“Let me treat you to dinner.”
Lin Mo’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.
“We have to find a proper yak hotpot restaurant.”
For the first time in months, her appetite had been completely awakened.
The moment Cizhen heard that, her eyes widened dramatically.
“You’re the guest!”
She looked genuinely offended.
“How can I let you pay?”
“Alright, alright.”
Lin Mo immediately raised both hands in surrender.
“You win.”
Then she smiled helplessly.
“Now hurry up and recommend somewhere. I’m starving.”
Only then did Cizhen finally look satisfied.
…
After dropping off their luggage, the two girls headed to one of Cizhen’s favorite local restaurants.
The rich aroma of yak meat filled the air the moment they stepped inside.
Soon, steaming hotpot broth arrived at their table.
Fresh slices of yak meat followed.
Then vegetables.
Then mushrooms.
Then more meat.
And suddenly, conversation became completely unnecessary.
Both girls were starving.
The moment the food arrived, all their attention shifted to eating.
For several minutes, neither spoke more than a few words.
The only sounds were laughter, chopsticks, and the bubbling of hotpot broth.
At some point during the meal, Lin Mo quietly excused herself.
“Restroom.”
She disappeared before Cizhen could react.
Several minutes later, she returned looking perfectly innocent.
Unfortunately, Cizhen discovered the truth almost immediately.
The bill had already been paid.
By Lin Mo.
“You…!”
Cizhen pointed at her in disbelief.
“How did you even manage that?”
Lin Mo smiled sheepishly.
No matter how kind someone was, she could never comfortably accept endless generosity without giving something back.
Besides, she already felt indebted enough after receiving so much help.
Seeing her expression, Cizhen could only sigh dramatically.
In the end, she chose to pretend she was angry.
The argument lasted less than thirty seconds.
Then both girls burst out laughing.
…
As evening approached, the reality of parting ways finally settled between them.
Cizhen made one last attempt.
“Why don’t you stay at my house?”
Her eyes shone with hope.
“We have plenty of rooms.”
Then she added eagerly,
“You can even sleep with me if you want.”
Lin Mo laughed.
“No way.”
“I already paid for the hotel.”
“It would be such a waste not to stay there.”
“What about afterward?”
Cizhen refused to give up.
“How are you planning the rest of your trip?”
Then her face brightened.
“Or I could travel with you for a few days!”
Lin Mo smiled.
“I haven’t decided yet.”
“When I figure it out, I’ll let you know.”
Then she lightly nudged Cizhen’s shoulder.
“Now hurry home.”
“Your parents must miss you.”
Cizhen finally surrendered.
At least on the surface.
As she looked at Lin Mo, she couldn’t help feeling that fate was an incredibly strange thing.
Lin Mo was reserved.
Cautious.
Slow to trust people.
In twenty-one years, she had made very few truly close friends.
Yet somehow, after only two days, she’d become surprisingly close to a Tibetan girl who had been a complete stranger.
Maybe friendship wasn’t measured by time.
Maybe some people simply appeared in your life because they were meant to.
…
That same night.
Far away in Chengdu.
Danzeng returned to his luxury apartment.
The property overlooked much of the city skyline.
Every corner of it had been paid for with years of hard work.
As usual, he headed directly toward the liquor cabinet.
A few minutes later, a freshly mixed drink rested in his hand.
The cool fragrance of alcohol mingled with the darkness beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Slowly, the exhaustion of the day began to fade.
Feeling unusually restless, he picked up his phone.
Social media was something he rarely checked.
Most days, he ignored it entirely.
Tonight, however, boredom got the better of him.
He opened Moments.
Scrolled once.
Twice.
Then stopped.
His eyes froze.
A photo filled the screen.
Two smiling girls stood side by side beneath bright sunlight.
One of them was Cizhen.
The other…
Danzeng sat up straighter.
Without thinking, he pressed the call button.
…
The phone connected almost instantly.
“You made it back to Kangding?”
“Yeah.”
Cizhen sounded sleepy.
“It’s late.”
“What do you want?”
She was already preparing to turn off her phone and go to bed.
For a moment, Danzeng hesitated.
Then he forced himself to ask.
“That friend in your photo…”
The words felt strangely awkward.
“Is she your friend?”
The instant the question left his mouth, regret followed.
The question sounded suspicious.
Very suspicious.
And unfortunately for him…
The person on the other end of the call was Cizhen.
The moment she heard it, her eyes snapped open.
“Oh ho!”
She practically sat upright in bed.
The gossip-loving part of her instantly burst into flames.
“The thousand-year-old iron tree is finally blooming!”
“What?”
“Did you fall for my friend?”
Danzeng nearly choked.
“Don’t talk nonsense.”
His voice immediately became serious.
Far too serious.
“I was just asking.”
Then he quickly added the worst excuse imaginable.
“The girl looked unfamiliar.”
“I was worried you got scammed.”
Silence.
Then came Cizhen’s long, exaggerated sigh.
“Really?”
Her voice dripped with amusement.
“Please continue.”
Inside her mind, she was already laughing hysterically.
Over the years, she’d posted countless photos with friends.
Had Danzeng ever cared?
Not once.
In fact, she’d sometimes wondered whether he even used social media.
And now suddenly—
One photo.
One girl.
One phone call.
The evidence couldn’t have been more obvious.
Still, exposing him immediately would ruin all the fun.
So she let him keep digging.
Meanwhile, Danzeng remained completely unaware of his situation.
Convinced he’d hidden his intentions perfectly, he ended the call shortly afterward.
Then he stared quietly into his glass.
The amber liquid reflected the city lights.
Slowly, a thought formed in his mind.
Perhaps…
It was time to return to Kangding earlier than planned.
…
The next morning.
Long before sunrise, Lin Mo was already awake.
After packing her belongings, she headed downstairs and approached the hotel receptionist.
“Excuse me.”
“What’s the best way to get to Genie?”
The receptionist immediately looked surprised.
Back in 2023, Genie was still relatively unknown.
Very few tourists visited.
After thinking for a moment, she smiled apologetically.
“Your best option is Litang.”
“Take a bus there first.”
“Once you arrive, ask local drivers whether anyone is organizing shared transportation.”
Lin Mo thanked her politely.
Then she sent Cizhen a farewell message.
Part of her couldn’t wait to reach Genie.
Another part didn’t want to keep imposing on her new friend’s kindness.
After shouldering her backpack, she headed straight for the bus station.
Youth was wonderful.
Sometimes it made people fearless.
Sometimes it made them reckless.
Most of the time, it made them both.
…
The journey from Kangding to Litang lasted seven hours.
Seven very long hours.
The highway twisted through Yajiang and crossed the legendary Eighteen Bends of Heaven Road.
Mountains rose endlessly around them.
At first, Lin Mo was fascinated.
Every glance out the window revealed another breathtaking view.
Snow-covered peaks.
Rolling grasslands.
Endless blue skies.
The world felt impossibly vast.
Unfortunately, wonder had limits.
Motion sickness did not.
As the bus climbed higher and higher, endless switchbacks began taking their toll.
The vehicle swayed constantly.
The air grew thinner.
A headache slowly formed behind her eyes.
Before long, even breathing felt difficult.
The beautiful scenery outside gradually blurred together.
Green.
Blue.
White.
Everything merged into a dizzying river of color.
Leaning against the window, Lin Mo closed her eyes.
She assumed she was simply carsick.
After all, she knew very little about altitude sickness.
Every now and then, she forced herself to look outside.
The plateau sky felt astonishingly close.
Clouds drifted low across the mountains.
Sometimes they floated behind grazing yaks and sheep.
Other times, they seemed so close she could almost reach out and touch them.
Yet no matter how beautiful the landscape was, one thought dominated her mind.
Please arrive already.
…
Finally.
After what felt like an eternity, the driver called out:
“We’re here!”
Lin Mo opened her eyes.
And immediately forgot half her discomfort.
Litang appeared before her.
Bright.
Colorful.
Alive.
The distant Wuliang River shimmered beneath sunlight.
Excitement instantly surged through her chest.
Using the seat for support, she carefully stood.
The moment she stepped off the bus, a cool breeze greeted her.
She inhaled deeply.
The dizziness eased slightly.
Though her face remained pale, excitement quickly overwhelmed exhaustion.
Litang.
The City in the Sky.
At over four thousand meters above sea level, it was one of the highest towns in the world.
Dragging her suitcase through the streets, Lin Mo felt as though a heavy stone rested on her chest.
Every breath required effort.
Yet she couldn’t stop looking around.
Back in high school, she’d become obsessed with the poetry and legends of Tsangyang Gyatso.
Again and again, Litang had appeared in stories connected to him.
For years, she’d dreamed of visiting.
Now she was finally here.
Traditional Tibetan buildings lined both sides of the streets.
Prayer flags fluttered overhead.
Monasteries stood proudly against the skyline.
The sunlight seemed impossibly pure, bathing everything in crystal-clear brilliance.
After hours of endless grasslands, the vivid reds and golds of Tibetan architecture felt especially striking.
Everywhere she looked, faith was present.
Prayer flags.
Scriptures.
Temples.
It felt as though belief itself had become part of the landscape.
After some consideration, Lin Mo decided to stay the night.
She checked into an oxygen-supplied hotel.
Found a warm meal.
Bought a portable oxygen canister.
And finally began feeling human again.
Later that afternoon, she climbed Dongshan Hill.
The ascent was brutal.
Every few steps required another rest.
Yet when she finally reached the summit—
Everything became worth it.
Prayer flags danced wildly in the wind.
Grasslands stretched endlessly toward the horizon.
Ancient monasteries rested quietly among distant mountains.
Beyond them stood layer after layer of gray-blue snow peaks.
Golden rooftops glowed beneath the setting sun.
Crimson walls blazed with color.
The entire landscape resembled a painting crafted by the gods themselves.
Speechless, Lin Mo pulled out her phone.
Click.
The photograph captured the moment forever.
A smile slowly appeared on her face.
She knew.
Without a doubt.
This would become one of the most unforgettable memories of her life.
…
At almost the exact same time—
Danzeng arrived in Kangding.
His vehicle had barely entered the city when his phone rang.
The caller was Deren.
Manager of the guesthouse Danzeng owned near Genie.
The moment he answered, Deren’s anxious voice erupted through the speaker.
“Brother Danzeng, sorry to bother you.”
“The oxygen supply system broke down.”
Danzeng’s expression instantly darkened.
Deren continued urgently.
“We have three guests checking in tonight.”
“Two already have serious altitude sickness.”
“They need oxygen.”
“I contacted the repair technician in Litang, but there’s a family emergency.”
“He can’t come until tomorrow afternoon.”
After a brief pause, Deren lowered his voice.
“If you’re available…”
“Could you come take a look?”
Danzeng’s expression became serious.
The guesthouse sat deep within the high-altitude region surrounding Genie.
At those elevations, oxygen wasn’t a luxury.
It was a necessity.
And tonight, there were guests depending on it.
Without hesitation, he made his decision.
Because neither he nor Lin Mo realized it yet—
But fate was already pulling them toward the same destination.
Toward the sacred mountains of Genie.
Toward a meeting that would change both of their lives forever.