We didn't buy the tickets together, so the four seats were not together. Although we were in the same carriage, there were four rows between us, which was just what I wanted. I'm not as good at speaking as Wang Zijun, so I don't have to listen to him speaking alone in front of the beautiful woman, leaving me to stare blankly at the side.
But not long after I sat with Shen Bing, she stood up and said she wanted to sit with Qu Mo, two women chatting, let the two country bumpkins chat. I thought to myself, how can this be possible? Not to mention Wang Zijun is unhappy, I am not happy either. Finally, we have a chance to be alone after a long separation. If you don't comfort my heart that is full of longing and let me sit with Wang Zijun, you might as well kill me.
I pulled her to sit down. A young couple across from me stared at us, which made me feel a little embarrassed. I whispered in her ear, "I have something to tell you."
"Go ahead." She leaned back.
I wanted to confess to her, but I couldn't open my mouth to the two people sitting opposite me, for fear that even if I spoke softly, they would hear me. I held it in for a long time before asking her, "How did you get the day off this time?"
"I didn't even take my annual leave last year. I finally got a chance to travel, so how could I let it go? I called my team leader and he agreed right away."
I was happy that she cared so much about this trip, saying that she missed me and wanted to go out with me. I smiled and said, "Actually, I miss you too, but I just haven't had the chance to ask you out. This time we have a mission, which must have affected our mood. Next time, let's go to the uninhabited area of Tibet. I heard that there are real natural beauties there."
She frowned, looked at me with a wary look, and whispered, "What are you thinking about? My going to Huangshan has nothing to do with you."
I was stunned. What are you talking about? It has nothing to do with me. Why did you rush over when I called you? But I know that this girl may seem straightforward sometimes, but when it comes to emotional issues, she will say one thing and mean another. After all, girls are thin-skinned. I mocked her and said, "Yes, it doesn't matter. Then you can take the train directly from the provincial capital to Huangshan. Why do you have to go with me?"
Her face suddenly turned red, and she stammered, "I was planning to go to Huangshan these few days, and I felt lonely on the road alone. I rushed here because I heard you were going there. Don't think the wrong thing."
Oh, how could I not think of something wrong? I asked her, "Are you planning to go to Huangshan these days? It's still cold, and it's not the tourist season yet. Why do you want to go these days?"
Her face suddenly darkened, and she bit her lip and said, "In a few days it will be the anniversary of my parents' death."
I was stunned. I didn't understand. What does your parents' memorial day have to do with going to Huangshan? I whispered to her, "Do you want to go to Huangshan to pray for the peace of your parents' souls?"
She shook her head and said dejectedly, "My parents unfortunately fell to their death while traveling in Huangshan ten years ago."
Oh, so that's how it is. Then her going to Huangshan really has nothing to do with me. She went with me just to keep each other company. I felt lost all of a sudden, and the happiness I had at the beginning disappeared by a large margin. I thought she wanted to see me and go out with me to play, but it seems that I was just being too sentimental!
Since it was a long-distance bus and it was running at night, most of the passengers fell asleep with their heads tilted on the backrest, including the couple opposite us. They were very happy, the two of them leaning against each other, looking very warm. But Shen Bing and I couldn't sleep, each with our own thoughts. She looked up at the ceiling of the car without saying anything, and I felt empty inside, and didn't want to speak for a while, the atmosphere was very dull.