I’ll Hold Your Hand And Promise You A Lifetime - Chapter 36

“Oh wow, we’re not welcome now~” Lu Man said playfully.

“No, no! You guys coming over makes me really happy. I was just thinking about asking you both to hang out sometime,” Yi Luo said as she padded over barefoot with a soft pat-pat sound.

“We wanted to surprise you. Mmm~” Liu Le stuffed a big spoonful of ice cream into her mouth—courtesy of Yu Xiaohua—and looked blissfully content.

“We were bored to death at home…” Lu Man scooped up another spoonful. “Let’s go out and do something—anything! I’ve barely been home for a few days and my mom already finds me annoying.”

“I was just about to talk to you guys. Come on, let’s go to my room,” Yi Luo glanced toward the kitchen—Yu Xiaohua was probably making dinner.

“What do you want to talk about?” Lu Man whispered, tiptoeing behind Yi Luo like she was sneaking into enemy territory.

“What are you, a secret agent?” Liu Le rolled her eyes. “You’re always jumping to conclusions.”

“Haha, you’re hilarious. Come on in.” Yi Luo turned on the air conditioning in her room and gently shut the door behind them. “I was just discussing a trip with Ning Ran and the others. Now that you’re here, we can all go together—and you can help cover for me,” she added, nodding toward the kitchen.

“Your mom?” Lu Man sat down on the floor, already guessing the reason.

“Yeah. She still hasn’t fully come around. I’m worried this trip might upset her again, and that would undo all the progress we’ve made.” Yi Luo sighed. Just thinking about it gave her a headache, but she was determined to get through it, no matter how tough it was.

“Sigh… But why though?” Liu Le squeezed in beside Lu Man, completely puzzled.

“Think about it. If your parents spent their whole lives dreaming of you getting married to a man and having kids, this would be a huge shock to them.” Lu Man bit her spoon. “We grew up in a different time with different values. That’s the generation gap~”

“Whoa, someone’s deep~” Liu Le finished her ice cream.

“Okay, let’s not dwell on that. Yi Luo, where are you guys planning to go?”

“Ning Ran chose the place—Ziyun Mountain. It’s nearby,” Yi Luo said, sitting on the bed. “They want to drive there themselves.”

“Nice! I haven’t been there in ages!” Liu Le nudged Lu Man excitedly.

“Stop pushing me! I want to go too. Should we invite little Ji Yi as well?” Lu Man was getting dizzy from Liu Le shaking her.

“Sure, the more the merrier. It’ll be legendary—‘Chaos at Ziyun Mountain!’” Liu Le was already fantasizing.

“But won’t we have too many people?” Lu Man thought about it. Including the two of them, there definitely wouldn’t be enough seats.

“I’ll ask first.” Yi Luo pulled out her phone and called Yue Xi.

Of course, Yue Xi agreed, and she quickly ran it by Ning Ran. Ning Ran responded almost instantly, saying she could handle the transportation and everyone just needed to prepare their own things. She knew the more people there were, the more responsibility it involved, but she was confident she could handle a group of energetic girls.

Once Yi Luo got the okay, she excitedly shared the good news with Lu Man and Liu Le. The two rolled on the floor laughing, then Lu Man volunteered to contact Ji Yi.

That evening, after dinner, Yi Luo went straight to the point: “Mom, I want to go on a short trip with some classmates.”

Yu Xiaohua paused while cleaning the dishes. She didn’t say much—just gave a soft, “Mm.”

Yi Luo had braced for a strong reaction. She stood there, stunned, not sure she heard correctly. She stared at her mom.

Yu Xiaohua knew her daughter was watching her and sighed quietly. “Be careful.”

“Mm, thanks, Mom,” Yi Luo beamed.

Ning Ran quickly finalized all the travel plans. She booked a hotel, arranged for a seven-seater SUV from Ding Qiang, and delegated snacks and drinks to Yue Xi.

Two mornings later, the whole group met outside their neighborhood. The mini travel squad was all girls—Ning Ran jokingly dubbed them the “Red Army.”

When Ding Qiang dropped off the car, he saw the lively crowd of girls laughing and chatting and immediately started sweating. “Are you sure you want to take this many girls on a trip?” he asked Ning Ran.

“Don’t worry, they’re all obedient,” Ning Ran grinned, pulling Sarah over and slinging an arm around her shoulders. “Qiangzi, this is my lovely wife—Sarah.”

“A pleasure to finally meet you,” Sarah smiled. She’d heard many stories from Ning Ran about Ding Qiang and his friends.

“Ah, so good to meet you too. I’ve heard a lot about you,” Ding Qiang said apologetically. “I couldn’t make it to your engagement, but I’ll bring a big red envelope for the wedding!”

“Oh, you better. None of you showed up!” Ning Ran raised a fist in mock anger. “I remember everything!”

“Petty,” Ding Qiang mumbled under his breath. “You guys should head out—it’ll be noon by the time you get there.”

“Thanks,” Ning Ran patted his arm, then called out, “Alright, girls—let’s roll!”

Everyone packed their luggage into the trunk and piled into the car. Sarah took the front passenger seat. Yue Xi, Yi Luo, and the three classmates sat in the back. The moment they started driving, the car erupted in chatter.

“Driver, driver~” Lu Man called from the back.

“Yeah?” Yue Xi turned around. “What’s up?”

“Your sister—the foreign one—is so pretty!” Lu Man said, still awestruck by Sarah’s beauty. Even though this was her second time seeing her, she was still blown away.

“Jie, Little Lu says you’re really pretty!” Yue Xi yelled while blocking Lu Man from covering her mouth.

“Ah~” Ning Ran stepped harder on the gas, smiling as she drove.

“She wasn’t talking about you, darling,” Sarah said with a bashful smile. Then she turned back and winked. “Thanks. You’re really cute too.”

Everyone quickly warmed up to each other, and the car was soon filled with laughter. The two-and-a-half-hour drive flew by.

Ziyun Mountain was located in the northeast of CH City, vast and lush with a mild climate and plenty of rainfall. The scenic area was filled with ancient trees and bamboo forests, a peaceful escape with clean, fresh air. Legend had it that a wise monk once practiced there, and when he attained enlightenment, purple clouds and mist swirled around the mountain—thus the name “Ziyun” (Purple Cloud) Mountain. Yue Xi stood at the gate reading the description carefully.

Once inside, trees lined both sides of the road in dense, vibrant green. Ning Ran turned off the AC and rolled down the windows, letting the crisp mountain air flood the car.

After another ten minutes into the forest, rows of cozy two-story villas came into view. Ning Ran stopped the car in front of the reception center, checked them in, then came back waving the key cards. “Good thing I booked early—we’d have been sleeping in the woods otherwise.”

“There are a lot of people here?” Yi Luo looked around but saw no one.

“Yeah, lots of people come to escape the heat. They’re probably up in the mountains cooling off,” Ning Ran said as she drove to their villa. “We’re here!”

Yue Xi looked around and nodded—this really was a perfect summer getaway. The breeze here wasn’t hot like in the city. The trees rustled gently, birds chirped in the distance. Yue Xi closed her eyes and took a deep breath, the corner of her lips curving into a smile. The scent of nature soothed her heart and awakened every cell in her body.

Yi Luo saw how much Yue Xi was enjoying it and didn’t disturb her. She carried her backpack inside.

Everyone unpacked, arranged their toiletries, cleaned up, and gathered in the living room to discuss lunch.

Ning Ran laid out a brochure she’d picked up at reception and pointed at a photo. “Shallow Creek—catch fish, cook your own meal.”

Seeing everyone intrigued, she asked, “Shall we go?”

“Yes, yes, yes~” Lu Man and Liu Le chorused.

“Sounds great!” Ji Yi was excited too. She’d never tried anything like catching fish before.

Yi Luo linked arms with Sarah, Yue Xi stood beside them, and all three nodded in agreement.

“Unanimous vote—let’s move!” Ning Ran grabbed her backpack and hat and pumped her fist in the air.

The picnic area was right by the creek—flat ground with built BBQ stations. Staff could help clean the fish, but building the fire was up to the visitors. Seasonings and supplies were provided.

Ning Ran handed the room key to the staff for the BBQ rental and then led the charge, fishing net in hand, into the creek, which only reached up to their knees.

No one knew who started it, but soon a water war broke out. The seven of them played like crazy in the water. Even with the blazing sun, getting soaked felt great. Everyone splashed water at each other, laughing at their friends’ shrieks and silly expressions.

Time flew. No one felt hungry until Yue Xi checked her watch and reminded everyone about lunch. That’s when they finally started searching seriously for fish.

After finally catching a few, Ning Ran rushed back to the shore with the fish, handed them over for gutting, and bought some extra food for the grill. She skillfully skewered the fish and veggies and started cooking—clearly the head chef. The rest helped by handing over spices and turning the grill.

“Wow…” Lu Man drooled. “Smells amazing~”

“You little glutton,” Liu Le teased.

“I am!” Lu Man grinned, her sun-reddened face glowing with pride.

“Hey, what happened to your face?” Yi Luo took out a wet wipe from her bag and wiped Yue Xi’s face as she turned the grill.

“Hehe.” Yue Xi smiled happily, enjoying Yi Luo’s gentle touch.

“Tsk tsk tsk,” Liu Le snickered, scooting over to Lu Man. “See that? Special treatment.”

“Exactly. Yi Luo never wipes our sweat.” Even Ji Yi, usually the quiet bookworm, joined in the teasing. She dramatically wiped her forehead. “Times have changed~ Yi Luo has Yue Xi now, and she’s forgotten all about us. Sigh, how fleeting affection is~”

“Yeah! Back in the day, Yi Luo used to pamper us like queens. Now, we don’t even exist to her!” Lu Man pretended to wipe a tear. “My poor, broken heart~”

“You want your faces wiped too?” Yue Xi took the wet wipe from Yi Luo, smirking. “Allow me~”

“Wait—” the three girls huddled together, looking terrified of the wipe but also unwilling to leave the shade of the umbrella and face the blazing sun.

“Don’t run now! Didn’t you say you wanted Yi Luo to wipe your sweat? I’m just as good~” Yue Xi crept closer.

“No, no! Yi Luo, save us!” Liu Le laughed while waving for help.

“I’m not getting involved. You brought this on yourselves,” Yi Luo chuckled, watching her chaotic besties.

“Sarah jie~~” Lu Man called out to her final hope.

“Xiao Xi is Yi Luo’s now.” Sarah shrugged, completely unbothered.

Ning Ran just smiled, never stopping her grilling.

“Aaahhh~~~” And just like that, lunch began amidst the shrieks and laughter of Liu Le and the others.

After eating, they dragged their tired selves back to the villa, took turns showering, and spent the afternoon playing games in their rooms.

By evening, a cool breeze drifted in. Yue Xi pulled Yi Luo up to the rooftop to watch the sunset. The two of them leaned quietly against each other, watching the sun slowly disappear over the horizon, the warmth in their hearts growing with every passing second.

“Ha! Got it~” Yi Luo flashed a pure, innocent smile, holding out her hand, just in time to catch the last ray of sunlight. “It’s for you—you’re welcome.”

Yue Xi chuckled softly and hugged Yi Luo tightly, like she wanted to merge her into her own heart. But no matter how tightly she held her, she couldn’t fill that aching emptiness. Even with Yi Luo right by her side, she couldn’t stop wanting to be closer. “I think I’m getting greedier.”

“Greedy for what?” Yi Luo wrapped her arms around Yue Xi’s waist and rested in her embrace. Yue Xi was thin, but being near her always brought peace to Yi Luo’s heart.

“In the beginning, I just wanted to quietly watch you from afar. Then I wished you’d like me, even just a little. Later, I hoped your feelings could match mine,” Yue Xi smiled gently. “And now, I want you by my side every second of every day—never leaving, not even for a moment.”

Yi Luo listened in silence, her heartbeat growing stronger with each word.

“Am I being too greedy?” Yue Xi asked when Yi Luo didn’t respond. “Hmm?”

“Yeah, super greedy. But…” Yi Luo took Yue Xi’s hand and placed it over her heart. “Right here—it says it loves you.”

Yue Xi’s eyes sparkled like a sky full of stars. Yi Luo’s words lit up her soul. She always knew how to surprise her, always made her heart dance.

Yi Luo’s fingers gently traced along Yue Xi’s face. This face—etched deeply into her memory, into her bones—was a softness she never wanted to let go of for the rest of her life.

Yue Xi lowered her head and kissed Yi Luo gently. Yi Luo’s hand slipped into her hair, deepening the kiss.

The rooftop became their little paradise of joy, with the newly risen moon watching quietly—bearing witness to their unwavering hearts and unshakable love.