Chapter 17 Unexpected Phone Call
The next morning, before dawn, Xu Nianyi woke up naturally, drawn by her expectant call.
She threw off the covers, got up, ran barefoot to the window, pulled back the curtains, then snuggled back into the warm, soft bed, wrapped herself in the blankets, and faced the huge panoramic floor-to-ceiling window, waiting for the sunrise.
At this time, Sayram Lake was still shrouded in the deep blue of the pre-dawn sky, and the huge ice surface looked like a piece of uncarved black jade.
However, on the horizon on the other side of the lake, change is quietly taking place.
First came an extremely fine line of golden-red, then, like a spilled palette, pink, orange, lavender purple...
Gentle colors began to blend, merge, and spread across the sky.
The dreamlike glow of the sunset shone on the snow-covered distant mountains and the nearby glistening ice, as if the whole world was shrouded in an unreal halo.
"My goodness!" Xu Nianyi murmured to herself, "This pinkish sky was totally worth it! This trip was definitely worth it!"
She could no longer lie in bed and watch from behind the glass with peace of mind.
Driven by a strong impulse, she abruptly threw off the covers, wrapped herself in a thick down jacket, donned a scarf and hat, put on snow boots, and rushed out of the warm room.
The outdoor temperature was a frigid minus twenty-seven degrees Celsius. Your breath instantly turned into white mist, and your cheeks felt like they were being pricked by fine ice needles. The fine hairs on your face were covered with white frost.
But this extreme cold only serves to highlight the sacredness and preciousness of the scene before us.
She ran to Tan Chen's door next door and knocked hard.
"Tan Chen! Tan Chen! Come out and see the sunrise! It's so beautiful! Let's take pictures on the ice!" Her voice trembled with excitement.
At that moment, she completely forgot that she was wearing a bare face and her hair might be messy, so how could she take a good photo?
But then I thought, it's not fully light yet, the light is dim, and I probably can't see her face clearly.
Moreover, against such a stunning backdrop, even the most exquisite makeup would pale in comparison.
Tan Chen quickly opened the door; he seemed to have been awake for some time and was dressed neatly.
The two walked together toward the frozen lake.
Xu Nianyi was like a bird released from its cage, running, jumping, and shouting freely on the vast ice surface, feeling the ultimate freedom of breaking free from all constraints and becoming one with heaven and earth.
"So beautiful!" Her voice echoed across the vast, frozen lake. "This place is absolutely divine! This beauty is truly unparalleled in my life!"
Her excitement continued to burn, and after watching the sunrise and returning to the camp, there was no way she could take a nap.
As I watched the other tourists in the camp gradually get up and prepare to start a new day's itinerary, an idea popped into my head.
After getting permission from the camp front desk, she excitedly drove the Tank 300 to the open space in front of the camp and opened her mobile café.
Get ready to open your "daytime cafe"!
As it turned out, the timing and location were impeccable.
Besides the "Say Lake Stargazing Campground", there are several other campgrounds in this area, attracting many overnight visitors.
Some of them watched the sunrise and were about to go back to their rooms, some packed up and were ready to leave, and some had just driven in from outside the scenic area specifically to enjoy the sunrise.
Now, seeing this coffee truck transformed from a cool off-road vehicle, everyone finds it incredibly novel and impulsively decides to come and buy a cup.
Xu Nianyi was busy and enjoying herself immensely, operating the coffee machine with increasing skill, the rich aroma of coffee filling the cool air.
Without a moment's rest, she sold over sixty cups in one go, earning 1081 yuan!
The money-grubber Xu Nianyi quickly calculated in her mind. Adding the small amount of money she made from selling the Kele Yongzhu yesterday and the hidden income from the camp promotion, she happily discovered that the money she had earned in the past two days was almost equivalent to her previous salary for half a month!
The feeling of being able to travel and earn money at the same time is simply amazing!
The size of Sayram Lake far exceeded their expectations, and there were many parking and viewing points around the lake, each with its own unique scenery, some magnificent, some beautiful, and some unique.
"No wonder the ticket allows unlimited entry and exit for 48 hours. You can't possibly see everything in one day, and you won't get enough of it," Xu Nian exclaimed while taking photos.
As evening approached, the two reluctantly left the Sayram Lake Scenic Area and drove to the famous Guozigou Bridge, ready to capture another visual feast of sunset.
Following the guide on Xiaohongshu (a Chinese social media platform), they painstakingly climbed to a less-known but excellent spot for taking photos.
It might be too niche, as there are no other tourists here, allowing the two of them to wait quietly for the sunset undisturbed.
They thought they had seen too many stunning sunsets in Xinjiang and might have become somewhat numb, but when the sun slowly sank behind the snow-capped mountains, the scene before them still left them with an indescribable sense of awe.
Nearby, the Guozigou Bridge spans the canyon like a giant steel dragon, with cars flowing endlessly on it;
In the distance, the mountain peaks and the shady slopes are covered with snow, creating a unique beauty that blends coldness and warmth under the glow of the setting sun.
The golden light seemed to crown the snow-capped mountain with a glittering golden crown.
Xu Nianyi took countless photos of her life here.
She exclaimed, "It's so nice to travel with someone!"
Otherwise, who will help her record this beautiful scenery and this wonderful moment?
Just thinking about how she could only take selfies and not be able to capture all these scenes made her feel extremely regretful and want to beat her chest.
Looking at the time, it was already past 7 p.m., and Xi Yingying should have already finished get off work.
Xu Nianyi couldn't wait to make a video call to her, ready to "bother" her a bit. Such a beautiful view had to be shared with her best friend!
However, even after they got back into the car, started the engine, and prepared to head to their destination for the night, Yining City, Xi Yingying still hadn't replied.
It was completely dark when the night became dark. The roads in Xinjiang are difficult to travel at night, so Tan Chen wouldn't let Xu Nian drive at night.
She was happy to relax and sat comfortably in the passenger seat, starting to edit today's video footage.
Suddenly, a crisp video call ringtone sounded inside the car.
Xu Nianyi quickly swiped to answer the call and put it on speakerphone.
"Oh my god!!! Niannianbao!!" Xi Yingying's beautiful yet exaggerated face appeared on the phone screen, with the background being her car in the company's underground parking garage, obviously she had just gotten off work. "The video and photos you just sent me are so beautiful! I really want to take a flight and come to you right now!" Her voice was full of envy and excitement.
"It's so beautiful I'm speechless! I was just about to video call you, but you're here right now. Why are you working so late? You're welcome to come anytime you want!" Xu Nianyi invited with a smile. "There's enough room in the car, and a twin room will do!"
"Tch~" Xi Yingying teased, drawing out the last syllable, "I'm not going to disturb your private time with your white moonlight!"
"Xi! Ying! Ying! What nonsense are you talking about!" Xu Nianyi's face instantly turned red. She subconsciously glanced at Tan Chen, who was driving, but found that he was still looking straight ahead, his profile calm and expressionless, as if he hadn't heard the teasing at all, or rather, if he had, he was completely unmoved.
"Okay, okay, I'll take it as nonsense~" Xi Yingying deliberately dragged out her tone, seemingly dissatisfied with Tan Chen's actions, and then turned her attention to him, "Hey, Tan, Niannianbao's classmate, since you don't like our Niannianbao, I wonder if you're interested in me?" she jokingly probed.
Knowing that it was Xu Nianyi's best friend, Tan Chen kept her eyes on the road and replied in a calm and polite tone, "I don't talk about feelings."
"Tch!" Xi Yingying was a little annoyed by the answer. Thinking of something Tan Chen would definitely care about, she said to Xu Nianyi, "Hey, Nianyi, I have some big news! Fang Qihang, that genius in the R&D department, is having his last working day today! For the first time ever, his department didn't work overtime today; they went out to throw him a farewell party." Her tone was sly. "You two are pretty close, aren't you? Has he talked to you about changing jobs?"
"What are you talking about?!" Xu Nianyi thought her best friend's thinking was too unconventional. "We're just ordinary colleagues! I've been gone for so long, how could he possibly tell me specifically where he's going to get a better job?"
Fang Qihang, an algorithm genius and a master's graduate in electrical engineering from MIT, only joined the company last September. HR said they went to great lengths to poach him from several large companies, offering attractive benefits like stock options. How could someone like that leave in less than six months? To be honest, Xu Nianyi's curiosity was piqued.
"Pfft, come on." Xi Yingying didn't believe it. "I've never seen him talk to other girls much in the whole company, but he's quite willing to chat with you."
"That's because I'm in administration, okay! From small things like getting office supplies and purchasing R&D consumables to big things like reporting microwave oven, circuit, and air conditioner repairs, everyone has to go through me, the head housekeeper!" Xu Nianyi explained with a wry smile, "He curries favor with me, the administrator, so his work efficiency is high!"
"You're just being stubborn! If you ask me, he's definitely interested in you!" Xi Yingying said confidently, then half-jokingly dropped a bombshell, "Who knows, maybe he quits his job this time to come all the way to find you~" She meant it as a casual remark, but she never expected it to come true so soon after.
"Please! They're tech geniuses with monthly salaries of at least 100,000 yuan. How could they be like me, skipping work to go out and have fun?" Xu Nianyi thought her best friend's imagination was good enough to write a novel.
At the same time, she deliberately emphasized in the conversation, "Moreover, I feel that being single is quite good now. Without any ties, I can come out and have fun so freely!" She said this intentionally for Tan Chen to hear.
She knew that even if he was focused on driving, he wasn't deaf and must have heard her.
This was her subtle way of testing the waters, and also to show that she was currently single.
The two chatted for a few more minutes before hanging up.
Although Xu Nianyi was somewhat curious about Fang Qihang's reasons for leaving and his new destination, it was limited to the gossip of a typical former colleague. She quickly composed herself and began to seriously deal with her blogging work.
As early as yesterday, after receiving her first advertising inquiry, she put her personal email address in her profile on the Yinlang platform, specifically for receiving collaboration invitations.
Right now, she's browsing her emails, looking for promotional collaboration opportunities in the cities she'll be visiting next on her upcoming trip.
I read through several emails in no time, including one from the Yining City Culture and Tourism Bureau seeking investment.
The email stated that, in order to take advantage of the warmer weather and the winter break, the local government was planning to hold a "trunk market" event on Six Star Street, welcoming creative and unique car owners to drive over and set up stalls.
Although there was no cash reward for this collaboration, the other party waived the stall fee and provided a proper and safe place to set up a stall.
Xu Nian thought, why not enjoy sightseeing during the day and legally set up a stall at night to earn money for her trip?
She immediately replied to the email to confirm her participation.
After enjoying a hot and spicy beef and mutton hot pot in Yining city that evening, which dispelled all the chill, Xu Nianyi thought that this fulfilling and wonderful day was about to come to a peaceful end.
Unexpectedly, her phone rang around 10 p.m., and a name that surprised her appeared on the screen.
Fang Qihang!
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