Lin Mo had absolutely no idea what Danzeng was planning.
After watching him walk away without explanation, she gave up trying to figure it out and simply raised her camera toward the magnificent Genie mountain range.
From where she stood, the view was flawless.
The towering snow peaks stretched across the horizon beneath an endless blue sky. The light was perfect, the scenery breathtaking. Every photograph she took looked as though it belonged on the cover of a travel magazine.
Click.
Click.
Click.
The shutter sounded repeatedly.
Completely absorbed in capturing the landscape, she didn’t notice the rhythmic sound approaching from behind.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Hoofbeats.
Lin Mo instinctively turned around.
The moment she did, her eyes widened.
It was Danzeng.
Mounted atop a tall horse, he looked completely different from the man she had spent the last few days with.
The wind tugged at his clothes.
His broad shoulders appeared even more imposing.
His posture was straight and commanding.
Against the backdrop of vast grasslands, sacred mountains, and endless sky, he looked less like a guesthouse owner and more like a warrior riding across the plateau.
For a brief moment, Lin Mo forgot to breathe.
“Come on.”
Danzeng extended his hand toward her.
Lin Mo tilted her head up and stared.
Then froze.
This situation was completely outside the scope of her life experience.
Her mind simply stopped working.
“What?”
A teasing smile appeared on Danzeng’s face.
“Don’t tell me you expect to sit on the horse while I walk beside it holding the reins?”
Lin Mo’s face instantly turned red.
“No!”
She immediately denied it.
Danzeng chuckled.
“You wanted to see the snow mountains up close, didn’t you?”
He pointed toward the distant peaks.
“I *finally managed to borrow a horse.”
Far away on the grassland, a tiny dark figure could be seen tending livestock.
Most likely the horse’s owner.
Lin Mo bit her lip.
Then asked quietly,
“Then… where am I supposed to sit?”
“In front of me.”
Danzeng answered naturally.
“I don’t know this horse very well.”
“If it has a bad temper, sitting behind me wouldn’t be safe.”
Lin Mo hesitated.
Then sighed inwardly.
If she kept overthinking everything, she’d only make things awkward.
This wasn’t some ancient romance novel.
And she certainly wasn’t a sheltered noble lady from centuries ago.
Slowly, she placed her hand into his.
The next second—
“Ah!”
A startled cry escaped her lips.
Before she could react, she felt herself lifted effortlessly into the air.
Everything happened so quickly that her mind couldn’t keep up.
Then she landed securely on the horse.
Directly in front of Danzeng.
Directly within his arms.
The sudden closeness caught both of them off guard.
A faint floral fragrance drifted from her hair.
Fresh.
Soft.
Unexpectedly intoxicating.
For a split second, Danzeng’s breathing faltered.
Almost immediately, he adjusted his posture and subtly leaned back, trying to create a little more distance between them.
Meanwhile, Lin Mo could clearly feel the solid warmth behind her.
The heat of his body.
The steady strength of his chest.
A masculine scent surrounded her.
Cedarwood.
Fresh grass.
Mountain air.
It reminded her of the wind sweeping through alpine forests after rain.
Her heartbeat instantly spiraled out of control.
“Hold on.”
Danzeng’s deep voice sounded beside her ear.
The vibration of his words seemed to brush against her skin.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
Then he flicked the riding crop.
Crack!
The horse let out a sharp neigh.
And surged forward.
Everything exploded into motion.
The grasslands rushed past.
The wind roared in her ears.
The world became a blur.
Lin Mo grabbed the saddle instinctively.
Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest.
For a moment, she felt like a tiny boat tossed into stormy waves.
Completely out of control.
She had ridden horses before.
But those rides had consisted of guides slowly leading tame horses in circles around tourist attractions.
Safe.
Predictable.
Boring.
This was completely different.
This felt alive.
The thrill was overwhelming.
Soon, her breathing became uneven.
Whenever she got nervous, the altitude affected her more strongly.
As if sensing her discomfort, Danzeng quietly wrapped one arm around her waist.
Steady.
Protective.
Unshakable.
“Don’t be afraid.”
He lowered his head slightly.
“Trust me.”
The gesture was undeniably intimate.
Yet strangely enough, it didn’t feel inappropriate.
Instead, it gave her a sense of security she couldn’t explain.
Gradually, Lin Mo relaxed.
The fear faded.
The tension melted away.
And little by little, she surrendered herself to the freedom of the grasslands.
The endless sky above.
The endless earth below.
The wind rushing past her face.
At that moment, nothing else mattered.
Not the past.
Not the future.
Only the world around them.
Eventually, Danzeng gently pulled on the reins.
The horse slowed.
Then stopped.
“Let’s get off here.”
He glanced toward the mountains.
“We can’t see the glacier from where we started.”
Then his eyes shifted back to her.
A teasing smile appeared once more.
“Next time, I’ll take you to the Lone Tree.”
“The place where I found you.”
The amusement in his gaze was impossible to miss.
Lin Mo’s cheeks immediately turned red.
Again.
Danzeng laughed.
He genuinely enjoyed teasing her.
Watching her blush was simply too entertaining.
With practiced ease, he jumped off the horse.
His boots landed lightly on the grass.
Then he turned around and offered his hand.
Like a proper gentleman.
Lin Mo accepted it.
A moment later, she stood beside him.
Danzeng pointed toward the tallest mountain.
“That’s Genie.”
“The leader of the Seven Sacred Mountains.”
“It’s also the mountain most visitors know.”
His palm turned upward.
Almost like he was introducing an old friend.
“That one is Xiaozhazhana.”
“That one is Huririzha.”
“And over there is Zhalong Gaji.”
One by one, he introduced each sacred peak.
His voice was calm.
Respectful.
Almost reverent.
As though these mountains were living beings he had known his entire life.
Lin Mo listened carefully.
Then curiosity got the better of her.
“Do these sacred mountains really protect you?”
Danzeng didn’t hesitate.
“Of course.”
His eyes shone with unwavering faith.
“Genie protects those who remain on this land.”
“And Mount Kameilong watches over those who leave home and wander far away.”
Lin Mo looked toward the majestic peaks.
Then tilted her head.
“What about travelers?”
“People like us.”
“The outsiders just passing through.”
A dreamy curiosity lingered in her eyes.
The mysterious land was slowly enchanting her.
Danzeng looked at her quietly.
This girl.
Out of countless people.
Out of an endless sea of strangers.
She was the one who had captured his attention from the very first moment.
And now she was standing beside him.
How fortunate was that?
A faint smile touched his lips.
Then his gaze became firm.
“They do.”
The answer came without the slightest hesitation.
“They protect travelers too.”
For some reason, the certainty in his voice made Lin Mo smile.
…
On the drive back, they passed a stream.
Its water shimmered in shades of emerald and sapphire beneath the sunlight.
Crystal clear.
Beautiful beyond words.
The moment Lin Mo saw it, she instinctively reached for her phone.
Before she could take a photo—
Screech.
The vehicle stopped.
Danzeng had already pulled over.
“You like it?”
“Of course.”
Lin Mo looked outside.
“It’s beautiful.”
The midday sun blazed overhead.
The inside of the vehicle had become surprisingly warm.
The difference between day and night temperatures on the plateau was astonishing.
“Then let’s stay here for a while.”
Without waiting for her answer, Danzeng was already getting out.
Lin Mo couldn’t help laughing.
This man really did whatever came to mind.
She found a shady spot beneath a tree and crouched beside the stream.
First she washed her hands.
Then, after a moment of hesitation, splashed cold water onto her face.
The icy touch was wonderfully refreshing.
Watching her obvious enjoyment, Danzeng suddenly asked,
“Want to camp here?”
Lin Mo blinked.
“You brought camping gear?”
“Of course.”
Danzeng opened the trunk.
Then began unloading equipment.
A canopy.
Tables.
Chairs.
A portable stove.
Cooking utensils.
Food supplies.
Drinking water.
A speaker.
And more.
Item after item appeared.
Lin Mo stared in disbelief.
It felt like watching a magician perform tricks.
“How much stuff can your trunk even hold?”
She laughed.
“It’s basically a treasure chest!”
Danzeng grinned.
“When you’re outdoors, it’s always better to be prepared.”
He carried a chair into the shade.
Then placed it beside her.
“You sit.”
“I’ll handle the canopy.”
“Do you need help?”
Lin Mo immediately asked.
She felt guilty watching him do all the work.
“No need.”
He waved dismissively.
“I’m used to doing it alone.”
“It won’t take long.”
Sure enough, within a short time, a proper campsite stood beside the stream.
Lin Mo settled comfortably into the chair.
Snow mountains towered above.
Crystal-clear water flowed at her feet.
The breeze drifted gently across the grass.
Everything felt so perfect that it seemed unreal.
“Hungry?”
Danzeng looked over.
“I’ll make something.”
Lin Mo’s face warmed slightly.
After horseback riding and walking around all morning, she was definitely hungry.
“A little.”
“Then I’ll find some ingredients.”
Danzeng grabbed a bag.
Then looked toward the forest behind them.
“I’ll come too.”
Lin Mo immediately stood up.
She was curious.
What ingredients could possibly be found beside the road?
“Stay close.”
Danzeng glanced back at her.
“The ground is slippery.”
“There are lots of branches.”
“And watch out for bugs.”
Naturally, he walked ahead.
Using his hands to push thorny branches aside.
Clearing the path for her.
Their pace was slow and careful.
A few minutes later, Danzeng suddenly crouched down.
“Porcini.”
He picked up a mushroom.
Lin Mo’s eyes lit up.
“So this is porcini?”
She leaned closer.
“I’ve never seen fresh ones before.”
Her excitement was genuine.
Growing up in the city, mushroom foraging was completely foreign to her.
“There are lots of wild mushrooms in Genie.”
Danzeng smiled.
“If you like them, we can come pick them often.”
Then his expression turned serious.
“But never eat wild mushrooms on your own.”
“It’s easy to get poisoned.”
His voice was gentle.
Yet earnest.
What he truly wanted to say was that he could always bring her here himself.
Anytime.
But the words felt too direct.
Too revealing.
So he swallowed them.
“This one is chanterelle.”
“And this one…”
He continued introducing different varieties effortlessly.
Meanwhile, Lin Mo gradually discovered a problem.
A very serious problem.
No matter how hard she searched…
She couldn’t find a single mushroom.
Not one.
At first she thought she simply wasn’t looking carefully enough.
But after several failed attempts, she began questioning her eyesight.
Am I blind?
Suddenly, Danzeng’s voice sounded ahead.
“Matsutake!”
“Come here.”
Lin Mo immediately hurried over.
“Where?”
She stared at the ground.
Then stared some more.
Five seconds passed.
Ten seconds.
Nothing.
She couldn’t see anything remotely resembling a mushroom.
At this point, she was genuinely beginning to suspect there was something wrong with her eyes.