Chapter 85: Take Me to a Faraway Place (1)

After Tang Lian discovered the tickets Bo Ranying had sent and accepted them, Nan Qi’s heart had been uneasy the whole time. She couldn’t quite gauge what Tang Lian was thinking.

For a long while, though, Tang Lian showed no signs of anything amiss. The two of them got along peacefully. Gradually, Nan Qi let her guard down, figuring that Tang Lian probably didn’t care about the matter anymore.

The turning point came one ordinary afternoon. Tang Lian was curled up in her arms for a nap when she suddenly reached out, turned Nan Qi’s face toward her, and blinked her eyes enticingly. “Sis,” she said coaxingly, “let’s go on a trip! We can see the beautiful sights of China and make a new photo album for us. I want to visit so many places with you, starting from our first year together.”

As she spoke, Nan Qi could clearly see the spark of longing in her eyes. It was utterly captivating.

Tang Lian’s sudden whim stirred excitement in Nan Qi too. She began to imagine the future Tang Lian described—beautiful enough to make her heart race. She realized she didn’t resist the idea of such an unpredictable adventure at all.

They had spent several stable years in Linxi, and it had been ages since they’d revived their habit of regular trips from their school days.

She had thought both her body and mind had forgotten those free-spirited times. But when Tang Lian brought it up again, an undeniable yearning surged within her. Every fiber of her being screamed to set off.

Nan Qi agreed readily. “Alright, I’ll ask Senior Sister for time off.” She had accumulated a substantial amount of vacation days at Shengqi. If she used them all this year, it would be more than enough for a long, perfect holiday trip with Tang Lian.

Hearing Nan Qi agree to her suggestion without the slightest hesitation made Tang Lian’s smile widen.

She wriggled closer, playfully straddling Nan Qi’s lap with a mischievous grin.

Raising her voice, she declared, “I’ll go ask my boss for vacation time too.” It sounded like a challenge, but more like a cute promise.

Right away, Tang Lian pulled up maps on her phone, along with travel guides from social media. She and Nan Qi started planning their route—the cities they’d visit along the way, the local foods recommended by insiders…

Tang Lian handled the research, while Nan Qi made the final calls.

They were both decisive. The very next day after deciding on the trip, they each applied for vacation time at work. That came with a sudden surge in workload—they needed to wrap everything up before their time off so they could travel without a care.

They were both thrilled about the trip, so the multiplied tasks didn’t bother them. The thought of getting away alone with their girlfriend made their moods brighten instantly.

They both completed their work on schedule.

Their first stop was Yellow Mountain. The night before departure, Tang Lian stayed over at Nan Qi’s place, claiming it would be easier to catch their morning flight together.

It was just an excuse to stick close to Nan Qi, of course—one that was all but obvious. Nan Qi didn’t call her out on it.

That night, Tang Lian wasn’t in the mood for proper sleep. She burrowed under Nan Qi’s covers, surrounded by her familiar, pleasant scent. It made her restless, especially thinking about the trip ahead—the days of sharing a big hotel bed just the two of them. She was thrilled.

She clutched the edge of the blanket and thrashed around on the bed, her mind racing with ideas. Suddenly, a long-buried thought resurfaced. She bolted upright, threw off the covers, and abandoned the cozy warmth. “Where’s your packed luggage?” she demanded breathlessly of Nan Qi. “Let me check it. I want to see if you missed anything.”

Her unusual behavior left Nan Qi speechless. With a hint of reluctance, she followed Tang Lian out of bed and unzipped her suitcase, letting Inspector Tang inspect it.

Tang Lian nodded smugly and meticulously checked every item in Nan Qi’s suitcase. Once she’d gone through everything, a sly smile curved her lips. “Sis is so careless,” she concluded.

“Good thing I’m here, or what would you do?”

Nan Qi tensed. “What did I forget? We haven’t left yet—put it in quick.”

“Hmm,” Tang Lian drawled meaningfully, then leaned in close to Nan Qi’s ear and whispered two words. Nan Qi’s face flushed crimson in an instant. She staggered slightly as she headed to the depths of a certain closet, pulled out a fresh pack of something, and swiftly stuffed it into a hidden pocket of the luggage. Then she tried to close the lid, fumbling with the combination lock. “There, happy now? Go to bed—we’ve got an early flight tomorrow!”

She was desperate to pretend the moment hadn’t happened, but Tang Lian refused to let her off the hook. Just as Nan Qi reached out in embarrassed haste, Tang Lian plopped down on the suitcase lid, blocking any chance of sealing it.

As Nan Qi stared in wide-eyed shock and disbelief, Tang Lian leaned in wickedly and murmured by her ear, “Don’t rush. We’re not done yet.”

“You’ve seen everything already.”

Nan Qi bit her lip in protest and stubbornly reached out again, wrapping her arms around Tang Lian’s waist to lift her off and finish what she’d started.

Sensing her intent, Tang Lian braced her arms and resisted completely. Even though Nan Qi was stronger, Tang Lian’s deliberate squirming made it impossible to budge her easily.

After some wrestling, there were inevitable touches, leaving them both a little breathless.

Nan Qi’s grip weakened. Tang Lian felt it clearly. She tilted her head and flashed her girlfriend a smile laced with mischief, then suddenly planted a quick peck on Nan Qi’s lips.

It was feather-light, but it drained all of Nan Qi’s strength in a heartbeat. The hands around Tang Lian’s waist turned into a loose grasp.

Tang Lian slipped free and claimed full control of the suitcase. Nan Qi realized she’d been tricked and let out a helpless laugh, giving up on hiding anything.

Screw it, she thought. It wasn’t like she was the only one who’d use it, and Tang Lian was acting so nonchalant—there was no reason for her to be embarrassed.

“If there’s anywhere else Prosecutor Tang hasn’t checked, go ahead,” she said with forced nonchalance. “Take all the time you need.”

Tang Lian stifled a laugh and gave a small, approving nod, as if praising her attitude.

She rummaged through the suitcase for show a moment longer, then said in a serious tone, “Sis missed one more thing.”

Nan Qi shot her a questioning look.

“The deer antler hairband we bought together,” Tang Lian pointed out.

“Do we need that for the trip?”

“I want to put it on you and take photos.” Tang Lian said it so calmly, her expression betraying nothing of her inner glee.

“Didn’t you get enough last time?”

“Fine, I’ll add it—”

Nan Qi sighed indulgently and got up to fetch the hairband.

Only when she saw the coveted deer antler hairband tucked safely into the suitcase did Tang Lian drop her poker face. She beamed openly, then obediently climbed back into bed without another peep.

Nan Qi chalked it up to her excitement for the trip and was glad she’d finally settled down to sleep. She didn’t think deeper on it.