Camping (3)

Once they boarded the bus, everyone seemed incredibly excited, discussing how they would spend their time and looking forward to the journey ahead.

The destination was Cangmang Mountain, a rather desolate range that would take about a morning to reach.

This location had been chosen by a few influential figures in the class, primarily Zhao Menghua, Chen Wenwen, and Liu Miaomiao.

When they were discussing it, they had even asked for Su Xiaoqiang's opinion, to which she replied that anywhere was fine.

As for why they chose such a remote spot, the organizers explained that famous tourist attractions were too crowded, and camping in such places lacked the right atmosphere.

After a poll in the class group chat, everyone agreed unanimously; only Lu Mingfei, who hadn't checked the messages, arrived without knowing a thing.

On the bus, Su Xiaoqiang and Lu Mingfei only brought their snack bags with them, while other items like backpacks were stowed in the luggage compartment beneath the bus.

As the scenery outside began to recede, the journey began.

Lu Mingfei and Su Xiaoqiang sat in the back of the bus. Su Xiaoqiang pulled a bag of tomato-flavored chips from her bag and handed it to Lu Mingfei: "Here, take this. I remember you've been really into this flavor lately."

"Many thanks!" Lu Mingfei accepted it without standing on ceremony.

"Help me get my bag down when we get off later, okay? It's packed with a lot of stuff," Su Xiaoqiang instructed Lu Mingfei.

"Of course. I already said that since you're bringing the food today, I'll do whatever you ask," Lu Mingfei patted his chest to show it was no problem.

"Whatever I ask?" Su Xiaoqiang leaned over and looked at him curiously, her eyes blinking.

Seeing her curious expression, Lu Mingfei was genuinely afraid she might come up with some strange idea, because this was the Little Goddess, after all—there was nothing she wouldn't dare to do.

So, Lu Mingfei replied immediately: "Well, not anything. If you ask me to go streaking, that's definitely a no."

"Pfft, who wants you to streak?" Su Xiaoqiang muttered.

"Want to listen to some music?"

Su Xiaoqiang suddenly pulled out her iPhone and a pair of earphones.

"How are we going to listen?" Lu Mingfei asked, a bit confused.

Su Xiaoqiang chuckled, tucked one earphone into Lu Mingfei's right ear, and then put the other into her own left ear.

"There, that works!"

As she spoke, Su Xiaoqiang leaned closer toward Lu Mingfei.

"Isn't this a bit... awkward?" Lu Mingfei felt her proximity and grew a little uneasy.

"What's awkward about it? Didn't you say you'd listen to me today!" Su Xiaoqiang puffed out her cheeks and glared at him.

"Alright then," Lu Mingfei had no choice but to agree.

As time passed, the bus grew quiet. Lu Mingfei leaned back against his seat, closing his eyes to rest while listening to the songs in Su Xiaoqiang's playlist.

Suddenly, he felt a weight on his shoulder. When he opened his eyes, he saw that Su Xiaoqiang had rested her head there. Her breathing was steady; it seemed she had fallen asleep. He could feel how soft her cheek was.

Looking at her delicate face, Lu Mingfei couldn't help but swallow hard.

He remembered that he once kept a mental ranking of the beauties he knew, and Su Xiaoqiang was at the top of that list.

Now, looking at her face so close, Lu Mingfei recalled their recent interactions. Could it be that she likes me?

Immediately, he pinched himself hard. Stay calm, Lu Mingfei. One of the three great delusions of life is "she likes me"!

He had been single for twenty-eight years; his instincts were bound to be wrong. She was only letting her guard down because he had saved her.

Thinking this, Lu Mingfei slowly calmed his emotions.

Su Xiaoqiang, resting on Lu Mingfei's shoulder, was feeling quite pleased with herself. She was actually faking sleep; she had heard him swallow just now. It seemed her charm was still working.

Feeling the scent radiating from Lu Mingfei, Su Xiaoqiang felt a sense of peace, and she drifted into a deep sleep as the bus rolled on.

"Wake up, we're here."

The bus had arrived at Cangmang Mountain, and Lu Mingfei gently called out to Su Xiaoqiang.

Su Xiaoqiang opened her eyes, dazed, and realized she had actually fallen asleep.

It's all Lu Mingfei's shoulder's fault for being so comfortable, making me miss the chance to enjoy it more. What a pity.

Watching her wake up, Lu Mingfei gently straightened her baseball cap: "We should get off now."

"Mmm~" Su Xiaoqiang followed Lu Mingfei off the bus.

Lu Mingfei grabbed her bag along with his own, and everyone began unloading the camping gear from the bus.

Once finished, the bus departed. Chen Wenwen mentioned that it would return the following morning.

They were at the foot of the mountain, where the sun was bright and the terrain was flat. Not far away was a forest with beautiful scenery, and everyone agreed that the location was a great choice.

Lu Mingfei joined the other boys in the class to set up tents and assemble the barbecue grills, while the girls wiped sweat from the boys' brows and helped move some of the lighter items.

It was already past two in the afternoon. Everyone spread picnic blankets on the ground and laid out snacks, planning to grab a bite to tide them over before preparing the barbecue for the evening.

Lu Mingfei found a secluded spot and lay down on the grass, feeling the breeze. It was very comfortable, and he felt he could sleep right through until nightfall.

After finishing her tasks, Su Xiaoqiang walked over, bent down, and looked at Lu Mingfei: "Why did you come over here all by yourself without calling me?"

Su Xiaoqiang sounded a bit indignant.

After arriving, Su Xiaoqiang had taken off her hat, so as she leaned over, her hair brushed against Lu Mingfei's face, making it feel ticklish.

"I didn't want to interrupt while you were having such a good time with your little friends," Lu Mingfei replied.

"I'll reluctantly believe that excuse this time," Su Xiaoqiang huffed.

She then lay down beside Lu Mingfei, sharing the gentle breeze with him.

"This is Executive Agent Chu Zihang, currently tracking the target. I am in the vicinity of Cangmang Mountain," Chu Zihang said, wearing a communication headset specially crafted by the Equipment Department.

"Copy that. Be careful, Agent Chu. The latest intelligence suggests the individual selling the Dragon Evolution Drug is in your sector. Ensure no civilians discover your presence."

The personnel at the distant command center cautioned Chu Zihang.

"Since this is your first mission, if you encounter danger, prioritize your escape. Those of us who have already graduated are here to provide cover for you newcomers."

"Copy that," Chu Zihang replied, his expression impassive.

Strapped to his back was a tennis bag containing the Murasame left behind by his father.

Word had it that a wild Half-Blood in this city had consumed something called an evolution drug and transformed into a Dead Servant, prompting the Academy to dispatch Chu Zihang for an investigation.

To his surprise, the past few days of investigation led Chu Zihang to discover the existence of an organization behind it all. Following the trail, their base appeared to be located right here in Cangmang Mountain.

Consequently, Chu Zihang requested reinforcements from the Academy. They were expected to arrive by nightfall, and all he had to do was wait.

I've been getting off work late these past two days. Since I have no backlog of chapters, I've only been able to post one update a day. I just finished writing this chapter; honestly, not having a holiday for New Year's is truly painful.

I also have some news: this book has received a notification from the site. As a new author writing for the first time, I want to thank the real people who have been casting recommendation votes for me these past few days.

In particular, my friends Canyun Youshui and Rentian Di—receiving your recommendation votes every day has been a huge source of motivation for me. There is also a friend named Book Friend 20221120153448611 who has also been voting consistently. Arigato.