CH 4

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Ning You often reflected on his education, because he realized early on that there was a big disparity between the environment he was in and the educational philosophy he had learned.

For example, he accidentally stepped on an employee’s foot in the company elevator, before he could say a humble “I’m sorry”, the other party had already bowed and apologized. As if he shouldn’t have put his foot under Ning You’s feet. 

Thinkers advocated equality for all, but Ning You is used to seeing too much inequality – of course, he is the one who enjoys preferential treatment – and people take it for granted.

Everyone acquiesces to the existence of social classes and is accustomed to classifying people into various classes through occupation and income.

Ning You’s parents taught him not to think highly of himself, but just as most philosophers are giants in thought and dwarfs in action. Ning You does reflect on himself, except that he will still enjoy preferential treatment as he deserves.

He knew that maybe Li Mu would think he was useless, but in reality his occupation was a semiconductor researcher and his position was the chief engineer of Ning Family’s Department of Technology. 

In modern society, no one will be rude to him, but when he was in this strange and primitive environment. After he was stripped away of all the titles and status, he really saw things for what they were – he is just an ordinary man and no one will think highly of him.

Because of this, when he realized that he was judging Li Mu’s occupation, a kind of shame spread quietly throughout his body. Because whether Li Mu is a lumberjack or a forest ranger, it isn’t his turn to find fault in minor details.

The tense atmosphere always makes people think nonsense.

The forest fire and Li Mu’s departure threw Ning You into a state of anxiety. He had to shake off all kinds of thoughts in his mind and force himself to concentrate on the task at hand – washing the dishes.

Put the dishes together, and put them in the kitchen sink. Ning You was just about to turn on the hot water when the small stones blown by the wind slapped on the glass window, interrupting the action of Ning You’s hands.

He looked towards the window and found that the wind was howling outside, which was a completely different scene from earlier when he was taking a shower.

The tops of the birch trees were blown to one side, and the cattle outside the cabin stepped left and right from time to time. Although all is well inside the cabin, the situation outside the window disturbs Ning You uneasiness.

There seemed to be a shadow moving outside the wooden fence, Ning You looked closely to the window for a while. His heart suddenly frightened and he took a big step back. 

–A surprisingly huge brown bear was prowling outside the fence.

Ning You has only seen unrestrained wild animals when he was traveling in Africa. Although he has long heard that this forest is not very safe at night, he really didn’t expect to feel the danger so intuitively.

The brown bear lifted its front paws and leaned over on the wooden fence. Ning You’s heart went into his throat.

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But he still didn’t dare to relax, and always observed the situation outside the cabin through the window.

An hour has passed, two hours have passed…… 

Ning You had never looked forward to someone’s appearance so much.

Suddenly, the sound of horses’ hooves came from far away in the forest, and soon after, Li Mu’s figure appeared outside the wooden fence.

Ning You couldn’t describe his emotions at this moment, he eagerly opened the wooden door and shouted, “Li Mu!”

Li Mu’s khaki-colored Martin boots turned coal-black, and he himself seemed to roll around in the coal heap, with charred marks all over his body. 

“Is the situation serious?” Ning You asked when Li Mu entered the cabin.

“Luckily, no firefighters were injured.” Li Mu took off his jacket, went to the kitchen to get a bottle of water. Unscrewed the bottle cap and drank the whole bottle without pause.

Hearing that the fire was not serious, Ning You finally breathed a sigh of relief, but he suddenly thought of a question that made him wonder, “How could a fire start in the forest at this time of the year?”

It’s not midsummer now, and it’s a night without sunlight. This fire came really strange. 

“It should be man-made arson, still investigating, and it may be a poacher.” Li Mu said and threw the empty bottle into the trash can.

Ning You once again realized that this place is simply two worlds with the (social) circle he lives in. He was about to speak about the brown bear, and as a result, he looked up and found that Li Mu was looking at the dirty bowl in the sink with…… a complicated expression.

“It’s not.” Ning You knew Li Mu misunderstood him and hurriedly explained, “There was a bear outside just now, I didn’t dare to turn on the water heater.”

“Is it?” Li Mu did not suspect much, “Probably scared by the fire, usually it doesn’t come to my place.” 

Ning You was dumbfounded: “You know that bear?”

Li Mu said, “Sort of.”

Thinking back to the thrilling scene just a moment ago, Ning You found it hard to believe that Li Mu’s attitude towards the beast was so bland. Wouldn’t he be afraid?

The sound of snapping fingers next to his ear interrupted Ning You’s thoughts, Li Mu pointed to the sink and said succinctly, “Bowl.” 

Ning You washed the dishes only a handful of times, but luckily there were only two plates, two glasses, and two sets of chopsticks in the sink, and the rest had already been cleaned up when Li Mu made the meal.

After wiping the water stains on the tableware one by one, Ning You washed his hands with soap again because he didn’t like the smell of dishwashing liquid on his hands.

He had previously rejected using Li Mu’s soap because he didn’t want his body to be contaminated with other people’s scents, but he had to admit that the scent was really pleasant.

Ning You sniffed his fingertips and unconsciously looked out the kitchen window, only to accidentally see…… Li Mu taking a shower outside. 

The shower platform is not directly facing the kitchen window, but it is not completely invisible. Ning You, doings of ghosts and gods, adjusted the angle, and observed Li Mu’s back motionlessly.

From top to bottom is the standard inverted triangle, with the broad latissimus dorsi muscle tightening inward at the waistline, and then downward……

Ning You swallowed unconsciously, Li Mu’s waist-hip curve was a typical damned gong waist, and it felt very powerful just by looking at it.

At this moment, Li Mu suddenly turned to his side, Ning You only glanced at the distinct ravine abdominal muscles, and then he met Li Mu’s eyes unprepared. 

He was obviously being peeked at, but Li Mu didn’t respond, and squinted at Ning You lightly, with an expression that seemed to say: Have you seen enough?

Ning You leap from fright, and quickly took a few steps back. He reacted with hindsight, what happened just now? Was he caught peeking at someone taking a shower?

Could he just disappear immediately from the earth??

The sound of the door opening soon sounded, Ning You slightly raised his chin, pretending to be calm and said, “I didn’t mean to……” 

Before he could finish speaking, Li Mu walked in from the door with his upper body topless. Ning You almost bit his tongue and asked, “Why aren’t you wearing clothes?”

“It’s cold outside.” Li Mu said and put on the black T-shirt in his hands.

Ning You had taken a shower outside and knew that it was important to go inside first. He saw that Li Mu didn’t bother him about peeking at the shower, so he didn’t take the initiative to bring it up again.

Li Mu stepped on the stairway of the foyer, walked straight to the closet, took a sleeping bag out from it. Spread it on the carpet and said to Ning You: “You sleep here tonight.” 

There was only one single bed that was 1.2 meter wide in the cabin. Ning You had already prepared himself mentally and knew that he might have to sleep on the ground tonight. But he really didn’t expect him to do things in an oversimplified and crude way, and he didn’t even have a bedding.

Li Mu seemed to have used up too much energy. After throwing down the sleeping bag, he lay down on the bed and said to Ning You, “The switch is on your side. Remember to turn off the light before going to bed.”

The switch is set at the entrance, such a circuit layout is understandable, but it is not reasonable enough. There should be a double-control switch next to the bed, so that you can turn off the lights after lying down, instead of going to bed in the dark.

Ning You’s specialty is a little more specific microchip research, one piece of microchip covered with complex integrated circuits, like this series-parallel switching problem, for him it was like a child’s play, but he is too lazy to give Li Mu a science of this physical knowledge. 

Because when he said it to him, it’s very likely Li Mu wouldn’t understand.

Groping in the dark and getting into the uncomfortable sleeping bag, Ning You reassured himself that tomorrow after waking up, he can return to the familiar people. He doesn’t want to stay here any longer, it’s better to book a plane and fly directly back to Jin City.

In the midst of Ning You’s tossing and turning, Li Mu’s phone on the other side suddenly rang with a message alert tone.

Li Mu picked up the phone and took a look, then frowned, sat up and said, “There’s a landslide over there.” 

“Landslide?” Ning You answered in the dark.

“Forest fires can cause geological changes.” Li Mu said, “The road into the scenic spot is blocked by rocks.”

Ning You was slightly stunned and asked, “Then can I still get out tomorrow?”