From humble beginnings to the pinnacle of life

Upon closer inspection, however, the campfire ash had long since weathered and clumped together, indicating that it was not a recent remnant, but rather something that had been there for a considerable period of time.

It is precisely because the cave is well-sealed and sheltered from wind and snow that these burn marks have been preserved intact to this day.

It must be said that this natural cave is an excellent temporary refuge.

Unfortunately, the space was too small to accommodate the three of us and our equipment.

Just then, Su Wan's voice came from behind: "What's the situation inside?"

"There was indeed a presence there, but the traces are from a long time ago, not recent," I replied in a low voice.

As I spoke, I scanned the cave entrance again.

Scattered on the ground were many miscellaneous items, half-buried by a thin layer of sand, most of which were rotten and broken, making it impossible to see their original appearance.

The cave was dimly lit and visibility was limited, so I turned on my flashlight and swept the beam across the ground, carefully checking every corner.

Suddenly, a bright spot flashed across the ground, and the faint reflection instantly caught my attention.

I immediately crouched down and gently brushed away the fine sand covering the surface.

As the sand receded, a small metal tag appeared before our eyes.

The tag is not large, slightly larger than a regular mineral water bottle cap, and has a warm metallic luster.

However, years of wind and sand have worn down its edges, but the delicate and intricate patterns on the surface are still clearly visible, and its texture is definitely not that of an ordinary ornament.

As I was looking at the tag, Su Wan walked up to me and asked cautiously:

"Was it left behind by those robbers?"

I gently shook my head: "It's hard to be sure, but the traces are visible, indicating that it's a very old piece of art, so it shouldn't have been left by someone recently."

Su Wan looked around the desolate cave again, her brows furrowed, and said, "No one has ever been on this route before. The older the traces, the more careless we should be. It's most likely a bandit gang or a stronghold of thieves who have been roaming the wilderness for years."

Su Wan's analysis was correct. Even if the traces are old, it does not mean that this area is absolutely safe at the moment, and the possibility of hidden dangers in the surrounding area cannot be ruled out.

At that moment, I was wondering whether I should change campsites.

Just as I was silently weighing the pros and cons, Su Wan's gaze fell on the price tag in my hand, and she asked, "What are you holding?"

I looked up at her and said, "I don't know, I just picked it up from the ground, and the material is quite nice."

She stared intently at the price tag on my phone, her brows slowly furrowing, and an expression of disbelief and shock appeared on her pretty face.

Yesterday was a life-or-death struggle, followed by a perilous journey through desperate situations.

Even when facing vicious robbers, she remained calm and composed, and her face never showed such intense emotional fluctuations.

Seeing her so flustered, I was filled with questions and asked, "What's wrong? Why do you look like that?"

Su Wan's breathing became noticeably erratic as she stared intently at the small tag, her voice trembling slightly:

"You...show me this tag."

I was filled with doubt, unable to understand why an inconspicuous old tag could cause the usually composed Su Wan to lose her composure.

Without asking any further questions, I handed over the price tag in my hand.

Su Wan gently took the tag and then flipped it over.

The moment the price tag was flipped over, she froze on the spot, as if someone had instantly struck her pressure points, leaving her completely still.

My heart skipped a beat, and I quickly asked, "What's wrong? What's wrong with this tag? Tell me!"

As soon as she finished speaking, I saw her eyes, which were always cold and indifferent, redden at a visible speed.

The next second, a warm tear slid down without warning, landing squarely on the tag.

She cried!

From the moment we set off into the no-man's-land as a team, through perilous encounters and life-or-death battles with bandits, I never saw Su Wan show the slightest sign of emotional breakdown.

Even when she was in dire straits, or even when facing robbers, Ling Run remained calm and composed, her face always showing a serene expression.

But at this moment, just a worn-out old tag brought tears to the eyes of this aloof young lady who never showed her emotions.

I was completely stunned, my mind went blank for a moment, and a bold guess suddenly popped into my head.

My Adam's apple bobbed, and I cautiously asked, "This...this isn't something your college boyfriend would have, is it?"

I can't think of any other reason that could have caused her to lose her composure like this.

Su Wan nodded slightly, turned the back of the tag towards me, and said in a hoarse, dry voice, "This... has the initials of my name and his name on it."

I immediately took a closer look and saw two simple English letters clearly engraved on the back of the tag.

SY.

Even after years of weathering and sandstorms, these two letters are still clearly distinguishable.

No wonder she completely lost control of her emotions in an instant, no wonder the usually calm and composed woman had tears in her eyes.

At that moment, I finally understood that the traces of the campfire left in the cave were most likely left by her college boyfriend back then.

The no-man's-land is vast and boundless, with no one living in the surrounding area for thousands of miles. This wild road has never been set foot on by any regular trekker.

We had strayed from our original route while fleeing for our lives, and by some twist of fate, we ended up on this dangerous, unknown road. And then, in this desolate, abandoned cave, we found the items left behind by her boyfriend.

The probability of this is so small as to be almost zero.

To call it a coincidence is too far-fetched; to call it fate is too poignant.

I was absolutely shocked at that moment; I couldn't even describe the astonishment I felt.

It was because of this tag that I saw Su Wan's softer side.

The evening breeze swept across the snowfield, gently ruffling the stray strands of hair on her forehead.

At this moment, she had shed all her aloofness and arrogance, and there was no longer any domineering aura around her. All that remained was a lingering sense of loneliness and vulnerability.

I was deeply shocked, but I didn't rush to ask any further questions.

The wilderness was silent, save for the soft whisper of the evening breeze.

A long silence filled the air before Su Wan finally exhaled a soft breath and slowly spoke:

"This is something I ordered by hand when I was in college. SY is the initials of our names. I gave it to him in person on graduation day."

I felt a deep sense of sorrow.

Having lived this long, I've never believed in such outrageous coincidences.

We were forced to change course and stumbled onto a dangerous road, only to stumble upon the path he had taken many years ago, and to find his belongings that he had lost for many years.

If it weren't for some unseen guidance, I simply couldn't convince myself otherwise.

I've always thought Su Wan was a person without any weaknesses.

She is rational, calm, and strives for perfection in everything she does. She is extremely meticulous and treats people with aloofness and indifference, as if nothing in the world can disturb her peace of mind.

I thought she had long since let go of the past, but only now do I realize that all her calmness was just a facade.

After a brief moment of emotional outburst, Su Wan quickly regained some of her usual composure, her tone filled with deep doubt:

"But...why is he here?"

I crouched down and gently touched the weathered wood ash on the ground with my fingertips.

With a touch of the fingertip, the fine ash scattered instantly.

"These campfire marks are very old. It's highly likely that he stayed and camped here back then. This fire is probably the one he left behind," I replied in a deep voice.

Su Wan's eyes grew increasingly confused: "Didn't you say that no one has ever successfully traversed this route?"

"The fact that no one has successfully traveled through time doesn't mean no one has ever been here."