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墨書 Inktalez
At the end of December, Luo Yi and Zhou Yao returned to Yading.
The inn looked the same as always.
Although it was close to the New Year, there weren't many guests due to the low temperatures in the mountains. They arrived during the day when everyone was out enjoying themselves; the Common Area was quiet, with sunlight streaming through the wooden windows, and fine dust dancing in the beams of light.
The air was filled with a damp, natural scent of wood. As soon as Zhou Yao entered, she caught that familiar fragrance and instantly felt joyful. She grabbed Luo Yi's hand and went over to greet Amin.
Luo Yi asked a few questions about the inn's recent happenings, while Amin reported back and glanced at Zhou Yao's hand. She was tightly holding Boss's hand without letting go, and Boss allowed her to do so.
Is she really acting like the Little Boss Lady?
Luo Yi then went around to greet the other staff members, with Zhou Yao proudly tugging on his hand, smiling brightly with sparkling eyes, almost clinging to Luo Yi.
The staff in the shop were taken aback.
A female guest returned and saw Luo Yi, unable to take her eyes off him. She turned to Amin and asked, "Who is that handsome guy?"
Amin replied, "That's our Boss."
"Boss? I've been staying here for so long; how come I've never seen him before?"
Amin explained, "He was away for a while and just returned."
"Oh. That girl—are they close?"
Amin: "We are Little Boss Lady."
"Oh—" The other person seemed a bit regretful and said, "She looks quite young. How do you know her?"
Amin lifted his eyelids: "How else would I know her? We met at the inn."
"Ah?" The other person looked surprised. "She's a guest?"
"Yeah."
The other person walked away with a sigh: "There seem to be quite a few adventures, how come I haven't encountered any?"
Amin rolled his eyes; our Boss wouldn't let you encounter any.
After resting for a day, Luo Yi took Zhou Yao to walk around the mountain.
This time, there were far fewer tourists on the road, as if they were the only two people in the vast expanse. Many trees had shed their leaves, standing bare, with golden leaves covering the ground like a thick carpet. The snow boots crunched on top, making a series of subtle and crisp cracking sounds.
Zhou Yao was in a good mood; with joy in her heart, her body felt light, and she couldn't help but skip ahead a few steps. When she ran out of breath, she turned back with white mist escaping from her mouth and ran back to Luo Yi, dragging his hand.
Back and forth like this, she resembled a happy child.
Meanwhile, Luo Yi kept a steady pace behind her, watching her joyfully run ahead and then affectionately return.
His mood was as clear and bright as the sky above the Winter Plateau, a deep blue stretching high above.
The weather was cold, and there were fewer tourists in the mountains, but the number of pilgrims remained unchanged.
Tibetan men, women, and children continued to walk around the mountain with devotion.
Tibetans shook their prayer wheels, reciting mantras as they passed by, while children ran and laughed joyfully in the mountains, like fresh mountain breezes.
Occasionally passing by a few meadows, the distant trees had turned a dry brown, yet the grass remained yellow. The view was expansive, with blue skies meeting golden leaves.
A large circle was fenced off in the meadow, with the White Pagoda standing at its center. Countless Prayer Flags were strung from the top of the White Pagoda to the fence, their colorful banners fluttering in the wind.
Not far away on a hillside, two horses grazed peacefully.
This world was so beautiful that it made one's heart feel completely pure.
Zhou Yao stepped into the circle and looked up; the sky, as blue as if washed with water, was cut into pieces filled with colorful Prayer Flags that billowed energetically in the breeze.
Luo Yi suddenly said, "I don't think I've told you why I came to Yading to open an inn."
"Really?" Zhou Yao turned to look at him. "You haven't mentioned it."
"When Luo Yu was little, our parents brought us to Yading for hiking. Luo Yu loved nature—he loved the sky, the earth, the mountains, and the forests. After coming here, he fell in love with everything about this place.
At that time, we encountered a team conducting a Geological Survey. Luo Yu was very curious about what they were doing and followed them around all day. When they were digging stones, he squatted beside them to watch; when they were measuring data, he also squatted beside them to observe."
Luo Yi looked down, hands in pockets, kicking at the small stones beneath his feet.
"My parents were afraid that he would foolishly disturb the adults while they were doing research. But the team leader didn’t mind at all; he really liked Luo Yu and said that a child's curiosity is a good thing. He gave him many geology-related books and left a business card, saying that Luo Yu could ask him any curious questions he had.
After that, things just spiraled out of control."
The mountain air was fresh, and Zhou Yao gently took a breath of the cool breeze, smiling, "It sounds like a beautiful story."
Luo Yi glanced at her and asked, "Do you know who the team leader is?"
"Who?"
"Professor Zhou."
Zhou Yao was taken aback, gradually feeling a surge of emotions within her.
Fate had unknowingly intertwined their paths long ago.
Luo Yi smiled lightly and continued, "At first, I thought he was just interested and playing around, but later he told me that he wanted to dedicate his entire life and energy to the field of geology. He said even if it meant working by the light of a single lamp, it would be worth it. I asked him why. He told me a story."
In 1924, the famous British mountaineer George Mallory perished at 8,100 meters on Everest.
Before his death, a reporter from The New York Times had interviewed him and asked, "With Mount Everest being so dangerous, with such a treacherous path ahead and such loneliness on the journey, why do you insist on climbing it?"
George Mallory replied, "Because it is there."
Because the mountain is right there.
In this world, many things have no reason.
Why must we climb such dangerous mountains?
Because the mountain is right there.
Why must we walk such a lonely journey?
Because the road is right there.
Why must we fall in love with such dangerous people?
Because she is right there.
There are people in this world,
When the mountain is there, they go to climb it;
When the wind is there, they go to chase it;
When a person is there, they go to seek them.
Do not ask why, just like salmon swimming upstream for thousands of miles, like a Whale Pod soaring across the seas in search of their homeland, like geese migrating south in flocks. This is instinct; this is nature.
Luo Yi looked up at the sky; the sky of Yading was still so high and so blue, just like it had been many years ago when their family of four came here, just like it had been billions of years ago when the land beneath their feet was still a vast blue ocean.
Years have passed. His father is gone, his mother is gone, and his younger brother is gone, leaving only him.
Fortunately, she has come.
Luo Yi lowered his head, turned, and walked forward, reaching his hand back.
Zhou Yao's eyes lit up as she immediately caught up with him and firmly grasped his outstretched hand.
The White Pagoda stood under the Prayer Flag, reflected in the blue sky.
Luo Yu, the land you protected is full of vitality.
The girl you love lives a carefree life.
Rest in peace.
...
...
...
On New Year's Eve, although there were not many guests, they all gathered in the Common Area to celebrate the New Year, creating a small but lively atmosphere.
Amin and others were busy in the Bar, and Luo Yi went over to help for a while.
As for Zhou Yao, instead of working, she kept interrupting, running over here and there:
"Boss Luo, I want to eat peanuts. Give me a handful."
"Boss Luo, my zipper is broken. Help me fix it."
"Boss Luo, my shoes are wet. Help me dry them."
"Boss Luo, my clothes that I hung out to dry fell into someone else's window. Help me pick them up."
"Boss Luo—"
"Boss Luo—"
She called out cheerfully, and he responded calmly.
Other guests saw this and were quite surprised; the Boss here was so nice. One of them said, "Boss, my backpack strap broke. Is there anything I can do?"
Luo Yi was just walking out of the Bar looking for Zhou Yao and replied lightly, "Buy a new one."
And then he left.
The guests were unhappy: "What's going on? Why does he treat that girl so differently?"
Amin glanced sideways and said, "They're a couple."
"......"
No one interrupted.
As night fell and it was close to bedtime, Zhou Yao came over again, sneaking onto the Bar Stool and shouted, "Luo Boss, I want milk."
Luo Yi skillfully took a box of milk from the shelf, cut a small opening, and poured the milky liquid into a small Milk Pot, placing it on the alcohol lamp to heat.
His fingers were well-defined as he held a long wooden spoon, slowly stirring the milk in the pot. Gradually, the aroma of milk filled the air.
Zhou Yao leaned on the table, resting her head on her arms, happily watching him with her head tilted and swinging her feet. "Luo Boss."
"Mm?"
"In the future, I want to drink milk every day."
"Okay." For some reason, his response was ambiguous.
She happily swung her feet again and said, "Luo Boss."
"Mm?"
"I have been thinking about what you said under the White Pagoda today. Luo Yu is that kind of person, but I feel like you are also that kind of person."
Luo Yi smiled slightly, "Really?"
"Yes," Zhou Yao replied.
Luo Yi stirred the milk lightly, you are too.
"Oh right, I also remembered my cousin and her husband. They are both like that."
Luo Yi turned to glance at her.
"My cousin's husband does cool things, protecting wildlife; my cousin is a photographer, quite famous. You might have heard of her, her name is Cheng Jia."
Luo Yi found the name familiar but couldn't recall much. Instead, he asked meaningfully, "What about her mother?"
Zhou Yao gave him a light glare and shrugged generously, "My Aunt, she's as terrifying as my mom. They are really biological sisters." After saying that, she chuckled and then burst into laughter.
He stopped talking and continued to stir the milk contentedly.
After a while, the milk was ready.
Luo Yi poured the milk into a glass cup and handed it to her.
She smiled as she held the cup, sipping slowly, occasionally licking the milk or nibbling on the glass cup with her delicate teeth.
He looked at her, as if everything had returned to the past. However, the sensation of her delicate teeth biting into his skin was something he had already experienced firsthand, unforgettable and captivating.
Luo Yi gazed at her, his eyes deepening. After a while, Zhou Yao felt her cheeks flush and her heart race under his gaze. Feeling a bit smug, she lifted her chin and said, "What are you staring at?"
The corners of his lips curled slightly as he raised his index finger and gently brushed it against the tip of her nose.
Zhou Yao's heart skipped a beat, her breath caught in her throat as she stared at him foolishly.
He lowered his gaze and said, "Charcoal gray." Looking at her with a half-smile, he added, "What do you think I'm looking at?"
Zhou Yao blushed in anger, raised an eyebrow, and pouted, "Hmph, don't think I don't know. There's no gray at all; you're just trying to touch me—"
He showed her his finger: "Look—what's this?"
There was a bit of black dust on the tip.
"..." Zhou Yao's face turned even redder. After a moment, she glared at him and said, "You're so annoying!"
Luo Yi held back a laugh, wiped his finger with a tissue to clean off the black dust he had secretly rubbed against the Milk Pot earlier, just to tease her.
After finishing the milk, he returned to the room and locked the door. While the scent of milk lingered on his lips, he leaned down and captured her tongue gently, teasingly.
Breath mingled as clothes fell away; the bed creaked softly.
At some point, laughter from travelers outside filled the yard: "Will it snow tonight? It should, right?"
Zhou Yao's soft moans were gradually drowned out. On the bed, she was always pure-hearted, never pretentious. When it hurt, she frowned and hummed; when it felt good, she giggled innocently; when she was happy, she lightly sighed and kept calling him "Luo Boss," "Luo Boss." Her pure and innocent nature made Luo Yi fall deeper every night, unable to control himself.
Outside, snowflakes drifted down from the night sky, landing on their window panes and slowly melting, leaving them damp.
The girl trembled in the man's chest vibrations, feeling both pain and pleasure. Her small hands weakly clawed at his arms, leaving delicate bite marks on his shoulder, urging him to be rougher and go deeper.
The room was filled with a warm fragrance.
Sweat beaded on their skin, dripping from the man's nostrils. The girl's fair skin glowed with a rosy hue.
The man's rapid and low breaths intertwined with the girl's soft moans.
"Luo Boss."
"Mm?"
"I really like you."
"That's great; I do too."
As the night deepened, voices faded away.
The window grew slightly brighter.
Zhou Yao woke up halfway, hazily lifting her head to look at Luo Yi.
The dawn was dim, and she could barely see his face, only vaguely sensing that his sleeping expression was calm, carrying a softness and vulnerability that men rarely show.
She drooped her eyelids, drowsily leaned over, and brushed her lips against his. His breath was warm and even.
Why was it so bright outside? Was it snowing?
Hmm, it’s good if it’s snowing.
When she woke up tomorrow, the mountains would be dressed in silver, and the world would be a pure white. She wanted to put on her snow boots and take Luo Yi out to play in the snow.
She wasn’t afraid of the snow because Luo Yi was warm in her arms.
Zhou Yao thought drowsily as she nestled closer to Luo Yi. In his sleep, Luo Yi felt her movements and instinctively wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his embrace to protect her.
His chest was warm, and Zhou Yao quickly fell back into a deep sleep.
The mountains and forests gradually quieted down, with only the snowflakes falling gently, little by little, landing on the mountain, on the branches, among the yellow leaves; landing on the inn's prayer flag, on the cobblestones in the courtyard, and on Luo Yi's windowsill.
That night, they did not talk about love or the future; everything was like the snowflakes that fell on New Year's Eve, with their slow and steady descent, naturally returning to the earth in the end.
(The End)
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