"Go wait at the watchtower."
Qi Fang spoke to Yan Xue the moment he arrived, his expression far from pleasant.
Yan Xue hesitated for a second, but he had already turned away, his voice icy. "I said, go wait at the watchtower."
In all the time they'd known each other, this was the first time he had spoken to her in such a tone.
The young man who had arrived with him chuckled. "At least show some kindness—she’s your wife."
Qi Fang only replied coldly, "None of your business."
Clearly, Qi Fang knew this man, but their relationship was anything but friendly. Without lingering, Yan Xue turned and left.
The so-called watchtower was little more than a wooden tower built atop the mountain, constructed from yellow pine. The top level had a platform with a roof, allowing a commanding view of the surroundings. Only a few critical locations used iron towers.
Given the modest size of these hills, Qi Fang had opted for yellow pine—chosen for its strength and straightness.
The trunks of yellow pine grew tall and perfectly straight, ideal for such structures, capable of reaching over twenty meters without issue.
But the height was dizzying. Just looking up from below made Yan Xue’s head spin. Standing guard up there every day required nerves of steel.
She glanced back at the path she’d come from, but Qi Fang and the young man were nowhere in sight. After a moment’s hesitation, she decided to climb up.
The watchtower’s height and narrowness made the stairs steep—so steep that her nose nearly brushed the steps as she ascended. It took her several minutes to finally reach the top platform, where the man on shift with Qi Fang helped her with the things she’d brought.
The small platform was no more than eight square meters. During the high-risk fire seasons of spring and autumn, the watchman had to scan the surroundings every few minutes, reporting every half hour, eating and sleeping on the platform.
Qi Fang must have woken the other man abruptly—the bedding was still scattered about. The man, around thirty, stifled a yawn as he relayed wind conditions into a brick-sized radio.
Not wanting to disturb him, Yan Xue mouthed a silent "thank you" and moved to the edge of the platform facing the direction she’d come from.
The mountain wind was fierce even at ground level, but twenty meters up, it cut right through Yan Xue’s thin clothes. She hugged herself, fighting her fear of heights as she peered down, but still saw no sign of Qi Fang or the other man.
"Use this." The man handed her a binocular after finishing his radio call, another yawn escaping him.
Yan Xue thanked him. "Sorry for waking you. Must be tough, patrolling up here."
"Not too bad," he said. "Our logging zone’s new, plenty of people around. Some watchmen live up here year-round—now that’s boredom."
Forest watchtower duty was grueling—cold, cramped, with poor food and sleep, all while staring at empty woods and mountains. Rarely getting visitors, the man seemed eager to chat, sharing plenty with Yan Xue. Through the binoculars, she finally spotted Qi Fang and the young man.
The moment Yan Xue left, Qi Fang dragged the man into the nearby woods. "What are you doing here?"
The young man—Wu Xingde—just grinned, even adjusting his collar where Qi Fang had yanked it. "No need to get worked up. I just wrote you a few letters, got no reply, so I came to check on you. We’re still brothers in arms, aren’t we?"
"You think you deserve to call yourself the teacher’s student?" Qi Fang’s glare was glacial.
Wu Xingde kept smiling. "Compared to you, I’m lacking. No wonder the teacher favored you—"
Before he could finish, Qi Fang slammed him against a tree trunk. "So you reported him for having foreign ties? For leaking state secrets?"
Everyone in the logging camp thought Qi Fang was detached, indifferent to everything—even Yan Xue. But he hadn’t always been this way.
As a child, he loved books and taking things apart—radios, watches, even bicycles and guns. At first, he’d lose parts putting them back together, but by twelve, he was fixing everything in his grandfather’s house. Back then, he was all focus and determination.
He’d been waiting eagerly to graduate, to join his teacher in contributing to the nation’s mechanical advancements. Then the world changed.
And this man—this so-called senior brother, Wu Xingde—
Qi Fang’s eyes burned with fury. "You knew he was state-sent to study in the Soviet Union. Those letters were just academic discussions from years ago."
"Telling me does nothing. Take it up with the authorities."
At that, Wu Xingde’s smile vanished. "I didn’t push the teacher to his death. Why take it out on me? You think if I hadn’t reported him, he wouldn’t have been investigated? Those letters wouldn’t have been found?"
He met his younger brother’s gaze. "Still so naive? Anyone who studied in the Soviet Union back then was doomed."
"But it shouldn’t have been you."
An attack from enemies was one thing. Betrayal from a student the teacher had nurtured was another.
Qi Fang couldn’t bear to imagine how the teacher had felt upon learning the truth. Yet Wu Xingde had the gall to invoke him now. "What if it was me? Maybe the teacher was glad to save at least one student—"
The sheer audacity made Qi Fang’s fist fly before he could think. Wu Xingde’s lip split instantly.
Instead of anger, Wu Xingde laughed and struck back. "Think I won’t hit you? Qi Fang, I’ve wanted to do this for years!"
Yan Xue had expected tension between the two, but not outright violence. Through the binoculars, her heart lurched.
But Qi Fang’s years of logging work had honed his strength—he clearly had the upper hand. Yan Xue’s loyalty was absolute; as long as Qi Fang wasn’t hurt and didn’t go too far, she wouldn’t intervene.
Even in rage, Qi Fang’s mind held a thread of control. Soon, the two separated.
Sometimes, Qi Fang hated that restraint—hated that after the teacher’s death, he couldn’t even demand justice.
Because he had people to protect. His family. Those in power now were beyond his reach.
Wu Xingde knew it too. Adjusting his glasses, he sneered. "I heard your family’s well-connected. Why not beg them to help the teacher? Or were they unwilling—or unable?"
The jab struck deep. Qi Fang looked down at the man he’d knocked to the ground. "You really think I won’t do worse?"
His voice was calm now—chillingly so.
Wu Xingde suddenly remembered where he was—deep in the wilderness, with no one around but Qi Fang and his petite wife. If pushed too far, Qi Fang wouldn’t even need to kill him. Just knock him out, tie him up, and leave him in the wild where beasts roamed...
As for Qi Fang’s delicate little wife? Whether she’d lift a finger to save him was doubtful.
Wu Xingde felt a chill run down his spine and abandoned any further attempts to provoke the other man.
Seeing him finally behave, Qi Fang turned and walked away without any interest in learning why Wu Xingde had sought him out.
But Wu Xingde couldn’t let it go. "Don’t you want to clear the teacher’s name?"
Qi Fang did. Qi Fang dreamed of vindicating their teacher, even though the man was long gone.
But like the mountains facing relentless axes and saws, he was powerless.
Qi Fang didn’t stop walking, forcing Wu Xingde to struggle to his feet and call after him. "Things are different now. Many research projects have restarted, and the institute is operational again. A lot of materials were destroyed back then, and now they’re short on both technology and talent. The teacher’s case would definitely get attention."
"Who’s in charge of the institute now?" Qi Fang asked, his voice flat.
Wu Xingde hesitated. "For the sake of clearing the teacher’s name, for ensuring his life’s work wasn’t wasted, we students should endure what we must."
"So you’re saying you betrayed the teacher to join them?" Qi Fang cut straight to the point.
When that handsome face wasn’t dull with indifference, his peach-blossom eyes burned with cold sharpness and scorn. "Did you come here because you remembered the teacher’s research and wanted to squeeze the last bit of value out of him?"
Being too smart, too perceptive—it made a person hard to like.
Wu Xingde had never liked this junior brother, not from the start. It was bad enough that he was brilliant, but he also refused to play dumb like the others who buried themselves in research.
Still, he hadn’t come all this way for nothing. "Can you really bear to see the teacher’s work forgotten, buried forever? He spent his whole life on it. Don’t you think it would break his heart to know it’s gathering dust?"
Qi Fang paused.
Wu Xingde knew invoking the teacher was the surest way to sway him. He forced a bitter smile. "I know you hate me for saving my own skin, for being their pawn. But I had no choice. Now that he’s gone, we can’t let his work disappear too, leaving him with nothing but a tarnished name."
He sighed. "And if we don’t take it up, someone else will. In a few years, even if we wanted to bring it forward, it’d be too late."
That finally made Qi Fang turn back, one brow arched. "How far has the institute gotten?"
"Nowhere. The data and results were destroyed back then, setting research back nearly a decade. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have thought now was the right time to come find you."
Seeing an opening, Wu Xingde pressed on earnestly. "The institute needs people now. If we can produce something, I might even find a way to get you back. A talent like yours is wasted here, especially now that you’re not alone—you’ve got a family to think about."
Though Qi Fang treated his wife with little warmth, the woman was undeniably beautiful.
Whether he’d married her out of despair, for her looks, or for some other reason, Wu Xingde figured he’d be tempted. If he liked her, he could take her back and give her a better life. If not, he could use this as leverage to leave her behind.
Sure enough, Qi Fang studied him deeply, his gaze weighing and measuring.
After a long silence, Qi Fang seemed to reach a decision. "I do want to clear the teacher’s name."
Wu Xingde caught the implication. "Name your terms. I might not have much influence now, but I’ll do what I can—"
"But I don’t have the teacher’s materials," Qi Fang cut in calmly. "So save your promises."
An outright refusal from the start would’ve been easier to swallow. Having hope dangled and then snatched away left Wu Xingde not just disappointed, but humiliated.
But a man who’d betrayed his teacher and joined his persecutors had learned patience. He merely smiled. "Of all the students the teacher mentored, you were his favorite—practically a son to him. If anyone knew where his work was, it’d be you."
"Wasn’t it you who told them where the teacher’s letters were hidden?" Qi Fang countered coolly.
Before Wu Xingde could respond, he added with scorn, "I’m sure you already knew where his research was too. Probably even went looking for it."
Wu Xingde’s expression stiffened—a clear admission.
Qi Fang’s mockery deepened. "Stop wasting your time. I left before the teacher was targeted, and he gave me nothing. His wife likely knows just as little. You’d have better luck asking the people who ransacked his lab and home."
Wu Xingde opened his mouth to argue, but a sharp whistle blast from the mountaintop watchtower cut him off.
Qi Fang turned to leave. "One last piece of advice: get back to your institute. The mountains aren’t as safe as you think."
His long legs carried him swiftly through the forest, leaving Wu Xingde far behind in moments.
Remembering the whistle and the predatory glint in Qi Fang’s eyes, Wu Xingde straightened his clothes and headed downhill.
Maybe he’d been wrong. Maybe the teacher’s core research notes weren’t with Qi Fang after all.
Otherwise, why would a prodigy like him—a boy who’d entered university at fourteen, the teacher’s star pupil—be content to rot in this backwater as a lumberjack?
If it were him, he’d claw his way back to the city by any means necessary...
Qi Fang hurried to the watchtower, where Shi Hu was already radioing in. "Smoke sighted at two o’clock, 700 meters out. Possible fire."
Handing Qi Fang the binoculars, Shi Hu pointed. Qi Fang confirmed, "Definitely a fire."
His sharp eyes and quick calculations yielded precise coordinates in moments.
Shi Hu cursed. "Those damn kids. If they want to die, they shouldn’t drag the whole mountain down with them."
Qi Fang shot him a look, prompting an explanation: "Some kids ran from that direction. Your wife spotted them first."
Qi Fang had noticed Yan Xue in the watchtower earlier, but the emergency left no room for distractions. He barely glanced at her before asking, "What’s the command post saying?"
"Firefighters are on the way, but it’ll take time. They want continuous updates."
The vast forest meant each watchtower monitored multiple peaks, and fire crews had far to travel. The watchmen couldn’t retreat—they had to stay, tracking the blaze for the responders.
Qi Fang and Shi Hu took turns with the binoculars as the smoke thickened rapidly.
Yan Xue could see it with the naked eye, and Shi Hu, using binoculars, could only see it even more clearly. He couldn’t help but start cursing again, "Damn southwest wind. Let’s hope it doesn’t blow this way later."
During a wildfire, the lookout on the tower was in real danger. If they couldn’t retreat in time, they risked being caught in the fire’s path.
Shi Hu, a grown man in his thirties, was both anxious and irritable. But when he turned around, he saw Yan Xue standing quietly in the corner, composed.
Qi Fang was also watching Yan Xue, especially as the fire grew larger, the fire brigade hadn’t arrived, and the wind kept blowing their way.
"I should’ve sent you down earlier," Shi Hu muttered nervously, reporting the fire situation again. "Though leaving earlier wouldn’t guarantee you’d avoid it, it’d still be better than staying here with us. Of all days, why did you have to come today?"
Then he thought of his own wife and child. "At least you two are together here. If something happens to me, my wife might end up someone else’s."
"The fire isn’t spreading too fast. The fire brigade should make it in time," Yan Xue said, only to sneeze loudly right after.
Qi Fang, who had been silent all along, remained wordless but began unbuttoning his heavy coat.
"I’m fine, I’ve got my jacket," Yan Xue quickly waved him off. "You’re wearing less underneath. Don’t take it off."
But Qi Fang undid all the buttons anyway—though he didn’t remove the coat. Instead, he spread it open and wrapped it around Yan Xue, enveloping her completely.
Tall as he was, his coat was large enough to swallow her whole, burying her head against his chest. His warmth instantly replaced the biting cold of the wind. Pressed so close, she could feel the rise and fall of his breath and the steady beat of his heart beneath his ribs.
A familiar embrace—one that had comforted her during nightmares, not broad but reassuring in its intimacy.
Yan Xue took a deep breath and didn’t push away. Instead, she circled her arms around his waist and continued watching the fire below.
Qi Fang noticed, taking the binoculars in one hand while tucking her icy fingers under his sweater with the other.
Shi Hu was tense, not blind. It was impossible to miss the two of them clinging together so conspicuously, and he couldn’t help but grimace.
But then again, they were newlyweds, and given the circumstances, huddling for warmth was understandable.
Shi Hu pretended not to see, but while he could ignore them, he couldn’t ignore the fire below. The wind was blowing their way, and soon smoke began drifting toward them before the flames.
Sheltered by Qi Fang’s coat, Yan Xue was somewhat spared, but Shi Hu, facing the smoke directly, started coughing first.
Qi Fang frowned and turned to Yan Xue. "You should go—"
Before he could finish, she slipped out of his arms. "Keep observing. I’ll handle it," she said briskly, heading to the corner to grab towels.
"She’s not panicking at all," Shi Hu remarked between coughs, covering his mouth.
By the time he finished speaking, Yan Xue had already soaked the towels in water and handed one to him.
He quickly pressed it over his nose and mouth, and the next towel went to Qi Fang.
Qi Fang tried to push it back, but Yan Xue pressed it to his face herself, then let go to remove her own jacket, wet it, and hold it over her nose as well.
With the smoke thickening, delaying any longer would make retreat impossible. Just as they prepared to descend, the fire brigade finally arrived.
Compared to the agonizing wait, the actual firefighting went quickly. Thanks to early detection, the damage was contained. But by the time everything was over and the area confirmed safe, midday had faded into sunset.
Shi Hu’s drowsiness had long since vanished, replaced by lingering fear. Glancing at Qi Fang and Yan Xue, he said, "It’s getting late. Qi Fang, take your wife down first. I’ll keep watch here."
Qi Fang didn’t refuse. The couple descended the lookout tower and started down the mountain path.
Perhaps still affected by the smoke, even after the fire was out, Yan Xue felt the air carried a burnt smell, making her cough.
Qi Fang, meanwhile, was unusually quiet. If not for his footsteps, she might have doubted he was there at all.
It reminded her of the man who had come looking for him earlier. Though she hadn’t seen him since Qi Fang returned—likely sent away—his mood was probably tied to that encounter.
And despite having the upper hand in the fight, Qi Fang’s face still bore bruises that were hard to miss.
As they reached the woods where the scuffle had happened, Yan Xue wanted to ask about his injuries, but another cough escaped her.
A hand immediately settled on her back, gently patting.
Once she recovered, Yan Xue opened her mouth to speak, but Qi Fang beat her to it. "Don’t come up here again."
His tone wasn’t gentle, nothing like when he’d wrapped her in his coat on the tower or just patted her back. Yan Xue wondered if she imagined the edge in his voice.
Before she could dwell on it, his next words landed. "And don’t bring strangers up the mountain either."
What? Was he blaming her for bringing someone he didn’t want to see?
Yan Xue raised her eyes, her gaze skimming over the bruises on his face. "Should I avoid talking to strangers too?"
After surviving a wildfire, even if they’d made it out unharmed, even if she didn’t need comfort, she wasn’t in the mood for anyone’s unexplained bitterness.
Her words carried clear frustration. Qi Fang stopped and looked at her. "That’s not what I meant."
"Then what did you mean?" Yan Xue met his gaze evenly. "Two days ago, you said you needed to come up here to clear your head, and I didn’t say a word. Two days later, I worried you might run out of food and came to bring you supplies. And now that’s my fault?"
She wasn’t unshakable. If he couldn’t offer support, the least he could do was not add to her stress right now.
The young woman’s usual smile was gone, replaced by a rare sternness. Qi Fang pressed his lips together, studying her for a long moment before speaking quietly. "I was worried something might happen to you."
Heaven knew his mind had blanked when he saw Yan Xue walking with Wu Xingde, prompting him to wake the sleeping Shi Hu immediately.
But Yan Xue didn’t know that. "Worried about me, so I can’t come up the mountain? Can’t talk to strangers? Should I just never leave the house? Did I ask to run into a wildfire or that man?"
She hated how people back home used "safety" as an excuse to keep girls indoors doing chores while boys played outside—just another flavor of favoring sons over daughters.
She hated those like Aunt Bai Xiuzhen, who insisted she shouldn’t work to support her brother but should marry instead.
She hated how, in her past life, no one helped when she cared for her father alone, yet once her small shop turned profitable, they suddenly lined up to introduce suitors who’d "help manage the business"...
The words spilled out before she could stop them. Realizing she’d lost her composure again, Yan Xue paused, lowering her eyes. "Sorry, I’m not in a good mood. Just let me be for a while."
She was like this, and Qi Fang was well aware that his emotions had been too volatile today, and he had misspoken again.
"Sorry," he murmured softly.
But Yan Xue raised her hand to stop him. "We can already see the train tracks. You don’t need to walk me the rest of the way."
The young woman walked away swiftly, soon leaving only a petite figure in his line of sight. Qi Fang watched, an inexplicable unease creeping into his heart.
He didn’t know whether he was unsettled by his own poorly chosen words—his concern turning into something harsh—or by the sight of her growing distance...
But since Yan Xue had refused his company, he didn’t dare follow. He stood rooted in place, watching until she reached the populated area before finally turning back.
By the time he returned to the watchtower, the sky had darkened completely. Shi Hu hadn’t dared to light a fire and was sitting there, chewing on dry rations with cold water.
Seeing him return, Shi Hu glanced up. "See your wife home?"
"Yeah." Qi Fang responded with just one word—his nature was like this, speaking little, and Shi Hu was used to it.
For some reason, Qi Fang didn’t go to eat. Instead, he picked up the binoculars and gazed once more toward the foot of the mountain.
"Don’t worry, I reported in five minutes ago. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be sitting here eating," Shi Hu remarked.
After chewing a few more bites, he remembered something and pointed to a cloth bag beside him. "Your wife brought this at noon. I helped take it—it’s pretty heavy. No idea what’s inside."
Yan Xue had indeed brought something with her. Qi Fang had noticed it at first glance, but with everything that happened afterward, he had nearly forgotten about the bag.
Now, hearing Shi Hu mention it, he set down the binoculars and walked over to open it. Shi Hu peeked curiously and couldn’t help but click his tongue. "She really packed a lot for you."
Assorted pickles in glass jars were already a common sight, but beyond that, Yan Xue had also brought two lunch boxes.
One was filled to the brim with stir-fried leeks and eggs—vibrant green paired with golden yellow, clearly made with the freshest first-cut leeks. The other contained dry-fried silkworm pupae, their dark surfaces glistening with an enticing sheen of oil, sprinkled with a few fragrant fried scallions.
Qi Fang froze, carefully counting the pupae.
One, two, three...
Nineteen in total. Yan Xue hadn’t eaten a single one—she had brought them all for him.
Qi Fang: Ugh... I’m done for. I think I’m developing a love-struck brain... And to top it off, my wife stormed off because of me...
