Volume One, Chapter 14: Another Bear?

Time slipped by unnoticed, and dusk had already settled. The sun leaned toward the west, casting the sky in a blaze of orange and red hues, reflecting their slightly weary figures.

Nearly an hour passed before the two of them finally reached the base of a relatively tall mountain peak.

Zhuang Fan appeared to be in decent shape, only slightly out of breath. However, beside him, Zhong Xiahan was already gasping heavily, her once rosy cheeks now completely drained of color.

Despite this, she hadn’t uttered a single complaint or word of exhaustion along the way.

Zhuang Fan had offered several times to carry her, but she refused.

Now, she sat down heavily on the ground, unable to even move her fingers with ease. Moreover, from excessive fatigue, her foot began to cramp uncontrollably.

Seeing this, Zhuang Fan couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy.

With a cheerful smile, he squatted down, gently holding Zhong Xiahan’s delicate feet and tenderly massaging them.

At the same time, he teased, “Told you not to stubbornly follow me. So, how do you feel now? Bet you won’t be so defiant next time.”

Zhong Xiahan’s brows furrowed in pain. Though her body was uncomfortable, she refused to back down verbally.

She gritted her teeth and retorted, “Who said I couldn’t come? I just like exercise, so what?”

While continuing the massage, Zhuang Fan couldn’t help but glance at her translucent, jade-like legs, soft and smooth as white jade.

He swallowed hard, murmuring to himself, “Hmm, she really should exercise more… just needs a bit more curve…”

Hearing this, Zhong Xiahan seemed to catch his meaning.

Suddenly, she yanked her foot away from his hands and shot him a sharp glare, coquettishly scolding, “Hmph! Have you had enough? Feels pretty nice, huh?”

Caught off guard by her sudden accusation, Zhuang Fan felt his face flush hot, and he grew awkward and flustered.

Scratching his head embarrassedly, he quickly stood up, stammering, “I-I just couldn’t help myself, really…”

The atmosphere turned awkward, and if it continued like this, he might lose control.

No, he had to shift the focus immediately!

Gazing at the nearly two-thousand-meter-high peak before them, Zhuang Fan pondered where to settle.

The summit was clearly impractical, as going up and down would waste too much time.

But settling too low would make them vulnerable to potential flooding.

So, he decided on a compromise—making their home halfway up the mountain.

Even if the floodwaters reached that point, they could still escape further up the slope.

With this initial plan, Zhuang Fan began climbing.

Though his physical condition was nearly normal, ascending a thousand meters was no easy feat.

Plus, with little Zhong Xiahan slowing him down, it still took them over an hour.

Fortunately, the mountain wasn’t too steep, and the trees were sparse.

Still, by the time they reached the halfway point, Zhuang Fan’s legs felt weak.

Zhong Xiahan lay motionless on a large rock, unable to move.

Zhuang Fan considered going over to help but was waved off by her.

She seemed afraid he might do something.

Feeling innocent, Zhuang Fan recalled how, when he carried her up the mountain, his hands had “accidentally” touched some sensitive areas.

Now, he had no choice but to explore the surroundings on his own.

Looking out from the height, Zhuang Fan finally saw what lay beyond the mountain.

Indeed, beyond the mountain was more mountains—rolling ranges stretching endlessly to the distant horizon.

In the distance, a line of cliffs soared into the clouds.

It appeared that area marked the edge of the Ashen Gorge.

A gorge typically refers to a deep, narrow valley flanked by steep slopes.

They were currently somewhere near the valley floor.

Zhuang Fan spotted one side of the gorge’s slope but could not see the other.

From this, he inferred that the Ashen Gorge was unimaginably vast.

Facing the impending flood, the valley floor was obviously extremely dangerous.

To find a safer place, it would be best to avoid the valley bottom and climb to the top of the slopes.

But it was too far—so far that it might take them seven days to reach.

Given the current situation, Zhuang Fan could only hope that this nearly two-thousand-meter mountain would help them survive the disaster.

Having reached the appropriate height, the next step was to choose a location.

Ideally, a cave would be best.

It would save time building a shelter and offer some insulation.

But it couldn’t be too deep inside, or it would be too dark to see.

So Zhuang Fan began slowly moving along the mid-mountain ridge, carefully scanning for a suitable cave.

After a while, his eyes caught a glimmer of light behind a small adjacent hill.

He paused in surprise, then delightedly moved to a better vantage point.

Sure enough!

It was a pool of water!

Not too big, not too small—just right.

The surface sparkled in the sunlight, like a dazzling gem.

“Heaven’s blessing, water at last!” Zhuang Fan nearly jumped with excitement.

Humans can go days without food, but three days without water and they’re close to death.

Besides, he felt awkward always asking the campus beauty for water.

Suddenly, he remembered something and quickly messaged her, warning that the flood was imminent and they needed to find higher ground.

Then he took photos of the surrounding terrain and sent them to her, hoping she could locate herself from the clues.

Though the chance was slim.

The campus beauty replied swiftly, and Zhuang Fan eagerly checked her message.

“I know, thanks for the warning. I grew up by a big river. After boiling some water, I’m heading for higher ground immediately. As for where you are, I don’t recognize it; maybe we’re too far apart. [Photos][Photos]”

Zhuang Fan opened the pictures she sent.

He saw that she was in a hilly area with uneven terrain, and in the distance, a continuous mountain range.

But he couldn’t tell if that mountain range was the same one he was on.

They chatted a bit before returning to their tasks.

After marking the water pool on his map, Zhuang Fan resumed his search for caves.

From what he learned online, caves were more likely found in relatively flat or gently sloping areas.

So Zhuang Fan took a small detour and finally spotted a cave on a platform near a ridge.

It was larger than the first one he’d seen.

But he didn’t rush in recklessly.

Instead, he gathered some small stones, found a hidden spot, and tossed the rocks into the cave.

Soon after, a piercing “Awooo~” howl echoed.

A bear’s cry?

A bear’s den?!

Zhuang Fan’s heart jumped in alarm, and without hesitation, he turned and fled.

The terrifying Crimson Bear had left a deep impression, and now the sound of a bear’s growl made him tremble.

After running a while, a sense of unease crept over him.

Though the sound resembled a bear’s cry, it was faint and lacked the usual intensity.

Compared to the Crimson Bear’s roar, it was more like the buzz of a mosquito.

Zhuang Fan looked up at the darkening sky, hesitated, and then decided to return and investigate further.