2: Zhongtianmen

The two walked and chatted, or more accurately, Ya Ya was mainly enthusiastically sharing stories about Mount Tai, interesting anecdotes about climbing, and her little feelings about this job, while Jiang Yuan listened faithfully by her side.

He indeed had no climbing experience to share, so most of the time he just responded with smiles and nods, occasionally letting out a few meaningful exclamations.

From the visitor center to the Wuxian Tower ticket gate, this seemingly short, gentle mountain path took Jiang Yuan a full half hour to walk.

His breathing gradually became heavy, and his legs began to feel a faint soreness and swelling, which made him mutter to himself inwardly.

"How long will it take to reach the top? It's only been half an hour and we've just reached the ticket checkpoint."

Jiang Yuan finally found a stone bench and sat down, tiredly rubbing his calves, asking Ya Ya beside him, his voice filled with unconcealed gasps.

Climbing at night, the temples and palaces along the way were already closed, with no scenery to admire; they could only rely on their phone flashlights or sparse roadside lighting to trudge upwards in the darkness.

If not for Ya Ya's meticulous explanations all the way, he wouldn't even know where he was.

"Brother Jiang, keep it up, this is just the beginning!"

Ya Ya noticed the fatigue in Jiang Yuan's brows, and she smiled as she handed him a bottle of mineral water, her tone gentle and firm, "At our current speed, including breaks, it will probably take another six or seven hours to reach the summit.

However, as long as we persevere, there's a good chance we'll see the sunrise over Mount Tai!"

Her eyes sparkled with encouragement, as if dispelling the heaviness of the night.

"I specifically checked the weather forecast just now, and tomorrow is a sunny day!"

She added, her voice filled with a hint of cheerfulness.

Upon hearing this, the trace of frustration in Jiang Yuan's heart immediately faded considerably.

"Okay, let's continue!"

He nodded heavily, took a few sips of water, feeling the cool liquid moisten his parched throat, and then followed Ya Ya's footsteps, once again embarking on the rugged mountain path.

Along the way, the emotional support Ya Ya provided was simply perfect, even surpassing what his two previous girlfriends could offer.

Her smile was always so bright, her voice full of vitality; she could give encouragement at the right time and use humorous words to alleviate the monotony of climbing, allowing Jiang Yuan's previously somewhat tense mood to unconsciously relax.

"Ya Ya, how long have you been doing this? You look about my age, are you still a university student?"

Jiang Yuan asked Ya Ya on a relatively flat section of the road.

"Yes, I'm a third-year university student about to graduate, and my extracurricular internship has ended, so I have plenty of time."

Upon hearing this, Ya Ya turned her head to look at Jiang Yuan, a sweet smile on her face, "As for accompanying climbers, I've actually only been doing it for about a month."

Jiang Yuan pondered for a moment upon hearing this, then spoke again.

"Then don't you get tired climbing mountains like this every day?"

This time, he deliberately slowed his speech, even taking a few breaths between each sentence, which Ya Ya had taught him to prevent getting winded from speaking too quickly while climbing.

"Tired, of course I get tired, but it gets much better once you get used to it!"

Ya Ya wasn't very cunning and directly expressed her true feelings, "After all, it pays quite well, and I get to exercise.

Look, this month I've accompanied thirteen people climbing, plus some tips, and I've already made almost ten thousand yuan."

There was a hint of small pride in her tone.

Jiang Yuan quite agreed with these words; after all, their profession had clear prices, and others could roughly estimate their income with a little calculation.

Jiang Yuan nodded, said nothing more, and refocused his attention on climbing, diligently adjusting his breathing and pace.

Another nearly three hours passed, and with Ya Ya's constant encouragement and guidance, Jiang Yuan finally panted his way to Middle Heaven Gate.

At this time, Middle Heaven Gate was already brightly lit and bustling with people; an endless stream of climbers rested here, replenishing their energy.

In one corner of the square, the steaming aroma of instant noodles and the tempting smell of grilled sausages wafted through the air; many tourists held bowls of hot instant noodles, eating heartily to store energy for the more difficult climb ahead.

Despite being in the height of summer, the chill was already biting at night halfway up the mountain.

Most tourists wore thick outdoor jackets, while a small number of unprepared individuals chose to rent a heavy coat to keep warm.

Jiang Yuan was one of these few; he had come in a hurry, unprepared for anything, and had also borrowed a military coat from the rental place to drape over himself, finally feeling a bit warmer.

"Let's eat something and rest well before climbing again."

Jiang Yuan felt a pang of hunger, and he said to Ya Ya, then quickly walked towards an instant noodle stall.

"Ya Ya, just take whatever you want to eat or drink, my treat."

"Thank you, Brother Jiang!"

Ya Ya was not modest; she took a bucket of tomato beef noodles, added a boiled egg and an ear of corn, her movements quick and practiced.

"Twenty-eight in total."

The stall owner quoted the price.

"It's scanned."

Jiang Yuan gestured for the owner to check the payment record on his phone.

The two held their steaming food and found a sheltered corner to sit down.

"Brother Jiang, I'll go queue up to make your noodles."

Ya Ya picked up Jiang Yuan's noodles and her own, and voluntarily went to queue for hot water.

Soon, Ya Ya returned with two bowls of steaming noodles, the aroma of the broth especially inviting in the cold night.

"The prices up here aren't too expensive after all."

Jiang Yuan remarked to Ya Ya while eating his fragrant instant noodles.

"Yes, it's even cheaper at the summit than at the base; mineral water up there only sells for two or three yuan a bottle, whereas some vendors down the mountain dare to sell it for five yuan, specifically to trick first-time visitors who don't know the market."

Ya Ya peeled the boiled egg in her bowl, explaining the tricks of the trade to Jiang Yuan.

"Brother Jiang, aren't you going to eat an egg and a grilled sausage?"

Seeing Jiang Yuan focused only on his instant noodles, she asked.

"I don't like those."

Jiang Yuan shook his head; he felt that just eating instant noodles was enough, simple and satisfying.

Ya Ya looked towards the direction of the summit, where only sparse lights flickered faintly, and she pointed in that direction.

"Alright then, Brother Jiang, look, that's South Heaven Gate; we should get there in about three more hours. Are you okay, Brother Jiang?"

Jiang Yuan followed Ya Ya's pointing gaze and felt a headache coming on.

He had only climbed halfway, and the fatigue in his body already made him want to descend immediately.

However, upon thinking of the enormous "one hundred million" reward in his mind and the Enhancement potion (Reinforcement Potion), he suddenly felt invigorated, as if his fatigue was dispelled by an invisible force.

"No problem, don't underestimate me; I'll reach the top no matter what today!"

His eyes were firm, and his tone was filled with undeniable determination.

"Okay, Brother Jiang, keep going!"

Ya Ya was infected by his heroic spirit and smiled, cheering him on.

Indeed, many tourists who reach Middle Heaven Gate, if they can't endure, either choose to descend or directly rent a room in a nearby hotel at Middle Heaven Gate for a short rest.

For just over a hundred yuan, one could stay in an eight-person room, which was quite good considering the conditions halfway up the mountain.

The main reason was also that it was currently the off-season; if it were peak season, even several hundred yuan a night would often be in short supply.