The man looked to be in his early twenties, very tall, but a bit thin—the kind of thin that seemed fragile. His neck was long, collarbones sharp, yet the contours of his face formed a strangely gentle impression, while his straight nose added a touch of angularity.

What stood out most were his eyes—slender, with deep-set corners. When his lashes lowered, it was as if clouds had drifted over the moon.

Whoa!

The girls’ hearts skipped a beat. Not only had they found delicious tea eggs, but also discovered a charming guy. Come on, this was a double surprise!

“Hey, let’s take a picture of him, so we can show off later.”

“Absolutely! My Moments feed is starving for this!”

Egged on by one, the other instantly whipped out her phone, aiming it at the vendor to snap a shot. But just as she did, he looked up and caught her, quickly saying, “No photos!”

“Huh?” The shorter girl froze instinctively.

“Sorry…”

He curved his lips into a smile and said, “I don’t want to become an internet celebrity.”

“Pfft!”

The two girls burst out laughing, completely delighted. They’d thought this vendor was just a villager—good-looking, but probably not very cultured. But with that one line, it was clear he had some wit.

Just as they were about to chat more, they suddenly heard Team Leader Smith call out, “Let’s go, let’s go, everyone rested enough?”

“All good!”

“We should’ve left ages ago, or it’ll be dark soon!”

“How much farther is it? Whoever carries me down the mountain gets a ten-yuan tip!”

Another round of noisy chatter erupted as everyone gathered together in a jumble. The two girls felt a bit disappointed, but waved goodbye and ran back to the group. Team Leader Smith waved his arm and shouted:

“Classmates, let’s move out!”

In almost the blink of an eye, the group swept through like a tornado, leaving behind only fruit pits and sunflower seed shells.

The vendor seemed used to it, quietly wiping down the table, picking up two empty water bottles, and sweeping the pile of trash into a nearby bin.

Once done, he sat back on his folding stool, quietly waiting for the next group of tourists.

By now it was afternoon. The early summer weather was still a bit chilly, and it felt even more uncomfortable in the mountains. The dense foliage of Phoenix Mountain blocked out most of the sunlight, making everything seem dim and gloomy.

The group walked for over twenty minutes and arrived at Phoenix Mountain’s most famous spot: Old Ox’s Back.

Old Ox’s Back was a naturally formed mountain ridge, with deep ravines on both sides. There were no carved steps—just an iron railing to cling to as you edged forward. If it were icy or snowy, this place would be a dead end, its danger even more terrifying than the Canglong Ridge of Mount Hua.

“……”

Everyone stopped, staring at the arched ridge. Mist swirled in the distance, making it seem endless, and they all felt a collective sense of dread.

“Captain Ford, you’ve bragged so much, but this time you’re really pushing it.”

“How are we supposed to cross this? Just looking at it makes me dizzy.”

“I’m not doing it, this is way too scary!”

As they spoke, some people actually started to back out. Team Leader Smith saw this and immediately encouraged them: “Come on, everyone, this is our outdoor group’s first collective activity. We have to see it through to the end. Once we cross, it’s all downhill from here. It’s nothing—just close your eyes and you’ll be across!”

“Don’t kid around—close your eyes and you’ll be down the mountain all right.”

“Yeah, close them again and you’ll be in heaven.”

“Hahaha!”

Amid the chatter, one guy, full of energy, shouted, “Enough talk! If we’re going, let’s go. I’ll go first!”

With that, he grabbed the iron railing, planted his foot, and quickly made his way up. Seeing how easy it looked, others chimed in, “Yeah, let’s not waste time. If you’re going, go!”

Soon, most of the guys had crossed, and though the girls hesitated, most didn’t chicken out. Only the two girls kept whining, “Boss, we really can’t do it. Let’s just go back the way we came.”

“Come on, you’re the only ones left! Just give it a try—life is all about challenges…”

Team Leader Smith was about to give them a pep talk, but the two girls weren’t having it. They slipped away, calling out from afar, “Boss, see you at the mountain gate!”

Damn!

Team Leader Smith was left speechless and could only trail behind, slowly catching up with the group.

Chapter Two: Strange

According to their original plan, they’d start descending at three, spend four hours getting back to the provincial capital, and arrive by seven—not too late. But everyone dawdled, stopping to play here and there, wasting a lot of time.

The two girls left the main group and wandered back on their own.

Daylight faded quickly in the mountains. By four, most of the light was gone, and it felt as if the sun had vanished altogether. The farther they walked, the more uneasy they felt, the gloom pressing in, every rustle in the wind making them jump.

“If I’d known, I would’ve just crossed with them. This way is so much longer!”

“No use complaining now, let’s just keep going.”

“Oh, I’m scared—hold my hand.”

Hand in hand, the two girls carefully made their way down the steps. It had taken over twenty minutes to climb up, but going down felt even longer. The forest was silent, no sound of birds or beasts. They didn’t know how long they’d been walking when they finally saw the end of the steps—and heard faint voices ahead.

Voices meant people, and their spirits lifted at once.

“Oh my god, I’m so scared my period’s about to start!”

“Stop talking, let’s hurry up!”