Wei Yumeng was utterly exhausted. She knew her journey was already far behind schedule.
More time should have been spent searching for the person, but now it would take ages just to reach Fengxing County.
Feeling disheartened, Wei Yumeng found a spot to sit. The sky had already darkened; she wouldn't be able to climb any further.
Whether it was due to the late hour or her physical condition, she couldn't go on.
Wei Yumeng found a relatively flat area. She would have to rest here for the night.
Although there were no dangerous beasts around, the surrounding darkness began to fill Wei Yumeng with fear.
She could also feel the temperature dropping rapidly. As expected, the temperature on the mountain varied greatly from that below. It was still summer, yet it was cold enough to feel this way.
Wei Yumeng curled up inside her tent.
No matter how arduous the situation she was about to face, she had no other choice for Zhan Mohan.
Wei Yumeng slept very poorly. Despite her best efforts, cold air continued to surround her.
But after an unknown amount of time, a sudden warmth enveloped her. She finally let out a sigh of relief and drifted into a deep sleep.
When Wei Yumeng woke up, it was already morning.
"Looks like last night went relatively smoothly," Wei Yumeng sighed in relief.
But as she moved, she noticed a thick blanket covering her.
It was then that Wei Yumeng remembered that the reason she had slept so well last night was likely due to this blanket.
Yet, when she stepped out of the tent, no one was there.
This reminded Wei Yumeng of the kind elderly woman she had met at the foot of the mountain. She could only attribute this kindness to the generosity of the local people.
As Wei Yumeng packed up everything and set off again, she felt re-energized. As long as she had a goal in her heart, no matter what difficulties she encountered, she would persevere.
After Wei Yumeng left, a figure emerged from behind where her tent had been.
The person seemed displeased with Wei Yumeng's current predicament and took out their phone to make a call.
Vincent, who was enjoying himself in the hotel, was somewhat surprised to receive the call: "Why are you calling me at this hour?"
"Don't you know the reason?" The person's voice was chilling.
Vincent, however, chuckled: "What's wrong? Feeling heartbroken already? You were the one who told me to do as I pleased before."
The other party remained silent, but Vincent knew they were extremely angry. If he continued, he wouldn't fare well.
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
"That's for the best." With that, the call was disconnected.
Vincent looked at his phone with a helpless expression: "Sigh, young people these days can't endure any hardship."
When Wei Yumeng finally arrived at Fengxing County, her initial spirit and enthusiasm were long gone.
She looked more like someone who had lived in the mountains for a long time, covered in dirt and appearing mentally drained.
"Finally arrived," Wei Yumeng said, looking at the village before her, and then fainted.
Wei Yumeng had a dream. It seemed like a dream, yet it also felt like the events of the past few days.
In the tent that night, someone had covered her with a blanket and stood guard outside the tent all night.
And on many other occasions when she was close to danger, she had encountered a man who claimed to be a fellow traveler, who would suddenly help her.
But that person always appeared and disappeared quickly, and Wei Yumeng never even got to see their face.
Just like now, after she fainted, she felt someone pick her up, but she still couldn't see who it was.
When Wei Yumeng woke up, she was lying in a very humble room.
A family was watching her.
"You're awake?" the child asked first.
"Mm, did you save me?" Wei Yumeng asked.
The child shook their head, then quickly nodded: "My mom and dad found you and brought you back."
"Thank you," Wei Yumeng felt she was truly lucky to have met such kind people.
"Miss, why have you come to a place like this?"
It was likely the mother of the family who spoke.
Wei Yumeng smiled: "I'm looking for someone. An elder in my family had a connection with a resident here a long time ago. Now that he's old, he wants to find his old friend."
The family nodded.
"Pretty sister, there aren't many families in our village. Tell us who you're looking for, and we can probably find them quickly," the child seemed to like Wei Yumeng very much.
Wei Yumeng told the family everything she knew. However, after listening, the family members frowned.
"Girl, are you sure you're not mistaken?"
Wei Yumeng didn't quite understand what they meant.
The mother continued to explain: "There have only been these few families in our village for many years. We don't have anyone like the person you're describing."
Wei Yumeng's body trembled. She couldn't quite believe it but still asked persistently: "Could you have made a mistake?"
"Girl, our family is quite close with the other households. We know the situation of the entire village better than anyone, so we wouldn't be mistaken."
The child also nodded: "We've never even had that surname here."
Wei Yumeng felt a chill run down her spine. The reason she had persevered to get here was because she believed she could find this person, and then Vincent would agree to treat Zhan Mohan.
But why had it turned out this way?
If she couldn't find the person, how could Vincent help her?
This was her last hope!
"No... no..." Wei Yumeng muttered to herself and ran out of the house.
She inquired from every household in the village, but the results were the same as before.
"How could this happen..." Wei Yumeng slumped to the ground.
"Pretty sister, are you alright?" the child looked at Wei Yumeng with sadness.
Wei Yumeng just stared blankly, not speaking.
She was running out of time. Going back from here to find another solution was completely impossible. By then, Zhan Mohan...
Wei Yumeng couldn't help but cry, her sobs filled with despair and reluctance.
Was all of this fated? To make her hit a wall again and again, missing every possible way to save Zhan Mohan.
She was unwilling. All the solutions were right before her eyes, yet she could never grasp them. She absolutely refused to give up on Zhan Mohan, to give up on her love!
She cried for a very long time, attracting the attention of many people. Some even came forward to comfort her, but it was useless.
What comfort could anyone offer to someone who was on the verge of despair?
At this moment, someone in a house not far away, seeing Wei Yumeng's state, couldn't help but clench their fist.