Chapter 1

On the way to Daocheng, we encountered a mudslide.

Zhou Yao and his group watched in alarm as sand and rocks tumbled down the mountain, crashing onto the road like a waterfall before sliding over the edge of the cliff. The car in front of them suddenly swerved and braked, causing the one behind to collide into it. Their own car screeched to a halt, narrowly avoiding a similar crash.

The passengers were momentarily stunned, their hearts pounding with the adrenaline of a near miss. Zhou Yao exhaled, patting his chest, “That was close.”

While everyone else was still in shock, Su Linlin reacted differently. This was her first time witnessing a mudslide, and instead of fear, she felt a surge of excitement. Without hesitation, she jumped out of the car, eager to capture the moment.

“Don’t be reckless!” Zhou Yao called after her, but before he could finish, Su Linlin had already tossed him her camera and dashed ahead.

Zhou Yao, unable to stop her, quickly opened the sunroof to keep an eye on her. The wind whipped through her long hair as she brushed it aside, spotting a tall man setting up danger signs and a cordon at the edge of the mudslide. Against the backdrop of the blue sky and green mountains, the scene was both surreal and tense.

“Su Linlin, get back here!” Zhou Yao shouted, but Su Linlin was too absorbed in the scene, weaving between vehicles as she called back, “Just one more shot!”

Zhou Yao rolled his eyes, muttering, “This girl is impossible. Can someone else take her picture?”

But the others just shook their heads.

“I swear, she’s going to drive me crazy.” Zhou Yao finally jumped out of the car, slamming the door behind him as he raced towards the mudslide site.

The road clung precariously to the mountain on one side, with a steep drop on the other. Mud and debris were strewn across the ground.

...

Click, click.

“Is it good?” Zhou Yao handed the camera back to Su Linlin.

“Let me see… No, my eyes look small in this one… My legs look thick in that one.”

“There’s more on the roll.”

“This expression isn’t right… Zhou Yao, were you even trying?”

“Sister, there’s a mudslide in the background. Maybe try a different pose?”

“Fine, I’ll change it up.”

“Alright, let’s go. I’ll take a few more shots.”

Click, click.

“Okay, that’s it. Take a look.”

“Well, this one’s not good, neither is this one… Oh wait, the last one is perfect!” Su Linlin finally found one she liked.

“Let’s get out of here before there’s another slide,” Zhou Yao urged, carefully navigating the muddy ground. She hopped back and forth, avoiding the murky water.

“Wait,” Su Linlin grabbed her arm, “Zhou Yao, look!”

They stood on the edge of the cliff, where the winding mountain road looked like a ribbon wrapped around the mountains.

“Western Sichuan is so beautiful,” Su Linlin said, spreading her arms wide.

Zhou Yao, used to such scenery, wasn’t as awestruck, but she still appreciated it. However, before she could savor the view, Su Linlin turned to her, “Zhou Yao, take a picture of me with the cliff!”

Zhou Yao sighed, pulling out a cigarette from her pocket, “Can I at least have a smoke first?”

She struggled with the lighter, the wind blowing out the flame several times before the cigarette finally lit.

By now, the traffic jam had grown longer, and more tourists were out of their vehicles, snapping photos. Zhou Yao, still learning to smoke, nearly choked on the cigarette. But then, she caught a whiff of a different, stronger scent of tobacco carried by the wind. She turned and saw a tall man, standing just a few meters away on the edge of the cliff, smoking.

He was the same man who had set up the cordon earlier. His presence, in a simple gray sweater and black trousers, contrasted sharply with the colorful tourists around him. Zhou Yao noticed that his cigarette smoke had encroached on her space, and in a small act of defiance, she flicked her own cigarette butt into the mud, extinguishing it with a stomp.

“Su Linlin!” Zhou Yao called out as she turned away.

...

Su Linlin posed on the cliff edge, and Zhou Yao stepped back to frame the shot.

“Yaoyao, you’re too close. Step back a little. I want a large background with a small figure. A little more.”

Zhou Yao backed into the cordon set by the strange man.

“Just a bit more.”

Zhou Yao scratched her head, shouting back, “If I move any further, I’ll be on top of the mountain!”

“Perfect. Now, take a good shot.”

Zhou Yao leaned against the cordon, raised the camera, and instinctively stepped back a couple more times. Just as she was about to snap the picture, a man walked into the frame, speaking on the phone while staring directly into the lens. Startled by his intense gaze, Zhou Yao looked up and found herself face to face with the man’s strikingly sharp features.

Without warning, he rushed towards her, grabbing the hood of her jacket and yanking her away from the cordon.

“Hey!” Zhou Yao struggled against the sudden assault, but she was no match for his strength.

“You’re too close,” he muttered, dragging her away with one hand while continuing his phone conversation. “I’ll be there by six or seven. Don’t wait for me to eat dinner.”

“Let her go!” Su Linlin shouted, rushing over.

The man paused, glancing at Su Linlin before releasing Zhou Yao, who stumbled and stepped into a puddle of mud.

“What’s your problem?” Su Linlin demanded.

He finished his call and looked back at Zhou Yao. Just as he was about to respond, a loud rumble echoed through the mountains, followed by the screams of tourists. Another wave of mud and rocks cascaded down the mountain.

Su Linlin’s face went pale. Zhou Yao, too, fell silent.

The man turned to Zhou Yao, his voice calm but firm, “Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

Zhou Yao bit her lip, unable to argue. Su Linlin, though indignant, knew they were in the wrong.

“Are you tourists?” he asked.

Zhou Yao nodded slightly, “I guess so.”

“You’re quite something. But if you die here, it’ll be a hassle for others to clean up your mess.”

Zhou Yao remained quiet, watching as he walked away. A slight, amused smile tugged at her lips.

...

“That guy was such a brute,” Su Linlin complained as they sat in the car, recounting the events to their companions.

The roadblock had cleared, and they were heading towards Riwa Township.

“He did save Yaoyao, but you didn’t see how he did it. He just grabbed her like a rag doll and said, ‘Do you want to die?’” Su Linlin mimicked his gruff tone.

Xia Yun gasped, “He really said that?”

“Yes.”

“And Zhou Yao didn’t fight back?”

“Zhou Yao was too shocked to say anything,” Su Linlin replied.

“No,” Zhou Yao chimed in, casually flicking her nails, “I actually found him quite interesting.”

“You find him interesting after he treated you like that?”

Zhou Yao didn’t respond, but her silence spoke volumes.

Of course, Su Linlin wouldn’t understand.

At that moment, Zhou Yao had been focused on taking a picture of Su Linlin. The man had been in the background, talking on his phone, when he must have noticed Su Linlin telling Zhou Yao to back up. Concerned, he had signaled to Zhou Yao that there was danger behind her. But when Zhou Yao didn’t catch on, he must have assumed she was ignoring him, leading to his dramatic intervention.

Luckily, nothing serious happened. Otherwise, she might have been caught in the mudslide, which would have been embarrassing for someone as seasoned as her.

“Yeah, he’s definitely interesting,” Zhou Yao mused with a smile, lost in thought.

Xia Yun caught the look on her face and grinned, “Was he handsome?”

“Very. He’s got this manly vibe, nothing like our delicate classmates,” Su Linlin said.

Mo Yang, one of their male companions, groaned, “Why do we always get dragged into these things?”

Su Linlin laughed, “Sorry, I take it back. You guys are the exception.”

Zhou Yao leaned back in her seat, gazing out the window. The team leader, Lin Jinyan, turned around, “You’re not hurt, right?”

“No.”

“What about altitude sickness?”

“The altitude’s lower here, isn’t it?”

Su Linlin teased, “Brother, if you care so much about Zhou Yao, we might get jealous.”

Lin Jinyan chuckled, “I care about you all.”

"I care about Zhou Yao, that's all," Ji Yu, who was driving, added.

Amid the group's teasing, Zhou Yao smiled. "My dad probably told Lin Jinyan, ‘If you don't take good care of him, no subsidy for you.’"

The car in front slowed down as a herd of yaks began crossing the road under the setting sun. The cowherd, dressed in Tibetan robes, had skin tanned by the highland sun. He nodded apologetically to the people in the car as he guided the yaks across.

Zhou Yao rolled down the window, stuck his head out, and said, "Take your time, it's all good."

This time, not just Su Linlin, but everyone took out their phones to snap pictures.

Outside the window, the landscape stretched out endlessly—wheat fields, Tibetan-style watchtowers like castles, herds of cattle and sheep, and wind horse flags fluttering atop a white tower. The scenery was breathtaking.

Soon, they reached Shangri-La town at the foot of the Yading Scenic Area.

Tang Duo was puzzled. "Isn't Shangri-La in Yunnan? Why is this place called Shangri-La too? Everyone’s using the name. I want to name something Shangri-La someday."

Zhou Yao looked back at her and quipped, "Tang Shangri-La Duo."

Su Linlin laughed so hard her stomach hurt.

Their group of seven—three men and four women—all from the Geology Department at A University, were in Yading for a one- to two-month geological survey.

After handing over their rental car to the dealership and arranging for pickup, they grabbed their bags, bought tickets, and hopped on the scenic bus up the mountain.

The mountain road wound through stunning scenery—rolling green mountains on one side and rushing streams under cliffs on the other. After about an hour, they arrived at the scenic spot.

Following the map, they found the inn they had booked—a square-shaped, ethnic-style stone building. Inside, there was a large open-air courtyard, where flowers bloomed around a small white tower at the center of a cobblestone path. Prayer flags and wind horse flags stretched from the tower to the stone building, and a small tea shed stood in the corner.

The interior was even cozier, with a spacious public area filled with guitars, checkers, darts, a stage, bookshelves, and various amenities. The décor reflected the rich colors and beauty of the local Qiang and Tibetan cultures. Several guests were lounging on a long swing, reading and chatting.

"Where’s the front desk?" Zhou Yao asked, looking around.

Su Linlin widened her eyes and pointed behind him. A man who had been lying on a wooden sofa reading a book set it down, stood up, smoothed his messy hair, and asked, "Are you checking in?"

Zhou Yao turned around, stunned. "What are you doing here?"

The man grinned. "What a coincidence."

Zhou Yao, still surprised, asked, "You staying here too?"

With a slight smirk, the man replied, "I’m the owner."

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