"The Little Things"

Into the mountain

"Damn it," Zhao checked his phone. "And no signal either. Guess we'll have to figure out a different way out then?"

"There is a tunnel leading that way, but I didn't venture far. My torch won't last long."

"All right then," Zhao handed his flashlight to Shen Wei, sat on the ground and unzipped his backpack. He took out the first aid kit. "Since we're waiting for company anyway, I'll patch you up. Give me your hand first. And point some light at it. Um... I'll need to cut off that sleeve. Ok, now I'll clean up the wound. Tell me if the pain is too much." Zhao Yunlan kept talking through the entire process of cleaning. He frowned when he saw that the two deeper cuts were still seeping blood. "I don't know if these won't need stitches later." He dabbed the wounds with a cotton pad soaked with an antiseptic solution. He was checking, regularly, Shen Wei's expression for any signs of discomfort. And each time, he was faced with gratefulness in Shen Wei's keen eyes. Finally, he bandaged the hand and moved closer. "Show me your face," he whispered and cupped Wei's face lifting it slightly up. He cleaned the wound on his chin. Then he moved even closer, examining the lacerations on Shen Wei's cheek. He felt the other man's steady breath on his face, saw his eyelids lowered politely, but Yunlan felt the burning gaze on his face.

"Am I interrupting something?" Chu Shuzhi Was standing next to the rope, arms folded.

Shen Wei didn't even flinch, but Zhao Yunlan jumped slightly, and his nose bumped into Shen Wei's cheek. "Crap, sorry," he mumbled, embarrassed, then turned around, finger threatening in the air. "You! He's wounded. I'm helping!" Zhao turned back and saw amusement clearly painted on the handsome face. "Ok, last one." He dabbed the lacerations a couple of times and looked into Shen Wei's eyes. "Don't you even dare lie to me, is there anything else that needs my attention? Are you hurt anywhere else?"

"No," Shen looked startled. "Why would I lie to you?" There was confusion in his voice, and Zhao realized that he was holding his breath, and he released it slowly. He packed the medkit, took out a water bottle and gave it to the sitting man. "Here, you must be thirsty."

"Thank you," the man accepted it and drank, quenching his thirst. Zhao moved to Chu Shuzhi.

"That up there," he pointed to the ceiling. "Was a one-way thing. We need to find another exit. Xiao Guo joining us?"

"Yes. If I'm not back in 10 minutes."

"I'll go check that tunnel. See if there aren't any dangerous spots. When Xiao Guo arrives, get ready to move."

After ten minutes, Guo Changcheng half-slid half-fell into the cavern, landing on his backpack. Panic-stricken, he moved his arms and legs, unable to stand up.

"Seriously," Old Chu lifted him up by the collar. "What the heck did you put in there?"

"Um, only the necessary things? Oh, hi, Professor Shen. Are you ok?"

"Yes, I'm quite all right." Shen Wei said, staring into the tunnel with a frown. "Why hasn't he come back yet?"

"Worried?" Came a happy reply from the passage, and a moment later, Zhao Yunlan appeared in the darkness with a huge grin plastered to his face. "Would you come looking if I didn't show up?" he teased.

"Yes," Shen Wei nodded with a serious expression on his handsome face, and Zhao blinked several times, surprised.

"Well, you don't have to. Come on," Yunlan reached out his hand, and Shen Wei took it and got up. He automatically started brushing the dust off of his jacket. Zhao reached for his backpack and looked at his subordinates. "The tunnel is nice and wide, no debris lying around. Hopefully, it leads to an exit. Let's go."

They were walking for some time, narrow beams of light sweeping the walls of the passage.

"It is man-made," said Shen Wei. "Or at least man-adjusted."

"Oh, yea?" The lollipop in Yunlan's mouth moved from right to left. "What makes you say that?"

Shen Wei's torchlight moved along the spot where the wall met with the floor. "There is a visible angle, a clear distinction between the wall and the floor. Humans tend to feel the need to separate vertical from horizontal. Nature doesn't seem to care much about such trivial things." He blinked, fixed his glasses and smiled, clearly pleased with himself. Yulan's eyebrows went up.

"Professor Shen, did you just crack a joke?" He asked, laughing. "You surprise me every day!"

"I-" Shen Wei stiffened momentarily. "Just made an observation." He finished, shuffling nervously.

"And a good one too," Zhao let him off. "If it's man-made, then it definitely leads somewhere. Finally, some good news. Come on, you lot."

After another hour, they reached a fork in the tunnel. Two seemingly identical ways were leading one a bit to the left, the other to the right. Zhao frowned. "I didn't ask for options. Ok," he turned to the people following him. "Old Chu, you go right, I'll go left. If you see anything out of the ordinary, turn back immediately. There's no need to risk it. If the path is safe, turn around after 15 minutes, and we'll compare notes. Xiao Guo, you stay with Professor Shen. Use this time to prepare us something to eat." He checked his watch, exchanged a look with Chu and went into the left tunnel, flashlight raised.

He returned half an hour later, brows furrowed, deep in thought. His frown deepened when he saw Chu finishing his granola bar. "Well?" he asked.

"After five minutes, I had to go back. That way is completely blocked. Must have been a cave-in." Chu tossed him an energy bar, and he caught it and ripped it open with his teeth. He took the first bite and sat cross-legged next to Shen Wei, who offered him an opened bottle of water. "Thanks," Zhao took it and gulped it. Then he sighed. "I guess that leaves us with my tunnel." He gave back the water bottle and scratched his beard. "Which in itself is fine and l all. It's just that it leads down, not up. We'll be heading to the heart of the mountain."