Chapter 53: Heaven does not fail those who try hard

"So high..."

Now that she was actually experiencing it firsthand, the excitement the girl had felt earlier was replaced by a racing, nervous heart.

After all, the bridge looked truly daunting. Suspended high in the air, it was at least seven or eight hundred meters above the ground, and it swayed slightly due to the wind.

"Don't worry, everyone! This bridge is very sturdy. As long as you're careful, there won't be any danger. Let's cross!" Hu Heng shouted.

A couple in the group was the first to step forward. Holding hands, they walked onto the bridge while simultaneously pulling out their phones to capture this memorable moment.

Whether the legend of the Magpie Bridge was true—whether couples who crossed it would truly stay together for a lifetime—was unknown, but at the very least, today's experience would become a precious memory of their youth.

With someone leading the way, the others lost their fear and followed onto the Magpie Bridge one after another.

High above the ground, the girls took turns snapping photos to commemorate the moment.

"Excuse me, could you help us take a photo?"

Since she hadn't brought a selfie stick, Zheng Jingjing could only grab a random boy to help.

The boy was flattered and, of course, couldn't refuse.

Zheng Jingjing linked arms with Li Shurui, wearing a sweet smile. Facing the camera, Li Shurui also cooperated with a faint, gentle smile.

*Click!*

"Thank you."

Zheng Jingjing walked over, took the phone, and looked at it excitedly, only for her brow to instantly furrow.

In the photo, there wasn't just Shurui and herself; there was actually a third figure.

"Jiang Chen!"

She turned her head fiercely, absolutely livid!

It turned out that Jiang Chen had somehow sneaked up behind them at some point and blended into the shot.

"Sorry, I didn't do it on purpose."

Jiang Chen, who had already walked ahead, stopped helplessly. He had realized something was wrong the moment he heard the shutter click.

He really hadn't done it intentionally; he just wanted to cross the bridge. He could only blame the boy for being unprofessional—he had assumed the boy would wait for him to pass before pressing the shutter.

That same phrase again: *I didn't do it on purpose.*

Li Shurui's expression, which had just softened, tightened once more.

"How about I take another one for you?" Jiang Chen offered as a remedy.

Even though the lower limit of his favorability was only -100, it didn't mean he was going to just let things go to ruin.

Zheng Jingjing hesitated. This photo was definitely unusable; they would have to retake it.

Just as she was about to agree, Li Shurui had already started walking forward.

"You guys go ahead and take it."

Zheng Jingjing glared at Jiang Chen. "Look! This is all your fault!"

Jiang Chen gave a bitter smile and shrugged.

Zheng Jingjing couldn't be bothered to retake the photo and hurried to catch up with Li Shurui.

"Shurui, don't be angry. I'll just Photoshop him out later."

After staying on the Magpie Bridge for over ten minutes, the group finally departed, satisfied.

The girls were busy admiring their beautiful photos. Zheng Jingjing, meanwhile, was busy with her phone, working on photo editing.

Without a formal lunch, everyone ate the dry rations they had prepared themselves at the rest area halfway up the mountain.

Several girls rubbed their aching legs, complaining incessantly.

It was obvious. They had overestimated themselves, or rather, underestimated the hardship of the climb. Even some of the boys, likely due to a lack of regular exercise, were slumped on the ground, panting heavily.

In contrast, Li Shurui, who appeared to be the most delicate, performed admirably. Although it was evident she was also exhausted—her forehead covered in beads of sweat—she didn't complain or moan; she simply ate her snacks quietly.

"President Hu, how much further to Qibing Peak?"

Jiang Chen sat with Hu Heng, gnawing on a piece of bread.

"At our current pace, I estimate another hour and a half, but the higher we go, the slower we'll get."

Jiang Chen glanced at the other members of the mountaineering club. "I'm afraid some of them won't make it that far."

Hu Heng nodded; he could see it too.

"It looks like we'll have to split into two groups." After a moment of consideration, Hu Heng said, "Those who can still hold on, keep climbing. Those who can't, stay here and wait for us to return."

"That's a good idea," Jiang Chen agreed.

Forcing people beyond their limits only causes trouble, and some of the girls had clearly reached their physical limits.

Hu Heng immediately informed everyone of the plan, letting them choose freely.

Zheng Jingjing exchanged a few words with Li Shurui and then walked toward Hu Heng.

"President, I wanted to ask, is Jiang Chen continuing the climb?"

Hu Heng was a bit puzzled. "Why are you asking that?"

Zheng Jingjing didn't explain. "Just tell me."

"He hasn't said yet. Should I go ask him?"

Zheng Jingjing nodded quickly. "Go, hurry."

Hu Heng walked over to Jiang Chen. Jiang Chen glanced this way and said something to Hu Heng.

Hu Heng walked back.

"He plans to stay here."

Hearing this, Zheng Jingjing said decisively, "Alright then. Shurui and I will continue climbing."

"The path gets harder the higher you go. Are you sure you can handle it?" Hu Heng asked doubtfully.

"President, are you looking down on us girls?"

Hu Heng couldn't afford the charge of gender discrimination, so he quickly shook his head and smiled. "Not at all. If you feel you can do it, I naturally have no objection."

"Then it's settled."

After communicating with Hu Heng, Zheng Jingjing turned back and sat down next to Li Shurui.

"Tsk, and he calls himself a man? He can't even handle this little bit of hardship."

"He's staying here?"

Zheng Jingjing nodded. "Yeah, I already told the President. We're continuing up. Finally, we can shake that guy Jiang Chen off."

It was obvious. Zheng Jingjing wasn't concerned about Jiang Chen; the reason she had deliberately probed for information was to avoid him. If Jiang Chen had chosen to continue climbing, she and Li Shurui would have chosen to stay behind to rest, and vice versa.

But the girl had forgotten that in strategy, one must master the art of deception—making the real seem false and the false seem real.

After the free choice, only twelve people decided to continue the ascent—less than half. The remaining twenty chose to stay and rest.

Among the twelve continuing the climb, there were only four women, including Li Shurui and Zheng Jingjing.

"Alright, everyone should be rested by now, right? We're setting off again."

After a half-hour break, Hu Heng blew his whistle to signal the start.

"Good luck!" the people staying behind cheered.

"Senior Jiang, you're not climbing anymore?"

President Hu had already led the team away. Seeing Jiang Chen still sitting motionless, Fan Feiyu, who had also chosen to stay, couldn't help but feel surprised.

Even Li Shurui had left. If he wanted to pursue her, shouldn't he be persevering through the exhaustion at a time like this?

"Yeah, junior, didn't you say that pursuing a girl requires a sense of rhythm? Is this your rhythm? Are you planning to give up halfway?"

Xie Qian hadn't continued climbing either; she had joined the activity just to relax, and reaching the summit wasn't important to her.

"No rush. I'll rest for a bit and catch up later."

Jiang Chen sat leisurely on a tree stump, taking a sip of water as he spoke.

To be honest, he actually wanted to stay here, rest, and chat with Fan Feiyu and Xie Qian, but for the sake of the "sea of stars" in his future, he had to sacrifice his current comfort.

Although he didn't know if there was any point in thick-skinnedly catching up later, there was a saying: effort doesn't guarantee success, but success certainly requires effort.

*Heaven rewards the diligent,* Jiang Chen comforted himself silently.

(End of Chapter)