Lin Mo’s face immediately darkened.
She quickly grabbed Cizhen and hurried ahead.
“Where exactly are we hiking to?” Lin Mo asked.
“Old Lenggu Monastery. Don’t worry, it’s really close. Less than four kilometers one way. You’ll definitely be fine,” Cizhen said, patting her shoulder reassuringly.
“There are actually two Lenggu Monasteries?” Lin Mo widened her eyes in surprise.
“Of course. They moved a few years ago. The new monastery is much more convenient now. I remember following my mom there for worship when I was little, and it was so far away.” Cizhen pouted as she recalled the exhausting trips from her childhood.
It was still early, and dew clung to the vegetation lining the path.
The trail began with a gentle uphill climb over uneven stones. The scenery was rather plain at first. Cizhen wanted to speed ahead, but Danzeng immediately pulled her back.
“Slow down. What’s the rush?” he said.
Cizhen turned around in confusion, then noticed Lin Mo behind them and instantly understood.
“Right, right. We should take it slow.”
Before long, the scenery became increasingly rich and vibrant.
Streams, wooden bridges, prayer flags, and mani stone piles appeared one after another.
The scent of pine needles mixed with damp earth drifted through the air. Wildflowers bloomed in scattered clusters along the roadside, and mushrooms could be seen almost everywhere.
Unable to resist, Lin Mo slowed her pace and raised her camera, capturing every beautiful scene.
“Lin Mo, take some pictures of me!”
Cizhen plucked a wildflower and tucked it behind her ear, flashing a playful peace sign.
The moment the photos were taken, she rushed over to snatch the camera and inspect them.
“Wow! You made me look so pretty! Want me to take some of you?”
“No thanks. I don’t like being photographed.”
“What a waste! You’re this beautiful and you don’t take pictures? If I looked like you, I’d become a model and make tons and tons of money!”
She gestured dramatically, making Lin Mo laugh helplessly.
“Lin Mo, could you take a photo of me and Danzeng?” Tashi Medo suddenly spoke.
“Ah… sure.”
“You can take it yourself.”
Danzeng rejected the idea without a second thought.
Tashi Medo frowned.
“We’ve taken photos together before. There are plenty hanging on both our family walls. My mom has been talking about you constantly since I came back. She keeps asking you to visit for dinner.”
There was a hint of coquettishness in her voice.
Lin Mo stood there holding the camera, feeling awkward and strangely disappointed.
They had grown up together. Childhood sweethearts.
No matter how she looked at it, they seemed perfectly matched.
Danzeng ignored Tashi Medo and instead glanced toward Lin Mo.
There was something unreadable in his expression.
Lin Mo quickly looked away.
After about half the journey, Lin Mo gradually became short of breath.
She stopped and leaned against a nearby pine tree, breathing lightly.
“Feeling uncomfortable?”
Danzeng immediately walked over, concern evident in his voice.
“I’m okay. Just a little out of breath.”
Lin Mo felt frustrated.
She had spent so much time acclimating, yet she was still this physically weak.
“Don’t push yourself. Sit down and rest for a bit.”
Danzeng moved a flat stone over for her to sit on and pulled out a bottle of glucose solution from his backpack.
“Drink this first. It’ll help.”
Cizhen also hurried back, looking worried.
“Lin Mo, are you alright? Should we head back?”
“No need. I’ll be fine after resting for a while.”
After drinking the glucose and taking a few sips of warm water, the tightness in her chest eased considerably.
Danzeng crouched beside her and gently touched her forehead with the back of his hand.
Only after confirming she didn’t have a fever did he finally relax.
“The altitude here is higher than at the guesthouse. Don’t force yourself. We’ll go slowly. If necessary, I’ll find a motorcycle to take you back.”
As he spoke, he opened an oxygen canister and handed it to her.
Not far away, Tashi Medo watched Danzeng’s meticulous care for Lin Mo, a complicated look flashing through her eyes.
After resting for more than ten minutes, they resumed their journey.
This time, Danzeng deliberately slowed his pace.
He remained beside Lin Mo the entire way, frequently asking how she felt.
Whenever they encountered difficult sections of trail, he would instinctively reach out and help her.
His palm was warm and strong.
Every touch brought Lin Mo an inexplicable sense of security.
Gradually, her body adapted, and she became fully immersed in the breathtaking scenery around them.
Around noon, they finally arrived near Old Lenggu Monastery.
Sunlight filtered through gaps in the pine branches above, casting mottled patterns across the ground.
Danzeng suggested having a picnic there.
Cizhen immediately cheered in agreement.
He opened his backpack and took out sandwiches, yogurt, beef jerky, fruits, and various snacks, soon covering an entire picnic blanket.
Tashi Medo then retrieved a small glass jar from her own bag.
Naturally, she walked over to Danzeng and handed it to him.
“Danzeng, I recently discovered this chili sauce. It’s amazing. You love spicy food more than anything, so you’ll definitely like it.”
Lin Mo had just picked up a piece of fruit.
The moment she heard those words, she froze.
Her eyes filled with surprise.
She clearly remembered their previous barbecue outing.
Back then, Danzeng had said he didn’t like spicy food.
Yet now Tashi Medo was saying he was practically addicted to it.
Subconsciously, Lin Mo looked toward him.
Danzeng paused briefly as he accepted the jar.
Then he nodded.
“Thank you.”
A strange ripple stirred within Lin Mo’s heart.
So he really did eat spicy food.
Last time, he had only been accommodating her.
For some reason, she suddenly felt guilty.
It seemed she didn’t actually know this man very well, the man who always treated her with such care and gentleness.
After lunch, they wandered through the monastery.
Founded in 1164, the ancient Gelug monastery stood weathered and worn.
The buildings were old and fading.
Dim butter lamps flickered softly.
Ancient murals, mottled by time, concealed centuries of history.
They seemed to whisper stories of a glorious past.
Now, however, the place was nearly deserted.
Forgotten deep within the mountains of Genie, washed aside by the tides of time, it carried an overwhelming sense of solitude.
Lin Mo felt as if she had stepped into a pocket of frozen time.
A deep sense of peace settled over her.
“Most of the monks moved to the new monastery,” Danzeng explained.
“Only two or three remain here to watch over it.”
“Don’t they get lonely?” Lin Mo asked.
“Lonely?”
Danzeng thought for a moment.
“They have purpose, responsibility, and faith. I don’t think they experience loneliness the way ordinary people do.”
Lin Mo nodded thoughtfully.
“I’ve always felt that loneliness is just part of life. But today I realized I’m still a worldly person after all. Unlike them, I don’t have such a powerful inner foundation. They live here, closest to the sky, guarding their faith and living simply.”
Her gaze drifted across the monastery.
“Maybe this is what truly transcendent people are like.”
Danzeng looked at her in surprise.
He studied her quietly.
Beneath her youthful and somewhat innocent appearance, this girl possessed remarkable insight and wisdom.
As the elderly monk’s calm chanting echoed through the monastery, Lin Mo found herself kneeling in sincere prayer.
The descent was far easier than the climb.
Mountain winds carrying the fragrance of grass and trees brushed past her ears.
Lin Mo tucked a strand of windblown hair behind her ear.
Suddenly, several grayish-brown figures darted across the rocks ahead.
“Deer!”
Her eyes lit up.
She quickly raised her camera and snapped photos.
A mocking laugh suddenly sounded beside her.
“Heh.”
Tashi Medo stood nearby with her arms crossed.
Her eyes were filled with undisguised contempt.