Chapter 38
There weren’t many people in high school who ever showed Xia Fengsheng kindness.
Jing Changyu was one of them.
Back in high school, Xia Fengsheng was not someone who liked talking in class, nor was he enthusiastic about participating in group activities. Or rather, his information channels were too cut off. At school, all he did was study or sleep. After classes he worked, and at night he reviewed his lessons. So break time became the only time he had to catch up on sleep, which meant he didn’t even know about a lot of the fun group activities Class One held.
On top of that, because he got into too many fights and caused too much trouble, most of his classmates were a little afraid of him. No one took the initiative to get close to him. In a whole semester, a classmate might not exchange more than a sentence or two with him.
But Jing Changyu sought him out every time.
“Xia, have you signed up for sports day yet? Is there anything you want to join?”
“Xia, everyone in the stage play gets a role. I’ll add one for you.”
“Xia…”
“Xia…”
Jing Changyu invited him to all kinds of activities and never left him out. Even when Xia Fengsheng’s reactions were flat, Jing Changyu would still warmly invite him to take part in class performances, sports day events, and so on.
Jing Changyu had upright, handsome features, stood over six feet tall, and was upright, kind, warm, and gentle. He was an excellent class monitor, and when someone was being bullied, he would step forward without hesitation. He had a strong sense of justice and had been a very dazzling presence in high school.
Because of that kindness and uprightness, the moment Jing Changyu recognized Xia Fengsheng at first glance, Xia Fengsheng recognized him too.
In the blurred memories of high school, Jing Changyu had been a good person.
After the college entrance exam, there had been no more news of Xia Fengsheng. Jing Changyu never expected to meet him here. His usually steady voice carried a trace of excitement. “Do you still remember me? We were in the same class in high school.”
Shi Ye stood off to the side watching the two of them. Since Xia Fengsheng had amnesia, how could he possibly remember? If he did, that would be the real haunting.
Shi Ye helped explain for him. “Sorry, he was in an accident not long ago and lost his memory. Everything from high school…”
Xia Fengsheng, beside him, said, “Mm, I have a vague impression.”
Shi Ye: O.O
His nose suddenly reddened.
“I didn’t think you’d still remember me.” Jing Changyu smiled. His voice was like a clear mountain spring. “Xia, it’s been many years.”
As he watched the two chatting happily, Shi Ye petrified on the spot.
So what you’re saying is, after falling and losing his memory, Xia Fengsheng doesn’t remember the person he dated in high school, doesn’t remember his parents, teachers, or classmates, but does remember the class monitor who played basketball on the court during the high school basketball games.
The corners of Shi Ye’s mouth rose involuntarily. When people were speechless enough, they really did laugh. Looking at Xia Fengsheng chatting with Jing Changyu, Shi Ye thought:
Hanging himself would take less effort if the knot were tighter.
Jing Changyu had already had outstanding grades in high school. Since childhood, he had dreamed of becoming a journalist. He was directly admitted into Tsing University’s journalism program and worked furiously there as well, developing excellent professional ability.
He was now a National Geographic reporter, traveling around the world on the company’s dime for work, providing material and writing for all kinds of world landform magazines.
Every now and then he also interviewed people from all over the world, recorded natural terrain and landscapes, and stayed busy from the beginning of the year to the end. Now that he finally had some time off, he had come to the hot spring resort to rest and relax.
But part of the reason he had come here to vacation was also tied to work—though not heavy work, just something he could handle along the way.
Looking at the two of them, Jing Changyu said, “Have you eaten yet? Let’s have a meal together.”
Shi Ye had been in Class Six in the first and second years of high school. It was only after the class reshuffle based on grades in senior year that he ended up in the same class as the other two. But barely a month into senior year, he had transferred back to the capital, so he hadn’t spent much time with Jing Changyu.
It happened to be lunchtime, and neither Xia Fengsheng nor Shi Ye had eaten. Faced with Jing Changyu’s invitation, Shi Ye expressed very strong refusal.
Unfortunately, his refusal was invalid. Xia Fengsheng held veto power.
So even if Shi Ye was unwilling in a hundred different ways, he still had to go eat lunch with Jing Changyu.
Grumbling in resentment, Shi Ye followed behind the two of them while they chatted and laughed in front.
Hello, guess who’s the couple and who’s the old classmate.
Before his revenge arc had even gotten halfway, who knew how many Cheng Yaojins had already jumped out along the way.
Shi Ye—why was happiness always so fragile.
The three of them sat down in the restaurant at the hot spring resort and ordered food.
While waiting, Xia Fengsheng’s phone suddenly buzzed with a message. It was from Lin Xingcan.
Lin Xingcan: “Why did you mail me a card?”
Early that morning, Lin Xingcan had received an envelope.
When he opened it, he found a bank card inside, with no PIN.
Who in the world randomly mailed someone a card for no reason? After checking the sender info, he discovered it was from Xia Fengsheng.
When a yellow weasel paid New Year’s respects to a chicken, there was definitely no good intention behind it. Lin Xingcan immediately pulled out his phone and contacted Xia Fengsheng to figure out exactly why he’d mailed him a card.
Xia Fengsheng replied: “I recently made a bit of money and wanted to send you a little bonus. Sending it online wouldn’t show enough sincerity, and mailing cash wouldn’t be safe, so I mailed a card instead.”
Lin Xingcan’s eyes widened when he saw the message.
To who?
Me?!
Xia Fengsheng actually made money and wanted to send him a bonus?!
Lin Xingcan was flattered and astonished. He had never imagined that now Xia Fengsheng had made it, he still hadn’t forgotten him, his former mortal enemy. Holding the card in his hand, he couldn’t help but feel moved.
How could a mortal enemy be a friend?
A mortal enemy was a friend!
Xia Fengsheng: “The PIN is six zeroes.”
Lin Xingcan was overwhelmed with emotion and was just about to reply that he’d spend it well, when another message came in before he could send it.
Xia Fengsheng: “So is the balance.”
Lin Xingcan: ……
Go to hell!!!!!!!!
After replying, Xia Fengsheng set his phone face-down on the table. The dishes arrived, and the three of them began eating.
While eating, Jing Changyu asked, “I’ve got work this afternoon. Want to come watch?”
Xia Fengsheng asked, “Work?”
He hadn’t expected Jing Changyu to still have work to do even here at the hot spring resort.
Thinking of his profession, Xia Fengsheng asked, “Are you photographing the landforms here?”
Jing Changyu shook his head. “It’s an interview. A friend of mine works in social news, but he had something come up and couldn’t make it over here, so I’m helping out. It’s a big story. The two of you can come watch too.”
Jing Changyu’s work started at one in the afternoon.
At exactly one o’clock, the hot spring resort suddenly filled with police cars.
Officers and armed units stormed the VIP area and arrested a middle-aged man who had been in the middle of eating pastries.
The man was in his forties and corrupt to the core. He didn’t just embezzle the national road construction funds—he also pocketed student subsidies, elderly pension support payments, and anything else he could get his hands on.
No sum was too small to steal. If it could be taken, he took it.
Jing Changyu had arranged a perfect viewing position for Xia Fengsheng and Shi Ye in advance: clear sightlines, no obstruction, a front-row angle for watching the corrupt official get arrested.
The moment the official was caught, the plainclothes reporters who had been strolling around nearby instantly rushed forward.
The janitor threw down his mop and pulled a microphone out of a trash can. A chef from the kitchen came running out with a camera on his shoulder, his eyes full of hunger for tomorrow’s headlines.
Yesterday, the two of them getting swept up in an anti-vice police raid and brought to the station had already seemed like life was full enough.
Who knew there were even greater experts in life than that.
Even though Jing Changyu was a landform reporter, when it came to doing social news, he handled it with complete ease.
There he was, pressing southern media under one hand and stepping over eastern reporters with the other, determined to secure the best footage for his station.
Holding his mic, he strode after the corrupt official being escorted by police. The microphone was his weapon, and language was his blade.
“You steal money from students and the people—if you were a dog, even dogs wouldn’t want to associate with you, right?”
“What are you covering your face for? You know that greedy pig face of yours isn’t photogenic anyway.”
“Getting on in years, and your skin’s only grown thicker.”
“Say something. Why aren’t you saying anything? Been out of practice being human so long you’ve forgotten how to speak human language?”
“You think I’m going to ask why you embezzled, what your motives were, or your mental state? Guess again. Nobody cares.”
Jing Changyu wore a suit and leather shoes, and the moment he opened his mouth it was pure fragrant profanity.
Xia Fengsheng: ……
Shi Ye: ……
This wasn’t an interview. This was pure emotional release.
After the work was over, Jing Changyu came back over.
“So? Didn’t that feel great?”
Xia Fengsheng: ……
Whether it felt great for others was debatable, but Jing Changyu himself had definitely had a blast.
Once the interview was done, he felt all the pressure from his previous work had vanished in one go.
This anti-corruption arrest had the hot spring resort cooperating as well. The resort manager was just sitting there waiting to look beautiful on the news, letting the national broadcast station give the resort a free wave of publicity.
To celebrate the capture of the corrupt official, the resort spontaneously organized a fireworks treasure hunt.
A corrupt official had been arrested—it called for a few fireworks in celebration.
The mountain air was fresh and pleasant, and in order not to pollute it, the “fireworks” were just handfuls of little sparklers.
The fireworks hunt was like holding a treasure map and searching for buried treasure. The resort handed every participant a map, a portable locator, and a pager.
That way players could enjoy the treasure-hunt fun while still having their personal safety guaranteed.
The “fireworks” had been hidden along the resort’s developed mountain paths. If you followed the map, you could find them. It wasn’t difficult, and you could enjoy the mountain scenery along the way.
Every two rooms formed one team, with two people per team.
And just like that, Jing Changyu came over holding a lottery stick. “Looks like our two rooms got grouped together.”
Shi Ye: ……
He looked down at the lottery stick in his own hand that matched Jing Changyu’s.
Damn these hands!
The mountain paths were very safe. The maps the resort drew only included roads with steps and developed walkways.
The event was about to begin, and the selected competitors stood at the starting point.
Among the whole crowd, Shi Ye and Jing Changyu stood out like cranes among chickens.
Blessed with naturally excellent looks, both their faces looked as finely carved as sculptures. Their styles were different—one sunny and bright, the other scholarly and accomplished.
This was the north, and the temperature was cold. Most participants were wearing either down jackets or fur coats.
Seeing the fur coats people ahead were wearing, Shi Ye and Jing Changyu decisively turned around and went back to their rooms to change into furry outerwear too.
When they came back, the two of them were fluffy all over.
At twenty-four, it was the age to care about looking good.
Jing Changyu paired his outfit with sunglasses, while Shi Ye also wore LV shades on his head. Not only that, his sharply outlined, veined neck was accessorized with a heavy metal chain.
Their strong, angular features made them both striking to look at. When the two emerged from the VIP area, it was like a runway show.
Within half a meter of where they stood, no one in the crowd dared come near. It felt like one glance at them would require eating silica gel afterward.
The whistle blew, and the competing teams began setting off one after another.
Since taking part in the competition would interfere with afternoon tea, Xia Fengsheng decisively gave up. There was no way he would sacrifice precious rest time to go play some treasure-hunt mini game.
Holding the map, Shi Ye and Jing Changyu walked along the course.
Both of them wore locators on their chests. The locators also had recording functions, and after the event participants could take them home to watch later as a keepsake.
The map twisted and turned and was a little complicated. Shi Ye was holding it, trying to figure out which route to take, when Jing Changyu suddenly patted him on the shoulder.
Shi Ye asked, “What?”
Jing Changyu pointed toward a little trail through the woods. “Look, there’s a path through there.”
That path wasn’t on the map at all. The map marked every route that participants were allowed to take, so if a route wasn’t marked, it clearly wasn’t part of the proper course. Even if you took it, it wouldn’t count.
But with one glance, you could see several other participants crossing on the far side of the wooded trail.
It was a shortcut.
Jing Changyu’s eyes lit up. “Let’s cheat.”
Shi Ye: Is that right?
Where had his sense of justice gone? Back in high school, hadn’t Jing Changyu been really upright? How had he grown up with such thick skin, cheating so openly now?
The locator was still recording.
Jing Changyu lowered his voice. “In a minute, let’s cover the locator while we go through. Once we get across, we can uncover it again.”
Shi Ye, stunned silly: ……
The locator had a recording function. If Xia Fengsheng later took it back to watch, then if he saw Jing Changyu cheating, wouldn’t that hand him blackmail material?!
Xia Fengsheng remembered Jing Changyu. Once he had dirt on him, what would he do?
Shi Ye: the more I think about it, the more terrifying it gets.jpg
Jing Changyu raised his leg, about to head over.
Shi Ye grabbed him in one motion. “No!”
Jing Changyu shamelessly asked, “Why not?”
Shi Ye’s eye twitched. What exactly are you fooling around for?
Why not? Was cheating something to be proud of? Sure, Shi Ye had cheated before too, but he had deeply reflected on it. He held Jing Changyu back, trying to make him turn back before it was too late.
Was this really something a National Geographic reporter should be doing?
Work over, time to completely let himself go?
After thinking about it, Shi Ye said only a few words:
“The Olympic spirit.”
The Olympic spirit: mutual understanding, lasting friendship, solidarity, and fair competition.
Holding firmly to the last one, the two of them continued studying the map and proceeded through the competition honestly.
But for some reason, the more they walked, the more the stone path became dirt path, and then the forest trail had no trail left—just forest.
At the start of the treasure hunt, there had been a whole group of people.
Now there were only Shi Ye and Jing Changyu.
The two of them looked together at the map.
Yay. They were lost.
.
The resort had calculated the event timing carefully.
The routes they designed weren’t long. Walking there and back should take about an hour.
Even the slowest participants should have returned within two hours.
The event began at two in the afternoon, and the official end time was four. In winter, around four o’clock was exactly when the setting sun made everything look picturesque.
The event was meant to finish before dark. Safety: full marks.
Yet now, with four o’clock fast approaching, there were still two people who hadn’t come back.
Xia Fengsheng, who had been sitting in the VIP area enjoying the magnificent view outside, suddenly heard a sharp shriek.
“What do you mean, lost?!”
The resort manager clutched his head with both hands. “How could they be lost? Every single person had a map, and a locator, and a radio.”
The manager grabbed the operations manager by the clothes and shook him wildly. “How could they be lost? Tell me! Tell me!”
The operations manager was being shaken into afterimages.
With that arm strength, if the resort manager ever quit his job, he could probably go shake cocktails for a living.
He had only wanted to celebrate catching a corrupt official in style, and instead one burst of extroversion had given him lifelong introversion in return.
The manager: “The locators! Find them right now! Find where they are exactly!”
Still rattling at high speed, the operations manager said, “It’s too cold outside. The locators shut themselves down automatically.”
The manager shook him even faster.
At that moment, another employee came running over in a panic. “This is bad! Another one’s gone!”
The resort manager’s eyes flew wide, so wide they looked as though they were about to pop straight out of his skull.
.
Meanwhile, on the other side—
Shi Ye and Jing Changyu stood in the woods, both highly alert and ready to bolt at any second while something rustled in the grass nearby.
Shi Ye asked, “Is it a bear?”
Jing Changyu swallowed. “I don’t know.”
The next moment, someone with curly instant-noodle hair and explorer goggles on his head popped out of the bushes.
The curly-haired man looked delighted to see them. “What a coincidence. You guys got lost too?”
The three of them stood together and began studying the map, not panicking in the slightest over being lost. Instead, they calmly analyzed why they’d gotten lost when they had clearly followed the map.
Jing Changyu soothed everyone’s nerves. “It’s fine. We’ve got locators. They’ll find us soon enough.”
The curly-haired explorer held up his locator, which had frozen itself dead from the cold. “It’s shut off.”
Shi Ye checked his own and discovered it wasn’t responding either.
“Tuck it inside your clothes and warm it with body heat,” Shi Ye said.
The other two did as instructed.
.
Elsewhere—
The resort manager had already begun pulling up the information on the missing guests.
The moment he saw Shi Ye’s background, he nearly blacked out and fainted on the spot.
Mother: high-ranking official.
Father: famous wealthy businessman at home and abroad.
The maternal grandfather’s side: a family of officials for generations.
And on top of that, Shi Ye himself had a special-forces background.
The second missing person was an outstanding Tsing University graduate and a National Geographic reporter—the very same person who had shot the Rift Valley footage the manager himself had watched not long ago.
The third was an already famous mountain explorer on YouTube.
The resort manager froze in place.
So what you’re telling me is, a former special-forces soldier, a National Geographic reporter, and a wilderness adventurer all managed to get lost in a tiny treasure-hunt game?
Ha… haha… hahahahahahahahaha.
The manager’s legs gave out and he dropped to his knees, both hands raised to the sky.
No—please don’t get lost!
The three people most likely to survive danger had gotten lost under conditions of no danger at all. The manager felt as though the heavens were collapsing.
Most of the participants had already returned, yet Shi Ye and Jing Changyu still hadn’t appeared.
It was obvious they were among the missing.
Xia Fengsheng walked over and looked at the increasingly shattered resort staff. Then he asked the operations manager, who’d just been violently shaken, “Are you okay?”
The operations manager covered his mouth. “A little carsick.”
Compared to the people actually connected to the missing guests, the resort manager and operations manager were even more distressed than Xia Fengsheng.
The manager said, nerves strung taut, “You’re Mr. Shi’s friend, aren’t you? I’m truly so sorry. Mr. Shi lost his way during this activity, but please rest assured—we will absolutely spare no effort in finding him.”
Xia Fengsheng, on the other hand, looked not the slightest bit panicked.
The manager froze when he saw his reaction. Why was he so calm? Had he maybe taken out an insurance policy on the man and written himself in as the beneficiary?
Xia Fengsheng said without hurry or panic, “They won’t be in danger.”
Just as the manager had found in the background check, Shi Ye’s family background was extremely powerful.
He personally carried around a phone that looked like some elderly person’s old handset, but in reality cost over a million.
Shi Ye always carried that phone with him. Even somewhere without signal, like out on the sea, it could still place calls.
If he ran into danger, he only had to make one call and a helicopter would come rescue him.
But then the resort manager said something else, and Xia Fengsheng’s expression abruptly changed.
He immediately started searching for Shi Ye’s number and called him. He remembered that Shi Ye seemed to have saved that expensive phone’s number for him.
.
Elsewhere, the three-man outdoor squad had started using their natural strengths to find a way back.
After realizing the map wasn’t much use, they only determined the general direction of the resort, then decisively abandoned the map.
The adventurer took out a compass, and the three of them prepared to advance by following the compass’s guidance.
Shi Ye was idly wondering whether Xia Fengsheng would worry about him or show concern now that he was lost.
The next second, a phone call came in.
Shi Ye took out the expensive “old man phone” and looked.
Xia Fengsheng.
He really had called!
Shi Ye’s mouth curved upward. He really was worried about him—otherwise why call him instead of Jing Changyu? Was it just because Jing Changyu’s phone had no signal?
He answered, preparing to hear Xia Fengsheng’s concern.
Xia Fengsheng said:
“Take off the fur coat. There are hunters in the mountains.”
Shi Ye: ……
