From humble beginnings to the pinnacle of life

These words struck me unexpectedly, and my mouth opened slightly, leaving me speechless for a moment.

Luo Peng, standing to the side, couldn't hold back and lowered his head to chuckle secretly.

Then Wang Ge said, "How about we postpone it a bit, and leave at 5:30? Is that alright?"

Su Qing then showed a satisfied expression: "Wang Ge is still the most considerate and reliable."

After a simple dinner, everyone returned to their assigned guest rooms to rest.

The sound of the rushing water of the Zheduo River outside the window drifted into the room intermittently, neither too loud nor too soft, like a recurring melody.

I sat on the bed and looked through the travel plans for the next day, with Batang as my destination.

The two places are only 400 kilometers apart, but the navigation system estimates the travel time to be a full ten hours.

It's easy to imagine that the mountain roads along the way are winding, and this is the estimated time assuming the entire journey is unobstructed and there are no traffic jams.

I opened a short video app and searched for the latest road condition information for this road in western Sichuan.

Just then, Luo Peng came out of the bathroom after washing up, holding a towel to dry his hair.

He said with a playful tone, "Brother Lin, from what I've observed, Su Qing is probably interested in you."

I put down my phone, glanced at him, and said, "Why did you say that out of the blue? Don't cause trouble!"

Luo Peng chuckled mischievously and continued, "I heard her clearly when she said she was putting on makeup for you."

I was both amused and exasperated, and said, "You actually took her jokes seriously? You don't know her. This girl can say anything, no matter how witty."

Luo Peng stubbornly shook his head: "But I always feel that you two are very destined for each other and it is very likely that you will end up together."

"Absolutely impossible," I waved my hand dismissively. "Even if she really had feelings for me, I would find it hard to adapt to her outgoing and unconventional personality."

"If that's the case, why don't you give me the opportunity?" Luo Peng joked sheepishly.

I replied with a smile, "If you're confident you can win her over, feel free to go for it. I can even put in a good word for you with her."

Luo Peng quickly waved his hand and backed away: "I was just joking. I know my place. A girl as beautiful as Su Qing is way out of my league."

"Don't be ashamed. How will you know the final result if you don't try?"

Luo Peng slowly sat on the bed, the playful expression on his face fading, and he earnestly began to confide his innermost thoughts:

"I was just joking. Actually, I've had a girl I like for a long time."

"Who is it?" I asked curiously in a low voice.

Luo Peng immediately leaned closer, as if afraid the people in the next room would hear, and whispered:

"Who else could it be but Chen Yunqing, who was in the same car as me!"

My gossip-loving interest was instantly piqued, and I exclaimed in surprise, "Really? You actually have a crush on her? I thought you preferred the gentle and quiet type."

"She's a really nice person, with great looks and a great temperament, both cool and composed."

Luo Peng's eyes held an undisguised smile, and his tone was exceptionally serious.

I teased, drawing out my words, "So you're into this kind of thing!"

"Keep your voice down!"

Luo Peng quickly raised his hand to signal me to be quiet, and nervously looked at the wall.

"The girls live next door. The walls have ears, and it would be too embarrassing if they heard us."

He paused, his joking expression fading, and said seriously, "I was in the same car with her all day today. She's incredibly meticulous and not at all pretentious. When I got sleepy and started daydreaming while driving this afternoon, she immediately offered to let me rest."

I rolled my eyes at him and teased him with a look of disdain, "You're so pathetic! Our team takes turns driving and looks out for each other; it's just our job. You're so easily swayed?"

Luo Peng quickly added, "It wasn't just this one thing. When we stopped at a service area to rest, I waited in the car without getting out, and she went to the restroom by herself. When she came back, she even brought me snacks and water, but I didn't let her bring them. She was just taking care of me."

Luo Peng is easily moved by these little things, and so am I.

Luo Peng and I are both ordinary people who have never had a serious relationship, and we are simple-minded.

We are rarely treated with care and gentleness from childhood to adulthood, so as long as someone is willing to consider our feelings, we will remember it for a long time and be moved for a long time.

I understood Luo Peng, nodded to him, and said, "Since you like her, then you should try your best to win her over in the next two months."

Luo Peng smiled broadly, his eyes crinkling with anticipation, and said, "If I could really win her over, I'd be laughing in my sleep."

After saying that, he lay down on the bed, waved his hand, and said, "That's enough, that's enough. Let's go to sleep early; we have to get up early to travel tomorrow. At least I have some material for my dreams tonight. I'm going to sleep now!"

Seeing his cheerful expression, I smiled helplessly and stopped talking to him.

Thinking that tomorrow we will officially enter the high-altitude plateau region, and the road conditions will be complicated from then on, it will be difficult to have a comfortable hot shower again.

Wang Ge specifically reminded everyone in the group to make sure they are clean and tidy tonight.

I got up, went into the bathroom, and took a nice hot shower.

When I came out after drying my hair, Luo Peng was already fast asleep and snoring.

I lay down on the bed, closed my eyes to rest, and soon fell into a deep sleep.

At 5:30 a.m. the next morning, it was still pitch black.

The entire valley was still shrouded in thick darkness, with only a few streetlights casting a faint glow.

The alarm clock rang on time, and I sat up.

Luo Peng had finished washing up and was squatting by the bed tying his shoelaces.

He looked up and glanced at me, saying, "Brother Lin, hurry up and get ready! Brother Wang got up a long time ago and is already warming up the car in the yard."

I didn't dare to delay, so I rubbed my sleepy eyes and rushed into the bathroom to wash my face.

The cool mountain spring water splashed on my face, instantly waking me up.

After changing into my windbreaker and going downstairs, I thought I was early enough, but to my surprise, Su Qing was already standing in the yard.

Today she changed into a dark outdoor windbreaker, and her long hair was tied up in a neat high ponytail, looking refreshing and capable.

Her face was covered with a light layer of makeup that gave the illusion of a natural, bare face. It was delicate and natural, subtly making her eyebrows and eyes appear even more lively and beautiful.

Everyone was there, but I was the last one to come downstairs.

As soon as Su Qing saw me coming, she immediately switched to her sarcasm mode.

"You were the most enthusiastic about leaving yesterday, and today you were the last one to get up and the last one to come downstairs. Lin Ye, you're really something!"

She gestured towards the outside of the yard with her chin: "Look at Brother Wang, professionals are reliable, he already checked the car's condition."

I looked at her helplessly and said, "Su Qing, do you feel uncomfortable if you don't say something to me every day?"

"I'm just telling the truth," she said, raising her chin confidently.

I was too lazy to argue with her, so I went straight to Brother Wang and carefully checked the entire itinerary, road conditions, risks, and parking locations with him.

After verifying that everything was correct, Brother Wang solemnly instructed everyone:

"I have reinforced and secured all the supplies. Today we are crossing Zheduo Mountain. The fog is extremely thick in the mountains this morning, and there are many bends with poor visibility. Everyone must follow the vehicle in front closely, maintain a safe distance, and overtaking on bends is strictly prohibited."

Everyone nodded in agreement, and I quickly returned to the car.