Last week had been stormy, but this week brought gentle warm breezes. Jiang Mu packed water and some simple snacks into her backpack early in the morning. They had agreed to meet at the entrance of her residential compound at 7:30. When she stepped out at 7:20, Jin Chao was already waiting there.
He rarely wore black athletic wear and sneakers, with a DSLR camera slung across his shoulder. Jiang Mu paused two or three meters behind him, quietly observing. Suddenly she felt dazed—whether it was the clothing or not, during their last two meetings he had seemed much more mature, but now he appeared almost unchanged from before. Still tall and lean, his figure irresistibly captivating.
Jin Chao turned and noticed she had arrived. "Why are you standing there motionless?" he asked.
Jiang Mu walked toward him and replied, "Admiring how you haven't changed. What about me? Have I changed much?"
Jin Chao studied her briefly. She had tied her hair in a ponytail today, radiating youthful energy, yet she differed from her teenage self. Back then, she was less experienced, more innocent and naive; now she seemed noticeably sharper.
A flicker of amusement crossed Jin Chao's eyes. "Quite a bit."
Jiang Mu pressed further, "Was I prettier before or now?"
After asking, she recalled having posed a similar question to him before. He was a master at deflecting, so as Jin Chao began to speak, Jiang Mu raised a hand to stop him. "I only want a three-word answer."
This time, Jin Chao responded straightforwardly, "Both are pretty."
An irrepressible smile finally bloomed at the corners of Jiang Mu's eyes, and even the air seemed filled with a pleasant fragrance.
They headed toward the mountain trail. Along the way, Jin Chao handed Jiang Mu a rectangular phone box. She froze momentarily before accepting it, realizing it was the latest model—not cheap. She remembered Jin Chao mentioning days ago that he had something for her, but she never expected a new phone.
Bewildered, she asked, "Why are you giving me a phone?"
Jin Chao naturally took her backpack and slung it over his shoulder. "Didn't you say you wanted to replace the phone you've used for years? Since you're often out and about, it's better to have a reliable one."
It suddenly dawned on Jiang Mu—she had previously fabricated a story to Jin Chao about her boyfriend using her money to buy gear. She burst into laughter. Jin Chao stopped walking and asked, "Is it that funny?"
Jiang Mu's eyes curved like crescent moons as she teased, "Do you believe everything I say? You're the type who could easily get scammed by other girls."
Jin Chao lowered his eyelids expressionlessly. "Are you 'other girls'?"
Jiang Mu's laughter subsided slightly. She leaned closer, tilting her head. "Then what am I?"
Jin Chao pressed his lips together without answering, snatching the new phone and tucking it into her backpack.
Jiang Mu then asked earnestly, "Before we start climbing, I need to confirm—you're still single, right?"
Jin Chao raised an eyebrow. "What does that have to do with hiking?"
Jiang Mu swung her arms casually. "Of course it matters. I'm a principled person—I would never interfere in someone else's relationship. So I need to make sure."
A faint smile tugged at Jin Chao's lips. "I thought we were just hiking? Are you planning to do something to me on the mountain? Why bring up relationship interference?"Jiang Mu was rendered speechless by that one sentence, and inexplicably, vivid imagery even surfaced in her mind. Especially the phrase "what to do on the mountain"—she truly hadn’t thought of doing anything, but strange scenes of their past together flickered through her mind. Uncomfortably turning her head away, she muttered, "Well, you certainly don’t have any mental baggage. Aren’t you afraid my boyfriend might mind you giving me a phone?"
Jin Chao replied candidly, "If he minds, can’t he buy one himself?"
Jiang Mu laughed. "That won’t do. He still needs to buy gear."
"..."
Jin Chao ignored her and walked ahead. Jiang Mu chuckled as she caught up and asked, "You’ve been hiking here before, right?"
"No."
Jiang Mu was surprised. "No? The coffee shop is so close to the mountain, and you’ve never been up?"
Jin Chao gave an "Mm" in response.
"I often come hiking on weekends. The air is good here; you should come up more often."
Jin Chao didn’t reply, silently gazing at the stone-paved path beneath his feet.
Weekend mornings always drew many hikers. Though it was initially chilly, they warmed up quickly after climbing for a while. When Jiang Mu hiked alone, she usually wore earphones and moved at a brisk pace. But today, with Jin Chao walking slowly, she unconsciously matched his pace.
At regular intervals, Jin Chao would stop to take a few photos. Jiang Mu, puzzled, asked from beside him, "Since when did you get so into photography?"
Jin Chao casually snapped a few shots and rested briefly. Jiang Mu leaned in to look and asked, "What can you possibly capture from withered branches and dead leaves?"
Putting away his camera, Jin Chao replied, "You have to sense it."
"I can’t sense it."
Leisurely, he told her, "Capturing the soul of nature."
Jiang Mu’s shoelace came loose, and she stopped to crouch down and tie it, remarking, "I never realized you were so good at talking nonsense before."
As she stood up after tying her shoe, the small jade ball slipped out from her collar. Jin Chao’s gaze drifted to her collarbone, his eyes pausing slightly. Jiang Mu followed his line of sight, looked down, and hurriedly tucked the jade ball back into her collar. Turning away, she continued walking as if nothing had happened.
Jin Chao followed behind her, a hint of teasing in his voice. "Wearing a necklace from an ex-boyfriend—your current boyfriend doesn’t mind?"
Jiang Mu was stung by his echoing words. She turned around, annoyed, and said, "You’re climbing too slowly. Let’s race."
Jin Chao calmly averted his gaze. "No."
"Why? Afraid you can’t beat me?"
Standing on the step below, bathed in gentle warm light, his eyes held a quiet intensity as he told her, "I can’t beat you."
Jiang Mu crossed her arms and glanced back at him. "How do you know without trying? Whoever reaches the top first buys KFC."
With that, Jiang Mu started climbing upward. When she looked back after going quite a distance, Jin Chao was still standing there, quietly watching her. Hands on her hips, she called out, "Are you even capable? Can’t handle this little climb?"
A ripple stirred in Jin Chao’s eyes. Pressing his lips tightly, he strode toward her. Though he quickened his pace, he couldn’t catch up. As Jiang Mu grew smaller in his sight, his gaze tightened, that feeling of wanting to hold on but failing, just like the year he watched her get into San Lai’s car.
Jiang Mu stopped to look back at him. He was still far behind, so she turned and walked back to him, only to see fine beads of sweat already glistening on Jin Chao’s forehead.She said with some surprise, "Are you that tired? Do you usually lack exercise?"
Jin Chao gave a light smile. "You go ahead first; I'll catch up."
Jiang Mu tilted her head slightly, looking puzzled. She opened her mouth as if to say something but hesitated. Jin Chao straightened his back, looking down at her from his height. "Haven’t you heard of conserving strength and building up momentum for a strong finish?"
Jiang Mu curled her lips, turned around, and tossed back, "I'll wait for you at the summit."
Then, true to her word, she began climbing upward without looking back, soon disappearing from Jin Chao’s sight. After she left, Jin Chao lowered his head, gazing at the stone steps stretching far into the distance. He took a deep breath and started climbing, afraid that Jiang Mu would wait too long. He didn’t stop again, his clothes soaked with sweat, his breathing growing increasingly labored. He walked for a long time without catching another glimpse of her.
The year he was fitted with his prosthetic leg, Jin Chao went through an extremely painful adjustment period. He couldn’t accept the lifeless leg as part of his own flesh and blood, nor could he come to terms with his awkward gait. He even feared the strange looks from strangers.
Later, he spent a month in a rehabilitation center, but the guidance from the prosthetist seemed to have little effect. Even with pants on, it was still obvious that he was wearing a prosthetic leg.
No one knew how much effort he had put into correcting his gait, how many repeated training sessions he had endured to stand before Jiang Mu today without any trace of imperfection.
But after all, he was no longer a whole person. Prolonged excessive pressure on his lower limbs inevitably caused discomfort, and he couldn’t maintain balanced force distribution indefinitely. To climb faster, Jin Chao stopped focusing on his gait and gradually relaxed his movements.
However, Jiang Mu hadn’t actually continued toward the summit. Instead, she intentionally distanced herself from Jin Chao, deviating from the main trail and stepping into the woods. There were some undeveloped wild paths on either side of the mountain trail. Jiang Mu followed a dirt path, climbing to a higher spot and hiding behind a large rock, quietly waiting for him.
She thought Jin Chao would catch up soon, but in reality, she waited nearly twenty minutes before she saw his figure approaching from a distance. Occasionally, elderly men and women hurried past him. Jiang Mu furrowed her brows, staring at his figure, sensing something amiss. As he drew closer, she noticed his walking posture was somewhat strange—his body weight was mostly supported by his right leg, especially when climbing steps, where it was particularly noticeable.
Jiang Mu quietly observed him like this until Jin Chao passed by her and continued climbing higher. Only then did she jump down from the small slope and return to the mountain path, calling out to his retreating back, "Chao Chao.""
Hearing Jiang Mu’s voice coming from behind him, Jin Chao was startled. He stopped and turned around. When he saw Jiang Mu’s grave expression, his eyes trembled slightly. She walked step by step toward him, her gaze slowly lowering, and asked, "What’s wrong with your left leg?"
Jin Chao didn’t speak, simply returning her gaze in silence. A gust of autumn wind swept by, sending fallen leaves swirling between them, tangled and unresolved.
The stray strands of hair by Jiang Mu’s cheeks were brushed across her face by the wind, blurring her vision for a moment, yet her thoughts grew increasingly clear.
The blazing wreckage of the car crash on the mountain road, their final farewell at the small two-story building, the inexplicable severance of their connection, Jin Qiang’s concealment, Zhao Meijuan’s advice, Pan Kai’s confusion, the truth Gu Tao inadvertently let slip, and Jin Chao’s silence when she invited him to climb the mountain.
He had once said, "I’m not a god; in fact, I’m just an ordinary person."She could still remember the loneliness that flashed in Jin Chao's eyes when he sat across from her and said those words years ago. At that time, she hadn't understood their meaning.
Years later, when all seemingly unreasonable events connected together, Jiang Mu felt her soul trembling within her. She suddenly took a step closer to Jin Chao and reached out her hand. Jin Chao instinctively dodged her touch. Jiang Mu raised her eyes to firmly lock onto him, her gaze fractured and fearful, as she articulated word by word: "Are you going to hide forever?"
Jin Chao's brows gradually tightened. He hadn't intended to keep hiding from her forever - if the timing were right, he would have told her, making it easier for her to accept. He just never expected it would happen today, in this manner, so abruptly.
He gazed into her eyes, those expressive pupils flickering with unease. He could no longer evade, nor did there seem anywhere left to hide. He could only stand rooted to the spot, lifting his gaze to the distant sky.
Jiang Mu slowly bent down, carefully reaching toward his left leg. Jin Chao remained motionless, but when he felt her fingertips, his breath caught.
There was no difference at first - she could feel the contour of his leg through his pants. Her hand gradually slid downward along the seam of his trousers. Suddenly, the line that should have connected to his knee disappeared. When her fingertips touched something cold and hard, she heard the sound of her heart shattering. Tears instantly burst forth as she tremblingly withdrew her hand, covering her face with weak legs giving way beneath her.
He wasn't a god - he hadn't escaped unscathed from that accident. She couldn't imagine how he must have looked when he woke up in the hospital and discovered this truth. She couldn't imagine how, under such circumstances, he managed to sit across from her with a smile to bid farewell. Even more unimaginable was how he faced each sunrise and sunset alone in the days after she left...
He had no family. No one to care for his daily needs, no one to comfort him in his vulnerable moments, no one to stay with him when the pain became unbearable.
No one.
And when he needed her most, she had left him...
She thought that by going abroad and traveling the world, she had witnessed all of life's cruelty and reality. Only at this moment did she understand - in her most naive years, he had used a lie to support her dreams, hiding all the true cruelty and reality behind himself so she could stride forward without hesitation.
All the resentment she had held against him over so many years crumbled instantly. Jiang Mu's heart was brutally torn apart, and she couldn't help but burst into uncontrollable sobs.
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