Chapter 2: I Am Not a College Student
It had been a long time since Liang Youyun last experienced the sensation of tumbling.
She remembered playing with friends as a child, hugging each other in pairs, tumbling down soft countryside slopes, rolling freely while laughter echoed all around… She deeply missed those days when she could fully express her true nature.
But now!
She crashed into this man’s embrace, grabbing onto who-knows-what, quickly rolling twice, and in an instant, the world spun wildly. Though they were again locked in a mutual hug, the outcome was disastrous—far from freeing her spirit, she nearly lost control of her bladder!
What clung to her was a living creature covered entirely in mud; except for those gleaming eyes, everything else was pitch black.
Her mind went blank.
What’s happening? Did she fall too?
This is absurd!
With her mouth agape and eyes wide, she breathed her terror right into his face.
She hadn’t even realized that a large hand was tightly clamped around her waist.
After a long while, Liang Youyun sat up, sinking into the mud. Every inch of her body ached, but the most agonizing part was the heart-wrenching sense of failure. Shame and fury burned within her like a raging fire, making her want nothing more than to curse.
Just moments ago, she had felt quite capable; now, what difference was there between her and the college students beside her?
She blamed all her frustration and humiliation on these clear-eyed yet foolish young men. Ignoring the soreness in her right leg and paying no heed to the man’s flustered apologies, she erupted into a torrent of curses.
“Are you guys out of your minds!”
The words had barely left her lips before her chest began heaving violently. She was furious, suffocated by frustration, and still trembling with lingering fear.
“You college students should be focusing on your studies instead of wandering around aimlessly! And if you insist on going out, why do you have to act so self-righteous and venture into places no one else dares to go? Why ignore the marked trails and deliberately take dangerous paths? Do you think that makes you impressive? Does being ‘unique’ make you look cool? What’s next, drawing a heart in the dirt? I can’t believe this! So childish!”
She didn’t care at all how he perceived her; she just needed to vent, to say all this directly to him. Considering her rage, not having punched him square in the face was already an act of restraint.
As she spoke, tears and mucus betrayed her, streaming down uncontrollably.
The man, who had remained silent all along, handed her a tissue—neatly folded, pristine white.
In this grimy, pitch-black pit, it looked strikingly out of place.
Youyun sniffled, kept a straight face, and took it.
After wiping her face, she tucked the tissue into the pocket of her windbreaker before taking a careful look at the person beside her.
The person sat facing her, covered in mud from head to toe. Their hoodie and pants had turned the color of earth, and the smudged mud on their face only made them look dirtier, obscuring their original skin tone.
Their hair was a tangled mess, with muddy dried leaves stuck in it. A large red bump marked the corner of one eye—perhaps from hitting something hard during the fall, or maybe a bite from a venomous mosquito?
They looked rather pitiful.
A flicker of softness stirred deep within Youyun’s heart.
Such a deep pit—fortunately, it contained no deadly traps, only thick mud; otherwise, he would surely have been half dead.
Liang Youyun lowered her head, refusing to look at him.
The man spoke anyway, his voice slightly hoarse: “Um… let me explain. I’m not a college student.”
Youyun looked up. Perhaps she had been so furious just moments ago that her hearing failed her; quite naturally, she assumed the emphasis in his sentence fell on the word “college.”
Since morning, all the notifications she received were analyses of the college students’ routes. At this moment, in the rainforest, only three college students were in danger; there was no one else.
Therefore, she hadn’t considered him as someone separate from them at all.
Naturally, she assumed this man wanted to argue about academic credentials?
Gazing into his bright, luminous eyes, she smiled in surprise: “Oh, not a college student… then a graduate student?”
In the darkness, the man blinked rapidly.
That’s it then.
“Ha, a graduate student… impressive! So what, does being a grad student mean no one keeps tabs on you? Free to go wherever you please? Let me tell you, save the talk about youth and freedom and all that nonsense. Open your eyes to the real world, buddy. Not everywhere is an ivory tower. This is the Xishuangbanna rainforest, a habitat for wild animals…”
“Fine, talking about that won’t help. Let’s discuss the social impact instead. Do you have any idea how many departments and people you’ve dragged into this mess by getting lost? Forest rangers, village cadres, police officers—they were all mobilized just to find you! Today’s Friday; they could have clocked off and enjoyed their weekend. Instead, they’re working harder than if they were pulling overtime!”
“What’s even more terrifying is that tomorrow’s social news will likely report on this. None of us, including the three of you, will be portrayed in a favorable light. You’ll have to face criticism from your school upon returning, while our situation is far worse. Come Monday, we’ll immediately be required to submit self-criticisms: How could such an incident happen right under our noses? Where exactly did things go wrong? We’ve been ordered to implement corrective measures!”
She caught her breath and remarked sarcastically in a low voice, “Graduate students? Do you really think you’re role models for the nation and pillars of society? Who among us isn’t a graduate student?”
Sharp-tongued and aggressive, she pressed her point relentlessly.
Sure enough, the man fell silent, lowering his head wordlessly. He sighed, then offered a faint smile that seemed utterly exasperated.
Then she looked up again and said to Youyun, “I’m sorry for the trouble, and thank you for coming to rescue me.”
Youyun had no intention of letting it go. Following his words, she replied coldly, “Do you think causing trouble is something that can be settled with just one sentence? Our village was nearly ruined because of you people.”
After venting her frustration, exhaustion always set in. Liang Youyun felt her mouth dry and throat parched. She opened her bag, took out a bottle of lime water, and just as she twisted off the cap, her hand froze. From the corner of her eye, she saw the person beside her sitting with knees drawn up, head bowed low.
Youyun sighed and handed him the water.
He took it slowly, murmuring “Thanks.” His mud-caked hands were long and strong as they gripped the bottle. Tilting his head back to avoid letting the rim touch his lips, he poured a mouthful directly into his mouth.
The sweet-and-sour liquid soothed his throat. Without bothering to wipe the water trickling from the corners of his mouth, he asked her, “Should I let you step on my shoulders to climb up first?”
“Tch.” Youyun scoffed dismissively, cutting him off as she pulled her phone from her backpack. “Let’s call for backup!”
They had just parted ways with their colleagues, who couldn’t have gone far. With the signal still working, a quick call would bring them back. After all, finding a college student was already a significant gain.
Just as she was about to dial, her colleague Xiao Sun’s call came through.
Youyun answered, but froze upon hearing the first sentence.
“Hey, Sister Youyun, where are you now? Great news—the students have been found!”
“What? Really? That’s wonderful!” Youyun immediately became excited and asked, “How many did you find?”
“Three! We found all three; they’re together!”
“Huh?” Youyun’s eyes widened in shock as she abruptly turned to the mud-covered man beside her: “Then who is he?”
“What ‘he’? Oh no, the signal’s terrible. Let me get straight to the point: we’re in trouble here. Da Liu, three students, and I are all trapped below a landslide. I’m sending you my location; please contact the police immediately to rescue us!”
After a series of beeps, the signal cut out, and Xiao Sun’s voice abruptly ceased.
Liang Youyun looked down at her phone; her own signal was intermittent. She quickly sent her location to the local officer assigned to the search operation, but a small spinning circle kept rotating in the chat box until a bright red exclamation mark suddenly appeared!
She tried calling again, but the call wouldn’t go through. As if heaven itself were conspiring against her, the mobile signal icon turned into a dashed line.
But regardless, let’s get out first; knowing the three children are safe is what matters most.
Still, we must hurry over there; if it starts raining, it will be disastrous. The landslide could shift, endangering the lives of those inside.
The man beside her repeated to Youyun once more, “Don’t hesitate; step on my shoulders to climb up first.”
“…Alright.”
There was no time to confirm who he was, let alone explain the earlier misunderstanding. As Youyun tucked the rope into her backpack, the man had already half-crouched, bracing his hands on his knees, waiting for her to step on him.
“…Forgive me,” Youyun said, casting aside all hesitation; saving lives took priority.
Although she had never before stepped on a man’s back or shoulders, everything has a first time, especially under such extraordinary circumstances.
Bravely stepping onto this unfamiliar terrain, she found it surprisingly stable! You never know until you try—what a surprise! His shoulders were so broad, his back thick and solid, exuding strength.
Is this an iron plate?
“Are you steady? I’m getting up,” the man said.
Youyun clung to the earthen slope with both hands; the winding vines, partially hidden and partially exposed, were her temporary lifeline.
She could feel the man beneath her feet slowly rising, subtly adjusting his posture to lift her upward at as steady a pace as possible.
This silent strength inexplicably calmed her; like a wild sprout breaking through the soil, she followed the traces of rain and sunlight, clinging to the hope of survival as she struggled upward.
Alas, the pit was too deep. Despite the man’s tall stature, even when he stood fully upright, the combined height of both of them allowed Youyun’s hand to just barely reach the ground.
What should they do? Climbing out seemed nearly impossible!
Youyun stretched out her arm, searching laboriously for any stone or tree root she could use for leverage.
Just then, her two lower legs were suddenly gently enveloped by the man’s large hands.
The warmth of his palms seeped through her trouser legs to touch her skin—hot and firm. In such a humid rainforest, it felt like a dry fire, heating her body until she couldn’t help but sway slightly.
“Stand steady, don’t look down, and push your body forward with all your might!” the man said.
Before she could even react, that upward-lifting force from her calves shot her skyward in an instant! With just a slight straightening of her torso aided by the slope, she climbed onto solid ground.
Everything happened so fast that Youyun couldn’t help but turn her head and look down at him in disbelief.
A look of relief spread across the man’s face.
She was even more astonished. Where did this man get such strength? Liang Youyun now weighed 108 jin; before coming to Xishuangbanna, she had been only 90 jin, but she’d gained nearly 20 jin since arriving!
So surprised was she that she forgot to say thank you; she only heard the man say, “Toss me the Dai knife!”
She did as he asked. Still dazed, she suddenly remembered the rope in her bag. Hurrying back to the tree from earlier, she crouched down and, while tying the rope, said, “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure it’s tight this time…”
It was only then that she realized: the hook at the end of the rope was broken. That was why it had slipped into the pit in the first place.
But it didn’t matter; she still remembered how to tie a secure knot. If worst came to worst, she’d ruin the rope, but at least she’d save a life!
Just as she was busy working, a rustling sound came from behind. When she turned around, her jaw nearly dropped—the man who had just been at the bottom of the pit was now climbing out!
He sat panting on the edge of the pit, then swiftly stood up. Wiping the remaining dirt off the Dai knife with his sleeve, he glanced down at it before sheathing it. Slowly walking over to her side, he spoke with a hint of embarrassment, “The blade got scratched against a rock just now. I’ll buy you a new one later. Sorry about that.”
Youyun also stood up, staring at him in disbelief, still stuck in her earlier shock, “Wait, big brother, so you could climb out on your own all along?”
The man was momentarily taken aback and explained, “We have tools now; we just need to leverage them slightly.”
“Leverage? With this knife?” Youyun’s eyes nearly popped out in shock.
“Mm.” He handed the knife to Youyun. “Time is tight; let’s go!”
Only then did Youyun regain her composure. “No need. You go ahead. It’s late; stay overnight in the village. If anything comes up, just contact the village committee; someone is always on night duty.”
“I meant I’ll go with you,” the man said gravely. “To find your colleagues and… the college students.”
“Oh…” Youyun tapped her forehead, forcing herself to be rational and stop dwelling on all the strange things that had just happened. “You’re right. It seems you do have some skills. Then come with me; I desperately need an assistant! Later… later I’ll properly thank you!”
At this moment, a blazing sunset was dipping below the horizon, concluding its glorious day. Above the setting sun, colorful clouds stretched and swayed like the iridescent feathers of a peacock.
Liang Youyun couldn’t help but pause, capturing this breathtaking scene through the gaps between the trees.
With a sudden “click” of the shutter, she turned around to find the man holding a small, vintage camera he had produced from nowhere, framing both her and the landscape within his lens.
After taking the photo, he lowered his head without saying a word.
Liang Youyun remained silent. The fading sunset light spread across his face and body, outlining a graceful, full, and deeply defined silhouette.