Chapter 37: A Conversation on the Great Wall

After a short period of rest following their arrival in the Imperial Capital the day before, Lu Mingfei’s class finally reached the first stop of their three-day, two-night trip: the Badaling Great Wall.

As one of the cities where ancient civilization is best preserved, the Imperial Capital boasts countless world-renowned attractions. It is impossible to say which is better, as every site carries the weight of countless historical narratives. No matter where you stand, you feel a strange sense of time and space, knowing that at this very spot, someone else must have stood long ago. It is as if the gentle breeze and warm sunlight travel through time, connecting your experiences. As the poem goes: "Who was the first to see the moon by the river? In which year did the river moon first shine upon a person?"

However, if someone were to ask for a travel guide on the must-see spots in Beijing, the Forbidden City and the Great Wall would undoubtedly be the top recommendations. There is a saying: "He who has not climbed the Great Wall is not a true man." How many travelers have journeyed thousands of miles to the capital just for these words, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Great Wall's majesty?

"Not bad, Lu Mingfei," Qiao Yiran said, wearing cooling sleeves and a tennis cap, glancing at Lu Mingfei, who was following closely behind her.

"You’re not bad yourself."

Lu Mingfei had not prepared such professional gear; he had to endure the relentless battering of the sun, his face already flushed red. Fortunately, his stamina remained high, and his breathing rhythm was steady. Qiao Yiran was somewhat surprised; she had been climbing the Great Wall with him for quite a while, yet his breathing remained remarkably calm. She knew that only a few months ago, during the middle school physical fitness test, Lu Mingfei’s performance had been among the lowest in the class. How had his physical condition become so formidable in just a few months? She herself had undergone strict athletic training since childhood to maintain such an orderly breathing rhythm.

"Looks like we are the only ones to reach the highest point of the Badaling Great Wall?" Qiao Yiran stood before the North Eighth Tower, hands on her hips.

"Seems so," Lu Mingfei arrived at the North Eighth Tower just a step behind her.

The highest point of the Badaling Great Wall is the "Hero’s Slope." Below it, countless tourists had already collapsed from exhaustion. Liu Miaomiao and the rest of their classmates had long since scattered into the crowd, nowhere to be seen. Lu Mingfei actually felt a bit moved; the Great Wall was truly difficult to climb. Even with his current stamina, which far exceeded that of an average person, he felt that completing the climb had depleted a significant amount of his energy. What was more noticeable was that at the beginning of the wall, there were so many tourists that they had to weave through gaps in the crowd to move forward.

By the middle section, the crowd had thinned out, leaving enough space for people to walk with relative ease. By the time they reached the stretch below the Hero’s Slope, the footprints were sparse. The few who had managed to climb this far were already spent, lacking the lingering energy that Lu Mingfei and Qiao Yiran possessed. This made Lu Mingfei wonder if Qiao Yiran was also a hybrid; her stamina was terrifyingly abundant.

Qiao Yiran and Lu Mingfei sat together on the steps of the Great Wall, preparing to head down after a brief rest. Suddenly, Qiao Yiran spoke up.

"Well, come to think of it," she said, looking straight ahead, "I didn't expect you to be so well-versed in such miscellaneous things."

Lu Mingfei was confused. "What do you mean?"

"The things you were talking about at Judequan yesterday," Qiao Yiran said. "I was completely taken aback by what I heard."

"Oh, those." Lu Mingfei scratched his head, not knowing how to respond.

"Do you know that after we went back last night, Miaomiao was actually praising you?"

Lu Mingfei’s heart skipped a beat. "Praising me for what?"

"She said that although your grades aren't great, you actually know quite a lot of things."

Lu Mingfei slumped, nearly sliding off the steps. "Is that really a compliment?"

"Of course it is," Qiao Yiran said softly, cupping her chin. "You might not know Miaomiao well. She is the type of girl who truly has no ulterior motives. If she likes someone, it’s written all over her face; if she praises someone, it’s a genuine compliment. That’s why I’ve always been worried about her being deceived by boys. Fortunately, the boy she likes is Chu Zihang from the first year—his character is beyond reproach. If it were anyone else, who knows how badly Miaomiao might have been played."

Lu Mingfei looked down, recalling the affair between Liu Miaomiao and Zhao Menghua from his previous life. Zhao Menghua had started getting involved with Liu Miaomiao before breaking up with Chen Wenwen, and even after winning Liu Miaomiao over, he hadn't made a clean break with his ex-girlfriend. Finally, after they did split, he went back to Chen Wenwen only a few months later. Looking at it that way, Liu Miaomiao did seem prone to being deceived by scumbags, didn't she?

"Actually, I just think..." Qiao Yiran hesitated. "I’m only speaking from my personal point of view. Don't take it too seriously—if something happens because you did, don't blame me."

"Sure, sure, go ahead."

"I think you might have a chance," Qiao Yiran shrugged. "Of course, the odds aren't very high. But there aren't many boys whose names Miaomiao mentions in private. Besides Senior Chu, you are one of them."

"Just mentioning my name gives me a chance?" Lu Mingfei shook his head. "Who are the others?"

"Why are you asking so much? Isn't it enough to know that you're one of them?" Qiao Yiran said. "Mentions mean that, at the very least, Miaomiao doesn't dislike you, and you hold some weight in her heart. Understand?"

"Oh, oh, oh..."

"What are you 'oh-oh-oh'-ing for? You sound like a rooster."

"That’s unfair slander. A rooster says 'cock-a-doodle-doo'..." Lu Mingfei mimicked a rooster's crow, but when he turned his head and saw Qiao Yiran staring at him with a speechless expression, he wisely shut his mouth.

Qiao Yiran sighed, though it was unclear what she was sighing about. The two sat on the steps of the North Eighth Tower in silence.

...

"Can I discuss something with you?" Qiao Yiran suddenly spoke again.

"What is it?"

"You know... even though Miaomiao tried her best to keep me, I’m going to Xunli High School in the south of the city for high school, which is quite far from here." Qiao Yiran continued, "The city we’re from isn't exactly small. It takes three or four hours to drive from the south to the north. Once high school starts, both my studies and training will be much heavier than in middle school, so I might not have much time to come and hang out with Miaomiao."

It was true, Lu Mingfei thought to himself. In 2004, communication between people was not as convenient as it would be in the future, where a single mobile phone could make the ends of the earth feel like neighbors. Even friends thousands of miles apart could see each other with a video call. In this era, mobile phones were barely widespread; many middle school students didn't even know how to register for a QQ account, and webcams were still stuck at 144p resolution. If you wanted to have a video call, you had to agree on a time in advance, wait in front of the computer, and use an incredibly slow dial-up connection where everyone’s faces appeared blurry and distorted.

"So—" Qiao Yiran changed the subject and looked at Lu Mingfei. "I want to ask you for a favor."

"What favor?" Lu Mingfei asked. "Don't tell me you want me to protect Liu Miaomiao and drive away those wild men?"

"No, no, it’s not that serious. Miaomiao and I have many mutual friends; I’ve already asked them to take care of that. I don't need you."

"Then what is it?"

"If you don't like Miaomiao—" Qiao Yiran stared into Lu Mingfei's eyes, her expression serious, "please, make sure you don't hurt her."