Chen Cheng was somewhat bewildered by this sudden form of address.
He straightened up, gazed at the charming Meng Wanning in front of him, and for a moment, didn’t know what to say.
Compared to "Brother Cheng", "Xiao Cheng", or "Mr. Chen", this simple "Sir" truly caught Chen Cheng off guard.
Plus, spoken from Meng Wanning’s lips, it carried a whisper of shyness and allure, like the humid winds in the plum rain season of Jiangnan, lingering and gentle, irresistibly inviting one to indulge.
"What’s wrong? Doesn’t it sound good?"
Seeing Chen Cheng’s lack of reaction, Meng Wanning thought he disliked the nickname, her tone tinged with a hint of sadness.
"No, no, it sounds lovely, very lovely." Chen Cheng came to his senses and quickly explained, "I’m just... a bit surprised."
Chen Cheng nodded, "It’s quite special."
"Didn’t you say I am the most special one to you?"
Meng Wanning lifted her chin, asserting like declaring sovereignty, "So, I should also give you a unique nickname."
Chen Cheng smiled, "Right, you are you, my little vinegar jar."
Meng Wanning slapped away Chen Cheng’s hand, pouting, "Who is your little vinegar jar!"
"Alright, alright, you’re not. My sweet heart, happy now?"
"That’s more like it."
Meng Wanning smiled lightly, taking the initiative to grab Chen Cheng’s hand, "Shall we carry on?"
Hand in hand, the two continued along.
Now that everything was out in the open, Meng Wanning was no longer as reserved as she had been.
Along the way, she showed Chen Cheng her most innocent side like a curious baby,
pointing at wildflowers along the roadside, asking Chen Cheng what kind they were, and then pulling him to look at the leaves hanging from the branches, about to fall.
Emotional connection is the most crucial element in a relationship.
Chen Cheng patiently answered each of her questions; some answers he truly knew, others were merely bluffs, but no matter what he said, Meng Wanning responded with a sweet smile.
Not until they reached the cable car station to descend the mountain did her smile freeze for a moment.
As they were about to board the cable car, Chen Cheng noticed something amiss.
"Sir, I’m afraid of heights."
Meng Wanning spoke very softly, but Chen Cheng heard her clearly.
"Then let’s walk down."
Meng Wanning bit her lip. Going down on foot wasn’t an easy task for her either.
It had been a long time since she had last climbed a mountain, and the modestly sized Qianling Mountain was already her limit. Her legs and feet were already sore and swollen.
"Or, let’s still give it a try."
She looked up at Chen Cheng.
Chen Cheng looked at her, "Alright, don’t be afraid, I won’t let go."
The two reached the boarding area, and the cable car slowly approached them.
The staff member opened the door, Chen Cheng stepped on first and then quickly turned around and pulled Meng Wanning aboard.
With the door shut, Meng Wanning finally sat down inside the small cabin.
She closed her eyes tight, her long eyelashes fluttering, not daring to look at the scenery outside the window.
"It’s fine, we will be down in a few minutes," Chen Cheng reassured her from the side.
Meng Wanning didn’t speak, merely nodded slightly, her hands tightly clutching Chen Cheng’s arm, her knuckles turning white.
"Lean on my shoulder," Chen Cheng said with a smile.
Chen Cheng tenderly embraced her, and Meng Wanning gently rested her head on his shoulder, though her body was still tense.
"Sir, how much longer?"
Chen Cheng looked towards the direction of descending, "Count to 60, we should arrive."
Chen Cheng continued counting, "Zero-zero-one, zero-zero-two..."
Before he could finish, the cable car cabin suddenly jerked.
Frightened, Meng Wanning burrowed into Chen Cheng’s embrace, her arms tightly wrapped around his waist.
"Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid," Chen Cheng patted her back while looking up to assess the situation.
It turned out that the cable car experienced a slight shake due to the steel cable’s pull as it passed a tower frame.
Chen Cheng lovingly held her tighter, soothingly saying, "Don’t be scared, don’t be scared, it was just a small bump, like driving over a speed bump, it’s all fine now."
He gently patted her back, comforting her like coaxing a child, repeating over and over, "It’s alright, I’m here, don’t be afraid."
But Chen Cheng also felt that something was slightly amiss.
The speed of the cable car was slowing down, initially Chen Cheng thought it was his imagination, but then the surrounding scenery stopped changing, and the cable car ahead had also stopped.
Meng Wanning still clung tightly to Chen Cheng, not daring to let go.
But she too felt the cable car stop.
"Have we arrived?" she asked.
Chen Cheng took a deep breath, still trying to ease her nervous mood, "The cable car ahead is about to reach the station, we’re just in line."
However, Meng Wanning soon realized something.
"Sir, is something wrong?"
Chen Cheng calmly said, "Nothing’s wrong, count to three more, it will be our turn."
Meng Wanning quietly counted,
Each number she counted felt like she was counting her own heartbeat, tension and unease spreading through the cramped space.
As her voice fell, the cable car hanging in midair suddenly lurched.
Meng Wanning exclaimed, tightly shutting her eyes, her arms desperately clinging to Chen Cheng’s waist, terrified that she might be thrown out.
"What happened?" Meng Wanning’s voice carried a crying tone, "Are we going to fall?"
Chen Cheng raised his eyebrows, and upon seeing the cable car ahead start moving again, he said: "Why would we fall?"