Online Love, Based on the Real Object - Chapter 59

The departure time was set for six o’clock in the morning. By five o’clock, the windows of several hotel rooms were already illuminated.

Chu Yunjing woke up when her alarm went off. This time, Qi Ning did not linger in bed. She sat up to clear her head with her eyes half-squinted. While waiting for Chu Yunjing to finish washing up, she slowly climbed down from the bed. She put on the base shirt she had placed on the chair by the bed the night before and followed it with a pair of fleece-lined trousers. Having a thermal set underneath made her feel significantly warmer instantly.

After washing up, Chu Yunjing did a final check of the luggage. She cleared a small space to stuff in the snacks they had bought the previous night. She also took out a down jacket and the gray wool scarf she had purchased at the mall.

By five-thirty, the packing was finished, and it was time to go downstairs for breakfast. Qi Ning put a sweater over her base shirt. She looked very warm. Because she was wearing three layers, she truly did not feel as cold as she had the day before.

“Put on the down jacket and the scarf.” Chu Yunjing zipped up the suitcase and handed the items to her.

Qi Ning looked at the down jacket. The puffiness of the garment made it perfect for building snowmen in the snow. If she wore it now, she would become the fattest snowman of them all.

“This is a bit thick,” she expressed with some slight disdain. “I can just wear that overcoat.”

Wearing the overcoat made her look youthful and bright. In this down jacket, she would look like the Michelin Man. Maintaining her image was very important to her.

Chu Yunjing was not as easygoing as she had been at the mall. She said firmly, “No. The further we go in that direction, the lower the temperature will drop. Put it on now so you do not complain about the cold later.”

Qi Ning pouted and reluctantly put on the jacket. She looked at herself in the mirror and saw a perfect Michelin Man.

“And the scarf.” Chu Yunjing raised the scarf in her hand. Qi Ning truly disliked the dull color and firmly refused. “This grayish thing is ugly.”

Chu Yunjing took a step forward and wrapped the scarf around her without allowing any room for argument. “Be good,” she said.

Those two short words, paired with her assertive attitude, made Qi Ning forget to refuse. She allowed the other woman to wrap the scarf around her. Chu Yunjing pulled Qi Ning’s hair out from under the scarf and straightened her clothes. She touched Qi Ning’s cheek and revealed a satisfied smile. “That is a good girl.”

Her tone was incredibly gentle. Her eyes curved as she looked at Qi Ning, and the joy in her gaze seemed as though it might overflow. This was a rare occurrence, and it caused Qi Ning to feel an inexplicable sense of bashfulness.

She brushed Chu Yunjing’s hand away and walked out. She could not help but complain. “It is so ugly and so tacky.”

Chu Yunjing did not miss the bashfulness that flashed in Qi Ning’s eyes before she looked away. The corners of Chu Yunjing’s lips curved upward. She walked quickly to catch up and placed her arm naturally around Qi Ning’s waist. In a casual tone, she asked, “I wonder what breakfast will be today.”

That hand rested lightly on her waist. Even through several layers of clothing, its presence was undeniable. It felt like a branded iron, making Qi Ning’s heart feel complicated. She felt that something was not quite right. Jingjing seemed different than before, but she could not pinpoint exactly what had changed. After agonizing over it, she tried to look at it from another angle.

She felt that she herself was acting strangely. It was just an arm around the waist, so why did she care so much? It was not as if they had never done this before. She was so nervous that someone who did not know better might think the person beside her was a newly minted girlfriend.

Qi Ning was startled by her own wild thoughts. What girlfriend? That thought is too dangerous!

Before Qi Ning could reach a conclusion, they arrived at the dining hall. Most of the team members were already downstairs. They gathered to eat breakfast and discuss the day’s schedule.

The group consisted of sixteen people in total. They were divided into groups of four, which meant the four off-road vehicles had plenty of room. The three of them were assigned to Luo Yun’s vehicle. Qi Ning had spoken a few words to Luo Yun yesterday. He was a bold man from the north who talked a lot. With him and He Hao present, there was no fear of a dull moment.

After a simple breakfast, they prepared to set off. He Yancheng’s wife stayed behind to look after the shop and helped load the stationery and supplies into the cars. After a final check, the journey to Lianshan began.

Zhiling was over five hundred kilometers away from Guangping. Driving would take at least seven hours. At noon, the group stopped at a roadside restaurant for lunch. The further they traveled, the more the scenery changed. The buildings outside the window had long since shifted from high-rises to single-story houses. Occasionally, there were large stretches of farmland that looked somewhat desolate.

During the meal, they heard that they had reached the county neighboring Guangping. They would arrive in town in another two hours. Once they bought daily necessities and grain in the town, they would truly enter the mountains.

It was past twelve o’clock when they finished eating. The group did not linger and soon set off again toward Guangping. Qi Ning had not taken a long-distance ride in a long time. Her waist and backside ached from the journey. She looked even more exhausted than she had after waking up early for the flight the day before.

Seeing this, Chu Yunjing became worried. She reached out to touch Qi Ning’s forehead and asked with concern, “Are you feeling unwell?”

“I am fine.” Qi Ning rubbed her waist. “I have been sitting for too long, and my waist hurts.”

She suddenly felt a bit envious of He Hao, who was sitting in the passenger seat and could lean back comfortably.

Hearing her voice, the man in the front seat quickly spoke up. “You should have said something sooner. I have a cushion.” Luo Yun said to He Hao, “It is in the storage box in front of you. Open it and give it to her.”

Qi Ning placed the cushion behind her waist, but she felt it was a bit too late for that. She rubbed her waist and turned to look at the person beside her. “Will you let me lie down for a bit?” she asked.

She meant for Chu Yunjing to sit further over to make room for her to lie across the seat. Instead, she saw the other woman look at the seat and then back at her. Chu Yunjing patted her own lap. “Come here,” she said.

She was offering her lap as a pillow. Qi Ning originally intended to explain, but then she changed her mind. Only a fool would refuse a comfortable human pillow. Thinking this, Qi Ning grinned. She leaned over and rested her head on Chu Yunjing’s lap. She found a comfortable position, snuggled in, and closed her eyes to take a nap.

After a few minutes, she felt a hand on her waist. Before she could react, the hand slipped under her sweater and began to gently massage her through her base shirt. At the first squeeze, Qi Ning reflexively straightened her body. Her lower back was a very sensitive spot for her, and that touch had landed right on it.

The hand remained pressed against her waist. Qi Ning felt like a cat being held by the scruff of its neck, unable to move. The hand did not move either. After a long while, Qi Ning reached out and grabbed Chu Yunjing’s other hand, which was resting naturally by her side. “It tickles,” she whispered.

Chu Yunjing shifted the position of her hand to the side of Qi Ning’s waist. “How about this?”

“Yes. That is good.”

Qi Ning enjoyed the attentive massage from President Chu. She squinted her eyes and soon began to doze off. Chu Yunjing looked down at the person lying on her lap with a slight smile and gently stroked her hair.

The car drove steadily for two hours before finally arriving at the large market in town. Before they got out, Chu Yunjing specifically made Qi Ning put on her coat and scarf. Qi Ning did so reluctantly. As soon as she stepped out of the car, she felt that the temperature was significantly lower than it had been yesterday.

“Guangping is much colder than Zhiling. The snow from a few days ago has melted, and it rained yesterday, so it is even colder.” Chu Yunjing explained this while zipping up Qi Ning’s down jacket. She was being incredibly meticulous.

After agreeing on a meeting time, the team split into their small groups to purchase supplies. Chu Yunjing and her group went to a grain and oil shop to buy rice, flour, and oil.

“What is the shelf life of this oil?” Chu Yunjing looked at the golden liquid in a large vat that had no price tag or label. As soon as she walked in, she could smell a strong scent of peanuts. As a gourmet, Qi Ning’s first thought was that this peanut oil would be delicious for stir-frying.

“This is peanut oil we pressed ourselves. It will definitely last for two years without any issues.” The proprietress had a shrewd smile. She took a bottle and asked, “How much do you want?”

“How much is it per catty?” Qi Ning thought that if it was affordable, she could buy some when they left the mountain and mail it to her parents.

“This is authentic peanut oil. It is eighteen yuan per catty, no bargaining.”

“That expensive?” Qi Ning was shocked. She remembered that a large bottle of peanut oil at the supermarket only cost a few dozen yuan. Eighteen yuan per catty offered no price advantage by comparison.

“Oh, young lady, this is pressed purely by hand. Pure peanut oil is this price. I pressed over a hundred catties and this is all I have left. If you do not buy it now, it will certainly be sold out if you come back tomorrow.”

“Pack up whatever is left for me.” Chu Yunjing did not hesitate much and made a quick decision.

They also bought several bottles of brand-name peanut oil, along with rice, flour, beans, and some non-staple foods. Qi Ning soon noticed a detail. It was not just the oil; for every type of item they bought, Chu Yunjing specifically chose the highest quality version.

Her face was full of confusion. Chu Yunjing saw what she was thinking and explained, “These are for the elderly, so we must be careful.” Qi Ning nodded in understanding.

After they finished shopping, the two men took over the task of carrying the heavy items to the car. The two women helped with the relatively light ones. In the end, they filled the trunk completely. If they had bought anything else, it would not have fit.

There were five minutes left before the meeting time. Chu Yunjing looked at the small shop ahead and went in to buy two boxes of milk and some instant oatmeal. After the supplies were purchased and loaded, the group set off once again.

The car drove toward even more desolate areas. Qi Ning was full of curiosity about the unknown place. Thinking they would soon reach their destination, she did not sleep again. She kept her eyes open to look at the scenery outside. She watched as the buildings gradually decreased until there was nothing but an endless plain, and then they drove onto a winding mountain road.

At first, the road was very flat, but the further they went, the more bumpy it became. Because it had snowed a few days ago, the ground was wet, and the road was muddy and full of potholes. The jolting forced Qi Ning to hold onto the handle. It was grueling.

Luo Yun saw her frowning face in the rearview mirror and laughed. “This road is just like this. It was even steeper when we first came a few years ago.” At this point, Luo Yun spoke with a tone of nostalgia. “The conditions are much better now. There used to be no road at all, and we had to use rope ladders.”

“Is that so?” Qi Ning had only said a few words when the car jolted violently, interrupting her.

Luo Yun seemed used to it. He stepped on the gas, and the powerful off-road vehicle quickly climbed out of the pothole.

“Is it exciting?” Luo Yun laughed. “You cannot experience this in the city.”

“It is too exciting.” Qi Ning took a moment to recover. “If I were prone to motion sickness, I would have thrown up in the car by now.”

The two men in the front laughed. He Hao said, “Hang in there. It will be easier once we pass this stretch.”

“I do not believe you. You said that an hour ago,” Qi Ning accused him.

Chu Yunjing smiled and unscrewed a bottle of mineral water to hand to her. “Drink some water. You will feel better.”

Qi Ning took a sip and felt slightly improved. She looked out the window. There were only a few trees. Because it was winter, the trees were bare, making the scene look even more lonely.

The temperature in Lianshan was low, and it grew dark very quickly. By five o’clock in the afternoon, the sky had already dimmed. Seeing that everyone in the car looked exhausted, Luo Yun said, “Once we cross that river ahead and go a bit further, we will be there. We will arrive just in time for dinner.”

He Hao adjusted his position and could not help but complain. “This journey has been grueling.”

“That is for sure,” Luo Yun replied. “Once you experience life in the mountains, you will realize how happy our current lives are.”

The convoy slowly drove across the small river. A small house could be seen in the distance, and the road became much easier to travel. The village chief had heard the news of their arrival and had been waiting on the road for a long time. He had originally thought about bringing the children out for a welcome ceremony, but the group had declined.

The village chief was a middle-aged man in his forties. Although he was still young, his hair had turned white, showing how much he worried on a daily basis. When he saw the cars, a smile full of life’s vicissitudes appeared on his face. He greeted them warmly, exchanged a few pleasantries, and led them toward his home.

The group followed the village chief. His family’s conditions were relatively good. His children had gone away to work and sent money back to renovate the old house. The two-story flat-roofed house was much better than the old brick-and-tile houses nearby. Since the village consisted mostly of the elderly and children, and the able-bodied youth had all left to work, he was responsible for buying supplies for the villagers and worrying about the village’s development. This was why he had the face of a sixty-year-old despite being only in his forties.

To welcome them, the village chief’s wife had prepared a table full of food to wash away the dust of their journey. However, a table for ten or so people was not enough, so they had to eat in shifts. Several of the men displayed their gentlemanly side and let the women eat first.

They sat in the hall chatting. Their conversation drifted over to the dining table. They talked about which elderly person had passed away this year, which child had started school, and other bits of neighborhood gossip. Qi Ning was famished. She took a couple of bites of rice. The rice was home-grown, the vegetables were purely natural, and there was homemade preserved meat. It was very simple farmhouse cooking.

“Hey, isn’t this Xiaobao!”

Hearing the voice, Chu Yunjing looked into the hall. A little boy was peeking in at the doorway.

“Hello, uncles.” Xiaobao was wearing a flowered padded jacket. His small face was flushed, and he spoke timidly. His large, round eyes looked at the adults in the hall. “Where is Sister Yunjing?”

“Your Sister Yunjing just arrived and you are already here. You really want to see your sister that much,” the man teased him.

Xiaobao’s eyes darted around, and he replied, “Grandma told me to come and invite Sister home for a visit.” He meant to show that he was not the one being impatient.

Qi Ning, who had her head down eating, heard Chu Yunjing’s name. She sat up straight and turned her head to look into the hall. She saw a little boy of five or six years old running over. He ran all the way to Chu Yunjing’s side, hugged her leg, and shouted, “Sister, Sister!”

It was clear how much he liked her. The others at the table could not help but chuckle.

“Xiaobao really is clingy with your Sister Yunjing.”

The little boy turned red at the comment, but the redness in his face was so prominent that it was impossible to tell if he was blushing or if his skin was simply weathered. Chu Yunjing did not stop the child from hugging her leg. She put down her chopsticks and reached out to stroke Xiaobao’s head. Her expression was quite gentle.

Qi Ning thought to herself, “Where did this kid come from?”

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