Home/ The Selfish Gene/ Chapter 23
The surrounding terrain of Hong City is relatively flat, with no spectacular high mountains and mostly low hills. Moreover, because there are not many scenic spots or historical sites here, sightseeing trails are not well built, and the popularity has always been low. Apart from some hiking enthusiasts and some companies organizing camping trips, basically no tourists will go there.
“Some companies”, including Alia.
It was probably autumn last year when Xu Xi personally went to my apartment, dug me out from the bed and stuffed me into the car, taking me to a mountain called “Wuyan” at the edge of Hong city. After trekking for about two hours with Alia’s other employees, we finally arrived at a homestay in the deep mountains.
It was the longest two hours I have spent in the last few years. I’ve had to walk six kilometers on a muddy mountain road wearing strange clothes.
It was nothing like six kilometers on the treadmill, and even though the weather was very cool, my clothes were all soaked by the end of the hike. Apart from sitting down to catch my breath, I couldn’t even respond to Monica’s relentless teasing.
Afterwards, I found out that the car can actually be driven to the door of the hotel from another road, which was very convenient. But in order to make everyone more united, braver, and more determined, Xu Xi and the guide planned this two-hour hike on the devil’s road.
Driving all the way out of Hong city, I arrived at Wuyan Mountain around four o’clock in the afternoon, and the sun would probably go down in another hour.
With Ji Chenfeng, of course it was impossible to choose that hiking route. I drove through another road to the mountains, and parked the car in the open space in front of the hotel according to the directions.
The front desk lobby was a modest and rustic building, and since I had made a phone call before coming, the boss quickly arrived to help me with the check-in and gave me a key and a map.
“Walk along this road, and you will get there in about ten minutes.” The boss came to the door and showed us the way, “Should I get the dinner delivered in an hour?”
“OK.” I nodded and then called Ji Chenfeng who kept looking around, and walked towards a small path behind the building.
The path was covered with tall vegetation on both sides, making rustling noises as the breeze blew.
“The road is a bit slippery, be careful.” I reminded Ji Chenfeng who was following behind without looking back.
The steps are paved with bluestones, causing moss to grow inevitably, and the humidity in the mountains is also quite heavy in morning and evening, making it easy to slip when walking fast.
“Tonight…won’t we go back?” Ji Chenfeng’s voice came from not far behind.
“Didn’t your dean give you a day off to recuperate? Since it’s your day off tomorrow, it doesn’t matter if you stay out overnight.”
I suddenly stopped and turned to look at him, “Or… you are still not allowed to sleep outside overnight?” I curled my lips and gave a smile that was almost “provocative”.
The setting sun casted mottled light and shadows through the leaves, and Ji Chenfeng looked up and stopped in his pace.
“No, it’s just a bit sudden.”
I said “oh”, then turned around and continued to walk up the hill: “I thought your family was so strict that you had to apply in advance if you were going to spend the night outside with your friends.”
“I stayed at your house overnight when you had a fever before.”
It was only when he said this that I remembered that night. Indeed, it was also a night out.
“Since we have already shared the same bed before, there is no need to worry.” I shook the key card in my hand, and said with a smile, “Just relax and have fun tonight, Doctor Ji.”
According to the map, we walked for ten minutes, and at the fork of the path, we successfully found the bubble house in the forest with the word “Tianshu” written on the door.(‘Tianshu’ here basically means ‘heavenly hub’, it is used to describe the specialty of the bubble house.)
The transparent inflatable bubble house stood on a wooden platform with three interconnected spheres, one was equipped with bedding and solar lighting facilities, one with a dining table, and finally an opaque white sphere with basic bathroom facilities.
After getting into the bubble room and turning on all the lights, I took off my coat and slumped down on the sofa.
“Sit here.” I patted the seat beside me.
Ji Chenfeng withdrew his curious gaze, and obediently walked to my side. This double sofa was very small, and with two big men sitting together, our bodies were almost tightly pressed against each other.
Loosening my tie, I propped my head and elbows on the armrest of the sofa and looked ahead, briefly acting as a guide for Ji Chenfeng.
“This bubble house is the best place on the whole mountain to watch the sunrise and sunset.”
The sofa was facing the transparent inflatable wall, with a wide view from afar. Apart from the outer fence, there was no vegetation blocking the view. You can easily see the sunset reflecting the clouds on the horizon into a dreamy blue-purple, along with the silhouette of the bottom forest which looked as beautiful as an oil painting after losing the sunlight.
Last year, if it wasn’t for this beautiful view, Xu Xi would have been blacklisted by me long ago.
Although the scenery was beautiful, because I have already seen it before, it no longer has any significant impact on me. Instead, I shifted my gaze to observe the man next to me.
Ji Chenfeng seemed to be completely overwhelmed by the beautiful scenery in front of him, staring intently at the eye-catching glow, even his breathing became lighter.
The sunset glow shone into his eyes, falling on his cheeks and sprinkling into his hair. He completely integrated into this warm colour with no trace of disharmony, as if… he was born with such a warm colour.
“Is it beautiful?”
“Hmm.” He carefully traced every cloud and every tree in front of him with his gaze, and there was a trace of melancholy between his brows, which finally disappeared at this moment.
I turned to look ahead again.
“Hmm, I also think it looks beautiful.”
The two of us just quietly sat on the uncomfortable sofa, watching the whole process of the sun setting.
A fire can’t be lit on the mountain, so the dinner was delivered by the hotel staff carrying insulated boxes and tableware. The taste wasn’t as good as the freshly made food outside, but eating such a meal in the quiet mountain and forest, under the dim yellow light can also give it a unique flavour.
“Has Dr. Ji ever gone camping before?” After a few bites, I couldn’t eat anymore, so while stirring the thick soup in front of me with a silver spoon, I asked Ji Chenfeng who was sitting across from me.
Under the flickering light of the electronic candle, Ji Chenfeng raised his head from the food, thought about it, and gave a negative answer.
“No.”
“What about a picnic?”
“Not really.”
“However, I did participate in a summer camp organized by the school when I was studying. In a big park, everyone carried their own tents and looked for places to set it up. They slept in small tents and ate in larger ones. It wasn’t really camping, but it was very interesting for me when I was a child.” In retrospect, it was also a rare moment when I felt relaxed when I was young.
When I turned five, I was taken to the Xu family to be raised because of Xu Xi’s strong request. Later, when I reached the age to go to the school, I enrolled in a boarding school for twelve year old kids, similar to Zheng Jieyuan. Thanks to this, I didn’t have to rack my brains to figure out how to get along with the two elders of the Xu family.
However, even boarding schools have vacations. Once the winter or summer came up, I had to go back to that oppressive mansion. At that time, participating in summer camps has become the best way for me to avoid getting along with the Xu family.
“As a child…we didn’t have any extra money to travel and go on trips. I rarely participated in the activities organized by the school. But in summer, the children of Fly City will organize a competition to test their courage.” Ji Chenfeng said slowly.
“Fly City” is a term used to refer to the slums by the people living there, with a kind of self-deprecation and sarcasm of local people– symbolizing a place where flies gather. It doesn’t sound much better than “slums,” but they make it sound pretty catchy themselves.
“How do they test their courage?” Because I have a strange love for horror movies, when I heard the word “test your courage”, I couldn’t help but have an interest.
This is the classic opening of many horror movies.
“Everyone will go to the most desolate and dilapidated building, with each person bringing only one candle…” He fell into the memories, and as he spoke, a faint smile gradually appeared in his eyes, “After entering the building, climb to the highest floor, lean out of the window, wave your hand to everyone, and then return through the same way. The person who takes the least time will become the ‘warrior’ of that year.”
If I hadn’t been exchanged with Ji Chenfeng at birth, I would’ve won and become that warrior every year.
Thinking of this, I stopped stirring up the leftover dishes. It is said that everyone, without exception, would have no objection with the fact that they had been a fool at some point in their life. And now, I also feel just as foolish about myself for having such a ridiculous idea a few seconds ago.
Am I envious of Ji Chenfeng? Envious of him for having the opportunity to win such a useless “warrior” title?
It’s really sick.
“Did you ever win and become a ‘warrior’?”
Dropping the silver spoon, I stood up and picked up the complimentary white wine from the dining car on the side, and opened it with a corkscrew.
“No, I don’t really like… darkness very much.”
When I was about to pour wine for Ji Chenfeng, he covered the glass with one hand and lifted the tilted wine bottle with the other, signaling that I don’t need to pour it for him.
I raised my eyebrows: “Won’t you drink even a bit?”
He shook his head and pushed the glass further away.
“I get drunk easily.”
“Is there anything you have to do that requires you to stay sober tonight?” I joked knowingly.
He raised his eyes slightly to look at me for a moment, those eyes that would appear particularly cold if he didn’t speak, and then lowered them again.
“I just don’t want to lose consciousness in front of you.”
What a pity. If you are drunk, maybe the temperature in your mouth will be higher, and it will be easier to play with.
My mind was full of beastly thoughts, but on the surface, I still smiled.
“If you don’t drink it, then I can only drink it for you.” I said while shaking the bottle.
After the meal, the staff came up to remove the dishes. Before leaving, they asked us to call the front desk if we had any questions or problems, and stated that if there was no special reason, no one would come to bother us again.
Now only Ji Chenfeng and I were left.
Although it was dark, it was still early, and if I didn’t find something else to do, I wouldn’t be able to sleep at all.
Something else…
As Ji Chenfeng went to the bathroom to wash up, I sat on the sofa, looking at the distant and starry sky above my head. I drank one glass after another, and unknowingly finished the whole bottle of white wine.
Unlike Ji Chenfeng, that fledgling, my alcohol tolerance has always been very good. It’s just that because I haven’t touched alcohol much in the past three years, I still felt a bit uncomfortable after drinking the whole bottle.
My brain was awake, but the body began to heat up. The fingertips, the corner of the eyes, and the mouth, and even the exhaled breath was hot like lava.
I unbuttoned my collar, and then the belt around the waist.
When Ji Chenfeng came out of the bathroom, I happened to unfasten the zipper and let my pants fall freely to the ground. He was wearing a grey linen bathrobe provided by the hotel, wiping his damp hair. Seeing this scene, he instantly froze in place. After a while, it seemed that his heavy gaze slowly moved down from my face, staying on the lower body for a long time.
The bathrobe was made of light and thin material, and the reaction of his body immediately became visible. Even if it’s just a glance, no one will underestimate Ji Chenfeng’s beast that was quietly raising its head in the dark.
Why is this place the only one with the monster status? Although it was my second time witnessing it, I still let out an uncontrollable exclamation in my heart.
“What, don’t you like this?” I looked down and tugged at the hem of my shirt.
His hands holding the towel naturally fell down, and he finally raised his head and let his eyes fall on my face.
“Mmm.”
His adam’s apple rolled up and down, and the reply couldn’t be simpler, but his voice sounded deeper and more magnetic than usual, and when it got into my ears, it felt as if an electric current passed through my body. Or perhaps it’s just my alcohol kicking in.
I sat down on the bed with a smile and patted the space next to me.
“Well then… I won’t take it off.”
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