Chapter 14
12:10 P.M. Elephant Gorge rest stop, visitors’ reception center, cafeteria.
“Let’s come up with something for Yuwen to do,” Yan Jun said teasingly as he took his seat.
Bracing himself, Zhang Yuwen got up. “I’ll go buy some food for everyone…” This was usually a restaurant where you could order stir-fried dishes, but since there were few customers in early winter and the roads were undergoing repairs, it had been converted into a cafeteria. Taking the initiative, Zhang Yuwen bought everyone fast food at ¥20 per person, including a meal for Huo Sichen, and waited at the counter for the food to be served. When he returned, everyone took one look at his expression and roared with laughter again.
Even so, they took out their phones and transferred the money for their meals to Zhang Yuwen. Looking confused, Huo Sichen retrieved his belt bag from Zhang Yuwen’s backpack and fished out his phone to do the same.
“You don’t have to pay me,” Zhang Yuwen told him. This, of course, incited a wave of teasing from the gays. They were driving Zhang Yuwen crazy.
“Why doesn’t he have to?” Yan Jun asked.
“You don’t have to either,” Zhang Yuwen said. “It was meant to be a treat for everyone!”
“It’s not good to resort to bribery,” Chang Jinxing joked. Zheng Weize looked at Chang Jinxing and beamed. Zhang Yuwen put his head in his hand, praying Zheng Weize wouldn’t make any weird requests.
“Let’s eat first, guys,” Chen Hong said. “We can think it over later.”
Zhang Yuwen was at a loss for words.
Huo Sichen jumped in to add his two cents. “I think we can have Zhang Yuwen—” “Stop!” Zhang Yuwen was afraid Huo Sichen would give them weird ideas. “Just eat your food.”
With Huo Sichen around, no one took their jokes too far. Zhang Yuwen was glad to have invited him; the guy was truly a lifesaver.
After lunch, Zheng Weize asked, “Are we going down the mountain now?”
“It’s still early!” Chen Hong said. “We’re only halfway up. We’ll take the cable car down when we reach the mountaintop later in the afternoon.”
Zheng Weize let out an exaggerated cry. “What—!”
“There’s no point in giving up now,” Chen Hong told him solemnly.
“There are no cable cars here. If you give up, you have to walk all the way back down.”
Zheng Weize was struck dumb.
An idea came to Zhang Yuwen in a flash. “How about I carry you up?”
Everyone jeered. “Bribery isn’t going to work!”
Busted, Zhang Yuwen tried to defend himself. “This could count as his wish.”
“Thanks, but no thanks,” Zheng Weize said. “I can walk by myself.
I’ll think carefully about my wish later this afternoon.”
Zhang Yuwen winked at Chen Hong: Look, he’s willing to keep going now. Chen Hong nodded. The older, the wiser, just as expected.
“I’ll go buy coffee for everyone,” Yan Jun said. “Thank you all for looking after Xiao-Qi.”
Everyone replied, “You’re welcome,” but nobody turned him down.
Zhang Yuwen understood that when it came to treating others, no one wanted to be the first to initiate. After all, every time someone treated, someone else accepted, and the recipient felt obligated to return the favor.
It created an endless back-and-forth of treating and reciprocating, which wasn’t very kind on people with tight budgets. This was why everyone voluntarily transferred the lunch money to Zhang Yuwen and why, when Yan Jun treated them all to coffee, he offered the excuse of thanking them for “looking after Xiao-Qi.” It meant they didn’t need to reciprocate.
Zhang Yuwen sighed with feeling. His roommates were all such kind, gentle souls.
Yan Jun bought six cups of coffee, and Zhang Yuwen helped carry them. Yan Jun handed him a cup. “This is for Huo Sichen.”
“Okay…” Zhang Yuwen’s eyes met Yan Jun’s, and they both went silent for a second. Zhang Yuwen looked back to see that Huo Sichen had finished his meal and was now outside on the suspended platform, facing away from the cafeteria. Zhang Yuwen sensed that Yan Jun had something to say, but was holding himself back.
“Sugar and milk?” Yan Jun asked.
“I take my coffee black,” Zhang Yuwen replied. Yan Jun raised an inquiring eyebrow, asking about the guy out there, and Zhang Yuwen shrugged. “I don’t know.”
Zhang Yuwen took the sugar and creamer and went over to Huo Sichen, who was taking a phone call with a Bluetooth earpiece. Zhang Yuwen hadn’t realized that at first; he didn’t hear Huo Sichen’s conversation until he got closer.
“Yeah… I’m hiking with my friends… Elephant Gorge.” A pause.
“The earliest I can be back tonight is 8 p.m.” Huo Sichen turned around and saw Zhang Yuwen holding two cups of coffee. He reached out for one, put it on the railing, and added the sugar and creamer.
The others came out to the other side of the plank road leading up the mountain. Huo Sichen picked up Zhang Yuwen’s backpack and joined them. He glanced at Zhang Yuwen, then said nonchalantly into the phone, “No girls. They’re all boys.” The person on the other end of the line seemed to be reminding him to be careful. Huo Sichen replied, “All right, I’m setting off now. Later.”
It was 1 p.m., and the group, having eaten their lunch, spent more time walking together. They chatted about places they had traveled, and Chang Jinxing suggested finding time to go somewhere further away and stay the night there.
Out of nowhere, Huo Sichen said, “Let’s play truth or dare.”
“No way!” Zhang Yuwen exclaimed. “What kind of place is this for truth or dare? Are you misunderstanding something about the game?” In fact, Huo Sichen found it amusing to see Zhang Yuwen being teased today, and the bet earlier had given him the idea.
“Sure.” Zheng Weize decided to veto whatever Zhang Yuwen supported and support whatever he opposed. This would be fun.
“Okay!” Chang Jinxing piped up. “Let’s start with the person who suggested it.”
Thus, Huo Sichen fell into the pit he dug with his own hands. He tried to back out. “No, no. I meant we should guess riddles…” “He’s right,” Chen Hong chimed in. “It has to start with you.”
Huo Sichen was speechless. Zhang Yuwen felt a little bad for him, but if he tried to help at times like this, he’d end up with a target on his own back, so he played along. “So what’s your choice? Truth or dare?”
“No, that’s not how you start it,” Huo Sichen protested.
“Majority wins!” Yan Jun said, joining in. “You don’t have a choice.”
In patient tones, Huo Sichen tried again. “I’ll give you a riddle first —” “Truth or dare?” Chen Hong interjected, refusing to listen to him.
Seeing that the situation was too far gone and worrying that they might come up with something even crazier if he kept dragging it out, Huo Sichen gave up. “Dare.”
Suddenly, the guys were stumped for what to make a straight guy do. Seeing his chance, Zhang Yuwen chose a dare that was embarrassing but not too humiliating. “Do a flip.”
“What?” Huo Sichen was baffled.
Consummate tricksters, they all goaded him. “Can’t do it? Then choose something else!”
Huo Sichen nearly fell into their trap, but snapped to his senses at the last moment. “I’ll do it! I’ll do it! But how do I do a flip?”
“How can you not know?” Yan Jun said. “Like…this.” He took a running start and did a perfect roundoff backflip, executing it beautifully and with robust form.
“Daaaaaamn—!” Everyone was dumbstruck. The flip had even exposed Yan Jun’s tanned abs.
“You have training?” Chen Hong asked.
“No,” Yan Jun said expressionlessly to the sound of applause.
“You must have,” Chen Hong said. “Did you use to do high jumps?”
Yan Jun redirected Chen Hong’s attention to Huo Sichen, refusing to let him escape his task. Left with no choice, Huo Sichen took off his belt bag, ran a few steps, and did a front flip. It wasn’t as beautifully executed as Yan Jun’s, and he almost crashed into the railing.
Zhang Yuwen’s face paled. “Careful!” Huo Sichen barely managed to make it through the dare.
“All right,” Chang Jinxing said, “you can give us a riddle now.”
Huo Sichen gave Zhang Yuwen a brainteaser, but Zhang Yuwen couldn’t solve it. “Oh no, now I have to do two things.”
“You can choose truth too,” Yan Jun reminded him sympathetically.
“I think…I’ll choose dare,” Zhang Yuwen said. “Guys, please give me a quick one.”
Everyone talked it over for a while, and they eventually settled on having Zhang Yuwen do a flip in front of the girls who were coming up the mountain trail behind them. This left Zhang Yuwen speechless, but he never objected when it came to truth or dare. They waited until another pair of hikers came along, then Zhang Yuwen successfully completed his dare, dying of embarrassment all the while.
As he returned to the group, Zhang Yuwen went on a rampage.
“Who’s next?!” He turned to Chang Jinxing, the one who’d come up with this whole awful idea. “You!”
True to his expectations, Chang Jinxing didn’t manage to figure out Zhang Yuwen’s riddle. “I choose truth,” he said magnanimously.
“Is there someone you like right now?” Zheng Weize asked.
Chang Jinxing looked at Zheng Weize. “Such an easy question?
You sure you don’t wanna choose another one?”
Chen Hong had noticed the fleeting expression on Chang Jinxing’s face. “Nah, this is it,” he said. “Tell him to answer it!”
Chang Jinxing didn’t say a word. Confused at what was happening, Huo Sichen looked to Zhang Yuwen. Zhang Yuwen didn’t offer any explanation, however, so Huo Sichen didn’t probe further.
This turn of events surprised Zhang Yuwen. Maybe something really was going on between those two?
But to Chang Jinxing, this was nothing new. He averted his gaze.
“No.”
“He’s lying!” It was clear to everyone that this was a deliberate move meant for them to notice.
Exposed, Chang Jinxing changed his tune. “Oh, well then, yes, I do.”
Zheng Weize’s heart jumped to his throat. “Give us a name,” he said, but Zhang Yuwen flashed him a signal with his eyes: Don’t be foolish! Huo Sichen is here—and are you sure you want to ask a question like that in the middle of a plank road?
Chang Jinxing glanced at Zheng Weize with a smile before looking away. “That’s another question.”
“That’s so cunning of you,” Yan Jun remarked.
“I said no,” Chang Jinxing said, grinning, “but you guys said I was lying.” He put his hand on Zheng Weize’s shoulder and continued walking.
Just give up already, Zheng Weize, Zhang Yuwen thought. You and your star are in completely different leagues.
They left the path and started crossing the huge bridge of Elephant Gorge. It was 2 p.m., and this was where the scenery was the prettiest.
Chang Jinxing took a tripod from his backpack and shot a group picture, putting a temporary pause to their game of truth or dare. Zheng Weize stood in the center, with Chang Jinxing and Chen Hong to his left and Yan Jun, Zhang Yuwen, and Huo Sichen to his right.
Zheng Weize continued to pester Chang Jinxing about his “truth” even after they crossed the bridge. Zhang Yuwen thought it over, then led Huo Sichen ahead a little.
“Is there a rule in your dorm that prohibits dating?” Huo Sichen asked. He sounded puzzled.
“Oh, no.” Zhang Yuwen was quick to improvise. “Anyone in a relationship will be fleeced into treating everyone to a feast.”
“Oh.” Huo Sichen got it now. He glanced back at Chang Jinxing; by this point, Zheng Weize was clinging to him. Zhang Yuwen figured that Huo Sichen probably didn’t suspect a thing and merely saw Zheng Weize as an adorable teen.
“If he keeps changing girlfriends,” Zhang Yuwen continued, “he’ll have to keep treating us.”
Huo Sichen turned back and smiled at Zhang Yuwen. “He certainly has the looks for it.”
“Let’s keep playing truth or dare!” Zheng Weize shouted from afar.
“You two stop walking so fast!”
Zhang Yuwen wanted to howl in despair. “Let’s not!” Huo Sichen, on the other hand, found it amusing.
Everyone stopped and took out the snacks in their backpacks. “Oh, finally,” Huo Sichen said. “Let me see what goods you’ve got in there.”
Zhang Yuwen laughed. “You’ve been eyeing them for a while, huh?” He found it interesting that Huo Sichen had been thinking about his snacks all this time. It kind of made him seem like a child.
Chang Jinxing called on Chen Hong for the riddle, but it didn’t take Chen Hong long to figure it out. For the first time since the start of the game, someone had cracked one of the nonsensical brainteasers, and thus Chen Hong’s bizarre brain won the day.
“Yan Jun.” Chen Hong pointed, his target clear.
“I can’t guess anything,” Yan Jun said. “Don’t bother with the riddle. I choose dare. Just tell me what you want me to do.”
“Ah!” Zheng Weize exclaimed. “Monkey!” A monkey was looking at them quizzically from the branch of a tree, interrupting their game. “Can we feed it?”
“Better not,” Zhang Yuwen warned him. The last time he was here, he saw monkeys attacking the visitors. No words could ever describe that sight.
The color drained from Chen Hong’s face. “Pack up and leave now!
Quick! Don’t provoke them! If you get scratched, you’ll need to get rabies shots!”
The monkey ran off not long thereafter. There wasn’t much for the monkeys to eat in the wild come winter, and there were few visitors to feed them, so they scavenged. Everyone thought they were out of the proverbial woods when the first monkey left, but before long, it returned with reinforcements.
Zhang Yuwen exclaimed in surprise. Tensing up, everyone packed their stuff and prepared to run.
“Drop the snacks! Let the monkeys have them!” Chen Hong yelled.
Chang Jinxing, whose camera was expensive, was the most anxious of the group. The monkeys jumped onto the guys, and utter mayhem broke out. No one wanted to be the first to run, because that would mean abandoning their friends to save their own skin. Even Zheng Weize only ran a few steps before he felt compelled to turn back and save the others.
“Watch out for the big one!” Huo Sichen warned him, but a small monkey jumped onto his belt bag. Zhang Yuwen hurried over to give him a hand, and even more monkeys swarmed the pair of them. Then a loud crack rang out: Yan Jun was whipping his jacket around like a weapon, scaring two monkeys away.
Huo Sichen shielded Zhang Yuwen, swinging his belt bag to drive the beasts away. Chen Hong, for his part, was nearly knocked over by monkeys. Meanwhile, Chang Jinxing covered Zheng Weize as they fled— but he hadn’t gotten more than thirty feet away when his occupational disease acted up, and he went into overdrive clicking away on his camera.
“Why are you still taking photos?! Go already!” Zhang Yuwen took off his jacket and threw it to Chang Jinxing, who used it to protect his camera. The group finally managed to beat a hasty retreat.
Everyone was panting hard by the time they neared the mountaintop and took a break at the last rest stop to regroup.
“Did anyone get scratched?” asked Huo Sichen, still worried.
“Zhang Yuwen, come here and let me have a look.”
Zhang Yuwen didn’t know if he’d been scratched by the monkeys or if he’d scraped himself against the wooden railing while he ran away. The side of his rib cage burned painfully.
“You’ll need to get a shot if you were scratched,” said Chen Hong.
Zhang Yuwen lifted his T-shirt, revealing the fair skin and muscles of his abdomen. The side of his waist had been chafed red.
“Looks like you scraped against the railings.” Yan Jun brought the medicated oil over. “I didn’t see any monkeys going after you.”
“Yeah,” Zhang Yuwen agreed. “Don’t worry. The skin isn’t broken; it won’t get infected.”
Yan Jun poured some of the medicated oil onto his palm. He seemed intent on applying it for Zhang Yuwen, so Zhang Yuwen took his T-shirt off altogether, baring his upper body. His figure was fair and sexy; his skin’s flawless complexion had pale, cool undertones.
The atmosphere abruptly turned weird, and Yan Jun felt too awkward to apply the medicated oil himself, so he handed it to Zhang Yuwen. As Zhang Yuwen’s shirt came off, Huo Sichen’s Adam’s apple bobbed ever so slightly.
Chen Hong, who was sitting at the side with Zheng Weize and Chang Jinxing, whispered something, and they all cracked up.
“What’s so funny?” Zhang Yuwen asked, confused.
Chang Jinxing, still bowled over with laughter, picked up his camera and seized his chance to take a candid photo of Zhang Yuwen.
“Stop that!” Zhang Yuwen didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, figuring Chen Hong must have made some kind of indecent remark.
“You’ve got a great figure. You should flaunt it more,” Chang Jinxing said.
Everyone erupted into laughter again, blatantly ogling Zhang Yuwen’s half-naked body. Huo Sichen applied the medicated oil for Zhang Yuwen and gestured for him to put his shirt back on, lest he catch a cold.
By the time they reached the top, it was already 5 p.m. The sky was overcast, warning of rain to come. “Let’s have hot pot tonight,” Zhang Yuwen suggested.
Everyone concurred. There was nothing better than sitting in a shop with rain-speckled glass windows on a winter day when you were ravenous and exhausted, enjoying steaming hot pot with your friends.
“Do you have somewhere else you need to be?” Zhang Yuwen asked Huo Sichen.
Huo Sichen considered it for a moment. “Nope, I don’t.”
Zhang Yuwen gave him a knowing look, but Huo Sichen seemed confused by it. Having breathed in the air at the mountaintop, everyone was in better spirits, their exhaustion from the hike up promptly forgotten.
But in the next moment, fate dealt them a merciless blow:
The cable car is out of service.
No access down the mountain.
“WHAT—?!” Zheng Weize almost fainted.
Everyone stood before the signboard, shivering.