Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 193: Cabin in the Woods (Part One)

Zhou Xingquan pulled his clothes tighter around him.

Even though it wasn’t yet dark, his vision had already begun to dim. Sunlight couldn’t penetrate the thick forest canopy, and the cold, damp mountain mist drifted through the trees. All around were grotesque, moss-covered giant trees. The ground was layered with thick, decaying leaves.

If he was lucky, the leaves might only conceal roots that could trip him. If less fortunate, he might step on a venomous snake or insect, or into mud that could swallow his feet.

Zhou Xingquan could feel his body heat rapidly fading.

…This was serious.

In recent years, some restricted areas of Xushan had been opened for scientific study. Scholars from many fields rushed to explore them. As a geologist, Zhou Xingquan had eagerly joined one of the expeditions.

To be fair, their team had excellent safety protocols.

The organizers had hired professional guides. Equipment like GPS and geological compasses was complete. There were also plenty of backup supplies, like medicine, clothes, food and water, leaving little room for accidents.

But Zhou Xingquan became that one accident.

He had left the group alone to relieve himself, only to lock eyes with a black bear.

His mind went blank. Acting on instinct, he ran two steps before taking a wrong step and tumbling down a slope, knocking himself unconscious on a rock along the way.

When he woke up, there was one piece of good news and a lot of bad.

The good news: the bear didn’t follow him. His limbs and head were intact, and none of his internal organs had spilled out.

The bad news: his backpack was missing, his gear-filled jacket had been torn off mid-fall, and he had landed in a creek, soaking him completely. He was left with almost nothing.

Surrounding him was only thick mist and trees. He had no idea how far he had fallen, nor which direction he had come from.

The temperature outside had been fairly warm, but in this deep forest, he was shivering with blue lips. If he didn’t find a way out before dark, hypothermia would kill him before hunger or thirst did.

…Was he going to die here?

Zhou Xingquan sniffled and called out a few times. The area was eerily quiet. His voice was quickly swallowed by the fog, as if he were the only person left in the world.

He thought about trying to make a fire to warm up, but his clothes were damp, and the nearby trees were covered in a slick, wet layer. Not even sunlight could penetrate this place. He had no idea how to start a fire.

Worse still, Xushan had been sealed off for over a thousand years. Even if he followed the water, there was little chance of encountering any locals.

He was truly doomed. If not for the need to conserve strength, he would have broken down crying.

After a moment of despair, he picked up a sturdy branch to use as a cane and began walking along the stream—not in the hope of meeting someone, but just to have access to drinking water if needed.

Nature quickly revealed its harshness.

Zhou Xingquan shivered uncontrollably, his legs growing heavier by the step. The soft decaying leaves turned into swampy muck that sucked at his feet, draining his energy.

He hadn’t eaten lunch. His stomach rumbled, and his throat felt parched. His surroundings looked cursed. The scene in front of him was just dull green, murky brown, gray fog, and… red?

Wait—red?

He perked up and walked toward the red spot. A few steps later, he realized what it was—

On a flat rock sat a neatly placed can of Wangzai soda and a stack of flaky pastries. The pastries were clean and looked freshly made.

Zhou Xingquan trembled from head to toe.

Fresh, manmade food appearing in a thousand-year-uninhabited primeval forest was even scarier than stumbling on a skeleton.

Was he hallucinating from the hypothermia?

He crept up to the food and poked it cautiously—Damn. It was still warm. The pastry’s surface was crisp, and the drink can retained residual heat.

If this was a hallucination, it was an incredibly convincing one.

Zhou Xingquan sighed for a long time, but in the end, survival instinct won.

He cracked open the can and downed the warm sweet drink, finishing the pastries in just a few bites.

With those solid carbs in his stomach, he felt slightly more alert.

He studied the now-empty can, mind still reeling. No matter how he thought about it, none of this made any sense. But he could still taste the lingering sweetness between his molars, as if reality itself were forcibly reminding him: “this was real”.

As he tried to make sense of everything, the red can in his hand suddenly twitched like a living thing and slipped from his grasp.

It rolled over and began spinning across the ground.

Zhou Xingquan: “……”

Great. He must still be unconscious. This was all a dream.

The can rolled at a perfectly manageable pace, just enough for him to walk and follow. When Zhou Xingquan stood frozen, it stopped too, bouncing in place as if to urge him forward.

If this was a dream, why bother caring so much?

It wasn’t like he had anywhere else to go. Zhou Xingquan braced himself with the tree branch and decisively followed the bizarre soda can.

The can rolled effortlessly over layers of fallen leaves, past gravel-strewn streambeds and weed-choked trails. Against the gloomy, gray background, that streak of red remained his only guide.

He didn’t know how long he walked. The fog gradually lifted. The air became drier and warmer. The oppressive gray-green faded into lush emerald, and finally, he saw the sky—it was sunset, awash in red clouds.

The can stopped.

It didn’t need to lead any further. Zhou Xingquan now knew where to go.

He stood in a beautiful mountain valley. In the distance was a quaint, traditional wooden cabin, surrounded by vibrant flowers and greenery, a scene worthy of being called paradise.

Zhou Xingquan flushed with excitement.

There were people here. Even if this was a dream, it was a good dream.

He picked up the empty can and ran toward the cabin.

As he got closer, the smell of chicken stew hit his nose. It was hot, hearty, and full of homely comfort. He nearly burst into tears.

“Hello, is anyone there?”

He knocked firmly. “I got separated from the expedition team and got lost. Please help me—”

Creak.

The door opened. A young man in a red T-shirt appeared.

He looked under thirty, with slightly messy hair. His features were handsome but friendly, not the kind of beauty that kept people at a distance.

He was unmistakably wearing modern clothes—a pair of sneakers on his feet and a book titled “Comprehensive Medical Studies” in his hand.

“Expedition team?” the young man blinked.

“Y-Yes. My name is Zhou Xingquan. Can you contact the outside world? I can reach our team leader.”

Zhou Xingquan looked miserable. “I ran into a bear, fell off a cliff, lost all my equipment…”

“Oh, I’m Fang Xiu.”

The young man in red—Fang Xiu—smiled warmly and gestured for him to come in. “There’s no signal here. Come inside, change into something dry, and have a bowl of soup. Once you’re feeling better, we’ll figure something out.”

“Thank you, thank you so much!” Zhou Xingquan said, deeply moved.

Maybe this wasn’t a dream, he thought. At least right now, Fang Xiu felt very real. So did the scent of that chicken soup. It was filled with herbs, unmistakably brewed with care.

Maybe the can that guided him had been a hallucination, but this life-saving cabin probably wasn’t. Maybe Fang Xiu had left the supplies in the woods too. That would make sense.

He was saved.

Zhou Xingquan stepped into the warm cabin and immediately saw the ceramic pot bubbling on a gas stove. The stew simmered gently, its rich scent filling the room.

In front of the pot stood another person. Dressed in white robes like a character from ancient times, with long black hair cascading down, the man kept a focused gaze on the stew.

When Zhou Xingquan entered, the man turned his face. His snow-white eyes glanced at him briefly.

Zhou Xingquan: “…”

No, no, he wasn’t saved. This had to be a dream.

Otherwise, how could there be a “white-eyed, long-haired, robe-wearing ghost prince” character in such a modern-looking cabin?

“This is Bai Shuangying, my partner,”

Fang Xiu said cheerfully, unfazed by Zhou Xingquan’s inner crisis. “I’m staying here to study. It’s quiet and remote with no cell signal, which is perfect for focus.”

Bai Shuangying nodded absentmindedly, as if Fang Xiu had just opened a window and let a bug in.

But the moment Fang Xiu said “my partner”, the corners of Bai Shuangying’s lips lifted slightly, and his demeanor softened. He adjusted his left hand, revealing a wedding ring that matched Fang Xiu’s.

Zhou Xingquan gave up on thinking.

If he couldn’t make sense of the situation, he might as well rest.

He looked away from the surreal Bai Shuangying and took in the cozy cabin’s living room.

The interior was well-designed, clearly modern, and full of signs of daily life.

Sofa, tables, chairs, and appliances were all present. There was likely a generator outside. The cabin had a small kitchen, complete with utensils and dishware. A red-and-white checkered cloth covered the round dining table, topped with a vase of fresh wildflowers.

Aside from the otherworldly appearance of Bai Shuangying, the cabin was practically a perfect modern bed and breakfast. Its realism was undeniable.

Near the largest window, with the best view, was a spacious desk. On it lay a thick notebook, surrounded by textbooks and practice workbooks. Zhou Xingquan glanced over and noticed they were all adult college entrance exam prep materials.

“These are your books? You’re preparing for the adult college entrance exam?” Zhou Xingquan asked Fang Xiu, deciding not to question Bai Shuangying’s presence.

“Yeah, I had to put off school before because of some things. Now that I have time, my dad wants me to finish my education, and I want to get into college too.”

Fang Xiu looked a little shy as he spoke, handing Zhou Xingquan a set of dry clothes—a printed T-shirt and a pair of loose lounge pants.

“You want to study medicine? That’s amazing.”

Zhou Xingquan changed clothes as he spoke, genuinely impressed.

The textbooks were mostly about clinical medicine, filled with notes in various colors. It was clear that Fang Xiu had been working hard.

Outside the window, the sun dipped behind the mountains. The sky darkened quickly. Inside, the lights came on making it warm and comforting.

He didn’t have to wander the freezing woods in wet clothes. He could survive the night.

Now dressed in dry clothes, his exhausted limbs began to recover. Zhou Xingquan wiped his face and glanced again at the study materials.

He started to believe this wasn’t a dream after all.

As a geologist, he might be able to imagine someone like Bai Shuangying. But his brain couldn’t fabricate this level of detailed medical knowledge.

Maybe Bai Shuangying was just really good-looking, with a small cosplay hobby. Who knew?

“The soup’s ready. There’s bread and fruit too. Help yourself.”

Fang Xiu smiled, inviting Zhou Xingquan to sit and eat.

But Bai Shuangying didn’t sit down right away. He remained by the window, gazing silently outside.

His ghostly face held little expression, though his brows furrowed slightly.

“What is it?” Fang Xiu sensed something was off, though he didn’t look worried.

“We have a new visitor.”

After a pause, Bai Shuangying added, “…They don’t seem friendly.”

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The author has something to say:

The young couple’s secret base~

Xiao Bai be like: I was going to make this place out of gold.

Since this is a sweet slice-of-life couple story, of course we’ll let bystanders watch and eat dogfood. √

Next chapter will be extra sweet!

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