SA | Chapter 16

Reindeer Migration

“Zhang Li,” Gu Deng was startled by his actions, feeling both embarrassed and annoyed, almost begging for mercy, “Let’s just forget it, I’m fine now.”

Zhang Li didn’t reply, he just held his ankle and said, “I shouldn’t have let you come.”

Gu Deng thought of the hardships he endured along the way and felt a bit wronged, “If I had known it would be this tough, I wouldn’t have come.”

“Sorry,” Zhang Li said.

When Gu Deng suggested coming along, Zhang Li should have stopped him. Gu Deng was a newbie with no experience, but Zhang Li knew the difficulties and risks of the journey. Yet, his selfish desires swelled, and he unintentionally encouraged Gu Deng…

Zhang Li remained silent, using his body to warm Gu Deng’s cold feet.

Gu Deng didn’t speak anymore. After a while, he said, “Once the blizzard stops, I want to go back.”

“Okay,” Zhang Li said, “I’ll help you arrange a plane.”

Gu Deng responded with an “Mm,” then asked, “Are you going to continue?”

“I will.”

“Why?”

Just as Zhang Li was about to speak, Gu Deng shook his head and said, “Never mind, I already know.”

Zhang Li glanced at Gu Deng but didn’t say anything more, just continued to warm his calves until Gu Deng’s feet were completely warm before letting go.

Afterward, they lay in their sleeping bags, quietly waiting for the blizzard to pass.

Gu Deng was still very sleepy and slept for another quarter of an hour. Worried about hypothermia, Zhang Li wouldn’t let him sleep for too long.

Sleeping for a bit and then being interrupted, Gu Deng became sleepier, but he couldn’t just rest alone. Rubbing his eyes, he forced himself to stay awake and said, “I wonder how long the snow will last. You should get some sleep too, I’ll wake you when it’s time.”

“No need,” Zhang Li said, “You just rest.”

Gu Deng responded with an “Mm,” but didn’t continue sleeping, feeling a bit embarrassed.

But life inside the tent was really boring, so Gu Deng took stock of everything within sight and then asked Zhang Li, “Why aren’t you resting? Are you worried I won’t wake you?”

Zhang Li was a bit surprised and shook his head.

“Then why?”

Zhang Li explained that he needed to monitor the temperature inside the tent, keep an eye on the snow accumulation on top, and prevent avalanches.

“I can do those things too,” Gu Deng said, “You can leave it to me and go to sleep.”

“I’m not tired…”

“No way,” Gu Deng interrupted Zhang Li, pushing him to the ground, “Listen to me, sleep now.”

Zhang Li’s expression was a bit complicated, but he eventually gave in, “Sorry for the trouble.”

Gu Deng waved it off, “You helped me, so of course I should repay you.”

Zhang Li thanked him again and then closed his eyes.

Gu Deng perked up his ears to listen for any movements around them, and the nervousness gradually pushed away his sleepiness. After he checked the tent thoroughly to ensure nothing unexpected happened, he took a moment to glance at Zhang Li.

The man’s brows were slightly furrowed, his breathing steady, and he was clearly asleep.

He knew Zhang Li was just being polite. No matter how strong his body was, after such a long hike, he needed rest. Zhang Li said he wasn’t tired, but he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Thinking this, Gu Deng actually felt a bit happy.

They took turns resting for several rounds until the tent was no longer making terrifying noises from the wind, and the snow on top gradually lessened. Zhang Li opened the tent, and the snow outside had lessened considerably. The distant mountains emerged in a hazy silhouette, the wind speed decreased, and so they broke camp and descended.

The snow underfoot was sticky and deep, and even with snowshoes, it was hard to prevent sinking. Every step Gu Deng took required extra effort to pull his foot out of the snow.

Fortunately, they had reached the last mountain peak. The contour map showed that once they crossed the pass, they could ski down to the northern plains.

This was an exciting piece of news, and Gu Deng perked up, following behind Zhang Li. The snow was still falling, but compared to the previous blizzard, it was much gentler, more like a decoration for the journey.

They climbed nearly two hours for a few hundred meters of ascent. The descent was much quicker, with Gu Deng skiing all the way down, occasionally falling into deep powder snow, then digging himself out to continue.

After the vernal equinox, the days in the Northern Hemisphere grew longer. At their latitude, the sun didn’t set until after 10 p.m. After descending, it was still daylight, though the snow started falling heavily again. They camped behind some wind-sheltering shrubs, hastily ate dinner, and, exhausted, fell asleep without a word.

From starting at 7 a.m. to sleeping at 10 p.m., even excluding the time spent avoiding the blizzard, they had been going for over ten hours.

Gu Deng’s stamina was long depleted. The fact that he made it down safely was purely due to willpower. Every muscle in his body ached, and he was so tired that he nodded off while eating.

He shouldn’t have come. If he hadn’t acted impulsively, he might still be lounging in a star-rated hotel, enjoying the internet and gourmet food, wearing light pajamas in a well-heated room, watching the snow through the window.

If he hadn’t come, he wouldn’t have turned into a wild man, not showering for three days, wolfing down meals, losing all semblance of image, and collapsing into sleep.

No more hiking! He would go back tomorrow!!

Before sleeping, Gu Deng thought this.

Perhaps because he was too excited about going back, Gu Deng woke up early the next day.

It was just dawn, but the wind had completely stopped. It was silent all around, and Gu Deng could hear his own breathing. The orange tent let in light, revealing the luggage casually piled at the foot of the bed. When he raised his hand, Gu Deng felt the new stubble on his chin. Without a mirror, he knew how disheveled he looked.

Wanting to return early, Gu Deng didn’t linger in bed this time. As soon as he woke up, he dressed and found the stove by the luggage to light a fire. He planned to boil water to wash his face, and if possible, he wanted to wash his hair before going back.

Gu Deng crawled to the entrance, hesitated before leaving the tent, glanced back at Zhang Li, worried about his memory, and took a photo with his phone before opening the tent and stepping out.

After a night of heavy snow, their tent was half-buried. Gu Deng struggled to dig out a path wide enough to pass through. He rubbed his sore lower back, straightened up, and then froze in place.

The snow had stopped, and he found himself in an endless expanse of fresh snow. The sun hadn’t risen yet, but it had already painted half the sky pink, the other half a powder blue. Where the pink and blue met was an unbelievably romantic shade of lavender.

The Brooks Mountain Range was shrouded in this lavender hue, shedding the dangers of the previous night, appearing romantic and serene.

In the shrubs beside the tent, the wind-sheltered North American reindeer were waking up. Under the pink sky, they shook off the snow and, following a strong, mysterious instinct, continued their journey north, moving gracefully, elegantly, and quietly.

For generations, year after year, North American reindeer experienced such blizzards and the tranquility before sunrise.

What a privilege it was for him to stand here and witness such a breathtaking scene.

The overwhelming impact made Gu Deng’s nose tingle, almost bringing him to tears. But he held back his emotions, simply standing there quietly, watching the reindeer fade into the distance.