Chapter 104 p2
In the lower district.
“Mom, I’m leaving tomorrow at 7:30 am.”
Wei Zhuoning stuffed a few t-shirts into her bag. “I’ve asked Mrs. Wang from the community to bring you lunch every day, two dishes and a soup. Don’t order takeout. I’ve already paid her.”
Her mother, browsing on her phone in the living room, smiled: “Don’t worry about me, have fun on your trip, I’ll be fine.”
This was the first time Wei Zhuoning had left the city since her mother’s accident.
Her mother used to take her on trips when she could still walk, but she was too young to remember.
And this time, she was going with Lin Xiaozhi. Chi Lin had said the room was booked, and she and Lin Xiaozhi would be sharing a bed…
The thought made Wei Zhuoning’s heart race, her mind filled with inappropriate scenarios.
“Zhuoning,” her mother called out, “are you going to N City Coast?”
“Yes.”
“Who are you going with?”
Wei Zhuoning hesitated, the memory of last night’s video flashing through her mind.
“Just, a few classmates…” She didn’t elaborate.
Her phone rang. Her mother had transferred her 5000 yuan.
“No, you don’t have to!” Wei Zhuoning said. “My story just finished, I’m still earning money, I don’t need any more!”
“Take it,” her mother smiled. “Didn’t you transfer all your earnings to my account? You’re growing up, Zhuoning, I can’t take you on trips anymore, don’t deprive yourself.”
Wei Zhuoning’s eyes welled up. She mumbled, “Thank you, Mom.”
Her mother patted her head and said as she wheeled herself back to her room:
“Have fun with Lin and your classmates.”
Wei Zhuoning instinctively replied, “Okay,” then realized—
How did her mother know?
Looking at her mother’s knowing smile, she felt a sense of panic, as if her mother could see through her.
The vacuum train reached N City Coast in less than 40 minutes.
It was summer, and N City Coast was crowded with tourists.
Peak season, plus summer break, the station was packed.
Even with the air conditioning, the air was thick with summer heat.
Lou Mi and Chi Lin, wearing hats, sunglasses, and masks, seemingly unaffected by the heat, walked side by side, pushing their suitcases on a levitating cart. Even without holding hands, Chi Lin held onto Lou Mi’s sleeve.
They chatted and laughed, seemingly oblivious to their surroundings.
Xie Buyu and Fu Tu followed, their eyes glued to the couple.
“So sickeningly sweet,” Xie Buyu said. “I knew this vacation would be an overload of PDA, I’ll probably gain a few pounds just from watching them.”
“Then why did you come?”
“Why not? Sister Mi is on vacation, which means the team is off, and I’ve always wanted to come here.” Xie Buyu said. “If she’s on vacation, and we’re still stuck training, wouldn’t that be even worse?”
Fu Tu shuddered at the thought.
“Sigh,” Xie Buyu said, “being in love is so nice.”
Fu Tu glanced at her.
“What?” Xie Buyu waved her hand dismissively. “Just a random thought, don’t worry, I won’t pressure you. My favorite bed buddy and I are about to explore N City together, how exciting.”
Xie Buyu quickened her pace, pulling her suitcase.
Fu Tu followed, her gaze on Xie Buyu’s back, her grip on her suitcase handle tightening.
Lin Xiaozhi, wearing a cute short skirt that revealed her long, pale legs, which were always hidden under her school uniform, walked at the back with Wei Zhuoning.
Out of her uniform, her hair down, makeup expertly applied, she looked every bit the college student, attracting admiring glances.
Wei Zhuoning, wearing her usual jeans and t-shirt, carrying her backpack, a head shorter than Lin Xiaozhi, still looked like a high school student.
Lin Xiaozhi took Wei Zhuoning’s heavy backpack and placed it on her suitcase:
“I’ll push it for you, it’s easier this way.”
Wei Zhuoning hesitated. Lin Xiaozhi, wearing a wide-brimmed sun hat, looked back:
“Give it to me.”
“Oh…”
Wei Zhuoning, without makeup, felt like she looked more like Lin Xiaozhi’s younger sister, or even her assistant, than her girlfriend.
She looked down, feeling a bit dejected, when Lin Xiaozhi took her hand.
Lin Xiaozhi’s manicured fingers, with their shimmering clear nail polish, intertwined with hers, the warmth of her palm making Wei Zhuoning’s heart race.
“What are you thinking about…” Lin Xiaozhi pouted her pink lips. “You didn’t even hold my hand.”
Wei Zhuoning, cheered by her playful complaint, held her hand tighter, her smile widening.
Lin Xiaozhi: “?”
N City Coast was even more beautiful than the advertisements.
The endless blue coastline, stretching under the clear sky, was breathtaking.
The white sand was soft and powdery, a delight to walk on barefoot.
High-end hotels lined the coast. They were staying at a seven-star hotel, X Group’s flagship property.
As they entered the hotel, AI attendants took their luggage, explained the hotel’s layout and amenities, and recommended nearby attractions and the best times for surfing.
Walking through the underwater tunnel, schools of fish swam gracefully above them. Wei Zhuoning was mesmerized.
Realizing her awestruck expression might be a bit too “country bumpkin,” she quickly composed herself.
What was she doing? Embarrassing Lin Xiaozhi?
Wei Zhuoning’s cheeks flushed, but then she heard Lin Xiaozhi gasp and point at a killer whale:
“So cool!”
Wei Zhuoning looked at the massive creature, its size almost filling their view, and they both held hands tightly, their faces lit up with excitement.
“I’ve never seen a live killer whale before!” Lin Xiaozhi said excitedly.
Her enthusiasm was contagious.
Lou Mi wouldn’t let Xie Buyu, Fu Tu, or Chi Lin’s classmates pay for anything on this trip; she was covering all expenses.
She rarely spent money anyway; it was just a number to her.
She booked three ocean-view suites on the same floor, the hotel’s best location.
Each suite had a 60-square-meter balcony overlooking the entire beach.
Wei Zhuoning, ignoring the heat, was captivated by the view.
Lin Xiaozhi came up behind her, wrapping her arms around her and kissing her ear.
“That tickles.” Wei Zhuoning giggled, shrinking back.
Lin Xiaozhi playfully tugged at her shirt: “Let’s take a shower, Xiao Zhuoning?”
Wei Zhuoning knew what she wanted. She looked at Lin Xiaozhi for a moment, then leaned in and kissed her, her voice slightly hoarse:
“Okay…”
When Lou Mi and Chi Lin emerged from the bathroom, Chi Lin’s lips were as red as if she had applied lipstick.
Lou Mi touched them gently: “Was I too rough?”
Chi Lin blushed and shook her head: “I just like being close to Your Majesty.”
Seeing Chi Lin’s flustered expression, Lou Mi almost dragged her back to the bathroom for another round, but they had a lunch appointment with everyone and were already late.
Unsurprisingly, all three couples were late.
They finally arrived at the restaurant at 2 pm, starving.
The hotel’s Chinese restaurant was excellent, the food almost too good to be true.
After lunch, they went back to their rooms to rest and digest, planning to go snorkeling and surfing later, when the sun wasn’t so intense.
Back in their room, Lou Mi took out a swimsuit: “Here, this should fit you.”
Chi Lin’s face turned green as she looked at the swimsuit.
“Just… these two pieces of cloth?”
Lou Mi, already undressing and putting on her bikini, saw Chi Lin’s horrified expression and remembered she was from ancient times…
Even a simple nightgown had shocked her, let alone a bikini.
Lou Mi tried to explain: “Everyone wears this, it’s the beach.”
“Do we have to expose ourselves at the beach?”
“All the important parts are covered.”
Chi Lin held up the bikini incredulously: “Which, which parts are covered?”
Chi Lin’s expression was so comical that Lou Mi burst out laughing.
Slightly embarrassed, Chi Lin said, “Your Majesty finds this amusing? Do you want other people to see my body?”
Lou Mi immediately sat up:
“Of course not! But… people don’t mind these things at the beach. In some countries, women don’t even wear the top part, it’s all about freedom and being comfortable.”
Chi Lin understood the difference between this era and Dayuan.
But still…
Just imagining it made her dizzy.
“Okay, okay, we won’t wear them.” Lou Mi, not wanting to upset Chi Lin, rented full-body wetsuits from the hotel.
“Is this better?”
Chi Lin looked at the form-fitting wetsuit. It would have to do.
As the sun began to set, the beach became even more crowded.
The six of them went to the beach together. Xie Buyu and Fu Tu went surfing, Lin Xiaozhi taught Wei Zhuoning how to snorkel, and Chi Lin, whose swimming skills were far better than Lou Mi had expected, even in a wetsuit, dived into the water and disappeared.
Lou Mi followed her. They reached the shark nets and saw countless colorful fish, and even a sea turtle!
Exhausted from swimming, they headed back to shore. Lou Mi offered to buy drinks and told Chi Lin to wait for her.
Chi Lin, kneeling on the beach to rest, saw a figure floating motionless in the water.
It seemed to be a child.
Chi Lin watched for a few seconds, then stood up.
Still no movement.
Could it be…?
She immediately swam towards the child and pulled her out of the water.
The child, startled, turned around and looked at her in surprise.
“Huh?” Chi Lin was also surprised. “You’re not dead?”
“Me? Dead?” The little girl, around seven or eight years old, wearing a similar wetsuit, her long hair tied back, was very pretty and lively, but her expression was now a scowl.
“I was practicing holding my breath!” the little girl protested.
“Twelve,” another girl, identical to the first and around the same age, swam over, checking her smartwatch. “You didn’t break my record.”
They were twins.
“I was interrupted, it doesn’t count!”
“No cheating, you have to sneak into Mom’s room and steal snacks tonight.”
“Fine.”
The girl, called Twelve, swam away angrily. The other girl, surprisingly mature for her age, said to Chi Lin, “Don’t mind her, my sister is always like this, I apologize on her behalf.”
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