Chapter 10 : The Camp

As Péi Wanyi sped along the deserted, winding mountain road, Jiang Yanlin was already starting to regret her impulsive decision to follow her.

It was still too early to call the police, though. So Jiang Yanlin held her nerve, paying close attention to their surroundings and the route.

Then, suddenly, the mountain road reached a bend. The motorcycle drifted through it, and the next second, the view opened up before them.

Under the vast night sky, dotted with summer stars, the entire city lay sleeping before them. The scattered lights formed a brilliant river of stars.

Péi Wanyi hit the brakes, fishtailed slightly, and came to a steady stop in the only open space on the mountainside.

“We’re here.”

She unfastened her strap with one hand and took off her helmet.

Her messy black hair cascaded down, brushing against Jiang Yanlin’s eyebrows and the tip of her nose.

Jiang Yanlin finally came back to her senses, took her hand, and jumped off the motorcycle.

“Whose RV is this?”

Jiang Yanlin’s eyes immediately fell on the RV parked in the corner. It was a light brown and white van model, not very large, but a glance through the front window revealed the interior décor—a classic, practical, small RV.

Péi Wanyi took out a key and answered her with her actions.

She opened the door, ducked inside, and turned on all the interior lights. Then she pulled out two clean windbreakers.

“Pick one?” Péi Wanyi held them out to her.

The mountain air was chilly, and Jiang Yanlin, still recovering from a long illness, didn’t dare to be reckless. She chose the light gray one and draped it over her shoulders.

Péi Wanyi put on the black one, then went back into the RV to rummage around, emerging a moment later with everything they needed.

She found a good spot in the open area and skillfully set up a folding chair, a kettle, a portable charcoal stove, disposable paper cups, and a box of hand-ground coffee.

Before Jiang Yanlin even had a chance to help, she had already set up a temporary campsite with fluid, practiced movements.

A lighter ignited the smokeless charcoal, which was then thrown into the stove, and finally, the kettle was placed on top.

“Coffee or tea?” Péi Wanyi had, in fact, only brought out coffee.

Jiang Yanlin saw this and simply replied, “Water.”

Péi Wanyi couldn’t help but smile and placed the folding chair in front of her.

“Miss Jiang, please have a seat.”

How could she refuse when Miss Péi herself was serving her?

Jiang Yanlin said a word of thanks, wrapped the windbreaker around herself, and sat down beside her.

“Do you go camping often?”

The water boiled quickly. In just a few minutes, Jiang Yanlin was holding a paper cup, gazing at the night view. The vast emptiness before them made the city lights seem as small as grains of sand, bringing a sense of peace.

Péi Wanyi was still brewing her fancy hand-ground coffee, replying casually,
“Once in a while. I don’t usually have the time for it.”

Jiang Yanlin glanced at her. “You seem very busy.”
Busy enough to go out for dinner every day.

It wasn’t hard for Péi Wanyi to catch the underlying meaning in her words. After pouring the coffee into a cup, she looked up at her and retorted,
“What about you?”

Jiang Yanlin raised an eyebrow. The ever-changing night had given the flawless Miss Péi a bit of a human touch.

So she propped her chin on her hand, her eyes focused intently on the woman before her.

“A freelancer can be busy anytime.”

Under Péi Wanyi’s gaze, Jiang Yanlin smiled faintly.
“And can be not busy anytime.”

This was the fourth day since she had met Péi Wanyi.

Jiang Yanlin was never one to run away from things. Her skill at protecting herself in front of others didn’t mean she was unaware that her own hands were not entirely clean.

There were many ways to turn down El. She had at least seven or eight methods that would have suited him.

But she had chosen this one.

Dragging in an outsider who should have been completely uninvolved, a friend who was very important to El.

Jiang Yanlin could hardly escape the blame of “implicating the innocent.”

But was Péi Wanyi really innocent?

It was she who had deliberately interrupted El’s carefully planned dinner for two.

And it was also she who, in a dark corner where El couldn’t see, had pulled the girl he liked into her arms.

Summer skin, separated by thin clothing, the feeling of fingertips brushing against it—only she knew.

The malice Jiang Yanlin had directed at her, she had taken it all, and then some.

That’s why one couldn’t help but be curious: which way was the scale in Péi Wanyi’s hand tilting now?

And which way would it swing?

The night wind was too cold. Before the smokeless charcoal burned out, their conversation had already wandered far and wide.

They played a mobile version of Truth or Dare, but the question bank was wholesome enough for all ages.

Everyone knew what kind of game this was.

So after an hour, they had revealed about half of what they were willing to share, and it was time to stop.

“Are you sleepy?”

After Jiang Yanlin started yawning, Péi Wanyi put down her paper cup and got up, heading towards the RV.

The RV had been airing out for a while and was now free of any smells. She ducked inside, pulled down the folding bed, laid out a clean, soft mattress and a goose-down quilt, and dimmed the lights.

Finally, she got out of the RV and said to Jiang Yanlin,
“Get in and get some sleep. I’ll take you to the subway station when you wake up.”

There was still some time before the first subway train of the morning. Although it would take a while to get down the mountain, staying in the wind any longer would just be asking for trouble.

Jiang Yanlin nodded. The wind was giving her a headache; it was better to get some sleep.

She got up, packed her folding chair, tied up the trash bag, and cleaned up her mess before grabbing her bag and getting into the RV.

The space inside wasn’t large, but it was well-planned. It could fit two people without feeling cramped.

There was only one bed, but there was a bathroom.

Given the limited conditions, Jiang Yanlin decided not to make things difficult for herself. She simply washed up, then walked out of the bathroom and unapologetically claimed the only bed.

She didn’t even look up when Péi Wanyi finished cleaning up outside, got in, and locked the door.

Péi Wanyi curled her lip, for a moment unsure of who the real “young miss” was.

The sound of water running in the bathroom started, then stopped ten minutes later.

Someone pushed open the door, emerging in a cloud of steam.

The light inside the RV was a dim yellow. Outside, the sky was no longer inky blue, but layered in varying shades of deep and light.

Jiang Yanlin turned over, making space on one side of the bed, and said in a muffled voice from under the covers,
“Remember to turn off the lights before you get in.”

A few seconds later, all the lights in the RV went out.

In the pitch-black darkness, the only sound was the rustling of footsteps.

The goose-down quilt was gently lifted, and a warm, steamy body lay down beside her.

Jiang Yanlin was a bit sensitive to the cold. The mountain was chilly, and this readily available heater was perfect.

So she turned over, treating Péi Wanyi like a human-sized pillow, and pulled her into her arms.

“Time to sleep. Good night.”

Jiang Yanlin’s eyes were closed, her tone cool, but the corners of her lips were turned up in a slight smile.