Qin Yuenan insisted on putting the rest in her bag to help Lin Shen share the weight.
Things like the power bank, dical supplies, and their identification docunts.
Originally, Qin Yuenan had only planned on wearing a small tank top for the climb, but Lin Shen gave her a stern talking-to.
In the end, she had no choice but to bundle up.
It was hot, but with the huge temperature difference at the summit, these preparations were necessary.
"Let’s go! Go, go, go!"
Once they were all set, Lin Shen looked excitedly toward the balcony.
Since the Baosheng Grand Hotel was located at the foot of the mountain, they could clearly see through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The mountain was already dotted with countless lights, illuminating the entire ascent.
"There are so many people doing the night climb."
Qin Yuenan had thought it was a niche outdoor activity. She figured there wouldn’t be this many people, especially since sumr vacation was over.
Turns out, it seed like everyone wanted to climb up high to watch the sunrise.
"Because the weather is supposed to be great tomorrow morning."
Lin Shen took Qin Yuenan’s hand. After leaving the hotel, a hotel shuttle took them to the Red Gate Visitor Center, a short ten-minute drive.
By then, the entrance was completely jamd with people queuing up.
Lin Shen had no choice but to have Qin Yuenan walk in front of him, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and holding her as they shuffled forward.
This caused him to bump into her with every shuffle, making her blush beet red. She turned to glare angrily at a cheekily grinning Lin Shen.
"You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you!"
"It’s so crowded, I can’t help it."
Lin Shen shrugged, a picture of innocence. This only made Qin Yuenan angrier. She took several deep breaths, then grabbed his hand and gave it a light bite, only then relenting.
"Hmph!"
"You really like to bite, don’t you, Nan?"
Lin Shen leaned close to Qin Yuenan’s ear and whispered with a chuckle.
"How about you bite sowhere else next ti?"
"Lin! Shen!"
Lin Shen’s teasing made Qin Yuenan’s pretty face flush crimson. After getting through the ticket check, she chased after him, playfully pounding on him.
Seeing the young couple so full of energy, the people around them couldn’t help but look on with envy.
Even though Qin Yuenan was wearing loose clothing, her perfect proportions were still visible.
Combined with her cool, exquisite beauty...
Tsk, tsk!
’That guy is so lucky to have such a gorgeous girlfriend!’
’And she’s even willing to night-climb Taishan with him!’
Of course, in truth, Qin Yuenan was far more excited and eager for this than Lin Shen was.
She loved the outdoors, after all, and had wanted to climb Taishan at night to watch the sunrise for a long ti.
However, her fear of the dark had always kept her from coming alone.
Now that she had Lin Shen with her, even though he could be infuriatingly cheeky at tis, Qin Yuenan couldn’t help the feelings of happiness and Sweetness that ca with relying on him.
Eventually, her playful punches gave way to her tightly clutching Lin Shen’s hand, refusing to let go.
"Let’s go."
"Okay."
Lin Shen squeezed her hand back and led her forward.
The initial stone steps were fairly gentle, flanked by towering ancient trees. In the beams of their flashlights, the swaying shadows of the branches cast an eerie, profound darkness.
Luckily, the mountain path wasn’t completely dark. Small shops glowed with soft light in the distance, like inns for weary, late-night travelers.
Lin Shen and Qin Yuenan chose not to linger, instead continuing on with the main throng of hikers.
They passed Doumu Palace, Jingshiyu, and Pot Heaven Pavilion.
While they couldn’t see these scenic and historic sites in their full glory at night, their dark silhouettes still hinted at their unique grandeur and magnificence.
Another benefit of the night climb was that looking back, they could take in the entire glittering nightscape of Dai City.
A galaxy of lights spread out at their feet. The contrast between the bustling city below and the starry sky above was a stunning sight, moving Lin Shen both visually and emotionally.
"Nan, quick, look!"
?
When Qin Yuenan turned to look, she too was captivated by the sight. Her beautiful eyes shimred with a special light as she breathed out in amazent.
"It’s so beautiful."
"It is."
Lin Shen looked visibly excited.
"Let’s keep climbing. The view might be even better from higher up."
"Mhm."
The two of them climbed for another two hours, walking and resting in intervals. Helping each other along, they finally arrived at the Central Celestial Gate.
This was essentially Taishan’s midway base camp, and the previously silent, tranquil atmosphere of the deep night instantly gave way to a bustling scene.
Large crowds of tourists were gathered here, resting, restocking supplies, taking photos, and marking their progress.
The lights here seed brighter than those down below, and the shops were all linked together.
"Want to rest for a bit?"
Noticing the weariness on Qin Yuenan’s face, Lin Shen helped her find a place to sit down.
He, on the other hand, barely felt tired. After all, the system’s buffs had boosted his Constitution attribute so much that his physical condition far surpassed that of an ordinary person.
But Qin Yuenan was starting to feel the strain.
Even though she exercised regularly, climbing for more than two hours straight was an enormous test of anyone’s physical endurance.
Many n wouldn’t be able to keep up, let alone won.
So Qin Yuenan nestled in Lin Shen’s embrace for a short rest. After he had her drink so water and eat so food, her Spirit gradually returned.
"How much further?"
Qin Yuenan tilted her head back to look at the seemingly endless flight of stairs, feeling a little daunted.
"About halfway, I think."
Lin Shen glanced at the sports watch on his wrist.
"It’s 1 AM now. We should reach the summit around 4 AM."
"That’s still so far."
Though Qin Yuenan complained, she stood up after a brief rest without any need for encouragent from Lin Shen.
That alone made her tougher than a lot of other girls.
"Let’s go."
"You look tired. Want to carry you?"
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