Chapter 21: Unexpected Encounters on the Lijiang Bus

Tap, tap, tap~

As three sets of light footsteps departed the cafeteria, a familiar tranquility finally settled once more over Cafeteria D of Yunqi Academy.

Having just decided to travel to Lijiang, Ye Yu, Tang Yue, and Huangpu Pingqing returned to their respective dorm rooms to pack the necessities for their journey.

Creak~

The door to Dorm 404 opened with a soft sound.

Ye Yu, clutching the rented books, finally returned to his dorm room after a day filled with too many events.

According to his timetable, Dorm 404 should have been empty this afternoon, as there were no classes scheduled.

Yet, neither Jie Cheng nor Old Huang were present.

The entire dorm was eerily quiet, feeling rather desolate.

Ye Yu, as their roommate, was accustomed to such situations.

After all, at this hour, kindergarten was about to let out. Jie Cheng was likely already at the entrance, selflessly intercepting vehicles and directing traffic for the little lolis.

As for Old Huang, he was probably already driving his Cadillac to the bathhouse, taking advantage of the free time.

Usually, Ye Yu would feel a slight thrill when the dorm was empty. Today, however, he felt a touch of disappointment.

After the ‘keyboard warrior’ incident this morning and the ‘playboy’ incident in the cafeteria, Ye Yu genuinely wanted to consult Old Huang, a seasoned veteran well-versed in the ways of women.

He desperately needed to understand what was truly going on with his wife, Tang Yue, and her attitude. However, with his strategist absent, he had no choice but to abandon the idea.

As for why he didn’t just call for advice? Ye Yu, who had tried calling before, knew better.

Old Huang was a busy man, and calling him during his ‘busy’ times was sure to incur his wrath.

With both roommates gone and no one to vent to, Ye Yu took a brief rest before starting to pack.

Truthfully, a boy’s luggage was far less extensive than a girl’s. An all-in-one shower gel for face, hair, and body, a toothbrush and toothpaste, and a change of clothes—that was all it took.

Ye Yu took only five minutes to gather these items and place them all into his ‘backpack.’

The backpack provided by Yunqi Academy was surprisingly spacious.

Even with these items packed, and a ‘Be Your Meow’ outfit tucked into a hidden compartment, there was still ample space left.

Considering the nearly four-hour drive from Nanyun to Lijiang, Ye Yu decided to tuck the ‘history book’ he had just rented from the library into the backpack as well, simply to ward off boredom.

It was undeniable that boys were several times faster than girls when it came to gathering and organizing resources. This wasn’t necessarily due to superior efficiency, but rather, in a sense, because girls tended to be far more meticulous in their planning than boys.

At the bus station beside Yunqi Academy, Ye Yu, having finished packing in the male dorms, waited for nearly half an hour before Tang Yue and Huangpu Pingqing finally appeared, walking hand-in-hand.

Unlike Ye Yu’s simple setup of one person and one backpack, Tang Yue was relatively light, carrying only a suitcase and a parasol.

Huangpu Pingqing, however, was a sight to behold, with a large backpack strapped to her back, a suitcase in her left hand, and a huge assortment of colorful snacks in her right. She was, in a word, extravagant.

“Lijiang, Lijiang, Lijiang! Just ten more people, and we’re off!” A loud shout echoed through the bus station as the three reunited in front of the terminal.

This was an era of demons. Unlike trains, which were controlled by the military and relatively safe, buses were often privately operated by individuals.

While their routes mostly ran within the city and its outskirts, and military garrisons were usually present, no one could guarantee that residual demonic threats wouldn’t emerge during the journey.

Thus, for safety, each bus carried an awakened ability user as a guarantor. This implicitly increased the operating cost of the buses.

Therefore, every bus tried to fill all its seats to control costs, rather than adhering to a fixed departure schedule.

As a husband and a gentleman, Ye Yu instinctively moved to take Tang Yue’s luggage before boarding. Unexpectedly, Tang Yue handed him Huangpu Pingqing’s pink suitcase instead, making a direct request.

“Husband, please help me and your ‘little wife’ with our luggage!”

Having returned to the dorm earlier, Tang Yue had already changed out of her mission sportswear and into a refreshing light green dress.

The pale green hue, coupled with the faint smile on her fair face, enveloped Tang Yue in an aura of pure innocence. As the summer breeze ruffled her dress, it occasionally revealed glimpses of her slender, snow-white legs, a mesmerizing sight.

Faced with his beautiful wife’s request, Ye Yu felt that something was amiss on all fronts. Yet, by the time he regained his senses, two suitcases had already appeared in his hands. Tang Yue, meanwhile, had already boarded the bus, pulling a dazed Huangpu Pingqing along with her.

“Young man, you’re quite something! Two girlfriends at once?” As Ye Yu approached the bus’s side compartment, he heard a hearty voice beside him before he could even place the luggage inside. Turning his head, Ye Yu realized it was the bus conductor who had been shouting earlier.

Feeling the man’s envious gaze, Ye Yu shook his head with a complex mix of emotions.

If he had a choice, he wouldn’t want this ‘honor.’ After all, even now, as a pure-love advocate, Ye Yu still hadn’t figured out his wife Tang Yue’s true intentions.

Was she angry, or was she just pouting? How could he even describe the feeling?

It was as if he had a ticking time bomb strapped to him, and the remote control was firmly in Tang Yue’s hands.

Ye Yu now felt utterly terrified in every sense of the word.

Heave-ho~

He exerted all his strength to lift the suitcases into the bus compartment. Here, Ye Yu had to mention that while children’s clothes were soft and light, that didn’t mean a girl’s suitcase was light. Ye Yu roughly estimated that the two suitcases combined were at least fifteen times heavier than his own backpack, weighing no less than twenty kilograms.

After considerable effort, he managed to hoist one suitcase in. Just as Ye Yu prepared to lift the second, a sudden burst of barks erupted from the enclosed pet cage on the left side of the bus.

Woof, woof, woof~~ Bark, bark, bark~

The source of the commotion was a handsome husky with clear eyes that appeared incredibly pure-blooded. The husky was frantically stretching its front paws outwards, straining its head towards Ye Yu, even getting its head stuck in the cage, its eyes bulging, making it look even more ‘pure.’

Ye Yu was momentarily stunned by the husky’s appearance. Huskies were known for their gentle nature, so why was this one so aggressive now? Could it be that even the husky thought he was a playboy and wanted to bite him?

However, before Ye Yu could interact with the husky, he heard the conductor’s voice beside him.

“Young man, are you done with the luggage? The bus is full, it’s time to depart!” Hearing the prompt, Ye Yu could only set aside the agitated husky and make his way onto the bus.

The Nanyun-Lijiang bus was not particularly large, featuring only forty standard seats arranged in pairs.

Upon boarding, Ye Yu immediately began searching for his wife, Tang Yue.

Since the bus was small and both Tang Yue and Huangpu Pingqing possessed striking beauty, Ye Yu quickly located them by following the amazed gazes of the other passengers.

However, as he drew closer, Ye Yu was overcome by an ominous premonition.

Huangpu Pingqing, the love rival who had occupied his wife’s seat, appeared to be in quite a foul mood. Upon closer inspection, her amber eyes held a mix of malice and worry as she peered towards the seat behind her.

Seeing this unusual reaction, Ye Yu instinctively looked in that direction. And with that single glance, Ye Yu felt a headache brewing.

For the person sitting behind Huangpu Pingqing was none other than Yang Wei, whom he had encountered at the library this morning. His left seat was conspicuously empty.

Witnessing this scene, Ye Yu felt his head swell. This… this was truly an unfortunate coincidence, a path far too narrow indeed!