It was cold at night, especially cold.

Outside the hotel, there was a large terrace, serving both as a parking lot and a viewing platform, where one could watch the snow-capped mountains. At night, it was also nice for stargazing.

Tonight was starry.

The two of them looked up until they were a bit tired.

Zhou Li looked down at Tuanzi nestled in his arms; the little thing was unusually quiet.

"Are you cold?"

"Not cold at all!" Tuanzi said softly. "You forgot again that Lord Dumpling has fur!"

"Doesn't look very thick."

"It's very warm."

"Hmm."

Zhou Li's hand rested on Tuanzi. Because a cat's body temperature is slightly higher than that of humans, he could feel that it was indeed very warm.

After a moment, he even tucked his hand under Tuanzi's body.

Not only did Tuanzi not object, but she also cooperated by lifting her body slightly. Once his hand was in place, she shifted her body to firmly press his hand with her belly and then gave Zhou Li a pitiful look.

"I told you that being hairless would definitely make you cold."

"Thank you, Lord Dumpling."

At that moment, Brother Nan's voice popped up, "Why don't you ask if I'm cold?"

Zhou Li's expression froze instantly.

After a few seconds, he reluctantly pulled out one hand and wrapped it around the nearby Brother Nan. "I told you that wearing so little would definitely make you cold."

"Meow?"

"It is indeed a bit cold at night," Brother Nan said, her expression turning cheerful. She paused. "Too bad our car has such a small sunroof. Next time we buy one, we should get a car with an extra-large sunroof, and the sunroof shouldn't be tinted so we can see the stars properly."

"It's not like you're short of money."

"No! I can't part with this car!"

"I see."

"BANG!"

"Why are you hitting me?" Zhou Li was baffled.

"Fickle!" Brother Nan frowned at him.

"I'm not!"

"If I say you are, then you are!" Brother Nan said, her expression firm. "Stop making pointless excuses. It's not a big deal, just change!"

"...Okay."

Zhou Li quickly rubbed Tuanzi to soothe his wounded pride and changed the subject. "Do you believe that Zhu Bing doesn't know, but Zhu Shuang must have secretly taken lots of photos of us and will report to Aunt Jiang?"

"How do you know?"

"Intuition."

"He has indeed been inquiring about our progress these last few days," Brother Nan said nonchalantly, shaking her head. "Kids these days really are precocious."

"...Indeed."

"Let's go inside, it's so cold."

"Okay."

Zhou Li stood up and walked back toward the room. At the door, he reminded Brother Nan, "Cover yourself well with the duvet at night. There's a blanket in the drawer under the TV. It's best to take it out and use it too, so you don't catch a cold."

Brother Nan had an expression that screamed, 'You're so naggy.'

「The next day.」

The rays of the morning sun hit the pristine snow mountains, dyeing the entire range a golden-red hue.

Different from the evening's Golden Glow of the Snowy Mountain, but equally stunning and rare, it was a spectacle many photographers waited a long time to see.

After breakfast, the group set off.

Since the starting and ending points of the Yubeng hiking trail were not in the same place, they hired a car. It took them first to Xidang Village, and from there, they started their ascent to Yubeng. Zhu Shuang and Brother Nan shared Zhu Bing's luggage, while Zhou Li had to carry an extra burden: a little trash cat.

The little trash cat was very good at flirting, teasing him all the way.

"Zhou Li, you're panting!"

"Zhou Li, are you tired?"

"Lord Dumpling will wipe your sweat for you!"

However, she had no intention of coming down to walk on her own. Hiking was exhausting, and she was just a frail little kitty, not formidable at all.

There were quite a few fellow hikers along the way. Most people were amazed that he was out hiking with a cat and soon fell victim to Tuanzi's head-tilt charm. Of course, it could also have been due to the attractiveness of Zhou Li and his companions. However, no one really teamed up with them; at most, they walked a short distance together before separating.

"Tired?" Zhou Li asked Zhu Bing.

"Not tired!"

"Really?"

"Yeah!"

Zhou Li took a close look at Zhu Bing. Seeing her genuine high spirits, he couldn't help but marvel. It seems the Old Zhu's House does have some athletic genes after all.

It might also have been because of her joyful mood.

The most feared thing during a hike is actually monotony; it's like motion sickness in a car. If there's something to distract you, it helps a lot; otherwise, the journey can feel terrifyingly long. In contrast, with a distraction, time flies by quickly.

It was rumored that this part of the trail was eighteen kilometers long, but Zhou Li guessed there was some exaggeration; his sense of distance was quite strong.

They chatted and laughed along the way, sometimes even stopping to horse around, and it felt like they'd traveled a long distance effortlessly. Looking back, they found themselves deep in the mountains, with misty clouds drifting between the peaks, hinting at hidden homes.

Zhu Bing finally showed signs of fatigue.

But Yubeng Mountain Village was drawing near.

Zhou Li shared with them the legends about this place.

It was said that a long time ago, Yubeng Village was unknown to outsiders. Only occasionally would someone come down to the villages at the foot of the mountain to get food supplies. Curious about where he came from, the villagers made a small hole in his grain sack during one of his visits, causing millet to spill out along his path.

Following the trail of millet, they arrived in front of a large rock.

When they turned over the rock, there was a village underneath it—Yubeng.

Doesn't it sound like a hidden utopia?

The legend was obviously embellished, but the scenery here was genuinely exceptional. Outdoors enthusiasts have a saying—

"If you don't go to heaven, go to Yubeng."

A bit of an exaggeration.

If you want to truly experience its beauty, the best method is to hike there, yet this is undoubtedly a difficult journey.

This was also the last leg of Zhu Shuang and Zhu Bing's trip.

「Three days in total.」

On the chartered car ride back to Feilai Temple from Ninong Village, Zhu Shuang, while massaging his sore feet, said, "I might never forget these past few days for the rest of my life. But I'm really curious, are you two not the slightest bit tired?"

"Yeah!"

"Hmm."

"..."

Zhu Shuang felt aggrieved. He'd always believed that his athletic ability was about the same as his brother's; they used to be similar, always similar.

Why had it turned out this way?

After some thought, he said, "Next time you come to visit us, we'll take you to climb the Great Wall."

The little guy secretly made up his mind. Once the school term started, he would definitely exercise diligently, striving to be as strong as Superman. Then, when they went to climb the Great Wall, he could rush up to a really high place like Brother Nan and look down on them from above—

"Hurry up! Why are you so slow?"

Zhou Li caught a glimpse of his expression, but his own remained calm as he said, "I've booked your plane tickets for tomorrow afternoon. We'll take you to the airport a few hours in advance."

"Okay!"

"Hmm!"

"At school, make sure to attend your classes and don't skip them every day. Studying is still the priority," Zhou Li added.

"What about you?" Zhu Shuang asked.

"I was purely led astray by Brother Nan," Zhou Li looked towards Brother Nan. "Don't believe me? Ask Brother Nan."

"Brother Nan, he said you led him astray!" Zhu Shuang immediately tattled to Brother Nan and then sat waiting for his own brother to get into trouble, his expression extremely cheeky.

"Indeed," Brother Nan nodded seriously.

"?? "

That's not scientifically possible.

After pondering for a moment, Zhu Shuang said, "By the way, brother, after we leave, you two can book a single room on the way back to Chunming!"

Zhou Li and Brother Nan exchanged glances.

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