Hearing You Say Love chapter 27

The First Hug

The recent stories in The Rabbit Conspiracy, Wolf Trail had all been set in the forest, and Su Ming, feeling a bit stuck, couldn’t draw any scenes he particularly liked, so he decided to go hiking to gather inspiration.

After telling Zou Beiyuan he was going hiking, Zou Beiyuan said he also needed some outdoor exercise, so the two planned to go together on Saturday.

Su Ming picked a scenic area about 160 kilometers from Rong City, a two-and-a-half-hour drive one way. They decided to leave in the morning and return by afternoon.

The temperature in the mountains was much cooler than in the city. Zou Beiyuan wore the same black jacket and pants he’d worn on their fishing trip, while Su Ming wore a white short-sleeved shirt with a light gray tracksuit. Together, they looked like they were headed for a photoshoot.

Around 10 a.m., they parked at the foot of the mountain. Zou Beiyuan pointed to the top and said, “There’s a temple up there. If we hurry, we can reach the top by noon and have a vegetarian meal at the temple.”

At this time of year, the vegetation was at its lushest. Su Ming stood by the car, looking up at the sea of greenery, so dense it concealed the tourists, the mountain paths, and even the buildings in the mountains.

The mountain was steep and towering, reaching into the clouds.

Su Ming felt that he might not be able to climb to the top, and his face showed a hint of hesitation.

“If you get tired halfway up, we can take the cable car from the midway station,” Zou Beiyuan offered an alternative plan. “The upper half is steeper, and the scenery is better, but hiking might be a bit difficult. The cable car goes straight to the top.”

Su Ming was a little surprised. He had been here twice before, yet Zou Beiyuan seemed more familiar with the place. Using sign language, he asked him, Have you been here before?

Zou Beiyuan didn’t understand the sign, so Su Ming took out his phone and typed: [Have you been here before?]

“No, this is my first time,” Zou Beiyuan scratched his head, a little embarrassed. “I checked the travel guides online last night.”

Su Ming casually mentioned wanting to hike, and this guy had seriously done his research.

He knew about the cable car at the halfway point, the delicious vegetarian meals at the temple at the top, and where the best views were.

Su Ming couldn’t help but feel touched.

Nodding, Su Ming gestured: Let’s go.

Zou Beiyuan put their water bottles into his backpack, slung it over his shoulder, and they set off together.

The mountain trail was built above a stream, and the sound of the water and birds made the hike feel less tiring. As they walked, Su Ming took photos of the mountain scenery with his phone.

Thanks to his recent night runs, his stamina had greatly improved, and he made it to the halfway point in one go.

It wasn’t until he saw the sign for the cable car ticket office that Su Ming finally felt tired. He sat down on a bench to rest.

Zou Beiyuan took out a water bottle from his bag and handed it to him.

Su Ming took a sip, still panting slightly, his face flushed, and his hair damp with sweat. He took off his jacket, and Zou Beiyuan naturally took it from him and stuffed it into his own bag.

“Do you want to take the cable car?”

Su Ming nodded, took another sip of water, and his lips were moistened, appearing plump and red.

Zou Beiyuan’s Adam’s apple moved slightly as he averted his gaze, saying, “Wait here for a moment, I’ll go get the tickets.”

After saying this, he walked away. Su Ming watched his back and thought enviously, “He really has great stamina, not even breaking a sweat.”

During the hike, Zou Beiyuan seemed relaxed, while Su Ming, taking photos along the way, made Zou Beiyuan stop occasionally to wait for him.

The cable car was a cabin-type, with four people per cabin. They shared the ride with a young couple.

The cabin was made entirely of transparent glass, offering a panoramic view of the stunning scenery.

After taking enough photos, Su Ming put away his phone and noticed that the girl sitting across from them had been staring at Zou Beiyuan, and her boyfriend caught her in the act.

Her boyfriend seemed unhappy, so she kissed his cheek to make it up to him. The boy turned his head away, sulking.

Su Ming found it amusing and turned to look at Zou Beiyuan, only to find him staring directly at him.

The bench inside the cabin was very short, so they were sitting very close to each other, close enough for Su Ming to catch the clean scent of laundry detergent from Zou Beiyuan.

Su Ming blinked: “?”

Zou Beiyuan raised his hand and tucked a few stray strands of hair behind Su Ming’s ear, then asked, “Are you thirsty? Want some water?”

Su Ming shook his head.

Didn’t I just drink water?

Then Zou Beiyuan took out a water bottle from his backpack and started drinking himself.

Su Ming noticed that Zou Beiyuan had picked up his water bottle. Before he could stop him, Zou had already put the bottle to his lips.

Su Ming: “…”

The two bottles were different colors, how could he mix them up…

By the time they got off the cable car, it was noon, and they just made it in time for lunch at the temple on the top.

As the rumors said, the meal was indeed delicious, but it could also have been because they were both starving.

After leaving the temple, they wandered around for a bit, and when they checked the time, they decided to head back down.

“Should we take the cable car back down too?” Zou Beiyuan asked.

Since the cable car route was the same as on the way up and they had already seen the views, Su Ming decided to hike down.

Zou Beiyuan had no objections. “Okay, let’s walk down.”

The descent was much more challenging than the climb. Although there were stone steps, the damp environment had caused moss to grow on many of them, and they had to be especially careful in the steeper sections.

Su Ming nearly slipped several times, but each time, Zou Beiyuan caught him in time.

“Hold my hand,” Zou Beiyuan extended his arm toward Su Ming.

Without hesitation, Su Ming grabbed hold with one hand.

Zou Beiyuan’s arm was strong and muscular. Holding onto him, Su Ming felt confident enough to free up his other hand for more photos, knowing Zou Beiyuan wouldn’t let him fall.

Most of the tourists had taken the cable car down, so the trail was quiet, and they kept encountering small animals like squirrels, monkeys, and snakes.

Halfway down, it started raining. Zou Beiyuan took off his jacket and covered Su Ming’s head with it. “We should hurry, it might rain harder.”

Wrapped in Zou Beiyuan’s scent, Su Ming nodded, put away his phone, and quickened his pace.

Soon, they were both drenched. Su Ming started feeling cold and clung tightly to Zou Beiyuan’s warm body.

For the last stretch of the trail, Zou Beiyuan practically carried him.

At the midway point, they found a vendor selling umbrellas. Zou Beiyuan picked up two but ended up returning one and buying just one umbrella.

Su Ming sat in a pavilion, exhausted and with shaky legs, waiting for Zou Beiyuan. When he returned, Su Ming naturally rested his head on Zou Beiyuan’s shoulder.

“I asked around, the bus down the mountain comes every half hour. Let’s just wait here.”

Su Ming nodded.

The rain started to fall harder, forming streams that ran off the pavilion roof.

Su Ming sneezed, and Zou Beiyuan immediately took out a dry jacket from his bag, wrapped it around him, and stretched his arm to pull Su Ming fully into his embrace.

Leaning against Zou Beiyuan’s chest, Su Ming could hear his heartbeat growing louder and louder, and wrapped his arms around his waist.

The tourists sitting in the pavilion waiting for the bus were watching them. Su Ming stole a glance at Zou Beiyuan and found that he didn’t seem to care about other people’s gazes.

Was it because his mind was at peace?

After holding him for a while, Su Ming let go and wrote on his phone: [I checked the weather, and it looks like it’s raining down the mountain too.]

He brought up the weather app and showed it to Zou Beiyuan, and sure enough, it showed that it was raining heavily in the area.

Su Ming asked with hidden motives: [Are we still heading back today? It doesn’t seem very safe to drive on the highway in this weather.]

“Mm,” Zou Beiyuan looked into his beautiful eyes, leaned in, and whispered close to his right ear, “How about we find a hotel down the mountain and wait until tomorrow when the rain stops?”

Author’s note:

The next chapter reveals the truth.