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Join the Server“Young people, you need a hiking guide who knows these mountains.”
Someone must have spread word about Amy’s group’s plans, because as soon as they sat down in the restaurant, a drunken old man staggered over and immediately began lecturing them while enthusiastically recommending himself.
“That mountain is dangerous. I’ve lived in this town for more than sixty years. Nobody knows those woods better than I do. I could climb that mountain with my eyes closed and come back down without a scratch.”
“Really?”
Jiang Shulan blinked, propping his chin on his hands.
“Then can you walk home from the restaurant with your eyes closed and not get hurt?”
“After all, getting home should be easier than climbing a mountain.”
The old man glanced at him.
A little Asian kid whose whiskers hadn’t even grown in yet.
The brat was obviously trying to tell him to go home and rest.
But his home had already…
The old man waved a hand and gruffly rejected the suggestion.
“That’s different.”
Amy politely declined his offer.
“Thank you, but we don’t need a guide right now.”
“Oh, girl, I’m serious.”
The old man refused to give up.
“You’re going to need me.”
“No, we won’t.”
Adam was hungry, tired, and increasingly irritated.
“Can we just eat in peace?”
“No, you have to listen to me.”
The alcohol had muddled the old man’s thoughts.
“Listen. Kids these days don’t understand the laws of the wilderness. Survival of the fittest—”
“Damn hillbilly.”
Adam muttered under his breath.
“There’s no such thing as survival of the fittest anymore. We live in cities now.”
“Adam!”
Amy shot him a warning look before turning back to the old man.
“I’m sorry. Adam’s just tired. But we’ve already done a lot of research. We really don’t need a guide. Thank you.”
Somehow, despite being drunk, the old man had heard Adam perfectly.
He ignored Amy’s apology.
Instead, he swept a cold gaze over the entire group.
“You’ll pay for your arrogance.”
Then he turned and walked away.
The awkward encounter ruined the atmosphere.
Everyone picked at their food before returning to their rooms.
Jiang Shulan didn’t even have time to lock the door before Vincent dragged him into his arms and kissed him for far too long.
Vincent was clearly reaching the limits of his self-control.
Jiang Shulan was genuinely getting angry.
Throwing away his dignity, shame, and pride, he shamelessly pulled out all the tricks he’d learned in the previous world.
Acting cute.
Throwing tantrums.
Rolling around dramatically.
In the end, he successfully tricked Vincent into entering the bathroom and locked him inside.
“I’ll have you know, Vincent!”
Standing proudly with his hands on his hips, Jiang Shulan declared victory.
“I’m not easy to bully! If you mess with me again, I’ll… I’ll…”
His brain spun desperately.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t think of anything threatening.
In the end, he blurted out complete nonsense.
“Bloop blorp wula kala-”
No matter what, confidence was important.
Even if he lost the battle, he couldn’t lose the momentum.
Vincent nearly laughed from sheer disbelief.
Meanwhile, on the second-floor landing, Amy was talking to her father on the phone.
The conversation eventually drifted toward Jiang Shulan.
“Amy, take care of yourself. And look after Shulan.”
“I know, Dad.”
“If your mother hadn’t needed help back then, perhaps Shulan’s parents wouldn’t have…”
“I know.”
Jiang Shulan’s parents had died in a car accident while rushing Amy’s mother to the hospital during a heart attack.
Amy remembered everything.
That was why she had always cared for him so much.
“How’s Mom doing lately?”
“Much better. Your mother and I are waiting for you to come home.”
There was a pause.
“Oh, and Shulan has a boyfriend now, right?”
The call lasted nearly an hour.
By the time Amy returned to her room, Darius was already asleep.
The next morning, Amy went for a run.
Along the road she encountered a little girl and a woman selling handmade crafts.
After exchanging a few words with the woman, Amy tried talking to the child.
The girl immediately hid behind the woman without responding.
“Amy!”
Jiang Shulan jogged over.
His pale cheeks were flushed pink.
“When are we heading up the mountain?”
“Probably around nine.”
Amy smiled.
“We’ll leave after breakfast. Why?”
Jiang Shulan scratched his head shyly.
“Can I buy more snacks first?”
From what Amy had said, they would likely spend a night on the mountain.
But none of them could cook.
He couldn’t imagine surviving on crackers and beer.
“Of course.”
As soon as he got permission, Jiang Shulan ran toward the store for a massive snack-shopping spree.
Amy watched him leave before saying goodbye to the woman.
She still had equipment to prepare.
The little girl suddenly spoke.
“I like him.”
Amy wasn’t surprised.
“I like him too. He’s very pretty, isn’t he?”
Jiang Shulan had always been beautiful.
The sort of beauty that made girls instinctively want to protect him.
When they were children, Amy used to think he looked like a giant doll.
She gently ruffled the little girl’s hair.
This time the girl didn’t hide.
“My brother likes him too.”
“Your brother?”
Amy glanced at the time.
She had no interest in investigating the identity of some stranger’s brother.
After a few more polite words, she headed back toward the inn.
“But what if the Chief likes him too?”
The little girl looked worried.
“Can my brother beat the Chief?”
“Don’t worry.”
The woman began gathering her crafts.
“They’re family. They don’t need to compete.”
In their tribe, there were no worldly rules.
Even brothers could share a wife.
“That’s good.”
The little girl relaxed.
Meanwhile, Jiang Shulan was still cramming snacks into his backpack, completely unaware of the suffering awaiting him in the future.
Only when there was absolutely no space left did he reluctantly stop.
Then he confidently handed the backpack to Vincent.
Vincent, who had been locked in the bathroom until morning, spoke in a chilly voice.
“I didn’t even get any water.”
Jiang Shulan wasn’t intimidated at all.
“Oh really?”
He puffed out his chest.
“Wasn’t there plenty of water in the bathroom? Why didn’t you drink any? Don’t like it?”
After taking so much advantage of him, carrying a backpack was the least Vincent could do.
The more he thought about it, the more justified he felt.
His posture became even straighter.
“…Okay.”
Vincent was over six feet tall.
From his perspective, Jiang Shulan looked less like a victorious warrior and more like a dessert voluntarily presenting itself.
His gaze drifted downward.
His throat tightened.
In truth, after Jiang Shulan had fallen asleep the previous night, Vincent had left the bathroom.
And discovered another kind of sweetness.
Only sheer willpower had allowed him to lock himself back inside afterward.
He had spent hours standing under freezing water to calm down.
Before Jiang Shulan could notice where he was looking, Vincent shifted his gaze away and accepted the backpack.
“Though I prefer a different kind of water.”
He said it so quietly that Jiang Shulan didn’t hear.
Feeling victorious, Jiang Shulan marched off with Amy like a triumphant rooster.
The mountain scenery truly was beautiful.
Sunlight filtered through the canopy like scattered gold.
The scent of earth and wildflowers drifted through the air.
Towering oaks and maples intertwined overhead, forming a green cathedral.
Whenever the wind passed through, leaves whispered softly.
It was breathtaking.
“How about we camp here tonight?”
Amy suggested.
“Absolutely!”
Zhilin nodded enthusiastically.
“This place is gorgeous!”
Adam squeezed his girlfriend’s hand.
Enjoying her admiration, he puffed himself up.
“Of course. If you like it, we can stay as long as you want. I’d even build a house here.”
“Sweetheart, I agree.”
Darius thought for a moment.
“But it’s still early. Shouldn’t we explore a little more?”
“Like the old Civil War fort ruins?”
Amy hesitated.
“They aren’t marked on the map.”
“But we’re already here.”
Darius shrugged.
“When will we get another chance?”
Work had been keeping Amy busy.
The lack of time together had already caused several arguments.
“Okay.”
Amy checked the time.
It was only three in the afternoon.
“Then let’s go take a look.”
“Great!”
Jiang Shulan immediately agreed.
Since he supported Amy unconditionally, Vincent naturally followed.
The matter was settled.
The group followed a trail toward a creek.
Several stepping stones crossed the water.
Their surfaces were slick with moss.
Adam nearly slipped in.
Fortunately, Jiang Shulan grabbed him in time.
As they ventured deeper, the canopy thickened.
The temperature dropped noticeably.
“Be careful.”
Everyone turned toward Vincent.
Facing their puzzled looks, he calmly explained:
“Hardly anyone comes here. Hunters sometimes set traps for animals.”
“What?”
Adam suddenly felt uneasy.
“Maybe we should go back.”
Amy nodded.
“I agree.”
She looked toward Darius.
“We can visit the ruins another time.”
‘Another time?’
‘When would that be?’
Darius was unhappy but couldn’t argue in front of everyone.
Reluctantly, he agreed.
Unfortunately, the dense canopy blocked the sky.
The surrounding trees all looked identical.
Before long, they lost their bearings.
Adam cracked first.
“Darius, this is your fault! We never should’ve come looking for those stupid ruins!”
“Calm down!”
Darius snapped back.
“I didn’t want this either!”
Amy tried to separate them.
“It’s okay. We still have our phones. We can call for help.”
“You haven’t noticed?”
Adam’s face went pale.
“We don’t have any signal.”
“What?”
The argument flared up again.
As Adam and Darius struggled, one of them accidentally stepped on something hidden beneath the leaves.
A sharp crack echoed through the forest.
The next instant, a massive log came hurtling downhill.
If it hit someone directly, it would crush them into pulp.
Panic exploded.
Everyone scattered in different directions.
Roots snagged ankles.
People stumbled and fell.
Shouts echoed through the woods.
Then, amid the chaos and crashing wood, someone was struck by the log.
The adventure continues! If you loved this chapter, Jinho's Story is a must-read. Click here to start!
Read : Jinho's Story
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