Chapter 5 The Pretentiously Profound Old Man

Deep into the night, when all is quiet, Gu Fan tossed and turned, unable to sleep. He began to regret. He should not refuse to participate in the activities organized by Du Jun just to contradict him. Seemed foolish now, considering the trip was originally planned by Du Jun, and Gu Fan joined just for Lin Xi. Why did he let his pride prevent him from following now?

Feeling restless, Gu Fan got up and paced around, ending up at the foothill. He looked at the pitch-black forest and heard the weird bird sounds, while a chilly breeze blew by, and for some reason, it gave him the creeps.

At this moment, Lu Yi came over and gave Gu Fan a cigarette, with an expression that said "I understand what you're feeling," then he said, "Worried, aren't you? If you were with Lin Xi, you could have protected her. Can you imagine how frightened she would be if something came out of this dark, scary forest? She would definitely run into your arms. Now that you're not there, who knows into whose arms she'll run?"

Having heard this, Gu Fan looked at him in disdain, "Are you sure you're trying to comfort me?" he asked.

"Of course. Not just consolation, I even gave sage advice. I suggest you rush to her side, at the speed of a hundred-meter sprint, before she falls into someone else's arms." Lu Yi answered, his laughter wicked, as if he was looking forward to a good drama.

Gu Fan wore an insincere smile and said, "Thanks for your kind advice, but I'd like to know, why aren't you going? Don't think I don't know why you came on this trip. It was for a girl from the dance club. Aren't you going to put your method into practice?"

Lu Yi immediately put on a serious face: "Ah, let's put my stuff aside for now. The issue with my good buddy is more pressing. See how thoughtful and considerate I am as a friend."

"So, should I go, thick-faced? Didn't you notice Du Jun's tone and attitude? It's like he's suggesting, what are you doing here at our dance club's activities? " Upon finishing this sentence, Gu Fan took a hard drag at his cigarette, his heart feeling heavy.

Lu Yi couldn't help sighing, "Yes, he is such a gifted student, high achiever, multitalented, capable, and many girls secretly admire him. How could he look upon us? And yet the girl he fancied was snatched by you. No doubt he must be feeling even worse."

"Can't help it, it's fate, and one can't control it." Gu Fan's words seemed casual, but his heart was uneasy. He knew he was not much less significant, but to be realistic, he was not as good as Du Jun. Thus, deep down, he was a bit insecure, aware of the dueling strength of Du Jun.

Everyone has their insecurities in this world, Gu Fan, Lu Yi, Du Jun, Lin Xi; none of them are exceptions. The difference lies in how one chooses to handle it; some people keep silent, while some cover it up.

It was not that Gu Fan didn't trust Lin Xi, but trust in her didn't mean he wasn't bothered by other men making passes at her.

Suddenly, Lu Yi said, "Huh, strange they ought to have flashlights, why don't we see any lights on the mountain?"

Hearing this, Gu Fan also found it strange. It quirks logic as there should be some light moving around, could they have walked to the other side of the mountain?

Lu Yi added "You think it is very late, the sky is so dark, do you think there are ghosts in the deep mountains?"

Gu Fan forced a laugh, "Man, please, don't scare people. My girlfriend is still on the mountain so is your crush."

"So, you must let Lin Xi know how much you care for her." Lu Yi said, drawing out a flashlight and handing it to Gu Fan, his crafty smile signaling his anticipation of a good show.

Gu Fan took the flashlight and weighed it in his hand. He wondered what was more important, protecting Lin Xi or contradicting Du Jun. Du Jun proposed climbing the mountain to see the night view, while Gu Fan suggested staying safe due to fear of an earthquake. If Gu Fan went up now, it would be akin to admitting defeat to Du Jun.

What was he thinking? Of course, Lin Xi is more important. As Gu Fan prepared to go up the mountain, an old man with white hair and a benevolent look came by. Surprisingly, he was sweeping the ground late at night.

Gu Fan and Lu Yi exchanged puzzled looks, finding this scene out of place. The old man, however, seemed to ignore Gu Fan and Lu Yi and continued to sweep.

When the elderly man came close, Lu Yi couldn't help but ask, "Why are you sweeping this late? Aren't you too diligent? Shouldn't you wait for the sun to rise before you start sweeping? Anyway, it's pitch dark now; you wouldn't be able to do it cleanly."

Hearing this, the old man stopped, looked at Gu Fan and Lu Yi's puzzled faces, and gave a meaningful smile, "You're right. How can one sweep cleanly in such darkness? It's a waste of energy and time. But what if the sun rises tomorrow? You have to continue sweeping the next day even if you cleaned it the day before. Whether you sweep it clean or not doesn't matter to me. Life is like this. Many things are futile efforts. You think what you're doing is meaningful, but in the end, you realize it's usually nothing at all."

Gu Fan was surprised for a moment before quickly recovering, "What you're saying seems to have merit, but something feels off. Are you teaching us philosophy, old man?"

"No, I'm just giving you a heads up. Maybe it will be useful in the future." The old man contemplated for a moment before sighing repeatedly, "Some things are inevitable, no matter how hard you try to prevent them. Like this ground, no matter how often you sweep it, it gets dirty again the next day. So, what should we do?"

Lu Yi listened closely, "Old man, I hardly do house chores, much less sweeping, I don't know what you are talking about. However, I know you must be very clever, talking about profound issues I, a college student, can't understand while just sweeping."

The old man laughed, "It doesn't matter if you don't understand now. What you need to remember is that it's not important whether the ground is clean or not. What's important is how to keep it from getting dirty. If you can't stop it from getting dirty, sweeping every day is futile."

Lu Yi chuckled bitterly, "How could the ground possibly stay clean? This is a big question that has troubled humans for centuries."

The old man added, "But what if I want this ground to get dirty every day? That way I can keep sweeping, have something to do, and earn money."

"What do you mean by that?" Gu Fan and Lu Yi felt confused by the old man's straightforward yet profound question, and their minds turned chaotic.

"Young people, you don't understand now, but you will in the future." Finishing these words, the old man looked up at the mountain and sighed uncontrollably. "Your friends have been up the mountain for quite a while, I hope they are having fun."

Gu Fan nodded in agreement, "We also hope they are having fun."

Again, the old man questioned, "But you did not go, it seems as if some things are predetermined. Some people are meant to go, others are meant to stay."

Immediately, Lu Yi made a grimace, "What do you mean, old man? I know that due to geographical reasons, there might be a generation gap, possibly more than just a little. Therefore, it might be a bit difficult for us to communicate intellectually. But, please consider whether your words are comprehensible or not."

The old man laughed heartily at this, "What I mean is not to put all your eggs in one basket. If some people are climbing the mountain, there should be others waiting at the foot of the mountain, just in case."

"Great, old man, you finally said something understandable. It seems our generation gap isn't as big as we thought." Gu Fan and Lu Yi let out a relieved laugh, before realizing something, "What do you mean by 'just in case'? Is there any danger on this mountain?"

The old man didn't answer, just gave a meaningful grin and walked away with broad strides leaving Gu Fan and Lu Yi anxious and confused, wondering why this old man came in the first place, what was with his secretive air.

Just then, the sounds of tumbling rocks reached them, making Gu Fan and Lu Yi more alert. Looking up they could see nothing in the dark, but the noise was getting closer, and it was heading towards them.

For safety's sake, Gu Fan and Lu Yi retreated about ten steps, breaking out in nervous cold sweats for no apparent reason.

A rock-like object rolled down from the mountain, landing right in front of Gu Fan and Lu Yi. At first, they couldn't make out what it was, but when the flashlight beam hit it, they both gasped, for it wasn't a rock, but a skull.

As a gust of wind swept over, chills ran down Gu Fan's and Lu Yi's spines, their hands trembling. Suddenly, cries of terror echoed down from the mountain, seemingly from their friends, Du Jun and Lin Xi.

"Heavens, just what I was afraid of!" Gu Fan didn't think twice and ran towards the cries. His only concern was Lin Xi's safety, he cared about nothing else.

"No way, it can't really be haunted, right? Don't leave me alone here!" Lu Yi followed at once, praying fervently, swearing that if he could only survive this ordeal, he would make a clean break with his old ways and strive to be a well-rounded university student who would be a blossom of the nation, not dung.

Meanwhile, the old man, who hadn't gone far, heard the screams from the mountain. He couldn't help but turn back and gaze at the pitch-black forest, shaking his head wistfully, "No matter how hard you sweep, the ground will eventually get dirty again. What has to come, will come, and no one can stop that. If you two can comprehend my words, then perhaps there's still a glimmer of hope.

At the same time, in the ancient town at the foot of the mountain, all the residents heard the terrified screams. Yet, no one reacted, their faces showing only a hint of tension, devoid of fear. Some people even had a burning look in their eyes, as if something they had been long hoping for was happening.