Chapter 18#
Many tents on the ice surface hadn’t been taken down, leaving the area in darkness and silence.
There were four cars in the parking lot.
Yan Heqing observed them. Three were covered in snow, meaning they were either parked there and not driven away, or the owners had been fishing here for a long time without leaving.
Only one car had sparse snow on its hood, and that was Jing A1111.
Yan Heqing carried a lantern and stepped onto the ice, walking deeper into the lake.
Lu Lin was a man of strict self-discipline who valued every second. Choosing to fish in the early morning meant he wouldn’t rest first upon arrival.
It was highly likely he was fishing alone somewhere.
There was only the sound of falling snow from all directions. Snowflakes occasionally fell on Yan Heqing’s eyelashes and didn’t melt.
Yan Heqing walked very slowly.
The ice surface was slightly slippery, and he had to be careful not to step into ice holes chiseled by other fishermen.
Used ice holes, when it snowed, would be covered by falling snow before a thick layer of ice could form. Like traps, stepping on them meant falling directly into the lake.
Yan Heqing carried a small lantern, casting a small halo of light on the ice.
He cautiously avoided all suspicious ice surfaces. After walking for about half an hour, the ice surface finally narrowed, and the trees on the lake shore could be vaguely seen.
Weighed down by snow, dry branches were occasionally exposed.
Walking further in for about another ten minutes, a faint light appeared at the junction of the majestic, undulating snow-capped mountains.
Found it.
Yan Heqing stopped. A thin layer of white frost had condensed on his eyelashes. He raised his heavy hand and stiffly brushed his eyelashes.
—
Inside the spacious and bright tent, the heating was on full blast. Lu Lin took off his coat, wearing only a thin sweater.
To his left was a simple table with a thermos cup containing piping hot ginger tea.
And a newly released mystery novel.
When Lu Lin went fishing, he would take time to read novels. He preferred mystery and detective genres, and his assistant would pick a new book of the season every week.
Lu Lin turned the page of the novel, holding the fishing rod in one hand.
The novel opened with a dismemberment case. The author was extremely good at creating a suspenseful atmosphere. Lu Lin was engrossed in reading when suddenly, a harsh sound of an electric drill rang out. Zzz zzz zzz.
In the quiet snowy valley, it was piercingly loud.
Lu Lin’s brow twitched. Someone was chiseling an ice hole nearby.
Zzz zzz zzz.
Zzz zzz zzz.
Zzz zzz zzz.
After a series of abrupt and harsh noises, calm was restored.
Only the sound of snowflakes falling on the tent roof remained.
Lu Lin continued reading the novel.
Yan Heqing finished chiseling two ice holes, one inside the tent and one about a meter to the left front of the tent.
After setting up the tent and securing the ground pegs at the four corners, Yan Heqing entered the tent to lay the floor mat.
After laying the mat, Yan Heqing’s hands were nearly numb from the cold. He turned on the heater to warm his hands, then walked to the ice hole and used a skimmer to scoop out some crushed ice from the hole.
He lifted a corner of the tent flap. About two or three meters away from him, a large tent was fixed, lit by a bright lamp, vaguely revealing a blurry silhouette.
Yan Heqing looked at the other ice hole he had drilled. The snow was heavy, covering it with a thin layer, but the outline of the hole could still be seen.
He was about to dump the crushed ice outside. Just as he was about to lower the tent flap, the silhouette in the opposite tent suddenly moved.
The light and shadow grew larger.
Almost simultaneously, Yan Heqing lifted the tent flap.
The heat inside the tent was stifling. Lu Lin opened the tent flap for ventilation, and fresh, cold air instantly rushed in.
At the same time, he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure.
The sky was faintly bright, and heavy snow was falling. The young man was holding a skimmer, dumping crushed ice outside.
The few rays of orange light from the tent shone on the young man’s snow-white skin, giving an unreal feeling.
Lu Lin’s gaze swept over Yan Heqing.
The young man had also taken off his coat and was wearing a black turtleneck sweater.
Through the heavy snow, the young man seemed to glance in his direction, then put away the skimmer and retreated into the tent.
Lu Lin watched for a few seconds, then lowered the tent flap. This time he didn’t close it completely, leaving a gap for ventilation.
Flipping through the novel, half the day passed, but he only read a few lines.
18 years old, fishing on a Tuesday, not in school?
Lu Lin rarely saw young people fishing, and ice fishing was even rarer.
Suddenly hearing a noise, Lu Lin looked down. It turned out a snakehead fish had jumped out of the water on its own and was flopping on the floor mat.
Lu Lin bent down, picked up the snakehead fish, and put it back into the ice hole. The snakehead fish swam away at light speed.
…
On the other side, Yan Heqing also caught a mandarin fish.
He was a bit hungry, so he skillfully prepared the fish, set up the grill pan, added oil, and made the simplest pan-fried fish.
Before long, the aroma filled the tent—the milky scent of butter and the meaty scent of fish skin.
He wondered if the neighboring tent could smell it.
Yan Heqing chewed the tender and delicious fish meat, a glimpse in the snow flashing before his eyes.
He couldn’t see the man’s features clearly, but he could roughly make out Lu Lin’s distinct profile.
30 years old, the time when a man is most mature and charming.
Lin Fengzhi wrote in his diary—
[My heart is beating so fast, it’s about to jump out of my throat. I’ve never seen such a handsome person!]
[God, let me fall in love with him! I like him so much, so much!]
[Lucky! I saw Uncle Lu Lin today. I caught a glimpse from afar, he really glows! Wishing to dream of him tonight!]
…
Yan Heqing finished the pan-fried mandarin fish, drank a box of pure milk, and continued reading and fishing.
Time passed bit by bit. By 3 PM, the sky was completely dark. Yan Heqing closed the book.
In the small red bucket by his feet, two fish swam back and forth.
He stood up, packed his equipment methodically, then put on his coat and went out to dismantle the tent.
Leaving the tent, the overwhelming cold almost immediately dispelled the heat from his body.
The temperature was really too low, more than ten degrees below zero.
Yan Heqing shivered.
The noise he made dismantling the tent was loud. Lu Lin slightly raised his wrist to check his watch.
3:12 PM.
Leaving so early.
Lu Lin’s eyelids moved slightly.
Yan Heqing packed his things and looked at the ice hole he had drilled in the morning. It was completely covered by snow.
But only he knew that beneath the ice and snow lay a trap that would collapse if stepped on.
He would fall in, dropping into the ice hole.
That ice hole was the result of his precise calculations.
Even if Lu Lin didn’t save him in time, he could ensure he could climb back onto the ice surface.
However, the lake water was freezing. No matter what, his body would inevitably suffer from the cold.
He knew.
But to gain something, one must give something in exchange.
It was worth it.
Yan Heqing carried the water bucket and walked steadily towards the ice hole he had made himself.
Then.
Thud!
With a heavy sound, the red bucket fell onto the ice surface. Two fish were thrown out, flopping violently on the ice.
The thin ice cracked, and the slender figure stepped into the ice hole.
“Help…”
This was the first time Lu Lin heard Yan Heqing’s voice.
Accompanied by the sound of a heavy object hitting the ground.
Lu Lin grabbed the life rope and rushed out of the tent immediately. The snow had lessened a lot, and a small red bucket lay on the ice.
Lu Lin made a prompt decision and rushed towards the small red bucket. Getting closer, he saw Yan Heqing stuck in the ice hole, his hands desperately clutching the ice surface.
The ice surface was making cracking sounds. Lu Lin didn’t rashly move forward.
He stopped and threw the rope accurately towards the ice hole. “Don’t panic, grab the rope.”
The winter lake water was bitingly cold. The moment Yan Heqing fell in, his limbs immediately didn’t belong to him anymore, numb to the point of stiffness. His vision also froze with a layer of mist. He tried hard to stay calm and judge the direction of the rope. When he heard the sound of something falling on his left, he mustered all his available strength, extended his stiff fingers, and touched the rope on the first try.
Feeling the tension on the other end of the rope, and fearing he might lose consciousness midway, Lu Lin encouraged him, “You’re doing great. Now slowly tighten your grip. Yes, don’t be afraid, you’ll be fine soon…”
Yan Heqing’s eyelashes began to freeze, and his vision became increasingly blurred. He listened to Lu Lin and slowly tightened his grip.
“Excellent.” Lu Lin continued to encourage him while calmly pulling the rope. “Hold on tight again, yes, just like that…”
The young man was surprisingly light. Lu Lin pulled him out of the ice hole effortlessly. Pulling him a further distance forward, Lu Lin judged that the ice surface was unaffected and thick enough. He put down the rope end and ran quickly towards Yan Heqing.
The young man lay on the ice, his clothes soaked through, his condition unrecognizable. Lu Lin squatted down, put his hand on Yan Heqing’s shoulder, and helped him up first. “You—”
The next second, the young man looked up, and a face so pale it was almost purple broke into Lu Lin’s view.
Yan Heqing was trembling all over. His vision was blurred from the cold. Without hesitation, he threw himself into Lu Lin’s arms, clutching Lu Lin’s collar tightly, his lips already turned a bruised purple.
It was as if Lu Lin was holding a refrigerator in his arms; the cold air constantly attacked him.
His thin sweater was soon soaked through as well.
He picked up Yan Heqing with one arm and walked quickly back to the tent.
Inside the tent, it was very warm. Lu Lin pulled open a thin down blanket and spread it on the floor mat. He wanted to put Yan Heqing down, but saw his eyes closed tight, his hands clutching him relentlessly, trembling violently.
Lu Lin didn’t forcibly pull Yan Heqing away. He pulled the thin blanket over Yan Heqing, then grabbed his phone and called the hospital first. This valley was equipped with a private hospital located at the foot of the mountain.
After the call, Lu Lin threw the phone aside, grabbed his thermos cup, and unscrewed it. The scent of hot ginger juice wafted out. Yan Heqing wasn’t very conscious, his mouth closed tight. So Lu Lin forced the young man’s lips open and poured a few mouthfuls of hot ginger soup into him.
After drinking the hot ginger soup, Yan Heqing’s condition improved slightly. Although still terrible, his face wasn’t as terrifyingly pale.
While waiting for the ambulance, Lu Lin had time to examine Yan Heqing.
It wasn’t his first or second time performing an ice rescue. He had encountered fishermen falling into ice holes several times, but this was the first time he met such a calm and cooperative victim.
And the young man was only 18.
At this moment, Yan Heqing murmured a few times and suddenly squeezed hard into Lu Lin’s arms. Fine, dense cold sweat oozed from his full forehead. Lu Lin took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped away the cold sweat for him.
The ambulance arrived twenty minutes later.
Yan Heqing was still in Lu Lin’s arms. The stretcher bearers wanted to take him and put him on the stretcher, but Lu Lin stepped directly into the vehicle.
The stretcher bearers were confused but followed into the ambulance, only then realizing the reason.
The young man was hugging the man tightly. The emergency doctor and nurse tried together but couldn’t pry the young man’s fingers open.
“Check first.” Lu Lin interrupted them and briefly explained Yan Heqing’s situation.
The doctor nodded and immediately squatted down to check Yan Heqing’s condition.
“No bumps or external injuries.” The doctor finished the examination. “Specific conditions need a systematic checkup back at the hospital.”
The rescue siren echoed in the snowy valley, quickly speeding out of the valley and arriving at the private hospital at the foot of the mountain.
With the joint effort of several nurses, they finally pried open Yan Heqing’s hands clasped around Lu Lin’s waist.
They placed Yan Heqing on the transfer gurney.
“Phew.” The head nurse panted. “Quick, send him for examination.”
The other nurses ran off pushing the gurney.
“You come with me to pay the fees.” The head nurse glanced at Lu Lin.
Minus 12 degrees, wearing only a thin sweater, the head nurse felt cold for him.
But Lu Lin’s aura was imposing, so the head nurse didn’t dare to look a second time. She led him to the payment counter and left first.
The doctor at the payment counter typed on the keyboard. “Patient’s name.”
Lu Lin dialed Xie Yunjie’s number.
“OG bartender’s name.”
It was very noisy on Xie Yunjie’s end. He walked quickly to a quiet place. “What?”
Lu Lin asked again.
The doctor at the window stole a glance at Lu Lin.
Xie Yunjie was confused but still answered first, “Xiao Yan? Yan Heqing…”
Beep.
Lu Lin hung up the phone.
He told the doctor.
“Yan Heqing.”