Volume 1 / Chapter 50: Mòshān

After vomiting her guts out, Huā Yínyín didn’t even have the strength to speak. Her eyes were puffy, and after wiping away the tears and mucus that had come along with the retching, she simply collapsed onto Mò Xuěyáo’s lap and fell asleep.

Huā Yínyín was still quite cute when quiet like this. It was hard to understand—how could someone with such a pure, innocent-looking face actually be so... lewd?

Was this what they called "things turning into their opposites when taken to the extreme"?

Mò Xuěyáo glanced down at the curled-up Yínyín, who had even drawn her legs up onto the seat, curling into a ball like a stray kitten born in the dead of winter.

“Mmm...” she murmured, then reached out and shut the open window, leaving just a narrow gap for ventilation.

The bus continued on its winding path, passing through several tunnels along the way.

As time went on, the journey began to feel a bit dull and tiresome. The buzz in the cabin faded, and many students started to doze off or simply stared out the windows, lost in thought.

Xuěyáo half-closed her eyes. Though still awake, her mind had drifted into that far-off space between daydreaming and sleep. Her thoughts wandered aimlessly, and time quietly slipped by.

Roughly two hours later, the bus was finally nearing its destination.

They had entered a stretch of continuous mountain ranges. The road twisted upward in long coils, hugging the slope. Even though there were guardrails on the edge, the steep drop below still made one's heart race.

“We’re almost there,” murmured Chálí, the girl with the side ponytail. She rolled the window all the way down, letting in the crisp mountain air as she quietly took a deep breath.

Her soft voice stirred the half-asleep students, gradually reviving the energy in the previously quiet cabin.

Mò Xuěyáo caught sight of a stone boundary marker. Carved in bold red characters were the powerful words: “Mòshān”.

This was truly a world removed from the outside. The deep mountains shut out all the chaos and noise of the mundane world, evoking a serene and transcendental peace.

Especially when one looked down at the vast forest spread below—like a miniature landscape model—the sense of distance from the real world grew stronger still.

Golden sunlight streamed through the breaks in the clouds, making everyone instinctively squint.

Birdsong from the forest rang clearer than any manmade melody—because it was the true music of nature.

And when the wind blew, the trees would rustle, golden leaves drifting down like confetti.

The rumble of the approaching buses shattered the mountain stillness, bringing with them the unmistakable scent of human presence.

The bus climbed until it reached an open area near the mountain’s summit—spacious enough to park seven large coaches.

The ground was covered in black asphalt—broad and smooth.

Beyond the open lot stood a row of Western-style villas, all clearly built to some uniform standard. However, the architectural style was... peculiar. Not quite Western, not quite Chinese—somewhere awkwardly in-between.

“Huā Yínyín, time to get off.” Mò Xuěyáo gently jiggled her leg to wake the sleeping girl.

“Hmm? Mm...? We’re getting off?” Huā Yínyín mumbled as she stretched, eyes half-open. Then—suddenly—she gave Xuěyáo’s chest a good squeeze, like charging up on battery power, and then sprang off the bus in high spirits, laughing gleefully.

It really made you wonder if she had even been asleep in the first place.

Who wakes up from a nap that energetic?

Mò Xuěyáo sighed and touched her chest—there was still a faint sting from that unexpected grab.

“Everyone off the bus, and don’t wander around! Line up next to your coach,” the homeroom teacher yelled to maintain order.

The students were all abuzz with chatter, full of curiosity about this unfamiliar place.

In truth, this was just a remote mountain village that had later been developed into a training base—meant for schools and other organizations to host retreats or camps.

The central square, though not a rubber track, was paved with asphalt—so at least it felt softer than concrete underfoot.

Xuěyáo looked around, wondering where their accommodations might be.

Could it be those villas in the back?

If so, that would be way too luxurious, wouldn’t it?

Despite the villas’ odd styles, the construction looked quite solid. Even the smallest ones were at least two and a half stories tall.

“All right, everyone line up. We’re gathering in the center of the square,” Yè Wēn called out, leading their class to the middle.

Other classes trickled in as well.

There were seven classes in total in their grade. That sounded like a lot, but once they were all gathered in this large square, the space still felt wide and empty.

On the stage at the front, the discipline officer—wearing sheer black stockings—tapped the microphone and cleared her throat.

“Alright, quiet down, everyone. Up next is a speech by the commanding officer of the military training—Commander Tiān.”

All at once, the students’ faces fell.

They might have escaped the dreaded Monday morning assembly, but there was no avoiding the pre-military-training lecture.

What followed, of course, was a long and utterly uninspiring speech. The only useful part was the announcement of rules and guidelines for the training camp.

The sun wasn’t shining particularly bright today, which would normally be a relief for something like military training. But since it was already autumn—and colder up here in the mountains than in the city—a bit of sunshine would’ve been more welcome than not. Without it, the chill cut straight through you.

Xuěyáo instinctively pressed her legs together, trying to keep the wind from sneaking up between them. It was the kind of cold that crept in from below and crawled up your spine.

Eventually, the long-winded speech wrapped up amidst a murmur of complaints.

Next up: lining up to receive their uniforms.

The military training outfits were not new. The fabric was rough and coarse to the touch. Just thinking about how they had previously been worn by who-knows-who—without knowing whether they’d even been disinfected—made Xuěyáo reluctant to put them on.

“Eh? We only get one set of training clothes?” Wáng Jiālè questioned as soon as she received hers. “What if they get soaked with sweat?”

“Well, you’ll just have to hang them up to dry at night and wear them again the next day,” said Yè Wēn with a shrug. “Budget’s tight this year, so they’re cutting costs wherever they can.”

“That’s disgusting!” Jiālè wrinkled her nose in revulsion. “Wearing sweat-soaked clothes again the next day? Ugh!”

“Haha, it’s not a big deal, right? The weather’s pretty cool anyway. We probably won’t sweat that much,” Lǐ Hóngrǎn said with a hearty laugh.

The boys didn’t seem to mind much either.

Liú Xiǎowěi even chimed in, “Getting two sets means more laundry. Too much hassle—one is enough.”

“Yeah, totally,” others echoed.

Mò Xuěyáo’s lips twitched. Even after living sixteen years as a boy, she still couldn’t fully get behind the idea of wearing the same unwashed clothes two days in a row.

But since conditions were what they were, even if she didn’t like it, she’d just have to deal with it.

At least she wasn’t like some of the girls, endlessly whining about it.

“So... where exactly are we staying?” Xuěyáo asked, curious.

She’d been scanning the area, but didn’t spot any tall buildings that looked like dorms.

“Don’t worry about that!” said Yè Wēn cheerfully. “You’re going to love where you’re staying this time—everyone gets to live in a villa!”

“What?! For real?” The boys gasped in amazement.

Even the girls, who had been grumbling about the clothes earlier, perked up immediately.

After all, just looking at those villa exteriors made your heart flutter with anticipation.

“The boys will be in the outermost row.” Yè Wēn led the class to a villa right by the square. “Let me check the key...”

She tried the lock, found it didn’t fit, and moved to the next villa over.

“Yep, this is the one. This villa’s for the boys. It has five rooms on each floor—first and second—each with two double beds. I think one of the rooms is bigger and has four double beds. Anyway, it’s more than enough for all of you. You can assign beds yourselves.”

The villa was two stories tall—the shortest in the area—probably because it was on the outer edge.

“It’s huge!” Zhōu Yǒng exclaimed. “I want to stay on the second floor! The view’s better up there!”

“Me too!” Gāo Yuán chimed in.

“You sort it out amongst yourselves. Mr.Xuě, as class vice rep, you’re in charge. Lǐ Hóngrǎn, as the PE rep, you assist,” Yè Wēn directed.

“Got it,” Xuě-xiānshēng nodded lightly.

“No problem, Ā-Wēn, leave it to us!” Hóngrǎn patted his chest with a grin.

“Alright, girls, come with me~” Yè Wēn waved to the rest of the girls. “The girls’ dorm is further inside.”

This time, Xuěyáo didn’t blank out and mistake herself for one of the boys. She smoothly followed the girls’ group without incident.

Their villa sat deeper into the mountain—tucked into the most scenic corner.

It truly was a mountaintop paradise.

Not far from it was a sheer cliff. At the bottom flowed a river that ran through the entire valley.

The villa was about a hundred or two hundred meters away from the edge, and the cliff had not just one but three high fences for safety—just in case someone got too close.

“I think... I’d be scared to sleep here at night...” Wáng Jiālè muttered. “It’s so high up...”

“I think it’s kind of thrilling,” Mò Xuěyáo brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. “Gives you that little rush, don’t you think?”

“Ehh? I never took you for the daring type, Xuěyáo~” Mo Xiǎoxiào said, surprised.

This villa was slightly smaller than the boys’, but it had three levels—or technically, two and a half.

The top floor had a partially open terrace.

“This villa was rented last minute. It was just renovated, so a lot of furniture hasn’t even been moved in yet—it’s actually the principal’s new home,” Yè Wēn shared a juicy tidbit. “Don’t know if that’s good luck or bad luck, but anyway—take care not to break anything, got it?”

“Got it——” the girls chorused.

Mò Xuěyáo didn’t answer. She just quietly surveyed her surroundings.

Then she noticed... there didn’t seem to be any bedrooms on the first floor?

Only a kitchen, two bathrooms, a spacious living room, and a study?

...Would there even be enough rooms for everyone?