The Dawn on the Mountain and the “Triple Threat”

“Alright, that’s enough music. We have to be up early tomorrow. Let’s sleep.” As the song ended, Lin Wanzhao pulled the earphone out and placed it beside Yu Qingkong.

Yu Qingkong was still a bit dazed, her gaze lingering on Lin Wanzhao as if she hadn’t quite processed the sudden silence.

“What’s this? Does the little baby need a kiss from me before she can sleep?” Lin Wanzhao teased, her eyebrows arching slightly. She propped herself up on her hands over Yu Qingkong, her own heart hammering a frantic rhythm against her ribs.

Yu Qingkong gave a light, awkward cough and turned her face away. “Go to sleep.”

“Fine, fine. Goodnight.” Lin Wanzhao let out a soft chuckle, turned over, and zipped herself into her sleeping bag.

Yu Qingkong watched the back of Lin Wanzhao’s head—which was now completely submerged in the sleeping bag—before closing her eyes. “Goodnight.”

Despite the quiet, her mind was a chaotic swirl of thoughts. It took a long time to drift off, and even then, she remained in a fitful, half-awake state.

Deep in a dream, Yu Qingkong’s eyes suddenly snapped open. She threw a reflexive punch at the space beside her, her heart thumping so hard it felt like it might burst. It felt as though she had gone mad. She had dreamt of the one thing she never wanted to revisit—memories buried deep in the vaults of her mind.

As her breathing stabilized, she realized someone was pushing her shoulder and calling her name. She turned her head to see Lin Wanzhao’s anxious face illuminated in the dim light.

“Qingkong? Qingkong! Are you okay?”

Yu Qingkong paused, her voice a bit raspy. “CEO Lin? What happened?”

“Were you having a nightmare?”

Yu Qingkong took a moment to recover, then unzipped her sleeping bag and sat up with a strained smile. “I’m fine. Don’t worry about it.”

“Are you sure?” Lin Wanzhao asked, noticing the beads of sweat on Yu Qingkong’s forehead.

“Yeah.” Yu Qingkong nodded. “What time is it?”

Lin Wanzhao checked her phone. “5:30 AM.”

“5:30 already…” Yu Qingkong pressed a hand to her forehead and sighed. “Time to get up. We promised to hike for the sunrise.”

She checked her own phone and called Lu Xiaoxiao and Liu Ting. Both calls were unceremoniously declined after a single ring.

Yu Qingkong’s brow furrowed. “I’ll go wake them up myself.” She threw on her jacket and peeled back the tent flap, immediately shivering as the morning wind rushed in.

“Qingkong…” Lin Wanzhao called from behind.

“What? Afraid to be in the tent alone?” Yu Qingkong teased over her shoulder.

“No, I just want to go with you.” Lin Wanzhao threw on her own coat.

“Don’t be silly. It’s windy out there. I can handle it; no need for both of us to freeze.”

“Wind is just wind. I have to go out eventually anyway; I can’t hide in here forever.” Lin Wanzhao shuffled over to her side.

Yu Qingkong pressed her lips together, looking at her for a second before nodding. “Fine. Zip up. The weather forecast was wrong—it’s freezing today. It’s like the temperature plummeted overnight.”

“Got it!” Lin Wanzhao zipped up and clapped her hands.

“Let’s go.” Yu Qingkong climbed out first and pulled on her shoes.

“Hiss—!” The moment Lin Wanzhao stepped outside, the cold hit her like a physical blow. She shivered violently and hurried to catch up.

Predictably, Lu Xiaoxiao and Liu Ting were dead to the world in their respective tents, sprawled out in various states of sleep. It took considerable effort for Yu Qingkong and Lin Wanzhao to rouse them before they all retreated to their own spots to pack.

On the way back to their tent, Lin Wanzhao kept glancing at Yu Qingkong. The other woman was silent, walking mechanically with her flashlight pointed at the ground, lost in thought.

Finally, Lin Wanzhao couldn’t help it. “Are you really okay?”

Yu Qingkong blinked, turning to her. “Does it look like something is wrong, CEO Lin?”

“Yes.” Lin Wanzhao nodded firmly.

“Like what? I can eat, drink, jump, and run. Don’t worry. Now, let’s get ready to move.” Yu Qingkong ducked back into the tent.

Lin Wanzhao opened her mouth to argue, but ultimately just sighed and followed her in.

***************************************

By the time the group was packed and ready, it was past 6:00 AM. Since the temperature had dropped so drastically, they decided to cancel the second night of camping and just do the hike.

Lin Wanzhao was not a hiker. Even in comfortable flats, she was gasping for air within minutes. Lu Xiaoxiao was even worse, loudly complaining about whoever came up with the “rotten idea” to climb a mountain.

“You’re the one who suggested it, Xiaoxiao,” Yu Qingkong pointed out without looking back.

The atmosphere was lively, and Lin Wanzhao found herself perfectly integrated into the group. It felt… better than her usual hangouts with her own social circle. She felt like she had finally “infiltrated” Yu Qingkong’s inner world, and the thought gave her a tiny, excited buzz.

Halfway up, Lin Wanzhao stalled, clutching her stomach. “I’m hungry.”

Yu Qingkong stopped. “I forgot to ask—did you bring snacks?”

Lin Wanzhao shook her head. “I forgot those too. They’re still on my coffee table.”

“I’ve got you. What do you want? Compressed biscuits or a bun?” Yu Qingkong swung her backpack around and unzipped it.

“Bun!”

“Here.” Yu Qingkong handed her a small bread roll and then uncapped a bottle of water for her.

“Thank you!” Lin Wanzhao beamed.

“My, my. The treatment for a great beauty really is different,” Liu Ting’s voice drifted up from behind them. “Usually, if I ask for water, you just chuck the bottle at me from ten feet away. Since when did you become so ‘considerate’ that you pre-open the cap? Sigh…” She shook her head theatrically.

“Exactly, exactly!” Lu Xiaoxiao chimed in.

Lin Wanzhao took a bite of her bun, glancing at Yu Qingkong with a shy, suppressed smile.

“Ting-jie, your imagination is truly…” Yu Qingkong shook her head, shouldered her pack, and started walking again. “If that’s not enough, tell me. I have more in my bag.”

“Mhm!” Lin Wanzhao swallowed a mouthful of bread and scurried up a few steps to keep pace with her, water in one hand and bread in the other.

“Slow down. You’ll choke if you run while eating.”

“But I want to keep up with you!” Lin Wanzhao crinkled the plastic wrapper.

“Are you a child, CEO Lin?” Yu Qingkong smiled.

“Of course not. Want a bite?” Lin Wanzhao held the bun to Yu Qingkong’s lips.

“Sure, I’m actually a bit hungry too.” Yu Qingkong took a bite—but she overestimated her control and accidentally bit off about two-thirds of the roll.

When she looked up, she saw Lin Wanzhao staring at the remaining stub of bread with a look of pure, wide-mouthed shock. Yu Qingkong immediately swung her pack around again. “Don’t cry yet, kiddo! I have another one!”

Behind them, Lu Xiaoxiao and Liu Ting watched the scene like two mother hens watching their favorite chick, their faces glowing with maternal (and slightly devious) affection.

*****************************************

Finally, after an arduous trek, they reached the summit. The air was fresh, and the world was spread out below them. Unfortunately, the weather was hazy, obscuring the view.

“It would have been better if it were sunny,” Yu Qingkong said, wiping sweat from her forehead.

“I think the scenery is pretty good as it is.” Lin Wanzhao stood beside her, swaying slightly with her hands behind her back.

“Really?” Yu Qingkong looked at her, skeptical.

“Yeah. Because there’s a much better ‘view’ right here,” Lin Wanzhao smiled, looking directly at Yu Qingkong.

Yu Qingkong turned away, but not before seeing that radiant smile. She let out a soft cough to hide her fluster.

Suddenly, Lin Wanzhao’s phone buzzed. It was a message from a friend:

“Wanzhao, I found a few high-quality girls. Want to meet them? You’re single anyway, why not give it a shot?”

Attached were three photos, each followed by a long block of text detailing their biographies.

Lin Wanzhao started typing a reply. Yu Qingkong noticed and asked, “Is it something urgent?”

Lin Wanzhao deleted her draft and looked up. “No, just a friend trying to set me up. She sent photos of three potential dates.”

Yu Qingkong took a sip of water, her hand pausing mid-air. “Dates?”

“Yeah. I’m almost thirty and still single. My friends are getting worried.”

“Oh…” Yu Qingkong capped her bottle with mechanical precision. “Do you… want to be in a relationship?”

“I didn’t think so, but lately, I’ve been thinking it might be worth a try… right?” Lin Wanzhao swiped through the photos.

“So… you found one you like?” Yu Qingkong asked, her body stiffening as she turned toward her.

“Not yet. Decision paralysis,” Lin Wanzhao shook her head. “Actually, why don’t you help me look?”

“Me?” Yu Qingkong gripped her water bottle.

“What about the first one?” Lin Wanzhao handed her the phone. “She’s a surgeon. Very cool. But she can’t cook or do housework; she relies on housekeeping for everything.”

Yu Qingkong stared at the photo, her mind racing to find a flaw. “Surgeons? They’re always on call, always busy. They have zero time for their partners. I know someone like that—they’re always running to the hospital in the middle of the night. And if she can’t cook…” She cleared her throat. “One ‘life-skills-impaired’ person in a relationship is enough. If two people who can’t take care of themselves live together, the world will explode.”

Lin Wanzhao raised an eyebrow. “Are you calling me a life-skills-impaired person?”

“No! I just think… someone like you, CEO Lin, should find someone who knows how to live well. Someone who can take care of you,” Yu Qingkong stammered. “That’s all.”

“I see…” Lin Wanzhao nodded. “What about the second one? She has great habits, no messy social circle, very stable. She lives like a disciplined official. Good looking, too—a solid 7/10 without makeup, 9/10 with it.”

Yu Qingkong rubbed the tip of her nose. “This one… honestly, someone who lives like a ‘disciplined official’ at such a young age? It sounds good, but it’ll get boring fast. Based on your social media, you love traveling and exploring. You two would be fundamentally incompatible. Why put yourself through that misery?”

“So you think she’s a no-go too?”

“No-go.” Yu Qingkong pressed her tongue against her back teeth.

“Then… what about this last one? Great looks, great body, not boring. Apparently, she’s very humorous and a great cook. She’s organized, loves traveling, and is a bit of a ‘literary girl.’ Oh, and she’s a writer! A famous one. Her pen name is Shiye. Ever heard of her?”

Lin Wanzhao pulled up the last photo and looked at Yu Qingkong. Yu Qingkong stared at the photo, her grip on the water bottle tightening until the plastic crinkled.

“She looks pretty perfect, doesn’t she?” Lin Wanzhao prompted.

Yu Qingkong looked up at her and shook her head. “She… she’s not good either.”

“Oh?” Lin Wanzhao tilted her head. “Why not?”

Yu Qingkong’s jaw tightened. After a long silence, she finally squeezed out a sentence:

“People who drink heavily to ‘find inspiration’… they die young.”