Travel: Hangzhou (Nine): Jiangnan's Misty Rain with Shorekeeper

Thanks to Xiao Ling's farce, almost everyone slept until the afternoon of that day.

1:30 PM.

The typhoon left Hangzhou in the morning, and although the wind and rain have subsided, it is still drizzling.

"Okay, okay, I got it, there definitely won't be a next time..."

Xiao Ling was on the phone with his mother, looking extremely respectful, and it seemed she was scolding him on the other end.

"Sigh~" After hanging up the phone, Xiao Ling let out a long sigh, "This is really..."

He had only been awake for a short time when his maternal uncles, aunts, and mother called him one after another, all scolding him for going too far.

The repair crew will arrive shortly. Fortunately, the main damage is in the basement, so they shouldn't wake the sleeping girls.

"A-Ling?" A soft female voice sounded from behind him.

"Hmm?" Xiao Ling turned around and found the Shorekeeper standing not far behind him, dressed in casual clothes. "Shorekeeper, you're awake. Won't you sleep a little longer?"

"You can't fall back asleep after waking up, so why don't you get out of bed and walk around a bit?" the Shorekeeper said with a smile.

"Shall we go out for a walk?"

"Aren't they related?"

There are plenty of people in this family who can cook.

"Then where shall we go?" The Shorekeeper's eyes softened, and he asked with a smile.

"Come with me."

"A bicycle?" The Shorekeeper looked at the brand-new bicycle with a seat in front of him, his eyes crinkling with a smile. "Where is A-Ling taking me?"

"We'll just ride wherever we end up," Xiao Ling grinned. "Get on, I'll give you a ride."

"Good."

The Shorekeeper gathered her skirt and sat down steadily on the back of the bicycle, leaning to one side.

"Hold on tight!" Xiao Ling shouted, then pedaled his bicycle away from the mansion.

Although he rarely rode a bicycle after high school, the feelings etched in his memory are not something he could simply forget.

Many romantic comedies feature a scene like this: the male lead pedals his bicycle, sweating profusely, while the female lead sits sideways on the back, admiring the scenery. When she gets tired, she puts her right hand around the male lead's waist and leans her head against him like a little bird.

At this moment, Xiao Ling and the Shorekeeper really looked like the male and female protagonists in a youth romance comedy, riding their bicycles all the way from the mansion to Qingbo Gate.

The lively atmosphere of the streets and alleys permeated this ancient red-brick and gray-tiled building. Although the typhoon had just passed and there was still a light rain, the elderly people here couldn't wait to carry their chairs outside and gather in twos and threes to chat.

Xiao Ling and the Shorekeeper, a handsome young couple, would occasionally ride their bicycles past this group of talkative old people. If they saw them, they would point at them and say, "That girl is really pretty," or "That young man is so lucky." After watching them go, they would each reminisce about their own youthful love.

The bicycle has a bell on the handlebars; pressing it will produce a clear sound, reminding pedestrians to make way.

Just like now, with a jingle, the children playing in the middle of the road immediately made way for the handsome young man and beautiful young woman, then watched them disappear at the end of the road.

The rain soaked the Shorekeeper's clothes, and dewdrops clung to her long, clear blue hair, but she didn't seem to mind at all; in fact, she seemed to enjoy it.

"Shorekeeper, I'm going to speed up, hold on tight!" Xiao Ling's tone was tinged with laughter, "I'm taking you to a great place!"

She watched Xiao Ling pedaling the bicycle with great enthusiasm on the front seat, and a smile couldn't help but appear on her lips.

Without asking why, the Shorekeeper simply placed his right hand, which had been lying flat, firmly on Xiao Ling's waist, and did not let go until the two reached their destination.

"Ah~ I was thinking of Shorekeeper you to see West Lake, but it turns out the attractions are closed today..."

In Dongshan Park, Xiao Ling sat on a bench with some annoyance. The Shorekeeper sat quietly beside him, his expression neither happy nor angry.

"A-Ling, you seem quite disappointed?" the Shorekeeper said gently.

"It would be a lie to say I'm not disappointed, but then again, it's normal for the scenic area to be closed after the typhoon," Xiao Ling said helplessly.

"However, this means our original plan will be ruined... What should we do now...?"

Seeing Xiao Ling deep in thought, and then looking at the bicycle in front of him, the Shorekeeper suddenly had an idea.

"A-Ling, can you teach me how to ride a bicycle?"

Xiao Ling looked at the gentle, water-like Shorekeeper and blinked to express her bewilderment.

"Learning to ride a bicycle now is dangerous, isn't it?" Xiao Ling warned. "It just rained, the ground is wet, and the tires can easily slip."

"I don't think A-Ling would just stand by and watch me fall and get all bruised and battered," the Shorekeeper said with a smile.

"Alright, since you trust me so much!" Xiao Ling slapped his thigh and stood up. "Leave it to me, I guarantee I'll teach you this afternoon."

"Good."

"Yes! That's it! Maintain your balance!"

It has to be said that Xiao Ling felt that the Shorekeeper was quite quick to learn; in less than half an hour, he was able to ride a short distance on his own without any external assistance.

The Shorekeeper seemed to have discovered a new continent, and rode his bicycle to draw a slightly crooked circle around Xiao Ling.

A few minutes later, the Shorekeeper got off his bicycle, his eyes still showing a hint of lingering enjoyment.

"It feels... very interesting," she said, nodding with a smile.

"You learn faster than I did! It took me two hours to get to this level back then," Xiao Ling praised.

"It's all thanks to your excellent teaching, A-Ling."

"It's not entirely my doing; you're quite quick to grasp the essentials," Xiao Ling said with a smile. "Since we're already like this, why don't we strike while the iron is hot?"

"Hmm?" The Shorekeeper was curious about what Xiao Ling meant by "strike while the iron is hot."

"Ride a short distance along this road," Xiao Ling gestured to the Shorekeeper. "It's okay to go slowly, safety first."

"Good."

So the training location was moved to a straight road not far away. The Shorekeeper pushed off with all his might, and the bicycle moved forward slowly and steadily.

Xiao Ling jogged behind her, partly to Shorekeeper's condition while riding her Shorekeeper encountered any danger.

As the bicycles traveled further and further, the Shorekeeper became increasingly adept at their work.

Most beginners, after experiencing the sweetness of success, are eager to go further, which also increases the risk of accidents.

The Shorekeeper had just picked up his pace a little when a little girl came running towards him and, coincidentally, blocked his way.

So she braked suddenly, but due to the slippery ground, the friction between the tires and the ground was greatly reduced, causing the tires to lock up. The entire bicycle began to slide sideways instantly, and the Shorekeeper also fell to the right side of the bicycle.

But she wasn't worried about getting hurt because--

With a thud, the Shorekeeper landed precisely in a warm embrace.

"Wow... that was close... my Shorekeeper almost fell to the ground..." Xiao Ling said, rubbing her chest.

His body heat seeped into his body through his skin, allowing the Shorekeeper to once again feel that long-lost warmth and peace of mind, and his cheeks became a little rosy.

"A little tip: in this situation, slowing down in advance is more effective than emergency braking!" Xiao Ling said seriously. "If all else fails, you can simply stomp on the ground to stop the bike."

"Yes, I understand," the Shorekeeper said softly.

Just then, the little girl who had been blocking their way seemed to realize her mistake and came over to apologize to them, looking somewhat ashamed.

"Um... big brother, big sister, I'm sorry... I didn't mean to..."

The Shorekeeper shook his head and said gently, "Sister is alright, big brother protected me very well."

"I'm so glad you're alright, big sister!" the little girl said with a shy smile. "My mom said that if you do something wrong, you should apologize, so here, this is for you!"

She took one of the hair clips off her hair and handed it to the Shorekeeper, her expression suggesting she was somewhat reluctant to part with it.

Just as the Shorekeeper was about to refuse, Xiao Ling reached out and took the hair clip, then handed the little girl a few White Rabbit milk candies.

"You're a good child who admits her mistakes and corrects them. Good children get candy." Xiao Ling patted the little girl's head.

"Thank you, big brother!" After the little girl unwrapped one piece of the candy and ate it, she put the rest into her pocket. "I have to go back now, my mom is waiting for me! Goodbye, you two look like a perfect match!"

After watching the little girl walk away, the Shorekeeper looked at Xiao Ling with a hint of reproach.

She seems to really like that hair clip.

"I know, but this is her intention. Since she mustered up the courage to offer something important to her as an apology, I naturally won't let her kindness go to waste," Xiao Ling explained with a smile.

"Here, I'll put this hair clip on you."

The Shorekeeper hesitated for a moment, then obediently let Xiao Ling help her put the hair clip in her hair.

"Hmm, looks pretty good." Xiao Ling nodded, seemingly quite satisfied with the current appearance of the Shorekeeper.

Then, he took out his phone and snapped a picture of the current Shorekeeper.

Hajiling was about to send the photos to the group chat when Aemeath suddenly tagged him in the group.

Aemeath: @Xiao Ling, where have you been again, A-Yu?! We have a new roommate!

"We should go back."

"Now?" the Shorekeeper chuckled.

"Okay, let's go meet our new roommate," Xiao Ling said with a smile.