WHOOSH...
RUSTLE RUSTLE RUSTLE...
The wind stirred the surrounding plants and trees, swaying them back and forth as their branches and leaves rustled against one another.
CHIRP, CHIRP, CHIRP...
The sun slowly climbed higher. As the temperature continued to rise, the chirping of the cicadas in the trees grew more and more cheerful.
As noon approached, the hikers who had left the campsite that morning began to return, trickling back to their spots to start preparing lunch.
"I'm so tired!" Back at the campsite, Su Yue slipped off her backpack, set it on a chair, and began fanning herself with a fair hand as she spoke.
Though she exercised regularly and had better stamina than most girls, hiking was especially draining. The round trip up and down the mountain had left her genuinely exhausted.
