From humble beginnings to the pinnacle of life

Su Qing's words struck me hard in the heart.

I know better than anyone how much sacrifice she made to say those words.

Since making the one-year agreement with her family, Su Qing has never asked them for a single resource.

Now, she's actually willing to set aside her principles and go back to her parents to borrow money to help me through this difficult time.

This sentiment touched my heart deeply, and a warm feeling welled up inside me.

I stood there, stunned, my gaze fixed on her face, my eyes filled with confusion.

Why are you so good to me?

Su Qing subconsciously turned her head away from my gaze, shrugged her shoulders slightly, and spoke with a hint of helplessness.

"I just don't want to watch you go and die. Brother Wang has made it so clear that there's almost no chance of survival if you go in now. If you rush in, it's no different from gambling with your life."

I chuckled softly, but my heart was at peace.

Even if you lend me money to fill this hole, it will only help me get through this difficult time temporarily. A huge medical bill will still be a mountain weighing on my shoulders, and I may not be able to repay it to you.

"Then you don't need to pay it back. I don't need that little bit of money."

She blurted out those words almost without thinking, speaking them crisply and decisively.

I froze, staring at her intently, my mind reeling.

As soon as she finished speaking, Su Qing suddenly realized that she had been too blunt and hurriedly tried to salvage the situation.

"What I mean is... there's no need to rush to pay back the money. Brother Wang is right. You're still young, and you'll have plenty of opportunities in the future. There's no need to gamble your life on this one time."

After listening, I slowly shook my head, a self-deprecating bitter smile tugging at the corner of my mouth.

"There aren't that many opportunities waiting for us. Do you think everyone is like you, able to seize opportunities so easily?"

"Take this project of crossing the no-man's-land for example. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't even have had the chance to touch this opportunity."

I knew in my heart that Su Qing would have a hard time truly empathizing with what I was saying.

It's not her fault. We're in different environments, standing at different heights, so we see two completely different landscapes.

Su Qing remained silent for a long time, then exhaled a deep breath of pent-up air from her chest and looked up at me.

"So no matter how much I try to persuade you, you're determined to go in?"

"That's right, we absolutely have to go."

I met her gaze, my eyes unwavering, and spoke each word clearly and deliberately, leaving no room for negotiation.

Su Qing stared straight into my eyes, and we looked at each other quietly for several seconds.

After a moment, she slowly looked away and nodded heavily.

"Fine, I won't try to persuade you anymore. You chose this path yourself, and no one can stop you."

Seeing that she finally relented, I felt a little relieved and reassured her.

"Don't worry, I won't be impulsive and rush in recklessly. I'll choose a time when the weather improves before setting off."

Su Qing stared at my face for a long time before slowly speaking, her tone extremely serious.

"Since no one can stop you, I won't go back with the main group. Even if my physical condition can't keep up and I can't accompany you into the no-man's land, I'll stay at the mountain pass where you came out and wait for your return."

After hearing her words, I looked at her in astonishment, a storm raging in my heart.

Based on my understanding of Su Qing over this period of time, she is not the kind of person who would make such a painful decision to stay put.

After a long silence, I couldn't help but ask.

"What exactly are you after?"

Su Qing's eyes widened suddenly, and she asked me back with some indignation.

"Do I absolutely have to get something out of this?"

"We've only known each other for two or three months. At most, we're just good partners. Our relationship isn't close enough for you to go through all that trouble to wait for me on the edge of the no-man's-land."

Su Qing gasped, looking at me with a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

"Why do you believe that everything must have a utilitarian reason?"

Su Qing gasped and said, "Why do you think everything has to have a reason?"

"I'm just telling the truth. Many people online say that you don't need a reason to like someone, but that's pure bullshit! When a man says that, he's probably after the woman's body, and when a woman says that, she's probably after the man's money."

Su Qing burst out laughing at my theory and jokingly crossed her arms over me.

"If that's the case, then you're penniless and have no money, so what could I possibly want from you?"

In a moment of impulsiveness, I went along with her joke and retorted, "So, you're after my body?"

Su Qing rolled her eyes at me, her face showing disgust.

"You're so narcissistic."

After the jokes, her expression gradually became serious.

"But to be honest, although I have been trying my best to persuade you to give up, deep down I actually hope that you can succeed."

I raised an eyebrow slightly, still looking at her with utter confusion.

Why?

"Because from childhood to adulthood, no matter what I do, I always give up halfway through and rarely accomplish anything truly significant. But when I first met you, I had a gut feeling that you would achieve great things sooner or later. You possess a tenacity that is hard for others to find."

She paused for a moment, her gaze fixed on the brightly lit courtyard of the guesthouse.

"Just like tonight, everyone else was backing down, but you were willing to risk your life rather than admit defeat."

I couldn't help but laugh after hearing that.

"Everyone else sees this as stubbornness, so how come it's become a virtue in your eyes?"

"That's definitely an advantage!"

Su Qing emphasized her words and said very seriously, "What you said in the courtyard just now was absolutely right. Almost everyone in our team has prepared their own escape route."

"Take Wang Ge for example, do you know why I never really liked him at first?"

I continued along with what she was saying.

"I don't think he's like your sister Su Wan, with a cold, icy face and difficult to get along with."

Su Qing shook her head and said, "That's only a small part of the reason. The most fundamental problem lies in this crossing of the no-man's-land."

"We signed a contract in black and white back then, and he, as our guide, turned around and chose to give up just because of bad weather."

"It's because he still has a way out and suffers no loss even if he fails that he easily shirks the responsibility he should bear."

"But you're different. You know the road ahead is dangerous, yet you still refuse to give up. Compared to him, you're a truly courageous and responsible man."

She paused, her tone becoming increasingly firm and resolute.

"Don't think that just because you've crossed a no-man's-land, you're superior. Even if I spent millions and hired a top-notch professional team to carry me up Mount Everest on a stretcher, would that make me capable?"

"In my heart, only those who, when faced with adversity and danger, dare to confront the tests of nature and grit their teeth to fight back, can be considered true men!"