4. Take Off the Clothes
Early the next morning, Yan Hao arrived promptly at the entrance of Tao Xinyu's lodging in his rented SUV.
Tao Xinyu had woken up and prepared herself a simple breakfast of milk and cereal at the hotel, then stuffed a few bread rolls, two chocolate bars, a pack of dried cranberries, and a bottle of water into her backpack. With all the walking and hiking ahead today, she needed to bring some supplies to replenish her energy along the way.
It occurred to her last night that heading up the mountain without any preparation wasn't the best idea, so she'd grabbed her wallet and made a trip to the supermarket, picking up some dry provisions to snack on whenever hunger struck during the journey.
Tao Xinyu came downstairs on time, got into Yan Hao's car, and the two set off immediately for Ojców National Park.
"Did you sleep well last night?" Yan Hao asked casually after she got in.
"Great! So much happened yesterday, I was exhausted. After my shower last night, I was so tired I passed out the moment I hit the bed—slept straight through till morning!" Tao Xinyu replied with a smile.
Hearing her carefree answer, Yan Hao found himself smiling again. Over these past two days, he felt like he'd been smiling much more than usual—and these changes all seemed to be because of Tao Xinyu.
"That sounds wonderful. Being able to sleep peacefully is a true blessing." Yan Hao offered this observation in a low voice as he drove, his tone carrying a subtle, barely perceptible gentleness.
"From the sound of it, Yan Hao, it seems like you have trouble sleeping peacefully?" Tao Xinyu sensed a hint of envy in his voice and naturally asked in return.
Yan Hao let out a soft chuckle. "Mm, I do have difficulty falling asleep." He didn't elaborate; he still habitually kept his private matters to himself.
"Yan Hao, you should try to be more cheerful, smile more. Like me—whenever I feel like crying from sadness, I force myself to smile instead. Over time, your mindset naturally becomes more optimistic. Even if the sky falls, I can still eat when I want to eat and sleep when I want to sleep without any problem." Tao Xinyu gazed at his handsome but somewhat cold face and smiled as she shared her optimistic techniques.
"Personality is sometimes innate. Maybe you were just born optimistic—that's why eating and sleeping come easily to you." Yan Hao replied.
"That's true. I was indeed born optimistic. Otherwise, I wouldn't have made it this far in one piece." At Yan Hao's words, Tao Xinyu's expression turned slightly wistful as she smiled.
Seeing this sudden shift in her mood, Yan Hao grew curious. Normally, he wouldn't pry into others' privacy, but now he genuinely wanted to know what weighed on Tao Xinyu's heart.
"Why do you say that? Is there something in your life that makes you not want to go on living?" Yan Hao pressed.
"No, I should say—there are things in my life that give me strength to keep going, that have helped me persevere until today." Tao Xinyu smiled as she spoke, but recalling these sources of strength still brought a faint ache.
"No matter how optimistic someone appears on the outside, deep down they harbor wounds unknown to others. Don't think optimistic people are without pain—they too experience life's hardships." There was a touch of melancholy in Tao Xinyu's words that tugged at the heart.
Yan Hao looked at her deeply. This petite woman who always presented herself as cheerful and upbeat now had a trace of sorrow coloring her brows as old memories surfaced.
She was right. Not every outwardly positive person has escaped setbacks.
Some people seem to live easily, effortlessly—but outsiders don't realize how hard they work to maintain that facade. Everyone's life is harder than it looks; everyone is navigating their own journey. So why compare? Why envy?
In that moment, Yan Hao felt he understood Tao Xinyu on a deeper level.
"The more you've experienced, the richer and more complete your life becomes." Yan Hao offered these rare words of comfort, unable to resist the urge to console this woman.
His words resonated deeply with Tao Xinyu. Setting aside her past hurts, she lifted her smile once more and replied:
"Exactly. I think all those scars from life's journey are actually growth hormones enriching my existence. They push me to mature, to stop daydreaming, to face life seriously and proactively."
"You're strong—a wise woman." Yan Hao's eyes held abundant appreciation as he looked at her. Though at this moment, he didn't understand what this appreciation truly signified.
The two arrived at their destination, got out of the car, and began their ascent step by step.
First, they crossed a meadow dotted with several wooden houses. The season was late autumn transitioning to winter—red and yellow leaves intertwined, splashing the mountains with patches of vibrant color, breathtakingly beautiful.
Then they entered a primitive forest path. Massive stones lined the mountainside and roadside, resembling some kind of ritual formations from novels, leaving Tao Xinyu in awe.
In fact, these stones indeed served ceremonial purposes—and they were the main reason Yan Hao had insisted on bringing Tao Xinyu here today.
He led her into the stone circle and, while she marveled at her surroundings, secretly channeled his sacred power to activate the magic within the stones, awakening the true ability of the energy crystal on her hand.
Sunlight streamed through a gap in the stones, suddenly blazing intensely bright, refracting onto the blood amber on Tao Xinyu's hand. The crystal's power had been successfully summoned.
Seeing the sunlight illuminate her hand in what felt like a sacred, almost religious moment, Tao Xinyu was awestruck by nature's magical power.
She didn't realize this was all because of Yan Hao.
Yan Hao completed the ritual without betraying a hint, yet the crystal in her ring showed no inclination to leave her. It remained firmly attached to the blood amber, seemingly unwilling to part from Tao Xinyu.
This discovery surprised him. He hadn't expected this crystal fragment to grow so attached to Tao Xinyu—it clung to her as if determined to stay.
Just as Yan Hao was racking his brain for some excuse to convince Tao Xinyu to part with the ring, she'd already walked out of the stone circle and continued upward.
Left with no way to retrieve the fragment, Yan Hao could only accept this mildly absurd, helpless situation and let the crystal remain with Tao Xinyu.
Fortunately, the crystal posed no threat while on her hand, so he felt quite at ease with this arrangement.
Unaware of any of this, Tao Xinyu ahead of him remained absorbed in the scenery, chattering about her impressions along the way. He listened quietly, playing the role of companion as they traversed this mesmerizing landscape.
They walked from morning until afternoon, and just as they were about to descend, a sudden downpour began.
Neither had brought rain gear. Yan Hao had no choice but to rush Tao Xinyu down the mountain, but the rain was so heavy they ended up soaked through.
Hurrying down, they spotted a wooden cabin halfway. Without hesitation, Yan Hao pulled Tao Xinyu inside to take shelter.
Both drenched, with temperatures near freezing on the mountain, hypothermia was a real risk. Spotting firewood by the fireplace, Yan Hao quickly lit a fire.
"Take off your clothes." Yan Hao commanded sternly while building the fire.
"Wh-what? Take... take off my clothes?" Dazed and disoriented by the situation, Tao Xinyu's mind went blank. The words "take off your clothes" jolted her so much she forgot to close her mouth.
"Wet clothes lead to hypothermia. Remove your outer layers quickly." Satisfied the fire was burning well, Yan Hao stood and stripped off his own jacket.
Seeing this, Tao Xinyu followed suit, removing her soaking outer coat. Fortunately, her jacket was waterproof outdoor gear—the clothes underneath were dry. But her jeans were completely soaked and would need to come off.
However, removing her pants in front of a man she barely knew required immense courage—courage Tao Xinyu obviously didn't possess. When Yan Hao suggested she take them off, she reacted strongly:
"No need! It's fine—I'll just dry off by the fire." She moved toward the fireplace, clearly refusing.
"Soaked jeans are uncomfortable, aren't they? Just take them off. They'll dry faster that way." Yan Hao persisted.
"No... really... I'm fine..." Tao Xinyu lied through her teeth. She was actually extremely uncomfortable, but she'd rather endure than strip in front of Yan Hao.
Yan Hao certainly knew she was just toughing it out. He pulled off his fleece, leaving only a thin black long-sleeved undershirt, and handed the fleece to Tao Xinyu.
"Be good. Take off your pants. Use this to cover yourself. I'll turn around—call me when you're done." With that, he genuinely turned his back to her. This gesture struck Tao Xinyu as both gentlemanly and heartwarming, leaving her no reason to refuse.
Obediently, she removed her soaking jeans and wrapped Yan Hao's fleece around her lower body like a skirt, avoiding any awkwardness.
"Yan Hao, you can turn around now." Dressed, she called softly, her eyes filled with gratitude.
Yan Hao had been nothing but gentlemanly and proper toward her—it left an excellent impression.
He turned and led her to the fireplace to warm up. They desperately needed heat.
"Let's huddle together—sharing body heat will warm us faster." Yan Hao pulled her into his embrace, explaining gently.
The moment she was enveloped in his arms, Tao Xinyu felt the heat radiating from his body. Beyond his warmth, she sensed that beneath his seemingly lean frame, he was actually quite muscular and solid.
Then she caught his scent—masculine, strong, with a pleasant fragrance that suited him perfectly.
***
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