She Wants to Divorce Me

Chapter 69

Having neglected exercise in recent years, Ji Yaoguang could confidently pat her chest and say she could handle climbing a few hundred meters of small hills. However, faced with Wangyue Mountain, whose peak reached into the clouds, she felt somewhat worried. After climbing for less than half an hour, she frequently turned her head to look at Chang Yu's relaxed and contented face, muttering a few complaints.

"The more you pause, the more tiring it becomes," Chang Yu said with a slight smile, taking the hiking backpack from Ji Yaoguang's hand. She had initially insisted on carrying it herself, but her lack of stamina forced her to face reality. There weren't many people climbing Wangyue Mountain, just scattered groups here and there with complete hiking equipment. Occasionally, they could see porters carrying loads on shoulder poles, taking two steps in three as they hurried up the mountain. Though Chang Yu said this, her steps did eventually stop. Finding a clean rock to sit on, she beckoned to Ji Yaoguang, "Come here."

Ji Yaoguang felt embarrassed, her heart somewhat unwilling to admit defeat. But she knew not to fight against her own legs that felt as heavy as if filled with lead. She obediently sat down next to Chang Yu, fanning herself with her hand and saying in a low voice, "Why don't they build a cable car or ropeway? It's so tiring to climb up and down."

"Most people who come to Wangyue Mountain are pilgrims. Have you ever seen pilgrims take a cable car up the mountain?" Chang Yu chuckled lightly, taking out a tissue to wipe the sweat from Ji Yaoguang's forehead. The weather in this southwestern border region was already stuffy with approaching summer heat in March. They hadn't walked far, but the sweat kept flowing. "After we get back, we can set aside some free time every weekend to climb suburban mountains and exercise."

At the mention of mountain climbing, Ji Yaoguang felt nervous. She tilted her head back, looking at Chang Yu pitifully, and asked, "Can I refuse?"

Chang Yu's hand paused briefly. She put on a thoughtful expression and finally shook her head under Ji Yaoguang's hopeful gaze, ruthlessly refusing, "No, your stamina is too poor."

"Nonsense!" As soon as she heard this, Ji Yaoguang stood up immediately. She snorted, folded her arms, and looked down at Chang Yu, "Don't you know how good my stamina is? No more rest, let's continue up." Saying this, she puffed out her chest proudly and almost ran up the verdant stone steps.

"Be careful," Chang Yu shook her head helplessly as she watched Ji Yaoguang's retreating figure.

Mountain climbing could hardly be considered a pleasant experience. Halfway up the mountain, there was an ancient, colorfully painted mountain gate with the words "Zhongtian Gate" written in large characters. Some inns and eateries were built here, and a few spirited old ladies had spread out floral cloths, sitting on the ground selling mineral water and incense. The climbing tourists had all stopped here, sitting at stone tables to eat and replenish their energy. Ji Yaoguang and Chang Yu arrived late; by the time they reached Zhongtian Gate, only piles of leftover snacks and lunchboxes remained on the tables, seeming to tell some story.

Looking down at her watch, it was already two in the afternoon.

"Do you think we can reach the Moon Goddess Temple at the mountain top before nightfall?" Ji Yaoguang rested her chin on her hand, a hint of melancholy in her voice. She had never tried climbing a mountain at night. With wild forests all around and the hooting of owls, if a ghost were to appear— Before that moment even arrived, Ji Yaoguang was startled by the image that appeared in her mind, quickly reaching out to hold Chang Yu's arm.

Chang Yu looked down and asked, "Hm? What's wrong?"

How could she tell her that she was scared by the ghost she had imagined? Her eyes darted around, and Ji Yaoguang's lips curled into an ambiguous smile. She deliberately lowered her voice and replied, "My whole body aches. I need Teacher Chang to kiss me to have strength."

"You—" Chang Yu glared at Ji Yaoguang, her autumn-like eyes rippling like water.

Ji Yaoguang was joking, at least until the moment Chang Yu leaned down, she hadn't expected such an action. The momentary surprise quickly dissipated like clouds blown away by the wind. She wrapped her arms around Chang Yu's neck, entangling with her lips and tongue for a while before finally parting. Licking the silver thread at the corner of her lips, she squinted and smiled, "Alright, now I have strength."

As dusk approached, mist rose in the mountains, obscuring the path ahead in a dreamlike haze. The lush trees on both sides were half-hidden in the clouds and mist, even the red wooden pavilions were shrouded in a layer of haziness. "Sometimes I envy those who live in seclusion in these mountains," Ji Yaoguang sighed.

"Staying for two or three months would be a nice choice, but if you were to stay here for a long time, I'm afraid you wouldn't have such thoughts," Chang Yu replied with a light laugh. The thatched houses of those living in seclusion in the mountains were built by their own hands. If they didn't come down the mountain for a long time, they would have to cultivate a plot of land in front of their door to grow food. Not to mention not knowing where the mountain springs were, the snakes, insects, tigers, and leopards in these deep mountains — any one of these could terrify people like them who had long lived in cities.

Looking up, they could see the faint outline of the magnificent Moon Goddess Temple. Chang Yu reached out to Ji Yaoguang, their fingers intertwining as they slowly walked forward. Several hours of continuous climbing had numbed their legs, making them stiff as if losing control. Blisters had formed on the soles of their feet, causing piercing pain with each step. If she felt this way, Ji Yaoguang's condition couldn't be much better. But aside from some initial small complaints, she hadn't heard her say she was tired or wanted to give up. "We're almost there, hang on a little longer," Chang Yu's eyes shone brightly.

"Mm," Ji Yaoguang nodded vigorously, her eyes still filled with excitement. "I've heard about the Moon Goddess Temple before, but never had the chance to come. This is my first time visiting a temple with such primitive worship characteristics." Curiosity about what lay ahead dulled the fatigue and weariness in her body. She even wanted to pull Chang Yu into a sprint for the last hundred meters, but as soon as the thought arose, her lead-filled legs began to protest silently.

Most pilgrims who came here climbed the mountain on the first day, then rested for a night in small tents or mountain inns before beginning their devout worship of the Moon God. The Moon Goddess Temple rarely had large groups of tourists, and the inns here seldom reached full capacity. The coming and going staff all had a lazy look in their eyes, and when someone inquired about prices, they would just languidly point to the small blackboard at the entrance. The prices for food and lodging were written in sloppy handwriting. It wasn't cheap, but compared to the exorbitant prices at some other famous mountains, it was quite reasonable.

To the west of the inn was a stone platform about a hundred square meters in size, with a stone tablet erected beside it inscribed with the words "Moon-Viewing Platform." Most tourists' tents were set up here, though at this time there were only a sparse few. A group of male students who had come together were fiddling with their tents, while a young girl was adjusting a telescope, waiting for nightfall. With no trees or tall buildings to obstruct the view at the mountaintop, the vast and brilliant starry sky was fully visible.

After placing their luggage in the inn and resting for just a few minutes, Ji Yaoguang excitedly pulled Chang Yu out to see the approaching night view. Some people climb mountains to see the sunrise and sunset, but Wangyue Mountain, where the Moon Goddess Temple was located, was naturally a prime spot for moon-viewing. At this moment, she forgot all about her fatigue.

"Wait," Chang Yu freed her hand from Ji Yaoguang's grip and gave her a reproachful look. She rummaged through the suitcase and pulled out a thick outer garment, tossing it to Ji Yaoguang. She said in a low voice, "The mountaintop is not like the foot of the mountain, and it gets even colder at night. Put on warm clothes before going out, be careful not to catch a cold." Ji Yaoguang had forgotten about this. She tilted her head and gazed at Chang Yu with an infatuated smile for a while, repeatedly agreeing, "Okay, okay, let's go out quickly and take a look. Today is the fourteenth day of the lunar month, it's almost a full moon."

The waxing and waning moon could be seen peeking shyly through the clouds on almost every clear night. The romantic notion of strolling hand in hand under the moonlight was something from many years ago. The romance of stargazing and moon-watching had been submerged by the fast-paced society, becoming synonymous with reckless youth indulging in romantic fantasies — when people mentioned these words, the corners of their mouths would turn up and their eyebrows would raise, always with three parts disdain and seven parts mockery.

The mountain breeze coming towards them completely blew away the last traces of haziness in their minds. Ji Yaoguang tightened her clothes, having to admit that Chang Yu had been foresighted. From the inn to the Moon-Viewing Platform was less than twenty meters, but they walked at a leisurely pace as if they were going to walk for hours. Holding Chang Yu's hand tightly, Ji Yaoguang mischievously hooked her little finger, her eyes brimming with satisfied joy.

Ji Yaoguang pursed her lips, gesturing for Chang Yu to look ahead: "There are other people over there." The boys who had set up tents were now sitting cross-legged on the ground playing cards, while the seemingly gentle girl was making jokes and kicking the person closest to her. A little further away, a middle-aged man was playing a clay flute under the moon, the leisurely melody carried to their ears by the wind.

"What's the use of kicking us here? Liuer is still in the tent, why don't you go invite her out yourself?" The boys' laughter intertwined, while the young girl's face, as white as jade, gradually became flushed with embarrassment.

Chang Yu chuckled lightly and said, "They must be on a graduation trip." The days of student life were always beautiful and innocent. Amidst the boys' laughter, the young girl really did slowly move towards one of the tents, then stood there timidly, unable to move, looking as if she had been acupunctured.

"Hey, isn't that Goddess Ji over there, or am I seeing things?" Suddenly, a voice called out. Ji Yaoguang, who had been called out, instinctively wanted to run, but her hand was held tightly by Chang Yu. Turning her head to look at the person with laughter in her eyes, her heart slowly calmed down. Looking up at the fresh-faced boy who had been sent as a scout and was now jogging over, her smile became increasingly radiant.

"It really is Teacher Ji and Teacher Chang! Oh my god! Xiao Tao, quick, call Xiao Liu out, her goddess is here!" The boy, after being stunned for a moment, excitedly waved to his companions. However, he still maintained a distance from Ji Yaoguang, too shy to approach closer.