Forced into a romantic relationship

Chapter 178 During the Climb
As snow appeared ahead, the group's already slow pace slowed even further, each step making a "rustling" sound and leaving a series of dense footprints on the snow.

Fortunately, the snow cover wasn't too deep, so it wouldn't affect their movement too much. However, Brother Wang still seriously reminded everyone that there might be snow pits in some places, and it would be easy to get injured if you stepped into one. So they had to stay on their route.

Liao Xinyu kept trying to win Xiao Yuyan's favor, but she was so tired that she could barely speak. However, she still refused to give him her bag, as if she wanted to draw a line between them, leaving Liao Xinyu feeling dejected.

Zhang Tao, on the other hand, continued his live stream.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is now 7:05 PM. We are on our way to Green Mountain Base Camp. As you can see, there is already snow on the road ahead, which means that the temperature is quite low. I am glad that I brought enough warm clothes..."

"Snow leopard? I'd love to see this mysterious creature up close, but unfortunately, I haven't seen any wild animals on the snow-capped mountains yet. Even several experienced guides haven't seen any snow leopards on Green Mountain. I'm not sure if this is related to changes in the ecological environment."

"Anyone who says they want to see polar bears must be joking. Polar bears live in the Arctic, of course... and there's no Yeti. There's no Yeti legend in Green Mountain, and even if there were, I might not be a match for it. Jumping off the mountaintop... um, we've been streaming for so long, some viewers probably haven't read the title of the stream carefully yet, have they? I'm not here to do extreme sports, just to climb a snow mountain. And I need to remind everyone that jumping off a snow mountain is suicidal. I'm not really reckless, and I hope you aren't either..."

"I've been putting up with that comment that keeps asking where the person more handsome than Zhang Ziwen is. I've said more than once that he doesn't want to show his face. Besides, isn't the magnificence of nature more attractive than a person's appearance? You can't really feel the charm of the snow-capped mountains and the sunset because you're not there... Moderator, please ban these viewers who are still asking where the person more handsome than Zhang Ziwen is, including these female viewers who said they want to give birth to gorillas for me. Thank you."

"..."

Seeing Zhang Tao interacting with the audience in the live stream non-stop, Lin Ming, who was not far behind him, exclaimed with admiration, panting, "Brother Tao is really awesome. It was worth it for me to follow him early on despite your objections and become a veteran member of the 'Ignorant of Death' legion."

"You really are courting death..."

Lin Xiaoyou wanted to kick him hard, and said breathlessly, "Stop looking at your Tao-ge, hurry up and see how considerate other people's boyfriends are. Honestly, I'm almost exhausted and he doesn't even know to help me carry my bag."

Lin Ming shrugged: "If I really carried your bag, I'd be the one who'd be exhausted. Look at that kid Chen Xiang, he had to show off before we set off by carrying Liang Qian's stuff too, and now he's practically dead from exhaustion. Do you dare bet me that his face looks worse than liver right now? If you lose, you have to carry my bag."

"Who wants to bet with you!"

Lin Xiaoyou was furious. What kind of boy asks his girlfriend to carry his bag? It's only because he's too weak that she didn't pinch him a few times.

However, she didn't really want Lin Ming to help her carry her bag. Although he wasn't as "generous" as Chen Xiang, he had still helped her carry a lot of things before she set off. She was just venting her frustration.

The temperature was getting colder, and she shrank her neck, lowering her voice to ask, "Then why do you think Chen Xiang wouldn't let Liang Qian help carry some things? If he just asked, Liang Qian would definitely agree, right?"

"You don't understand this."

Lin Ming chuckled and said, "That's called a man's competitive spirit. He's competing with Xiaoyu's friend."

Lin Xiaoyou was impressed by this guy; he always managed to find joy in hardship, and could still laugh even when he was exhausted. However, she liked his optimistic personality, and a large part of the reason they were together was because their personalities were similar.

"What's the big deal?" she asked.

"Is there any need to say it? Didn't you see that guy named Han Zhou also took his girlfriend's bag and even held it up in front of him to shield her from the wind and snow? He was clearly trying to show off his boyfriend skills. Chen Xiang had a little conflict with them. Although he hasn't said anything, he's probably quite unhappy about it. How could he possibly admit defeat at a time like this? He definitely wants to see who can put the bag down first."

Lin Xiaoyou became increasingly speechless as she listened, and said irritably, "Then why can't you even muster the will to compete with them?"

If she were really competitive, she wouldn't need to carry a backpack...

Why should I argue with them for no reason? Wouldn't that just make me look like a fool asking for trouble?

Lin Ming answered confidently, then suddenly reached out and grabbed the other person by the back of the neck, lifting her up with a forceful pull.

"Be careful."

Lin Xiaoyou had just accidentally stepped into a shallow snow pit and almost tripped, but luckily Lin Ming spotted her.

She secretly breathed a sigh of relief, looking down at her dangling toes. Although she was used to being lifted up like a cat, she still felt embarrassed in public and said irritably, "Okay, you can put me down now."

Lin Ming carefully put her down and tentatively asked, "Have you gotten heavier?"

"Nonsense!" "It seems my physical strength has weakened..." Lin Ming immediately began to look for the reason within himself.

Sometimes, if you can't lift your girlfriend, you should look at yourself and see if your physical fitness has improved over the years, and whether you've been exercising regularly...

"Good to know." Lin Xiaoyou was satisfied, then her eyes darted around as she asked, "So who do you think will win?"

Although she had just taken a break not long ago, she was already feeling quite exhausted, so she wanted to find something to distract herself and forget her fatigue.

"That's hard to say. Chen Xiang was carrying the weight of two people from the beginning, which greatly depleted his strength. However, Liang Qian was always in front of him, shielding him from the wind and snow, which made his journey easier."

"While that guy named Han Zhou only recently took over his girlfriend's backpack, he also had to shield her from the wind and snow. His boyfriend skills were off the charts, but it also meant he was bearing two burdens. So, their starting lines were barely equal. If you asked me to choose who would win..."

Lin Ming thought for a moment, "I think that guy named Han Zhou will win."

"Why?" Lin Xiaoyou asked, puzzled. "Chen Xiang is clearly stronger and more robust than him, isn't he?"

"You probably didn't observe the others much before, did you? This Han Zhou may look thin, but his stamina is ridiculously good. Didn't you notice how steady his steps are now? He's fucking amazing..."

After a pause, Lin Ming continued, "Besides, as I said, being competitive is stupid. That guy didn't seem like he was showing off; he seemed more like he had everything under control... You know what I mean by having everything under control?"

"I understand! I'm not illiterate!"

Lin Xiaoyou rolled her eyes at her boyfriend. She was too exhausted to take care of herself and had no time to observe others, so she naturally didn't know that Han Zhou was so capable.

"Then I bet Chen Xiang will win, and if you lose, you'll have to carry my bag."

"Fine." Lin Ming shrugged. "What if you lose?"

"Then I'll admit defeat."

"and then?"

"It's over once you admit defeat, what's the 'then' part?"

"...6."

Meanwhile, Han Zhou was silently leading Mo Yixia up the mountain.

He had only recently realized that it wasn't necessarily a bad thing that Mo Yixia kept pulling on the backpack strap; it was as if he was dragging her uphill, which would probably make things easier for her.

Han Zhou certainly didn't feel tired. He had plenty of energy right now, and even if he didn't, he could take some energy pills to replenish it, so he never doubted whether he could reach the top.

He was worried about Mo Yixia.

He really wanted to give the other person a powerful pill, which would probably reduce their fatigue and alleviate the discomfort of being at high altitude.

However, it was just a thought. After all, something like a "power pill" was too illogical. With Mo Yixia's keen senses, she could definitely make a lot of connections, and it wasn't impossible that she could even find out what was going on in the status bar.

Unless absolutely necessary, matters concerning the status bar must be kept strictly confidential.

While he was thinking, Han Zhou suddenly felt his backpack being tugged. It was Mo Yixia.

The other person seemed to have something to say to him.

(End of this chapter)