Red Mountain Ridge and Dandelions

Two hours later.

Outside Jade Capital, halfway up Red Mountain Ridge.

The winding dirt road ended there, at a broad clearing where they could park. They left their rental car and continued up the mountain on foot.

Red Mountain Ridge was steep and imposing. It wasn't a tourist attraction, but its scenery was beautiful and visitors came without end. They had arrived a little late in the season. Had they come earlier, they would have seen the mountains ablaze with red, every layer of forest dyed crimson—a place to stop and roam, where frost-touched leaves were redder than February flowers.

Now the maple leaves were falling, and the mountain had turned a little yellow.

It was cloudy today, but the weather was decent.

Mist drifted across the mountain opposite them. Looking closely, they could make out a path leading into the clouds, with the tiled corners of old-fashioned houses faintly visible deep among the white clouds. Who knew which recluse had built them, or when, or whether anyone still lived there?

Ning Qing walked in front, with Peach behind her.

Chen Shu and Xiaoxiao trailed far behind, dawdling uphill as they looked around and quietly discussed the flowers, plants, and scenery beside the road. Now and then, they picked up a twig and knocked the tender tips off a plant.

Sometimes they passed people coming down the mountain.

They had already gained some elevation. The air had turned especially crisp, and the temperature had dropped quite a bit. Chen Shu didn't mind the cold. He glanced at Xiaoxiao and found she didn't feel cold at all either. Climbing had left her cheeks flushed and made her look adorable.

"There seem to be houses over there."

"There are some over there too..."

"Where?"

"There—"

Chen Shu stopped at the roadside, with