Chapter 132: Beautiful Scenery, Beautiful People?

After chatting with Teacher Tian for a while, she prepared to leave. It wasn’t that her workout was over, but rather that she was moving on to other activities.

Before she left, she glanced at the two of them again and said with a smile, "You might think I’m being nosy, but even if your parents agreed to you living together, you should still hold back a little on certain things until after you graduate high school. After all, some responsibilities aren’t something you can handle when you’re this young."

"What are you talking about, Teacher Tian? We’re just friends, and we live in separate rooms," Chen Mo replied, not a blush on his face or a skip in his heartbeat, despite having slept in the same bed as Su Yuqing just two days prior.

Su Yuqing, however, blushed so hard she was speechless.

Tian Jing had only reminded them out of a sense of duty and had no intention of interfering, so she simply smiled and left. "Make sure you get good scores on the physical fitness test next week!"

"I wish I could be as energetic as Teacher Tian," Su Yuqing said, her face full of admiration as she watched Tian Jing’s youthful, vibrant form.

"You will be, as long as you want to be," Chen Mo murmured with a smile.

It was as if he were speaking to Su Yuqing, but also to himself.

After their teacher left, the two of them jogged for another half hour. They stopped to buy two bottles of water to rehydrate before finally finishing their workout.

By now, it was already eight o’clock at night.

The park didn’t seem any less crowded, though.

As one group of people left, another simply took their place.

Bright streetlights were installed all throughout the park.

They bathed the entire area in a brilliant glow.

Many security guards also patrolled the park continuously.

The goal was to create a People’s Park where everyone could relax and have fun in safety!

After their jog, the two of them strolled through the park for another half hour.

The air around them was filled with the simple, lively buzz of everyday life.

It was enough to make even a depressed person feel their spirits lift a little.

As they walked on, they found themselves near Juyuan Mountain, right next to the park, before they even realized it.

Su Yuqing had heard about the powers of the Prayer Tree on Juyuan Mountain before and was quite intrigued by it.

But she was too embarrassed to say that she wanted to go.

So, Chen Mo had pretended they were just wandering aimlessly, all the while leading her toward Juyuan Mountain.

Only when they reached the foot of the mountain did Su Yuqing realize that they had somehow ended up at Juyuan Mountain.

This made her want to go up the mountain and make a wish even more.

To her, it felt like a sign from the heavens.

"So this is Juyuan Mountain that the driver told us about," Chen Mo said, glancing at the steep upward slope beside them as if in surprise.

Seeing the hopeful look on Su Yuqing’s face, and how she was too shy to meet his gaze, Chen Mo immediately smiled. "Since we’re already here, shall we go up and have a look?"

"Mhm." A brilliant smile immediately blossomed on Su Yuqing’s face.

Seeing how easily satisfied she was, Chen Mo smiled fondly and took her small hand. "It’s less tiring to climb hills if we hold hands."

Su Yuqing never questioned any of the million excuses Chen Mo always came up with to hold her hand.

Then again, it wasn’t as if she didn’t want to hold his hand as well.

But Chen Mo wasn’t just making excuses. With him pulling her along, Su Yuqing really did find the climb a little easier.

The mountain path wound its way upward. A few wild plants sprouted from the cracks between the stone slabs, swaying gently in the night breeze.

Chen Mo’s palm was faintly warm. Su Yuqing’s fingers curled instinctively, but he only clasped them tighter.

Moonlight filtered down through the leaves, merging their shadows into one. They looked like a crumpled candy wrapper, sweet and stuck together.

Beside the path, there was even a small, finger-wide channel with water trickling through it.

The mountain spring water looked crystal clear.

"Careful of the moss." Just as Su Yuqing moved to get a closer look at the little stream, Chen Mo suddenly tightened his grip. Her canvas shoe slipped on the slick stone step, and she stumbled.

She stumbled, half her body falling into Chen Mo’s arms. The tips of her hair brushed against his neck, sending a thrill through him.

Chen Mo’s arm was already wrapped firmly around her waist. His warmth seeped through the thin fabric of her clothes, a stark and pleasant contrast to the chill of the evening breeze.

Their overlapping shadows were pinned to the stone wall by the moonlight, making them look just like any other couple sharing a sweet embrace on the mountain path.

Su Yuqing stared at his bobbing Adam’s apple and suddenly noticed that the ears of this usually composed boy were even redder than hers.

Just then, a mountain breeze swept through the treetops with a RUSTLE, startling a few fireflies that took flight, trailing pale blue flames.

The sight brought a sense of delight to both Chen Mo and Su Yuqing.

There was something about fireflies that always felt like a beautiful wish coming true.

They were such a rare sight in daily life that stumbling upon them felt like a sign of good luck.

"Um, I... I’m okay now..." Snapping back to reality, Su Yuqing realized she was still being held tightly in Chen Mo’s embrace. She whispered, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz, her earlobes so red it looked as if they might drip blood.

The other people passing by would glance over, and their gazes would land on them with knowing smiles.

It was only natural for people to sneak a few extra glances at such an attractive young couple.

Feeling her struggle weakly in his arms, Chen Mo let out a low chuckle and loosened his grip. But his fingertips then traced a path from her wrist, ghosting over her palm, down to her fingers, before taking her small hand in his once more.

Ignoring the looks from those around them, Chen Mo led Su Yuqing by the hand and continued up the mountain.

When they reached a viewing platform halfway up the mountain, they could already see the entire city sprawling out at their feet.

A Xinghe of neon lights flowed in the distance, and they stood on the dark precipice overlooking it.

"It’s so beautiful!" Su Yuqing’s eyes sparkled as she gazed at the dreamlike nightscape, her face a picture of pure amazement.

But compared to the beautiful nightscape, Chen Mo only had eyes for the beautiful figure beside him.

Gazing at her profile, limned in silver by the moonlight, Chen Mo’s Adam’s apple bobbed involuntarily.

Wisps of hair fell from behind her ear to her shoulder, curled by a light sheen of sweat. As she turned her head, they brushed against her collarbone, which rose and fell with each breath.

Below her collarbone was an expanse of snowy, rounded skin. Su Yuqing’s top had a low neckline to begin with, and after her workout, she had unconsciously tugged at the collar to fan herself. This had pulled it open even wider. From his slightly elevated position, Chen Mo had a completely unobstructed view.

It made his own breathing unconsciously deepen.

When Chen Mo didn’t respond to her comment about the view, Su Yuqing turned to him curiously, only to find that he wasn’t looking at the scenery at all. He was staring, transfixed, at her.

Following his gaze, Su Yuqing instinctively looked down.

The next moment, a crimson blush flooded her cheeks.

Her first instinct was to raise a hand to cover herself, or tug at her shirt from the back to fix the neckline.

But the instant the thought occurred to her, she froze.