Chapter 75#
Yan Heqing didn’t receive this message.
The phone had completely lost signal.
Going deeper, the trees became taller and taller. The trees in the capital were still sprouting, but here it was evergreen all year round, with dense shade blocking the sun. It was still noon, but it was already as dark as night.
Occasionally, there were strange, unknown cries.
Zhan Pingting held Zhou Wuyou tightly and whispered, “Let’s go back to the camp.”
Zhou Wuyou had a point-and-shoot camera hanging around her neck for easy photo recording. She looked around for Yan Heqing and soon saw him squatting in a clump of grass diagonally ahead, recording seriously.
Zhou Wuyou smiled, turned her head back to Zhan Pingting, “We came for an internship, not for hiking and sightseeing. It’s only noon, work seriously.”
Zhan Pingting still felt creeped out inside, so she kept following Zhou Wuyou closely.
The other girl followed Gu Xingye, constantly telling jokes.
Gu Xingye didn’t find them funny, only annoying. But he never showed it, echoing the girl, who giggled from time to time.
Zhao Yong was always on guard against Gu Xingye, treating him as the number one enemy. Seeing him easily make the girl laugh, Zhao Yong was jealous and envious. He rolled his eyes, coughed, and took out his big move.
“Observation is over, let’s go explore the firefly cave by the way!”
As soon as these words came out, everyone, including Yan Heqing, looked at Zhao Yong.
At this moment, Zhao Yong had never been so noticed, especially Zhan Pingting finally looked at him directly. Zhao Yong was extremely satisfied, took out a hand-drawn map, and unfolded it ostentatiously.
“Others definitely didn’t expect that there would be a firefly cave in Huaishan! It was discovered by my good buddy in his junior year. Through this forest, walk left for half an hour and there is a wild waterfall. There is an entrance on the mountain wall next to the waterfall, and inside is the firefly cave.”
His expression was rich, as if he had seen it with his own eyes, “It’s huge. My buddies didn’t explore to the end. It’s too big, and there are many paths. It took them several hours to get out.”
Zhan Pingting was afraid of the dark, but the firefly cave was really attractive. She couldn’t make up her mind and poked Zhou Wuyou, “Going?” She was a little worried, “What if we get lost? And the weather forecast says there will be heavy rain these days.”
She took out her phone to check the weather, but there was no signal.
Zhou Wuyou was moved when she heard about the firefly cave. She nodded, “Of course we’re going, firefly cave! Doesn’t Zhao Yong have a map? Don’t be afraid.”
Zhao Yong made up his mind to confess to Zhan Pingting in the firefly cave. He nodded in agreement, “I have a map, it’s detailed, absolutely won’t get lost.”
The other girl listened to Gu Xingye’s opinion. Gu Xingye considered for a moment, “No rain today and tomorrow, sixty percent chance of heavy rain the night after tomorrow.”
Gu Xingye spoke, and Zhao Yong immediately looked at Zhan Pingting, “Gu Xingye said it won’t rain. Let’s go, let’s go.”
It seemed that the decision was up to Zhan Pingting. She blushed and nodded, “Let’s go.”
Zhou Wuyou and Gu Xingye looked at Yan Heqing at the same time. Yan Heqing didn’t speak and put away his notebook.
Zhao Yong whistled, “Unanimous pass, let’s go!”
——
An hour ago, Lin Fengyi woke up, changed into a sportswear and came out of the tent. Several groups of students were still discussing the route into the mountain. He looked around, didn’t find Yan Heqing, nor Gu Xingye. Did they go climbing together?
Thinking of this possibility, Lin Fengyi lifted his foot to look for them. At this time, Sun Tingzhou came out of the next tent. Seeing him looking distracted, he was a little curious.
Which celestial beauty hooked Lin Fengyi’s soul so tightly, who only cared about his brother?
Sun Tingzhou pursued Lin Fengyi at first, but Lin Fengyi only wanted sex, not love. He thought getting the person was fine too, so the two maintained a long-term bed partner relationship.
In these years, except for Lin Fengyi’s unweaned brother, he had never seen him care about anyone.
Sincere this time?
Sun Tingzhou felt sour. He originally thought there would be hope if he waited long enough. It seemed that inappropriate was inappropriate. In an instant, he decided to end this bed partner relationship. Adjusting his mood, he chased after him and said, “Who are you looking for? I’ll ask for you.”
Lin Fengyi’s face changed slightly. He didn’t like others guessing his thoughts, but he was busy looking for Yan Heqing, so he said casually, “Gu Xingye, my brother’s friend, asked me to take care of him.”
Sun Tingzhou’s mouth twitched. Brother’s friend, playing wild enough. He asked around, but each group’s route into the mountain was free. Sun Tingzhou asked for a map, “There are three routes, not sure which one he took.”
He persuaded, “Anyway, we have to return to the camp at six o’clock. Can’t get lost. Don’t bother, wait here. Can’t search one by one.”
Lin Fengyi grabbed the map and walked away.
Sun Tingzhou, “…” sighed and followed.
When the two entered the mountain from the north route, a silver-gray Bentley drove into the camp.
Stopping steadily and getting out of the car, Lu Lin wore a casual suit today, less unapproachable majesty and sharpness. He opened the trunk and took out the fishing bag.
Several students in the distance stared at Lu Lin and covered their mouths screaming, “Holy shit! Is that a senior student? So tall and handsome!”
Lu Lin also had a map.
Got by the assistant.
Receiving the photo sent by Yan Heqing, he searched for the topography of Huaishan. The area with water flow and waterfalls should be on the west side. He unfolded the map, glanced at it, and entered the mountain from the west mountain road.
Walking into the deep mountains for almost two hours, Lu Lin saw the Ranunculus aquatilis.
Just like the photo Yan Heqing sent him, hidden deep in the forest, it was a heavily colored oil painting. Lu Lin took out his phone. One bar of signal came and went. Yan Heqing didn’t reply to his message. It seemed there was no signal here.
He glanced at the time, two o’clock in the afternoon.
It was getting dark in the forest. Walking further in for a while, it was completely dark. Lu Lin turned on the watch light. A white beam of light penetrated the darkness. The map marked only this one way in and out. Not meeting Yan Heqing and his team members, they were still ahead. Lu Lin continued to move forward.
Walking out of the forest, the map ended.
Ahead was a fork in the road.
Lu Lin stepped forward, squatted down and observed the ground. It was all mud. There were obviously different footprints on the left. Lu Lin frowned, raised his hand to check the time, almost four o’clock.
Field surveys had time limits, usually requiring return to camp at six o’clock.
It would take several hours to return to the camp from here. Returning to the camp now would be overtime. Yan Heqing was not a person without a sense of time. Either he found another way back to the camp, or he encountered an accident.
Lu Lin got up, sped up, and chased from the left path.
In front of the waterfall with huge water flow, several flashlight beams were on. Zhan Pingting held Zhou Wuyou tightly, “Can’t go in! What if you can’t come out either!”
Zhou Wuyou’s eyes were all red. The usually cheerful and generous girl was now crying like a tearful person, “Yan Heqing hasn’t come out yet, I’m going to find him!”
Zhao Yong squatted aside, lowering his head and daring not to speak.
There were two paths after entering the firefly cave. He wanted to confess to Zhan Pingting alone, so he lied that they would meet soon. The two groups walked separately to facilitate writing experiment reports. After separating, he deliberately pulled Zhan Pingting behind to confess. In the romantic firefly cave, Zhan Pingting was also moved and agreed to him. He couldn’t help kissing Zhan Pingting. When the two came back to their senses, Yan Heqing was gone.
Gu Xingye looked at his watch. It had been almost an hour since they came out of the cave.
His expression changed, and he decided not to wait any longer, “You guys stay here, I’ll go back and look.”
Zhou Wuyou quickly followed, “I’ll go too!”
Gu Xingye shook his head, “One more person will distract me. Don’t worry, I will find him.”
Zhou Wuyou bit her lip. Zhan Pingting stepped forward to persuade her, “Gu Xingye is right. It will be troublesome if many people go in and get separated. Let’s wait here.”
Zhou Wuyou looked at the cave entrance worriedly, and finally nodded.
Zhan Pingting thought for a while and said, “Gu Xingye, if you haven’t found anyone in an hour, come back. In case Yan Heqing also found a way out and can’t contact you without signal. If he doesn’t come back, we will go back to the camp for help.”
Gu Xingye nodded and re-entered the cave with a flashlight.
The remaining few people didn’t speak anymore, staring nervously at the cave entrance.
After a while, suddenly there were footsteps behind. Zhou Wuyou turned back first and looked over excitedly, “Yan He—”
The word “Qing” got stuck.
A beam of light shone over. Against the light, the face couldn’t be seen clearly, only recognizing it was a man.
Lu Lin heard the first two words. Looking at the expressions of these men and women, his eyes darkened slightly, “Where is Yan Heqing?”
The remaining three also looked over. Their flashlight beams were dim, and they couldn’t see Lu Lin clearly against the light, but his voice had the majesty of a superior. Zhao Yong shivered, pointing at the cave entrance and said, “We explored the cave, he didn’t return…”
Before finishing, Zhao Yong felt a tall figure pass him and disappear into the cave entrance in an instant.
Zhao Yong was confused. He muttered, “Who is this person?”
No one answered him.
Yan Heqing didn’t get lost, but his left ankle was bitten.
The fireflies on the cave wall were like starlight, but the ground was pitch black. He didn’t see the animal that bit him, only confirming it was non-venomous.
From being bitten until now, apart from leg pain, there was nothing unusual elsewhere.
He analyzed the pros and cons. His leg could still walk, but how long it could last was unknown. Their group’s flashlight was with Zhao Yong. He used his mobile phone to illuminate for a while, and it was running out of battery. If he lost lighting, he might really get lost in the cave.
Finally, Yan Heqing decided to wait for rescue on the spot.
Other classmates should come to find him when they found him missing.
Yan Heqing wasn’t sure.
Leaning against the wall, he looked up slightly at the fireflies on the cave wall.
Beautiful like a dream, like the Milky Way in summer.
It was also a summer night.
He was less than seven years old at that time. Yan Feng was only a few months old. When he cried, he went to make him laugh. Yan Shengbing came back and saw it, slapping him heavily on the head, “Get out! Making my son cry, I’ll beat you to death!”
He ran out of the house and hid behind the flower bed. He thought, if Zhao Huilin came to find him, how many minutes would he wait before going out.
Wiping his tears, he looked expectantly at the gate of the apartment building.
Many familiar people went in and out, but Zhao Huilin was not among them.
The next day at dawn, he understood.
No one would come to find him.
Except for mosquitoes.
His arms were full of big red bumps.
Maybe thinking of mosquitoes, Yan Heqing felt his ankle was a little itchy. He had illuminated it with his mobile phone. It was a somewhat round cut, not too big, bleeding a little, not much. It should be a small animal, probably scared by his footsteps.
Worried about other bacteria in the cave infecting the wound, Yan Heqing thought for a while and decided to tear a piece of clothing to bind the wound first.
Only one leg was convenient for movement, and his squatting movement was extremely slow.
Just as his hand lifted the trouser leg, there were faint footsteps.
Yan Heqing immediately looked up ahead, “Zhao Yong?”
Urgent footsteps, then a light shone over. Sudden light, Yan Heqing squinted his eyes. In the blurred light and shadow, his pupils dilated suddenly.
Then, the person squatted in front of him. The light shone on his exposed small ankle. The thumb skillfully pressed above his wound, and the magnetic voice rose slightly, “Who is Zhao Yong?”