The sky had darkened unknowingly, and the rain had gradually ceased. The once vast and beautiful scenery had now turned into a dark and boundless world. This part of the sky was clear, with remnants of clouds and a few scattered stars adorning it. With the car's headlights, You Mingxu could make out that this was a piece of dim land, scattered with undulating rocks and mounds, reminiscent of the Yadan landform. Some lakes were scattered among these features. The surface of the lakes reflected a bit of tranquil and mysterious light in the night.
After driving for so long, Gu Tiancheng remained focused and calm. You Mingxu thought, a night like this, on a wild road stretching into the distance with a man like him, turned out not to be a bad experience.
"Are you cold?" Gu Tiancheng asked.
As night fell, the temperature had dropped even quicker. You Mingxu hugged herself tightly. He held the steering wheel with one hand, reaching back to fetch a coat from the backseat, and placed it into her arms. It was a dark gray men's windbreaker, clean and slightly cool. You Mingxu, reluctant to unbuckle her seat belt, simply slipped her arms into the sleeves, draped the jacket over herself with the hem reaching her knees, leaving only her head exposed.
Gu Tiancheng laughed and said, "You look like a little kid."
You Mingxu retorted, "I'm twenty-five."
He replied, "Still two years younger than me."
You Mingxu kept silent, her face brushing against the jacket's collar. It was made of a somewhat stiff fabric and carried a scent of men's cologne, something unexpected. She glanced at Gu Tiancheng.
"How much longer until we reach the Tibetan House?" she asked.
Gu Tiancheng replied, "I'm not sure. Two years ago, one was nearby. We'll keep driving and try our luck."
Seeing that she was quiet, Gu Tiancheng pondered for a moment and asked, "Do you want to listen to some music?"
You Mingxu replied, "Sure."
She thought he was going to turn on the radio or connect his phone via Bluetooth, but instead, he cleared his throat and began to tap his thigh to the rhythm, humming. The man didn't sing the lyrics, only hummed the melody with a profound and clear voice. It was a famous folk song about escaping the city and traveling into the distance.
After quite a while of listening to his earnest humming, You Mingxu could not help but laugh. Gu Tiancheng glanced at her with a languid expression, his eyes sparkling with shimmers of mischief, revealing a touch of childishness.
"What, don't like it?" he asked.
You Mingxu shook her head provokingly, "Didn't you say you were the singing champion?"
Gu Tiancheng laughed, his voice low, "Is it your turn then?"
You Mingxu replied, "No way. I can't sing a note. I would not dare to make a fool of myself."
A wider smile spread across his face, his fingers drumming on the steering wheel, and his whole persona exuding relaxation. You Mingxu couldn't help noticing the sharp lines of his side profile, from the forehead to the nose, down to the chin, sharply edged under the night. She recalled reading in a book that people with such features often possess a strong will and are stubborn.
He remarked, "Since you're unwilling to sing and dismiss my singing, we'll have to resort to the radio." He adjusted a few dials, and after a brief and faint static sound, the radio was tuned to a music channel, playing mellifluous music.
Both of them listened in silence.
The surrounding darkness seemed to deepen, the scenery on both sides of the road becoming invisible. Their vehicle seemed to be driving into a deeper and farther world.
"Sleep for a while if you're tired," Gu Tiancheng suggested.
You Mingxu replied, "I'm not sleepy."
"I'm here, you can relax," he said softly.
You Mingxu paused before responding with a bitter smile, "Gu Tiancheng, I've only known you for two hours."
"So?" he countered.
You Mingxu asked, "Are you a good person? Can I trust you?"
Gu Tiancheng remained silent before saying, "That's for you to decide."
After a while, she said softly, "You're a good person."
However, they weren't the only ones stranded that night on this road due to the storm.
They noticed a cyclist on the side of the road, frantically waving at them from afar. From his silhouette, it seemed he was a tall man. He was not only waving but also hopping up and down.
Gu Tiancheng's car gradually slowed down. You Mingxu noticed his composed face, brows slightly furrowed as he observed the man. She said, "You don't really want to give him a lift, do you?"
Gu Tiancheng relaxed his brows and looked at her.
You Mingxu gently curled her lips, "You seemed hesitant when I asked for a ride earlier. You almost left me to fend for myself, didn't you?"
Gu Tiancheng laughed and said, "It's not that I wanted to abandon you. If I picked up every hitchhiker on this journey, I wouldn't be able to manage. This trip was meant to be a vacation for me. I wanted to drive at my own pace, going wherever the road takes me. Sleeping in the car or a tent would be fine for me."
Understanding his perspective, You Mingxu said again, "Thank you."
Gu Tiancheng fixed his gaze on the road, "I was glad to give you a lift."
You Mingxu nearly blurted out asking, "Why?" but stopped herself. Subconsciously, she didn't want to ask.
The car had stopped beside the man.
He removed his helmet, revealing a young boy in his early twenties. His hair was quite long, almost covering his eyes. He had a fair complexion, a high nose, and thick lips. He leaned into the car window, revealing a dazzling smile, "Hey man, can you give me a lift? It's really late and I'm unable to cycle any longer. I'm both tired and hungry. Can you take me a bit further? Don't worry, I'm not a bad guy. I'm a student at XX University. Moreover, I promise I won't interrupt your private time. Just drop me off at any Tibetan house; I'll spend the night there. If I continue to cycle, my legs are going to break. Please, don't leave me here. What if I am taken out by a serial killer lurking on the roadside, that'd be pitiful, right...?"
Gu Tiancheng furrowed his brows slightly, "What on earth are you babbling about?"
Suddenly, he felt someone grip his arm. It was You Mingxu, who was watching him. To his surprise, she was laughing at the kid's antics outside the car and she said softly, "Let him hitch a ride."
Before Gu Tiancheng could respond, the boy outside the car had heard her and exclaimed, "Wow, did you hear what your girlfriend said? A real man must always listen to his woman."
Even Gu Tiancheng's eyes twinkled with laughter at this. You Mingxu clarified, "I'm not his girlfriend." But she gently nodded at Gu Tiancheng.
Suddenly, Gu Tiancheng found the kid outside the car not as annoying as he'd thought. He realized, as You Mingxu had pointed out earlier, that even though they'd only known each other for just over two hours, there seemed to be some subtle understanding developing between them.
"Alright, stop tugging at me. I'll listen to you," he murmured to her, then turned to the guy outside and said, "Hop in."