Chapter 54: Like a monkey attempting to cross a precipice of sorrow! (Requesting recommendations!)

“Shurui, look, how did my editing turn out?”

The photo displayed in her Moments was the one they had taken together on the Magpie Bridge, except the person who had intruded into the frame had been edited out so thoroughly that no trace of them remained.

A large number of people had already liked the post.

Such was the charm of a beauty.

Some people post on Moments only to be met with total indifference for a day or two.

Although she had inevitably used beauty filters, Zheng Jingjing hadn't gone to the extreme of some girls who only beautify themselves. At the very least, Li Shurui looked normal in the photo, with no facial distortion or uneven eyes.

That in itself was quite an achievement.

Li Shurui gave it a casual glance and nodded nonchalantly, her eyes occasionally drifting toward the path behind her.

“Shurui, what are you looking at?” Zheng Jingjing asked, feeling puzzled.

“Nothing.”

Zheng Jingjing put her phone away and glanced back herself. Realizing something, she muttered, “Come to think of it, it feels a bit strange not having that guy Jiang Chen around.”

Time passed bit by bit.

As they climbed higher, the oxygen grew thinner. While it wasn't quite altitude sickness yet, the rapid depletion of their physical strength made breathing difficult for everyone. A few individuals sounded like they were having asthma attacks, their breathing heavy and wheezing like bellows.

Hu Heng had been right; the higher they climbed, the slower they moved. To accommodate those struggling with exhaustion, the group of twelve had to move in fits and starts.

“Hang in there a little longer, everyone! See that over there? That’s the Longmen Plank Road. Once we cross it, we’ll reach Qibing Peak!” Hu Heng pointed toward the winding mountain path visible through the mist, attempting to boost morale.

At their current altitude, they had exceeded 2,000 meters. The faintly visible Longmen Plank Road looked like a winding golden python coiling around the entirety of Qibing Peak. Its sheer steepness looked no less perilous than the famous plank roads of Mount Hua.

Zheng Jingjing gasped; they hadn't even reached it yet, but her legs were already trembling.

“Shurui, what should I do... I'm a little scared...” She gripped Li Shurui’s arm nervously.

In truth, Li Shurui wasn't doing much better. Despite her beauty, the "Flower of the Arts Academy" was still just a girl. Seeing such a terrifying sight and knowing she would have to walk across it soon, her heart began to race uncontrollably.

“Don't be nervous. It only looks scary. Just pretend you're shopping in a mall.”

At that moment, a familiar voice rang out from behind, giving Zheng Jingjing a fright.

“Jiang Chen?!”

“You guys are moving quite fast,” Jiang Chen said with a nonchalant smile as he caught up.

Surprisingly, Li Shurui showed no sign of disgust toward Jiang Chen’s persistent presence. Perhaps because her attention had been diverted, seeing him appear actually helped her racing heart gradually steady.

“It’s a rare opportunity. It would be a regret if we didn't climb to the highest peak,” Jiang Chen said, looking at her.

Li Shurui remained silent.

“He must have conspired with the group leader to trick us on purpose,” Hu Heng said, completely unsurprised by Jiang Chen’s appearance, as he urged everyone to keep moving.

Seeing this, how could Zheng Jingjing not realize she had been deceived?

But realizing it now was clearly too late. Having come this far, they couldn't exactly turn around and head back down the mountain, could they?

Fortunately, Jiang Chen seemed to realize he was unwelcome. He didn't linger around the two women, instead walking alone at the end of the group, maintaining a certain distance.

Occasionally glancing back at him, Zheng Jingjing felt a strange sense of pity for the guy.

*He’s just bravely pursuing the happiness he wants. What’s wrong with that?*

“Jiang Chen, come here!” Zheng Jingjing beckoned to him.

Jiang Chen pointed to himself, and only after she nodded did he walk over.

“Can you hold our bags for us?” Zheng Jingjing asked.

Jiang Chen was a bit surprised, but he reacted quickly, nodding immediately.

“Here.”

Zheng Jingjing took off her crossbody bag and, at the same time, took off Li Shurui’s bag as well, handing them both to Jiang Chen.

Perhaps because she was truly exhausted, Li Shurui didn't refuse.

Because of his role as free labor, Jiang Chen was able to close the distance between himself and the two women, walking directly behind them.

After another half hour of climbing, the group finally arrived before the breathtaking Longmen Plank Road.

Standing there, a line of poetry involuntarily surfaced in their minds: *Even the flying cranes struggle to pass; the apes yearn to cross, clinging in distress!*

The plank road was paved with wooden boards, with three-centimeter gaps between them, providing a vivid sense of walking in mid-air. On one side was a sheer cliff; on the other, a waist-high railing.

Even before stepping onto it, their hearts were pounding. It was hard to imagine how this path had ever been constructed.

“Once we cross this, we’ll be at Qibing Peak. Let's go, everyone!” Hu Heng took the lead, being the first to step onto the plank road.

Even he was extremely cautious. Aside from the waist-high railing on the left, there were no other protections; beneath their feet was a bottomless abyss. If one fell, shattering into pieces was the only possible outcome.

“Be careful.”

The group supported one another, walking shakily onto the plank road like blind men crossing a river.

Fortunately, no one had severe vertigo, otherwise, they would have been scared to death.

Because of Zheng Jingjing’s hesitation, she ended up being the last one.

“It’s okay. Don't look down. Just look straight ahead,” Jiang Chen comforted her.

“Easy for you to say!”

Zheng Jingjing’s fear was genuine; her face had turned pale. But since everyone else had already gone up, she couldn't delay any longer. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to move forward, but after only a few steps, she glanced down and immediately squeezed her eyes shut in terror.

“Ah! Mommy!!!”

Jiang Chen didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Li Shurui, who had also been very nervous, was amused by her. “Alright, stop dawdling and just move!”

Zheng Jingjing didn't dare look down again. Gripping the handrail, she moved forward step by step like a snail.

Li Shurui walked behind her.

The mountain wind was biting and piercingly cold.

The group, who had been drenched in sweat earlier, now felt a deep chill throughout their bodies.

On the winding, twisting mountain path, the dozen or so people moved forward slowly. Jiang Chen walked at the very rear, two ladies' bags hanging from his shoulder.

*Whoosh...*

The mountain weather was unpredictable.

Before they were even halfway through, the wind suddenly intensified, blowing hard enough to make it difficult to stand steady.

Caught off guard, Li Shurui stumbled, and Jiang Chen quickly caught her.

“Are you okay?”

“I-I'm fine.”

Li Shurui, who likely weighed less than a hundred pounds, looked pale. She steadied herself and gripped the handrail tightly.

“Be careful.” Jiang Chen let go.

“Everyone stop! Wait for the wind to die down before moving!” Hu Heng shouted from the front of the line.

Everyone stopped. Their bodies were tense as they gripped anything they could use for support, not daring to look down.

“Shurui, *hic*... I'm scared...” Zheng Jingjing sobbed, not even daring to open her eyes.

Li Shurui’s heart was also thumping wildly. At this moment, she felt very fortunate that there was someone behind her to act as a shield.