ABSML Chapter 8: Climbing the Mountain
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The car sped forward. The late-night roads were wide open, and the glow of the streetlights flashed past in an instant.
"Please hurry up a little."
The driver was a female. She glanced at the customer in the rearview mirror and stepped on the accelerator.
The wind from the window lifted the stray strands of Lin Chiang's hair, highlighting his sharp and well-defined features.
His luck had been particularly bad lately—even parking his car by the roadside resulted in the bizarre misfortune of having his tires deflated. Because of that, he had no choice but to take a taxi home.
His phone suddenly rang. The voice on the other end informed him that they had identified the culprit through surveillance footage. Lin Chiang checked the time and said, "You take care of it."
The moment the call ended, his phone battery died completely.
Lin Chiang pursed his lips slightly and continued watching the night scenery outside.
With the car speeding up, they arrived at the destination quickly.
After paying in cash, he waited for a moment. Seeing no response from the driver, his patience wore thin. He tapped the car door lightly with his fingers. "Change."
The female driver turned her head sharply in disbelief and stammered, "You want change?"
Lin Chiang frowned.
Moments later, after receiving his change, he swiftly got out of the car and left.
Watching his figure disappear into the distance, the female driver suddenly snapped out of her daze, quickly pulled out her phone, and posted a photo of his back on Weibo:
Had the honor of having Lin Chiang as my passenger. When he left, he gave me a hundred yuan bill and actually asked for change!!!!
Dog man, you’ve changed. (manually adding a dog-head emoji)
After posting, she temporarily stopped working, parked her car by the roadside, and waited for comments.
She often posted edited selfies on Weibo and had accumulated some followers, with some even calling her the "most beautiful driver." Soon, a flood of comments appeared.
【Tada: Fake, right?!】
【Real-life Slime: Someone took a photo of Lin Corporation’s CEO earlier today, and his outfit looks just like the man in the picture.!】
【Star BABALA: He also has the same watch. Confirmed, it’s him!】
【Cats & Dogs Living Together: Poor OP! I just read Confession this afternoon—Chen Zhan complained that Lin Chiang never asks for change.】
【Butler Sola: Right now, I just want to sing: "Time, like a river, takes away our stories and changes us…"】
The following comments were all filled with teasing and laughter.
The taxi driver sighed—she originally thought picking up a big shot would earn her some extra cash, but who knew he had suddenly started caring about small change?
Just bad luck.
That afternoon, when Chen Zhan updated his novel, everything seemed normal. The chapter had similar content to previous ones and didn’t attract much attention. However, after the taxi driver’s Weibo post, Lin Chiang shot up to the top three on the trending list and couldn’t be removed no matter what.
Chen Zhan only found out the next morning. Lin Chiang was still trending, and every time his popularity began to drop, some other alternate account would boost it back up again.
【System: You're amazing!】
Chen Zhan was having breakfast. Ever since starting his live-streams, his quality of life had improved—he had upgraded from eating plain buns to steak. Being too thin, he now preferred meat.
At this moment, the sound of his knife scraping against the plate was particularly sharp.
【System: Please believe me, I mean no harm.】
When writing his novel, Chen Zhan had purely followed the original character's thought process. Those hidden jealousies, from an outsider’s perspective, seemed ridiculous. Looking through the memories, he didn’t feel that the second male lead had any deep feelings for the female lead—perhaps the original character had long been mentally unstable, with Jiang Ying merely acting as the trigger.
Halfway through breakfast, Yin Ronglan suddenly showed up at his door.
Chen Zhan scrutinized him. On a regular workday, when most people were stuck in their 9-to-5 routines, this man had the leisure to drop by for a visit. Was he really unemployed?
Yin Ronglan smiled as usual. Just then, Chen Zhan’s phone rang. He nodded at him, gesturing him to come in, and then answered the call.
Whatever was said on the other end, Chen Zhan rejected it politely and quickly ended the conversation.
Yin Ronglan caught a few keywords and pieced them together. "Xiangxi wants you to stream again?"
Chen Zhan nodded. "I heard Yuanrui secured sponsorship from Boyue, so Xiangxi is panicking."
Yin Ronglan smiled. "It's the perfect chance to raise your price. Why refuse?"
Chen Zhan replied, "If Xiangxi were smart, they should have secured sponsorship after my previous stream to boost their reputation. Doing the same thing now will only make them look like they're chasing clout."
Yin Ronglan commented, "But that doesn't mean you shouldn't take the money."
Chen Zhan: "Too much is as bad as too little."
Yin Ronglan looked at him with admiration. "You're very smart."
The patronizing tone made Chen Zhan chuckle. He asked why he had come.
Yin Ronglan answered, and Chen Zhan raised an eyebrow slightly. "Hiking?"
"The weather is perfect for it," Yin Ronglan sat down. "Tianyun Mountain rarely has clear days without mist, and this is the best time to go."
Chen Zhan initially wanted to refuse, but when his gaze landed on Yin Ronglan’s arms—unusually smooth and fair for a man—he swallowed his excuse and nodded. "A little exercise wouldn’t hurt."
Tianyun Mountain got its name from the illusion of being close to the sky.
This city attracted countless residents and workers with its rapid economic growth, yet it had few cultural landmarks or tourism developments. Fortunately, Tianyun Mountain still drew plenty of visitors.
At the base of the mountain, only a handful of people opted to hike from the bottom. Most rented vehicles to drive halfway up before starting their climb.
Dressed in casual wear, Chen Zhan remained silent and focused on climbing.
Anyone else alone with Yin Ronglan would likely try to start a conversation, keeping the atmosphere warm. Chen Zhan’s silent determination made him an anomaly.
In the end, Yin Ronglan spoke first. "Do you want to take a break?"
Chen Zhan had been conserving energy. With his current physical condition, climbing to the summit without assistance was a considerable challenge. Gazing at the distant peak, he nodded.
The two found a rock to rest against. Within five minutes, Chen Zhan straightened up again. "Might as well push through in one go."
Yin Ronglan wasn’t tired to begin with, so he agreed.
Most people endured the climb just to see the mountain's breathtaking view.
When they reached the top, the sky was a brilliant, cloudless blue. Below them, an expanse of lush green forests stretched out endlessly, reflected in their eyes like a vast emerald ocean.
Chen Zhan turned his face slightly to talk to Yin Ronglan, his gaze lingering for an extra second. Light-colored clothing was difficult to pull off, and climbing a mountain was an exhausting task, yet neither seemed to diminish the innate vitality in the other’s presence.
Yin Ronglan had his hands in his pockets, eyes fixed forward. When he spoke, he glanced sideways with an indifferent gaze: “Standing at the peak of a mountain, certain emotions tend to amplify to the extreme.”
Chen Zhan remained noncommittal. “What are you feeling?”
“It’s lonely at the top. And you?”
“Business opportunities.” Chen Zhan’s eagle-like gaze sharpened, the fatigue in his eyes instantly fading. “Look at those walking down the mountain—their legs are trembling. They probably can’t even press the brakes properly.”
Yin Ronglan was momentarily stunned. “So?”
Chen Zhan smirked. “They need a considerate chauffeur.” As he spoke, he reached into his pocket. “I specifically brought my driver’s license.”
“……”
Yin Ronglan took a moment to organize his thoughts, but before he could respond, Chen Zhan patted him on the shoulder. “Let’s make money together. Do you have your license with you?”
Before he could answer, Chen Zhan scrutinized him with narrowed eyes. “Raising your chin, pursing your lips, looking to the left—are you about to lie?”
“……”
Even with good stamina, walking down the mountain left Yin Ronglan slightly unsteady. He had endurance, but what about Chen Zhan?
Yet when he turned his head slightly—
Those pitch-black eyes gleamed with a wolfish green light, like a predator in the wilderness. And yet, the man himself was utterly calm, standing at the parking area, coolly soliciting customers. In no time, he actually managed to land a client.
Chen Zhan glanced at Yin Ronglan and generously offered, “This one’s for you.”
Yin Ronglan had originally planned to call a driver after Chen Zhan drove away. His smile froze slightly.
“Hurry up.” The customer waiting for a ride was growing impatient.
Under Chen Zhan’s magnanimous yet unappreciative gaze, Yin Ronglan found himself playing the role of a temporary driver, feeling both amused and exasperated.
Five minutes later, Chen Zhan finally secured his next customer.
He kept going purely on the principle of making money.
Before the payment was processed, he stood tall like a poplar in the wind. The moment the payment notification sounded, he nearly collapsed into a puddle of exhaustion.
After dropping off his client, he opted for the bus to save money. Back in his familiar environment, Chen Zhan didn’t even bother changing his shoes—he leaned against the doorway for support, too tired to move.
“Between mountain climbing and the gym, I’ll choose the latter from now on,” he muttered, tilting his head back. He wanted a drink but was too lazy to fetch one. As his energy slowly recovered, he made a call to Yin Ronglan, purely out of humanitarian concern. “Did you get home safely?”
Yin Ronglan’s voice was calm. “This time, I made it back in under twelve hours.”
Chen Zhan paused before remembering their last conversation. He got up, poured himself a glass of water, and said, “Worried you’d be taken advantage of as a chauffeur.”
Yin Ronglan sighed. “I’m perfectly safe.”
“Thanks for inviting me to climb the mountain today,” Chen Zhan said politely. “Rest early.”
The reply was equally routine: “You too.”
The call ended in a pointless exchange of goodnights.
As a freelancer, Chen Zhan slept in until after ten the next morning. By contrast, Yin Ronglan had only gotten half that amount of rest.
The company atmosphere was slightly better than usual.
Yuanrui was just a recent acquisition, contributing less than one percent to the company’s overall profits. However, after losing a thirty-million-yuan endorsement deal, securing sponsorship had allowed the sales department to turn things around, offering a small sense of relief.
During a break, the project manager glanced at the man stepping out of the parked car below. “The boss is here.”
“Am I imagining things, or does the president look a bit exhausted today?”
“He doesn’t seem as energetic as usual. Maybe he spent last night with his girlfriend.”
“Judging by his walking posture, a boyfriend is more likely.”
The atmosphere suddenly turned tense.
The employee who had made the remark nervously glanced around, ensuring that no one else had overheard.
After exchanging wary looks, they quickly buried their suspicions and returned to work.
When Yin Ronglan passed by, he paused and told them to bring over the documents that required his signature. The project manager approached with the papers, feigning concern as he handed them over. “Are you feeling unwell?”
Yin Ronglan flipped through the documents, replying casually, “Because of an eighty-yuan transaction.”
“……”
Author’s Note:
Lin Chiang: Learning how to make change—did I do something wrong?!
______
T/N: Please give support in my ko-fi page for more updates❤️❤️❤️
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