Chapter 2 — Melting Glacier

2He frowned, did not object, just gave me an even thicker "Highland Outdoor Survival Handbook". I thought this trip would be a romantic glacial journey. In the middle of a beautiful world of ice and snow, away from the noise, it's just you and me. Who knows, in the oxygen-poor atmosphere and majestic landscape, we can go one step further. The truth proves that I have thought a lot. For Tham Duc Chi, this is not a trip, but a job. Every day he leads students and team members, sometimes measuring the end of the ice tongue, sometimes drilling to take ice core samples. I carried dozens of kilograms of photography equipment on my back, trailing behind, like a forgotten piece of luggage. He remembered to check each person's climbing rope, reminded the students to hydrate to avoid plateau reactions, but he only forgot that he had a girlfriend next to him. One time, in order to take a beautiful photo of an ice cave, I accidentally slipped and half of my body sank into the snow. I screamed his name in panic. He heard the sound of running, the first sentence was not "Are you okay?", but he frowned at the patch of snow I had just pressed down. "Don't move, the structure of the snow layer here is unstable, you have ruined the original model." Then, he held out his hand, expressionless face, and pulled me up. At that moment, looking into his cold eyes, the fire called "love" inside me was shot down by a basin of ice and snow, leaving only a few dissatisfied embers, flickering in the cold wind. I began to doubt myself — did I really have self-destructive tendencies? Why am I here, bowing down before a man who only has death in his heart, to beg for a little love that is not worth much? That evening, the survey team opened a small campfire at the camp, celebrating finding the ideal drilling spot. Everyone gathers to sing, drink, and grill meat. As for Tham Duc Chi, sitting alone in the tent, staring at the dense data on the laptop screen, his eyebrows furrowed. I carried a plate of grilled meat and walked in. In the tent there was only the dim light of the computer screen, shining on his face, making him look even colder. "Duc Chi, come out and play for a bit, everyone is out there." He didn't look up: "No, the data is a bit unusual, I have to check again right away." "Just for a moment, today is my birthday." I lowered my voice, carrying a bit of pleading. That's right, that day was his 28th birthday. I remember clearly, but you forgot. I secretly prepared a small cake and hid it in my backpack. He finally took his eyes off the screen and glanced at me, his eyes showing impatience at being disturbed. "Lin Nhien, don't make noise. Scientific research is not a joke." "Don't make noise." Those four words, like two ice nails, pierced my heart. All my enthusiasm, all my expectations, in his eyes, were just "causing trouble". I stood in place, holding a plate of meat, feeling like a big joke. The cheerful laughter outside the tent and the cold world before my eyes did not belong to the same place at all. I took a deep breath, put the meat plate aside, then right in front of him, began to take off my windproof jacket. He finally frowned, emotions other than data appearing in his eyes: “What are you doing?” “Happy birthday.” I smiled, step by step getting closer. Windproof jacket, fur coat, thermal jacket... I took off layer by layer, until only the last bit of protective fabric remained on my body. The temperature in the tent at this altitude was close to zero, I was shivering, but still tried to stand straight. I want to use this most primitive and wild way to see if you are really a person who has no feelings or desires. Tham Duc Chi's breath paused for a moment. Older brother

suddenly closed the laptop, stood up, and tried to wrap me in a jacket. I avoid it. I grabbed his hand and pushed him down onto the anti-humidity pad. His body was tense, his eyes were filled with surprise, confusion, and a bit of panic that I didn't understand. Tham Duc Chi, look at me.” I bent down, sat across his body, put my hands next to his ears, trapping him tightly. “You are a flesh and blood person, not a string of data on my computer.” “Lin Nhien, calm down…” “You are very calm.” I interrupted, bowed my head and kissed his lips.