Chapter 48: Peril in the Mountains (Part 1)

ng appearance, holding Yan Luoxi's hand, and Yan Luoxi carrying a cluster of blooming flowers in her arms, the two walking on the pedestrian street became a beautiful sight in the small town.Shao Junh...Chapter 95: Peril in the Mountains

The mountain itself was already tall, and when climbing it felt like there would never be an end. Li An had good physical fitness and maintained a brisk pace, but even though Yan Luoxi was competitive, she gradually found herself falling behind.

Worried that Yan Luoxi might get tired, Li An slowed down his steps. When the path widened occasionally, he would let go of her hand so that she could walk around and look around. When they were both exhausted, they would rest under a tree for a while.

Seeing sweat on Yan Luoxi's forehead, Li An gently wiped it away for her and passed her a bottle of water: "Quickly drink some water; you must be thirsty."

Yan Luoxi gulped down several mouthfuls of mineral water and looked excitedly ahead. "It seems that all beautiful scenery is directly proportional to the hardship involved! The best views are at the peak!"

Seeing how short of breath Yan Luoxi was, Li An knew she wasn't accustomed to exercise and felt a pang in his heart: "Luoxi, shall we not climb anymore and go back"

"How could that be possible!" Yan Luoxi wiped her mouth with great enthusiasm. "One can’t give up halfway through when doing something; since we’ve come this far, let’s reach the summit."

The radiant glow on Yan Luoxi's clear and beautiful face shone brightly, her pale skin had a translucent texture, combined with an energetic and lively demeanor and flirtatious eyes that moved about. This made Li An feel his bones turning soft.

It was this little girl who made the once free-spirited and domineering self of him only exist in the past; even though he had a thousand regrets, before her, he could only yield.

They continued to climb up the mountain, which became increasingly steep and high. In some places, it was so steep that it was almost vertical, making the ascent feel like climbing to heaven.

Yan Luoxi's stamina began to wane; she was drenched in sweat and kept drinking mineral water in large gulps. Seeing her condition, Li An didn't want her to continue climbing anymore. He thought that if something went wrong, he would regret it for the rest of his life.

Li An pointed at the sweat on his face and feigned weakness when talking to Yan Luoxi: "Luoxi, let's go back. I'm tired too. If we continue, I might slip and fall off the mountain."

Yan Luoxi didn't insist anymore; it wasn't due to a lack of determination but because the mountain was simply too steep. Ahead lay an impassable cliff face that required them to inch forward along the rocks.

The moment she looked down, all she saw was a white expanse which made her dizzy and terrified.

Now that Li An suggested turning back, she obediently nodded in agreement. Li An once again took care of Yan Luoxi by wiping away her sweat and letting her drink some water before they started their descent after a brief rest.

The journey down the mountain was not as strenuous as the climb up; Yan Luoxi felt more at ease to look around. Even at half-mountain height, the scenery here was beautiful: surrounded by peaks with mist slowly drifting past them, it felt like being in a fairyland.

As the saying goes, "It's easy to go up but hard to come down." Although Yan Luoxi remembered this phrase, as she went down, her mind relaxed considerably. When Li An bent his head to organize their backpacks, she noticed some beautiful wildflowers growing on a cliff and moved closer to take a look.

The area was covered with tiny, slippery mosses; just a small step forward caused Yan Luoxi's foot to slip, her body suddenly losing balance and falling downward.

"Ah!" Yan Luoxi cried out in alarm, her heart skipped a beat. She even felt the wind brushing past her ear, as an instant fear of death overwhelmed her.

A strong hand grabbed her shoulder just in time. The next moment, Yan Luoxi felt herself being pulled up swiftly like she was flying; Li An then hoisted her horizontally and dashed away a few steps without hesitation or pause.

It seemed as if everything had happened in an instant. Li An held Yan Luoxi tightly in his arms, wondering where he found the strength to lift her so effortlessly just now.

Yan Luoxi's head was pressed against Li An’s chest; she gradually regained her senses. The feeling of narrowly escaping death made her body suddenly go limp—without Li An holding her, she would have slid down to the ground.

Li An looked at the misty mountainside with its sheer drop and felt an overwhelming sense of dread. If Yan Luoxi had really fallen just now, what would he have done

A thousand-foot abyss, shattered into dust!

Livid with fear, Li An’s palms, back, and forehead were drenched in cold sweat. Even at this moment, he still couldn’t believe that the terrifying scene had passed; he held Yan Luoxi tightly, almost suffocating her.

Yan Luoxi heard Li An's heart pounding wildly as she felt his arms trembling slightly while holding her. She raised her head to look at him and found Li An’s face pale with fear, looking at her and barely managing a forced smile.

This was the first time in all these years that Yan Luoxi saw such an expression of fear on Li An's face. At this moment, she realized just how much he cared for her; she made efforts to give him a reassuring smile. "Second Brother, don't worry anymore, everything is fine now."

Lian An restrained his trembling lips from fear, kissed Yan Luoxi's forehead, and said, "Luoxi, you must never leave me again. Don't run around recklessly anymore; just now scared me to death."

The warmth of Lian An’s words dispelled the lingering fear in her heart, making it strangely calm. She gently patted Lian An's arm to soothe him, saying softly, "No more, Second Brother. From now on, we will always walk together and never part again."

On their way down, Lian An held onto Yan Luoxi’s hand tightly all the time. Her small hands were warm and soft, delicate to the point that he could not bear to let go.

This time, Yan Luoxi was obedient and stayed close to Lian An, allowing him to half-carry her down the mountain.

She felt incredibly content. With Lian An, she had a place to lean on and rest, someone who could support her in tough times. He held her hand firmly, guiding her forward; all she needed was to follow his determined steps.

When they returned to the hotel, it was already noon. Originally, Lian An wanted to take Yan Luoxi with him for lunch at the restaurant, but seeing how exhausted she looked, he had room service bring food to her suite instead.

The two of them went back to their rooms separately to shower, and then Lian An joined Yan Luoxi in her room for lunch. Perhaps due to exhaustion, Yan Luoxi ate very little before falling asleep fully clothed on the bed.

Although Lian An had a good constitution since childhood and frequently engaged in various outdoor activities, climbing this mountain was not too challenging for him. However, the climb just now with Yan Luoxi completely drained his physical strength and mental energy.n got out to open the door for Yan Luoxi. Eager to take a shower and rest inside, Yan Luoxi didn't want to look at Li An anymore; she walked straight towards the hotel entrance. A receptionist saw her...