From humble beginnings to the pinnacle of life

After listening to Su Qing's heartfelt words, I stood there dumbfounded, staring at her in a daze.

I never imagined that what seemed like crazy stubbornness to everyone else would become a rare and shining quality in her eyes.

I remained silent for a long time. The evening breeze gently blew the stray hairs by her ears, making her look much gentler.

She didn't stop, and continued, "So I'm not surprised at all that you insist on going. It would be perfectly reasonable for you to choose to give up, but you decided to face the challenge head-on, and that's the real you."

I just stared at her, speechless for a long time.

The dim yellow streetlights cast a soft halo of light, falling on Su Qing's delicate profile.

This made her clear, bright eyes sparkle even more, and she was looking at me intently.

I stood there motionless, a tidal wave surging within me.

I have always believed that my stubborn obsession was nothing more than a reckless impulse driven by momentary passion and overestimating my abilities in the eyes of Wang Ge and everyone else.

Everyone thought it was incredibly foolish of me to gamble my life on a slim chance.

But after all the twists and turns, the person who finally understood the resentment and frustration in my heart was Su Qing.

After a long few seconds, I let out a long breath and slowly came back to my senses.

I shook my head with a wry smile, my voice tinged with emotion, and said, "What you just said has really taken me by surprise. But have you seriously considered the worst-case scenario?"

"If I go there and never make it out of the no man's land, you'll be waiting at the exit, only to find it's all for nothing."

As soon as she finished speaking, the faint smile on Su Qing's face completely vanished.

She took a step forward and moved closer to me, instantly closing the distance between us.

The evening breeze carried the faint scent of shampoo from her hair, wafting into my nostrils, so close to my face.

She looked up and stared directly into my eyes, saying slowly and deliberately, "I've thought about this worst-case scenario countless times."

"But I don't want to leave you alone to face danger. Even if I don't make it out safely in the end, at least I'll be there, which means there's still someone who believes in you and hopes you'll come back alive."

Her few words struck my heart hard.

All the way to Lhasa, I always felt like a lonely traveler on a long journey.

All the heavy pressure, unknown risks, and the torment of being caught in a dilemma weighed heavily on my shoulders.

The contract with Party A was repeatedly sabotaged by Fang Heng behind the scenes, and the endless medical expenses for my mother's treatment...

The mountains were pressing down on me, making it hard to breathe, and almost crushing me.

I originally thought that once I made up my mind, I could venture into the Qiangtang region alone by bicycle.

Everyone else in the convoy will be on my opposite side and go their separate ways with me.

But now, Su Qing has chosen to stand on my side without hesitation.

A complex and indescribable emotion slowly spread from my chest.

Amidst the sourness, a surge of scalding warmth welled up within.

It took me a while to calm my turbulent emotions before I looked at her seriously and began to advise her:

"Su Qing, you really don't need to go to this extent. Your body still needs rest. The area around the no-man's-land is also at a high altitude. Staying there for a long time will not do your body any good for recovery. What if something happens to you? You won't even be able to find someone to take care of you."

Su Qing waved her hand dismissively and said, "I'm not going to follow you deep into the no-man's-land. As long as I take my medicine on time and keep warm, there shouldn't be any problems."

Afraid that I would refuse again, she quickly added, "If it really doesn't work out, I'll just stay in the county town closest to the no-man's-land and won't go anywhere dangerous."

Seeing her determined expression, I knew that continuing to persuade her would be a waste of effort.

Having spent this time together, I've long since come to see clearly Su Qing's stubbornness and unwillingness to admit defeat.

Once she's made up her mind to do something, not even ten oxen could pull her back.

I sighed heavily, and after a long silence, I finally relented and compromised.

"Alright, I won't stop you. But let's get this straight: you have to stay in the county town and wait for me. You absolutely cannot follow me any further than half a step into the no-man's-land."

Su Qing's eyes lit up instantly, and her face lit up with joy. She quickly stretched out her fair hand.

"It's a deal!"

I looked down at her outstretched hand, hesitated for a moment, and then slowly raised my hand and gently touched her palm together.

The moment their palms touched, a warm sensation traveled through their skin.

My heart skipped a beat, and I instinctively withdrew my hand quickly.

Su Qing seemed to sense the subtle ambiguous atmosphere that was rising at the moment, and quickly turned her head away, pretending to look at the pedestrians passing by on the street, in order to hide her flustered emotions.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

The evening breeze blew gently across the plateau, and the whole street quieted down.

After a short while, I was the one who broke the silence first.

"It's getting late, let's go back to the guesthouse first, and we can make plans for the rest tomorrow morning."

"Mmm." Su Qing nodded gently.

We walked side by side down the street towards the guesthouse, neither of us saying a word the whole way.

As soon as I reached the entrance of the courtyard, I could hear several people talking in hushed tones inside, even through the courtyard wall.

Without even thinking, I knew that Wang Ge, Luo Peng, A Qiu, Chen Yunqing, Su Wan, and the others were still sitting around the stone table, not having left.

Unsurprisingly, the topic they were discussing was the almost insane decision I had just made.

I reached out and pushed open the courtyard gate.

Everyone in the courtyard immediately stopped talking, and all eyes turned to Su Qing and me.

The atmosphere instantly became heavy again.

Wang Ge was the first to raise his head, his gaze falling on me, and he asked in a deep voice, "Have you thought it through? Or do you still insist on going in?"

Without hesitation, I nodded emphatically.

"That's right, I've thought it through very clearly, I definitely want to go."

As soon as I finished speaking, Su Qing stepped forward and loudly announced:

"Not only him, but I'm going too. However, I won't venture deep into the no-man's-land; I'll wait for him to come out safely in the county town on the outskirts of the no-man's-land."

As soon as these words were spoken, a chorus of gasps of astonishment filled the courtyard.

Luo Peng slapped his thigh suddenly, his face full of anxiety and excitement, and said:

"Sister Qing! How could you make such a foolish mistake! The conditions outside the no-man's-land are just as harsh. With your current physical condition, I'm afraid you won't be able to withstand it!"

A Qiu quickly stepped forward and advised, "Su Qing, listen to our advice, don't do this pointless waiting. Lin Ye is venturing into the Qiangtang region alone on his bicycle; whether he'll come out alive is uncertain. Why go there and suffer like this?"

Su Wan sat quietly to the side the whole time, without saying a word.