Chapter 82

Chapter 82

Half an hour later, the two were already on their way to Beidaihe.

Coincidentally, the next day was the weekend, making Shen Qingyuan's whim seem feasible.

Before leaving Jicheng, Shen Qingyuan went to a convenience store and bought some food, such as bread, instant noodles, and sausages, as well as a few bottles of sugar-free tea to keep her alert. She hadn't had dinner yet and planned to eat something in the car.

The two of them held hands and strolled leisurely through the convenience store.

"Is there anything you'd like to eat?" she asked Ye Chuyang.

Ye Chuyang looked around, her doe eyes pleading, "I want to eat everything. But, never mind."

He was extremely strict with his diet, and naturally, he had to pay a price for wanting a perfect figure. Shen Qingyuan added a few more bags of snacks, like pickled chicken feet and potato chips. If he got hungry, he could have some.

Professionally speaking, she's not a particularly meticulous person in daily life. She always wears her clothes until they're all piled up before washing them, and her refrigerator is a mess. But she remembers his preferences only when it comes to him.

A young girl was playing on her phone in the checkout area, and adult products and chewing gum were prominently displayed. It's strange that adult products are always placed in places like this.

Shen Qingyuan's gaze fell on it, then quickly shifted away. Sensing something was amiss, she turned back and saw that Ye Chuyang seemed to be looking at it as well. Their eyes met, and both felt an awkward moment.

The cashier looked up and glanced at the two of them. Ye Chuyang was wearing a mask, and her hair covered her eyes and eyebrows, so the cashier couldn't recognize her, but she still looked at her a few more times.

After paying, the two left the convenience store. Shen Qingyuan said she needed to use the restroom, so Ye Chuyang took the things and put them on the back seat of the car. Not long after, Shen Qingyuan returned.

She gripped the seatbelt with one hand, glanced at Ye Chuyang, and said, "Alright, let's go!"

As the car started, Ye Chuyang suddenly remembered that there were still some things he hadn't bought. He slapped his thigh and said, "I forgot to buy you some wine, you little drunkard. Wait a minute."

Shen Qingyuan wasn't really addicted to alcohol; she'd have a couple of sips if she wanted, but wouldn't go out of her way to buy more if she didn't. She seemed quite casual about it. She was about to say there was no need to buy any more. Before she could even speak, Ye Chuyang jumped out of the car and strode over.

The convenience store didn't have any particularly good wines, mainly fruit-flavored alcoholic beverages. Ye Chuyang bought a case and placed it on the floor in the back seat.

It's about 300 kilometers from Jicheng to Beidaihe. If there's no traffic, it takes a little over three hours to get there. Ye Chuyang entered the address into the navigation, took a sip of water, and then restarted the car.

Shen Qingyuan retrieved the bread and snacks from the back seat, opened the plastic packaging, and quietly began to eat. She ate so much like some quiet, small rodent that Ye Chuyang turned to look at her and smiled.

"Why are you suddenly eating so ladylike? Be more casual. I'm not used to it."

That is indeed a bit strange. Before they got together, Shen Qingyuan ate meat and drank wine without any restraint. Now, she suddenly starts acting like a lady.

Having had her tricks seen through, Shen Qingyuan wrinkled her nose, a little embarrassed at being exposed. "Was I not ladylike before?"

She also knew that at this stage, everyone was still readjusting their way of getting along, and it was a bit awkward, with everyone wanting to show their best side to each other. As time went on, and they became so familiar with each other, they became less reserved.

This was probably their first time traveling alone.

Shen Qingyuan: "You drive very steadily."

Ye Chuyang is actually a pretty good driver, but he's been too busy these past few years to have had the chance to drive. Occasionally, when he feels the urge to drive, he'll sneak out for a spin.

"Once you're on the highway, it gets faster. I'm a little hesitant to drive too fast now."

"Um."

She opened her phone to check for new messages in several work groups, since she had nothing else to do anyway. She couldn't help with driving at all. She had previously held the outdated theory that not driving would prevent accidents, but the technology was neutral and undeniably practical. If she could drive, the two of them could take turns driving on future trips, so neither of them would get too tired.

"When I have some free time in a while, I'll learn to drive." But she's unlikely to have any free time at all. Shen Qingyuan is now a little regretful that she shouldn't have taken the driving test during her university holidays, like many of her classmates.

“No need,” he said. “I don’t trust you to drive, Miss. You should just sit in someone else’s car.” His tone was indulgent, as if he were making an exception only for her.

The evening rush hour was over, and leaving the city went smoothly; the car quickly got onto the highway.

Outside the car window, the streetlights flickered on and off. Shen Qingyuan looked at the night view for a while and felt drowsy.

"Tired?" Ye Chuyang turned to look at her. "There are still several hours left. Go to the back seat and take a nap."

She was a little tired, but her nerves were still on edge. Accomplishing something, something big, was important to everyone, especially Shen Qingyuan. She had shaken off the gloom and felt once again that she could control her life. Besides, she had someone she loved by her side.

"No need. I'll just take a nap in the passenger seat."

Following Ye Chuyang's instructions, she lowered the back of her seat and lay back to rest.

"Ye Chuyang," she murmured softly before falling asleep, "I like you so much..."

-

They arrived in the city around 1 a.m. This was a bit of an awkward time; they wouldn't be able to get a few hours of sleep at a hotel, and if they wanted to watch the sunrise over the sea, it would be more convenient to sleep in the car for a while.

After discussing it, the two decided to go directly to the beach.

This is something only teenagers or those in their early twenties would do, but two people approaching thirty suddenly decided to go crazy.

When we arrived at the beach, it was still dark. Beidaihe in October is already quite cold, especially at night, when the lowest temperature is only three or four degrees Celsius.

Ye Chuyang asked her if she was cold and turned on the heating.

"You've been driving for so long, is your back okay? Why don't you go to the back seat and take a nap?"

"I'm alright," he said, sounding tired. He rubbed his back as he got out of the car and obediently went to lie down in the back seat.

Shen Qingyuan had slept for two or three hours in the car, but now, listening to the sound of the waves outside and smelling the salty seawater in the air, she couldn't fall asleep again.

She scrambled up to the back seat, half-squatting down, and whispered in Ye Chuyang's ear, "Ye Chuyang, let me massage your back."

Ye Chuyang wasn't quite asleep yet. His ears felt warm and itchy. Half asleep, he whispered, "No, I'll just sleep for a little while." His sleeping position wasn't comfortable. He was too tall, and the back seat was too short, so he could only curl up and lie down.

He pulled Shen Qingyuan's arm and hugged her, as contentedly as a child hugging Abeibei. Shen Qingyuan waited until he was sound asleep before pulling her arm away and carefully climbing back to her seat.

She drifted in and out of sleep, not knowing how much time had passed. With her eyes closed, Shen Qingyuan felt the light brighten. She opened her eyes and saw that the horizon in the distance was beginning to lighten.

Shen Qingyuan closed her eyes for a while, then opened them again. A crimson sunset was already appearing on the distant mountains, close to the sea horizon, reflecting a vibrant orange-red hue onto the sea. This was probably the image they meant when they said "a myriad of colorful clouds."

The glow of the sunset shone on her eyelids, and Shen Qingyuan felt warm and hot; the tiny, rounded buds that peeked out resembled glowing red charcoal.

"Ye Chuyang, get up quickly, the sun is up!"

Suddenly, I realized that Ye Chuyang's name is "Chuyang," which shows how much his parents had high hopes for him.

"Get up quickly—" Shen Qingyuan exclaimed excitedly, reaching out her arm to tug at him a few times.

The child was startled awake, looking rather pitiful, his sleepy eyes quite endearing. His gaze was naturally drawn to it, and his pupils instantly dilated in shock.

They got out of the car and walked hand in hand toward the beach. The beach was chilly in the early morning, and the wind almost froze their eyes.

Are you cold?

"It's alright." Shen Qingyuan zipped her coat up to her neck and braced herself. She had come in a hurry and was only wearing a thin coat.

Ye Chuyang only had one coat, and after thinking for a moment, he unbuttoned it.

"Come here, I'll wrap you up."

They were in a scenic area, but there weren't many people there to watch the sunrise, and they were quite far away.

It was too cold, so Shen Qingyuan didn't hesitate and slipped inside. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, completely enveloping her. It was warm; the coat wasn't particularly warm, but his body heat was wonderful. At times like this, one could only appreciate the advantages of having a boyfriend with broad shoulders.

An unfamiliar beach, an unfamiliar sea—it was Shen Qingyuan's first time in this city, yet she didn't feel like a stranger. With him by her side, she didn't feel the need to be wary in this unfamiliar place.

A fiery red sphere had emerged above the horizon. The entire sea was ablaze with golden and crimson light, a vibrant display of color. Billions of years had passed since the sun rose in the east and set in the west, yet seeing it again still moved Shen Qingyuan. Perceiving the grandeur of nature makes one acutely aware of humanity's insignificance. Troubles and achievements seem utterly insignificant.

The two stopped, embraced, and admired the purest natural beauty.

Shen Qingyuan: "This is the first time I've ever seen a sunrise at the beach."

He said, "I've seen the sunrise in the Maldives, and I've also visited the islands in the East China Sea while filming. They're all very beautiful. I'll take you to see them sometime."

Shen Qingyuan hummed in agreement, tilted her head, and leaned on his shoulder with boundless satisfaction and trust.

After watching the sunrise, the two found a local breakfast shop, rested for a while, and then planned to find a seaside guesthouse to stay in.

When booking the room, Ye Chuyang gave a sly smile, "This guesthouse is nice and close by, but there's only one room left. Dr. Chen, will you make do?"

"One room... just one room then." Come to think of it, this isn't peak season for seaside attractions. Shen Qingyuan bit her lip.

The guesthouse was beautifully decorated, looked quite clean, and was unusually quiet. It didn't seem like it was full of guests; it appeared that... the only guests were the two of them.

Ye Chuyang seemed to know her inside and out, and said listlessly, "Madam, even if I had the desire, I don't have the strength."

Shen Qingyuan originally wanted to spend more time with him and was too lazy to pursue the matter further.

The two decided to take a nap at noon, sleep comfortably until the afternoon, and then go for a walk on the beach.

The guesthouse had family rooms with one large and one small bed. Shen Qingyuan chose the small bed; she had traveled for most of the night and hadn't rested well, so she was exhausted. Ye Chuyang was even worse off, having driven for several hours.

Upon seeing the bed, both of them felt closer to it than to their own mother, and they both fell asleep immediately.