22: Chapter 22 Meeting
Mountain rain was thick and misty, a soft drizzle enveloping the air.
In the hazy mountain rain, peaks rose sharply against the sky.
Valleys of smoke and rain stretched between them, with clouds coiling around the mountain sides.
The distant mountains appeared through the fog, half-concealed, resembling a range of mystical peaks.
Yueqi Village was far from the city’s bustle.
The deeper into the surrounding forests one ventured, the fewer the traces of human presence.
Among the peculiar trees of the deep woods, there were plenty of unique flowers and fauna.
The forest was veiled in mist all year round, and hardly anyone dared to trek into its depths.
Even the periphery of the distant mountains was scarcely visited on normal days, and in rainy weather, it was devoid of people.
Yet, it was precisely in such rainy weather, within the foggy, drizzly deep forest, that a faint figure could be seen moving.
The young girl wore a bamboo hat and a straw raincoat, strolling through the woods with a bamboo basket slung over her arm.
Whenever she came upon a flower or plant she liked, she would stop, pluck it roots and all, and place it into her basket.
Gu Zhiqi had entered the mountain today for a single plant, but the deep mountain had granted her an unexpected surprise, allowing her to return with a full load.
As the day grew dark, Gu Zhiqi started her descent.
When she reached the edge of the deep forest, suddenly a clear male voice rang in her ears.
Was someone calling her?
The voice sounded familiar, so Gu Zhiqi stopped and looked in the direction it came from.
A large group emerged from behind the trees, men and women, all wearing colorful raincoats and carrying bags of various sizes.
A few held cameras, looking like a film crew.
As the group drew nearer, Gu Zhiqi’s gaze fell on the two leading them.
One of them she recognized; it was Tang Yichen, with whom she had a brief encounter at Sea City Hospital.
As for the other, Gu Zhiqi didn’t know him.
Judging by his attire, he seemed to be an actor, for he was quite eye-catching, and Gu Zhiqi couldn’t help but look at him twice.
The man had deep-set features and an excessively delicate and handsome face.
His peach blossom eyes seemed to shimmer with a pool of autumn water, and there was a casual and enchanting smile creeping into their depths.
He was dressed in white ancient costume, with a plain-colored transparent raincoat over it, casually flipping a white fan in his hand.
He exuded an air of detachment and nobility, sauntering through the gentle rain.
The mist blurred his eyes and brows but could not hide his otherworldly charm.
While everyone else looked somewhat disheveled, he alone remained unruffled, his white clothes mysteriously free of any stain or droplet.
It seemed as though the man felt Gu Zhiqi’s stare, for he lifted his gaze and swept hers casually.
Realizing she was a young girl rather than the “sir” Tang Yichen had mentioned, a flicker of surprise passed quickly through his eyes.
As they got closer, the others also got a clearer view of Gu Zhiqi’s appearance.
The girl’s complexion was pale, and her features remarkably beautiful.
Even though she wore a bamboo hat and straw raincoat, her ethereal and elusive aura could not be concealed, especially against the mountain mist, making the group think, for a moment, that they had stumbled upon a divine being.
Even Tang Yichen, who had seen Gu Zhiqi before, was hesitant to recognize her.
Was this ethereal little fairy really the same languid and defiant young girl from the hospital?
“Is there something you need?”
Gu Zhiqi directed this question at Tang Yichen.
After all, she didn’t know anyone else there.
Good, the moment the young girl spoke, all the ethereal aura about her seemed to fade like a receding tide, as if everything before had been an illusion in the minds of those present.
Now, Tang Yichen was sure, this young girl was indeed the same one from Sea City Hospital.
“Are you heading down the mountain?
Do you think you could…” He suddenly realized, perhaps this young girl had only arrived in Yueqi Village a few days ago?
Could it be that she was lost as well?