Chapter 3

Bianca's words were the last straw, crushing the remaining shred of my consciousness. I wanted to raise my hand and slap her, but the severe altitude sickness left me completely powerless. Slumped against the ice-covered rock, I could feel the heat draining mercilessly from my body. Just as my vision was about to be swallowed by darkness, Bianca seemed to think it still wasn't enough. A flicker of calculation flashed through her eyes. Suddenly, she reached out and yanked my down jacket open. "Vivi, are you too hot?" she asked sweetly. "Your face is so red. Let me help you cool down." A loud rip rang through the air as the high-quality windproof fabric of my jacket was torn open with brutal force. My neck and chest were instantly exposed to the subzero cold. The icy air felt like countless tiny blades stabbing relentlessly into my skin. "You…" I glared at her. I wanted to scream, but only broken wheezing sounds came out. Uncontrollably, my body began to shake violently as hypothermia set in. Bianca quickly stepped back, her expression switching to panic. "Julian, Vivi tore her own clothes open! I couldn't stop her!" Julian immediately turned around. When he saw my exposed chest and Bianca's frantic expression, his expression darkened at once. "Vivian!" He strode over, his voice full of irritation and anger. "How much longer are you going to keep this up? Do you have to make a spectacle of yourself for everyone to see? Are you trying to get yourself killed?" He gave me no chance to explain. Or rather, he didn't care about the truth at all. "It wasn't me… It was her…" My teeth chattered as I forced out a few words with the last of my strength. "That's enough!" Julian cut me off sharply. "It's always someone else's fault! You can't control your own emotions, and now you're using self-harm to threaten us? "Do you think this is fun? That it makes people feel sorry for you? "Let me tell you—it's useless! It only makes you look even more ridiculous!" His accusations came down like hailstones, merciless and relentless. He looked at me, collapsed in the snow. His eyes were utterly devoid of warmth, filled only with deep disgust. "Fine, Vivian. Don't you like pretending so much?" He sneered and pulled his windproof mask tighter. "Then stay here and pretend all you want. We'll rest for another ten minutes before moving on to the next location. If you can't keep up, then go ahead and perform your tragic little drama here on this snow mountain all by yourself!" With that, he turned away without hesitation. The others kept their heads down, quietly checking their equipment and discussing the upcoming routes. Not a single person cared whether I lived or died. Bianca cast a disdainful glance in my direction, the faintest smile playing at the corner of her lips. I lay on the icy ground. The violent shivering gradually weakened as each breath became excruciatingly difficult. Even the pain in my lungs began to go numb. My vision darkened as my hearing faded. I could only vaguely make out the rustling of them packing up. No one turned back to look at me. Despair, colder than any ice, sealed me in completely. Maybe… This would be it… Just as I gave up all hope and prepared to sink into the final darkness, a stranger's voice suddenly rang out. "Hey, there! Are you okay? Do you need help?" The concern in that unfamiliar voice instantly pulled my fading consciousness back. I struggled to open my eyes. What I saw was a tall figure dressed in bright orange professional mountaineering gear. Behind him stood several equally well-equipped teammates, all looking over with concern. They looked like a professional mountaineering team. "Hey, are you alright? You look really bad. Do you need help?" The mountaineer's voice was steady and firm, carrying unmistakable professionalism. He gently pulled my torn jacket back together, his brows knitting tightly. "It looks like you're suffering from altitude sickness. Where are your teammates?"