After watching this scene, Xue Fu twitched the corners of her mouth. It's true that one should always be humble when traveling.

"It's okay, I've had enough sleep." She nuzzled his palm with her cheek to cheer him up.

She yawned softly, covering her mouth with her hand, "I slept for a long time. What about you? Did you rest this afternoon?"

Gu Chong nodded: "I dozed off for a while."

Xue Fu looked him over; he did indeed seem to be in good spirits.

"We'll be in the provincial capital soon," Gu Chong said.

He would come to the provincial capital every now and then to see what was popular and trendy here.

He was familiar with the road to the provincial capital, and just by looking at the scenery outside, he knew they would be there in about fifteen minutes.

The provincial capital is much larger and more prosperous than the county town. The streets are lined with four- or five-story buildings, and the outer city is home to several large state-owned factories.

When the car arrived in the provincial capital, it happened to be the time when the factory was closing. Crowds of people filed out of the factory gates, and the streets suddenly became lively.

Xue Fu glanced at the large characters painted on the wall at the factory entrance and realized that it was a printing factory, while the factory next door was a textile factory.

The bus station is in the city center, while the train station is in the south of the city.

It takes three bus stops to walk from the bus station to the train station.

Liu Ling didn't have a watch. Before the bus had even come to a complete stop at the station, Liu Ling carried her luggage to Xue Fu's seat and asked Xue Fu what time it was.

"It's 5:40. There's still an hour left. Liu Ling, don't worry, there's still time."

Xue Fu knew her train schedule and, seeing the anxiety on her face, tried to comfort her.

"Mmm." Liu Ling nodded, but she had already taken her luggage and lined up at the front of the car, trying to be the first to get off.

As soon as the car door opened, Liu Ling jumped out quickly.

She didn't turn around, nor did she have time to say any more sentimental things. She simply waved behind her and shouted one last time, "I'm leaving. Xue Fu, I won't say any more to you. See you next year, bye-bye!"

She knew Xue Fu could hear her.

As Xue Fu watched Liu Ling walk quickly forward, she also shouted loudly, "Bye-bye, have a safe trip!"

Xue Fu and Gu Chong weren't in a hurry to leave; their train was tomorrow, so they didn't squeeze in with the others at this time.

They were the last to get off the bus. Gu Chong carried the suitcase and walked ahead to clear the way for her. He held the suitcase in one hand and held her hand tightly with the other, as if she were a precious treasure that was afraid of being stolen.

"Are you hungry? Let's go eat first."

After leaving the bus station, Gu Chong led her in a familiar direction.

He took her to the state-run hotel closest to the train station.

Because it's close to the station and has a large flow of people, the restaurant is very busy during dinner time, and almost all the tables are full.

Gu Chong and Xue Fu waited for seven or eight minutes until the group of people finished eating. Once the table was cleared, they went over and sat down.

Today's menu is written in chalk on the small table at the counter.

Xue Fu glanced at it; there was nothing special about it, just some common dishes.

She wasn't actually that hungry; the pancakes she ate for lunch were quite substantial and filling.

She stared at the menu, then looked at Gu Chong and asked him what he wanted to eat.

Gu Chong doesn't suffer from decision-making anxiety; he makes decisions quickly.

"I'm eating dumplings, what about you?"

Dumplings are more filling than other dishes.

“I…” Xue Fu shrugged, “Then I’ll eat dumplings too.”

She had never eaten dumplings at a state-run restaurant.

But Gu Chong did make dumplings at home a few times.

Yes, the dumpling filling was chives.

Xue Fu didn't say that she thought chive dumplings were bad, it's just that she felt a bit guilty and burdened to eat chive dumplings in front of her boyfriend.

Okay, she's being a bit dramatic.

Fortunately, the dumplings at the state-run restaurant today were made with cabbage and pork, not chives!

Although the food at state-run restaurants is not affordable, the portions are very generous.

There were about twenty dumplings on just one plate.

The plate was served full, which surprised Xue Fu.

She held the chopsticks, remaining still for a moment.

"There's too much, I can't finish it."

Gu Chong pushed his plate towards him: "I'll eat it."

Xue Fu immediately pushed most of the dumplings over, and when she wanted to take two more of the remaining eight or nine dumplings, he stopped her.

"Alright, you eat these first, and give them to me if you can't finish them." He looked at her with concern, even though he already knew how much Xue Fu could eat, he still hoped she could eat more.

He was no exception to the common belief, just like people of this era, that being able to eat well was a blessing.

"All right."

Xue Fu, start eating!

The chef at this restaurant made dumpling wrappers that were exceptionally chewy and elastic. Xue Fu ate seven dumplings, but after the eighth one, she simply couldn't eat anymore.

There was one left on the plate, and she stared longingly at Gu Chong before he took it from her.

For Gu Chong, a grown man, a strong man over 1.8 meters tall, this large plate of dumplings was more than enough.

Xue Fu didn't think he ate a lot; she thought it was to be expected.

Gu Chong works so hard, what's wrong with him eating more!

They ate their own rice, they didn't go to someone else's house to eat!

Moreover, she also really enjoyed watching Gu Chong eat; he ate with such relish and was not rude at all.

However, after the meal, the two encountered a somewhat awkward situation.

There aren't many ways to pass the time or have fun these days, especially at night.

After dinner, almost all the shops on the street were closed, except for the movie theater, which might close a little later.

Every household lit their lamps and stayed indoors.

Xue Fu and Gu Chong looked at each other. They had nowhere else to go, so they could only go to the guesthouse to rest.

Although they both knew in their hearts that they weren't husband and wife and that they would book two rooms at the guesthouse, going to the guesthouse together still made them uneasy.

On the way to the guesthouse, the two were somewhat silent, and Xue Fu's heartbeat quietly quickened.

It looked as if she and Gu Chong were going to a hotel to do something naughty.

Unable to bear their silence any longer, she took the initiative to start a conversation: "What time are you going back tomorrow? My train leaves at nine in the morning. Are you leaving after you drop me off?"

"I'm leaving this afternoon. I'll wander around the provincial capital." Gu Chong glanced at her profile without leaving a trace. Even in the night, her skin still looked fair and smooth, a very beautiful complexion.

"Be careful on the train, and keep your valuables with you. Didn't your parents say they'd pick you up at the train station? Don't worry, you'll have a safe trip."

Gu Chong gave the instructions again.

He knew Xue Fu would be a little uneasy, so he explained the situation to her in detail.

Xue Fu nodded like a chick pecking at rice, appreciating his concern: "Yes, I know."