Chapter 2: Lost and Found

2

The campsite was silent, the moon and stars casting a cold, silvery light.

I could hear the gentle hiss of the wind through the trees, the far-off trill of a night bird. Guided by the moon, I walked behind the tents. Sure enough, just a few steps away was a gentle slope; she was half-lying on the ground, a headlamp beside her, gazing at the distant sky.

She looked like something out of a dream—too wild, too beautiful for real life: her hair spread over the grass, her jacket pulled tight against the night air, the world above her unfathomably huge. I paused, half-disbelieving my luck.

I looked back—the slope blocked the view from the campsite and was far enough away.

No one would see us here. Even so, my heart thudded with a mix of adrenaline and something like fear. I didn’t know why I was doing this, as if I’d done it many times before.

I walked toward her, and only when I got close did I notice that a few meters ahead was a cliff. I could faintly hear water flowing below.

The soft rush of water echoed up, mingling with the night sounds—a wild, living place. I hesitated at the edge, feeling the drop-off in my bones.

“It’s so beautiful. I’ve never seen a sky like this,” she murmured, leaning into my arms as soon as I sat down.

She nestled close, her body warm and pliant. All my reservations melted away. I gently put my arm around her shoulders, my hand naturally falling to her chest.

It was like stepping outside of myself. We were like lovers deeply in love, whispering simple words as our bodies intertwined without restraint. The mountain night breeze seemed to carry a strong scent of hormones, stirring up the desires in both our hearts.

Every brush of skin felt charged, every word barely a breath. The air itself seemed to vibrate with possibility. The moment our lips touched, I made up my mind—who cares about love or marriage? Life is short. Why not indulge, just this once?

With the starry sky as our blanket and the earth as our bed, we burned with passion, making love right there.

For a moment, nothing else existed. She was uninhibited.

At the height of passion, she flailed her arms and legs, unable to stop. I let go of my fear of being discovered and unleashed my wild side.

Her laugh echoed against the rock, and we rolled together, wild, reckless, lost in each other. Afterwards, we lay side by side, feeling the mountain breeze drift between our bodies.

The grass was cold against my bare skin, but I barely noticed. Our breaths mingled in the chilly night air, the stars winking above us as if they were in on the secret.

“Maybe I’ll only come here once in my life. I have no regrets now,” she said softly.

She sounded so at peace, so final. I gave a wry smile. “Don’t get sentimental yet—I have some bad news for you.”

She looked alarmed and glanced around. “Don’t scare me.”

I pointed to the cliff. “You got so excited just now that you threw your phone off.”

“Ah!” She jumped up and rushed toward the cliff. I grabbed her and pulled her back into my arms.

“Too dangerous. Let’s wait until morning to look for it. But don’t get your hopes up—even if we find it, it’s probably broken.”

She looked at me, disappointed, and shrugged helplessly.

“Without my phone, I’m in trouble.”

“No phone, but you still have me, right?”

She got dressed and stood up, giving me a look, her attitude suddenly turning cold.

“It was just for fun. You don’t need to take responsibility.”

Her words stung more than I expected. I forced a laugh, but inside, something twisted.