Chapter 44: Leaving on a Whim (1)

Gu Yao rarely got a vacation, and as luck would have it, this one coincided with Su Yu’s. The two planned a trip, for since they had started dating, they had never actually gone away together.

Gu Yao had often heard that travel is the best way to test the compatibility of a couple, so she secretly harbored this thought, ready to mock Su Yu for any shortcomings he might show, if only to vent the resentment she had built up over the past year from being forced by him to exercise every single day.

In truth, she wasn't actually physically unfit—she was well above average for a woman—but compared to Su Yu’s monstrous stamina, she was far behind, and his daily demands for fitness had nearly worn her to the bone.

However, there were rewards. Her formerly flat stomach now boasted defined abs, and her figure carried a healthy, aesthetic beauty. Every time she faced the mirror, she couldn't help but admire herself, feeling quite smug.

It had been about half a year since Su Zhou and Gu Shisheng, those two fools, had left for Tibet. They spoke on the phone almost every week. Hearing her younger brother’s voice grow increasingly desperate, Gu Yao couldn't help but worry. Was the boy suffering that much?

Whenever she asked him, however, he would remain stubborn, claiming he was doing just fine. Seeing his lack of honesty, Gu Yao decided to tease him by deliberately withholding his allowance to see when he would finally tell the truth.

This time, she had discussed it with Su Yu: why not just go to Tibet and pick those two troublemakers up?

Su Yu did not object. He nodded and agreed, "I'll go get things ready."

The subsequent itinerary was entirely planned by him. Gu Yao didn't like to worry about such things, so she was content to sit back and enjoy the fruits of his labor, waiting for the departure date.

The final plan was for the two of them to fly to a neighboring province and then drive into Tibet. This would provide a buffer period to prevent any sudden, severe altitude sickness.

On the day of departure, Gu Yao packed plenty of cold-weather gear and a mountain of supplies she had bought online into her suitcase, and they headed to the airport with Su Yu.

After landing, they rested for a night. With a car already arranged, Su Yu drove her toward the route into Tibet the next day.

By then, Gu Yao was already experiencing mild altitude sickness. She felt dizzy and had almost no appetite, yet she felt nauseous, especially since the road was incredibly bumpy. She felt completely wilted.

The scenery along the way wasn't particularly pleasant either; steep mountain roads lined with cliffs dotted with patches of snow. Large trucks passed by from time to time, kicking up clouds of dust that turned the world yellow, making it hard to even see the road conditions.

Gu Yao felt the air in the car was stifling. Once the dust settled, she cracked the window open, but the biting, freezing air rushed in, forcing her to quickly shut it again.

Suddenly, a splash of green appeared on the side of the road—a few soldiers were standing there on patrol. She stared at them unblinkingly, and her mood lifted slightly. She thought that any man with a good build looked particularly spirited in a uniform, possessing a unique charm.

She glanced at Su Yu and couldn't help but wonder what he would look like in one. Her lips curled into a smile.

Su Yu had just retrieved his license and documents from the window. When he looked over, he saw that although she was wilted, wrapped in a heavy cotton coat and slumped in the passenger seat, too lazy to move, her large eyes were still lively, darting around in thought.

He leaned over to check her forehead. The biggest fear when entering Tibet was catching a cold, as it could easily lead to pulmonary edema, so extreme caution was necessary.

Her forehead felt warm, but not excessively so, which put his mind at ease. He took the opportunity to pinch her soft cheek. "What are you thinking about?"

"The soldiers are gone; there goes a bit of scenery," Gu Yao sighed wistfully.

She looked so genuinely regretful that Su Yu even considered turning the car around so she could get a better look.

Fortunately, she was quite reasonable. "Just keep driving. There are bound to be more."

For the sake of her illness, Su Yu said nothing and continued forward.

To his surprise, she only doubled down. She turned to look at him, her gaze seemingly filled with disdain, and sighed again. "Actually, you’re quite good-looking too. It’s just that I see you so much, I’m getting a little tired of it..."

"Oh, really?" Su Yu raised an eyebrow.

Seeing him look so stifled made Gu Yao feel refreshed. Her spirits lifted, and the nausea vanished. Although she was still dizzy and lacked interest in doing anything else, she spent the rest of the journey nagging and finding fault with the man beside her.

This was, in fact, a long-simmering grievance. Who told him to always bully her? Forcing her to run every day, adding extra training at the drop of a hat—she was angry, but she didn't dare retaliate, fearing he would find other ways to torment her.

Indeed, those in love have many vulnerabilities.

Thinking of this, she let out another long sigh, feeling quite sentimental.

She barely ate a bite for lunch in the car, having no appetite, so she just drank some water. She stepped out to stand by the road for a moment but was quickly chased back by the cold wind. The weather was actually quite poor.

They had already been in contact with Su Zhou and Gu Shisheng; they were in a small town ahead, and it would take until tomorrow to reach them.

"Do you need oxygen?" Su Yu reached into the back seat to get the tank for her.

"Forget it. It's just mild altitude sickness; I want to hold out a bit longer," Gu Yao shook her head.

He didn't press her and continued on.

After driving for a while, they reached the Nujiang River. The road conditions grew increasingly dangerous. A car ahead had just had an accident and plunged directly into the river. Rescue was extremely difficult, and several cranes had failed to pull it out.

Since the road was temporarily blocked, the two bought tickets to visit a viewing platform. The view was clear, and the road below looked like silver ribbons. The scenery was magnificent and impressive.

Su Yu checked his phone; they were already at an altitude of over 4,000 meters. A few cyclists passed by them, looking exhausted. Gu Yao chatted with them and learned that these people had ridden all the way from Sichuan.

Once the road cleared, they continued driving toward the Nujiang Tunnel. All the vehicles moved cautiously, following the one in front. Su Yu drove steadily, and even on the dangerous roads, Gu Yao felt no fear; she had full confidence in his driving skills.

Their planned destination for the night was Ranwu Town, a town with beautiful scenery. They expected to arrive before dark, but because of the earlier delay, it was a bit late, and the sky had already dimmed while they were still on the road.

The way was almost entirely narrow, with steep cliffs on the other side. When passing through a tunnel, there were sharp icicles hanging above—the kind that could cause injury if one fell. Even Su Yu felt a bead of sweat, but fortunately, they reached Ranwu Town shortly after.

Both were starving, especially Gu Yao, who had barely eaten at lunch. Her stomach growled loudly. They found a small shop and went inside. It served Sichuan cuisine, and because vegetables were scarce, they were more expensive than meat.

After ordering, while they were waiting for the food, the lights in the restaurant suddenly went out. Looking outside, everything was pitch black. The owner explained that the entire town had lost power.

Someone nearby remarked, "Power outages happen often here; it’ll be back soon."

People continued to chat in the dark, the atmosphere surprisingly harmonious. Gu Yao’s hands were frozen numb. She let Su Yu hold them, but they showed no sign of warming up.

In the darkness, she spotted a small glow. She went over to investigate and found a brazier. She crouched down and held her hands over it, finally feeling some sensation return. Just then, the lights flickered, and the power returned.

The food arrived an hour later. It was spicy and appetizing, and they each ate two bowls of rice, finally filling their stomachs. After a day of driving, even someone with Su Yu’s stamina felt exhausted.

They checked into an inn, only to find there was no hot water or air conditioning. The temperature was very low, and they shivered just standing there.

After a rough wash and brushing their teeth, Su Yu moved the quilts from both beds together and put on the spare pillowcases and covers he had brought, making it a bit cleaner so they could get a good night's sleep.

He called Gu Yao over. They stripped off their outer layers, leaving only their base layers. As she climbed into the quilt, Gu Yao began to shiver—it was freezing, like an ice cellar, especially after taking off her warm coat.

But then, Su Yu draped their heavy clothes over the quilt and slipped in beside her. A man’s body heat was naturally stronger; his warm chest pressed against her, bringing waves of heat.

She wrapped herself around him and nuzzled her face against him, sighing with comfort.

The man’s arm held her tight, though his voice sounded cool. "What do you think of me now? Still tired of looking at me?"

"No," she said with a fawning smile, feeling satisfied. "You’re my little heater now. I cherish you so much."

"Want to be even warmer?" the man asked. He lifted her onto his chest, and as they pressed flat against each other, he became a warm, human mattress.

"Sleep," he said, his large hand stroking her hair. Su Yu pulled the quilt up and tucked it in, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He added in her ear, "You little heartless thing."

The woman’s face was flushed red, already fast asleep.

He closed his eyes, his arm tightening subconsciously, and he pecked her red lips.

This was, in every sense, the person he held closest to his heart.