I couldn't take it anymore; when I went home for Chinese New Year, the family genealogy book ha

Chapter 260 Thunderstorm Strikes, Trapped in the RV

The top-of-the-line off-road RV, worth tens of millions, roared up the makeshift road leading to the top of the back mountain.

The large off-road tires crunched over the gravel road.

The rain started as soon as the car reached the halfway point of the mountain.

It wasn't a light drizzle.

It was raindrops the size of soybeans that started pattering down without warning.

The raindrops pounded against the RV's thick, bulletproof windshield, creating a series of loud, crackling sounds, as if someone outside was frantically smashing the vehicle with stones.

Even with the wipers on their highest setting, they could only leave two brief, clear fan-shaped streaks on the glass before being covered by the torrential rain.

"Hold on tight!"

Jiang Chen gave a low shout, gripped the steering wheel tightly with both hands, and stared at the extremely limited road ahead, illuminated only by the car headlights.

The RV had just reached the top of the mountain and stopped next to the newly built signal tower.

A pale white bolt of lightning suddenly ripped through the dark night sky!

"Boom—!"

Immediately afterwards, a deafening thunderclap exploded on the mountaintop!

The sound was so close it seemed to be right next to my ear, making the whole RV buzz.

Su Qing screamed in fright and instinctively covered her head.

"Don't worry, it's safe in the car."

Jiang Chen unbuckled his seatbelt with a steady, reassuring sound.

The wind outside started to blow wildly.

On the mountaintop, with no shelter, the howling wind whipped up the torrential rain, sounding like the wailing of countless vengeful ghosts.

The massive and heavy RV even began to sway slightly in the strong wind.

"The rain is too heavy; we probably won't be able to go down tonight."

Jiang Chen frowned deeply as he looked at the white, misty rain in front of him, unable to see the road even ten meters away.

Su Qing slowly came to her senses. She hugged her shoulders, looked at the pitch-black mountain road outside, and muttered something under her breath.

"If you can't go down, then you can't go down."

She turned her head to look at the luxurious interior of the RV, her tone carrying a strange excitement.

"It's okay, your car has everything you need: leather sofas, a huge TV, a separate bathroom and kitchen... It's more comfortable than my villa."

Jiang Chen was amused by her carefree attitude.

Just then, Jiang Chen's phone, which was on the center console, rang.

It was a call from the village head, Jiang Shunde.

"Chenzi! Have you reached the summit yet?!"

The voice on the other end of the phone sounded somewhat distorted, mixed with the deafening roar of wind and rain.

"We've taken care of everything after a while."

Jiang Chen answered.

"That's good! That's good!"

Jiang Shunde breathed a sigh of relief, then his tone became serious again.

"I have something to tell you, but please don't panic! A small section of the newly built path at the foot of the mountain was blocked by a mudslide brought down by the flash flood!"

"Now, not even a person can get through, let alone a car! I've already had Da Gou and the others set up a cordon!"

Jiang Shunde shouted loudly on the other end.

"You guys should just stay on the mountain and stay put all night! Don't even think about going down; it's too dangerous!"

"Okay, I understand, village chief. Please be careful too."

Jiang Chen hung up the phone.

An eerie silence fell over the carriage.

All that remained were the deafening roar of the wind and rain outside the car window and Su Qing's increasingly rapid breathing.

"What...what did the village chief just say?"

Su Qing's voice trembled slightly.

"He said the road had collapsed and we were trapped on the mountaintop."

Jiang Chen spoke the truth.

"..."

Su Qing didn't speak, but Jiang Chen could clearly see her face, which had been slightly excited, turn pale in an instant.

A lone man and a lone woman.

Wild mountains and ridges.

Heavy rain and thunder.

Do I have to...do I have to spend another night here?

Although Su Qing is straightforward and has a strong sense of love and hate, she is ultimately a pampered young lady who hasn't experienced much in life.

The thought of these things made her heart race with anxiety, like a rabbit was pounding in her chest.

She secretly glanced at Jiang Chen beside her out of the corner of her eye.

In the dim light, the man's profile was clearly defined, and his expression was calm, showing no sign of panic.

"rest assured."

Jiang Chen seemed to sense her nervousness and suddenly turned around with a grin.

"I am a gentleman and I do not eat people."

A half-joking remark instantly eased the tense atmosphere in the carriage.

Su Qing's face flushed red instantly.

"Who...who's afraid you'll eat people! I...I'm just worried about the cell tower!"

She retorted defiantly, but dared not meet Jiang Chen's gaze.

Jiang Chen smiled and stopped teasing her.

He reached out and pressed a button on the center console.

"Smack."

A ring of warm yellow ambient lights slowly illuminated the ceiling of the carriage.

The soft light instantly dispelled the darkness and coldness inside the car, transforming the small space into a cozy mobile castle.

Outside the window, torrential rain poured down, and lightning flashed and thunder roared, as if it were the end of the world.

Inside the window, however, the light was warm and the atmosphere was as quiet as ever.

This stark contrast gives people a strange sense of security.

"Alright, forget about the cell tower for now. We can't get out in this heavy rain."

Jiang Chen stood up and stretched his body.

"I'll go see what food we can get in the back. Don't just sit there like an idiot."

His brows furrowed as soon as he finished speaking.

He then realized that Su Qing's condition was not quite right.

Just now, the two of them got out of the car and braved the rain to check the base of the signal tower in order to save time.

In just a short while, Su Qing's hair was already wet and stuck to her cheeks. Her expensive windbreaker was also soaked at the shoulders and was tightly wrapped around her body, with the outline of her white T-shirt visible underneath.

Her lips were also a little pale, and she looked trembling as she hugged her shoulders.

"Are you wet?"

Jiang Chen's tone became serious.

"No...it's nothing, just a little bit."

Su Qing still wanted to be stubborn.

Don't be reckless.

Jiang Chen's expression left no room for doubt.

"The temperature is low on this mountain at night, and if you get caught in the rain and wind, you are very likely to catch a cold or fever."

He walked to the back locker, opened it, and took out a clean, unopened set of men's clothing and a brand-new towel.

"Go to the bathroom in the back, take a hot shower, and change out of your wet clothes."

Jiang Chen handed the items to Su Qing.

"Huh? Take...a bath?"

Su Qing blushed so deeply that her face was practically bleeding when she saw the men's shirt and pants in Jiang Chen's hand; her mind went completely blank.

"Go quickly."

Jiang Chen's tone left no room for negotiation.

"I'll go make you some ginger soup to warm you up."

After saying that, he didn't care about Su Qing's reaction and turned around to walk into the small and exquisite open kitchen in the back of the RV.