Although they were in the same province, they had not been together recently. Chu Qianli was working far away in the desert, while Tan Muxing was recuperating in the hospital. They couldn’t see each other and could only occasionally keep in touch.
Their reunion felt almost like a lifetime had passed.
Tan Muxing was surprised by Chu Qianli’s sudden appearance, while Chu Qianli was shocked by Tan Muxing’s injuries.
Chu Qianli had initially knocked on the door with a cheerful expression, even singing a nursery rhyme. But when she saw Tan Muxing in the hospital room, tightly bandaged and visibly thinner, her face froze in an instant—she hadn’t expected his injuries to be so severe.
When Tan Muxing left, he had seemed fine. Looking back now, he had likely been forcing himself to appear that way. He never mentioned his diagnosis to her during their conversations, not even a single word. Falling from such a height was no small matter—it would take months for a full recovery.
Thinking about the reason for his injuries, Chu Qianli’s gaze flickered slightly, and she murmured, “Ah, you can’t play with this right now…”
Tan Muxing noticed that she was still lingering at the doorway and said calmly, “Aren’t you coming in?”
Chu Qianli had been hiding at the door, only peeking inside without stepping in, which puzzled Tan Muxing.
Hearing his words, she hesitated for a moment before finally stepping inside. However, she slightly turned her body, as if awkwardly trying to conceal something.
Tan Muxing took a closer look and immediately noticed the white bandage wrapped around her right arm. His expression turned anxious. “What happened to your arm?”
“It’s just a scrape. The nurse wrapped it up too dramatically…” Chu Qianli lowered her eyes. She had just tried to pull down her sleeve, but the bandages got in the way, which was why she had hesitated to enter earlier.
Although she hadn’t been injured when she discovered the water source, the process of securing it had inevitably involved some bumps and bruises. Fortunately, nothing major had happened. She had wanted to see her companion completely unharmed, but life was never that simple—unexpected troubles were always bound to arise.
Tan Muxing asked worriedly, “Is it serious? Is the wound deep?”
Since she had to get it bandaged, it probably wasn’t a minor injury.
“No…” Chu Qianli averted her gaze in response to his questioning, hesitating before mumbling, “Not as bad as yours.”
Tan Muxing was taken aback. He noticed her evasive demeanor and felt that something had quietly changed since their separation.
This was the first time they had truly been apart since returning from Yinlong Village.
Although they had stayed in contact daily, Tan Muxing knew nothing about what had happened to her afterward. It was as if a blank period had formed in their shared timeline.
Chu Qianli stood by the window, hiding herself behind the curtains, her head lowered, saying nothing.
Tan Muxing opened his mouth, wanting to ask something, but he didn’t know where to start.
The room fell into silence.
The hospital room was quiet, with sunlight streaming in from the window. A gentle breeze slipped through, lifting the sheer curtain behind the heavy drapes, softly wrapping around Chu Qianli, who stood by the window.
After a long pause, Chu Qianli finally spoke first. “I regret it.”
“What do you regret?”
“I shouldn’t have called you,” Chu Qianli murmured from behind the curtain. “I shouldn’t have called Xingxing.”
If she hadn’t called out to Tan Muxing when she slipped, maybe she would have been the only one to fall down the cliff. She wouldn’t have dragged him down with her. Tan Muxing had been walking ahead of her at the time, and it was only because he heard her voice that he instinctively turned back.
Tan Muxing frowned. “Why shouldn’t you have called me?”
“It wasn’t right.”
“But I think it was.”
“It wasn’t right at all,” Chu Qianli glanced at his left arm, now in a cast, and whispered, “…It would’ve been better if only I got hurt.”
She had little time left to live anyway—she shouldn’t have dragged anyone else down with her.
They had both always lived in the city, which made it easy to forget many things. Tan Muxing never had to endure hardship; his birth ensured a lifetime of security and smooth sailing. Even if he achieved nothing, others would still envy him.
But she was different. She had no future.
People with a future shouldn’t have to sacrifice for those without one. That was a simple truth everyone understood.
Tan Muxing shook his head. “It reassures me that you were willing to call for my help.”
Chu Qianli was puzzled. “Reassures you about what?”
“Because I used to be unsure of what you were thinking, and I didn’t know if following you around would bother you.” Tan Muxing explained, “You never complained, but maybe you didn’t want anyone to know.”
Chu Qianli was stunned.
Tan Muxing spoke in a gentle tone, reminiscing, “When I was little, living with my grandparents, there was a stray cat that often came to the courtyard. It showed up every day to eat, acting as if the place was its own home. Everyone thought it would never leave, but after a few years, when it got older, one day, it just disappeared, and no one could find it.”
“They said that when cats reach a certain age, they leave home voluntarily because they don’t want to make others sad. That’s how the adults comforted me. But later, when I looked it up online, I found out that a cat’s instinct is to hide in a place where no one can find it when it feels weak. They have strong defenses and pride, and they don’t want anyone to see them in a vulnerable state—not even the people they know.”
When Chu Qianli left the village, Wang Ping and the others didn’t know the truth.
When Chu Qianli left home, He Shichen and the others didn’t know the truth.
Tan Muxing even felt that she had planned everything precisely and that, one day, she might leave him without a word as well.
He didn’t know if the cat left to spare others from sadness or if, deep down, it simply believed this matter had nothing to do with people. But if it was the former, he thought that it didn’t matter if people were sad—as long as it didn’t have to face things alone.
“In the village, you wanted me to forget what happened, and that made me feel like one day you’d just disappear. Otherwise, why would you prepare in advance?” Tan Muxing smiled. “But when you called out to me in danger, that’s when I finally felt relieved. I was sure that I wasn’t a burden to you and that you really wanted to keep going.”
She was just trying her best to survive—what was wrong with seeking his help?
“You’ve already worked so hard, so calling me is completely fine. I think it’s a good thing.”
Chu Qianli’s voice trembled. “…But you got hurt.”
“Yeah, but wounds always heal.”
“But in the future, there will be more troubles…”
“They’ll be resolved sooner or later.”
The Hanged Man is bound and suspended upside down. The world appears inverted in his eyes, but he is not troubled by it. He observes things calmly from a new perspective, preparing to move forward in life.
Chu Qianli was affected by his emotions. She suddenly didn’t know what to say and simply lowered her head, refusing to look at him. She wrapped herself tightly in the curtain, leaving only the top of her head peeking out.
A moment later, she called, “Xingxing.”
“Mm.”
“Xingxing, Xingxing…”
“I’m here,” Tan Muxing responded softly.
The two of them called and answered each other repeatedly. After a few times, even the air seemed lighter, as if a weight had been lifted.
Finally, Chu Qianli poked her head out from the curtain. When she was working in the desert, she had been quiet and reserved, but now she was back to her usual self, complaining pitifully like a student overwhelmed by schoolwork. “Xingxing, the safety rope squeezed me so hard, it hurt like crazy. That thing dropped to the lowest point, and I nearly threw up my guts. I felt like my whole body was falling apart…”
Back then, Chu Qianli hadn’t said a word. But now that she had reunited with Tan Muxing, she immediately started pouring out her grievances.
“I even tripped on flat ground for no reason—almost turned into a crime scene.” She looked aggrieved and pulled her pant leg up past her knee, revealing the dark scabs from her scrapes, showing him all the hardships she had endured.
Tan Muxing hadn’t realized she had injured her knees as well. Seeing the wounds, he was horrified. “That serious!?”
He had thought it was just her arm—he didn’t expect there were more injuries.
They had only been apart for a short while, yet she had managed to get herself covered in wounds.
Chu Qianli whimpered sadly, “Everything just kept going wrong. I shouldn’t have gone out during that time, but I had no choice. My arm got hurt even worse…”
At this moment, Chu Qianli was like a child who would wail over a papercut, rushing to the adults for comfort, afraid that if she delayed even a moment, the wound would heal on its own and she’d lose her chance to seek sympathy.
Hearing about her struggles in the desert, Tan Muxing kept asking questions with concern, soothing her with gentle words, offering comfort to someone who had been through so much.
Just then, Yu Yi arrived to check on his companions. Overhearing their conversation, he was stunned. “Chu Qianli, you’re actually whining to a guy with a broken bone? Isn’t that a bit ridiculous?”
Yu Yi had heard her sobbing from the doorway. Tan Muxing had a serious fracture, while Chu Qianli had, at most, some scrapes and bruises. Compared to him, she was clearly in better shape—how could she even complain?
Tan Muxing still had his arm in a cast, yet he looked completely serious as he defended her. “But she really is hurt badly.”
Now that she had someone backing her up, Chu Qianli immediately gained confidence and wailed dramatically, “You don’t understand me!”
Faced with the two of them, Yu Yi sighed helplessly. “No, I don’t understand you two—but you two don’t understand medicine.”
He really couldn’t comprehend how modern high schoolers assessed injuries. Wasn’t there some mix-up about who was supposed to be suffering?
All three of them had been injured to some extent, with Tan Muxing suffering the worst. But at least their work had been successfully completed.
Chu Qianli had been battered while searching for Lu’s water reserves, but after surviving that hardship, she had gained immense karmic merit—almost equivalent to the construction of a railway!
She speculated that this ordeal was a crucial turning point. If she could make it through safely, it would prove she was capable of completing the railway’s karmic mission. If she couldn’t endure it, then everything would come to a complete end.
It was just like the ups and downs of fate—if one could push through a tough period, they would soon see the light at the end of the tunnel. But if they couldn’t, then it would all return to dust and ashes.
The good news was that the huge amount of karmic merit had alleviated the pressure on her. She could clearly feel that she had more time and should be able to survive past twenty.
The bad news was that her destined calamity still hadn’t been resolved. It was still there.
In the past, Chu Qianli rarely took risks when her luck was bad. But during her time in the desert, she gained a new perspective. She realized that only after enduring hardship did she receive merit. Perhaps it meant that simply avoiding risks wasn’t enough—sometimes, even knowing the dangers, she had to press forward. Only by facing challenges head-on could she find a way to survive.
In her past life, she had always tried to avoid accidents. But maybe, only by confronting them directly could she carve out a chance at life.
Not long after, Chu Qianli and the others met up with Professor Pan to discuss their next steps.
They had split into two groups earlier. Pan Yicheng had gone in a different direction, and he had also injured his foot on-site. Now, he was limping as he walked and chuckled wryly, “What’s going on? Are we an old, weak, and injured squad now?”
Chu Qianli was stunned.
Tan Muxing spoke in a gentle tone, reminiscing, “When I was little, living with my grandparents, there was a stray cat that often came to the courtyard. It showed up every day to eat, acting as if the place was its own home. Everyone thought it would never leave, but after a few years, when it got older, one day, it just disappeared, and no one could find it.”
“They said that when cats reach a certain age, they leave home voluntarily because they don’t want to make others sad. That’s how the adults comforted me. But later, when I looked it up online, I found out that a cat’s instinct is to hide in a place where no one can find it when it feels weak. They have strong defenses and pride, and they don’t want anyone to see them in a vulnerable state—not even the people they know.”
When Chu Qianli left the village, Wang Ping and the others didn’t know the truth.
When Chu Qianli left home, He Shichen and the others didn’t know the truth.
Tan Muxing even felt that she had planned everything precisely and that, one day, she might leave him without a word as well.
He didn’t know if the cat left to spare others from sadness or if, deep down, it simply believed this matter had nothing to do with people. But if it was the former, he thought that it didn’t matter if people were sad—as long as it didn’t have to face things alone.
“In the village, you wanted me to forget what happened, and that made me feel like one day you’d just disappear. Otherwise, why would you prepare in advance?” Tan Muxing smiled. “But when you called out to me in danger, that’s when I finally felt relieved. I was sure that I wasn’t a burden to you and that you really wanted to keep going.”
She was just trying her best to survive—what was wrong with seeking his help?
“You’ve already worked so hard, so calling me is completely fine. I think it’s a good thing.”
Chu Qianli’s voice trembled. “…But you got hurt.”
“Yeah, but wounds always heal.”
“But in the future, there will be more troubles…”
“They’ll be resolved sooner or later.”
The Hanged Man is bound and suspended upside down. The world appears inverted in his eyes, but he is not troubled by it. He observes things calmly from a new perspective, preparing to move forward in life.
Chu Qianli was affected by his emotions. She suddenly didn’t know what to say and simply lowered her head, refusing to look at him. She wrapped herself tightly in the curtain, leaving only the top of her head peeking out.
A moment later, she called, “Xingxing.”
“Mm.”
“Xingxing, Xingxing…”
“I’m here,” Tan Muxing responded softly.
The two of them called and answered each other repeatedly. After a few times, even the air seemed lighter, as if a weight had been lifted.
Finally, Chu Qianli poked her head out from the curtain. When she was working in the desert, she had been quiet and reserved, but now she was back to her usual self, complaining pitifully like a student overwhelmed by schoolwork. “Xingxing, the safety rope squeezed me so hard, it hurt like crazy. That thing dropped to the lowest point, and I nearly threw up my guts. I felt like my whole body was falling apart…”
Back then, Chu Qianli hadn’t said a word. But now that she had reunited with Tan Muxing, she immediately started pouring out her grievances.
“I even tripped on flat ground for no reason—almost turned into a crime scene.” She looked aggrieved and pulled her pant leg up past her knee, revealing the dark scabs from her scrapes, showing him all the hardships she had endured.
Tan Muxing hadn’t realized she had injured her knees as well. Seeing the wounds, he was horrified. “That serious!?”
He had thought it was just her arm—he didn’t expect there were more injuries.
They had only been apart for a short while, yet she had managed to get herself covered in wounds.
Chu Qianli whimpered sadly, “Everything just kept going wrong. I shouldn’t have gone out during that time, but I had no choice. My arm got hurt even worse…”
At this moment, Chu Qianli was like a child who would wail over a papercut, rushing to the adults for comfort, afraid that if she delayed even a moment, the wound would heal on its own and she’d lose her chance to seek sympathy.
Hearing about her struggles in the desert, Tan Muxing kept asking questions with concern, soothing her with gentle words, offering comfort to someone who had been through so much.
Just then, Yu Yi arrived to check on his companions. Overhearing their conversation, he was stunned. “Chu Qianli, you’re actually whining to a guy with a broken bone? Isn’t that a bit ridiculous?”
Yu Yi had heard her sobbing from the doorway. Tan Muxing had a serious fracture, while Chu Qianli had, at most, some scrapes and bruises. Compared to him, she was clearly in better shape—how could she even complain?
Tan Muxing still had his arm in a cast, yet he looked completely serious as he defended her. “But she really is hurt badly.”
Now that she had someone backing her up, Chu Qianli immediately gained confidence and wailed dramatically, “You don’t understand me!”
Faced with the two of them, Yu Yi sighed helplessly. “No, I don’t understand you two—but you two don’t understand medicine.”
He really couldn’t comprehend how modern high schoolers assessed injuries. Wasn’t there some mix-up about who was supposed to be suffering?
All three of them had been injured to some extent, with Tan Muxing suffering the worst. But at least their work had been successfully completed.
Chu Qianli had been battered while searching for Lu’s water reserves, but after surviving that hardship, she had gained immense karmic merit—almost equivalent to the construction of a railway!
She speculated that this ordeal was a crucial turning point. If she could make it through safely, it would prove she was capable of completing the railway’s karmic mission. If she couldn’t endure it, then everything would come to a complete end.
It was just like the ups and downs of fate—if one could push through a tough period, they would soon see the light at the end of the tunnel. But if they couldn’t, then it would all return to dust and ashes.
The good news was that the huge amount of karmic merit had alleviated the pressure on her. She could clearly feel that she had more time and should be able to survive past twenty.
The bad news was that her destined calamity still hadn’t been resolved. It was still there.
In the past, Chu Qianli rarely took risks when her luck was bad. But during her time in the desert, she gained a new perspective. She realized that only after enduring hardship did she receive merit. Perhaps it meant that simply avoiding risks wasn’t enough—sometimes, even knowing the dangers, she had to press forward. Only by facing challenges head-on could she find a way to survive.
In her past life, she had always tried to avoid accidents. But maybe, only by confronting them directly could she carve out a chance at life.
Not long after, Chu Qianli and the others met up with Professor Pan to discuss their next steps.
They had split into two groups earlier. Pan Yicheng had gone in a different direction, and he had also injured his foot on-site. Now, he was limping as he walked and chuckled wryly, “What’s going on? Are we an old, weak, and injured squad now?”
All four of them were honorably injured, and Tan Muxing even suffered a fracture, which would take time to fully heal.
“Muxing, you…” Pan Yicheng was already aware of Tan Muxing’s situation, but upon seeing him in person, he was still momentarily stunned. He hesitated before saying, “How should I put this? Is the hospital food that bad?”
Tan Muxing’s fall from a great height had been a heart-stopping event. Fortunately, he only fractured his left arm—there had been cases where people ended up paralyzed.
The doctors all considered him lucky. However, his injury still had lingering effects—he had been losing weight rapidly during his recovery, and no one could figure out why.
Chu Qianli had been brooding over this matter and lamented sorrowfully, “The big white bear deflated!”
She had noticed that Tan Muxing had lost some weight when she first visited him, but she never expected it to get worse. Throughout their recovery period, his condition kept deteriorating—it was as if he was losing a little bit of weight every single day, almost making people suspect he had some sort of terminal illness!
Tan Muxing responded awkwardly, “I don’t know what’s going on either.”
Daoist Xu Qian had once said that his body size was the result of suppressing his inner strength. Tan Muxing suspected that, when he fell off the cliff, he had unconsciously exerted force to slow his descent, preventing an even worse outcome.
Yu Yi lifted his chin and motioned toward Chu Qianli, sighing, “Because Tan Muxing got thinner, this one here has been force-feeding him like crazy for days.”
Chu Qianli had been urging Tan Muxing to eat every day, watching over him like a hawk, almost demanding that he eat four bowls of rice per meal.
Pan Yicheng looked Tan Muxing up and down. At first, he found it a bit jarring, but the more he looked, the more he got used to it. Eventually, he chuckled and said, “Well, it’s fine. Actually, it’s not bad—consider it a blessing in disguise. This looks healthier!”
“No, it’s not fine at all! The big white bear shouldn’t look like this…” Chu Qianli was deeply concerned. She began searching through her pockets and pulled out a piece of chocolate from her bag, hesitantly offering, “How about some sweets?”
At that moment, she looked like someone who had spotted a starving, emaciated polar bear and was desperately pulling out all the food on her to feed it, fearing that it had shrunk from hunger.
Tan Muxing knew Chu Qianli was worried about him, but after days of being force-fed—regular meals followed by endless snacks—he was reaching his limit. No one could eat that much. Even before all this, he had never eaten so excessively.
But if he refused outright, she would only be disappointed. He needed a gentler way to decline.
Faced with the eager and expectant gaze of this stubborn little troublemaker, Tan Muxing racked his brain for an excuse. Finally, he came up with a scientific explanation.
He even pulled up a webpage on his phone, showing it to her as he seriously educated her on an obscure fact:
“Bears can die from eating chocolate.”
I am just a novice translator and Chinese is not my native language. I try my best to translate the chapters as accurate as possible.
If there are any mistakes then kindly comment and remind me. Your support means a lot.
Tan Muxing, stop spoiling her, she’ll be spoiled rotten
Ikr ,😂😂