He never told her that he had specially asked a friend from another province to source the seafood for him, paying a hefty price to have it delivered.
Nor did he mention that, to keep everything fresh, he would wake before dawn, drive all the way to Litang to collect the shipment himself, then carefully transport the refrigerated containers back.
All he remembered was that she had grown up by the sea. Afraid she would miss the flavors of home, he did everything he could to bring a piece of it to her. As long as she could enjoy the food she loved, even in a distant land, it was worth it.
By July, Genie had entered its most beautiful season.
Grass and wildflowers grew wildly across the mountains, blooming in dazzling colors. Visitors began arriving in greater numbers, drawn by the breathtaking scenery.
One afternoon after a rainstorm, Lin Mo stepped into the courtyard and found Danzeng adjusting his drone beneath the sunlight.
The golden rays spilled over him and the entire yard seemed alive with energy. Her mood instantly brightened.
“I have an idea,” she said. “Why don’t we go into the mountains and get some aerial footage?”
Danzeng looked up at the excitement sparkling in her eyes.
After a moment’s hesitation, he nodded.
“Alright. I’ll take you to the Reti Valley.”
At the time, Lin Mo had no idea why he hesitated.
Nor could she have imagined that her spur-of-the-moment suggestion would nearly cost them their lives.
After packing a few essentials, they set off along the winding mountain roads.
The rainy season in western Sichuan was a place where beauty and danger existed side by side.
Danzeng remained unusually serious. As he carefully navigated the cratered road, his eyes never left the path ahead. Large rocks occasionally appeared at the roadside, evidence of recent landslides, causing his expression to tighten further.
About half an hour later, Reti Valley suddenly unfolded before them.
The scenery here was completely different from Zeba Village.
The peaks were sharper and more imposing, while the vast stretches of vegetation were a richer, darker green.
Towering mountains lined both sides of the valley. At the bottom stretched an emerald grassland, cut through by a narrow river that wound endlessly through the landscape like a glittering jade ribbon.
“It’s incredible…”
Lin Mo couldn’t help exclaiming as she lifted her camera and began shooting.
Meanwhile, Danzeng unpacked his drone and sent it smoothly into the sky.
Curious, Lin Mo leaned closer to watch.
“You’ve never flown one before?” Danzeng asked, amused by her eager expression.
“No.”
Her cheeks warmed with embarrassment.
“Come here. I’ll teach you.”
Before she could react, he reached over and gently took her hand, guiding her fingers on the controller.
Lin Mo nearly jumped.
His palm was scorching hot.
Unlike the hand-holding during the bonfire party, when they had been surrounded by people, this time they were completely alone.
The atmosphere instantly became intimate and dangerous.
Her mind immediately spiraled into chaos.
While Danzeng patiently demonstrated the controls, her attention wasn’t on the drone at all.
“There’s a wild hot spring down below. Want to check it out?”
Danzeng lowered his gaze to the tips of her reddened ears. For a brief moment, he almost gave in to the urge to pull her into his arms.
Instead, he packed away the drone.
“Okay.”
Lin Mo answered absentmindedly, still trying to regain her composure.
Danzeng drove onto a narrow, inconspicuous trail.
A few minutes later, he stopped the vehicle.
“We’re here. It’s not far. Let’s walk.”
He opened the door for her.
Unlike the wild hot springs near Xiazetong Village, this one was truly hidden from the world.
Wilder.
More beautiful.
And far more secluded.
“Want to soak for a bit?”
“I… I didn’t bring a swimsuit.”
Lin Mo’s face instantly turned red.
Danzeng stared at her for a second before laughing softly.
“What are you thinking about?”
“I meant soaking your feet.”
The teasing look in his eyes made her even more flustered.
Lin Mo shot him a glare and ignored him.
Walking to the spring, she sat down and removed her shoes and socks.
The hot spring was nestled deep within the forest.
Steam drifted through the air.
As soon as she dipped her feet into the warm water, a comfortable sigh escaped her lips.
Danzeng sat down beside her and began removing his own shoes.
For some reason, the sight felt dangerously inappropriate.
Lin Mo’s mind immediately supplied four words:
Definitely not suitable for children.
A man and a woman alone in the wilderness, soaking their feet together.
Anyone who saw them would think something was going on.
The thought amused her.
She smiled to herself and gently kicked at the water with her fair, delicate feet.
Only when she felt a burning gaze fixed on her did she stop.
Turning her head, she found Danzeng staring directly at her.
The smile vanished instantly.
“Is there something on my face?”
She touched her cheek awkwardly.
“You have a beautiful smile.”
Then he added,
“Actually, you’re beautiful even when you’re not smiling.”
The heat rushed across her cheeks and spread all the way to her ears.
“Is the water too hot?”
Seeing how embarrassed she was, Danzeng finally stopped teasing her.
“It’s perfect.”
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Then Danzeng gazed toward the distant mountains.
“When I was little, my grandfather used to bring me here.”
“Back then there weren’t any roads. He would ride a horse and carry me all the way here.”
His voice was complicated.
Though he was speaking about a happy childhood memory, there was unmistakable sorrow hidden beneath it.
“What happened afterward?”
The moment the question left her mouth, Lin Mo regretted it.
“My grandfather passed away.”
“I never came here again.”
His expression darkened completely.
“I’m sorry.”
Lin Mo suddenly didn’t know what to say.
“It’s alright.”
He gave a faint smile.
“That’s all in the past.”
Realizing he didn’t wish to continue the topic, she wisely remained silent.
The spring bubbled gently.
The world around them seemed vast and empty.
Sitting side by side, they watched the sun illuminate the distant grasslands until they shimmered like emeralds.
Neither said anything.
Yet both understood that something unspoken had already begun to grow between them.
“We should head back.”
Danzeng eventually broke the silence.
“The sun will be setting soon.”
The two returned to the vehicle and started the climb back up the steep mountain road.
Neither of them knew that disaster was already approaching.
July was the height of the rainy season in western Sichuan.
Mudslides and rockfalls were common.
The weather on the plateau changed without warning.
Moments earlier, the sky had been clear.
Now dark clouds swallowed the horizon.
Mist drifted through the mountains, reducing visibility by the second.
Danzeng gripped the steering wheel tightly and slowed the vehicle even further.
Then the rain arrived.
Without warning.
Massive droplets slammed against the windshield like hailstones.
It was as if the sky had split open.
Rainwater poured down in sheets, hammering the vehicle with deafening force.
Within seconds, the world beyond the windows disappeared behind a wall of water.
Then came something worse.
A thunderous roar erupted from the mountains above.
Rain-soaked mud surged downhill like a raging yellow dragon.
The mudslide swept rocks the size of bowls along with it, sending them crashing onto the road with terrifying force.
Danzeng’s face instantly darkened.
His fingers tightened around the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white.
His mind raced.
Behind them, the mudslide was spreading.
Ahead lay a narrow road barely wide enough for a single vehicle.
On one side was a cliff.
On the other stood a mountain slope that could collapse at any moment.
Yet he didn’t panic.
He slammed his foot onto the accelerator.
At the same time, he threw an arm around Lin Mo and pulled her tightly against his side, shielding her with his body.
“Bend down,” he ordered.
“Don’t look up.”
Lin Mo trembled violently from the sudden catastrophe.
Then—
BOOM!
A tremendous crash exploded above them.
The next instant, countless rocks and chunks of earth came tumbling down the mountainside straight toward the vehicle.
“Watch out!”
Danzeng’s pupils contracted sharply.
Almost on instinct, he yanked the steering wheel hard, turning the danger toward his own side of the vehicle.
At the same time, he wrapped his arm tightly around Lin Mo and forced her deeper into the seat, shielding her completely with his body.