The car starts moving. Tang Ning is quiet, deep in thought. As the car carries them toward the mountains where **Gu yan's family**, the hermits, live, **Gu yan** tries to engage her in conversation.
Gu Yan, sensing her distraction, turned his head slightly. "Little Ning, is something wrong?" he asked.
Tang Ning shook her head quickly. "No, nothing, Little Yan," she replied, emphasizing the nickname that only she would dare to use.
Gu Yan raised an eyebrow but didn't press the matter. Instead, he reached over and playfully lifted her up into his arms. "I'm your uncle. You should call me Uncle."
Tang Ning, never one to be handled easily, responded by pinching his nose in retaliation. "Little Yan suits you better," she said with a small smile.
Gu Yan set her back down, rubbing his nose with mock annoyance. "You're a little devil, aren't you?" he said, laughing softly, though his tone carried a slight reprimand.
The rest of the car ride passed quickly, with Tang Ning quietly observing her surroundings. She had heard about the Gu family's mountain retreat before—a remote, hermit-like existence, far away from the complications of the city. As they neared the mountains, the air grew cooler, and the trees thickened, towering over them like silent sentinels.
When the car finally stopped at the base of the mountain, they parked near a cable car that would take them up. Tang Ning stared at the cable car, her heartbeat quickening as she noticed how high the lines stretched up into the misty peaks. **So high...** she thought, a wave of fear washing over her.
Gu Yan noticed her hesitation. "Are you scared?" he asked, his voice light with amusement. "You can ask me to carry you."
But Tang Ning straightened her back. She was determined not to show any weakness. "No, I'll be fine," she said, even as her small hands clenched into fists at her sides.
Gu Yan smirked, clearly impressed by her resolve, but said nothing more. He led her to the cable car, and they stepped inside. As the doors closed, Tang Ning's breath caught in her throat. The cable car began its slow ascent up the mountain, and soon, the ground below seemed impossibly far away. Tang Ning could feel the panic rising within her, but she fought it, keeping her face calm and neutral.
"Don't be scared", she reapeatedly told herself. "Fear is just an obstacle, like anything else.""
The higher they climbed, the more her fear clawed at her, but she refused to let it win. She stared straight ahead, focusing on the swaying trees in the distance, her small hands gripping the seat tightly.
When the cable car finally reached the top, her legs felt like jelly. As she stepped out, her body betrayed her, trembling slightly from the tension. Gu Yan, noticing her pale face, immediately picked her up. This time, she didn't protest.
"You did well, Little Ning," Gu Yan said softly, holding her close. "I'm surprised you didn't cry."
Tang Ning didn't respond, but in her heart, she knew she had conquered something important. This fear—her fear of heights—was just one of the many obstacles she would face. And one by one, she would overcome them all.
As they walked toward the entrance of the Gu family's home, nestled deep in the mountains, Tang Ning glanced up at the towering peaks above. "I'll break all my fears, one step at a time", she vowed silently. "No matter what."
©Beersheba