After graduating from high school, Chen Jian had never even traveled, let alone left the city. Before high school, he had never left at all. He was well aware that before his debt was paid off, none of these things had anything to do with him.
Although he wouldn’t feel any regret or anticipation when talking about it, this time when Shan Yu said he was taking him on a business trip, even though he specifically emphasized it was a real business trip, he still felt like it was a trip.
A real trip.
With the person he liked, driving a car, traveling a long way, to a strange place.
Strange scenery, strange people, even a strange atmosphere.
This was travel.
“Do you want us to give you a ride?” Shan Yu asked Sun Nana at the front desk. She was going to the city today to handle the business license.
“You guys can go straight to the highway. I need to drive,” Sun Nana said. “I’ve asked my classmate to meet up.”
“The one who introduced the accountant?” Shan Yu asked.
“Yes,” Sun Nana nodded. “If the person is suitable, then the subsequent procedures can be done quickly.”
“Alright then,” Shan Yu nodded.
“Is anyone going to the old town or the city?” Chen Jian asked casually. Usually, when Chen Erhu drove to the old town to deliver linens, there would be people on break who would go with him.
“No—” everyone answered in unison this time.
Chen Jian felt himself almost blushing in that instant. He quickly swung his bag behind him and walked out.
Shan Yu, on the other hand, was in no hurry. He even gave Hu Pan a few instructions about the arrangements for the experience group.
He’s doing it on purpose!
He was usually never that attentive to the guesthouse’s affairs and would run away at the sight of trouble. But now he was giving instructions.
Chen Jian threw his bag directly into the trunk and sat in the passenger seat.
After Shan Yu came out, he also walked straight to the passenger side and pulled open the car door.
Then the two of them looked at each other for a while. Chen Jian didn’t move. Shan Yu asked, “What’s the meaning of this?”
“You drive!” Chen Jian said. “It’s the highway, boss. How long have I had my license? Can I even drive on the highway?”
“You still haven’t learned properly. Your grades in school weren’t good, were they?” Shan Yu said, leaning on the roof of the car and looking at him. “Driving on the highway during the probationary period requires an accompanying driver who has held a corresponding or higher class driver’s license for more than three years, which is me.”
Chen Jian looked at him. “You really trust me. The other day, I couldn’t even park properly and blocked that Zhang guy at the police station for five minutes before he could drive away.”
“What are you thinking? You can’t park on the highway,” Shan Yu said, throwing his bag at him and walking around the front of the car. “Fine, fine, I’ll drive. Put my bag away properly, assistant.”
Chen Jian breathed a sigh of relief and put Shan Yu’s bag in the trunk.
As the trunk door closed, he saw Shan Yu sitting in the passenger seat.
“Are you playing tactics with me now?” Chen Jian walked to the passenger door.
Shan Yu closed the door and didn’t look at him.
“Damn,” Chen Jian was a bit speechless. He had originally wanted to struggle a bit more, but Lao Si came over from the backyard with a large broom, staring at him, so he had to give up.
“On vacation?” Lao Si asked.
“Business trip,” Chen Jian said. “What vacation.”
“Hypocrite,” Lao Si said, then walked away with his large broom.
“Fine,” Chen Jian sat in the driver’s seat and fastened his seatbelt. “I’ll drive, I’ll drive. Who can’t drive on the highway…”
“I’m sitting right next to you,” Shan Yu said, adjusting the seatback a little and leaning back comfortably. “I’ll watch out for you if anything happens. What are you afraid of?”
“Sit up straight,” Chen Jian started the car. “I’m afraid you’ll fall asleep before we even get to the old town in that posture.”
“Hey!” Shan Yu started laughing and adjusted the seatback to its original position.
The navigation was already set. Chen Jian followed the instructions, drove out of the courtyard, turned onto Hongye Town’s main street, went straight, and then kept right at the fork ahead…
Then he remembered that he knew this part of the road and didn’t need to listen to the navigation’s directions.
He knew the road all the way to the old town, but he didn’t know where the highway entrance was.
As he turned onto the highway ramp and saw the toll booth ahead, Chen Jian suddenly remembered, “What do I do? Do I need to get a card?”
“There’s ETC,” Shan Yu said. “You can drive directly through any lane that says ETC.”
“Mhm.” Chen Jian stared at the lanes ahead one by one. He didn’t know if it was because he was nervous or blind, but it took him a few seconds to realize that all the lanes in this row, except for the one on the far side, were ETC. He couldn’t help but say, “Damn, they’re all ETC.”
“That’s right,” Shan Yu said, taking out a small biscuit from the side, tearing open the package, and putting it in his mouth.
“I forgot to bring some snacks,” Chen Jian said.
“It’s fine,” Shan Yu glanced at the navigation. “There’s a rest stop in twenty kilometers. You can buy whatever you want to eat.”
Chen Jian listened to this and imagined it. The feeling immediately came to him.
Driving a car, and when you’re hungry, thirsty, or tired, you just find a place to stop, and the two of you eat, drink, and rest in a strange place…
The car got on the highway. As soon as they entered, there was a Y-shaped fork. Chen Jian glanced at the navigation. Before he could see clearly, Shan Yu had already said from the side, “Keep left.”
Chen Jian drove onto the left-hand road. Shan Yu’s timely prompt immediately put him at ease.
“Just drive with confidence,” Shan Yu said. “It’s all straight ahead.”
“Mhm,” Chen Jian nodded.
“Step on it,” Shan Yu said. “You’re only at sixty now.”
“It’s already very fast,” Chen Jian stepped on the gas. The car’s speed shot up, and he felt a wave of panic.
“Just hold the steering wheel steady,” Shan Yu said.
“What’s the speed now?” Chen Jian asked.
“Can’t you see?” Shan Yu asked. “It’s on the dashboard.”
“I don’t dare to look. I have to keep my eyes on the road ahead,” Chen Jian said.
“Not even a hundred yet,” Shan Yu started laughing. “Let’s get to a hundred first. Just stay in this rightmost lane.”
“Do I have to step on it again?” Chen Jian asked.
“Go for it, Brother Chen Jian,” Shan Yu said.
Chen Jian sat up straight, his hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly that his fingers started to ache.
This trip… in this state, it’s a bit of a letdown!
“There’s a curve ahead,” Shan Yu said. “Slow down a bit.”
“Mhm,” Chen Jian responded. “How far have we driven? How far is the rest stop?”
“How can you even ask that,” Shan Yu laughed out loud. “Sixteen kilometers.”
“Not even a fraction of it?” Chen Jian said.
“Mhm,” Shan Yu yawned. “But you’re driving quite steadily, and the speed is well-maintained. Just keep driving like this.”
“Really?” Chen Jian asked.
“…Really,” Shan Yu said.
“You didn’t even make a sarcastic comment?” Chen Jian said. “That’s rare.”
“I’m afraid I’ll make you cry,” Shan Yu said. “You’re already about to give the steering wheel an asthma attack. If I make another sarcastic comment, I’m afraid you’ll choke the steering wheel to death.”
Chen Jian couldn’t help but laugh.
After driving for a while longer, he finally saw the sign for the rest stop.
Under Shan Yu’s direction—turning on the signal, changing lanes, slowing down—Chen Jian smoothly drove into the rest stop.
When he was parking, he had a pleasant discovery.
“These parking spaces are so wide!”
“These are for large vehicles,” Shan Yu said.
“…Oh.” Chen Jian was stunned for a moment, drove a little further, and saw the parking spaces for small cars. “The small car spaces are also very wide!”
“Hurry up and park. If you think it’s wide, just park horizontally,” Shan Yu said.
Chen Jian parked the car in a space. It was very easy. The parking spaces were really wide, and there were no cars on either side.
When he got out of the car, he felt so relaxed. He raised his arms and twisted around in the empty space next to the car.
“These twenty kilometers felt like twenty hours,” Shan Yu said, walking over and pinching his lower back. “I should drive for a while.”
It felt very comfortable. Chen Jian narrowed his eyes.
“No need. I’m starting to get used to it,” he said, stretching vigorously again and looking at the supermarket next to them. “Are we going to buy food?”
“Let’s go,” Shan Yu slapped him on the butt.
Chen Jian whipped his head around. A small car that had just driven in passed behind them.
“Hm?” Shan Yu also turned his head and looked.
“There are people,” Chen Jian said.
“It’s fine. No one is looking at us,” Shan Yu said. “They’re probably in the car discussing how big the parking spaces are.”
Chen Jian was stunned for a moment, then started laughing. “You’re crazy!”
There weren’t many people at this rest stop. Most people who got out of their cars went straight to the restrooms.
Chen Jian felt very curious as he walked in.
This was the first time he had ever been to a food court and supermarket on the highway.
The area outside the supermarket was all selling hot food, with a rich variety. He walked past each stall and stared for a few seconds. Although in terms of distance, it wasn’t even out of the city yet, he already had the novel feeling of being ‘on a journey’.
“Want to eat something?” Shan Yu asked softly beside him.
“No, we just had breakfast. I’m not hungry,” Chen Jian said. “Should we go to the supermarket and look at some snacks?”
“Mhm,” Shan Yu nodded.
This supermarket was about the same as any other supermarket he had ever seen, with all sorts of freezers, all sorts of snacks, instant noodles, self-heating rice, and the like.
But this supermarket, which he wouldn’t even give a second glance to normally, felt completely different in the ‘on a journey’ setting. Chen Jian walked around for two laps with great interest, grabbing several bags of potato chips, spicy strips, and nuts before he suddenly realized something.
“Damn,” he looked at the price tag. “It’s so expensive?”
“How much more expensive can it be…” Shan Yu grabbed the things in his hand and put them all on the checkout counter.
That was true. You shouldn’t be counting these things when you’re traveling.
Chen Jian hesitated for a moment. “Hot dogs? Want one?”
“Hm?” Shan Yu turned his head to look at him.
“I want a hot dog,” Chen Jian said.
“Two more hot dogs,” Shan Yu said to the cashier.
The feeling of carrying a bag of snacks and drinks, each holding a hot dog, and sitting on the large lawn of the rest stop to eat… was very wonderful.
“It feels like I’m on a school spring outing in elementary school,” Chen Jian said, taking a bite of his hot dog. “Oh, this is so bad. If this crappy sausage were sold for eight yuan in the small town, it would have gone bankrupt eight hundred times by now…”
Shan Yu smiled without speaking and took a sip of his Coke.
“Don’t throw it away if you’re not eating it,” Chen Jian glanced at the untouched hot dog in his hand.
Shan Yu took a bite. “I’m eating.”
“Is it just me who feels this way?” Chen Jian looked at him.
“What?” Shan Yu turned his head.
“Just, like a spring outing,” Chen Jian said. “It’s a very ordinary thing, but I’m very excited.”
“Me too,” Shan Yu said.
“You’re being a bit fake,” Chen Jian said. “This is my first time going out like this…”
“It’s also my first time driving so far with someone I like,” Shan Yu said. “My first time sitting on the grass at a rest stop and eating with someone I like. There might even be dog poop and pee on this grass…”
“I’m eating!” Chen Jian interrupted him.
He usually didn’t have such a delicate stomach, but he just happened to see someone walking a small dog on the grass. You could tell from the little thing that it was looking for a place to pee.
Shan Yu smiled without speaking and took another bite of his hot dog.
Chen Jian took out his phone, opened the camera, and held it up. “Look at the camera, smile.”
Shan Yu looked at the camera and smiled. Chen Jian also smiled, and then pressed the shutter.
The photo was taken very roughly, but Chen Jian quite liked it. This kind of casual record, without deliberately avoiding the cluttered background, was full of memories. The blurry white puppy in the distance was standing right at the position of Chen Jian’s ear. When he saw it many years later, he would still remember Shan Yu’s words.
There might even be dog poop on this grass…
Although the sun was very good today, the wind was still quite strong. The hot dogs in their hands had cooled down after only a couple of bites, but they still insisted on sitting in the wind and finishing them before getting up and going back to the car.
“Should I drive?” Chen Jian asked.
“You’ve already fastened your seatbelt,” Shan Yu said, smiling with his head pillowed on his arm.
“Don’t just focus on eating later,” Chen Jian started the car. “Help me watch the road.”
“Okay, this assistant,” Shan Yu said.
He didn’t know if it was because he had rested and recovered, or because the novel journey was invigorating. When Chen Jian got back on the highway from the rest stop, he was much more relaxed.
He could lean back in his seat, his eyes had time to look elsewhere, and his grip on the steering wheel was no longer as tight as if he were in a fight. The car’s speed even reached one hundred and ten.
He had a feeling of instantly growing into an old driver.
This time, he drove for two hours straight, stopping once in the middle to buy two cups of coffee at a rest stop.
He usually would never buy coffee outside, but today he just wanted to. Not only did he want to buy coffee, he even bought a bowl of oden when he wasn’t even that hungry.
The coffee was not good, and the oden felt like he had eaten nothing.
But the coffee at this rest stop quickly gave Chen Jian confidence. There was actually coffee that was more expensive and tasted worse than what he made.
And it dared to sell for twenty-five yuan!
There were even several people lining up to buy it.
The next time they stopped, it was lunchtime. To be precise, lunchtime was almost over, and they were both hungry.
This rest stop was in the middle of the highway section they were on. It was very large, with not only a supermarket and many shops, but also a large hotel.
Probably because it was noon, there were also a lot of people. The parking lot was full of cars of all sizes.
When he got out of the car and saw the people around him, Chen Jian even had the illusion of being at a market.
Between ordering at a restaurant and the snack stalls, Chen Jian chose to buy instant noodles from the supermarket and eat them while sitting on a bench in the central rest area.
“Because I’ve never eaten like this before,” Chen Jian said.
“It’s a good thing you didn’t make me squat outside to eat,” Shan Yu said.
Chen Jian went to a nearby stall and bought some chicken wings, duck necks, and the like, and put them all on the table.
He also took a picture.
After taking a bite of a chicken wing, he noticed that Shan Yu hadn’t moved and was just looking at him.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing,” Shan Yu smiled.
“Don’t you want to eat?” Chen Jian asked.
“No,” Shan Yu looked at him. “It’s just that… I think you’re very cute.”
“Take a look and take a bite,” Chen Jian said. “We still have to get back on the road.”
Shan Yu’s phone rang at this moment. He fumbled through all his pockets before he found his phone. It was almost about to hang up when he answered it.
“Mom,” Shan Yu said, leaning closer to Chen Jian.
Chen Jian could hear the voice on the phone.
“Where are you?” President Liu asked.
“Halfway there,” Shan Yu said. “We’re eating at that new big rest stop.”
“At this speed, are you driving a tricycle?” President Liu asked.
“Chen Jian is a novice,” Shan Yu said.
“You should drive. You’re letting a novice drive for so long?” President Liu said. “Are you two going to spend the night on the highway?”
Chen Jian turned his head and started laughing.
“I’ll drive after we finish eating,” Shan Yu said.
“Come directly to my company when you arrive this afternoon,” President Liu said. “Ask Chen Jian if he wants to eat at home or out for dinner?”
Hearing this, Chen Jian suddenly felt a bit panicked.
He still had to eat with President Liu and Professor Shan.
“Are we eating takeout at home?” Shan Yu asked.
“Then let’s eat out,” President Liu said. “What about staying? It’s just for one night. Why don’t you stay at home?”
“Mhm,” Shan Yu glanced at Chen Jian.
Chen Jian nodded calmly.
Ah! I still have to stay at Shan Yu’s house!
After Shan Yu hung up the phone, he asked, “Should I sleep… on the sofa?”
“Are you sick?” Shan Yu laughed.
