Chapter 25
He hung up the phone without giving her a chance to argue.
Yao Chen chose the tourist destination, wrote the travel itinerary, and even bought the high-speed rail tickets.
Josh glanced at Chen Zhiyu, who was sitting on the sofa watching TV idly, and asked, "What did you do?"
Chen Zhiyu turned to look at her, his expression slightly innocent. "Hmm?"
"Was it all handled by someone else?" Josh asked again.
"Um."
"You didn't help at all?"
Chen Zhiyu slowly straightened up, picked up the remote control from the coffee table, and changed the channel. "Yao Chen said he likes making travel guides, and I don't want to take away his hobby."
"Alright, this guy is a good travel buddy."
Including Josh, there were only three people on this trip. The place they were going to was indeed a nearby city, but they could see the mountains and the sea.
When Josh first started working, she went on a business trip with her boss once. It was a rushed trip, and she didn't have time to explore or do anything. She longed to travel because it allowed her to go to different places and experience different cultures and customs.
Travel allows her to temporarily forget where she came from and simply enjoy the present moment.
That trip, which was forced to be interrupted years ago, has always been a regret for her, which is why she quickly agreed to travel with Chen Zhiyu this time.
Josh hummed a song as she packed her clothes into her suitcase. Once she was almost done, she glanced at Chen Zhiyu, who was still sitting on the sofa, and asked, "Don't you need to pack your luggage? Or have you finished packing?"
In order to have as much fun as possible, they bought tickets for Friday night. After getting off work on Friday, Josh met up with Chen Zhiyu, who was carrying luggage and had left home, and they went to the high-speed rail station together.
Chen Zhiyu turned to look at her: "My luggage is easy to pack, just a few sets of clothes."
Okay, Josh looked down at his suitcase.
Everything is available, and it's packed full.
Josh was determined to be well-prepared, especially for sun protection at the beach. On the very night she agreed to go on the trip together, she started searching for various sun protection products. After comparing them, she found that physical sun protection was the most reliable.
She was already getting excited about the upcoming trip.
On Friday morning, Josh asked his department head for leave in advance. He couldn't contain his excitement to go out and have fun, and set off right on time as soon as it was time to leave work.
Taking the subway to the high-speed rail station is more convenient from the company.
Josh left the office building and hurried to the nearby subway station. He took out his phone to call Chen Zhiyu. As soon as the call connected, he found that Chen was already waiting at the subway station entrance, with two suitcases, one large and one small, next to him.
Chen Zhiyu was wearing a simple white t-shirt, black shorts, a blue striped short-sleeved shirt hanging from his wrist, and a black hat on his head.
It was rush hour, and it was Friday. People were coming and going at the subway station entrance. Chen Zhiyu sat half-sitting on a large suitcase, his long legs naturally stretched out, his head down.
The orange sunset stretched across the sky, casting a beautiful silhouette behind him.
Perhaps seeing the incoming call on his phone, Chen Zhiyu looked up, his gaze finding her precisely. He smiled and greeted her.
Josh paused for a moment before going over to take his suitcase. "How long have you been waiting? Why weren't you waiting for me inside?"
Chen Zhiyu stood up and subtly handed her his small suitcase, saying, "I just arrived too."
The two of them took the subway together, heading towards the high-speed rail station.
The waiting room at the high-speed rail station was crowded with people, mostly students, who must have planned to go out and have fun during their holidays.
They were on the 7:30 pm high-speed train. Yao hadn't arrived yet, so Qiao Xi and Chen Zhiyu arrived earlier than expected. They decided to buy some food nearby to fill their stomachs while they waited.
The waiting room was packed with people, but thankfully it was cool enough. Josh pushed two suitcases and found three empty seats next to each other. After sitting down, he helped look after their luggage.
Chen Zhiyu went to a fast food restaurant outside to buy some food.
Waiting was agonizing. Josh sat bored in his seat, crossed his legs, dangling his feet and playing on his phone. He waited for a while, but Chen Zhiyu didn't come back.
She locked her phone, looked up, squinted, and peered towards the door.
Finally, their gaze fell on the area not far from the doorway.
Chen Zhiyu was standing on the right side not far from the entrance. Because he was tall and wearing a simple white short-sleeved shirt with his hat pulled low, he was a clear target. He was holding a bag of hamburgers in one hand and two cups of cola in the other.
Josh got up to go over, but after taking two steps, he stopped.
Because he was accompanied by a girl.
Josh subtly sat back down in his original seat, his eyes fixed on that direction.
The girl was holding her phone and talking to Chen Zhiyu. At first, Qiao Xi thought she was asking for directions, but then she saw Chen Zhiyu point in the direction she was looking, and the girl looked over in that direction as well.
Josh paused, his gaze unexpectedly meeting the girl's inquisitive one. Before he could react, the girl quickly looked away and resumed talking to Chen Zhiyu.
Because it was too far away, I couldn't hear it clearly, and I couldn't even see the lip movements.
This further piqued Josh's intense curiosity, and he stared intently at the two of them.
Soon, they finally moved.
Yes, both of them moved.
Chen Zhiyu walked over carrying food, with the girl following behind him.
Chen Zhiyu, who was walking ahead, first placed the pile of food and drinks on the empty seat, then pulled up Qiao Xi, who was watching the show, and hooked her waist with one hand, making her stand next to him.
Josh, who was suddenly pulled up, stared wide-eyed. Just as she was about to speak, Chen Zhiyu preemptively introduced her to the girl, "I'm not lying to you, this really is my girlfriend."
Seeing Chen Zhiyu's indifferent expression, Qiao Xi was stunned for a moment, then quickly realized that this brat was using her as a shield.
She could only smile along.
The girl was a very easygoing person. Seeing that Josh didn't object, she nodded and waved goodbye with a flourish, saying, "Sorry to bother you."
He then turned and left without any hesitation.
At first, the girl thought Chen Zhiyu was just randomly pointing someone out to fool her, but after following him over, she found that Qiao Xi didn't refute it, and then she realized that he really did have a girlfriend.
If you like someone, take the initiative and don't miss any opportunity. If you find that the other person has someone else in their heart, don't hesitate and leave immediately.
Qiao watched her departing figure for a long time before sighing, "Xue, I like this personality."
Yao arrived just in time and began to complain as soon as she reached them, "Luckily I made it in time. I was afraid I would be late. My mom was worried about me and insisted that my dad take me. By the time my dad got home from get off work, it was already so late. He has no sense of time at all."
He muttered a lot of complaints, then looked up and saw Josh staring at him. He immediately stood at attention and greeted her politely, "Hello, sister."
"Hello, thank you for your trouble." Josh suppressed a laugh. "I'll have to trouble you to take care of me."
Yao, with her cheerful personality, replied, "It's alright. Chen Zhiyu's sister is my sister too. I'll treat you the way Chen Zhiyu treats you..."
"Hurry up, or we'll be late." Before he could finish speaking, Chen Zhiyu pushed Yao Chen forward.
"Hey, I haven't finished talking to my sister yet. Don't you have any manners?"
At first, Josh was worried that Chen Zhiyu would feel uncomfortable with his classmates when they went out together, but now it seems that her concern was unnecessary.
In the sweltering heat of June, as soon as I arrived at the platform, the hot wind on my face felt like being wrapped in a plastic film, making me feel stuffy and hot.
Once inside the carriage, Josh took a while to cool off before sitting down and asking the person next to her, "What time do we arrive?"
During peak tourist season, the train carriage was full. Josh and Chen Zhiyu sat together, while Yao Chen was alone.
Worried that the cold wind blowing directly on her would be uncomfortable, Chen Zhiyu handed her the shirt, saying, "It'll be less than two hours. If you're sleepy, take a nap first."
“I’m not sleepy.” Josh covered his arms with the shirt he was handed, gazing out the window, his eyes revealing his excitement for the upcoming trip.
The process was quick; Josh and Chen Zhiyu watched a movie together, and they arrived at their stop before 10 a.m.
Yao Chen is indeed an expert at both home and travel; as soon as they got off the train, they took a ride-hailing car directly to the hotel.
The hotel I rented was not far from the high-speed rail station; it took about ten minutes to reach my destination.
They quickly checked in, collected their luggage, and returned to their rooms to tidy themselves up.
After the three of them settled down, it was too late, and since they were unfamiliar with the area, they didn't think about going out.
Anyway, there's plenty of time ahead.
So, based on online travel guides, the three ordered local takeout and prepared to enjoy their first meal of the trip in their room.
They had all rested in the car for a while, and even though they were tired, they had recovered. Plus, they were excited, so none of them felt sleepy.
The three of them gathered in Chen Zhiyu and Yao Chen's room for a meal. After they finished eating, Yao Chen dragged them to play cards.
They would play for hours on end.
Josh discovered that Yao, taking advantage of this guy's love of playing but lack of skill, insisted on dragging the two of them into a battle until dawn. Staying up late was fine, but pulling an all-nighter was unbearable, especially since their first stop on their trip was to the beach to watch the sunrise.
Finally, Josh couldn't stay awake any longer and called a pause. "Didn't we agree to watch the sunrise?" She checked the time; it was past 1 a.m. "If I go to sleep now, I can get some more sleep. We still have to get up early."
Josh's room was on the floor next to theirs.
Chen Zhiyu first escorted her upstairs, then wandered around Qiao Xi's room, from the bathroom to the bedside, to make sure there were no safety hazards. He then told her, "Call me if anything happens," before returning to their place.
After Chen Zhiyu left, Qiao Xi took a quick shower, turned off the lights, tidied up, and collapsed onto the bed.
The room was quiet, and Josh quickly fell asleep.
Josh was finally woken up by her phone ringing. Chen Zhiyu's voice on the other end was a little hoarse from just waking up, "Josh, are you up?"
Josh forced her eyes open. The room was dark, with the lights off and the curtains drawn. It took her a while to remember where she was.
Josh rolled over and softly replied, "Awake."
Chen Zhiyu said on the phone again, "It's time, Josh, get ready to go out and watch the sunrise."
The phone screen emitted a blinding light. Josh squinted at the time on her phone, then buried her face in the pillow, her voice muffled and impatient, "I know." Then, as if just realizing something, she added, "Call me 'sister'."
Chen Zhiyu chuckled on the phone, then reminded her, "It's cold outside, remember to wear a coat, Qiao Xi."
He hung up the phone without giving her a chance to argue.
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