Chapter 62: Departure
“Hey, I’m telling you, I’ve got this whole National Day planned out. Go-karting, horseback riding, ice skating, the whole nine yards. I’ll finish up my stuff today and head back to the dorm to find you guys, then we’ll set off!”
“…”
“Hey? Why aren’t you guys answering?”
Su Yu and Lu Siyuan selectively ignored Gu Chuan’s messages in the dorm group chat. They stood at the magnificent school gate, their bags on their backs. The morning air was cold and misty, their hair messy from the wind.
Su Yu shrunk his neck and rubbed his hands together. They had agreed to meet here, and it was almost time.
Lu Siyuan nudged Su Yu with his elbow and raised his eyebrows. “You… you have to choose one eventually, right? Are you really planning on not getting involved with anyone?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about…” Su Yu cupped his hands to his mouth and blew on them, his tone light, but it sounded like he was avoiding the question. “I’m not planning on chasing anyone yet. No rush.”
“You don’t have to chase them, but you can still flirt, right? What if… a girl chases you?”
Su Yu looked at the thick morning fog and was stunned for a moment. “I think they’re here.”
Through the fog, a small girl dragged a suitcase that was almost as tall as her, bouncing and waving at them. He couldn’t see her face clearly, but he could imagine her flushed with excitement.
His gaze shifted past her, to a taller girl following behind. Su Yu could vaguely make out her slender figure. She seemed to be wearing thin clothes, and her body wasn’t well… he thought without any particular reason.
“Su Yu! We’re here!”
An Zhi’s face was flushed. She raised her arm and waved enthusiastically, almost shouting herself hoarse.
An Zhi ran over, her face flushed. She rarely dressed up, but today she was wearing a pleated Lolita dress. Her small feet, in deep red leather shoes and long, white lace-trimmed socks, tapped on the ground.
“How long have you guys been waiting?”
The girl tilted her head. Her usual bun was down, her hair braided into two fluffy pigtails with milky white ribbons, which rested on her shoulders.
“Not long, just a bit cold.” Su Yu smiled and shook his head.
An Zhi nodded, her face so delicate it looked like it would break with a touch. She had applied a light blush, and her lips were coated with a cherry-colored lipstick, giving them a glossy shine. Her large, watery eyes blinked, their color dyed a sea blue. She looked like a princess from a fairy tale, a doll that made one want to protect her.
“Have you had breakfast?” An Zhi swung the ribbons on her chest, her big eyes staring at Su Yu, as if expecting something.
“I have.”
“That’s it?”
“What’s wrong?”
“Um… do I look good today?” The little girl couldn’t hold back her desire for praise. She lifted her head, like a small animal waiting to be rewarded by its owner. “Am I good at dressing up?”
“Oh… you look good. But your hair…” Su Yu nodded and then questioned her. “You didn’t do it yourself, did you? And your makeup…”
An Zhi’s heart skipped a beat. She immediately put on a stern face and retorted, “Why couldn’t it be me?”
“Well, because I don’t believe someone who usually only wears a ponytail or a bun could do such a complicated braid.”
“Hmph…” An Zhi pouted, her cheeks puffed out in displeasure. She started to act spoiled. “You’re so annoying. My sister did it for me. But… but that still counts as me!”
Su Yu just smiled and looked up, seeing Xia Qian Ge approaching slowly. Compared to the bright and vibrant An Zhi, Xia Qian Ge wore a simple, off-white knitted sweater with washed-out blue jeans and low-top white sneakers that revealed her slender, fair ankles. She looked as if she had stepped out of a faded old photograph from the 1980s, with the purity and fragility of a girl from that era.
“Are you… not wearing enough? You’ll catch a cold at night. Isn’t your body not well?”
“It’s okay.” Xia Qian Ge smiled and shook her head, smoothing the messy hair by her ear that had been blown by the wind. “We’re going hiking. I’ll warm up in a bit.”
“Well, okay then.” Su Yu nodded and didn’t say anything more.
…
To get to Qingyan Mountain, they had to take a high-speed train and then a bus. They had been on the high-speed train for almost an hour.
Qingyan Mountain was a national scenic area, quite famous throughout the country. There were many old temples and monasteries deep in the mountains, and many movies were filmed there. During the Golden Week holiday, the train station was packed with tourists like a can of sardines.
They wandered around the bus station for a while and finally managed to buy tickets for a direct bus to Qingyan Mountain. They only breathed a sigh of relief after they got on the bus with their luggage.
Their tickets were not together. Lu Siyuan and his girlfriend had gotten on first, and only the back seats were left.
An Zhi, who had been chattering nonstop on the high-speed train, was suddenly quiet. She sat silently in her seat, her face pale, her big eyes darting around, not saying a word.
“Xiaozhi gets motion sickness.” Xia Qian Ge explained for her. “Su Yu, you can switch seats with her.”
An Zhi, who was sitting in the middle, also looked up at Su Yu, her watery eyes looking pitiful. Su Yu didn’t mind and agreed.
An Zhi’s pale face said thank you. She held a black plastic bag and sat by the window, staring at the passing scenery outside, not saying a word.
“I have motion sickness medicine, but it’s on the luggage rack.” Xia Qian Ge looked up at the luggage rack. “I’ll go get it.”
Xia Qian Ge stood up and was about to get the bag from the rack, but Su Yu, looking at the bumpy country road, suddenly felt worried. He also stood up. “I’ll do it…”
But just as he stood up, the bus lurched a few times, the wheels rolling over a small, rocky construction site, bumping against a few large rocks with a dull thud.
The tremor came and went quickly. The bus became chaotic. Su Yu instinctively reached out to grab something. He asked nervously.
“Are you okay?”
“I… I’m fine.”
Xia Qian Ge lowered her head, hiding the fleeting blush in her hair. She bit her tongue, the sharp pain bringing her back to her senses. She exhaled a puff of hot air and reminded him in a calm voice, “Your hand, you’re holding my hand.”
“Oh, s-sorry. I was worried about you.”
Su Yu let go, and the cold warmth of her hand slipped away.
“It’s okay. Can you get the motion sickness medicine for me?”
Xia Qian Ge sat back down, her gaze lowered. To Su Yu, it looked like she was embarrassed by the brief physical contact.
After giving the medicine to An Zhi, Su Yu returned to his original seat. He was very close to Xia Qian Ge, so close that he could smell the faint fragrance of gardenias in her hair. He unnaturally averted his gaze.
The bumpy ride was still a while away. Xia Qian Ge untied her hair, and her shoulder-length hair fell down, creating an invisible wall between her and Su Yu.
They were high school classmates, but just high school classmates. But Su Yu had subconsciously crossed the line, thinking that everything was still the same as before.
“Hehe…”
A repressed, almost hoarse laugh escaped. Su Yu’s attention shifted from his phone. He looked around the noisy bus, as if the cold, excited laugh was just his imagination.
The journey continued. It was a trip everyone was looking forward to. But calm waters often hide turbulent currents.
Her gaze passed through the gaps in her hair and secretly landed on his gentle, jade-like profile. The back of her hand, which had just been touched, was repeatedly rubbed, as if cherishing something she couldn’t bear to part with. Resisting biological instincts was a form of torture.
If only reason wasn’t so stubborn. Then she would definitely not be able to resist the temptation, not just gazing at plums to quench her thirst… but directly biting into the sweet, red flesh.
The saliva that was madly secreted in her mouth was squeezed and swallowed. The soft swallowing sound was quickly drowned out by the noise of the passengers.
