Chapter Sixty-Five: Alone, Galloping Beyond Reach

Su Yingxue running into an acquaintance while eating didn’t strike Li Mu as odd at all. Haizhou was just a small city, as people liked to say, not much bigger than an egg; in a place like this, bumping into someone you know while out for a meal was something that happened several times a day.

However, to encounter someone she knew, and for that person to have shared an exam hall with him during the college entrance examination—that was a bit more interesting.

Li Mu didn’t deny it in front of Cao Ruru; he simply nodded. “That’s right. It was me.”

Su Yingxue immediately smiled and said, “Oh, Ruru has always regarded you as an idol. She says she’s never seen such a quick-witted young man; you managed to scare the invigilator so much his face turned green with just a few words.”

“I was just anxious to take the exam that day; I wouldn’t call it quick-witted,” Li Mu replied.

On that day, he had put on a show of defiance in front of the invigilator at No. 5 High School, making it clear he was ready to cause a scene. It had left all the other students in the exam hall dumbfounded. At that age, young people naturally looked up to peers who dared to do the things they themselves would never attempt.

Li Mu, however, didn’t think there was anything especially admirable about what he’d done; he was merely defending his right to sit the exam.

Cao Ruru laughed and said, “The main thing was that invigilator was just too awful. During something as important as the college entrance exam, he insisted on putting on airs. If it had been another student he was picking on that day, who knows how badly it might have affected their mindset.”

Su Yingxue nodded emphatically beside her and said to Li Mu, “When Ruru first told me about it, I agreed with your approach. People like that, with no sense of professional ethics, have to be dealt with firmly.”

At that, Cao Ruru glanced at the two of them and smiled. “I won’t keep you any longer. My friends are still waiting for me, so I’ll head over.”

Su Yingxue said her goodbyes to Cao Ruru, and Li Mu nodded politely. After Cao Ruru left, Su Yingxue sat down again and said, “Everyone who went to the old Cultivation Middle School knows this place. Even after moving on to high school, you’d still run into old classmates from middle school here almost every time.”

Li Mu smiled. “It’s mainly because the food is genuinely good. This dry spice mix is really authentic, almost exactly the taste you’d find in Rongcheng.”

“You’ve been to Rongcheng?” Su Yingxue’s large eyes shone with delight. “I went once with my mom during middle school. We stayed for more than ten days, and I absolutely loved the lifestyle there. As the locals say, it’s incredibly comfortable. Most importantly, the food is fantastic!”

“I went a long time ago myself. It really is a wonderfully relaxing city,” Li Mu said, a note of nostalgia in his voice. In his previous life, he’d been quite fond of Rongcheng; he’d even been assigned to the branch office there for more than half a year, and the city’s lifestyle, food, and beautiful women had all left a deep impression.

Su Yingxue laughed. “This summer holiday, I was planning to travel. I told my parents I wanted to go to Rongcheng by myself, and they both agreed at first. But then my aunt insisted I go to Yanjing instead.”

“Traveling to Rongcheng on your own?” Li Mu asked curiously. “Do you have friends or relatives there?”

“No.” Su Yingxue took a sip of cola and looked at Li Mu with clear eyes. “Have you ever wanted to go to Tibet and Qinghai?”

“Tibet and Qinghai? The Potala Palace, or Everest?”

“Both,” Su Yingxue replied with a soft laugh, tinged with a hint of disappointment. “I’ve always wanted to see them, but my parents have never agreed to take me. I thought I could use the trip to Rongcheng as an excuse, then fly to Tibet from there.”

Li Mu shook his head slightly. “Going to Tibet by yourself is too dangerous, especially by plane. You might get altitude sickness as soon as you land.”

Su Yingxue looked surprised. “Is it really that serious?”

“It is,” Li Mu said, his expression unusually grave.

“After all, it’s the plateau. Altitude sickness can be fatal if you’re not careful. The airplane cabin is pressurized, so while you’re in the air, you don’t feel the change in altitude. But the moment the door opens, you’re suddenly at about four thousand meters above sea level. It’s easy to develop altitude sickness the moment you step off the plane.”

Su Yingxue asked anxiously, “So what should I do?”

Remembering that the Qinghai-Tibet Railway hadn’t opened yet, Li Mu said, “Like many others, I dream of going to Tibet. But they say the greatest joy is in the scenery along the way, so I think I’ll have to drive there myself someday.”

“Drive yourself?” Su Yingxue frowned slightly. For two eighteen-year-olds, discussing a self-driving trip to Tibet seemed like a far-off dream.

Li Mu continued, “Driving not only lets you enjoy the incomparable scenery along the way, but the altitude sickness is less severe than if you fly. If you can gather a group of friends, three to five cars forming a convoy, it’d be even better.”

As he spoke, Li Mu looked at Su Yingxue. “Traveling to Tibet means facing not just altitude sickness, but a harsh natural environment and unfamiliar local customs. Going alone is incredibly risky. Even people who drive there always go in convoys for mutual support. If your car breaks down on the plateau, you could be stranded with no help in sight, and the temperature drops dangerously at night. It’s lucky your aunt insisted you go to Yanjing instead. Your idea was far too naïve.”

Su Yingxue gazed at Li Mu with eyes full of wonder, suddenly feeling a bit ashamed. She had always thought herself more mature than her peers, but now she realized that her supposedly bold and decisive solo plan seemed childish in Li Mu’s eyes.

This guy seemed to have matured overnight, leaving everyone else his age far behind on the path of growth.

It was rare for Su Yingxue to feel so humbled or embarrassed in front of a boy her own age, but after hearing Li Mu lay out all the dangers, she could only mumble, “I understand. I was being too simplistic.”

After she finished, Su Yingxue looked at Li Mu with bright, expectant eyes and asked, “Will you ever choose to drive to Tibet yourself someday?”

Li Mu nodded. “If I have the chance, I definitely will. Driving a good off-road vehicle down Route 318 is every man’s dream.”

Su Yingxue, clever as ever, didn’t bother asking what Route 318 was. She just memorized it silently and said to Li Mu, “If that day ever comes, save the passenger seat for me.”

“All right,” Li Mu replied without hesitation, as if making a promise cost nothing.

From then on, their conversation only grew more lively.

Li Mu realized that Su Yingxue today wasn’t the cold and proud goddess he’d always imagined. Su Yingxue, on the other hand, saw in Li Mu an enigmatic aura she just couldn’t figure out, making her all the more curious about him.

——

It wasn’t until both of them were stuffed that the bill came, and Su Yingxue found it still didn’t exceed a hundred yuan.

Li Mu offered to take a cab and send Su Yingxue home, and she readily agreed. They caught a ride to the Public Security Bureau’s family compound. Before getting out, Su Yingxue reminded Li Mu to report to the driving school the next day and start his behind-the-wheel lessons.

Li Mu had little interest in learning to drive; he was already something of an experienced driver. In his previous life, he’d had to reverse into parking spaces almost daily, and the various tasks of the road test held no real difficulty for him. Frankly, the best approach would be to slip the instructor a pack of cigarettes, skip the classes, and just show up for the exam.

However, the thought of Su Yingxue being among his classmates at driving school made him look forward to it.

That night, Li Mu went home and discussed the detailed logic and specifics of the YiTing backend with Kong Lingyu online. Meanwhile, Su Yingxue found a forum for self-driving travel enthusiasts, and the more she read, the more entranced she became.

It was only today that she learned about the vastness and treacherous beauty of the Sichuan-Tibet Highway, and the grandeur of Route 318. She finally understood why some people said that the beauty of life was not in the destination, but in the journey itself. After witnessing all that splendor along the way, the final outcome no longer seemed so important.

A clever eighteen-year-old girl knew better than to take a boy’s promise too seriously, but she couldn’t help imagining herself experiencing all those dazzling landscapes in person, spending the whole journey seated beside Li Mu in the passenger seat.

——

Wishing everyone a great start to the new year and a happy Valentine’s Day! :)