sinovels Chapter 97: Su Qianqian's Unexpected Journey
Chapter 97: Su Qianqian's Unexpected Journey
A taxi was parked at the entrance of the residential area.
Lin Jianjun put the backpack into the trunk.
Su Ruolan held Lin Bei's hand and read the train safety instructions again, her voice becoming a little hoarse towards the end.
Lin Bei gently patted his mother's hand and said, "Mom, don't worry, I'll call you every day once it's over."
"Okay." Su Ruolan nodded and then stopped giving instructions.
Lin Bei turned to Lin Jianguo and said, "Dad, you should smoke less in the future."
Lin Jianjun nodded: "Okay."
The word "行" was spoken very softly, as if it were squeezed out of the throat.
But the meaning behind it is of great significance.
Sometimes, conversations between fathers and sons don't need to be too long.
Su Ruolan then turned and took Song Qingning's hand: "Qingning, please take good care of Xiao Bei on the way."
Hearing this from the side, Lin Bei retorted speechlessly, "Mom, you're saying that I should be the one taking care of her."
Su Ruolan glanced at Lin Bei and said, "It would be even better if you took care of her."
Song Qingning was standing to the side, kicking pebbles on the ground with her head down, the tips of her ears still red.
Then, the two of them got into a taxi.
Lin Bei and Song Qingning opened the car windows and said goodbye to their parents.
……
The taxi drove for almost forty minutes before finally arriving at the train station square.
The heat was intense in the train station square; the asphalt surface was so soft from the sun that it felt sticky underfoot.
Lin Bei dragged Song Qingning's briefcase ahead, the wheels rattling loudly on the uneven paving stones.
Song Qingning followed behind him, fanning herself with her hand as she walked, her face full of displeasure: "Why is this weather still going on and on? It's already September and it's still like a sauna!"
Lin Bei said speechlessly, "You should be grateful. I carried all the things, okay?"
Just as they reached the entrance to the station, Song Qingning suddenly stopped and squinted at the front for two seconds.
Then, he suddenly raised his arm and waved into the crowd:
"Qianqian, over here!"
Su Qianqian stood under the sunshade on the side of the entrance, carrying a small beige canvas bag with a Fuwa pendant hanging from the zipper.
She wore a light blue dress today, with the hem just above her knees, and white canvas shoes.
Her hair wasn't tied up; it was naturally draped over her shoulders, with the ends slightly curled inwards.
I didn't wear much makeup, just a layer of sunscreen and a clear lip balm.
Su Qianqian stood in the shade of the sunshade, and the crowd surged past her, but no one pushed her.
It's not that others don't want to squeeze in, it's that the aura she exudes makes people automatically avoid her.
Su Qianqian nodded slightly when she saw them.
When his gaze fell on the huge briefcase in Lin Bei's hand, and then on the bulging backpack on Song Qingning's shoulder, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.
"You have quite a lot of stuff."
Song Qingning glanced at the backpack on Lin Bei's back, then at the light canvas bag in Su Qianqian's hand.
Her previously happy face instantly fell:
Where is your luggage?
"Don't tell me you sent it to the school too."
Su Qianqian nodded and lifted the canvas bag up slightly: "I sent it over a couple of days ago. These are for personal use."
Song Qingning stood there, pursing her lips, her left cheek puffing out and then deflating.
She tilted her backpack up and complained in a tone full of grievance, "You two are really something, why didn't you tell me about something so convenient?"
"My mom and I spent the whole night packing my luggage. She almost stuffed my winter down jacket into the bag."
"You guys are doing well, each one of you is traveling light."
"It makes me look like a clown."
Lin Bei chimed in with a sharp retort: "You didn't even ask me, did you?"
Then, before Song Qingning could object, he bent down and gripped the handle of the briefcase again, saying, "Hurry up and get into the station. It's terribly hot outside, and we still have five or six hours until the train arrives."
He dragged his suitcase and headed towards the entrance, with Song Qingning and Su Qianqian following behind him.
The two walked side by side, and Song Qingning was still talking about how heavy the contents of that briefcase were.
Su Qianqian listened quietly, nodding occasionally.
As Lin Bei walked ahead, a sense of unease began to creep into his mind.
Didn't Su Qianqian go abroad to study after graduating from high school in her previous life?
How come it's already September and she still shows no sign of going abroad?
Moreover, why would a young lady from the Su Group choose to take the train to school instead of driving a luxury car?
I really don't understand the thinking of rich people.
Soon, they walked through the waiting hall and onto the platform, where the green train was already stopped on the tracks.
The car body was painted dark green, and the window frames were made of wood. In some places, the paint had been worn away, revealing the rust underneath.
The aisle in the carriage was narrow, allowing only one person to pass at a time, and the overhead luggage racks were already crammed with woven bags and suitcases.
The air was filled with a complex smell, a mixture of instant noodle seasoning and floral water.
Lin Bei found a seat and stuffed Song Qingning's briefcase into the gap under the seat.
Su Qianqian and Song Qingning sat in the double seat opposite each other, while Lin Bei sat diagonally opposite them by the window.
Next to him was a boy wearing gold-rimmed glasses, who also looked like a freshman going to register. He was holding an admission notice with the school emblem of a university in S City printed on it.
The train swayed and started moving.
The platform outside the train window slowly receded.
Then there's the gray station building, the green roadside trees, and the low-rise residential buildings in the distance.
The rails rattled rhythmically beneath the wheels.
The carriage gradually became lively, with some people taking out playing cards and inviting those in front and behind them to play cards together.
Some people took out their Walkmans and put the earphones in their ears.
Some people even started introducing themselves to classmates they didn't know.
The flight attendant pushed a small cart through the aisle, calling out, "Sunflower seeds, peanuts, mineral water!"
Song Qingning and Su Qianqian sat side by side, their knees almost touching.
Song Qingning opened a bag of potato chips and placed it between the two of them. She ate some while chatting with Su Qianqian about what would happen after she went to university.
Is the counselor strict? Is the food in the cafeteria good? How many people are in the dorm? Will I get sunburned during military training?
"I checked our journalism and communication department's course schedule online in advance."
"I don't have many classes in my first year. I plan to join the student union, and it would be best if I could join the external relations department."
"Because I heard from my senior that the external relations department can get sponsorships, so if Lin Bei's studio wants to hold an event in the future, they can contact me for cooperation and get a 20% discount."
Su Qianqian held her teacup, listening quietly, occasionally interjecting with a word.
Song Qingning then asked, "Qianqian, which club are you planning to join?"
Su Qianqian shook her head: "I haven't decided yet, I might go to the student council."
Lin Bei leaned against the window, his forehead pressed against the glass, watching the fields and villages rushing past outside, lost in thought.