493. Climbing Up the Mountain
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Lin Nan had a pretty decent sleep this time around.
As the Internet cafe drifted deeper into the late night, it got quieter. A bunch of night-owls started laying their heads down and dozed off right there among the flickering screens. Those still gaming, well, they also quieted down—after all, no one was around to glory in their victories.
The sound of keyboards clicking away filled the air, but she was already used to it. Back when she lived in the school dormitory, Xiong Da and Tu Junhui loved staying up all night gaming, slapping those mechanical keyboards that produced the kind of sounds that could wake the dead.
She could sleep through that racket, so this? No problem.
She snoozed until six in the morning, at which point she was jolted awake by Wu Jiaming lightly shaking her shoulder.
“Time to head back.”
Lin Nan cracked open one eye, sitting up straight at the table and stretching her arms wide in an exaggerated yawn.
Still feeling groggy, she squinted, her gaze a bit dazed.
“I only slept after three…”
“That’s this morning.”
She nodded, rubbed her eyes in an effort to open them wide enough to see, stood up, and found that her lack of sleep left her looking rather pitiful, head drooping with a face of utter dejection.
Wu Jiaming was the first to exit their booth. Despite having pulled an all-nighter, he still looked wide awake, though dark circles under his eyes told a different story.
Trailing behind her cousin, Lin Nan yawned loudly, dragging her feet while staring at his heels like they were the only light in her gloomy day.
“Wanna grab some breakfast?”
“Sure, why not?”
Leaving the internet cafe, the crisp morning air gave Lin Nan a little jolt, but she quickly spotted an already-messy street. Some night market vendors made a half-hearted attempt to clean up before packing up, but there are always those lazy ones who leave a trail of chaos behind.
A couple of sanitation workers wielding huge brooms stood at the end of the street, cracking jokes while they swept up the debris.
Lin Nan barely glanced at the scene, then lifted her head to find Wu Jiaming had already marched off in the distance, prompting her to hurry after him.
“I remember a breakfast place that has a pretty good reputation and a bunch of options,” Wu Jiaming mused, hands stuffed in his pants pockets as he energetically surveyed the freshly opened shops around them. “If we hurry, maybe we can swing by Auntie’s place for breakfast—they should just be sitting down to eat now.”
“Auntie? No thanks.”
The last encounter with her aunt hadn’t exactly been a picnic. The once-friendly aunt turned icy the moment she learned Lin Nan was a girl, treating her like she was invisible ever since. Lin Nan had no desire to put herself through that cringe-fest again.
Wu Jiaming noticed her reluctance and didn’t push her. They weaved through the low buildings of the small town for a while and finally arrived at a bustling breakfast joint.
Local breakfast spots are always solid, boasting a dozen types of side dishes, plus fried rice noodles, soy milk, and other delights. The huge counter outside was packed with food, customers crammed around long tables, which only added to the shop’s already chaotic ambiance.
The two weren’t planning to eat inside, though. They lined up at the counter for nearly ten minutes before it was their turn.
Lin Nan ordered some fried dough sticks and a triangle cake, pausing to ask her cousin, “Should we get something for Grandpa?”
“No need,” Wu Jiaming replied, paying with a QR code and collecting their takeout bags. “Are you still thinking of heading to the back mountain? Now’s a perfect time to climb since it’s almost light out and there’s no sun yet.”
Now?
Lucid for a moment, Lin Nan thought it over and eventually nodded, “Sure, but we’ll take that little path behind Grandpa’s house.”
She figured it would be nice to check things out during the day, even if ghosts weren’t likely to show up in broad daylight. There’s no harm in just scouting the place.
Wu Jiaming couldn’t shake the feeling that his cousin’s brain had short-circuited. Climbing the mountain surely wasn’t just about exercise; there had to be something else behind this odd behavior.
With a sideways glance at Lin Nan, he led the way toward their grandfather’s house.
After about half an hour, they reached the small villa. The side door was already ajar, and peeking inside, they found Grandpa and Grandma seated at the round table in the living room, enjoying their breakfast.
The sun had finally made an appearance; after that half hour of walking, Wu Jiaming was dripping with sweat and almost grumbled a complaint. But then he glanced at Lin Nan’s smooth forehead and realized she could probably outlast him in the stamina department.
Maybe it’s just that Lin Nan doesn’t sweat that much?
Feeling a tad guilty, Lin Nan stepped inside, and as soon as she crossed the threshold, Grandpa shot her an unimpressed look. “Where did you go last night?”
“Just… online. All night…,” she mumbled, standing by the wall and lowering her head, hoping to cap off any further conversation.
Grandpa’s gaze shifted to Wu Jiaming, who had just walked in behind her, and he barked, “I told you to bring your cousin along for some fun, not to corrupt her, got it?!”
Wu Jiaming blinked, looking momentarily surprised, but then he casually strolled over, placed his breakfast on the table, and started to eat like nothing happened.
“Can’t you set a good example for Lin Nan? You’ve always been the one to lead her into trouble!” Grandpa continued, shaking his head.
“Yeah, yeah,” Wu Jiaming rolled his eyes as he glanced at Lin Nan, who was still stuck in her wallflower pose, looking pitiful.
Who could blame him? He was her older cousin and definitely not the best at playing the sad puppy role.
Honestly, a dude trying to look pitiful is probably more cringe than anything else; Lin Nan had that pity-me look down to an art form.
Having gotten used to being the scapegoat since childhood, he decided it wasn’t worth explaining that Lin Nan had asked to tag along; that would probably just land them both in deeper trouble.
Seeing Wu Jiaming’s nonchalant expression, Grandpa found it hard to stay mad. Letting out a sigh, he beckoned Lin Nan over.
Lin Nan hurried over, still sporting that guilty and fearful expression.
“Finish your breakfast fast and get some additional sleep. You’re a girl, and sticking around your cousin at night in an internet cafe—don’t you worry he might sell you off?”
“Impossible!” Lin Nan responded confidently. “Even if I was sold, I could take ten of them and run back!”
Her biggest fear was actually ending up selling herself and being utterly clueless about it.
Realizing that Grandpa didn’t seem to be in a scolding mood, she relaxed and plopped down in a chair to enjoy her breakfast.
If she were a boy, Grandpa would’ve definitely given her a good tongue-lashing for staying out all night gaming, just like he had with her cousin.
But even without the scolding, the nagging didn’t let up.
Lin Nan found it tiresome, but there was no escaping it. She dutifully nodded along, pretending to listen while she shovelled food into her mouth.
Once she finished, she waved goodbye to Grandpa and hurried out of the house with Wu Jiaming.
She had plans: to check out that grave from last night while the sun wasn’t too scorching.
Even if there were ghosts, how scary could they really be in broad daylight?
Wu Jiaming had no clue about her true intentions and thought she just wanted some exercise. With a resigned sigh, he followed her up the old mountain path.
But upon stepping onto the mountain trail, he immediately sensed that something was off.
