Online Love, Based on the Real Object - Chapter 58

When they arrived, He Hao had already been there for a while. Their timing was perfect; they finished the check-in formalities, passed through security, and checked their luggage with just a thirty-minute wait before boarding.

As soon as they stepped onto the plane, Qi Ning pulled out her eye mask and put it on. After adjusting her seat, she closed her eyes to catch up on some sleep.

Guangping County does not have its own airport, so this flight was scheduled to land at Zhiling Airport. According to previous travel plans, the team members would depart from their respective cities, gather in Zhiling, and then drive themselves to Guangping. Before heading into the mountains, they would purchase supplies in town to bring along.

The plane headed west, leaving a long contrail in its wake.

In-Flight Comfort

As Qi Ning slept, she suddenly felt a chill. Before nodding off, she had taken off her coat and placed it on her lap, but when she reached for it with her eyes closed, she felt nothing but air. Just as she opened her eyes to look for it, a garment was suddenly draped over her.

She looked up and saw that it was indeed her own coat. Earlier, due to turbulence, the coat had slipped from Qi Ning’s lap. Chu Yunjing, who was watching a movie, had been quick enough to catch it and tuck it away for her. Qi Ning lifted her head and unexpectedly locked eyes with Chu Yunjing, though she quickly looked down. After a moment, Qi Ning leaned over and rested her head on Chu Yunjing’s shoulder, finding a comfortable position and half-nestling in her arms.

Arrival at Zhiling

After a three-hour flight, the plane landed smoothly. The moment Qi Ning stepped off the plane, a gust of wind made her shiver. Based on the temperature in Chonghai City when she left, she was wearing only a light shirt underneath a wool overcoat. This outfit was clearly insufficient for sub-zero temperatures.

When they were changing earlier, Chu Yunjing had specifically urged her to wear more layers, but Qi Ning, prioritizing style over warmth, had declined the suggestion. Now, she was trembling in the biting wind.

Chu Yunjing glanced at her. She was carrying a bag, its contents unknown. “I told you to wear more, but you would not listen.”

“I… I,” Qi Ning’s teeth were chattering from the cold. “Who knew it would be this cold right off the plane?” She had thought that if it got cold, she could just grab clothes from her suitcase after leaving the airport. Now, her luggage was checked through, and she still had to wait at baggage claim.

Chu Yunjing let out a short laugh. Seeing this, He Hao, who was standing nearby, suggested, “I am dressed warmly; I can give you my jacket.”

Qi Ning noticed that He Hao had changed at some point and was now bundled up like a bear. She immediately nodded and agreed, “Oh, yes, please!”

Just as He Hao was about to take off his jacket, he heard Chu Yunjing say, “No need.” The two of them looked at her simultaneously. She pulled a thick wool blanket out of her bag. “I have this.”

“Why did you not give it to me earlier!” Qi Ning snapped as she took it, her face a picture of annoyance.

“A little freezing helps you appreciate the value of staying warm.”

Meeting the Team

They bickered as they walked. After retrieving their checked luggage, they headed straight out of the airport without stopping. One of the team partners was already waiting at the airport entrance to pick them up.

In the crowd, Chu Yunjing immediately spotted a tall man whose height made him stand out. He spotted them as well and waved.

“The flight was not delayed this time!” Once they met up, the man enthusiastically helped them with their luggage. As he approached, Qi Ning realized he was truly tall, likely over 190 centimeters. She almost had to look straight up at him. However, he looked honest and reliable, giving off a strong sense of security.

“Hello, everyone. I am He Yanreng.” He Yanreng was the founder of the charity team. He had known in advance that there would be two new faces. He reached out his hand toward them. “It is a pleasure to meet you.”

The two of them introduced themselves and shook his hand. Afterward, He Yanreng took them back to the guesthouse where they would be staying. He Yanreng was a local; after making money in business, he wanted to give back to his hometown, which is why he started organizing poverty alleviation charity work. The guesthouse was also his own business.

“Qingqing and Luo Yun have already arrived. Da Wang is still on the road and should be here this afternoon. We will stay here for one night and set off tomorrow morning at six!” He Yanreng updated them on the situation. “You can explore the surrounding area this afternoon. Once everyone is here tonight, we will all have dinner together.”

Settling into the Guesthouse

After settling them in, He Yanreng hurried out again. He Hao had a room to himself, while Chu Yunjing and Qi Ning shared one. After putting away their luggage, Qi Ning walked around the room. Although the guesthouse looked a bit simple, the rooms were cleaned very thoroughly.

“Are you hungry?” Chu Yunjing asked. Qi Ning rubbed her stomach. As soon as it was mentioned, she felt the hunger and nodded. “Let us go eat, then.”

They left their room and knocked on He Hao’s door, but after a few knocks with no answer, they gave up. As they came downstairs, they saw He Hao standing at the guesthouse entrance smoking, with another man standing beside him.

True to his reputation as a smooth-talker, he could strike up a conversation with anyone. Chu Yunjing recognized the other man as Luo Yun, whom He Yanreng had mentioned. The two men were smoking by the door and turned around when they heard footsteps.

Since they were acquaintances, they exchanged brief introductions. The women invited them to dinner, but the men politely declined, saying they would eat later.

The First Meal

The place they were in was a small county town. Within a few hundred meters, the most high-end establishment was the Shaxian Delicacies restaurant. Qi Ning was exhausted and hungry from the journey and did not want to exert the effort to find something fancy, so they found a small shop to satisfy their hunger.

The shop specialized in fast-food sets, soup, and noodles. The weather was cold outside, and there were few customers inside, making it feel even more desolate. They had hardly seen anyone on the street while walking over, a stark contrast to the bustling scenes of Chonghai City.

When the steaming bowls of soup noodles were served, Qi Ning sniffed the air. Having only been there for a few hours, she already felt like she could not take the cold.

“Do you want a heat pack?” Chu Yunjing asked, looking worried. She pulled a hand warmer from her coat pocket. Qi Ning had added a thick sweater before coming out but still felt chilly, so this was a welcome relief. She took the heat pack, stared at the text on it for a long while, and said suspiciously, “I feel like you are like Doraemon’s pocket. You have everything.”

Chu Yunjing smiled. “What else do you want? Name it.”

“Hmm,” Qi Ning thought for a moment. “I want money.”

Chu Yunjing raised an eyebrow and said something ambiguous: “That depends on your ability to get it.”

Qi Ning teased her: “Well, it is not like I can use mind-reading to figure out your payment password.”

Resting and Realizations

After filling their stomachs, they settled the bill and left the small restaurant, feeling as if they had stepped back into a refrigerator. Originally, Qi Ning had thought about wandering around, but once she felt the outside temperature, she lost all interest. They hurried back to the guesthouse to rest.

The room He Yanreng had given them had one large bed. Though called large, it was actually only about 1.5 meters wide. Returning to the room, Qi Ning shed her thick coat and sweater, leaped onto the bed, rolled over, and pulled the quilt over herself in one fluid motion.

Chu Yunjing went to greet the partners she knew and discussed the sponsorship details with He Yanreng, not returning to the room until the afternoon. When she finished changing and walked to the bed, she pulled back the quilt to find Qi Ning curled up like a shrimp.

There was no heating here, and the guesthouse air conditioner only provided cooling. The air felt frigid; even under the thick quilt, Qi Ning was still cold. Chu Yunjing paused, walked to the other side of the bed, pushed up her sleeve, and felt Qi Ning’s ankle. Her skin was still cold.

She fished a small hot water bottle out of her suitcase, boiled a pot of water to fill it, and placed it at Qi Ning’s feet. When she pulled back the quilt to lie down, she felt the warmth of the other person. It was very cozy. However, knowing she was still a bit cold herself, Chu Yunjing consciously moved to the other side, leaving a bit of space between them.

The Awakening

She was eventually woken up by a knock at the door. Qi Ning instinctively nuzzled her face against something, but she quickly realized something was wrong. Opening her eyes, she found herself face-to-face with Chu Yunjing.

The other woman had not been woken by the knocking and was still fast asleep. Qi Ning looked down and saw that the collar of Chu Yunjing’s base layer was loose. Realizing belatedly what she had just been nuzzling against—the soft sensation still seemingly lingering on her face—Qi Ning’s face flushed bright red. Holding her breath, she gently released her hold and moved her leg away.

Still, she smelled quite nice. Before Chu Yunjing could wake up, Qi Ning quickly got out of bed to open the door.

Listening to Qi Ning’s conversation, Chu Yunjing, whose back was to the door, slowly opened her eyes. She had definitely heard the other girl’s racing heartbeat just now. Only after Qi Ning closed the door did Chu Yunjing pretend to have just woken up and sat up in bed.

“You are awake,” Qi Ning said. She turned around and saw the other woman’s slightly exposed chest, causing a flash of awkwardness in her eyes. She quickly added, “Dinner is ready. They want us to go down.”

Dinner with the Team

The meal was cooked by He Yanreng’s wife. Mrs. He was an excellent cook. A dozen people gathered around a large round table, which was overflowing with dishes.

“Let us eat our fill today. Once we head into the mountains tomorrow, we will not see this many dishes,” Da Wang joked.

“What will we eat?” Qi Ning asked curiously. She had never been to the mountain regions, but her grandmother lived in the countryside where they had fresh vegetables every day. She imagined it would be similar.

“Mostly whatever is grown in the fields. If we are lucky, we might find wild mushrooms,” someone said with a laugh. “I will take you for a walk in the mountains when we get there.”

Qi Ning felt a bit of anticipation, much like a student on a field trip. Before long, she would realize how wrong that assumption was. After dinner, since there was no entertainment, the group gathered to drink tea and chat. Most of the conversation revolved around the past year and the students they were sponsoring.

An Evening Stroll

Before returning to the room, Chu Yunjing stopped. “You go back first; I am going out for a moment.”

In the dark of night, Qi Ning was worried. “What are you going to do?”

“Buy some things.”

Thinking it was not safe to wander alone in an unfamiliar place, Qi Ning said, “Then I will go with you.”

Once night fell, the temperature dropped further. Qi Ning wrapped her clothes tightly around her. Fortunately, she had applied two heat packs before leaving, so she did not freeze.

Chu Yunjing looked at her. Seeing her hunched over in her coat, she said, “I told you to stay in the room, but you insisted on coming out.”

“Nagging,” Qi Ning shot her a glare.

There was a small supermarket nearby. Once inside, Chu Yunjing headed straight for the snack aisle. She picked out some bread and other snacks.

“Did you not say we would buy things when we get to Guangping tomorrow?” Qi Ning was puzzled.

“The market there does not have these,” Chu Yunjing said, placing one of Qi Ning’s favorite snacks into the basket. “Besides, these are for you. There are no late-night food stalls in the mountains, and the convenience stores are a long walk away. You can have these snacks at night.”

Hearing the care in her voice, Qi Ning felt a sweet warmth in her heart. She took Chu Yunjing’s arm with a bright smile. “How rare of you to be so concerned about me.”

She expected Chu Yunjing to roll her eyes or call her narcissistic. Instead, the other woman just looked at her and gave a soft smile, essentially admitting it. That gentle expression was incredibly captivating.

Suddenly, Qi Ning’s heart skipped a beat again. She began to feel that something about her best friend seemed different.

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