Fell in Love with the Crazy Young Lady - Chapter 32

Thanks to Yang Zhao, Hua Man experienced night hiking for the first time.

 

 

Summer nights were swarming with insects. Despite applying repellent, moths and bugs still flocked toward the light.

 

 

As a bodyguard, Hua Man diligently shooed them away.

 

 

“The mountain breeze feels so nice,” Yang Zhao said cheerfully, unbothered by the bugs. “Manman, relax. It’s just a hike.”

 

 

Hua Man replied expressionlessly, “Besides bugs, summer also brings out snakes.”

 

 

She couldn’t fathom what went through the minds of the wealthy—why would anyone want to hike at night? If something happened, there’d be no time for regrets.

 

 

Yang Zhao shrugged. “I brought medicine.”

 

 

Hua Man took a deep breath and fell silent.

 

 

Fine. Today was the anniversary of Yang Zhao’s mother’s death. It made sense she’d want to clear her mind with a hike. The night wind might help soothe her heart.

 

 

Seeing Hua Man still tense, Yang Zhao sighed. “Manman, in life, you should dare to do what you want.”

 

 

“What if it costs you your life?” Hua Man stopped walking. “Would you still do it?”

 

 

“Of course,” Yang Zhao answered without hesitation. “Every time I do extreme sports, I’m prepared to die.”

 

 

She glanced around. “We could be mauled by wild beasts, poisoned by snakes or strange insects, or fall to our deaths… Anything is possible.”

 

 

Hua Man was speechless.

 

 

Compared to those scenarios, Yang Zhao’s current demeanor unsettled her more.

 

 

Her deep, eerie gaze reminded Hua Man of the deranged killers from crime investigations.

 

 

Was Yang Zhao luring her into the mountains to kill and bury her?

 

 

“What are you thinking?” Yang Zhao mused. “Manman, what wild ideas are you imagining?”

 

 

Hua Man naturally kept her thoughts to herself. Then again, from another perspective, Yang Zhao was the one who should be afraid.

 

 

As the heir to the Yang family, if Hua Man kidnapped her for ransom, she could likely extort a fortune.

 

 

If Yang Zhao wasn’t scared, why should she be?

 

 

“Let’s go up and come back quickly.”

 

 

She still felt uneasy—this place was risky if they encountered trouble.

 

 

“Fine.”

 

 

Seeing Hua Man still on high alert, Yang Zhao sighed and agreed.

 

 

Along the way, fireflies flickered like tiny lanterns in the dark.

 

 

They were a rare sight these days, bringing a faint smile to Yang Zhao’s face.

 

 

The mountain wasn’t tall, and neither of them lacked stamina, so they reached the summit quickly.

 

 

Hua Man carefully scattered snake repellent around their resting spot and sprayed more bug spray on them both.

 

 

After laying out a mat she’d brought, she finally turned to Yang Zhao. “All set.”

 

 

Yang Zhao sat on the mat and patted the space beside her, looking up. “Sit here.”

 

 

Hua Man complied.

 

 

The mountain was quiet, filled with the sounds of birds and insects. The evening breeze brushed their cheeks, cool and refreshing.

 

 

Yang Zhao’s voice turned almost ethereal. “Look at the fireflies.”

 

 

 

As she spoke, Yang Zhao turned off the light beside them.

 

 

Under the moonlight, Hua Man’s hand was clasped by Yang Zhao’s.

 

 

Though they had already done more intimate things, having her hand held by Yang Zhao now still sent her heart racing uncontrollably.

 

 

“So beautiful,” Yang Zhao murmured softly.

 

 

Hua Man looked up—it truly was. Green lights flickered endlessly in the night sky, mysterious and enchanting.

 

 

This was the first time she had witnessed such a dreamlike scene, as if she had stepped into a fairy tale, breathtakingly beautiful.

 

 

Both of them fell silent, quietly admiring the view.

 

 

Such a beautiful moment should have been romantic enough to etch itself into Hua Man’s memory forever. Unfortunately, the spell was broken by raindrops landing on her face.

 

 

Hua Man immediately tensed. “It’s starting to rain.”

 

 

She quickly turned on the nearby light, and sure enough, the raindrops became even more visible under its glow.

 

 

Getting caught in the rain on a mountain was far from ideal.

 

 

She sprang to her feet and reached for Yang Zhao. “Let’s go quickly before it gets worse.”

 

 

But Yang Zhao’s gaze lingered beside them. She picked up a fallen leaf—a firefly lay on it, seemingly lifeless.

 

 

“Look,” she sighed softly. “Even in death, it still glows.”

 

 

“Yang Zhao,” Hua Man frowned, irritated by her lack of urgency. “If the rain picks up, we’ll be in danger up here. The path down will be treacherous.”

 

 

“So we die here then?”

 

 

Yang Zhao tilted her head, her tone eerily light.

 

 

At that moment, a chill ran down Hua Man’s spine. She realized Yang Zhao wasn’t joking—she truly had no fear of death.

 

 

Thunder rumbled.

 

 

Summer rain was sudden and fierce. What had been scattered drops moments ago now poured down in sheets.

 

 

Hua Man swiftly grabbed the mat from the ground, draping it over both of them with one hand while tightly gripping Yang Zhao with the other, pulling her toward shelter.

 

 

Through the downpour, Yang Zhao’s voice was barely audible. “…Don’t go down.”

 

 

Hua Man ignored her.

 

 

But abruptly, Yang Zhao yanked her to a stop.

 

 

“If you want to die, do it alone,” Hua Man snapped, unable to mask her anger as she glared coldly at Yang Zhao.

 

 

Yang Zhao’s gaze fell to Hua Man’s hand, still clutching hers tightly. She sighed softly. “Rushing down in this heavy rain is asking for trouble. We should find cover first—somewhere to wait out the rain and lightning.”

 

 

Hua Man froze.

 

 

A few seconds later, it dawned on her that Yang Zhao was right. In her panic, she had overlooked the risks—landslides, slippery paths—that came with heavy rain.

 

 

Without another word, she led Yang Zhao toward a nearby rock formation.

 

 

Though the sudden storm was unfortunate, luckily, there was shelter nearby, and the waterproof mat kept them from getting drenched.

 

 

Only after turning off all their electronic devices did Hua Man finally exhale in relief.

 

 

With night already fallen and the mat covering them, everything was pitch black.

 

 

Rain pounded noisily against the mat, yet Yang Zhao beside her was unnervingly quiet.

 

 

Given how dire the situation was, Yang Zhao’s lack of reaction was unsettling.

 

 

After a moment’s hesitation, Hua Man reached for her hand.

 

 

Pressed close together, she found Yang Zhao’s fingers easily—cold to the touch.

 

 

“Are you cold?” she couldn’t help but ask.

 

 

 

“What?”

 

 

The rain was too loud for Yang Zhao to hear clearly.

 

 

Hua Man didn’t respond, nor did she press further. She simply held Yang Zhao’s hand quietly, transferring warmth to her.

 

 

The temperature at the mountaintop dropped quickly, and the rain showed no signs of stopping. Though they were on higher ground where water flowed downward, their shoes and pants were still soaked halfway through.

 

 

Their body temperatures continued to fall.

 

 

Especially Yang Zhao’s.

 

 

Feeling Yang Zhao tremble slightly, Hua Man couldn’t tell whether it was from cold or fear, so she tightened her grip on her hand.

 

 

After a moment’s thought, she leaned close to Yang Zhao’s ear and said in a low voice, “The rain probably won’t last much longer. Once it stops, we’ll assess the situation and head down.”

 

 

Yang Zhao mimicked her, leaning in to whisper, “Not necessarily.”

 

 

Her tone was teasing, almost playful, and Hua Man could now completely rule out the possibility that she was scared.

 

 

The next second, her ear was bitten.

 

 

Hua Man: !!!

 

 

She jerked her head away, annoyed. “Are you insane?!”

 

 

Was this really the time for flirting?

 

 

“Not insane,” Yang Zhao sighed. “We’re just stranded in the mountains, not on the brink of death. Why are you so tense? Relax a little.”

 

 

“Just stranded?” Hua Man was irritated by her nonchalance. “We could be struck by lightning at any moment or buried alive in a landslide.”

 

 

“Don’t worry, I won’t let you die,” Yang Zhao sighed again. “Just wait for the rain to stop. It’ll be fine then.”

 

 

Hua Man fell silent.

 

 

Beyond these dangers, she also had to stay alert to other threats in the wild. Yang Zhao could afford to be reckless, but she couldn’t.

 

 

She was a highly paid bodyguard—Yang Zhao’s safety was her responsibility.

 

 

The rain began to ease.

 

 

Yang Zhao’s voice grew clearer. “Now we’re comrades in adversity.”

 

 

It was as if she had suddenly found her voice, speaking more than ever before.

 

 

“How interesting that we’re stuck on a mountain.”

 

 

“Too bad all those fireflies drowned in the rain.”

 

 

“But it’s fine. I have a firefly estate—filled with them. I’ll take you there someday.”

 

 

At this, Hua Man finally reacted. “You have a firefly estate?”

 

 

“Yep,” Yang Zhao replied cheerfully.

 

 

“Then why did you come here to see fireflies?” Hua Man’s voice turned colder.

 

 

“What kind of logic is that? Just because I have my own doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the wild ones?” Yang Zhao retorted. “Domesticated ones can’t compare to the wild ones, right?”

 

 

Hua Man was speechless.

 

 

“I’m a victim here too. You can’t blame this on me,” Yang Zhao added, her tone deepening. “Or I’ll get angry.”

 

 

Hua Man turned away. The rain had indeed come suddenly, without warning, so she couldn’t fault Yang Zhao.

 

 

Realizing her earlier tone had been harsh, she lowered her eyes and apologized. “Sorry.”

 

 

Yang Zhao nodded magnanimously. “Apology accepted, but don’t let it happen again.”

 

 

Hua Man didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Yang Zhao had once again reshaped her impression of her.

 

 

She could be delicate when she wanted, but her mindset was remarkably resilient. Even in such a dire situation, she remained unfazed, not complaining despite their miserable state.

 

 

And she was fearless.

 

 

Even Hua Man had felt a moment of panic when the sudden thunderstorm hit in such a remote mountain.

 

 

The rain had lightened considerably.

 

 

 

Yang Zhao’s voice suddenly tensed up: “Hua Man.”

 

 

Hua Man looked at her in surprise: “What’s wrong?”

 

 

“There’s something crawling on my neck. Take a look for me.”

 

 

Hua Man’s pupils contracted slightly as she immediately turned on the light.

 

 

The light revealed just how disheveled the two of them were. The usually immaculate Yang Zhao now had damp, messy hair with wet strands clinging to her cheeks. Her face was pale, only her dark eyes shining unusually bright.

 

 

Hua Man leaned in to examine her neck.

 

 

Worried it might be a snake, Hua Man moved cautiously.

 

 

After getting a clear look, she subtly relaxed.

 

 

“What is it?” Yang Zhao asked stiffly, her neck frozen in place.

 

 

Finally seeing her moment of fear, amusement flickered in Hua Man’s eyes as she deftly flicked away the insect clinging to Yang Zhao’s neck.

 

 

The movement was swift and precise, over in an instant.

 

 

“All done.”

 

 

Here, she hesitated for a few seconds before deciding to offer some comfort. Just as her hand was about to pat Yang Zhao’s shoulder—”Don’t worry, it was just a bug—”

 

 

In the next moment, Yang Zhao dodged to the side.

 

 

Miss Yang’s look of disgust was particularly clear under the light: “Your hand touched the bug.”