[Eight-Armed Octopus Joy: Recently, police have officially launched an investigation and rectification of human trafficking in remote mountain villages across the country, adhering to the principles of “no wrong investigation” and “no one left behind,” actively investigating the whereabouts of missing persons… Xizhou Mountain in Qinxi Province is a severely affected area for human trafficking. After unremitting efforts, nearly a hundred suspects have been arrested… May there be no more abductions, and may everyone find their way home!]
[Seven Seven Eight: This should have been done long ago…]
[Half A Penny In My Card: Awesome! By the way, sisters, remember that old creep Lin Disheng? He’s been sentenced! Multiple crimes combined for fifteen years, spend the rest of your life in prison hahaha!!]
…
[Ding Ding Dang: OMG, S and J spotted at Mount Kula Kangri… Pictures as proof, S almost lying on the ground to take photos for J, and then they were almost hugging while looking at the photos. I was afraid they might suddenly kiss, I’m really scared, sisters, could they really be for real…]
[Xiao Shan Little Spring Forever: [!][!][!] All speculation is just CP fans’ imagination [!][!][!] We can distinguish between love and friendship, forcing a romance is just self-indulgence! Spring and Jiang Nan’an are pure friends! Pure friends! Please allow two people to have normal friendship and brotherhood [!][!][!] Don’t create or spread rumors, starting with me. Both are very good people with a great relationship in private, looking forward to their future collaboration!]
[Boating at Guazhou Is Real: Wow, their relationship is really good, they are such good friends!]
[Jiang-Jiang Goodness Is The Supreme Immortal Product: I’m so done with my Jiang-Jiang ship…]
[Hee Hee Haha: To the person above, Jiang Shanshan has already officially announced her relationship with a non-celebrity boyfriend, and you’re still talking about Jiang-Jiang ship? Do you know the Soviet Union has collapsed?]
[Pure Love Spring Mountain: Oh my god, leopards and cats don’t do this, I’m really scared…]
[In Xiao Shan’s Arms: So Teacher Xiao Shan traveling with a good friend can receive so much attention? Is Teacher Xiao Shan’s travel diary update on Weibo not good enough? Fine, fine, fine, then please pay more attention to the entertainment industry’s living person, high mountain man-eating flower, Teacher Xiao Shan’s upcoming drama “Imperial Tutor”! The cold and elegant Confucian gentleman Zhuge who cares for the world deserves your support! Open Tencent Video and make a reservation! Let’s boost the rankings! Pay more attention to artists’ work, and less to their private lives!]
…
Gentle, soothing music played in the car as Jiang Nan’an, wrapped in a blanket, leaned back in the passenger seat taking a nap. Outside the window was the endless Tibetan plateau, with the road stretching forward, no end in sight.
Yan Jie occasionally glanced at the sleeping Jiang Nan’an beside him, unable to resist a slight smile.
After driving a bit further, Yan Jie pulled over to the side of the road and quietly gazed out the window, lost in thought.
On this entire road, there was only their car, surrounded by grassland, with snow-capped mountains in the distance. Time seemed to become lonely and long at this moment, as if the whole world had only the two of them, one car, and the swaying amplitude of plants as the wind blew across the grassland.
After some time, Jiang Nan’an’s neck began to hurt from sleeping. He raised his hand to rub his neck, opened his eyes, and discovered that the scenery outside the window was still, the car had been parked by Yan Jie at the roadside, and Yan Jie himself was gazing out the window, lost in thought.
“Hey, you’re awake?”
Hearing movement, Yan Jie looked over and saw Jiang Nan’an’s sleepy eyes.
“Mm.” Having just woken up, Jiang Nan’an’s voice was a bit muffled.
He looked outside:
“Why did we stop?”
“The car broke down.”
Yan Jie said gravely.
Then, seeing Jiang Nan’an’s confused expression, he smiled again:
“Just kidding, come, let’s get out.”
Jiang Nan’an didn’t know what Yan Jie was up to this time, but he still followed his instructions, putting on his coat and getting out of the car.
It was a bit cool in the evening, the wind blowing through Jiang Nan’an’s hair, dispersing the last bit of drowsiness.
Yan Jie took his hand and led him to the front of the car, pointing to the bumper:
“Come on, baby, step on this.”
“?” Jiang Nan’an looked at where he was pointing, then at him, and sincerely asked:
“Do you want me to perform acrobatics for you?”
“No.” Yan Jie was amused by him:
“Listen to me, just try it.”
“…” Jiang Nan’an didn’t understand, but respected Yan Jie’s preference.
As Yan Jie suggested, he stepped on the bumper, then Yan Jie supported him as he climbed along the hood to sit on the roof of the car. Yan Jie also climbed up nimbly and sat beside him.
“Look.”
As they sat down, Yan Jie raised his hand and pointed to the distance. Jiang Nan’an followed his gaze and saw the distant snow-capped mountains, with the sunlight casting a faint golden light on them.
Sun-drenched golden mountains?
Jiang Nan’an seemed to think of something, and took out his phone from his coat pocket, opening WeChat.
Yan Jie’s chat was pinned at the top of his WeChat. He clicked on the avatar, and after the image briefly loaded, it became clear: Yan Jie wearing sunglasses, smiling at the camera showing his pointed canine teeth, with the contours of snow-capped mountains in the background, identical to what he was seeing now.
“Is this…” Jiang Nan’an raised an eyebrow, looking at Yan Jie.
Yan Jie smiled at him:
“You found out? Yes, it’s here.”
He sighed, looking up at the golden snow-capped mountains:
“That year after I graduated from university, I returned to China feeling a bit lost, not knowing what to do. So I drove around, wandering here and there. As luck would have it, when I got here, the car broke down. As you can see, there’s not a soul on this road, so I could only call for rescue. While waiting for help, with nothing to do, I climbed to the roof of the car and sat down. That day was actually cloudy, but after sitting on the car for a while, the clouds suddenly dispersed, and the snow-capped mountains were dyed golden by the setting sun, it was beautiful.”
Yan Jie recalled his feelings at that time, his tone inevitably carrying a hint of nostalgia:
“Later I thought, life doesn’t need very precise planning or clear goals. People only live once. Some are willing to do great things with grand enthusiasm, but for me, being at ease is enough. No need for clear plans and goals, just do what you want to do. As long as you put in enough effort, the results won’t be bad. Like that time, I didn’t even have navigation on, just went wherever the road took me. Halfway through, the car broke down, which was quite unlucky, right? But when I calmed down and looked into the distance, there was the sun-drenched golden mountain waiting for me. Isn’t that a kind of surprise?”
Jiang Nan’an listened quietly and nodded.
“The feeling that day was so special, so I thought, if one day I had someone special by my side, I would definitely bring them here, share this story with them, and together, experience that scene and feeling once more.”
“So Nan Nan, just like me back then, I hope you can also be free, do what you want to do, do whatever comes to mind, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes-I’ll always be there for you. From today on, let’s be happy every day, do what we like, and be our true selves, okay?”
As he spoke, Yan Jie felt his pocket and took out a small box.
Jiang Nan’an looked at the familiar size and raised an eyebrow slightly.
Then, the box opened before him, and inside quietly lay a ring.
“You gave me a ring for my birthday, and I’m giving you one too. Yours was a birthday gift, mine is a proposal.”
“Men…”
“I know men can’t marry men.” Yan Jie jumped in to answer, unable to hold back a smile.
He lowered his eyes, took Jiang Nan’an’s hand, and slipped the ring onto his ring finger:
“I mean, I’m inviting you to spend a lifetime with me. Are you willing?”
Jiang Nan’an lowered his eyes to look at his fingers.
The ring felt cold to the touch, its surface engraved with patterns of branches and leaves.
“You’ve already put it on me, and you’re still asking?”
“Hey-if you’re not willing, take it off, and I’ll go back to the car to cry for a while.”
As Yan Jie spoke, he made a move to take off the ring, but Jiang Nan’an curled his fingers and pulled his hand back.
He gently rubbed the cool surface of the ring with his fingertips, gradually warming it to his own temperature.
He looked up again, gazing into the distance.
The sun was sinking lower, and the sunlight grew more intense.
The snow-capped mountains changed from golden to light orange, and the wind carrying the scent of snow mountains and green grass brushed through his hair and eyebrows.
“Yes.”
Jiang Nan’an calmly agreed.
“Yes what? Willing to spend a lifetime with me? It’s me for sure? No changing your mind?” Yan Jie’s eyes curved as he deliberately teased.
“Change to whom?” Jiang Nan’an raised an eyebrow slightly:
“I want no one else.”
Yan Jie’s smile deepened.
He took Jiang Nan’an’s hand and placed a kiss on the ring.
What he didn’t tell Jiang Nan’an was that, just like that ray of sunlight on the snow-capped mountains he had discovered by chance during that long wait, Jiang Nan’an was also a rare and precious surprise in his life.
At that time, he had never imagined that one day he would love someone so much.
How many times will leaves be caressed by the wind?
How many times will snow-capped mountains be kissed by sunlight?
How many times will one person’s heart flutter for another?
There are too many questions in the world without answers.
When there is no solution, love is the universal formula.
[End of the Full Text]
T/N: Thank you for reading!! Hope you guys enjoyed the story~ Don’t forget to rate and leave comment on NU
Also check out my other translations here
