Soon the issues at the branch office were resolved, but Xu Ke didn’t leave Shanzhou immediately. He still remembered that imperfect trip to Xizhou and thought he’d explore the tourist spots here in Shanzhou, make a personal guide, and then take Lin Mengyao and Yu Xia out to make up for the regrets of the last trip to Xizhou.
That day, Xu Ke wasn’t dressed as formally and stably as usual. He wore a baseball cap, a T-shirt layered with a baseball jacket, black jeans, and white sneakers before heading out.
At this moment, Xu Ke didn’t look like a company president but more like a university freshman, with a youthful vitality that made him appear significantly younger.
Xu Ke rented a bike on the street and, guided by navigation, rode to his destination. It had been a long time since he enjoyed playing like an ordinary person, and now it felt like a treat.
"Why is this mountain so hard to climb? I don’t want to go on. I can’t walk any further,"
Xu Ke had heard about a famous temple on this mountain and wanted to check it out. But just halfway up, a couple blocked his path. The girl was dragging her boyfriend’s hand, unwilling to proceed any further.
Xu Ke stood where they were blocking, watching them occupy the entire path. He couldn’t help but speak up: "Could you please let me through? I’m in a hurry."
The boyfriend awkwardly smiled at Xu Ke, politely coaxing his girlfriend, "Honey, let’s clear the way and let others pass, okay?"
The girl wasn’t as understanding as her boyfriend. After all that climbing, her feet hurt, and now her boyfriend suggested giving way to others. It wasn’t just about giving a position; it meant her boyfriend didn’t really care about her. Her face immediately turned sullen.
"No, I won’t let, and you can’t let either," the girl said unreasonably.
The boyfriend looked troubled, "Honey, we’re not the only ones on this path; there are people behind us. You need to let others pass."
"Others, others, all you see is others. What am I in your eyes? If you like others so much, go live with them. Why did you even find me?" The girl said as she pounded on her boyfriend’s shoulder and chest.
"Honey, these are two different things. You’re you, and others are others. I like you, but that doesn’t conflict with letting others pass," the boyfriend said, enduring her punches with a distressed expression.
"Honey, let’s not make a scene. There are so many people watching." The boyfriend looked embarrassedly at the others blocked on the mountain path.
"I’m making a scene? You’re saying I’m making a scene? You didn’t used to say that. Are you fed up with me and want to break up?" Tears flowed from the girl’s eyes like a June rain, and in no time, those tears mixed with her makeup, becoming cloudy.
"Your fight is your business, but could you open the path now? You’re blocking my way." Xu Ke observed the couple’s drama and glanced at the seemingly endless mountain path, frowning.
"When did our fight become your business? Can’t you see that interrupting others is rude?" The girl, in a sensitive and irritable state, reacted like unstable explosives, and Xu Ke became her first target. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ noᴠelfire.net
"If you two want to argue, that’s up to you. But you’re blocking my path to the mountain now, so move aside!" Xu Ke’s face began to show a faint expression of impatience.
"What if I won’t move? If you don’t like it, go back down! There’s no one blocking the path downhill. And you say I’m blocking you? Who told you to walk behind me? You deserve it," the girl said arrogantly.
Her eyes were fixed on Xu Ke, wanting to see him angrily hopping in frustration but helpless. Yet, her boyfriend noticed many people behind them, showing unpleasant expressions.
Seeing this, the boyfriend was alarmed. While trying to calm his girlfriend, he also gave apologetic smiles and nodded to those behind, showing his apologies.
"Who are you bowing to? Do you think I did something wrong, and you’re apologizing for me? Smiling like that, are you embarrassed by me? Do you look down on me and think I’m not fit to be seen?" The girl glared at her boyfriend angrily.
The boyfriend could sense the curious gazes from others on him, making him feel embarrassed. The girl’s immaturity and shouting added to his helplessness and slight anger, changing his tone from the initial softness.
"So many people are watching. Don’t you think you’re being unreasonable?" The boyfriend couldn’t help but complain.
But as if a spark had ignited explosives, the girl immediately exploded, hitting the boyfriend even harder. The sound of her fists on his chest was unsettling, "Fine, now you think I’m unreasonable. You admit you’re tired of me. Since that’s the case, let’s break up. Go find a girlfriend who isn’t unreasonable."
The boyfriend’s face turned ugly at the mention of breaking up, his brows furrowed like two crumpled worms, "You want to break up with me? Are you sure?"
"Yes, I’m sure," the girl replied defiantly.
"You’re not going to regret it?"
"Fine, have it your way." Upon hearing her words, the boyfriend turned and walked towards the peak, decisively leaving without a glance back.
The girl stared at her boyfriend’s retreating figure, stunned. She hadn’t expected him to really leave. She had planned on how to forgive him when he pleaded, yet he just left.
Xu Ke glanced at the girl’s bewildered face, finally seeing the path clear. Without a second thought, he was about to move forward but was suddenly grabbed by the just-broken-up girl.