Chapter Thirty-Three: Setting Out

  Ao Yuan: "Why does Ben Jun still have to sit on the train in such a humiliating posture now that he has an ID card?"

  Xia Yifei: "Because it saves money."

  "Wow, I never knew you had a stingy attribute!"

  Xia Yanfei: "Thank you for the compliment."

  This conversation took place after the two boarded the train. Xia Yu Fei had spent half a day persuading Ao Yuan to agree to get on the train in the same state as before, like a snake, in order to save one ticket. What Ao Yuan couldn't understand was what Xia Yu Fei was after, as she usually didn't spend that much money even when stocking up on snacks at the supermarket.

  When he really asked, Xia Yanyi solemnly told him: "To save money and get the thrill of escaping tickets."

  "...and it's not like you're running away from yourself, you have a quick thrill."

  "Can't you just let me enjoy it for a little while longer?!"

  Xia Yu Fei, who was being ridiculed, angrily tore open a bag of potato chips and started watching the movie she had saved on her laptop: "Ao Yuan, one day you will get what's coming to you for mocking me."

  Lying half-reclined on the lower bunk reading a book, Ao Yuan didn't even bother to look at her: "Then how do you calculate your daily complaints about me?"

  "Don't you know the difference?" Xia Yanyi mumbled with a mouthful of potato chips, "By the way, did you get any news when you went out that day?"

  She mentioned this and suddenly seemed to remember something: "You didn't mention it, I had forgotten. My old friend told me to be careful when you go to Donghai this time."

  Xia Yan's eyebrows flew up: "What?"

  "She didn't go into details, she seemed to have a case on her hands recently, and we only exchanged a few words when we met." Ao Yuan said with a light smile, "I didn't expect that after so many years, even she has matured so much."

  As soon as he finished speaking, Xiaoyan flew straight into his eyes. Ao Yuan opened his mouth strangely: "Anything?"

  "Oh, nothing." Xiaoyan turned her attention back to the computer screen, but ultimately couldn't help herself, "I'm telling you, Ao Yuan, has anyone ever told you that your smile just now was like flirting with someone?"

  "No. Because the people who originally wanted to say this probably didn't have the guts, and those who could say it without being thrown into the East Sea by me simply couldn't be bothered with this point."

  Xia Yanfei nodded and continued watching her movie: "Then I'll tell you now."

  Ao Yuan was stunned for a moment, then continued to read the Harry Potter book he had taken from Xia Yu's bookshelf: "Thanks for letting me know that."

  In the following time, the two did not chat again, and unexpectedly, no one else entered the soft dormitory where they were.

  In fact, Ao Yuan and Xia Yifei were both used to this way of getting along. Usually after taking the energetic Siberian Husky back home at night, they would either read a book or watch a movie separately, without exchanging a single word.

  Many people may think this is particularly boring, thinking that two people should talk to each other whether they are a couple or not, but Xia Yu Fei thinks this state is the most enjoyable.

  Without needing to talk to each other, they knew of each other's existence. They knew that if they turned around, they would see the other person's figure. Every time Xiaoyan flew back, she couldn't help but feel a delusion that they had already spent many years together.

  It wasn't long before Xiaoyan received a call from Lan Ruoxue, whose pseudo-loli voice was particularly clear due to the proximity: "Reporting to the organization, I have boarded the train and set foot on the journey to reunite with the organization. Oh, by the way, leader, do you want me to ask about Comrade Fang Yongsong who was abandoned by the organization?"

  "The organization has officially announced that it is abandoning you, Comrade Lan Ruoxue." Xia Yunfei paused the movie and laughed scoldingly, "Can't you stop causing trouble for me?"

  "You want to elope with that shape-shifting snake from your side?! Too much, Comrade Xia Yu Fei!!"

  "Awu has always said that my thinking is probably forever going to be inferior to his, now I'm returning this sentence to you verbatim."

  Ao Yuan listened to her talking on the phone with Lan Ruoxue, and when he looked up, he happened to see Xia Yifei smiling, with such vivid eyebrows and eyes, how could "eyebrows like a painting" describe even one ten-thousandth of it?

  It was just like when he first saw Xia Yanzu after waking up from his seal.

  Sometimes, falling is just a matter of one glance.

  "Come to think of it, didn't I explain the situation with the Wen family to you?" Xiaoyan suddenly remembered this after her laptop ran out of battery, while Ao Yuan was using all his might to despise the instant noodles she brought. "If you've tried the boxed meals on the train, you wouldn't be so disdainful of it, trust me."

  "I think your resentment towards it isn't small either." Ao Yuan made space for her to sit.

  "But absolutely not as big as yours. What was I just saying? Oh right, the Wen family..." Xia Yu flew in without any courtesy and sat down, pulling out a sausage to add to her instant noodles. "The Wen family is also a not-so-small family, and their whitewashing speed is much faster than ours."

  She leaned against the train's sleeper with her arms crossed, continuing to speak: "The Wen family used to be so noble and cold that they would rather die than form an alliance with the four families... how should I put it? The details don't matter. What matters is that the women of their household have always been in charge, and their martial arts skills are all about flexibility and agility. You've never seen their shrinking bone technique, it's truly a wonder to behold."

  "But all of the above is just background, our focus is on this person who will appear next, that is Miss Wen Shanwen. I don't know why she always looks at me with disapproval, but everyone I know agrees on one thing," Xia Yunfei took a sip of water, "this girl absolutely has princess syndrome and delusions."

  "Wait, what does this have to do with your brother?" Ao Yuan finally couldn't help but interrupt her. Xia Yunfei heard this and the smile at the corner of her mouth grew bigger and bigger, until she finally burst out laughing: "Just thinking about it makes me want to laugh hahaha! Do you know why my brother has been stuck in Italy all these years? It's because Wen Xuan thought he was deeply infatuated with her and wanted to spend his whole life making up for this infatuation. In other words, she won't marry anyone else but my brother this lifetime hahahahaha!"

  "What's wrong?"

  Xia Yifei finally stopped: "Ao Yuan, didn't you listen carefully to what I said? Think about it, a princess with...".

  "No, no, no, I'm saying maybe your brother really likes her?" Ao Yuan finally said what he had been wanting to say just now.

  Xia Yu Fei glanced at him with a serious shake of her head, but the words that came out made Ao Yuan want to swallow back the promise he had made to Xia Yu Cai and throw this girl off the train: "No, my brother has always deeply loved me, it's just that he's too embarrassed to say so."

  Ao Yuan silently recited all that he knew about calming his mind and quieting his spirit in his heart before finally opening his mouth calmly.

  "Xia Yifei, can I ask a favor of you?"

  "What's up?"

  "Don't mention you know me when you go out, thank you."