This humble Taoist priest wants to take the college entrance exam.

Chapter 252 Dependence Can Be Addictive

The first challenge at the haunted house was a complete success, and Lin Mengqiu was very satisfied, giving the entire experience a perfect score.

Next up is the plan to further drain Chen Shi'an's energy, specifically the Yunqi Mountain climbing project.

As one of the few 5A-level scenic spots in the city, Yunqi Mountain attracts many tourists and mountain climbing enthusiasts all year round.

It's already 11 a.m., and I still have to attend evening self-study at 6:30 p.m., so time is limited.

After discussing it, the two decided to skip lunch and instead bought some bread, sandwiches, biscuits, fruit, chocolate, and water at a supermarket near the scenic area as provisions before embarking together on the stone steps leading to the top of Yunqi Mountain.

Miss Lin paid the bill, including food, drinks, entrance tickets for the mountain climb, and cable car tickets.

"Thank you monitor."

"..."

Chen Shi'an smiled. Yunqi Mountain is so big. He had originally planned to avoid the regular, developed routes that charge admission fees and instead explore other remote corners of the mountain on his own.

"Cable car tickets... Squad leader, shall we take the cable car directly to the top of the mountain?"

"It's not that good."

When she first started climbing the mountain, the girl was full of energy. With her long legs striding forward like a nimble little rabbit, she would often leap over two steps at a time.

As she climbed the mountain, she said, "You have to climb to the Tea Horse Cableway first to take the cable car. But the cable car doesn't go all the way to the top of the mountain; it only goes to the Clear Spring Waterfall. If you want to reach the top, you'll have to climb for at least another two hours."

"I see. That's why I said we should just hike up the mountain."

"...There isn't enough time; the entire hike would take at least five or six hours."

"Has the squad leader ever been to the top of the mountain?"

"..."

Lin Mengqiu remained silent.

"Even the squad leader has never been to the top of the mountain by cable car?"

"×!"

The girl rolled her eyes at him: "You'll know once you climb it. It's really high. Every step is very high towards the end."

"Oh okay."

Perhaps because he had just lost face in the haunted house, and had inadvertently revealed his vulnerability while riding his bike, the proud class monitor was now determined to impress this stinky Taoist priest at the mountain climbing stop.

And you know what? The girl's long, slender legs took long strides, and she climbed quite quickly at the beginning.

Chen Shi'an followed beside her at a leisurely pace, carrying his own backpack, the class monitor's small bag, and the sketchbook she had brought for sketching. He was also carrying a bag in his hand containing freshly bought dry food.

Chen Shi'an ate as he climbed, enjoying a leisurely journey.

"Squad leader, would you like a sandwich?"

"Phew, let's eat later, phew..."

"Squad leader, would you like some oranges?"

"Phew, let's eat later, phew..."

"Squad leader, we need to..."

"Don't finish it all, leave some for me!"

"Okay, okay, I thought the class monitor wasn't going to eat it."

As you climb the steps, the mountain breeze carries the fresh scent of grass and trees, and sunlight filters through the layers of branches and leaves, casting dappled shadows.

Just then, a tour guide was leading a group. The guide was holding a flag, and behind her was a group of young men and women, probably from a company team-building activity. Her voice came from the small speaker on her waist:

"...Legend has it that Yunqi Mountain was the place where the immortal Yun Zhongzi cultivated. To save the local people from drought, Yun Zhongzi used his magic to summon heavenly rain, nourishing the land. From then on, the mountain was shrouded in mist year-round, and the trees grew lushly. To express their gratitude to Yun Zhongzi, the people built an ancient temple on the mountain and have worshipped him for generations. In addition, there is a legend that there is a spirit fox in the mountain that has cultivated for a thousand years. On the night of the full moon, it will transform into a beautiful woman and help those who are devout to fulfill their wishes..."

Chen Shi'an listened along the whole way, taking advantage of the tour guide's presence for free, and found it all very interesting.

"Cultivated for a thousand years? Then is this fox still in Yunqi Mountain?" Chen Shi'an asked curiously.

"Haha, it's a myth... Hey? Little brother, are you from our group?"

"Hehe, no, I was just passing by. The older sister was telling a good story, so I came over to listen."

"Haha, thank you..."

Having his identity exposed, Chen Shi'an stopped lingering and quickened his pace to catch up with the girl who was rolling her eyes at him speechlessly.

"Did you hear that, squad leader? They said there's a spirit fox in the mountains that has cultivated for a thousand years."

"Phew, it's fake, phew, you actually believe that..."

"How do you know it's fake if you've never even seen the class monitor?"

"Phew, that's right, phew, it's only fake if you've never seen it before..."

Chen Shi'an chuckled to himself, thinking to himself, "You even fed Fei Mo before."

Although the fat cat at home doesn't have any ancient cultivation, it's certainly not an ordinary cat. The descriptions in the books about spirits and monsters are mostly the fantasies of ordinary people. In reality, it's not as unpredictable and omnipotent as people imagine; it's just a gluttonous cat.

……

As the altitude gradually increases, the stone steps become steep and long.

Yunqi Mountain's altitude is well-deserved; for Lin Mengqiu, who doesn't usually engage in high-intensity exercise, her physical strength was quickly depleted.

Her breathing became more and more rapid, fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, and her steps became heavier and heavier.

"Huh...huh..."

At the Tea Horse Cableway station, Lin Mengqiu finally stopped. She had been climbing for nearly an hour and was almost exhausted, mainly because she had been climbing very fast.

The girl was holding her knees with both hands, panting heavily. Her cheeks were flushed with a healthy blush from the intense exercise, like peach blossoms just beginning to bloom in the mountains.

"Huh...huh..."

She glanced back, but Chen Shi'an seemed completely unaffected, leisurely following behind without even breaking a sweat.

What kind of Iron Man is this?!
His stamina, which he had been holding on, completely vanished after he struck him down...

"Is the squad leader unable to hold on?"

Chen Shi'an spoke casually, glancing at the girl in front of him who was almost drained dry, and then at the cable car station at the other end of the plaza platform.

A square, metal car, with the deep hum of the machine clearly audible to Chen Shi'an, formed a strange contrast with the tranquility of the mountains. This steel creation had carved out a shortcut through the vast forests.

"Phew, we're on the cable car now..."

Lin Mengqiu straightened up again, walked over to Chen Shi'an, stood in front of him, unzipped the backpack hanging on his chest, and took out a pack of tissues.

She pinched out two pieces of paper with her little hands, used one to wipe her sweat, and handed the other to Chen Shi'an, who used it to wipe his mouth... He had leisurely climbed up the mountain and was already full.

"If you're hot, class monitor, take off your jacket. I'll hold it for you."

"..."

That stinky Taoist priest is actually so considerate?
Lin Mengqiu took off her coat, and Chen Shian took it and naturally tied it around his waist.

Seeing this scene suddenly felt familiar... Lin Mengqiu suddenly remembered that this was the scene in a photo posted by Fanren Chan last week!
Aaaaaah...!
Forget it.

Easy to use.

The two had already bought their tickets, and now they were going to ride the cable car together.

Chen Shi'an had climbed many mountains, but this was his first time riding a cable car.

Stepping into the small glass cabin suspended in the air, the two sat facing each other. After a slight knocking sound as the door closed, there was a sudden jolt underfoot, and the cable car slowly left the platform, beginning to glide upwards along the steel cable.

Chen Shi'an, who was riding a cable car for the first time, found it novel and interesting. He looked out the glass window with curiosity, and his field of vision became exceptionally far after his field of vision was raised.

The mountain path we came from now winds like a thin thread, coiling around the huge folds of the mountain.
Layered forests cover the mountains like a green carpet, while distant city skyscrapers resemble an exquisite sand table model, inlaid at the junction of the earth and the sky.

Occasionally, when you encounter a section of the steel cable or a mountain breeze, it will sway slightly, causing a slight tremor in your heart.

A strange sense of detachment washed over them; high above the sky, it felt as if all their troubles had been cast to the ground.

Chen Shi'an looked at Lin Mengqiu, and Lin Mengqiu also looked at Chen Shi'an.

The two stared at each other... Chen Shi'an couldn't help but chuckle.

The class monitor, who had been keeping a straight face, suddenly couldn't hold back when he saw him smile. He blushed and giggled, even sticking out his leg to tap the boy's shoe.
"why are you laughing,"

"What are you laughing at, class monitor?"

"I only laughed because I saw you laughing!"

"Oh, I was just trying to make the class monitor laugh. The class monitor looks good when he laughs."

"~~~~~~~~"

The girl's face turned even redder; heaven knows how he could say such shameless things without batting an eye.

Lin Mengqiu rolled her eyes at him, embarrassed and annoyed, and turned her head to look out the window.

Seemingly noticing that Chen Shi'an was still looking at her, she raised one hand to cover her face, preventing him from seeing her.

Chen Shi'an finally looked out the window and stopped looking at her. Only then did Lin Mengqiu secretly turn her face back, take out her phone, and take a picture of him sitting opposite her.

"Is the class monitor taking pictures of me again?"

"...No, I was taking pictures out the window."

"You have."

"I don't!"

Finally, the cable car paused gently and glided into its final stop.

Although it's called the final stop, it's actually quite far from the summit. To reach the top, it would take at least another hour of climbing.

Many tourists stop here, but Chen Shi'an and Lin Mengqiu showed no sign of stopping.

First, they admired the clear spring and waterfall, took photos of each other, and posed for a group photo. Lin Mengqiu also took the opportunity to eat something to replenish her energy.

Then they continued climbing.

Sure enough, the latter part of the road was much more difficult than the beginning, with each step being higher.

Chen Shi'an was alright, but Lin Mengqiu was about to give up. Every time she lifted her leg, it felt like her legs weighed a ton.

In a split second, the girl nearly lost her footing and stumbled. She instinctively grabbed Chen Shi'an's arm tightly.

Chen Shi'an quickly helped her up.

"Is the squad leader alright?"

"Huff, huff... I'm... I'm alright..."

"Would you like to take a break?"

"No need... I still need to draw in a bit... I don't have enough time... Whew..."

"Why don't we just paint here? The scenery is nice too."

"No... huff... go, go to the mountaintop..."

Chen Shi'an: "..."

Chen Shi'an was truly impressed by her; as expected, the class monitor was as stubborn as an ox.

"Is the squad leader going to walk up himself?"

"Um……"

"Okay, then I won't carry you."

"???" Lin Mengqiu then realized that she seemed to have missed something.

She was exhausted, ashamed, and anxious all at once. Her little mouth opened and closed like a begging koi fish, but she couldn't utter a single decent word for a long time.

Chen Shi'an found it amusing and suddenly reached out his hand to her again: "Come on, I'll help you up."

His hands have distinct knuckles, displaying the resilience unique to young people.

Lin Mengqiu looked at the hand extended in front of her, and her heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason.

In a haunted house, the instinct to cling to someone in a state of panic is understandable, but here on a sunny mountain path, such an invitation carries a completely different meaning.

She hesitated for only a moment before the urge to rely on him took over.

She raised her slightly sweaty hand and gently placed it in his palm.

Chen Shi'an's palm was warm and strong, steadily enveloping her slightly cool fingers.

A subtle electric current seemed to travel from their touching skin, and Lin Mengqiu felt her face getting even hotter, almost unable to look him in the eye.

Chen Shi'an gripped her hand tightly, and with a little force, Lin Mengqiu instantly felt her body become lighter and her steps no longer heavy, as if a gust of wind was lifting her up.

"Then let's hurry up. Class monitor, just follow my pace."

"Um……"

For the rest of the journey, Lin Mengqiu almost relied on his strength to move forward.

He would sometimes slow down to accommodate her, and sometimes pull her up with all his might on particularly steep sections.

Lin Mengqiu could clearly feel the warmth from his palm and the steady strength of his arm; every time he tried to use his strength, he caught it steadily.

She secretly glanced at his profile as he walked intently forward. The sunlight outlined the clear lines of his jaw, and the wind ruffled the stray hairs on his forehead. The Taoist's serene elegance and the boy's bright spirit blended together in a wonderful way.

An indescribable sense of security enveloped her, even easing the fatigue of the climb...

……

After a difficult journey, when the two finally reached the top of Yunqi Mountain, their view opened up dramatically.

Looking down from the mountain, the scenery of Yunqi City is spread out before your eyes. In the distance, the mountains are verdant and shrouded in mist, like a fairyland, truly living up to the name Yunqi.

The eaves of the ancient temple on the mountaintop are partially hidden among the green trees, adding to the mystique of this legendary immortal land.

The two found a flat, large blue stone to sit on, enjoying the cool mountain breeze and sharing their dry rations to replenish their energy.

After a short rest, Lin Mengqiu took out the drawing board, paper, pens, and paints she had brought with her from her canvas bag.

"Is the class monitor going to draw me?"

"Hmm...find a seat and strike a pose."

"What position?"

"……do not know."

"Does the class monitor still have paper and pens?"

"There's... a sketchbook and a pen. What are you going to do with them?"

"I don't know what pose to strike, so I'll draw the class monitor, and the class monitor can draw me."

"it is good……"

Lin Mengqiu took the notebook and pen and handed them to him.

Chen Shi'an sat cross-legged on the bluestone, then watched the girl painting and began to paint as well.

Seeing that Chen Shi'an had started writing, Lin Mengqiu also began writing.

The person sitting cross-legged amidst this ethereal scenery looked so harmonious and at ease.

With focused concentration, she began to sketch the outline of the mountains and the silhouette of the ancient temple, the pen scratching softly on the paper.

And so, the two of them stood at a distance of not too close, not too far, atop Yunqi Mountain, each holding a pen.

The landscapes depicted in their paintings all reflect the image of the other person.

Lin Mengqiu was somewhat troubled...

I feel like I can't draw his appearance well!
The more she cared about something, the more meticulous she became. She redrawn it again and again, and finally had to secretly take a picture first, planning to finish drawing it slowly when she got back...

……

Chen Shi'an stretched and stopped painting.

Although he only used the most ordinary pencil for sketching, the class monitor in front of him had already leaped onto the drawing paper, lifelike and vivid.

Seeing that Lin Mengqiu showed no sign of stopping writing, Chen Shi'an walked over to take a look.

Lin Mengqiu stubbornly blocked the easel with her body, refusing to let him see it.

"Has the class monitor finished drawing yet?"

"No."

"so slow?"

"×!"

"How's the drawing coming along? Let me see it."

"...I'll show you when it's finished."

"have a look."

"No."

The girl clung tightly to the drawing board, refusing to let Chen Shi'an see it no matter what he said.

Upon seeing the painting Chen Shi'an had completed, Lin Mengqiu was overjoyed and extremely satisfied. Heaven knows how he could paint so well...!
"Has the class monitor finished reading?"

"finish watching."

"Give it back to me."

"...My notebook!"

Lin Mengqiu took his painting and refused to give it back. The painting he made using her paintbrush and notebook was indeed her painting!
……

As the sun sets in the west, golden rays of sunlight bathe the mountains and forests.

I've managed to complete today's travel plans, albeit with some difficulty.

Whether Chen Shi'an squeezed her dry or not is unknown, but Lin Mengqiu herself is definitely going to be squeezed dry...

The way down the mountain was more difficult than the way up, especially for the girl who had already exhausted her strength. Just looking at the winding mountain road below, Lin Mengqiu felt her knees go weak, her calves ache, and she felt scared.

Even though we'll be taking the cable car down the mountain later, the walk down to the cable car feels like an impossible challenge. Heaven knows how we even climbed up there...

"Chen Shi'an!"

Just as Chen Shi'an was about to leave, Lin Mengqiu called his name and stopped him.

"What's wrong, squad leader? Aren't we going down the mountain yet?"

The girl's usually frosty and aloof face was now flushed with a translucent blush. Her lips moved, and after a long while, she managed to utter a few words, her voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz:

"I can't walk anymore... Could you... carry me down?"

"..."

She dared not look Chen Shi'an in the eye, only staring at the hem of his clothes, her fingers nervously twisting the hem of her skirt.

"It's just a short distance, to the cable car station, or anywhere in between..."

"..."

After saying that, she seemed to have exhausted all her strength, and the blush on her cheeks spread down her neck, making her neck blush as well.

However, they did not receive a response from Chen Shi'an for a long time.

Just as she finally couldn't hold back her disappointment and said, "Never mind,"

Looking up, she realized that Chen Shi'an had bent down at some point, as if he had been waiting for her for a long time.

"Is the class monitor still standing there in a daze? Come over here quickly."

"~~~~~~~~~!"

Lin Mengqiu couldn't remember how she got there in the first place.

The sensation and warmth of that close embrace in the haunted house instantly resurfaced in her memory, and she practically pounced on that incredibly reliable back that was so close.

Chen Shian steadily supported her knees and carried her on his back.

The girl's body was light and soft, carrying a faint scent of lily of the valley, and she pressed herself against his back.

Lin Mengqiu wrapped her arms around his neck and gently pressed her burning cheeks against his warm neck.

Through the thin clothing, she could clearly feel the lines of his back muscles and the warmth he exuded.

Thump, thump, thump... The sound of her heartbeat, whether her own or his, echoed in her ears, as if striking her heartstrings.

Chen Shi'an took a step forward and carried her steadily down the winding stone steps.

The setting sun cast long, overlapping shadows of the two people.

A mountain breeze brushed against Lin Mengqiu's hair, bringing a touch of coolness, but the area against his back was constantly warm.

"Chen Shi'an".

"Ok?"

"fine……"

After a while.