Chapter Twenty-One: The Third Person Who Knows
Summer is the greatest enemy of solitude. It’s often associated with the loud buzzing of cicadas and the clamor of conversations. When summer arrives, students’ energy, like a roaring fire in a well-stocked furnace, is unleashed without reservation. To maintain aloofness in the summer, one would have to be quite friendless.
Lu Li rested his chin on his hand, watching the scenery blur past the high-speed train window. The nearby tracks whizzed by, reduced to a mere afterimage, while the distant mountains, like galloping horses, moved at a more leisurely pace, full of stately grace. A small scratch marred the window, perhaps the handiwork of a mischievous child.
They were on their way to the Maoming Tourist Resort.
There were five girls in their train car. Sister Yameng and An Baili’s presence went without saying. Silly Goose, somehow managing to convince her mother, had also joined them. Wen Hupo… Lu Li glanced at the golden-haired girl in the next seat. She was sketching on a banknote. Even this trouble-averse cat had agreed to come along. What was she thinking? Finally, his gaze landed on Chen Jianing, sitting opposite him.
Little Tiger looked anxious, constantly glancing around, her vigilance more suited to a thief than a vacationer.
“W-what are you looking at?” Chen Jianing snapped, noticing his gaze. She instantly regretted her harsh tone. If she kept acting like this, Lu Li’s opinion of her would never change.
She lowered her voice. “This is the first time I’ve traveled far from home with anyone other than my family. I’m a little nervous.”
Then why did you insist on coming? Lu Li sighed. “Did your aunt agree to let you come?”
“I told her I was going with classmates, and she agreed.”
Chen Jianing’s seat was empty. She had sat alone on the way to the station, seemingly unable to integrate with the Chuanhai girls. She looked rather pitiful. While Zou Yameng, An Baili, and Chu Jingyi chatted excitedly next to them, this corner of the train car was quiet, like a different world.
Of all the girls Lu Li knew, Chen Jianing seemed the most ordinary. She had an ordinary family, no family conflicts, no financial worries. She had grown up ordinarily, studied ordinarily, and become an ordinary girl. If things continued as they were, her future would also be ordinary.
Perhaps her prickly retorts were her only way of rebelling against this ordinariness.
The train passed a rice paddy. Farmers wearing straw hats stood knee-deep in water, seemingly harvesting something. The vast fields merged with the blue sky at the horizon, captivating Lu Li’s gaze. Chen Jianing looked up at his profile, equally captivated. Lu Li was special to her. She couldn’t believe that back in Mulan City, when she thought she was dying, she had thought of this young man she barely knew, besides her parents. She hadn’t expected those memories, formed at the brink of death, to be so deeply etched in her mind.
She had tried to suppress her feelings for him. She had deliberately stopped contacting him for a while, focusing on other things—studying, arguing with online trolls. It had worked; she had almost convinced herself that she’d forgotten him, that everything between them was just a fleeting dream. But one day, she had opened her phone, and a short video of a nature documentary popped up. She was instantly reminded of the time she’d spent watching nature documentaries with Lu Li while she was sick in bed, and of the embarrassing moment she’d accidentally blown air into his mouth during their kiss.
The memory made her laugh. She felt so foolish.
But her laughter quickly faded.
Her WeChat chat history with Lu Li stopped on a certain day, just like their relationship, frozen in time.
Chen Jianing opened her mouth, wanting to ask, “Am I your girlfriend?” Am I? Chu Jingyi was, An Baili was, even Wen Hupo might be. So why wasn’t she? Why not her? Her first love, her first kiss, the first time a man had seen her naked, so many firsts… Why could they all be dismissed with a simple “just an agreement”?
But such a question felt too forward, too desperate for a girl to ask. She tried to change the subject, to say, “I actually have feelings for you,” but the words that came out were:
“Why are you staring out the window, spacing out? You look so stupid.”
Lu Li blinked, trying to decipher whether her words were genuine or sarcastic, his gaze lingering on her averted eyes. “I was thinking about the future.”
“Oh… Are… are you planning to go to university? Which one?”
“Mulan University.”
The girl’s heart skipped a beat. If Lu Li went to Mulan University, would they be able to see each other often? Had he chosen Mulan University for her? Chen Jianing’s mind raced, rendering her speechless. She hated this about him. If he didn’t like her, why did he always do things that led her on? Why couldn’t he just tell her straight, “I don’t like short girls!”? Then she could cry herself to sleep and finally get over him.
“Li,” Zou Yameng called from the next seat. “Baili and Jingyi are asking if you have any plans tonight. We were thinking of going for barbecue.”
“Sure,” Lu Li replied readily.
Zou Yameng didn’t turn back immediately. She looked at Chen Jianing, her expression complex. After a moment, she said, “Chen Jianing, was it? Come sit with us. It’s more lively over there. Li doesn’t like to talk on the train; he gets bored.”
“Oh… okay.” To Lu Li’s surprise, Little Tiger readily obeyed Sister Yameng.
Lu Li chuckled to himself. He wasn’t bored on the train. He had just been carsick from the smell of leather and engine oil on the old buses they used to take. After Chen Jianing left, alone once more, Lu Li thought about his meeting with Zhu Xi a week ago.
Despite her forceful personality, Zhu Xi didn’t seem entirely unreasonable. How had she orchestrated the tragic events of his past life? Did she have a split personality?
Lu Li shook his head. He hadn’t wanted to get involved with Zhu Xi, but ever since the Shanzhu Village incident, he’d felt a lingering unease, a desire to share the burden with someone. He couldn’t tell An Baili; she had finally recovered from the nightmare of the price; he couldn’t put her through that again. He had finally settled on Zhu Xi.
Because she, like him, had a connection to Shanzhu Village. And she seemed to know something about the Reincarnation Crystal.
That was the real reason he’d agreed to meet her. Otherwise, who in their right mind would accept an invitation from the Poison Princess?
And Zhu Xi’s reaction had lifted a weight from his heart—
She remembered Shanzhu Village.
Chapter Twenty-Two: The Qingshan Hotel
Maoming nestled along the coast of the South Shenzhou Sea, its terrain sloping downwards from the mountains in the north to the sea in the south. Among the many tourist cities, Maoming wasn’t particularly noteworthy.
Putting Zhu Xi aside for the moment, Lu Li decided to enjoy this beach trip. He and the chattering girls disembarked at Maoming City and transferred to a bus heading for the Maoming Resort. Along the way, they encountered tour guides with loudspeakers advertising various attractions. The tourists gave Lu Li and his group curious and suspicious glances. The reason was obvious: he was surrounded by a bevy of beautiful young women, each a stunning beauty in her own right, their combined presence creating a captivating spectacle.
After enduring the scrutinizing gazes throughout the journey, they finally arrived at their destination.
Lu Li looked down at the prize ticket in his hand, then up at the desolate beach in front of him, stunned. He reread the fine print on the ticket, wondering if he’d come to the wrong place. A beach should be golden yellow, reflecting the sun’s rays, the sand hot beneath one’s feet. This beach, however, was a silent expanse of silver, the cool-toned waves gently lapping at the shore. Even the seabirds flew low. Not a single person was in sight. A silver seagull landed in front of Lu Li, squawking twice, as if saying, “Surprised, aren’t you?”
“Li, is this the Maoming Tourist Resort?” An Baili’s head popped up beside him. “Why is there no one here?”
Wen Hupo, ever rational, remarked, “Of course. If it were a popular attraction, why would they give it away as a prize? They probably can’t even sell tickets.”
As they huddled together, discussing their predicament, a whistle sounded behind them. A middle-aged woman in a short-sleeved shirt approached, whistling cheerfully. “You can’t go in there. Where are you from?”
Lu Li noticed the lifeguard badge on her chest and presented the prize ticket. “We’re here for a vacation.”
The lifeguard took the ticket, examining it carefully, muttering, “Someone actually came.”
She returned the ticket to Lu Li. “You need to register at the hotel first, the Qingshan Hotel mentioned on the ticket. They should have your accommodations ready. Just follow the coastline; the largest building is the Qingshan Hotel.”
Lu Li thanked her and asked, “Why are there no tourists here?”
The lifeguard chuckled dryly. “Expensive prices, poor service, and they rip off customers. What do you expect? Let me tell you, I’ve been a lifeguard here for three years, and I’ve never even gone into the water. I just walk around here; that’s my job.”
She waved dismissively, turning to leave.
Lu Li and the girls exchanged glances.
Wen Hupo nodded. “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.”
An Baili looked at her in surprise. “Hupo, your Chinese is getting so good! You even know that saying.”
Zou Yameng was disappointed, but she didn’t show it. “Let’s go to the hotel then. Dragging our luggage on the sand is tiring.”
Chen Jianing clutched her fanny pack. “I told you guys to pack light.”
Silly Goose didn’t seem to mind. She trailed behind Lu Li, a dreamy smile on her face. She had been to the beach many times, but this was her first time with Lu Li. The experience felt special, as if they were already a family.
Lu Li had expected the Qingshan Hotel to be a dilapidated shack, but to his surprise, it was luxuriously decorated. Although only a single story, it sprawled across a vast area. A rugged boulder stood at the entrance, bearing the elegantly calligraphed characters for “Qingshan.” In terms of decor, it was among the best hotels he had ever seen. The girls’ spirits lifted, their earlier worries dissipating.
As they entered the hotel, however, they found it deserted. No staff greeted them; the reception desk was empty. Lu Li stopped at the desk and called out, “Hello?”
No one answered. He called again, “Is anyone there?”
“Stop shouting! I’m trying to sleep!” A figure suddenly emerged from behind the reception desk. A young woman with messy hair rubbed her eyes and glared at Lu Li. “What do you want? Fire inspection? Business license?”
Lu Li wiped his brow, wondering if the hotel had some shady side business.
“We’re checking in. Here’s the prize ticket.” He handed her the ticket.
The young woman glanced at Lu Li, then at the group of beautiful girls behind him, and couldn’t help but mutter, “Damn normies.” She took the ticket. “Show me your IDs.”
After registering their identities, she continued, “This ticket only covers your accommodation. Meals are separate.”
Chen Jianing, ever frugal, was the first to react. “Why didn’t you say so earlier?” she called out from behind Lu Li.
“Take it or leave it. You’re disturbing my sleep.” The receptionist looked annoyed. “Here’s the menu. You can choose a package.”
Lu Li opened the menu. It listed various group meals, the dishes looking tempting, but the prices were exorbitant. He finally understood what the lifeguard meant by “rip off customers.” He quickly closed the menu before Sister Yameng could see it. “We’ll take the six-person seafood package for seven days. We’ll pay when we check out.” The price wasn’t a major issue. He could afford it now; there was no need to spoil everyone’s mood over money.
The receptionist looked young, even younger than him, probably working a summer job to help her family. That explained her impatient attitude.
She glanced at Lu Li, impressed by his nonchalant spending, and handed him the room keys. “Choose your own rooms. You’re the only guests right now. I won’t bother assigning them. The beach is open from six in the morning to eight in the evening. And if you need anything, go find the cleaning staff, not me. I need to sleep!”
With that, she slumped back down. Lu Li leaned closer and saw a lounge chair behind the desk. The girl was clearly just being lazy.
With that attitude, how do you expect to keep any customers?
Lu Li shook his head. He actually liked this beach. The lack of tourists meant they practically had the place to themselves. It was a rare opportunity for some peace and quiet. He led the girls deeper into the hotel. As they walked, Chen Jianing finally burst out, “How can she run a business like that? If I were her boss, I’d fire her immediately!”
An Baili, surprisingly agreeing with Chen Jianing, added, “Exactly! Lu Li is just too nice.”
Wen Hupo gave them a disdainful look but remained silent.
Silly Goose said gently, “Come on, we’re here to have fun. Don’t get upset over such small things.”
Zou Yameng looked thoughtfully at the class president and said to Lu Li, “Jingyi seems quite responsible. She’d make a good wife.”
Lu Li smacked his forehead. Sister, where did that come from?
Just then, the receptionist’s voice called out from behind them, “I heard that! The boss won’t fire me! He’s my dad!”
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