Chapter 51 Part 1

Two days later, Qiu Yiran’s body showed no further issues, and they set off for the northernmost point of Russia—Murmansk.

It was still that blue-plate taxi, still with driver Li Wuhui, and still passenger Qiu Yiran.

The day they arrived in Murmansk, the guide that Li Wuhui had booked in advance contacted them—

She said the weather conditions that day were decent.

If they were lucky, they might catch the northern lights. She reminded them to prepare in advance, and if they decided to go that day, she would come pick them up at the hotel a bit later.

The northern lights were not something easily seen, so most travelers contacted guides ahead of time and waited for the guide to confirm which day had the highest chance before finalizing the itinerary.

On the way there.

They had already prepared to stay in Murmansk for a few extra days, but they hadn’t expected—

That on the very first day of arrival, the Aurora Guide had already sent a message.

This stroke of luck left them somewhat at a loss.

At the same time, the Aurora Guide also gave necessary reminders. “Because the weather is so unpredictable, there’s still a chance you won’t see them today. If you’re determined to see them and your schedule isn’t tight, you could wait a few more days.”

After receiving the guide’s reminder, Li Wuhui thought for a moment, then went to knock on Qiu Yiran’s door.

“We’ve been in the car for so long. How about we rest at the hotel today? We can go in a few days.”

Qiu Yiran didn’t want to keep delaying the itinerary because of herself. “How about we go today instead?”

Li Wuhui raised an eyebrow. “You’re not tired?”

“I’m fine.” Qiu Yiran had just entered the room and hadn’t taken anything off yet.

“If we see them today, that would be a lucky thing too.”

“Then let’s go today.” Li Wuhui nodded. “I’ll tell her to come pick us up later.”

“But…”

As Li Wuhui turned to leave, Qiu Yiran called out to her again, hesitating as she spoke.

“How about we forget it?”

Li Wuhui tilted her head, seemingly not understanding her meaning.

Qiu Yiran moved her throat. “After all, you’ve been driving the whole way. You’re actually pretty tired.”

“I’m fine.” Li Wuhui said, then decisively settled the matter.

“No time like the present—today it is. Dress warmly before we head out.”

“Alright.” Qiu Yiran had recently grown accustomed to Li Wuhui making the arrangements.

Li Wuhui nodded. “Then I’ll head back to my room first.”

As she said this—

She had already taken a few steps toward the room across the hall.

But just before opening the door, she hesitated and turned back, her gaze falling on Qiu Yiran’s shoes.

She stared at them for a long time without looking away or saying a word.

“What’s wrong?” Noticing Li Wuhui’s gaze, Qiu Yiran instinctively pulled her toes back.

“The guide said she’ll pick us up in two hours.”

Li Wuhui glanced at her phone, then looked back into Qiu Yiran’s eyes, pausing for a moment.

“I’ll take you out to buy a pair of shoes.”

Qiu Yiran froze.

She lowered her eyes to her shoe tips and couldn’t respond right away.

Li Wuhui fell silent for a moment.

Afraid her request had come across too abruptly and made Qiu Yiran uncomfortable, she explained.

“The city has serious light pollution lately. The spots for chasing the northern lights are pretty remote—probably out in the suburbs, maybe even up in the mountains. Your current shoes aren’t nonslip, and with the heavy snow, this late at night, it’s easy to slip and fall.”

Objectively, this was something that had to be dealt with. Subjectively, Qiu Yiran didn’t like buying shoes.

She stared at her shoe tips for a bit, then nodded slowly, half a beat late. “Okay, I get it.”

She didn’t show any resistance, just reacted slowly, which made her seem a bit wooden overall.

On the contrary, it was Li Wuhui, the one who had made the suggestion, who suddenly changed her mind after Qiu Yiran agreed. “Actually, I could go buy some for you and bring them back.”

Qiu Yiran’s motion to close the door paused.

She looked up in confusion, genuinely unable to understand Li Wuhui’s sudden flip-flopping.

“Why say that all of a sudden?”

“If you really don’t want to go out…” Li Wuhui frowned slightly. “I could buy them and bring them back for you to try.”

Qiu Yiran stood frozen at the door, gripping the door handle tightly, and asked softly,

“Then how many pairs would you have to buy?”

After the amputation, it wasn’t easy for Qiu Yiran to find shoes that fit. The size hadn’t changed because of the amputation.

But with the prosthetic leg in between—

For the shoe to fit properly when worn, it wasn’t just about size. Material, style, thickness…

All these factors that normal people wouldn’t care about—if even slightly off, they affected comfort. In severe cases, they could cause friction between the prosthetic leg and residual limb, leading to inflammation.

Even before the amputation—

The shoes Qiu Yiran used to love wearing had already become uncomfortable once she started using the prosthetic leg.

For a long time now, she hadn’t been able to wear those pretty, fashionable shoes.

At some point, comfort and safety had become the only considerations in her life.

So—

How was Li Wuhui supposed to buy suitable shoes for her without Qiu Yiran there?

Qiu Yiran’s question probably stumped her, and similar things had happened before.

Li Wuhui didn’t speak for a long time.

She lowered her eyes, her long, curled lashes covering her lower eyelids, her face a somber pale—as if saddened by this tiny, tiny issue.

Qiu Yiran realized her question had sounded like an accusation, so she tried hard to smile at Li Wuhui.

“Let’s go together. I’m fine.”

After this sentence—

For a very long time, Li Wuhui didn’t move at all.

Until Qiu Yiran repeated it once more.

The voice-activated lights in the corridor went out.

Only then, in the dim light and shadow, did she finally lift her face. “Mm,” she said, her expression seeming calm.

“I’ll come pick you up in a bit.”

With that.

Li Wuhui said no more.

She turned and entered her own room.

Their rooms were right across from each other, so Qiu Yiran could clearly see—

After turning away.

Under the flickering voice-activated lights, Li Wuhui seemed seriously distracted. She swiped the room card several times before finally getting the door open.

After that.

With a bang.

The door closed.

The corridor suddenly became extremely quiet.

Qiu Yiran stared at that tightly shut door for a good while before slowly closing her own.

Just earlier—

When they checked into the hotel.

The first time entering the rooms.

Qiu Yiran took Li Wuhui’s room card as usual. After going in, she paused for half a moment and sensed that Li Wuhui hadn’t followed. Only then did she slowly turn back to look—

And realized Li Wuhui had gone to the room across the hall.

She hadn’t reacted at the time.

Li Wuhui hadn’t opened her door yet either. She stood by it, quietly pushing her luggage, then asked Qiu Yiran, “What’s wrong?”

Qiu Yiran shook her head and said nothing.

She entered the room.

Her illness had fully recovered.

It wasn’t like she could keep troubling Li Wuhui to share a bed with her, staying up all night to care for her.

She just hadn’t expected that in just a few days, she had already grown used to seeing Li Wuhui the moment she opened her eyes.

Habits were truly frightening things, after all.

–

As the northernmost point in Russia, Murmansk was a famous tourist area.

There were plenty of places nearby selling hiking shoes and mountaineering clothes, and lots of tourists too.

There was even the Mountaineering Clothing Brand Store that Li Wuhui endorsed.

They went straight there.

—Of course, with Li Wuhui fully geared up.

Li Wuhui wore a thick mountaineering jacket, the fur-lined hood covering her head and face, plus a warming face mask, leaving only a pair of eyes visible behind black-framed glasses—

For some reason.

Throughout their journey across Russia, Li Wuhui hadn’t worn contacts anymore. She always wore these somewhat inconvenient frames.

While Qiu Yiran tried on shoes.

Li Wuhui stood next to her own smart screen billboard, dressed exactly like her ad self—looking very cool, as if she were shooting an ad.

And so.

Every time Qiu Yiran struggled to get the shoe over her prosthetic leg and looked up, she saw two Li Wuhuis staring at her.

One Li Wuhui smiled—a standard promotional smile, eyes crinkled at the corners, lips red and teeth white.

The other Li Wuhui had her face blocked by the dark face mask. Through the lenses of her frames, her gaze fixed tightly on Qiu Yiran as she asked, “How do these feel?”

Qiu Yiran shook her head. “I need to stand and walk around to know.”

With that.

She braced lightly against the nearby counter and stood up.

Li Wuhui instinctively moved to help her.

But after two steps.

She saw Qiu Yiran stand on her own, so she stepped back, though her gaze still fixed tightly on her without letting go. She asked,

“How are they?”

Qiu Yiran didn’t answer right away. She walked with her head down, seriously feeling the friction between her prosthetic socket and residual limb under the pressure of these shoes.

Her prosthetic socket was actually a bit loose now, so her residual limb didn’t fit snugly, causing friction when she walked.

But there hadn’t been a chance to replace it on the road—adjusting a prosthetic socket required multiple fittings, so it was best done somewhere familiar.

Although during those days holed up in the hotel, Li Wuhui had suggested taking her to get it adjusted first. But Qiu Yiran had thought it over and refused, worried it might cause more trouble on the road if it didn’t fit right. She could only wait until they returned to Mang City or got to Paris.