His Venomous Former Boss Chased Him And Beat Him Fiercely Chapter 84

Surprise

By the time they reached the mountaintop, Kong Xunwen was already looking at his phone out of boredom, sharing the pictures he had just taken with his teacher and the fan group.

Qiu Zhijie was the first to step off the cable car, reaching out his hand, and only then did Kong Xunwen place his hand into it.

He then met a pair of unfamiliar eyes and was startled, realizing there were people at the summit.

He instinctively pulled his hand back, feeling a little embarrassed, but Qiu Zhijie held it tightly. Qiu Zhijie still seemed very nervous; although he was holding Kong Xunwen’s hand, he didn’t look over.

Qiu Zhijie was communicating with the other person in English. Kong Xunwen didn’t want to think, so his eyes darted around, observing the surroundings. Although his hand was still being held, his mind had drifted away.

Walking to the railing, the scenery below the mountain was unobstructed. It was very high up, and a thin layer of mist encircled the mountainside.

Kong Xunwen was engrossed in the view when his gaze suddenly sharpened. He leaned in closer.

There was a long steel cable, stretching from this spot on the mountaintop, disappearing from his sight and into the misty area, hazy and seemingly endless.

He widened his eyes and immediately looked to the side.

Qiu Zhijie had finished his conversation. He had been watching Kong Xunwen for some time, and when Kong Xunwen looked over, his face was expressionless.

Kong Xunwen looked back at him and suddenly discerned his fear beneath his calm, even somewhat cold, demeanor.

But Qiu Zhijie still spoke, asking, “Want to try it?”

Was this the surprise?

He suddenly became unsure. Kong Xunwen thought it was, because he genuinely longed for such a thrilling, albeit brief, experience, but it didn’t seem that way for Qiu Zhijie.

He looked too nervous. If Kong Xunwen didn’t know that he used to enjoy these kinds of thrilling activities, he would have thought Qiu Zhijie was afraid of this, just like the staff member who was comforting Qiu Zhijie.

Oh, though it seemed that person hadn’t noticed Qiu Zhijie’s fear.

Kong Xunwen lowered his eyes, stepped forward, and looked at the steel cable, which now seemed surprisingly thin. “How does this work?”

Qiu Zhijie answered him, “I will go with you.”

Then, without giving him a chance to reply, he turned and told the staff they could start.

Kong Xunwen didn’t speak, obediently allowing the safety harness to be put on him. The person assisting him was a spirited woman with slightly rough skin and bright eyes. She quietly told him, “If you don’t want to do it, you can refuse that man.”

She looked at him encouragingly. “This isn’t something you have to do. It’s okay to give up.”

Kong Xunwen curved his eyes and clenched his fists. It was impossible not to be nervous, but he felt more excitement and anticipation. He tilted his head and shook it firmly. “No, I want to.”

He thought for a moment. “I’m looking forward to it, and I’m very happy.”

The woman’s surprise flashed and then turned into a smile. “Then enjoy it.”

Her movements finished as she spoke. She gave a final tug, and then she was lightly but unmistakably pushed aside. She turned to see the man with the poor attitude, who looked very stern and cold.

“Excuse me,” he said politely, but casually.

Kong Xunwen looked over, offering a genuine apology.

Qiu Zhijie turned his head back, looking down but not meeting his eyes, and quietly recited some safety precautions while checking the harness the woman had just inspected, tightening it further.

“Aren’t we going together?” Kong Xunwen remembered the man who helped Qiu Zhijie put on his harness had mentioned during the safety briefing that this could be a tandem ride, or they could choose to go solo.

Qiu Zhijie hummed in affirmation. He only looked up after checking everything on Kong Xunwen. “But I don’t feel safe.”

With all preparations complete, the two stood together beneath the steel cable. Qiu Zhijie was right behind him, and Kong Xunwen could feel the warmth of his back.

…

The moment he was launched, he forgot his brief hesitation. The damp, cool wind rushed against his face, and his hair flew free and wild.

It was a good thing he had cut his hair earlier.

But soon, he had no time for such trivial thoughts. His heart was suspended in mid-air, his body taut, but when his eyes swept over the unobstructed forest below, all those concerns vanished.

Kong Xunwen’s world was only the wind rushing at him, the feeling of overlooking the surroundings from the heart of the mountains. The swirling mist dampened his hair and face, his nose was filled with the fresh scent of grass and wood, and his back felt warm—Qiu Zhijie’s warmth.

The pressure around his waist was tight, but at this moment, he couldn’t distinguish whether it was Qiu Zhijie’s arm or the safety rope securing him.

He instinctively spread his arms wide. The breath close to his back and neck was Qiu Zhijie’s, the only warmth he felt right now.

The person behind him seemed to say something, but it was all carried away by the wind. So Kong Xunwen loudly and exuberantly asked, “What did you say?”

The sound traveled far, but it seemed only they could hear it.

Qiu Zhijie’s laugh, which was usually very soft and not loud, was suddenly perceived by Kong Xunwen. A slight vibration traveled through his back, which, in that moment, managed to override the rushing wind and be noticed.

So he feigned dissatisfaction. “What are you laughing at?——”

The trailing sound was drawn out long to ensure the voice carried.

Qiu Zhijie probably said something else, but Kong Xunwen didn’t hear it. Perhaps he just started laughing again, as a faint vibration returned to his back.

The two were clipped together by a central lock, connecting them tightly, but being pressed so close together was definitely not just because of that lock.

When they got off the zipline, Kong Xunwen’s legs immediately felt weak. A staff member who had been waiting nearby helped steady him, along with the force around his waist.

The staff member quickly let go, silently giving the young couple some space.

Only then did Qiu Zhijie look down. He had experienced many such thrilling activities before and was much more accustomed to them than Kong Xunwen.

But that didn’t stop him from fearing accidents.

He hadn’t known before, but now he realized that the feeling of having his heart suspended on another person was real.

But he freed one hand to adjust the young man’s dark hair, looking at the bright, exposed eyes. His mouth opened on its own, and he asked, “Do you want to go again?”

Kong Xunwen looked up almost instantly, his bright, light-colored eyes completely uncovered. “Really?”

Such a surprise.

Qiu Zhijie rubbed his thumb against the corner of the young man’s eye, so lightly it tickled, causing him to blink with a hint of confusion.

“Really.”

With the help of the staff, the two got back on the rope. The scenery below was slightly different, but Kong Xunwen was still very excited, and his back relaxed a little.

He squinted slightly. When they came down this time, he quickly spotted the next zipline, his eyes shining. He pulled Qiu Zhijie toward it, only realizing his mistake when the safety harness still on his body restricted him.

The approaching staff member smiled, and Kong Xunwen immediately felt a little embarrassed.

But Qiu Zhijie quickly drew his attention away.

“Why are you in such a hurry?”

He warmed Kong Xunwen’s cool hand in his palm. Qiu Zhijie had a slight smile on his face, completely different from the way he looked earlier.

Kong Xunwen glanced at him, then lowered his head and pinched Qiu Zhijie’s palm.

Qiu Zhijie then restrained his smile and held his hand. “Alright, let’s continue.”

It was the last time. Kong Xunwen could vaguely see that the end of the steel cable was already close to the foot of the mountain. They, suspended in the mountains, were now near the lower slopes, close to the area where they first saw the mist.

Getting off this time marked the true end. Kong Xunwen’s safety harness was removed. This time, Qiu Zhijie didn’t let the staff member nearby do it, helping him personally.

Kong Xunwen, meanwhile, looked back at the mountain behind him with some reluctance.

Qiu Zhijie saw it but didn’t suggest coming back later.

Perhaps they would in the future, but right now, he had just managed to settle his anxious heart. Future matters would be left to his future self.

Back in the car, Kong Xunwen still felt the lingering excitement, watching the video that had been transferred to his phone.

This was part of the activity package—the entire process of their tandem zipline ride.

Qiu Zhijie was close to him but deliberately avoided looking at the video. Only his arm was still wrapped around the young man’s waist. He adjusted his posture, allowing the young man’s head to rest on his shoulder.

Watching the video, Kong Xunwen recalled the surprise he had originally expected—a marriage proposal.

He must have guessed wrong, but the surprise they just experienced was enough to compensate for the disappointment of his expectation falling through.

Thinking this, the matter was completely cleared from his mind. He focused on the video again, the familiar scenes reminding him of the feeling at the time.

Besides the thrill of the activity itself, the fact that Qiu Zhijie personally brought him here was enough to make him happy.

“Oh, right,” he suddenly remembered, lifting his head from the shoulder he was resting on. “Did you say something when we were on the zipline?”

Qiu Zhijie was resting with his eyes closed, one arm embracing Kong Xunwen, and the other gently pressing the pulse points on Kong Xunwen’s fingertips. He wasn’t asleep. Hearing the question, he didn’t open his eyes, just hummed softly.

Receiving a meaningless answer, Kong Xunwen couldn’t tell if Qiu Zhijie didn’t want to answer or was too sleepy. So he lowered his head again and whispered, “I didn’t expect you would bring me to do this.”

The hand holding his fingertips suddenly moved, tightening its grip slightly. “Didn’t expect it?”

Kong Xunwen stared at that hand. “How did you know I wanted to try this?”

The man replied matter-of-factly, “I looked at your likes and saved posts on your phone.”

Kong Xunwen: “…”

How could he say something so sneaky with such righteous confidence?

As he watched the video, his phone slowly slipped down, caught instantly by another large, well-defined hand.

Qiu Zhijie picked up the phone, paused the video, turned it off, and set it aside. He picked up his own phone, opened the camera, and raised it. The young man was sleeping with his eyes closed, the shadow of his lashes shifting with the changing light.

He lifted the hand that was resting on the young man’s shoulder. On the phone screen, a hand carefully approached the side of the young man’s face, brushing it very lightly.

The shadows of trees outside the window quickly passed by. Sunlight fell on the man’s face, illuminating the smile curving his lips.

*

Kong Xunwen woke up in a gently swaying embrace. He was still a little groggy from sleep, but he smelled a familiar scent and the feeling of being held was familiar, so he instinctively tightened his arms, rubbing his head against the man’s shoulder. He opened his eyes, intending to see where they were.

Then, he met a pair of eyes full of smiles and kindness.

It was a tall, slightly older middle-aged man, dressed quite meticulously. When their eyes met, he nodded at Kong Xunwen. “Hello.”

Kong Xunwen, still dazed, politely replied, “Hello.”

Qiu Zhijie’s voice came from above his head. “You’re awake? We’ve arrived. You were still sleeping, so I didn’t wake you.”

He introduced the place. “This is where I grew up.”