Archive of Our Own

Nie Mingjue headed slowly towards the agreed assembly point before leaving for the trip to the mountains. In the meantime, he called Lan Xichen making sure his friend remembered that they had postponed the meeting for this reason. He still couldn't believe that the man had already been married for half a year to a young archaeologist he had met a year earlier who was currently abroad. 

He had to admit that the vet had borne the separation bravely, though it was clear to Nie Mingjue that the man looked forward to the moments when Jiang Wanyin called him, and they could talk for a while. There were also times when he envied them himself. Perhaps not the wedding after six months of knowing each other, but all the rest, this simple happiness. 

He still couldn't quite convince himself to ask out the woman who had caught his eye in the company hallways. He couldn't find a good excuse to approach her, especially when he didn't know exactly which department she worked in, let alone ask her out for coffee, until he found an opportunity to meet her - a trip to the mountains organized, as it turned out, by her.

Nie Mingjue wished his friend good luck, promising to get back to him when he returned, then hung up as he approached the gathering place, noticing Wen Qing and no one around, which seemed more than a little strange to him. Having volunteered to go on the trip, he knew that more people would be going, and yet there was no one around but the originator.

"Trip still on?"

"If you want to come with just me," the woman replied, smiling slightly. "Looks like the others chickened out."

She didn't sound as if she was extremely upset about this, although her face showed that she considered the rest of her colleagues to be a bunch of boredom. Most of all they were cowards, who couldn't say they were not interested in going to the mountains, that they didn't feel like going anywhere, and the train ride was a kind of madness they didn't like. They praised her idea, and finally decided that walking wasn't something they would enjoy, but they didn't have the courage to tell her. 

"I see no reason to give up the walk," the man replied, returning the smile. 

Although on the outside he didn't look like he was particularly worried about the fact that they would finally go on this trip alone, inside everything was bubbling inside him. Different emotions surged through him, from panic that they wouldn't be able to talk to each other, to satisfaction that this was really an opportunity to get to know each other, without inventing artificial reasons, looking for an excuse.

"Do you have everything, or do you still need to go into the store?" he asked, not really knowing how to start the conversation, and very much not wanting an awkward silence.

"I have everything, I never set out unprepared" she replied simply, shaking her head slightly.

They headed towards the station, and she quietly asked the man if he had been to the area they were going to before, and if he was at all comfortable with mountain hiking, or if it was a desire on his part to explore something new. She didn't know him very well because they worked too different jobs, and she sometimes got the impression that Nie Mingjue only liked to spend time in his company, but she didn't mind getting to know him.

Wen Qing sat across from him on the train, stipulating that she had to sit facing the direction of travel, and then stretched her legs out in front of her and stretched, before fixing her hair, which she had tied up in a ponytail. It was still quite early, so it was empty around them, allowing them to have a quiet conversation.

The man answered her questions with a slight embarrassment, revealing that there was no activity he had not tried at least once in his life, and walking in the mountains was definitely one of the most enjoyable. He once tried mountain climbing, but discovered that without a suitable partner it isn't as enjoyable as he thought.

The seats on the train may not have been the worst, but he, like everywhere else, had trouble sitting fully comfortable, making it take a moment before he stopped to correct himself. He looked at the woman, discovering how different she was from the office version he saw in the corridors. The lack of heeled shoes, the less elegant outfit, though at the same time he couldn't call it ill-considered, all made his gaze sparkle with curiosity. He smiled at his thoughts, turning his gaze away for a moment, looking out the window.

"Are you seasick or is it just related to the direction of travel?" he asked suddenly curious, crossing his arms over his chest, which to many meant he wanted to cut himself off, but to him, it was simply more comfortable that way. He didn't have to worry about what to do with his hands.

"I can't stand ships and boats, even big cruise ships aren't for me," she replied immediately and flinched slightly, smiling a little crookedly.

It was one of those things she hated, because she was in no way in control of her foolish illness. She could take medication, which she did when necessary, but then she slept through most of the trip, so in the end she got absolutely nothing out of it. She preferred to stick to other means of transport, although more than once and more than twice she cursed her body, which never wanted to make anything easier for her. 

If it was still about the sea-sickness itself, she could deal with it somehow, but with all this she was also afraid of water, just like that, so any expedition that would involve traveling by ship was just not for her. She also quietly mentioned that she couldn't swim, and so despite everything, she preferred trips to the mountains or just walking through forests, meadows and fields.

She looked towards Nie Mingjue again, having the impression that he didn't fit in the chair at all, concluding that he seemed even bigger in the small space than he did in the office. Wen Qing tilted her head slightly, watching him closely as if trying to understand what he was really like and what was inside him, but she knew that these few minutes were not enough to find out.

"What do you actually do all day behind that big desk of yours?" she finally asked.

Nie Mingjue merely nodded his head before, feeling slightly regretful. He had involuntarily considered inviting her to the lake to go kayaking, on the assumption that she liked to stay active, but now he knew he would have to come up with something else if she didn't get sick of him after this trip.

"I deal with our orders. Logistics, warehousing... Sometimes I get out of the office to check in person to make sure everything is working as it should, but mostly it's a pile of tables and a bunch of phone calls," he answered simply, running his hand down the back of his neck. 

He didn't find it interesting, certainly not a topic of conversation, but he understood the question. So far they had seen each other in passing at the office and knew practically nothing about each other. 

"You certainly have a more interesting job than I do," he added in a questioning tone, smiling slightly at the woman. He was still a tad disbelieving that they were really going on a trip alone and could talk quietly, get to know each other. 

"If that's what you consider trying to keep your nerves in check when more complaints and requests come in," she replied and snorted with amusement , and the man shook his head slightly.

She liked her job, she didn't feel bad about it, she didn't feel particularly strongly about what went on there, she didn't feel like she had to move somewhere. Wen Qing was fine with the simple life she was leading, where she had time to pursue her passions, and that was really important to her. It was because of the choices she had made that she now had the opportunity to simply go on this trip, knowing that this was exactly what would make her happy. 

"You're not the soul of the company, are you? Some people say they're afraid to ask you to lunch together because you'd sooner eat their heart out than something else."

"Do you think so too?" he asked simply, looking at the woman closely. 

He didn't know that the other staff members had such an opinion of him, and he feared that Wen Qing might have a similar one. Although then she wouldn't just be going on a trip with him, right? He snorted under his breath, shaking his head at his own thoughts. Even if she thought the same about him, he had a chance to show her that he just wasn't fond of the company of some people from their company.

"No. But I think you could smile more often," she replied and shook her head slightly, pulling the sleeves of her sweater up a bit as her hands began to freeze. 

"I'm not amused by gossiping about co-workers, complaining about how hard we have it at work, or drinking myself into a stupor in the evening. That's why I mostly refuse" he replied, a little more burbly than usual, feeling a little pinned down. "It also depends on who's inviting" he added more quietly, not looking directly at the woman. 

If she ever suggested having lunch together, even with other employees, he would go without question. However, when the others entered his office, acting like teenagers, he always refused.

"What amuses you, then?" she asked curiously. 

She sat down a little more comfortably once she had pulled a thermal mug with hot tea out of her backpack. It was still about half an hour ahead of them, and she wasn't going to freeze by then, she also needed the strength to get going on the trail, and she didn't have the slightest desire to come off as some weakling who makes up things he isn't good at all.

"Outside sports?" he asked with a quiet laugh, correcting himself in his seat, pulling up the sleeves of his warm sweatshirt. 

He pondered the answer for a moment, unconsciously smiling out of the corner of his mouth as he tried to choose something among the things that gave him pleasure that didn't fall under the umbrella of physical activity in general.

"Karaoke, but I haven't been in a long time. Taking pictures... Baking. Rather nothing the others wanted to do at lunch, so maybe I'm really not much of a socialite," he finally replied, shrugging his shoulder, clearly unconcerned that he might not have had much in the way of common conversation topics with the other co-workers. The other thing was that for karaoke alone, he certainly wouldn't go with them.

"Baking? You mean cakes?" 

Wen Qing raised her eyebrows slightly, because she definitely didn't expect such an answer, not from someone like Nie Mingjue, so she was a bit surprised by all this, but she was definitely not disgusted or dissatisfied. She was more curious, like the question of photography, so she asked him if he had brought a camera with him or if he only relied on his cell phone, which wouldn't surprise her so much.

"More like cookies, yeast. Cakes... Only for bigger occasions," he burbled in response, feeling visibly confused, welcoming the change of subject to photography. 

He immediately assured that he had brought his camera with him, informing the woman of the model and the quality of the pictures he was taking, and as he spoke, his face brightened as he smiled wider and wider. He loved photography, and talking about his passion always consumed him, making him stop looking like he was constantly angry about something or felt like yelling.

Wen Qing didn't comment on his words, noticing that he was somewhat abashed by what they were talking about, although she had to admit that she liked the vision of a man getting dirty with cake. Apparently he didn't want to talk about it, unlike photography, which seemed to be in fact one of his favorite activities. She was very curious to see what his photographs looked like, and expressed the hope that he would show her some after today's excursion. 

"Sometimes it's the most interesting souvenir from different places. I usually pick the best photo and develop it to hang on the wall," he admitted still, shrugging his shoulders, clearly showing that he didn't consider it something special. "And what do you do in your spare time?"

"I embroider," she replied, somewhat amused, aware that it might have been somewhat amusing to other people as well.

Nie Mingjue stared at her a moment, as if waiting for her to continue speaking, to laugh, to say that she was joking. When it occurred to him that the woman was speaking sincerely, he grunted while covering his face with his fist, trying to hide his confusion.

"Quite unusual... Did you teach yourself?" he asked, dimly interested. He was convinced that he wouldn't have the patience to embroider anything. In fact, he didn't have the patience when it came to patching up a hole in his clothes, let alone creating images from thread, so his admiration for the woman grew a tad.

"Yes," she replied, nodding slightly, but she also squinted slightly, clearly seeing that the man was probably not quite sure how he should respond. "It's something that's great for killing boredom while also making a person get really creative."

She took a sip of the still hot tea and then for a short while she told him about where exactly her interest came from, trying not to bore him to death. The woman didn't want their meeting to appear strange for some reason, but so far they had been talking really well, so she felt quite comfortable in the presence of the man. She glanced at her watch to discover with some surprise that they were nearing their destination, so she asked Nie Mingjue if he relied on her to choose the route of their trip today.

He listened to her carefully as she spoke, clearly not teasing her but trying to understand everything. He finally smiled slightly, nodding as he came to the conclusion that it was easy to be confused about the interests of others based only on what one saw, but he didn't say it out loud.

"I'll gladly let you be in charge," he replied with a slight glint in his gaze, glancing at her obliquely as he checked to make sure everything from his luggage was in place, making sure the fasteners of his backpack were holding properly. He'd checked everything before he left, but he couldn't shake the habit of checking security every once in a while.

Wen Qing smiled, somewhat amused at such a question, and then made sure she had everything with her. They got up early, so they wouldn't have to run to the door unnecessarily, and got off at a small station, then headed towards the road leading to the right trail. They had to pass through the center of the town, where they stopped for a while to look for a place where they could eat something in the evening.

It wasn't foggy or particularly cold, it didn't start to rain or snow, although I'm sure many people would think it was impossible to walk in the mountains in such conditions. However, they weren't going anywhere really far or high, because after all, Wen Qing, in choosing the route of the trip, had taken into account that a lot of people might be in poor shape and not be seasoned hikers.

"I take it you've picked the route before? Do you often go to the mountains?" he asked curiously, correcting the sweatshirt that had rolled up under his backpack when Wen Qing confirmed both of his guesses.

He smiled unconsciously from the moment they stepped onto the trail, when although you could still see the street and passing cars, you were starting to get in between nature. When he was younger, he liked to imagine at times like this that he had traveled back in time and was a warrior on a quest to defeat an evil demon and save the world from eternal evil. At this moment, he snorted under his breath, shaking his head as he recalled his childhood fantasies.

He didn't take out his camera yet, not wanting to damage it in case of a fall, which he never ruled out. It would only take a moment of inattention to ride on a protruding branch or a loose stone, and that could end up destroying the equipment that was really precious to him. He preferred to take out his camera when he was sure he would be taking pictures.

"If I didn't show up, you'd be riding alone, right?" He asked, glancing at her obliquely, once again admiring her proud stance that told her to be on her guard.

"Yes," she admitted simply, pausing for a moment, not wanting to carry on a conversation with him as she hiked so as not to tire herself unnecessarily. "I wouldn't waste my time and I wouldn't get angry that everyone decided to put me up to it."

She took off her backpack from her shoulders to pull out her hat, figuring that it was getting chilly. She didn't want her head to ache in a moment because of the cold, and such problems as her hair getting tousled or making her look hot didn't bother her at all. Wen Qing looked around the surroundings, realizing that it wasn't as charming as she would have liked, but she still enjoyed this simple walk in the low mountains.

"If I had known you liked the mountains, I would have invited you for a walk long ago," he said quietly, more to himself than to the woman, though when he realized what he had done, he merely furrowed his brow, quickening his step. 

After all, they hadn't talked until now, and even if he was aware of what she liked, he couldn't just ask her out. It would look odd, to say the least, if he approached her in the hallway, proposing a day trip when they had only exchanged pleasantries with each other.

Wen Qing only smiled slightly at his words, not seeing anything so strange or unusual in them that she should take him for some kind of freak. She didn't see him as a threat either, and his remark made her feel quite nice, realizing that the man was probably paying attention to her at work after all. The last thing she was going to do in this situation was start yelling and calling him names, as if he had done something forbidden. He had given her no reason so far that she should start panicking.

Nie Mingjue walked ahead, looking around the area more carefully before finally stopping in place and taking out his camera. He smiled slightly at the woman, showing her to be quiet for a moment, then pointed to a tree where a male dark-eyed weirdo was sitting. He liked to look out for them in the trees because of their coloration - the males had a red head, breast and rump, the rest of their plumage being brown. The man always laughed in his spirit that he looked like his friend whenever he was embarrassed, having no idea that he himself looked similar.

The man aimed his camera at the bird, quickly setting the right parameters, taking a few shots. Wen Qing stopped right next to him, trying to see what he noticed as well, but she had to admit that she still had a little trouble doing so. 

Yes, she enjoyed admiring nature, but she wasn't as focused on it as Nie Mingjue, she didn't seek out its beauty and mysteries, but on the other hand, she liked nature photos and enjoyed looking through them. She also often looked to them for inspiration for her embroideries. And although she had patience with her tambour and thread, she undoubtedly didn't have it for waiting for the right moment to take the perfect picture.

"Since we have an easy route, I take it we're not rushing anywhere?" he asked quietly, then lifted his camera to take a picture of the woman as well.

"No," she replied, raising her eyebrows slightly as she realized what this one was doing, and then smiled a little uncertainly. "I think we'll easily make it back to town before lunch, but we can also go a little further or higher if you feel like it. It shouldn't take us that long, and the weather is good enough that we shouldn't cause anyone any problems with it."

"I'd be happy to walk a little further, I'm in no hurry to get back," he stated simply, still reaching into his backpack to take advantage of the momentary stop to drink tea from a thermos and treat the woman to the baked cookies he had brought more with him, expecting a large group on the trip.

"Don't you like having your picture taken?" he asked after a moment as he captured more birds in photographs, waiting for a better view of the mountains. He was curious if she had smiled uncertainly earlier because she wasn't fond of posing for pictures, or if it was about him taking her picture.

"No, I'm not fond of it," she explained, shaking her head immediately. "I'm not very comfortable with it, and I don't feel the need to look at my face."

She was aware that she might have sounded a bit strange, but that was exactly her position and nothing could change that. She wasn't fond of things which were commonly considered normal, but this didn't make her a madwoman or someone who couldn't be talked to. The woman immediately bounced back, asking the same question to the man, wanting to see, how he really was, because so far he seemed a rather cheerful man.

"I definitely prefer to stand on the other side of the lens. Who enjoys watching others' mistakes, knowing they can do something better," he replied truthfully, snorting under his breath, his gaze hardening for a moment as he remembered his last argument with the photographer, after which he decided it was time to start taking pictures himself. 

He shook his head at once, as if to push some of the thoughts away, not stopping to wrinkle his brow. Eventually, he just focused on the road, glancing towards the woman every now and then, curious about her, more so than before. A momentary silence fell between them, but there was nothing wrong with it. 

They walked ahead, looking around and focusing on the route as the fog lifted around them and the sun came out from behind the clouds. The route itself was fascinating, there was something about it that attracted them in a way, but only now did it seem to show its full charm. The trees swayed gently in the wind, the autumn leaves rattled under their shoes, and in the distance they heard a few bird calls.

"You go out with the others to have lunch together at work?" asked Nie Mingjue suddenly, trying not to sound curious, but he involuntarily wondered how many opportunities to talk together he had missed by refusing to go out each time. In an instant, he began to wonder if the others had given up because they saw that he had agreed to go on the trip.

"It happens to me, but very rarely," she replied, stopping for a moment at the roots of one of the large trees to take a deep breath. "It's not a big deal, and nothing interesting, but sometimes I can listen to the ones I like."

"If you don't mind... You can let me know next time you go out. I'd love to go too," he muttered suddenly, sounding burlier than usual; all because of a sudden abashed feeling that he may have crossed some boundaries he wasn't aware of. 

"So you're not as unsocial as you seem after all," she merely muttered, but not loud enough for him to hear her.

She didn't see anything wrong with his behavior, his request or perhaps his offer, taking it as a signal that the man just didn't quite find himself in larger groups. It wasn't at all as surprising as it might seem, and it also didn't reject her in any way, after all, people were just different. They didn't necessarily have to be the souls of company, and they didn't necessarily have to immediately throw themselves into meeting others.

Here, in the midst of nature, Nie Mingjue seemed as if he felt really good, as if he knew what he needed from life, as if what was happening made him happy. The thought was quite nice, because after all, Wen Qing liked to give pleasure to other people with her decisions.

At one point, he stopped, staring at the path in front of them. The visible mist shifting between the vegetation created an image that he wanted to capture in a photo. He asked Wen Qing to wait for a moment, and then, quickly adjusting the settings on his camera, he took several pictures, furrowing his brows each time as if he wasn't satisfied with the result.

"Would you mind..." he began quietly, then grunted as he remembered the woman's earlier words, but he wasn't about to stop. "Would you mind taking a picture?" he asked eventually, looking straight at the woman. Even though he was asking for her help, he looked unfriendly, with his brow furrowed and his teeth clearly clenched. He stood upright, as if preparing to fend off a verbal attack. "I'd like you to stand further down the path there, with your back to me, so you shouldn't feel uncomfortable. I miss the person in the picture," he added, explaining what he was trying to accomplish. 

The pictures he had taken so far showed the beauty of nature, but they didn't fully reflect what he was feeling at that moment. He needed to capture a man in a photograph. He needed to capture a man in a photograph, a figure wrapped in a floating fog, alone in the middle of the wilderness. Nie Mingjue suspected, however, that the woman would refuse, since she didn't like photographs. Then he would have to come back to this place, trying to take the picture again, or process it properly in the program, although he preferred to avoid this. He stared carefully at the woman, clearly waiting for an answer, and only his fingers tightened on the camera betrayed his nervousness.

This didn't escape Wen Qing's attention, who looked at the man for a moment while wondering why this man was going through this matter so much. She could see that he was tense, she could see how he was acting, but she couldn't answer the question of where it was actually coming from. Did he care that much about other people's comfort? She tilted her head slightly, concluding that this wasn't the right time for such questions, and Nie Mingjue would probably consider her a stalker.

"I don't think I'll get hurt from this," she stated slightly, perhaps even slightly amused, and then walked forward slightly. However, she could see a glint of satisfaction in the man's gaze, accentuated by a gentle smile.

He didn't ask anything else, waiting until Wen Qing was in the right place to ask her to stand and look slightly up at the trees. He took several pictures, trying his best to capture the rising mist gently surrounding the woman. Finally satisfied with the result, he approached her unhurriedly, placing a hand on her shoulder once he was close enough.

"Thank you," he said quietly, asking right away if they were moving on or coming back slowly for lunch. He didn't want them to have to come back starving and irritable, but at the same time, he wanted to spend as much time with her on the trail as possible.

"Let's go even further, it's still early," she replied simply, asking if he would show her the pictures later and if she could print any of them if she liked them.

She crinkled her eyebrows slightly at this, wondering at the seriousness with which Nie Mingjue approached the issue of these photographs, but also how he related to her herself, clearly trying to respect her opinions and choices. He was strangely strict, raised apparently according to the rules they used to follow, but that didn't bother her. It could, of course, be irritating in excess, or at least that was what she suspected, but it wasn't in any way bad.

However, she increasingly understood why many of their co-workers preferred to avoid the man, not wanting to enter into discussion with him, and certainly not wanting to enter into conflict with him. He seemed dangerous and implacable, which was probably useful for him during his work, but might be discouraging for some, causing him to do most of his mountain hiking alone, in silence, with no one to share his impressions with.

At this time, the man agreed with a slight reluctance to show her the pictures, and to have her print the ones that would suit her. He couldn't disagree when not only was she the originator of this trip, but she also posed for his pictures. However, at the very thought that someone other than his brother might see the pictures, he felt uneasy, fearing that she might not like them after all.

"Maybe next time we can take a slightly more challenging trail?" she asked simply as they walked a good chunk of the way again.

"The man agreed almost immediately, smiling at the corner of his mouth. On the way, he stopped for a moment to take a picture, until he finally hid the camera. He admitted after a moment that he wanted to invite her to the lake as a revenge, but when he heard that she wasn't fond of water, he resigned.

"Did you happen to rock climb?" he asked curiously, as to how challenging a trail she had in mind and if he could invite her to something more challenging. He wasn't fully aware of what the woman thought of him, but it seemed to him that she wasn't unhappy with his company. Sam, though still feeling insecure, wasn't as tense as he had been at the very beginning. 

"In the mountains? Are we talking about climbing walls?" she asked still for reassurance, glancing at him.

"Both, though I was thinking of the mountains. Low ones, nothing particularly dangerous to begin with," he replied, nodding slightly.

"In the mountains, when you needed to pull yourself up somewhere with the help of chains, but nothing else," she countered actually immediately, shaking her head slightly.

A puff of steam rose from her lips and she rubbed her palms together, realizing that it had gotten a little cooler. She looked at the sky for a moment, trying to gauge whether the weather conditions would worsen in a moment, and then took off her backpack to slide out her map and take a closer look at the trails that were in the area. The path they had taken earlier was quite long, albeit gentle, but there was another trail they could theoretically take to get down to the town more quickly.

Wen Qing immediately leaned towards her companion to show him an alternative route, agreeing with him right away which way they should return, while wondering if they would have time before it started raining, which was what it was starting to look like. She hoped only that it wouldn't be a freezing rain, because then they would have problems. 

"Do you have anything else warm to wear?" he elaborated after they agreed to descend the more difficult but faster trail. 

He had no problem walking in the mountains, and he also preferred not to end up soaked, looking for a place where they could change clothes and dry off. He looked at Wen Qing investigatively, having a memory of her rubbing her hands together. The man had another sweatshirt in his backpack just in case, and was willing to share with the woman if she didn't have anything else with her.

"I should have a scarf, but I'm not sure if that's enough for me in this weather," she replied, looking around carefully, clenching her fingers on the map.

"We definitely need to go faster," he added as a stronger wind blew, making the man furrow his brow as he looked up at the sky. 

He didn't like what was starting to happen, although they had checked the weather forecast beforehand, but in the mountains you could never be sure of the weather, something he had forgotten for a moment. For a moment he was glad that perhaps he would have a chance to talk to Wen Qing when he didn't yet know that they would be completely alone.
The woman nodded slightly, and then actually accelerated slightly to finally point to the right path they should take to the town. She had a feeling it was going to be a real downpour, maybe a blizzard, and she didn't like that at all. For this reason, she kept silent, saving her strength so as not to waste it on unnecessary chitchat at the moment. They had to actually go ahead as fast as possible.

But they couldn't run, as that would end badly for them. She made sure Nie Mingjue had everything, that he was feeling fine, and then started down the slope at a brisk pace, trying to choose a slightly gentler descent so as not to accidentally fall. The last thing they needed at the moment was an injury to delay them. It was already getting quite unpleasant.

The man walked behind her, trying to keep his eyes on the road, while rummaging through his backpack, rearranging some things in it, until he finally took out an extra thick sweatshirt. For a moment he looked at the woman walking silently in front of him, hesitating as to whether he should, offer her to wear something from him, but in the end he waved it off. Right now, it wasn't about how it might be perceived if someone saw them, it was about keeping Wen Qing cool. The wind was unpleasant, able to penetrate through clothes, but Nie Mingjue didn't seem to feel it.

"Wen Qing, wait," he finally spoke up, leveling a step with her to hand her a sweatshirt. "Get dressed. A scarf here really won't help, and I'm warm" he added, smiling uncertainly at the corner of his mouth. 

He also immediately added that he hoped it wouldn't rain, because there was nothing suitable for rain. He was able to survive snowfall, but rain, which used to fall into every crevice and soak into his clothes, was never pleasant.

The woman looked at him a bit puzzled, making sure he was definitely not getting cold, and when he confirmed, she thanked him and actually put on his sweatshirt, breathing a bit deeper. She looked up at the sky uncertainly, not sure what else awaited them, and then pulled her cap over her ears, not caring at all about how her hair would look later.

"We should be able to find somewhere to stay in town, there were a few restaurants or cafés," she said as they moved further ahead. "If not, I hope you don't live too far from the station?"

"A piece I have, but you don't have to worry about that. Hopefully we can find something in town" the man replied, clearly dismissing the fact that he could get sick if drenched by the downpour. It couldn't be said that he was really unconcerned about his own health, but he had been through more than one thing out of his own stupidity, and he knew how much he could afford, which he was capable of getting through without too much trouble using the medicines he had at home.

They hadn't made it halfway down the path when the first drops of rain fell. They were surrounded by the sound of rain falling in big drops on the ground, stones, soaking their clothes. It wasn't a downpour yet, but they already had impaired visibility, not to mention the descent itself. Nie Mingjue skated on the slippery stones a few times, but he didn't complain of any pain. The fierce expression on his face betrayed his focus on one goal - reaching the town quickly.

"Maybe we should stop for a while?" asked Wen Qing, raising her voice slightly as she slipped on the freezing mud and had to grab onto the trunk of the nearest tree.

"If we stand, we'll get soaked. I don't see where we could hide from the rain," Nie Mingjue remarked, walking over to her and also backing up a bit against a tree. Water dripped on them from the branches, providing a slight respite from the rain, but not enough to keep them from sneaking through.

Nothing before had indicated such a change in the weather, perhaps it wasn't perfectly beautiful, perhaps it wasn't the way they wanted it to be, but it still looked like they would have a chance to take a leisurely walk. Now, on the other hand, Wen Qing was worried that by the time they reached the town, they wouldn't only be drenched but also frozen to the bone, which she didn't like at all. She blinked to immediately wipe the water off her face, and then looked at the man.

"My apartment is actually right next to the train station, so if we can't find a place here, catch the train home, I'll make us something warm to drink."

Such a proposal Nie Mingjue had certainly not expected, which was clearly evident from him. He grunted, glancing at the woman surreptitiously, wondering if there was something more to her proposal, or if she simply cared about others. He didn't know if she was aware of how her words could be taken. The man tried to push the possibility away, keeping in mind that after all, they had really only just met, so surely it must have been about exactly what she said.

"It would be my pleasure," he finally replied once he realized he had been silent for too long. "Though, it would be better if we actually found a place in town. Traveling by train like this wouldn't be good" he added, wrinkling his brows. He looked carefully at Wen Qing, sliding his gaze over her, wanting to make sure she wasn't still soaking wet.

The woman didn't quite understand where this strange hesitation came from, but since they actually had to move on if they didn't want to turn into ice sculptures right away, she didn't have time to think about it too hard. She soon decided that it was probably related to this feeling that Nie Mingjue had been raised quite traditionally, or at least that he had followed certain rules that he didn't want to disregard in any way. It was amusing in its own way, and perhaps even heartwarming. 

They walked slower and slower, getting visibly tired and freezing, but there was no chance of them stopping anywhere for a longer time, as it could end up not very pleasant for them. The weather was getting more and more capricious, and their clothes had managed to soak up the water that was slowly freezing, and they, although dressed appropriately for this trip, were already tired. In the end, however, Wen Qing breathed deeply and pointed ahead to the first of the houses that emerged from behind the hill.

"We'll be there in a minute."

"Are you going to make it on your own, or take you on my back?" asked Nie Mingjue suddenly, and his gaze expressed genuine concern. 

He was freezing and tired, which wasn't often, but he wasn't used to coming down from the mountains in freezing rain. During his last trips to the mountains, he had managed to avoid similar weather. He was already involuntarily dreaming of sitting down in the warmth and drinking hot tea. However, he had a feeling that Wen Qing was much colder, making him worry whether she would definitely be able to make it to the restaurant on her own or whether he should help her. The last thing they needed was an extra stop in the rain.

The woman looked at him a bit puzzled, then smiled warmly at him and assured him that she could handle herself. She didn't want to strain him in any way, besides, she felt that they could do themselves unnecessary harm in such a way. The town wasn't so far away, and she was sure they would soon see more houses and the main street, where they would surely find a place to rest at least for a while. 

The rest of the way was easier, and the air in the town seemed to be a little warmer, but it didn't improve their situation. Their clothes were even sticky to their bodies, further chilling them. Nie Mingjue began to wonder if there was anything left of what he had packed to wear so that he wouldn't catch a cold on the way home. He couldn't remember if they had passed any clothing stores to buy a few things if necessary.

"Dinner?" he asked when they arrived at the place they had checked earlier while planning their meal.

"Warm drink," she replied, smiling slightly, and then pushed open the door. 

Wen Qing almost immediately trembled as soon as she felt how warm and cozy the restaurant was. Out of control, she even started to grit her teeth, feeling like her clothes were only now starting to stick to her. Apparently, the owners of the restaurant were prepared for such situations, because they immediately seated them in the warmest place, moving an additional heater to them, taking their sweatshirts and jackets to give them blankets to wrap themselves with. Without asking for anything, they also prepared warm tea so that their guests could actually warm up. 

"I didn't mean to freeze you," Wen Qing stated, snuggling tightly into the blanket.

"I'm not complaining," replied Nie Mingjue stiffly, feeling his whole face tingle. He closed his eyes for a moment, adjusting the blanket on himself, feeling the chill beating off his body. He opened his eyes, looking back at the woman, only to immediately smile slightly at her, finally laughing quietly.

"If I had known you liked to turn into an icicle, I would have thought of another pastime," she stated, rolling her eyes, which she promptly closed, as if in this way she also wanted to keep a little more heat to herself, though she knew that was impossible. 

"It was supposed to be a trip for everyone, we were alone. It was supposed to be good weather, and we're sitting wrapped in blankets. I wonder what else is going to happen," he stated simply, reaching his hand to his mug to start warming himself with the warm tea, which he drank a bit of after a while.

He didn't complain about what was going on. He was happy with the trip and relaxed despite everything. Nie Mingjue had a feeling that Wen Qing was also having a good time, and that mattered a lot to him. Of course, it would have been better if he wasn't incredibly cold at the moment, despite the blanket and heater, but he couldn't complain.

"The last train to the city will leave without us? We'll turn out to have lost something?" muttered Wen Qing at that, then reached for her mug of tea. "Maybe we better not think of anything! Can you show me the pictures?"

"That sounds like one of the novels my brother edits," snorted Nie Mingjue under his breath, shaking his head as he remembered evenings with his friends and Nie Huaisang. The moments when his brother would read every odd bit of the novel, which more than once sounded so cheesy, that everyone was more embarrassed than amused. Nie Mingjue, however, enjoyed these encounters, though he wasn't used to admitting it.

"Oh?" muttered Wen Qing with interest, smiling slightly at him.

"Huaisang does book editing at a publishing house... Actually, she does everything at once. In the romance department... Also, I've heard similar stories more than once... For example, that the car broke down, they were stranded in the middle of nowhere, it was raining, it was cold, so they had to get warm otherwise..." he stopped, feeling slightly embarrassed. He spoke quietly the whole time, not feeling like entertaining the other restaurant guests.

Wen Qing laughed warmly at this explanation while trying to imagine Nie Mingjue's brother, though she had to admit that it was a really crazy thought. If he bore even a slight resemblance to him, he must have looked somewhat comical amidst the pink, cute covers that always amused her to tears. That didn't mean she never read romance herself, because it was a suitable pastime when she needed to really forget about the entire world, but she couldn't imagine dealing with something like that on a daily basis.

Nie Mingjue looked at Wen Qing, then reached into his backpack to take out his camera. Only with it did he move across the bench towards the woman. He folded back the blanket, throwing it over her back so that he could more comfortably show her the pictures, though at the same time he hoped that his getting too close wouldn't be perceived as being pushy.

"These are raw photos. I usually tweak them gently in the program to bring out the details," he warned, turning on the photo preview, then handed her the camera, showing only where she could change the photo and where to zoom in if she wanted. Sam reached for his mug of tea to sip it, again feeling a pleasant shiver as he slowly began to warm up.

The woman nodded, then moved a little closer to him, hoping that maybe this way they could warm up a little faster. She looked curiously at the pictures he had taken, noting that some of them he could undoubtedly send to a competition, only to stop a little longer at the ones she herself was in. She wrinkled her nose slightly, feeling like deleting the ones where she was perfectly visible, but decided that it would be a bit inappropriate on her part after all.

"Do they really require it to be put on some kind of show?" she asked after a moment, glancing up at the man. "They're beautiful just the way they are."

"They're beautiful," Nie Mingjue confirmed quietly, though he definitely wasn't talking about the pictures, staring into the woman's eyes, not looking like he realized he'd said it out loud.

He was getting warm from sitting right next to her when he felt her leg next to his own despite everything. Realizing where his thoughts were circling, he snorted under his breath at himself, furrowing his brow. He shouldn't be thinking like this, focusing on this, so he merely swiped a hand across his cheek, returning to the subject of the photos, explaining why he did throw them into the right program sometimes after all.

"In any case, it largely depends on how it looks on the screen," he noted, gently taking the camera from her to select one of the photos where she was clearly visible, in profile, clearly staring at something at the time. He liked this photo, and it came out better than he suspected.

"If you don't like the pictures, I can delete them, even though this came out really well."

"I don't like looking at myself" Wen Qing replied, feeling herself blushing slightly and until she furrowed her brows, concluding that it was ridiculous on her part to say the least. "But they look really good, and I think my mom would be happy with them" she added, somewhat embarrassed.

She wasn't embarrassed by the fact, that they were sitting next to each other, that she had a blanket over her shoulders and the man, who accompanied her, was also covered with it, but nevertheless she found the matter of these photographs surprisingly embarrassing. She had always been like this, she hated all the pictures taken at school and when her parents tried to persuade her to pose with her brother, she usually ran away or made insulted faces. Wen Qing couldn't explain where this came from.

Now, too, but instead of arguing further with Nie Mingjue, she took the camera from his hands, taking it as carefully as before to switch it and then lift it up to take a picture of the man. She knew it wouldn't be even half as good as the ones he took, but that didn't matter to her at the moment. She figured she could tease him a bit, and since she was having such a nice time with him, even though they were soaked and cold and there was no telling what else was in store for them, she had every right to do so. And willing.

"Should I prepare a gift for her in the form of your picture? Some simple frame to hang or put up?" he asked, trying to joke and avoid the photo at the same time by tilting his head a bit. However, he did nothing to truly avoid the photograph. At one point, he even stuck out the tip of his tongue for a brief moment, laughing quietly after a moment.

The woman smiled, clearly amused by his behavior, then rolled her eyes as if to tell him what she thought of his behavior. However, she had to admit that it just made her feel nice when the man started fooling around, showing another version of himself that she definitely liked. Actually, she had to admit that Nie Mingjue liked the whole thing, but she wasn't going to tell him that he reminded her of a big teddy bear that could give support at any possible moment in life. 

"I don't suppose you're going to take so many pictures of me that you'll block the memory card?" he asked warmly, sipping his tea again. 

He could feel that he was slowly warming up, but for many reasons he didn't want to head towards the station just yet. He enjoyed this meeting, every new piece of information about the woman, and the fact that they were talking quite pleasantly. Nie Mingjue wondered if he could persuade her to take a picture of them together as a souvenir of the trip.

Wen Qing snorted with amusement, then took another picture that didn't even make any sense, quite enjoying herself with this, taking a moment to photograph the lunch she had just brought. She was having a great time with it, finding that this was probably how the current social media stars behaved, while wondering when her meal would have time to cool down, and when Nie Mingjue tried to reach for the camera, she rolled out quite gracefully to take another picture of him.

Although his brought dinner was on the other side of the table, Nie Mingjue still sat next to the woman, making sure that the blanket he himself was covered with didn't fall from her shoulders.

"Wen Qing," he began menacingly, though his eyes were still shining merrily. "You'd better give the camera back in kind." 

Without thinking about what he was doing, about the fact that he definitely shouldn't be acting like this, he grabbed her around the waist with one hand, pulling her tightly to him, eliminating the remaining distance.

"Can I have my camera?" he asked quietly, not much louder than a whisper, staring blankly at the woman, wearing a slight smile on his face that showed the dimples in his cheeks.

"Now I understand why they think you're so threatening," she stated, still holding the aforementioned camera as if to defend herself with it.

She had not expected such a move from him, such directness, but she didn't feel bad about it. Perhaps it was because Nie Mingjue really liked her, perhaps it was because she was beginning to like him, seeing that he wasn't at all as simple a person as he seemed. She had to admit that she really enjoyed teasing him, and now she didn't feel the least bit embarrassed, although she probably should have. 

Perhaps that was why she once again pressed the right button, only to have the flash illuminate their surroundings a moment later, causing white spots to appear in her eyes. She laughed, blinking, and then handed him the camera, smiling remorsefully, knowing full well that the pictures she had taken probably wouldn't even last into the evening, but it didn't matter. She was just having fun.

" So threatening only to..." he began to say, only to immediately clench his eyelids in surprise at the sudden flash, laughing quietly. 

The man let go of her, picking up the camera, his other hand rubbing his eyes slightly. He wanted to say that he was like that only for her, but the moment passed, and he didn't finish the sentence, though maybe it was better that way. He definitely didn't want to appear bad in her eyes, and with a similar statement he could lead to that, he was sure of it.

"We'd better eat before it gets cold, and then we'll see what kind of photographer you are," he announced, smiling slightly as he set the camera aside. He stepped back just enough to make it more comfortable for them to eat, but didn't return to his original spot, facing the woman. He merely removed the blanket from his shoulders, leaving it on her so that she would be sure to get warm.

"Bad one," she countered immediately, but nodded.

She breathed a sigh of pleasure when they actually got down to eating, discovering that she was monstrously hungry, and fatigue seemed to just crawl out of every part of her body. However, she didn't protest out loud, feeling that it had been a really nice day, though she guessed that she might just fall asleep on the train. Wen Qing also undoubtedly needed a hot shower and plenty of sleep, but she was far from saying that she should write this day off. On the contrary.

With some curiosity, she began to ask Nie Mingjue what he liked to eat, so she would know when to suggest they go to lunch together. She noted in passing that one of their work acquaintances only took them to restaurants that served vegan dishes, and she wouldn't want to get him into that kind of trouble. She smiled at him a little teasingly when she mentioned that she didn't think he looked attractive with a lettuce leaf hanging on his chin.

It was no secret that he preferred meat dishes, but he admitted that he could eat something vegetarian once in a while. As long as it is a lot, and he manages to satiate himself with it. He didn't like to be hungry because then he would become extremely irritable, which Wen Qing also said, wrinkling his brows as if he was revealing an uncomfortable secret.

He continued eating, glancing at the woman every now and then, unable to hold back the slight smile at the corner of his mouth. He was glad that she didn't turn out to be as boring company as he had feared. Nie Mingjue hoped that they would still be able to go somewhere together, as he was sure of one thing - Wen Qing definitely liked him. 

When he finished eating, he reached for his camera to check the pictures she had taken. Taken in automatic mode they usually came out, maybe not so as to make pictures out of them, but enough for the family album, or to print as a memory.

"They didn't come out that bad," he stated after a moment of silence, checking each photo carefully. Yes, many of them were shaky, some didn't catch focus where they should have. But the dinner picture was fine, and even the last one, which blinded them with the flash, betrayed how much fun they were having at that moment. He liked them for that very reason. "What's the next plan for the tour, Miss Wen? Heading to the train station, or do we order anything else? I don't know how much you've managed to stay warm."

"The next train won't be for another hour or so, so I hope we can have some more tea? And eat something sweet," she added, smiling a bit like a cat, clearly breaking her rules, but she figured she could totally afford it on this one day.

The man only smiled at the corner of his mouth, clearly amused by her behavior. After a moment, he asked what kind of cake she wanted, or maybe she preferred a completely different dessert. He chose a simple cake with fruit and coffee, feeling a little tired from the day and the impressions. He hid the camera in his backpack and, leaning slightly against the table, leaned towards her.

"You talked about taking a more difficult trail next time... Are you going to try to invite the others as well?"

"No," she stated simply as she found the dessert she wanted to eat and shook her head. "There wouldn't be any point in it since they didn't even decide to do a simple hike like today. And you still feel like taking a much more difficult hike with me?"

Wen Qing nevertheless preferred not to assume in advance that the man would still want to waste time on similar adventures, although she had to admit that she got the impression that he was really enjoying himself today. There was also no indication that he was going to sit in complete silence for the next hour, which was a good sign, but still, the woman wasn't one to do something first and think about it later.

"Depends on if we call it a date or just a trip," he stated simply, as if nothing had ever happened, without taking his gaze off her, though. 

He wanted to know if he really could have had any hopes of making an appointment with the woman. He was sure that as soon as he got home and his brother found out that he was alone on the trip with Wen Qing, whom he had managed to mention that he was interested in, the man would start asking about the details of the meeting. Nie Mingjue could almost hear Nie Huaisang's laughter already and his many questions about what kind of woman she really is.

However, regardless of what his brother might have imagined, for Nie Mingjue, the current trip was simply a meeting. However, now that he had managed to meet Wen Qing, he didn't want to return to the gray office reality where they didn't have much contact with each other. He wanted to ask her out, take her on a date, and since they were planning another trip together, she could be the one. As long as the woman was also at least a little interested in him.

Wen Qing was silent for a moment, watching him intently, and it was hard to tell what she was actually thinking at this moment. She seemed calm, and it was true that she didn't feel anger, nevertheless, she was somewhat surprised by Nie Mingjue's boldness. In quite a pleasant way, which actually didn't surprise her at all. Nevertheless, she squinted her eyes, keeping him confused for a moment, as if to see how he would react to it.

"I'd rather look better on a date than a drenched chicken, so let's go for it in town," she replied, very curious about his reaction.

She could see the tension give way to relief, and the smile on his face widened only slightly. He didn't take his gaze off her, which he moved over her face, her hair, her shoulders.

"As for me, you look beautiful even now, but so be it," he said simply, then sighed slightly, saying that he would still agree to go with her alone on a more difficult hike.

Wen Qing parried amusedly at his remark, squinting menacingly at the same time, as if to tell him to be careful about such compliments. It made her happy, of course, but even so, she wasn't one of those women who liked to hear about her beauty or anything like that; she much preferred praise related to her work or the abilities she displayed, and nothing could change that. Apparently, even a kind word from an attractive man she liked couldn't quite change that. 

"I used to go to the mountains with my friends, but they both have their families now, so our trips have become very rare. And although I'm usually alone, I like to go to the mountains in company," he added further, revealing a bit more about himself without intending to elaborate on his compliment. He got the impression that Wen Qing probably didn't like them as much as her own photos.

"You sound like you spend your free time very actively," she remarked thoughtfully, then leaned back slightly to put her arms across her chest as she waited for their dessert to be served.

"Sometimes I'll watch a movie, but when an opportunity for activity comes along, I take it gladly. Better than staying home alone," he replied simply, shrugging his shoulder. He had never considered leaving the apartment too often, but when he thought about it more, he came to the conclusion that if he lived with someone, he would certainly look forward to coming home more than at the moment, when no one was waiting for him. Sometimes he had guests, but it wasn't the same.

"Don't you like solitude?" she asked curiously.

Being alone at home didn't bother her at all, she liked it that way in truth and sometimes enjoyed it as she was pretty much an individual. She didn't mind hanging out with family or friends, but she was definitely far from running to some meetings or going to clubs every day. It wasn't exactly what made her happy, she preferred to hole up in a warm corner in her apartment and just give herself fully to her passion.

"It's hard for me to say," the man admitted, running his hand over the nape of his neck, wondering how to explain it. "There are days when I don't feel like seeing anyone. Then I just lock myself in my apartment. However, I like to go to the mountains with someone if I have a hike in mind. To the gym or to take pictures I prefer to go alone," he added, smiling slightly, unsure if he had managed to explain anything. Luckily they had brought them dessert and tea, so he could at least take his mind off whether he had accidentally messed up. "What about you? A soul of company or a lonely ghost?"

"No, I prefer my own company," she concluded, taking a sip of tea. "And a homey retreat where I can work on my business, though active time is nice too, in the right doses."

She smiled slightly, holding the mug in both hands, looking down at the man from above it, clearly wondering if this answer immediately crossed her out and she should nevertheless consider that their date wasn't valid at the moment. She knew that they didn't have to agree on everything, it was something completely natural, but still, there were differences that were really hard to get over, and it was better to try not to even do that.

Nie Mingjue looked at Wen Qing with a faint smile, shaking his head after a moment. He felt extremely calm, he could even say that he was happy with what was happening.

"And spending time together alone?" he asked suddenly, tilting his head slightly, his gray-green gaze shining with confidence. He suspected they could get along sitting together in the apartment, absorbed in their own activities. He wanted to try to get closer to the woman, despite the differences he was beginning to see.

"As long as someone doesn't come and talk over my head when I'm very busy with something, as much as possible I'm fine with it," she stated, setting her mug down and reaching for a spoon, which she swiped thoughtfully. "Alone in two is quite nice, it gives you a sense of security but also the peace of mind you expect. That is, what I expect."

Nie Mingjue smiled slightly at the woman, as if with thought. He dimly recalled evenings with his father when they simply sat together, watching Nie Huaisang play beside them. He remembered those moments when they would sit together despite not talking to each other. The man knew he was looking for something like that, something besides similar interests, something they could do together, so they could just sit next to each other without restraint, in silence. Without wondering if they were sure everything was okay. He didn't know what kind of person Wen Qing was before he decided to go on this trip. At this moment, he was looking forward to the next one.

"In that case, I'm already looking forward to the official date," he said quietly from above his mug of tea, glancing surreptitiously at the woman. He slowly ate the cake without saying anything, simply enjoying her company and what had been said between them so far.

Wen Qing snorted in amusement at his words, but didn't comment on it all in any other way, concluding that it wasn't necessary at all. The two of them were well aware that now they could also just get to know each other without doing anything by force. They had spent the day pleasantly, despite being drenched and cold, she had no reason to complain in any way. Now, however, she remained silent, trying to gain strength before returning home, feeling tired after all and actually would love to just lie down.

Still, she asked Nie Mingjue if he had any place he wanted to go, whether in the city or when it came to a trip to the mountains. She didn't want to plan everything herself, she liked to please others, and while some part of her loved standing up for herself, she knew that life was largely about compromise. Since she had chosen the place of their first trip, she might as well rely on the man for the next one.

"We'll just have to wait for better weather, I'm not going to be one of those foolish hikers who gets stuck on a difficult trail in a snowstorm" she remarked, finishing her tea.

"Might be a problem going to the mountains in the winter then," he remarked, spinning his already empty mug slowly, thinking about places he wanted to take her to, or places he wanted to see himself. Finally, he started listing some that were closest to them, so they wouldn't have to waste time getting there. He mentioned once again the climbing walls in town as a substitute for a trip to the mountains.

Wen Qing also paid attention to his words, reading it as a proposal, and asked him calmly if it was a heavily demanding sport and if one needed to be properly prepared for it. She didn't really mind giving it a try, although she figured that she had to read up and get some information about these climbs first, as she wasn't convinced that it would fully suit her after all. However, she wasn't going to cross it off right away.

It was difficult for Nie Mingjue to explain what using the climbing walls was all about, but there was no denying that he was excited about the thought that they could go there together someday. He remembered the woman saying that she used to pull herself up by chains in the mountains, so he suspected that she would do well on the walls.

Finally, it was time to head to the train station. He felt that his clothes had not fully dried out, but he was no longer freezing. It remained to be believed that they would still be able to thaw out peacefully on the train journey. He smiled slightly, letting them know that they should get going, then paid the bill without even trying to discuss whether they should share the cost. He figured that since she had planned everything, he could pay for it.

"From different scenarios, we can still sleep through our station on the train" Nie Mingjue spoke up once they were headed to the station, glancing surreptitiously at the woman.

"And go into the unknown?" she asked, shaking her head.

She was quite cold as her clothes were still sticking to her despite everything, but she wasn't going to complain. She just planned to take a hot shower later and settle down under a warm quilt to spend the rest of this day that way, of course, as long as she simply didn't manage to fall asleep on the couch beforehand. Fortunately, the train arrived on time, and when they took their seats, Wen Qing purred with pleasure as she moved closer to the air vent, glad that the heating was on.

"If you want to take a nap, then go ahead, I'll watch the station," Nie Mingjue said quietly, not hiding a smile as he noticed her approaching the air vent. He had something to occupy himself with in case he couldn't talk - he could always do the first photo selection of the trip. 

"For now, I'm dreaming about stopping shaking" she admitted simply. "I don't think falling asleep on the train is the best idea" she stated further, noting how difficult it would be for her to wake up later.

She knew very well that reaching the apartment in such a state wouldn't only be tiring for her, but also difficult, and she didn't want to add to her problems after all. She also didn't want to unnecessarily drag Nie Mingjue along with her, who, although he was really extremely gallant and definitely wouldn't refuse her help, he himself had to get home fast enough not to freeze.

Wen Qing looked at him carefully now, as if making sure that there was no sign of a rapidly developing illness, but she had to admit that he seemed to be at full strength. Though, of course, he was a bit flushed, probably as much as she was, and he undoubtedly deserved a hot bath and some rest. She promised herself that she would make sure the next day, if this one was really feeling well, concluding that if there were any difficulties, she would encourage him to stay at home.

"Since you've taken trips like this before, you probably have a lot to talk about the unpredictability of mountain weather," she noted, pulling the sleeves of her sweatshirt over her hands.

He couldn't tell what he had initially expected from her, but he had a feeling that he had been positively surprised. Not knowing her, he wasn't sure if they would manage to get along in any way, and as a result, he discovered that although they were different, they had common interests. All this made Nie Mingjue, although he was sitting with his arms folded across his chest again, look at Wen Qing more warmly. He actually wondered if he could offer to sit beside her to at least warm her up a bit, but he came to the conclusion that even if he were to embrace her, he would only be pressing his cold clothes against her.

"You better take something extra to wear next time," he said simply, which definitely could have sounded like a reprimand, though it wasn't. 

Nevertheless, Wen Qing looked at him a little more carefully, perhaps even sternly in a way, as if to tell him that she was aware of this. Nonetheless, she let herself feel that a simple excursion, a simple walk, couldn't end up in the rain, which was a finite foolishness on her part. She had learned her lesson, and she intended to stick to it, never to find herself in similar circumstances again, because she would rather not get sick after all.

The man corrected himself on the spot, smiling slightly in her direction while trying to recall a story where he had ended up similarly. Finally, he snorted under his breath, running his hand over his face. He could feel his skin was icy, and at the same time, a heat was beating off of him, as if he was in a fever. He suspected that it was just a reaction to the wind chill, but he planned to check at home to see if his temperature had actually lifted.

"In high school we went to the mountains," he began suddenly, looking at her with a mixture of embarrassment and amusement in his gaze. "It was supposed to be nice weather, zero clouds in the sky. I was wearing light clothes, I didn't pack anything in my backpack except drink and food," he continued, recounting how it was downright perfect for half the way. It wasn't until they were closer to the summit than where they could take cover that they realized there was a storm coming from both sides.

"We reached the summit, figuring that since we were going to get wet anyway, we weren't giving up on the climb. There, hail fell on us. I was completely soaked, frozen and sore because despite the trees, the hail balls were hitting us anyway," he confessed snorting under his breath. He mentioned that the descent was incredibly difficult because mud covered the entire path, and it was only when they descended that they discovered it was a steep slope.

"I've been carrying more clothes with me ever since..." he added, glancing meaningfully at the sweatshirt he gave her.

"I guess that was a lesson for life," she remarked, watching him closely as he nodded, getting the impression that despite everything, the man was sometimes willing to take risks.

She suspected that to a far lesser degree now, given how seriously he could behave, but still, something must have remained of it in him. A shadow of that peculiar madness inherent in most young people. After all, she didn't behave so well when she left school, thinking she could conquer the world. It wasn't until college that she sobered up a bit and finally got back on her feet.

"I hope walking in a storm is behind you."

"At least after the mountains," he replied truthfully, smiling crookedly under his breath. There were times when, ignoring the storm, he left home because he had to get somewhere, or had to buy something, needed something. However, walking in the mountains in such weather was definitely crossed out from the list of pleasant things.

"Also, I don't swim when a storm is approaching, but I like to stand on the shore and watch the waves. You can feel that mixture of reverence towards nature, its power. It can inspire you to action," he added after a moment, looking out the window. His eyebrows furrowed, as if he feared he was about to be laughed at, or wasn't quite sure if he should reveal all his thoughts.

Wen Qing immediately trembled as soon as she heard his words, feeling like she had become even colder. The water, the storm, all at once, it was definitely too much for her and she would rather not have to experience something like this. She knew exactly what the man meant at this moment, but still she surrounded herself with her arms, as if in this way she wanted to add not only warmth, but also strength.

"I'd rather look at this beauty of crazy nature somewhere far away, preferably from outside the window, though I don't deny it's an unforgettable sight," she said, yet she had to admit that somewhere deep inside her a kind of uncertainty had arisen that refused to leave her at the very thought of all they were talking about.

Nie Mingjue watched the woman surreptitiously, noticing how she suddenly put her arms around him. Despite the fact that she admitted to him that she was right about the view, he had a feeling that she would actually rather never see it. He immediately remembered her answer about swimming in the lake and furrowed his brow in thought.

"Are you afraid of water for some reason, or just, like some... snakes?" he asked, at the same time guarding himself from suddenly flinching at the mere mention of the crawling creatures. 

He leaned towards Wen Qing, supporting his forearms against his own knees, smiling at her slightly, as if he didn't want anyone else to see the small gesture on his face. He tried to give her a little encouragement once he noticed that the conversation itself was affecting the woman strongly.

"The storm in the city also makes you insecure, or is it just the water and a reservoir like a lake or bigger?" he asked, and in his tone it was impossible to miss his clear interest in her, his desire to understand her.

The woman tensed slightly at his question, because after all, it wasn't something she liked to talk about, and she was sure that most people would react similarly to her. She didn't like her weaknesses, she didn't like talking about them, she didn't like drawing undue attention to them, but she realized that there was something a little funny about it. Like she was trying to run away from the truth, like she was trying to run away from what was going on around her, trying to make herself out to be someone stronger, someone she wasn't.

"I don't like water," she finally admitted. "Just like that."

Nie Mingjue could see that she clearly didn't like his questions, but in this one he refused to relent. He waited patiently for an answer to be given, and when it was, he smiled warmly, calmly, as if to say that nothing had happened, that she had confessed what she was afraid of. He also immediately added quietly that he was afraid of snakes, although he managed to control his fear so much that he didn't run away from them in panic.

"I won't tell anyone if it bothers you," he announced quietly, almost in a whisper, sitting down again more comfortably.

"I don't like talking about it, about weaknesses," she merely admitted, then shook her head, relaxing a little.

At this time, the man reached into his backpack, taking out the rest of the cookies he had baked earlier, intending to treat Wen Qing with them. He remained silent, simply enjoying the ride, her presence. He didn't run away from her with his gaze, and he was clearly calmer, more relaxed than he had been at the beginning of the day, though he had a moment-to-moment feeling that he would have to take some medication once he got home. 

In the end, the woman reached for the served cakes, smiling slightly, but it was clear that she would rather not return to difficult topics. She didn't feel confident enough to even try to broach them, and although she had to admit that Nie Mingjue was an interesting interlocutor, and she wanted to get to know him better, she preferred to hold off on revealing all her cards. At least for now, for a while, for ultimately she was in no hurry to go anywhere.

A silence fell between them, but it didn't bother her at all. From time to time she looked out of the window, although not much could be seen because of the darkness that already surrounded them, but soon she saw the lights of the city, which they were inexorably approaching, and she sighed quietly, concluding that she really dreamed of lying down in a comfortable bed.

"Will you write to me when you get home? I'd rather not have you on my conscience."

"If it's not a problem, I'd rather walk you," he said quietly, after she nodded. He also immediately added that it was too dark for her to walk back alone, being tired. He wanted to make sure Wen Qing got home safely before going to his own, which he also said out loud, trying not to sound too forceful.

They discussed it for a long while, because after all, Wen Qing wasn't one of those women who thought they needed defending or anything like that, but she finally agreed to his proposal. However, since she didn't like to indulge in such things, she stipulated that in that case she would order a cab for him so that he would also arrive home whole, healthy and unfrozen, since he was taking his time to run around the city with her.

Eventually the train began to slow down, and they arrived at the station. The man was of the opinion that it was cold in the mountains, but when they stepped out onto the platform he slightly hunched his shoulders, feeling the gust of wind. He wrinkled his eyebrows violently, glancing at Wen Qing as if to make sure she wasn't colder, that she wasn't shivering.

"Do you have any medicine at home? Something to strengthen her?" he asked suddenly, ready to look for a 24-hour pharmacy just to stock her with anything that might keep her from getting sick.

"All the right things. I learned healthy habits from home, I know how to take care of myself, and I'll call my dad for medication if I need it," she answered simply, wrapping her clothes tighter around herself, glad at the moment that she lived really close to the train station.

Nie Mingjue looked at her for a moment with a look of surprise on his face, to laugh warmly after a moment. He didn't doubt that she could take care of herself, but now he knew exactly why and who she would ask for help if necessary. It all made him look warmly at the woman for a moment, already feeling that he definitely wanted this acquaintance to go in a more permanent direction.

"I'm really glad you didn't give up on the trip as soon as I came," he confessed suddenly as they walked toward her house.

"I didn't have the slightest reason to," she stated, raising her eyebrows slightly. "I'm glad you came too, it was a nice day, even in the pouring icy rain" she added.

Nie Mingjue shook his head slightly in amusement, recalling this part of the trip. He would never say that Wen Qing could calmly endure being soaked. He usually saw her extremely elegant in the corridors and was involuntarily convinced that something like hiking wasn't for her. Meanwhile, it turned out to be quite the opposite, which he was really happy about.

They turned into a narrower street that climbed slightly upwards, and the woman soon stopped in front of one of the low-rise buildings, only to immediately reach for her phone and check something on it. She said that the cab should arrive in about five minutes, and then she slipped into the bay window by the door to shield herself a little more from the cold. She slipped her backpack off, looking for her apartment keys, while making sure that Nie Mingjue hadn't decided to head ahead to walk home after all.

The man, however, obediently waited, stepping closer to her to try and hide slightly himself. He didn't take his gaze off the woman, feeling everything inside him screaming for him to just lean in and kiss her gently, thanking her for the trip. He wasn't able to do that, though, not when they weren't even on a date. So he stood straight, though his dark gaze shone intensely.

"Let's have dinner together after work tomorrow," he suggested suddenly.

Wen Qing looked at him a little more carefully, then laughed quietly, concluding that there was nevertheless something about the man that made the bear's image even more complete. For there was also something menacing lurking in him, something that could be considered true, in no way unlimited confidence. It could also mean something dangerous, something she should run away from, but it seemed to her that she had gotten to know the man enough to be able to recognize that there was nothing crazy about him after all.

"Tomorrow is free," she said quietly. "But we can eat it on Monday, if I can choose the restaurant."

For a moment it was clear Nie Mingjue was trying to figure out what day of the week they had, only to have him snort under his breath immediately as well, turning his head away for a moment to hide his own embarrassment. Indeed, the next day they didn't have to go to the office.

"In that case, we have an appointment for Monday," he said after a short while, smiling at her with the corner of his mouth, full of confidence again. It was impossible not to see the satisfaction in his gaze, and even a shadow of impatience, though he tried to control it.

"Just nothing vegan, please," he added immediately, smiling a little wider, provocatively.

"Alright, that's one thing I can promise you," she stated, nodding, but not adding that she realized that a bear as big as he was certainly wasn't going to eat lettuce. 

She glanced toward the street, noticing the flash of lights, and realized that a cab was approaching them. She brushed her hair back behind her ear, then reminded Nie Mingjue to let her know when he got home, then promised him that she herself would go into a hot shower right away and climb under the covers to get warm.

Nie Mingjue promised to write so as not to disturb her bath and stared at the woman for a moment, ignoring the oncoming cab. All to take a chance, leaning towards Wen Qing to place a gentle kiss on her cheek. A cautious one that could even be called friendly if not for the promise of dinner together. He clearly didn't want to startle her in any way, so he didn't prolong the moment indefinitely.

"I'll see you Monday?" he reassured quietly, pulling away from her, staring intently into her eyes, trying to make sure he hadn't done anything wrong, keeping in mind that they had just made a date.

"I'll see you around," she replied calmly, then opened the door leading to the cage while simultaneously chasing him out to a cab.

As he leaned towards her, she was inclined to stop him as soon as she came to the conclusion that she didn't like where they were actually going in what was going on. In the end, however, nothing happened that she didn't want to happen, she even came to the conclusion that his behavior was just nice, and while there seemed to be a certain spark of impatience hidden within him, he wasn't letting any desires take control of him. This, in turn, suited her completely.