Chapter 83: The Mountain Is Sealed

Of course, no one responded to Liang Jinshang.

Liang Jinshang had already braved the wind and rain, arriving at the so-called “miraculously effective”—dilapidated temple.

If it truly lived up to its reputation, it would not have fallen into such ruin.

Nan Yi must have been mad to come up here.

The mountain wind was biting, yet it cleared Liang Jinshang’s mind. If Shan Yiming hadn’t deliberately misled her to believe that Nan Yi had come to pray for Liang Xizhou, she wouldn’t have so easily believed that clumsy lie.

But… Shan Yiming wasn’t privy to the truth. For him to say such a thing, there was no possibility other than Nan Yi’s instigation.

The night in the mountains was frigid, and with the wild wind and rain outside, sand and stones were swept up in the chaos. It was deafening.

She might not even be able to find the way down; if a landslide really happened…

Perhaps that would be for the best. Then she could return this life to Nan Yi—in the way Nan Yi had chosen for her.

...

The campers from both companies numbered around thirty. When they returned to the hotel, the crowd was overwhelming.

Everyone was starving and happened to encounter the main group dining in the restaurant.

“Hey, why are you all back?”

“Don’t mention it! It started raining, said it was unsafe, so they drove us all down the mountain.”

“This damned weather! Is everyone safe?”

“Yeah, yeah… I’m starving, I’m going to eat first!”

Yuan Xi sat by the window, a hot drink placed before her, untouched for a long time.

The lively voices pulled her consciousness back; she glanced back at the crowd, then withdrew her gaze.

It felt very much like, “The bustle is theirs, I have nothing.” Even in her youth, she never cared for crowds—aloof, solitary, out of place among people.

If not for encountering a wise mentor, she wouldn’t be the universally successful Yuan Xi she was today.

Thinking of this, Yuan Xi suddenly looked back again, her gaze settling on the crowd.

She stood up, clicking her heels briskly across the floor, grabbing one of Lehai’s subordinates and asking, “Where’s Liang Jinshang? Didn’t she come down with you?”

The person scratched his head. “No way, everyone came down together. When I left, the tents had all been packed up. She couldn’t have stayed behind.”

Yuan Xi’s phone was left in her room; she told him, “Call her.”

---

The subordinate didn’t dare disobey, but after several calls, no one answered. “It says she’s out of service area, so…”

Yuan Xi’s dazzling face darkened. “You didn’t confirm everyone was together, and just came down the mountain so carelessly?!”

The subordinate looked alarmed and gathered a few people who had come down with him, asking if anyone saw Liang Jinshang.

Not a single person had.

Yuan Xi pointed to those closest. “Contact the park management, have them try to organize a rescue on the mountain! Is anyone from the company’s logistics department here? Double-check if anyone else is missing! Post a summary in the group!”

Her expression was grave. With her phone signal out of service, it was almost certain: either Liang Jinshang was still up on the mountain, or lost somewhere in the signal-less forest.

At this time, in this weather, alone in the wild—it could be fatal!

Yuan Xi knew only one person could be relied upon now; she rushed up to the business floor, pounding on Shang Yucheng’s door.

Yuan Xi rarely lost her composure like this, especially in front of Shang Yucheng, with whom she always maintained her most captivating image.

Shang Yucheng took quite a while to answer the door, clad in a bathrobe, hair damp. “Is something wrong?”

“Yucheng, something’s happened!”

Shang Yucheng’s mood was visibly sour, cool and indifferent. “Whatever it is, let’s talk tomorrow.”

He started to close the door.

“Liang Jinshang is missing!” Yuan Xi blurted.

His movement to close the door halted. She knew mentioning that name would provoke this reaction, yet Yuan Xi couldn’t help feeling a pang. “Yucheng, you really…”

Shang Yucheng cut her off. “Come in.”

Inside, Yuan Xi was just starting to explain when Shang Yucheng took out his phone and started dialing. With each unanswered ring, his expression grew darker.

A rainy night, dangers, floods, landslides—Shang Yucheng had lived through such a night once, the closest he’d ever come to death.

He didn’t even bother changing out of his robe, striding out and flinging open the door. After just a few steps, Yan He’s voice sounded behind him.

“Brother Cheng… Why so rushed, where are you headed?”

Shang Yucheng’s stride paused, his silhouette taut as a drawn bow.

But he quickly relaxed, turning back, face composed.

Yan He, cigarette in hand, looked languid. “Want one?”

Shang Yucheng stared at Yan He for several seconds without moving, making Yan He self-consciously check his own face. “What’s wrong, I don’t have my wife’s lipstick on, do I?”

Shang Yucheng’s thin lips finally curved slightly. “Kicked out for a smoke?”

---

“Isn’t it always that way? Bringing a woman along is trouble.” Yan He tapped his cigarette. “Did you need something, where were you headed?”

“Nothing.” Shang Yucheng turned back toward his room.

As he opened the door, Yan He spotted Yuan Xi inside, his expression turning subtly suggestive.

Yuan Xi, seeing Shang Yucheng return, froze for just a moment before flashing a dazzling smile. She nodded graciously to Yan He, took Shang Yucheng’s arm, and teased, “I just wanted some ice cream. I’ll have the hotel send it up.”

She spoke as she closed the door.

Shang Yucheng looked at Yuan Xi, each word steady and forceful. “Find Lequan, contact her father, at any cost, send people up the mountain!”

Yuan Xi didn’t know why Shang Yucheng had doubled back, and her earlier cooperation had been pure instinct.

But she could sense his trust in this moment—she felt closer to being “one of Shang Yucheng’s own.”

Yuan Xi nodded and was about to leave, hand on the door handle, but couldn’t help looking back. “And you…”

“I’ll wait here for your news.” Shang Yucheng had returned to his immovable composure, but Yuan Xi felt he stood so straight, it was to keep himself steady.

“All right, I’m going.”

“Yuan Xi,” Shang Yucheng called after her, “I’ll wait for your news, no matter how late.”

Yuan Xi’s promise this time was more solemn. “Understood.”

Lequan, hearing Yuan Xi’s account of Liang Jinshang’s situation, cursed fate heavily. Still dissatisfied, she cursed as she called the president of Lehai.

President Lehai handed command to Lequan, who picked ten able-bodied colleagues, prepared supplies, and formed a rescue team to ascend the mountain.

Meanwhile, the park management Yuan Xi had contacted also responded—they had already sent two rescue teams up.

Rescue efforts were urgent, but the news returned in the middle of the night only made everyone’s hearts sink further.

—Though there had been no landslide, the mountain road could no longer be traversed on foot.

The mountain was closed.