Chapter 19 - She smells so good

Chapter 19 – She smells so goodTranslator-zyzy Editor-Aru

For the very first time, Seven High is organizing a hiking event, the school leaders paid a huge amount of attention to this event. After all, this event might become a school tradition as a precedent for the future.

But the school is concerned about safety measures due to a large number of students. The safety of the students is the school’s responsibility.

Therefore, the school had been planning the trip for several days. The twelve classes group together as one team and the classroom teacher of each class is to accompany and keep the students safe.

The school reported to the education bureau beforehand and chose nice weather for the trip. There were also police escorts and ambulances around the perimeters of the mountain.

The students had classes on Tuesday and were all excited about the Wangu Mountain hiking trip on Wednesday.

Wednesday arrived.

When Meng Ting departed from the house this morning, Father Shu especially reminded her: “the Wangu Mountain is high, the century-old tree is at the peak of the mountain. Ting Ting, if you feel exhausted, you have to tell the teacher, understand?” After all, her eyes had just recovered. Her eyes would feel sore if she was too exhausted. 

Meng Ting nodded. She knows her limits.

Father Shu made her put her vacuum flask, umbrella and lunch box into her bag. The thermos flask was filled with grape syrup. The umbrella is just for standby. As it is autumn and it could rain anytime in City H during the season.

Meng Ting prepared her lunch box, which was egg fried rice all by herself. Father Shu was always busy with his laboratory work, all the kids were quite independent. Wangu Mountain was not developed during that year, so naturally, there weren’t any stalls that sell food and beverages. Meng Ting found two lunch boxes that were blue and white from somewhere in the house, washed them up and put the egg fried rice in. Then, she wore a jacket that will keep her warm and departed from home.

Shu Yang had the exact same things with her. Meng Ting gave him the blue lunch box. He took it silently, turned around and walked away.

Father Shu stared at him and scolded: “You rascal!” But he couldn’t help but remind Shu Yang to take care of his sister again.

Meng Ting smiled and followed Shu Yang out the door.

They had to gather at the school entrance. After the class monitor counted the list of students for each class, the twelve classes lined up nicely and departed for Wangu Mountain.

Meng Ting and the others were from Class 1, so they will be leading at the very front.

The school authorities were more considerate today. They didn’t force the students to wear school uniforms for this trip. They just reminded the students to keep themselves warm.

The group of young and energetic teenagers departed under the supervision of the headteacher of each class with high spirits.

They moved along slowly as they were a huge group. The students played around like birds that escaped from a trapped cage. They were very excited about this trip.

Fan Hui Yin shook her head in disagreement but her lips gave out a slight smile.

Suddenly, someone in the crowd started to sing happily.

Meng Ting and Zhao Nuan Chen walked together, shoulder by shoulder. Zhao Nuan Cheng turned her head towards Meng Ting from time to time to look at her and then turned her head away with her face blushed. Oh my, she can’t get used to the Ting Ting looking this beautiful. With the morning light seeping in the misty mountains, it was like Meng Ting’s face shined with rays of gentle yet beautiful lights.

She wasn’t the only one that looked at her secretly. Their classmates from Class 1 couldn’t help but look at her too.

Zhao Nuan Cheng heard them singing and got excited: “Ting Ting, can you sing?”

Meng Ting froze for a while and nodded.

Zhao Nuan Cheng was even more excited now: “I’ve never heard you sing before. Ting Ting,  could you sing us a song please?”

The crowd followed a winding path. The mountain was below their feet.

Meng Ting looked at these young faces, she was grateful that she had a second chance to start over.

She didn’t disappoint Zhao Nuan Cheng as she felt relaxed at the moment. She thought for a moment: “There are only very few songs that I know, so don’t be disappointed.”

She sang gently along the path:

“Looking into the distance

The fleeting happiness as I head home

The spinning wheels that carried me

With the pale moonlight shining on me”

Her tone was fairly light, trembling with a hint of sweetness which was caressed by the morning breeze. Zhao Nuan Cheng was dumbfounded, it was just a casual suggestion from her. She didn’t expect Ting Ting to sing that well!

“The colourful sign

The no entry sign

Under the sky

We are all as light as a feather”

Our life is as light as a feather.

Her voice was so sweet to the ear, it wasn’t the type of voice that one would get tired of. The people that were near to her stopped singing and looked at her with amaze. Meng Ting felt a little embarrassed and awkward after finishing one verse.

Zhao Nuan Cheng was so excited that she talked incoherently: “Oh my god! Ting Ting, you are so good at singing!”

Meng Ting was dazed for a few seconds. Actually, her dancing and piano skills were much better than her singing. But after living for two times, these things became the memories that she didn’t dare to touch. 

This was an old song from a few years back, called ‘Daylight Allure’. But there was a special vibe when Meng Ting sang the song.

The students were excited at first, but after hiking a quarter of the hill, they realised that this path was not as easy as it seemed.

Zhao Nuan Cheng felt as if she was a dying fish on land, her feet were so heavy that it felt like they were filled with lead.

“Oh my, I don’t feel like walking anymore. This is more tortuous than military training.”

Not only the students can’t take it, but the female teachers were also panting heavily. Even if everyone wore sports shoes today, their heels were sore too.

Fan Hui Yin was also tired, but as the class teacher, she must be the role model for her students: “Students! I always say that we need to be persistent. Learning and hiking are the same, the probability of reaching the peak is as hard as getting into a university. Everyone must have strong determination!”

Zhao Nuan Cheng almost went nuts after hearing this, and whispered to Meng Ting: “We know the theory, but I’m so tired, oh god!”

Meng Ting wiped off the sweat on her forehead. The thermos flask and the lunch box in her bag were very heavy, so she started to feel tired too. They started the hike at 7.30 in the morning, it is 10 o’clock now, and they have only just reached a quarter of the mountain. This left everyone devastated.

Teacher Fan led ahead: “The earlier we reach the peak and make a wish, the earlier we can make our way back!”

The students followed her reluctantly. No one had the mood to sing anymore.

Not long after, the students that were once formed into a line were completely jumbled together. Some students couldn’t go on and had to stop the hike.

The teachers had no other choice, they sighed and let the female teachers stay behind to take care of the girls that couldn’t continue. They then continued the hike with the rest of the students. Most of them were relieved.

Teacher Fan was always stubborn and strict. She led the students from Class 1 up the mountain.

The students from Class 1 were speechless: “…….” They didn’t dare to voice out their opinions.

~

Class 12 was at the very last. Shen Yu Qing started to complain while walking: “Why are we hiking this stupid mountain, it would be better if it was a holiday.” She stopped to rest when she realised that they could stop if they ran out of energy. She didn’t care about her image anymore and sat down on one of the rocks.

She saw the Class 1 students that were forced to hike the mountain so that the others would follow in pursuit.

Ha! Class 1’s class teacher was known as the Madam Kill-all, she was very strict towards them!

Her best friend who looked shocked started to tap on her hand.

“What’s wrong? Don’t disturb me……” Her words got stuck in her throat. She saw some teenagers that were following them at the back.

Her gaze fell on the teenager that was leading the rest of them, she was left speechless.

Jiang Ren’s hands were in his pockets, with a jacket on his shoulders, he lazily hiked up. He was chewing his gum as he followed along.

He was not a student from Seven High, but his hair was black today! With a…very normal buzz cut!

Buzzcut!

The standard haircut that almost every male student had during that year.

When He Jun Ming saw him yesterday, he was desperately trying to hold back his laughter.

Is Boss Ren crazy!

Jiang Ren was wearing black sweatpants and a pair of sports shoes to the hike. His bipolar disorder made him very hyper-active ever since kindergarten, but it also gave this teenager vast amounts of energy and power.

The group of rich playboys from the vocational school were so exhausted, but his eyes glowed with energy

Shen Yu Qing, who was sitting on the rock, could barely recognize Jiang Ren anymore.

His black hair was very short. It was a totally different vibe from his previous silver hair that made him look like a bad boy. He looked more clean and neat now, but…… his untamed brows and manliness could not be covered by this. He looked ferocious but at the same time smart and manly. However, he still did not look book smart.

He was always bad-tempered. When he glanced at someone, he gave off a sense of dominance.

He Jun Ming was so tired that he cried out: “I can’t go on, I need to rest.”

He Han burst out laughing: “A true man won’t easily say that he ‘can’t’.”

“Go away! Are you even my best buddy!”

He Jun Ming joined the big troop that also gave up on hiking. With so many students, the teachers would be too busy to even notice the new faces from Li Cai.

Shen Yu Qing was both surprised and excited, she stood up: “Jiang Ren, you are here to……”

Fang Tan smiled: “No, student Shen Yu Qing, can you lower down your voice?”

He said the words with a threatening tone.

After all, these few ‘rascals’ from Li Cai had secretly joined them. Now that the teams were scattered everywhere, it won’t be easy to notice them.

Jiang Ren tapped on Fang Tan’s shoulder and continued hiking.

Fang Tan did not plan to go on as well, he tsked, he knows his limits. 

He stopped halfway to rest with He Jun Ming and the others.

Jiang Ren continued to hike.

Fan Hui Yin couldn’t take it anymore and stopped in the end. She couldn’t continue on anymore but signalled the students to go on. After all, those who can reach the top can get a small flag, which can be used to exchange for the credits of the class, to award them for their persistent spirit.

Zhao Nuan Cheng whispered: “Let’s walk away from the teacher’s supervision and take a rest.”

Meng Ting nodded. She didn’t force herself to reach the peak, especially with her backpack that was so heavy that it made her shoulders hurt.

They waited until they got out of Fan Hui Yin’s sight, and sat on the rock to take a rest.

Meng Ting sweated buckets. She placed her bag on her lap and took out her flask to drink a few sips of grape syrup. The cold breeze blew past, she felt much better.

Meng Ting had taken off her jacket and kept it in her bag for quite some time. She was only wearing a thin, green long-sleeved cotton shirt. She looked like a delicate dragonfly dancing in the spring.

She closed her eyes comfortably as she felt the wind softly caressing her face.

When she opened her eyes again, she saw the black-haired teen.

He stopped in front of her, his smile reached his eyes: “What a coincidence, student.”

Meng Ting couldn’t believe her eyes and stared at him. Why did he follow her again?

Zhao Nuan Cheng’s expression froze.

Meng Ting’s frame was small, she was sitting on a huge rock, with both of her legs hanging in the air. Her clothes were swayed upwards by the wind and stuck to her slim body.

The young girl gave off a warm fragrance. Her waist was thin, her face and neck that was left uncovered was very fair. Half of her collar bone was exposed, she lifted her face and looked at him.

His…..his hair.

Jiang Ren realised the surprise in her eyes, and smiled in an evil manner: “Are you just realising I’m good looking?”

Meng Ting’s face blushed. Why is he so cheeky!

She looked away, ignoring his words.

Zhao Nuan Cheng was scared of Jiang Ren, so she held onto Meng Ting’s hand tightly. The black-haired Jiang Ren…. looked ferocious. So scary. Zhao Nuan Cheng looked around and realized that even as they had found a great place to rest, the others couldn’t see them.

Some of the students gave up, some had already walked away. There wasn’t a single person around them that they could ask for help.

Jiang Ren looked at her bright pale face, her beauty was like nothing he’d seen before, it was so rare that everyone would want to have it.

But he also realised that Meng Ting won’t even talk to him.

Why? Did she feel embarrassed talking to him in front of her friend?

He raised one of his eyebrows, grabbed her thin wrist and dragged her over: “Don’t you want to get to the peak? Let me bring you there.”

“Let go of me, I’m not going anymore.”

Jiang Ren curved his lips: “Aren’t the ones who reach the peak getting some sort of credit? Good student, bring honour to your class, do you understand me?”

Meng Ting felt the pressure on her wrist, she was embarrassed and angry at the same time: “My leg hurts, I can’t go up. If you want to go, go yourself.”

Zhao Nuan Cheng was so scared that she almost burst out crying as she watched the scene envelop before her, she bravely said: “Jiang Ren, let go of Ting Ting! Or I’ll tell the teachers.”

Jiang Ren sneered and glanced at her.

The teenager with the eyebrows of blades, with a hint of wildness.

Zhao Nuan Cheng: “……” Excuse me, excuse me.

Jiang Ren picked Meng Ting up and her bag altogether, a smile slowly appeared in his eyes: “I’m here, of course, you can reach the peak!”

Meng Ting was carried in his arms, she was so shocked that she was left speechless.

His eyes gently smiling, he talked while he walked: “Don’t scream, or else it will be difficult to explain what is happening to your teachers. My reputation has always been bad, but yours is different.”

He turned and glared at the Zhao Nuan Cheng that followed them: “Turn back, don’t provoke me. I won’t do anything to her, but it’ll not be the case if you keep tagging along.”

He was like the worst kind of gangster that one would see in dramas. He was always on your nerves and would embarrass you until you wanted to knock him dead.

Meng Ting grabbed her very heavy bag using one hand and was forced to hike up the peak. She was so furious that she was about to cry.

She didn’t go through this in her last life, what went wrong? She thought of Jiang Ren that was crazy enough to murder someone, she suddenly felt both terrified and angry at the same time.

He held her in his arms, but the weight was nothing to him.

Meng Ting knew that she couldn’t run from it, and said: “Put me down, I’ll walk by myself.”

He smiled: “Aren’t you tired?”

“No.”

If they continued on like this, it would just be too awkward.

He put her down. The forest was emerald green on that day, a faint layer of fog covered the towering mountain peaks. He can tell that she was afraid. She was holding onto her bulging backpack so tightly, her eyes were slightly watery. He didn’t know if that was pain or fear.

This seventeen-year-old young girl was like the flower buds on the plants, covered with morning dew.

Didn’t he already dye his hair black?

Why was she still afraid of him?

Jiang Ren was frustrated, he knew that they were at the halfway mark of the mountain peak. It’s not that he didn’t want to get to the top, he just wanted to seriously look at her. He also knew that she looked down on him. He Jun Ming was right, they were from two different worlds. If it wasn’t for him, dragging her along forcefully, she wouldn’t have talked to him.

But he…..He needs a chance.

Even if he didn’t have a slight chance, he still wanted to get close to her.

She is so pretty and loved by the people around her. It was hard for him to even see her once since he was studying at Li Cai.

Jiang Ren followed her all the way to the halfway mark of the mountain. He just wanted to be with her for a while, so much that it strains his heart.

He lowered his gaze and looked at her, his tone couldn’t help but soften: “Please don’t cry, I’m not bullying you. I just wanted to walk with you. I’ve been here once, the view from the top of the mountain is breathtaking.”

He did not lie to her.

He hiked up Wangu Mountain by himself to prepare himself for today.

He couldn’t understand himself. If he didn’t complete the things he wanted to do, he wouldn’t stop thinking about it before getting it done, it would drive him wild. It was so torturing. These feelings that he couldn’t describe turned into endless energy, and he would risk everything to complete it.

“The forest caretaker told me that there was another path to the peak. I know that you don’t want your classmates and teachers to see you with me, so can I lead you to that  path?”

Meng Ting realised that he didn’t have any intentions to hurt her, and nodded her head afterwards.

They walked slowly ahead.

Jiang Ren took her backpack over and carried it himself. He had given his jacket to He Jun Ming and the others at the start.

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He heard her breathing, heavily and squatted down in front of her: “I’ll carry you.”

Meng Ting shook her head at once.

He tsked and stared at her with his black eyes: “What are you afraid of? A boy treats a girl nicely, it’s because he likes her, he wants to impress her, do you understand? Give me a chance, Meng Ting.”

This was not the first time hearing Jiang Ren say something so blatantly. But she had only met one person who was this shameless.

The tip of Meng Ting’s ears turned red: “Can you stop saying this kind of words?”

“What kind of words?” There was a hint of a smile in his eyes, teasing her.

She didn’t have the courage to repeat those words again and looked away from his stare.

He knew that she was unwilling to do so, but they were not far from the mountain peak, she couldn’t walk herself either.

He passed her backpack to her: “Come on, choose between princess style or carrying on the back? I will be the one to choose if you’re not choosing.”

Can she choose to hit this bastard! Meng Ting didn’t want to go up the mountain. She didn’t make it in her last life too, so there’s nothing to regret.

He raised his brows, his black hair gave a sense of aggressiveness. He acted like he was going to carry her princess style again.

Meng Ting hurriedly blurted out: “Carry on the back.”

Her tone slightly shivering, a sense of sweetness seeped into his heart.

He laughed in a low pitch: “Okay.”

When her two thin arms surrounded his neck, his heart started to beat uncontrollably.

The body of this young girl had a sweet fragrance, even her sweat smelled good. Meng Ting is the kind of girl that every boy would dream of.

Unlike He Jun Ming and the others, that was stinking of sweat from head to toe after hiking.

Meng Ting tried to stay as far as she could from him. Hugging his neck weakly.

It was like he had endless energy when he walked.

She had never been in a relationship in her two lives. She didn’t even get into university when she was dead, and she was still so young. So, she was both frustrated and embarrassed.

Jiang Ren realised that she looked away, not willing to get close to him. He laughed: “You think I’m smelly?”

She stayed away from him as far as possible, not answering him.

He couldn’t help but laugh. He did not smell as good as her. But he explained: “I dyed my hair, so don’t mind the smell. It will be gone after a few days.”

It actually didn’t smell bad.

But he had something in him that was so enthusiastic. She sensed that his aura was different from the others. Jiang Ren was like a glob of fire from hell, potent and horrid. She just didn’t like this person.

This person that she didn’t like, was very strong. He carried her along with her heavy backpack as he walked steadily.

Jiang Ren followed the path, the chilly breeze of autumn accompanied along the way. They could hear the sound of the insects from the forest.

He walked until his clothes were soaked in sweat, outlining his muscular figure.

Meng Ting didn’t think it’d be so far away.

When they reached the mountain peak, it was already 1 o’clock in the afternoon.

The century-old tree with the width that was as big as 3 people forming a circle, stood tall in the wind, surrounded by countless of little flags, but no one had the determination to take them away.

Jiang Ren carried her, she was the only one that reached the peak.

He’s so scary.

The teenager panted heavily, he let her sit by the century-old tree. His black eyes looking at her, he couldn’t help but laugh: “Hey, I didn’t bring any  water, can I have a sip of your water?”