After dawdling along the way, Chen Shi'an finally brought Wen Zhixia home at noon.
Uncle Wen and Aunt Lan warmly urged him to stay. Unable to refuse their hospitality, Chen Shi'an had lunch, then took a midday nap in Little Cicada's room.
In fact, throughout that hour or so of rest, Chen Shi'an never had a chance to sleep.
After all, this was the girl's room, and her bed. She straddled Chen Shi'an and pinned him down, kissing him for a full hour before finally agreeing to let him leave...
He had known getting through Shangping County would be difficult, but who could have imagined it would be this difficult!
It was past two in the afternoon before Chen Shi'an put on his helmet in Little Cicada's room and went downstairs.
Wen Zhixia did not come downstairs to see him off. Her lips were swollen from kissing, and she was too embarrassed to leave her room, afraid her parents would notice...
"Shi'an, you're leaving already? Why not stay the night and leave tomorrow morning?"
"No, thanks, Aunt Lan. I've got quite a few places to visit, so I'd better get going early."
"Where's Zhizhi? Why hasn't she come down to see you off? That girl... I'll go get her."
"It's all right, Aunt Lan! Little Cicada's still napping. No need to wake her. I've already told her."
"All right, all right. Shi'an, be careful on the road. Don't ride too fast."
"Okay, I'll get going, then. Goodbye, Uncle Wen, Aunt Lan."
"Meow-"
"Putt-putt-putt."
The motorcycle's engine started downstairs.
Just as Chen Shi'an was about to continue his journey east, he seemed to sense something and looked up at a window upstairs.
The window was open a crack. The girl whose lips were swollen from kissing hid beside the curtain, looking