On the other side, Su Qingci and Song Jingzhou arrived in the county town at less than six o'clock, with nearly six hours to go before they were supposed to board the bus.

Song Jingzhou put the package in his hand on the ground and asked tentatively.

"On the way to Beijing, not counting the four-plus hours from the county to the provincial capital Xingcheng, we will have to spend at least three days and two nights on the train."

"Why don't we take advantage of the time we still have and go to Uncle Liu's place for a nice meal, so that our bodies won't be able to withstand the strain of these three days and two nights?"

Although Su Qingci was eager to go home, this was the fastest train ticket she could get.

She paused for a moment, then nodded to Song Jingzhou, "Alright, but I also have to stop by Uncle Huang's place on the way. I should say goodbye to them before I leave."

Song Jingzhou said, "Of course, he's taken good care of us during this time. I'll go with you."

"We'll say hello and then go straight to Uncle Liu's house. After we eat, we'll head to the train station waiting room."

The two arrived at the county public security bureau's family compound and happened to meet Huang Yi returning from get off work at the gate.

"Uncle Huang~"

“Oh, Qingci, Xiao Song.”

Huang Yi looked at the luggage bags on the two of them with a puzzled expression, "What's this?"

Su Qingci said frankly, "Uncle Huang, my grandmother is not in good health, so I have to go back home. If there are other arrangements at home, I may not be able to come back."

"That's why I came over to say hello. I'm so grateful for your care these past two years."

Huang Yi looked surprised. "So sudden? Come on, let's go inside and talk."

"No need, Uncle, we're catching our train."

"What time are your tickets? Are you in such a hurry?"

"Yes, it was quite urgent. I just came over to say hello and I'll be leaving now."

Huang Yi seemed to have thought of something, "Then wait a moment, I'll bring you something, wait here for me."

"Uncle Huang, no need."

Huang Yi turned around and called out, "Wait a minute, I'll be right there."

Su Qingci knew that Huang Yi probably wanted to bring her something, so she said to Song Jingzhou, "Let's go, we won't wait any longer."

The two carried their luggage to Liu's house and had a meal. By the time they left Liu's house, it was already 8:30.

I waited in the waiting room for a short while before boarding the train to Changsha.

At this time, all the benches were made of wood, and even though it was already 10 p.m., people were still getting on and off the bus noisily.

Song Jingzhou was carrying things in both hands, constantly looking back to see if Su Qingci had followed.

"Make sure you keep an eye on your belongings. If anyone bumps into you or touches you, whether it's intentional or not, check if anything is missing."

There are quite a few capable people in this train station.

Because it was a small stop, not many people got on or off the train. The two of them got on the train, but there was no room to even squeeze in, let alone a seat. The aisle was full of people lying haphazardly.

This train came from Guangzhou, and the earliest passengers on board have been on the train for over a day.

The inside of the carriages was completely dark; it was unclear whether there were no lights or they weren't working. Only a small light, which looked to be about 5 watts, was lit at the joint between each carriage.

Su Qingci peeked inside in the dim light, and wow, it was spectacular.

The first thing you see is an old man carrying a basket on his back and standing with the help of a chair. Several duck heads are sticking out of the basket, quacking every now and then.

If it hadn't been for its squeaking, I really wouldn't have noticed it.

Soon Su Qingci's gaze was drawn to a fat, white-haired buttock, and there was even someone leading a sheep. How did they get up here?

Seeing that there were people everywhere, Song Jingzhou didn't try to squeeze in. He simply put his luggage down against the car door.

"Come on, come sit behind me."

"Are you tired? If you are, take a nap. I'll stay here."

Su Qingci didn't stand on ceremony and plopped down on the duffel bag, wrapping her arms around Song Jingzhou's waist.

"I'm terrified of taking the train. Last time I went to the countryside, I almost died on the train."

Song Jingzhou pinched Su Qingci's little mouth in dissatisfaction, "Pah, pah, pah, children say the darndest things."

"There's no way to make this short trip work; the place ahead is already full of people. Just bear with it; it'll only take a little over four hours."

"We arrived in Xingcheng at around 2 a.m., and we had more than two hours to rest before the next bus departed at 5 a.m."

"I'll let you in on a secret: I got a sleeper ticket for the long journey, so it won't be as tiring."

Su Qingci's eyes lit up. "How did you get it?"

In those days, sleeper berths were not something the average person could easily snag, let alone long-distance trains to Kyoto; without strong connections, you simply couldn't buy one.

Song Jingzhou tossed his head playfully, "You've always refused to admit that I'm a capable person~"

Neither of them felt sleepy, so they snuggled together and chatted quietly.

The train chugged along, and after less than an hour, it arrived at the next stop.

As soon as the announcement came over the loudspeaker, people who needed to get off the train crowded towards the junction of the carriages.

Song Jingzhou struggled to spread his arms wide in front of Su Qingci, using his body to resist the external pressure and leave enough space for Su Qingci.

Su Qingci poked her head inside and pointed to the luggage rack not far away, which was facing Song Jingzhou.

"Let's hurry inside while they're squeezing through to get off."

"We don't know how many people will get on at that next stop. There are still several stops ahead, and it's not good to just block the entrance like this."

Song Jingzhou followed Su Qingci's gaze and looked inside. The passengers who had been occupying the luggage racks earlier were now squeezing towards the door, presumably to get off.

One of them was carrying two baskets on a shoulder pole, with two sleeping babies inside. Once the two baskets were moved, a considerable space was cleared up where the luggage rack should have been.

"Good, good, Comrade Qingci has the best eyesight."

The two had just squeezed to the side of the luggage rack when the train stopped. The bustling crowd surged and pushed their way up, creating a noisy scene. The uproar only gradually subsided when the train started moving again.

Su Qingci didn't know when she fell asleep. Song Jingzhou tried his best to support himself so that she could lean against his legs and sleep more comfortably.

The gentle breeze outside the window ruffled her hair, and by the faint moonlight, Song Jingzhou gently tucked a few stray strands of hair that had fallen across her face behind her ear.

The thenar eminence at the base of his thumb brushed against her smooth cheek, sending shivers down his spine.

Subconsciously, my fingertips slid across her cheek and came to her lips, gently rubbing them.

A sweet feeling welled up inside me, like fireworks suddenly bursting into bloom and shooting into the sky in the dark night.

It turns out that being with someone you love, even just watching them sleep, can bring such happiness.

This feeling.

It's the gentle breeze, the sunset, the heartbeat—it's irreplaceable.