The gale howled, and the world was wrapped in a silver mantle.
The boundless expanse of snow and the snow - capped mountains that seemed to touch the sky made it impossible to tell directions.
They had been trapped here for a full three days.
After leaving the place of the vengeful spirits, they were sent to this desolate spot.
There was no sign of people, no food, and not even a glimpse of animals. All that met the eye was snow.
Inside the little dumpling's bag, there was enough food for them.
They circulated the qi in their bodies to keep out the cold, thus avoiding starvation and freezing to death.
However, wandering aimlessly in this boundless snow - covered mountain was a great psychological torment.
"Damn it! When will we ever get out of this god - forsaken place!"
Zhang Zicheng was the first to lose his patience.
Just as the little dumpling and the other were about to respond, a sudden gust of wind blew up, swallowing all their words.
Shen Weixun instinctively covered his eyes with his hands, and Niannian did the same.
Only Zhang Zicheng didn't have time to raise his arm. He suddenly felt a sense of weightlessness under his feet and involuntarily leaned backward.
"Aaaaah!!!"
With a shrill scream, the wind suddenly stopped. When they looked again, Zhang Zicheng had vanished without a trace.
Niannian urgently called out for her second senior brother, and Shen Weixun also kept shouting his name, but there was no response at all.
"Ouch!"
Zhang Zicheng gasped in pain. His arm must have been dislocated from hitting something, and it hurt so much that he couldn't move it.
He looked around and found himself in a cave. There was a stone bed beside him, and outside, there was nothing but snow.
"Damn it! What the hell is this place!"
Zhang Zicheng cursed his bad luck and stumbled to his feet.
Just as he straightened up, a woman's voice came from outside the cave. Her voice was gentle, soft, and weak: "Is anyone there? Um, can I come in?"
"Come in if you want. No one's stopping you."
Zhang Zicheng was taken aback by the question and replied instinctively.
"Hello. I saw you fainting at the foot of the mountain, so I brought you back."
The woman walked into the cave. Her long black hair was draped over her shoulders. Her bright eyes and white teeth were set against skin as fair and translucent as snow.
"You saved me?"
Zhang Zicheng clearly didn't believe it. Given his build and this woman's petite figure, it would take at least three of her to move him.
"Yes, I did. I'm the only one living here."
"Oh, thanks then."
Zhang Zicheng nodded indifferently, his thanks extremely perfunctory.
The woman didn't mind.
She kept looking Zhang Zicheng up and down curiously. The two sat awkwardly in the cave, neither of them saying a word.
Being stared at so directly made Zhang Zicheng feel extremely uncomfortable. To break the awkward silence and also to find a way out, he said, "Can you tell me the way up the mountain? I have friends waiting for me up there."
"Yes, I can. But the path ahead is blocked by heavy snow. You're not in a good condition to move around, and you probably won't be able to get through. There are also many wild beasts outside. Why don't you wait until the snow melts before going out?" the woman advised softly.
Zhang Zicheng frowned and thought for a while. Looking at his half - disabled arm, he said, "Okay."
"What's your name?" the woman asked softly.
"Zhang Zicheng."
"My name is Xue'er."
"Okay. Nice to meet you."
Zhang Zicheng remained his usual aloof self, showing no concern for Xue'er beside him.
Suddenly, the ground in the cave began to shake violently.
"It must be a snow collapse. Let's hide inside quickly!"
Xue'er was the first to react. Then she quickly grabbed Zhang Zicheng and ran to the corner of the cave.
During the shaking, Zhang Zicheng accidentally touched Xue'er's plump chest.
Xue'er was stunned for a moment, then blushed and turned away.
Zhang Zicheng was also very embarrassed. He had inadvertently taken advantage of this girl, but he really didn't mean it. Would she misunderstand him?
"Gurgle... Gurgle..."
Zhang Zicheng's stomach growled, and this time it was his turn to blush.
He had no food on him. All his things were with Zhao Li. He was extremely hungry but felt too embarrassed to ask for anything.
"You must be hungry. I'll go get you some food," Xue'er said with a light laugh. She got up and walked deeper into the cave. When she came back, she was holding a bunch of fruits.
Xue'er placed the fruits in front of Zhang Zicheng. Zhang Zicheng took them somewhat shyly and said, "Thank you. I'll surely repay you when I get out."
This time, she really had helped him. When he was unconscious last time, he was in a daze and couldn't randomly identify his benefactor. But now he was fully conscious.
"Haha, how will you repay me?" Xue'er asked shyly, pursing her lips.
"I'll try my best to meet your needs as long as they're within my ability," Zhang Zicheng replied. He didn't know what he could offer as compensation. If he directly mentioned money, he was afraid she might think too much.
Xue'er just looked at Zhang Zicheng with a smile and didn't say anything more. After eating a few fruits, the hunger gradually subsided. Outside, the wind started to blow again, and the snow on the ground was whirled up by the gale, floating and swirling in the sky.
"Why did you come here?" Xue'er broke the silence first and asked.
"Me? I was chasing a evil spirit. Have you seen it?"
"I've lived here since I was born and never left," Xue'er replied.
"What about your parents?" Zhang Zicheng was a bit puzzled. This place was freezing all year round. How could such a delicate girl survive on this snow - covered mountain?
"I don't have parents. I've been living alone," Xue'er answered naturally.
Zhang Zicheng suddenly didn't know what to say. He thought he had touched on her sad past. After a long while, he stammered out an apology.
"Haha, it's okay. I'm used to it. There's no need to apologize."
"No," Xue'er shook her head and replied.
"Life at the foot of the mountain is much more fun than here. Do you want to hear about it?"
Zhang Zicheng proposed enthusiastically.
"Sure," Xue'er replied with a beaming smile.
The two chatted about all sorts of things for a long time. Xue'er asked many questions about the foot of the mountain, and Zhang Zicheng patiently answered them one by one. Before they knew it, they had become familiar with each other.
This was the third day they had been trapped in the snow - covered mountain. Niannian and Shen Weixun were extremely anxious. They had searched every corner of the mountain but couldn't find any trace of Zhang Zicheng.
Inside the cave, Zhang Zicheng, who was extremely bored, looked out at the howling wind dejectedly. The longer the time dragged on, the more uneasy he felt.
"Why isn't the wind stopping?" Zhang Zicheng murmured to himself.
"The wind is always like this at this time of the year. Are you hungry? I'll go get you some more fruits," Xue'er paused her hand while tidying the hay and changed the topic.
"No, thanks. I'm not hungry," Zhang Zicheng shook his head. He had been living on fruits for three days. Although he wasn't picky, he was really getting sick of them.
"Xue'er, is it really impossible to go outside?" Zhang Zicheng just asked tentatively, but unexpectedly, it triggered a strong reaction from her.
"No! I said no and that's final. The mountain is blocked by heavy snow. You can't get out," Xue'er said sharply.
"What's wrong with you?"
Zhang Zicheng was startled. He didn't think he had asked anything inappropriate.
"Nothing. I was just a bit irritated just now. Sorry," Xue'er shook her head. Then the cave fell into silence again.