From humble beginnings to the pinnacle of life

The reason I went along with Su Qing's little thoughts was not because I indulged her in everything, but because this matter was not a matter of principle.

I hope I can do things according to her wishes so that she won't cause me any trouble with her little mood swings along the way.

The convoy slowly drove out of Yajiang city, and the winding mountain road came into view.

A cold wind seeped in through the cracks in the car window, carrying the unique, biting chill of a high-altitude morning.

The canyon walls are covered with dense coniferous trees, and the morning sun shines through the gaps in the mountain ridge, casting streaks of light and shadow on the winding road.

The car hadn't gone far when Wang Ge's voice came through the walkie-talkie:

"Teammates, please pay attention to the road conditions ahead. We will soon reach the 318 scenic spot, the 'Eighteen Bends of the Sky Road.' After arriving at the mountaintop viewing platform, we will stop for a rest and everyone can use the restroom."

"receive!"

Luo Peng and I responded simultaneously.

As the vehicle began to climb the hill, Su Qing took out her phone and used a phone holder to adjust the angle of the live stream camera.

She looked at the winding mountain road ahead, then spoke lightly to the camera:

Good morning everyone, we're continuing our journey today, and our first stop is the famous "Eighteen Bends of the Heavenly Road"...

As the altitude continued to rise, I experienced mild altitude sickness. Fortunately, the symptoms were mild, with only a slight tightness in my chest.

Before long, we arrived at the mountaintop viewing platform without incident.

The moment the car came to a complete stop and the door was opened, a biting cold wind rushed in, making one shiver.

Su Qing, seemingly unfazed by the cold, jumped out of the car wearing a windbreaker without an inner lining and started a live broadcast outdoors with her phone.

Wang Ge and Su Wan remained safely in the car, while everyone else got out and stood on the viewing platform to overlook the scenery below.

The five large characters "Tianlu Shibawan" (Eighteen Bends of the Heavenly Road) are eye-catching, and the winding bends are all in sight, creating a magnificent and breathtaking view.

We didn't linger there long, just took a quick photo, and returned to our cars after using the restroom.

Su Qing remained focused on the live stream, her face flushed red from the cold, it was hard to tell whether it was from the cold mountain wind or from being too excited during the live stream.

She was full of youthful energy and didn't treat live streaming as a mandatory task at all; she just thought it was new and fun.

The altitude readings continued to rise, and I glanced down at the car's altimeter.

Since leaving Yajiang County, the altitude has risen by more than 2,000 meters, and has now exceeded 4,000 meters.

Fortunately, there was no snow on the mountaintop, and a light sleet was falling from the sky.

Wang Ge's serious voice came through the walkie-talkie: "Attention everyone, the weather ahead is bad, it's raining and snowing, the road is slippery, please increase the following distance to prevent vehicles from skidding and rolling downhill."

Although our off-road vehicles are powerful and more than capable of handling icy and snowy roads, as a professional guide, Brother Wang would repeatedly emphasize every safety detail.

After reaching the highest peak, the signal in the mountains was intermittent, sometimes not at all, so Su Qing had to turn off the live streaming equipment.

Thick fog blanketed the outside of the window, obscuring all view and completely swallowing up distant scenery.

Ah Qiu's voice came through the walkie-talkie: "It's such a pity. If the weather were clear, the scenery here would be perfect for filming. Now that there's a thick fog, we can only keep going."

As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Ge added, "The fog ahead is getting thicker and thicker. All vehicles should turn on their fog lights and slow down."

Everyone responded in unison. I put down the walkie-talkie and turned to look at Su Qing beside me.

After turning off the live stream, she remained quiet and didn't say a word.

At first, I thought she was just physically and mentally exhausted after the live stream.

Upon closer inspection, her brows were furrowed, one hand was tightly clutching her lower abdomen, and she looked uncomfortable.

I quickly asked, "What's wrong? Is your stomach acting up again?"

"Hmm, I suddenly need to go to the bathroom again."

"Still having diarrhea? Is this never going to end?"

She pouted, looking aggrieved: "Who would have thought the reaction would be so severe? I should have known better than to eat those snacks and treats in the first place."

"It's too late to regret it now; you were enjoying your food immensely."

Su Qing's abdominal discomfort intensified, and she anxiously waved her hand at me, urging, "Stop nagging me! Pull over and park the car right now, I really can't take it anymore."

Looking out at the thick, white fog, I asked in astonishment, "This is the middle of nowhere, in the middle of nowhere, where are you going to relieve yourself?"

Su Qing frowned uncomfortably, not caring about propriety at all, and said urgently, "I can't worry about that anymore, I really can't hold it in anymore, stop the car right now!"

Seeing her pale face and the way she was trying to suppress her discomfort, I didn't dare to say anything more and immediately stepped on the brakes to stop the car on the side of the road.

Before the car had even come to a complete stop and before she could even pull the handbrake, Su Qing impatiently pushed open the car door and rushed out.

The fog in the mountains was incredibly thick, with visibility at most ten meters. Everything around was a white blur, and even the outlines of the surroundings were not clearly visible.

The entire mountain road was deserted; not a single car could be seen in sight, it was eerily silent.

I quickly leaned out and shouted in her direction, "Don't go too far! She's right here!"

From within the mist came Su Qing's teasing voice: "What, you want to peek again?"

I was speechless for a moment.

This girl is so uncomfortable she can barely stand, yet she still has the energy to banter with me. She's really thick-skinned.

I was too lazy to argue with her, so I grabbed the car radio and quickly said, "Brother Wang, Brother Wang, you guys keep going slowly. Su Qing has an upset stomach and needs to rest for a bit. We'll catch up with her shortly."

Wang Ge immediately responded over the walkie-talkie: "Received. We're driving slowly and waiting for you up ahead. Be careful."

After hanging up the intercom, I lit a cigarette and leaned against the car door to wait.

Thick fog blanketed the surrounding area, making it seem as if I was the only person and my car in the world.

The mountains were eerily quiet, with no wind or birdsong, and the deathly stillness made one feel suffocated.

This extreme emptiness and silence is not just ordinary fear, but a sense of isolation from the world that makes one inexplicably uneasy.

A sense of unease crept into my heart, and I couldn't help but call out in the direction Su Qing had left, "Su Qing, are you done yet?"

The fog was thick and heavy, and there was no response.

My heart tightened, and I raised my voice again, calling out, "Su Qing? Can you hear me? Answer me!"

There was still complete silence, without any response.

In an instant, all sorts of wild thoughts exploded in my mind, and my heart jumped into my throat.

This is a desolate plateau mountain, uninhabited, and shrouded in heavy fog, completely obstructing visibility.

Could there be wolves?

I quickly shook my head to deny the idea. This isn't a no-man's-land, how could there be wolves?

But the next second, news of Tibetan bears appearing on the Sichuan-Tibet Highway and attacking tourists flashed through my mind, and a chill ran down my spine.

Not daring to delay any longer, I immediately pushed open the car door and got out.

He quickly made his way in the direction she had left, calling out repeatedly, "Su Qing! Answer me if you hear me!"

The dense fog had an extremely strong soundproofing effect; my voice seemed to be swallowed up by layers of white fog, without the slightest echo.

She wasn't feeling well, so there was absolutely no way she could have gone far. How come there wasn't a single sound?

I became even more nervous, and cautiously bent down to pick up a hard stone and held it in my hand for self-defense.

My heart was pounding, I took light steps, and cautiously explored forward.