt tired. “Did you eat candy? Smells nice.”
“What candy?” Yi Chen frowned.
“Peppermint Pomelo.”
Yi Chen fell silent.
Realizing what he’d said, Yu Xi suddenly fell silent too.
Peppermint Pomelo was the scent of Yi Chen’s Pheromone.
Not long ago, Yi Chen had scratched his arm pulling Wu Zhiqi up from her fall.
A tiny amount of Pheromone would leak from the blood without harm, but he’d already treated the wound and sprayed Pheromone blocker. The scent was negligible, only detectable in extremely, extremely, extremely sensitive special periods.
“What’s really wrong with you?”
“Nothing. Let’s go.” Yu Xi realized it was probably another symptom from either Secondary Differentiation or Gland Inflammation.
Yi Chen didn’t move.
Yu Xi tugged the branch.
Yi Chen still didn’t move.
“Tch.”
Yu Xi signaled Yi Chen to turn off the mic clipped to his collar. Only then did Yi Chen continue upward.
“It might be Gland Inflammation or Secondary Differentiation,” Yu Xi panted roughly. “Uncertain, still observing. Probably acting up again. It’s fine. From experience, it’ll pass in ten-plus minutes.”
“Secondary Differentiation?” Yi Chen stopped again and looked at Yu Xi.
Yu Xi’s breathing was very heavy. A flush spread from his Gland upward to his cheeks and eye corners. Perhaps from discomfort, even his eyes were misty.
He lifted his eyes, looking up at Yi Chen, gaze wet and glistening.
The scene overlapped with memory once more.
The same misty eyes, wet and ruddy corners. Yu Xi swayed before him, offering his Gland to his lips, voice fragmented and trembling: “Yi Chen… Mark me…”
“Fuck!”
Yi Chen suddenly squatted down, covering his face and taking deep breaths, irritably rubbing his face hard.
Yu Xi: “?”
What nerve was he on now?
Moments later, Yi Chen suddenly pulled a hat from his bag and jammed it on Yu Xi’s head, then put a mask on him, covering his entire face. He turned his back and squatted. “I’ll carry you. Rest. Don’t let others see your face.”
Though he didn’t know what madness had seized Yi Chen.
But with the symptoms flaring, he really didn’t feel well. Yu Xi didn’t refuse.
Yu Xi lay on Yi Chen’s back, faint Peppermint Pomelo enveloping his nose. Very comforting.
“You’re too skinny,” Yi Chen commented.
“I work out. Slim in clothes, muscular without.”
“Mm, you only trained seriously for a few days when competing with me.”
“Who’s competing with you? I couldn’t lose to you? Absolutely impossible!”
The barrage had gone feral.
【Hehehehehe…】
【No way they have no past! I refuse to believe it!】
【Anyone remind them their mics are on?? I wanna know what they’re saying so bad!!】
【Mics off is prime shipping fuel! Blank space, blank space is bliss! Sisters, I can’t take it, they’re so happy, and I’m so happy!!!】
【Screenshots, every frame is so sweet! Wuwuwu!】
The uncomfortable symptoms didn’t last long. By the time they finished the Glass Staircase, they had mostly subsided. Feet on solid ground, Yu Xi was lively again.
White Cloud Peak’s summit had a food street. They strolled, ate, and by the time they reached the program team’s designated spot, night had fully fallen.
The program team had set up a barbecue tent for the guests. Fu Le was already there.
Fu Le behaved during the evening activity. Yu Xi’s four-hour IV drip package had cut his screen time in half; he didn’t want the second half gone too.
“I didn’t expect Teacher Yu Xi to be afraid of heights!” Wu Zhiqi laughed.
“Triggered the keyword. Careful, or little Yu will cover your mouth, delete, and block,” Fang Peng joked, having seen the comments.
“That won’t do. Teacher Yu Xi’s blacklist is no picnic.”
Amid the laughter, the day’s livestream drew to a close.
“Alright, time’s almost up,” the host timed it perfectly. “At the end of the livestream, after spending the day together, does anyone have words for the others?”
“Yes yes!” Wu Zhiqi laughed. “I was really happy today!! Off-camera, a little thing happened—not convenient to say. Just one sentence!”
Wu Zhiqi pointed at Yu Xi. “Family, verified: Teacher Yu Xi is super nice! You didn’t pick wrong!”
Fang Peng: “Today’s arrangements were great. Didn’t expect little Yu to seem scatterbrained, afraid of heights, yet the itinerary was steady. Nice experience.”
Wen Yimeng said, “Nothing to say. Pass the mic to the next one.”
Yi Chen added, “I got along great with everyone. Before joining the variety show, I was really worried about all the drama and fights, but thankfully, my concerns were unfounded. I hope tomorrow stays just as peaceful.”
The microphone was passed to Fu Le. He took it, lowered his head, and stayed silent. His shoulders trembled slightly.
The host prompted, “Lele, it’s your turn. Anything you’d like to say to everyone? Lele? Lele? What’s wrong?”
The host called out several times before Fu Le finally lifted his head. His eyes were red, brimming with tears. “Sorry… sorry…”
“Don’t cry, Lele. What’s the matter? Are you not feeling well? Did you eat something bad?” Wu Zhiqi leaned over and gently patted his back.
“No, it’s not that…” Fu Le sobbed. “I-I’m just a little unhappy…”
“I-I feel like Captain Yu Xi has been targeting me all along…”
