Since we are both reborn, of course I would choose the rich woman!

Chapter 292 What exactly is she planning to do? (6k views, please subscribe)

Outside the tent, the howling wind blew and the faint sound of wolves could be heard. Surprisingly, Lü Yao felt at ease in this environment.

It was as if only here could he escape the various troubles of human society.

In this almost absolute wilderness, Lü Yao seemed to finally be able to have a conversation with his true self.

Just as Lü Yao was thinking about all sorts of random things, Hu Xiaoyu's voice suddenly came through the walkie-talkie placed in the tent: "Lü Yao, Lü Yao, are you asleep?"

The walkie-talkie's sound was a bit distorted, but Hu Xiaoyu's fearful, slightly trembling voice carried through the conversation.

Lu Yao replied, "No, what's wrong?"

Then, after a pause, Lü Yao sensed that the person on the other end of the walkie-talkie had made up their mind, and Hu Xiaoyu's voice came through: "Will you come and sleep with me?"

Upon hearing Hu Xiaoyu's request, Lü Yao couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle.

Now you know why so many wealthy men like to enjoy outdoor activities and off-roading.

Off-roading also requires a good off-road vehicle to demonstrate its strength, and then it's possible to lure the socialites of the off-road community into the car and take them to experience speed and passion in every sense of the word.

But it's easier to eat outdoors.

In the vast, desolate wilderness, with no one around and only the wilderness howling, a campfire is lit a little later, a few drinks are consumed, and some short stories are told. The already somewhat interesting conversation easily progresses naturally.

Even if it's meaningless, when everyone else is in pairs and you're all alone in the tent, feeling the rough and cold air of the wilderness, wouldn't you want a warm embrace?

What if a guy who also had nothing to eat at this point ordered something on his own initiative?

Based on Lü Yao's limited outdoor experiences, the activities of people in this circle are truly astonishing.

However, Lü Yao didn't feel hungry this time, and he didn't expect Hu Xiaoyu to make such a request. So Lü Yao picked up the walkie-talkie and said jokingly, "Aren't you being bold? Aren't you afraid I'll do something?"

This time, there was a slightly longer silence on the other end of the walkie-talkie.

Then came Hu Xiaoyu's firm response from inside: "I believe you."

Lü Yao laughed: "But I don't even believe in myself."

This time, Hu Xiaoyu didn't remain silent. A slightly aggrieved voice came through the walkie-talkie: "But I'm a little scared..."

Ouch~
Who could stand this?!

Regardless of whether this was Hu Xiaoyu's scheme or not, Lü Yao compromised.

So he grabbed the walkie-talkie and said, "Wait for me, I'll pack my things and come over."

He crawled out of his warm sleeping bag, put on his clothes, grabbed his sleeping bag and folding bed, and brought a set of equipment to Hu Xiaoyu's tent.

When Lü Yao opened Hu Xiaoyu's tent, the biting, cold wind of the vast Sichuan wilderness immediately rushed into Hu Xiaoyu's tent, causing Hu Xiaoyu to instinctively bury his head in his sleeping bag.

After Lü Yao came in, he placed his bed next to Hu Xiaoyu's, and the two beds were pushed together to form a large bed.

Fortunately, the outdoor tent Hu Xiaoyu bought was a Mongolian yurt-style tent with a dense frame and a large space, so even with two beds together, it didn't feel crowded.

After the temperature inside the tent gradually warmed up with the help of the heater, Hu Xiaoyu poked his head out of his sleeping bag. Only his pretty head was sticking out, which looked a bit comical.

Hu Xiaoyu smiled at Lü Yao and said, "You're here."

Lü Yao laughed and said, "You would have almost cried if I hadn't come."

Hu Xiaoyu chuckled sheepishly, "It's not that exaggerated."

Lu Yao took off his coat and crawled into his sleeping bag. After squeezing next to Hu Xiaoyu, he said, "Okay, go to sleep early."

Hu Xiaoyu: "Mmm~"

Humming softly, Hu Xiaoyu leaned her head closer to Lü Yao, then closed her eyes with a faint smile.

Strange to say.

When Lü Yao arrived, the previously empty tent suddenly felt full. Even the cold wind that tried to squeeze in and the howling wolves that brought endless fear and fantasy were pushed away. An extremely reassuring feeling quickly lulled Hu Xiaoyu into a dream.

But Lü Yao was having trouble sleeping.

Beside him was a beautiful and charming woman. The tent itself wasn't particularly large for him. As the heater gradually raised the temperature inside the tent, Lü Yao felt as if the air had been drugged, making him feel hot.

Watching Hu Xiaoyu fall asleep quickly and even become sound asleep beside him, Lü Yao hesitated for almost half an hour before finally gently, very gently... leaning close to Hu Xiaoyu's head and gently kissing her forehead.

Hu Xiaoyu smelled very different.

It's not as gentle as Wang Shu, not as intense as Jian Xiaojie, not as playful as Gan Xiaoxi's scent with a hint of citrus and a touch of sweet and sour, and certainly not as fresh and cool as Rong Nianqing's scent, like an underwater glacier.

That was unique to Hu Xiaoyu, a light and refreshing scent like a carpet of grass under the sunlight.

After lingering beside Hu Xiaoyu for a moment, Lü Yao finally lay back down.

Actually he knows.

Even if he did something at that point, Hu Xiaoyu would probably only offer token resistance, and the rest would fall into place naturally.

But Lü Yao didn't want to do that.

Whether in his past life or this one, Lü Yao has wronged people, and more than one at that.

Even for a man like him whose conscience was shattered to pieces, whenever he dreamt of someone in the middle of the night or saw something that reminded him of someone, his shattered conscience would faintly show a tendency to come together, causing Lü Yao's heart to race, his blood pressure to rise, and his breathing to become rapid.

That feeling of palpitations, like being suddenly stabbed with a knife, was absolutely unbearable.

So later, Lü Yao basically made it clear to the women around him that they should only have physical intimacy and not emotional involvement, otherwise they shouldn't hang out together.

Having gone through that kind of mental torment, Lü Yao truly became honest after returning from studying abroad.

Although he also developed feelings for Wang Shu and Jian Xiaojie, they had already been through a lot and didn't understand the rules of the game among adults. Even if Lü Yao didn't say anything, they knew what to do.

But Hu Xiaoyu is different...

Like an exquisitely crafted yet incredibly fragile piece of thin-walled white porcelain, it naturally evokes the most primal protective instinct in people's hearts.

Lying next to Hu Xiaoyu, Lü Yao's mind was filled with all sorts of chaotic thoughts, so much so that even though he was lying down, he felt mentally exhausted, and in the end, he fell into a deep sleep due to this mental exhaustion.

……

The next day, Lü Yao was awakened by the rumbling sound of the tent.

The average altitude here is already quite high, the air is clearer, but the wind is also stronger. Even though the tent that Hu Xiaoyu bought is the heaviest kind, it still can't compare to a real Mongolian yurt in terms of stability and sturdiness.

Authentic Mongolian yurts are made with solid wood frames and thick wool felt coverings. They are essential for a family's life on the cold grasslands, and these outdoor gears can't compare.

When Lü Yao woke up, he looked around and found that Hu Xiaoyu's sleeping bag next to him was empty.

Lu Yao got up, changed his clothes, and went outside.

The bright, clean sunlight seemed to be poured directly from the sun. The clean air here elevated the brightness and saturation of the entire world to a whole new level, like someone who had been watching 780p videos on a low-end monitor for years suddenly seeing a super monitor with 8K ultra-high-definition picture quality.

It's just too cold here.

As he breathed, Lü Yao began to feel discomfort in his nasal cavity.

Lu Yao looked around and found Hu Xiaoyu sitting on the meadow beside the glacial river not far away, lost in thought.

Because it was winter, the meadows here were a withered brownish-yellow. The meadows themselves were not beautiful, but with the meadows as a backdrop, the azure glacial river and snow-capped mountains were not far away, along with the snow-covered slopes piled up on both sides of the glacier.

The strong contrast between the two colors creates an artistic resonance at this moment.

In this naturally formed artistic color scheme, Hu Xiaoyu, wearing a down jacket, sits between white and brown, with the orange down jacket becoming the most eye-catching part.

So, without bothering to get up early to wash up, Lü Yao quietly went to the supply truck, took out his camera, and recorded the scene.

After finishing all that, Lü Yao went to wash up by the boiled water.

After washing up, Lü Yao sat down next to Hu Xiaoyu with his camera and showed her the pictures he had just taken.

Hu Xiaoyu took it, looked at it, and praised with a smile, "It's really beautiful. You could be a photographer."

Lü Yao smiled.

He took the camera from Hu Xiaoyu, looked at the image on the camera screen, and frowned slightly, saying, "It's beautiful, but you seem a little lonely."

On the meadow, in front of the glacier, Hu Xiaoyu, leaning back in her camping chair, exuded a tremendous sense of coldness and desolation, so much so that she was so well-matched with the blue and white glacier and the withered brown meadow. Her orange down jacket further highlighted her temperament.

Hu Xiaoyu laughed when he heard Lü Yao say that, saying, "You're overthinking it."

"Come on, try my coffee."

As she spoke, Hu Xiaoyu began to get busy.

Although they say they're busy, they actually use machines to grind beans and brew coffee.

With the supply vehicle there, Hu Xiaoyu brought along many machines that were inconvenient to take to the field.

Moreover, Hu Xiaoyu's coffee-making skills were indeed quite good. The coffee had a rich aroma amidst its bitterness, making it a great way to refresh oneself in the morning. With the intake of caffeine, Lü Yao gradually began to truly "start working".

Hu Xiaoyu, who was standing next to him, laughed and asked, "Didn't you sleep well last night?"

Lü Yao laughed and said, "Then do you think I can sleep well? You have no idea how much I've suffered and how hard it's been for me."

Hu Xiaoyu was speechless.

She didn't know how to start a conversation.

She was deeply conflicted about Lü Yao, feeling both fear and longing... Honestly, if Lü Yao had really done something he shouldn't have, she probably wouldn't have truly refused him.

But both she and Lü Yao knew it.

It's easy to act impulsively, but what happens afterwards? Such impulsiveness can plunge a previously harmonious relationship into an abyss, leading to its end through mutual tug-of-war and attrition.

This was not what Hu Xiaoyu wanted, so she was truly grateful for Lü Yao's restraint.

So Hu Xiaoyu leaned against Lü Yao, resting her head on Lü Yao's shoulder, and the two of them quietly admired the glacier and snow scenery in front of them.

For a while.

Only the wind from western Sichuan blows around here, howling and wailing as if it were telling a story.

But in Hu Xiaoyu's heart...

She said "I'm sorry" a thousand times.

……

After they had enough of the cold wind, Lü Yao pulled Hu Xiaoyu back to the camp. Hu Xiaoyu's culinary urge kicked in again, and she started cooking steak and making steak sauce by the campfire. She even made a cream of mushroom soup to warm herself up.

She had a good grasp of the cooking time and seasoning of these Western dishes.

After a hot meal, the chill in everyone's bodies was dispelled. In the afternoon, Lü Yao and Hu Xiaoyu took the supply vehicle back to the RV and continued their journey along the Aba loop.

Unfortunately, at this time of year, many of Aba's beautiful landscapes lack color, appearing either as withered yellow grass or as snow-covered mountains.

Although the snow scene is beautiful at first glance, a world of pure white still looks a bit monotonous.

The autumn scenery of Gurgou, the red leaf area of ​​Miyaluo Town, and the otherworldly mountain and river scenery of Lianbaoyeze were all breathtaking. It wasn't until later, when Lü Yao and Hu Xiaoyu boarded the supply vehicle again, parked the bus and RV in a parking lot, and embarked on the Ganbai Road, that the scenery became colorful again.

The high-altitude lake in Lalongcuo Wetland Park resembles a huge, deep blue sapphire, and it is truly breathtaking from a distance.

The Zhuodala Mountain South is even more majestic and imposing. The strangely shaped rocks on both sides of the main road are also excellent scenery. Driving on this road is like suddenly traveling through a time tunnel and arriving in an alien world.

Because this place isn't very famous, its infrastructure development is underdeveloped, let alone commercial development.

As the year draws to a close, there's only one car, Lü Yao's, along this road for several kilometers.

So Hu Xiaoyu opened the sunroof of the car, spread his arms wide in the vast天地 (heaven and earth) and shouted, as if he could embrace the whole world in his arms.

After completing this route, Lü Yao and his group headed directly to Mount Siguniang.

Their trip involved several changes to their plans, but fortunately, Hu Xiaoyu and Lü Yao managed to schedule time, so the time wasn't too tight.

However, when we arrived near Mount Siguniang, the weather wasn't very good.

The gloomy weather seemed to foreshadow a blizzard or sleet, so Lü Yao and his group had no choice but to park their car in a town near Mount Siguniang and find a hotel to stay in.

By 2016, guesthouses and inns were no longer a niche business concept after more than a decade of development, and Lijiang was the place where guesthouses and inns had developed the best.

The guesthouse culture there is truly unique.

Lü Yao has been there many times.

You can get tired of seeing the old town there after just one visit, but the guesthouses and their owners are really interesting. Chatting with them always lets you learn a lot of things you didn't know before.

Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan have always been closely connected, so after the guesthouse and homestay culture became popular in Lijiang, guesthouses, homestays, fire pit bars, and folk music bars also began to take root and sprout in various towns and cities in Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan.

In places like Aba, which are rich in tourism resources, some far-sighted businessmen have already come to develop tourism businesses.

So, in the process of looking for a hotel, Hu Xiaoyu finally chose a local guesthouse.

This guesthouse truly lives up to its name; guests stay with the locals.

When Hu Xiaoyu and Lü Yao arrived with their backpacks, they saw a building full of Qiang ethnic style. The building itself was a house built of loess and stone blocks, but after being developed by outside businessmen, a lot of wooden structures were added.

Reconstructed wooden structures are both functional and decorative.

In addition, it was kept very clean inside and out, so it looked very charming.

When Lü Yao and his group arrived, the guesthouse manager came out to greet them from afar and helped them with their luggage. Once inside the local family's house, they found that it was indeed very nicely decorated.

The walls in the room are clean and flat, and each guest room is covered with a layer of local-style mud paste that has been sprayed with a transparent coating, giving it a very natural feel.

In addition, the room is furnished with various Qiang ethnic musical instruments, such as sheepskin drums and shoulder bells.

Even the curtains and some decorations in the room are made of Qiang ethnic cloth.

of course.

This thoughtfully designed guesthouse isn't cheap, costing 1,200 yuan a night. Even ten years later, that wouldn't be considered low. However, in 2016, although the area had begun to be commercialized, those who could afford to stay here were usually people with a bit of money.

So the tourism business here is quite good.

Just like in Lijiang, the guesthouse managers and locals here are very warm and hospitable. They even specially invited Lü Yao and his group to have dinner together.

After dinner, Lü Yao chatted with the guesthouse manager and the owners of the guesthouse in a greenhouse in the courtyard.

However, the actual owners of this guesthouse don't speak much Mandarin, so Lü Yao mainly chatted with the guesthouse manager. The actual owners of the guesthouse were just there as background figures; they were part of the services provided by the guesthouse.

Because everyone had different experiences and perspectives, in order to continue the pleasant conversation, the men quickly started talking about women and their romantic escapades during their travels.

Hu Xiaoyu didn't like listening to these things, so she went to chat with the host's little girl.

Hu Xiaoyu and the little girl from the guesthouse got along better and better, and gradually the two leaned against each other, chatting and laughing.

After chatting for a while, Lü Yao leaned over and asked, "What are you talking about that makes you so happy?"

This Qiang girl has a very healthy wheat-colored face, with the rosy cheeks left by living at high altitudes for a long time. In this warm greenhouse, under the bright red firelight, the rosy cheeks on the Qiang girl's face are even more radiant.

This gives her a vibrant, primal vitality.

Upon seeing Lü Yao approach, the Qiang girl eagerly replied, "Sister is telling me about the outside world. The outside world not only has skyscrapers, but you can also go to far, far away places, and there are many foreign countries too."

Lu Yao smiled and asked, "What's your name? How old are you?"

The Qiang girl smiled and said, "My name is Ayi, and I'm sixteen years old!"

Lu Yao smiled and said, "You're a big girl now. When you're a little older, you can go out and see what the world is like."

Ayi's previously vibrant expression suddenly turned somewhat gloomy.

She wilted: "But my parents won't let me go out. I want to stay here, get married, have children, and start a family."

This was something Lü Yao couldn't handle.

Is this something a sixteen-year-old girl could say?
Sixteen years old!
Why even think about marriage and having kids?

Lu Yao was speechless for a moment, while Hu Xiaoyu gently stroked Ayi's thick, shiny braid with pity.

As the campfire burned quietly, the auras of Hu Xiaoyu and Ayi resonated with each other.

They seemed to share a common sympathy for something...

After a pause, Lü Yao said, "If you want to go out and see the world, I can help you. Everyone should go out and see the world eventually."

As he spoke, Lü Yao found paper and pen and wrote down his private number for Ayi: "When you turn eighteen, if you still want to go out and see the world, just call me, and I'll come to help you no matter how far away you are."

For some reason, Lü Yao felt very determined at this moment, and even felt an impulse that he couldn't explain.

He wanted to do something!
It's not just for Ayi.

For Ayi, helping her go out into the world was an incredibly simple thing.

So he wasn't helping Ayi, but what exactly he was helping was a jumbled mess in Lü Yao's mind, impossible to explain.

Ayi's eyes sparkled as she held the slip of paper with Lü Yao's number on it, as if it weren't just a slip of paper with a number, but a ticket to the world.

Seeing Ayi regain her vibrant life, Lü Yao felt a great deal of relief from the inexplicable panic in his heart.

Hu Xiaoyu looked at Ayi with a mixture of relief and pity.

As the night deepened and everyone fell asleep, Lü Yao opened the window to let the cold wind blow in, hoping to use its power to clear his mind of the chaotic thoughts.

He realized...

Hu Xiaoyu's arrangement for Lü Yao seems to be more complicated than it appears.

Lü Yao had already noticed this when they were in Bipenggou.

As they got closer to Mount Siguniang, Lü Yao's unease grew stronger.

Hu Xiaoyu is definitely up to something.

But what is she going to do?

With his experience studying abroad, Lü Yao has a very forward-looking perspective on the trends of the situation at the University of Tokyo and even in parts of the world. In addition, with so much learning and experience in both his past and present lives, Lü Yao believes that he has also made considerable progress in interpersonal relationships, understanding people's hearts, and analyzing situations.

But all his abilities seemed to fail when facing Hu Xiaoyu.

He seemed to have never truly understood Hu Xiaoyu, let alone guessed what Hu Xiaoyu was planning to do.

Lu Yao felt extremely uneasy.

He couldn't even tell whether this unease stemmed from Hu Xiaoyu's unpredictable unknown or from the unfathomable future... All of Lü Yao's previous self-perceived understanding of women failed him at this moment.

Lu Yao couldn't help but look towards Hu Xiaoyu's room on the other side.

A faint light shone from Hu Xiaoyu's room, and in the howling cold wind, all was quiet there...

Just like her thoughts.

(End of this chapter)