From humble beginnings to the pinnacle of life

After a brief moment of thought, I didn't answer directly, but instead asked:

"Your family must have opposed your relationship with him back then, right? How did he deal with it?"

Su Wan didn't respond to my question, but her tone became slightly more serious: "Now, I'm asking you a question."

I paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Okay, I can tell you. But let's be fair, you have to tell yours after I'm done."

She nodded slightly, her eyes clearly showing a desire to hear more.

I reached out and picked up a piece of dry firewood, tossed it into the fire, and slowly began to speak as I watched the flames leap up.

"Other people's opinions can never dictate the choices I make."

"I know your parents probably won't approve of me. But so what? It's just Su Qing and me living our lives together. I'm not going to spend my whole life with her parents."

Upon hearing this, Su Wan chuckled softly, the tone unreadable as to whether it was sarcasm or reflection.

Perhaps they thought my ideas were too naive, so I didn't take them to heart and continued talking to myself.

"My liking for Su Qing isn't just a passing fancy. She has a cheerful and vibrant personality, and she's like a ray of light in my gloomy life."

"It sounds a bit cheesy, but it's the truth from the bottom of my heart. As long as she doesn't waver, whether others agree or disagree, it won't affect me at all."

My answer was concise and to the point, without any ambiguity.

Su Wan listened quietly, the spark in her eyes slowly dimming, but her expression remained gentle.

A slight smile played on her lips, her tone carrying a deep sense of melancholy, yet also a hint of self-reconciliation.

"That's the biggest difference between you and him. Back then, he was full of inferiority complex. As soon as my parents intervened, he had already started to think about giving up."

I was taken aback: "That shouldn't be the case. He clearly likes you so much. To be honest, I'm insecure too."

"Inferiority complex is not the same as cowardice."

Those seven simple words instantly enlightened me.

I was stunned for a while before I spoke up in rebuttal: "But if we're talking about cowardice, how could he have dared to venture alone into that dangerous no-man's-land?"

"That's escapism. Knowing full well it was a near-death situation, he still chose to go for it. He dared to face death, yet he lacked the courage to stand up and confront the pressures of the world."

This statement sounds like a compliment to me, but it's more like a sigh for herself.

I lament that the boy back then lacked the courage to face reality, and I lament that my obsession over the years has ultimately come to nothing.

I could read the emotions behind her words. Looking at her forlorn profile, I asked her in return:

"And what about you? Once you leave this no-man's-land, do you plan to truly let go of all this?"

Su Wan stared at the flickering campfire, remaining silent for a very long time.

"To be honest, I don't know either."

She was unusually candid, and suddenly pulled out the tag with their initials engraved on it from her pocket, her voice tinged with confusion.

"I thought I would never see this again in my life. Finding it by chance this time seems to put an end to my obsession of many years, but it also seems to make it even harder for me to let go."

"I used to want to come here and finish the journey he couldn't complete. But now that I'm actually standing on this land, I understand that some regrets remain even if you finish the journey."

A gentle evening breeze swept across the desolate plains, ruffling the stray hairs on her forehead.

Gentle, yet full of desolation.

Seeing her so forlorn, I felt a pang of sadness and gently offered words of comfort.

"Regret is a part of life. At least you came, you saw, and you confronted the past seriously, and that's enough."

Su Wan looked up at me, and our eyes met.

We were very close, close enough that I could clearly see the emotions surging in her eyes, the lingering redness at the corners of her eyes, and the faint, cool aura emanating from her.

The night wind swept across the snowy plains once again.

I threw two more pieces of firewood into the fire, and the flames suddenly flared up, barely keeping out the frost that came in the dead of night.

After a long while, Su Wan spoke again, her tone returning to calm and natural.

"After you finish the cross-country run, what are your other plans?"

I understand that this time she wasn't dwelling on Su Qing's topic; it was more like casual conversation.

Looking at the leaping flames, I calmly replied, "Let's take some time to calm down, focus on starting our business, and give it our all."

Su Wan nodded: "Having experienced life and death in the no-man's-land, many people will re-evaluate their lives."

I then countered with, "And what about you? Will you go back and continue to dedicate yourself to your career?"

"Hmm," she replied calmly. "My life trajectory is never easily changed."

Her world is well-organized, with reason prevailing over everything, and she won't let a journey or an old emotion disrupt her rhythm.

After a moment of silence, I looked at her cool profile and asked softly:

"You see things very clearly, and I also want to ask you, do you think it's really possible for Su Qing and me to end up together?"

Su Wan paused briefly, then slowly said, "I can't make a definitive conclusion on that. Most adult relationships struggle to withstand the challenges of reality."

This is very realistic; it has already presented the answer to me.

But she changed the subject, adding, "However, you have a very strong will, which is rare."

I smiled and said, "You're the same. Always stay clear-headed and never let your guard down."

Su Wan didn't reply immediately, gazing at the roaring campfire, the firelight outlining the clean lines of her fair jawline.

After a two-second silence, she softly uttered a sentence.

"Most so-called clear-headed people are just used to bearing everything on their own."

Before I could reply, she slowly stood up, her whole being once again enveloped in that calm and aloof shell.

"Let's stop chatting and get some rest."

"Okay, you should get some rest too." I nodded to her.

At that very moment, the night wind outside suddenly became violent.

The starry sky overhead moved slowly, and the originally clear and bright night sky was gradually covered by a layer of gray mist.

Fine snowflakes danced in the wind, pattering against the tent fabric with a soft rustling sound.

Su Wan looked up towards the northwest glacier, her brows furrowing slightly: "The temperature is dropping rapidly, and the air currents are turbulent. There's a high probability the weather will change tomorrow."

Her rationality always takes precedence over her emotions.

I was still caught up in the heavy atmosphere of our conversation, but she had instantly regained her composure.

That fleeting moment of tenderness and vulnerability seemed as if it had never existed.

She has transformed back into the calm, strong, and trustworthy teammate she once was.

The wind blew harder and harder in the latter half of the night.

What was originally a gentle rustling night breeze turned into a howling gale across the wasteland, whipping up fine snowflakes that lashed against the tents and vehicles with a continuous, muffled thud.

The hazy sunlight broke through the clouds, barely illuminating the entire wasteland, and the distant, continuous Purogangri Glacier finally revealed its full appearance.

The mountains are frozen solid, and all is silent.

Huge glacier walls rise from the ground, stretching layer upon layer to the horizon.

The snow-white ice layer, interspersed with pale blue frost marks, is a stark and magnificent sight.

Yet it also exudes a suffocating stillness and oppression...