Up on the mountain, inside the small wooden cabin, Jiang Zhu finished her breakfast and then carried the provisions Li Shan had brought over to one side, stacking them neatly.
Fu Shiwen watched her bustling about the room, as if she couldn’t bear to sit still for even a moment. He asked, “How long have you known Li Shan? Are you two close?”
Jiang Zhu: “Very close. He’s my only friend. We’ve known each other since we were kids.”
So they were childhood sweethearts, then.
This Li Shan was certainly a loyal friend—coming all the way up the mountain in such heavy snow just to bring Jiang Zhu supplies, and bringing several bags at that.
Fu Shiwen couldn’t help but suspect that Li Shan’s feelings for Jiang Zhu went beyond friendship. Perhaps he even liked her.
The way he’d looked at Jiang Zhu earlier was a bit off.
Especially when he’d seen Fu Shiwen inside the cabin—the shock in his eyes had been impossible to hide.
The only question was whether Jiang Zhu knew about his feelings.
Not that it mattered anyway. It had nothing to do with him.
He asked, “Since we’re staying on the mountain, how long does it take to hike up here?”
He’d fallen before even reaching the summit, so he didn’t know exactly how long the climb took. He only remembered that he’d been climbing for over an hour and still hadn’t made it to the top.
Jiang Zhu: “Going up takes over two hours. Coming down takes a little over one.”
That long, huh.
But Jiang Zhu had been making this trip up and down the mountain for years now—she must be used to it.
Fu Shiwen’s gaze landed on her, watching her slender, frail back as she worked. A pang of sympathy rose in his chest.
How had a young woman like her managed to live alone on this mountain for so many years? Didn’t she ever feel tired? Didn’t she ever get bored?
And what kind of story lay behind her?
Had she chosen this solitude, or was she forced to live here?
Fu Shiwen had many questions swirling in his mind. He was deeply curious about Jiang Zhu’s background, wanting to know what she’d been through to become so strong.
But he also knew this wasn’t the time to ask. Last time he’d asked her just one question—about her family—her mood had turned somber.
He’d wait for a better opportunity. Once he and Jiang Zhu were more familiar, once she was willing to open up to him, then he’d ask.
Fu Shiwen stopped disturbing Jiang Zhu while she worked and picked up the novel she’d bought, starting to read.
The novel wasn’t great, but it was something to pass the time—better than doing nothing at all.
Jiang Zhu tidied the cabin once more, wiping down the dusty surfaces and straightening up anything that was out of place. Noticing the firewood inside was almost gone, she went outside to bring in more.
Before the weather had turned cold, she’d chopped a good amount of firewood and stacked it beside the cabin—enough to last the entire winter.
If it ran short, she could always gather more on the mountain, though it would be a bit harder than when the weather was warm.
She carried the firewood inside, set it in the corner, and looked around at her neat and tidy home with satisfaction.
She sat back down by the fire to warm herself, then glanced over at Fu Shiwen and asked, “Is the novel any good?”
When she’d been at the bookstore, she hadn’t known which novel to buy, so she’d just grabbed the cheapest one.
She’d never read novels before and had no idea what made one good or bad.
Fu Shiwen pulled himself away from the book and said, “It’s decent. Good enough to pass the time. Just don’t overthink it while reading.”
“That’s good then. Go ahead and read.” Jiang Zhu said, then quietly warmed herself by the fire.
Fu Shiwen could only see her profile, and he noticed that her features were well-defined. She had a good bone structure and was a beauty—just too thin.
He couldn’t help but think that Jiang Zhu would definitely look lovely with a bit more flesh on her bones.
Her beauty was the natural kind, not built up with cosmetics, and it was soothing to look at.
Fu Shiwen stared and stared until he was completely entranced, his gaze fixed on her, unable to focus on his novel any longer.
The stove burned, releasing heat, and the air around them seemed to burn along with it, distorting the space.
Jiang Zhu exuded a faint, ethereal aura, as if she were cut off from the world—like a spirit of the mountains, not belonging to the mortal realm.
No wonder Fu Shiwen was spellbound. At this moment, Jiang Zhu was simply too captivating. She just sat there quietly, and she could hold all of his attention.
Jiang Zhu was staring blankly at the stove, unaware of Fu Shiwen’s gaze, lost in her own thoughts.
After some time, Jiang Zhu snapped back to reality and glanced at the time. It was time to make lunch.
She got up and headed toward the kitchen, but stopped at the doorway and turned to ask, “It’s… time to cook. What… would you like to eat?”
Fu Shiwen snapped out of his trance and realized he had been staring at her for so long—it was a bit impolite. Fortunately, she hadn’t noticed.
He cleared his throat twice to cover it up and said, “Anything is fine. I’m not picky. Whatever you make, I’ll eat. I’m easy to take care of.”
Hearing that last remark, Jiang Zhu let out a laugh and went into the kitchen.
For lunch today, they weren’t having cured meat—they were having fresh pork that Li Shan had brought over this morning.
She hadn’t had fresh pork in a long time and missed the taste.
With all the food Li Shan had delivered this morning, she and Fu Shiwen could get through the winter comfortably without having to ration their meals.
She busied herself in the kitchen preparing the meal, while outside, Fu Shiwen stared at the ceiling and let out a sigh.
He was wondering why he had just been staring at Jiang Zhu, lost in thought.
Was it because the scene just now was too beautiful?
Indeed, it was like a painting—she was the protagonist. How could anyone not be drawn into it?
Jiang Zhu was truly good-looking, with no makeup at all—pure and natural. Her eyes were jet black, her nose was delicate, and she had a small bead on her lip, which was adorable in itself.
Fu Shiwen realized he was analyzing Jiang Zhu’s appearance and couldn’t help but let out a helpless chuckle.
Maybe it was just too boring up on the mountain, making his mind wander like this.
He picked up the novel he hadn’t finished and tried to continue reading, but he found he couldn’t focus at all! Jiang Zhu’s face kept floating through his mind!
Jiang Zhu quickly finished making lunch and came out carrying two large bowls, handing one to Fu Shiwen and keeping one for herself. “Eat.”
Fu Shiwen wasn’t all that hungry yet, since he had been lying in bed without moving, burning little energy.
But seeing Jiang Zhu eat with such relish made his appetite pick up too, and he wolfed down his meal.
After finishing, he had to compliment her: “Delicious! Your cooking is amazing! I really love eating what you make!”
Jiang Zhu smiled shyly and asked, “Really?”
Fu Shiwen’s gaze was sincere as he gave a firm nod and said, “Really! Truer than pearls!”
Jiang Zhu’s smile grew even brighter, and she said, “I’ll… wash the dishes.”
She looked even more beautiful when she smiled, and Fu Shiwen found himself entranced once again.
Only after Jiang Zhu had gone into the kitchen did he snap back to himself, cursing himself inwardly—what was he doing, always staring at her like that for no reason?
Fu Shiwen, since when did you develop this habit of staring at people?