When it was still just twilight the next day, Zhao Yuxuan got up early. The temporary shelter where he stayed was very shabby, with only a dilapidated bedroll and a thin quilt. First, he carefully found a relatively hidden corner and carefully stored these simple beddings and quilts that could bring him a little warmth, as if they were the most precious things to him at the moment. Then, he took a deep breath and walked towards the Xingyao Transportation Hub.
After yesterday's exploration, he had also gained some experience of surviving in this place. Thus, a special strategy - the "handsome - guy strategy" - formed in his mind. He silently planned the specific implementation of this "handsome - guy strategy" in his heart: specifically looking for younger women who were fashionably dressed. He thought that these women might be more easily impressed by his appearance. Then, he would use his sincerest smile and earnest words to offer porter services to them and raise the porterage fee as much as possible. After all, he was in great need of money right now.
It turned out that the "handsome - guy strategy" also worked in the porterage industry. Zhao Yuxuan tried hard to hide all the sadness and downfall in his heart. He was well aware of his current situation, but he didn't want others to see his vulnerability. He deliberately bought a small glass mirror at a street stall, then walked to a place with tap water and combed his hair neatly with the cold tap water. Looking at himself in the mirror, although his face looked a bit haggard, he still managed to force a brilliant smile. After carefully grooming himself in this way, he began to look for targets in the Xingyao Transportation Hub. He showed his brightest and most charming smile to one young woman after another carrying items, and asked with perfect gentlemanly manners whether they needed his services. His eyes were full of anticipation, and he didn't even let go of fifteen - or sixteen - year - old girls. When those women or girls saw his kind and friendly smile, almost no one bargained over the price he quoted. In this way, for the same porterage business, Zhao Yuxuan earned nearly twice as much money as yesterday. At the end of the day, after deducting all kinds of expenses, he actually made fifty yuan. He calculated secretly in his heart that at this rate of making money, he would soon be able to take the train to Xiling. That was the place he yearned for in his heart, as if there was new hope for him there.
Days passed like flowing water. In the blink of an eye, ten days had passed. Zhao Yuxuan had already saved eight hundred yuan in his hand. Looking at the stack of money in his hand, which was not thick but was full of his own sweat, his heart was full of emotions. Seeing that there were only three or four days left until the goal of one thousand yuan, a firm look flashed in his eyes. He told himself that he must hold on.
During these ten days, Zhao Yuxuan quickly became a little focus in the Xingyao Transportation Hub. He always chose items that didn't seem too heavy to carry, but he charged the highest porterage fees. Whenever the same target customer appeared, other porters simply couldn't compete with him. The looks those porters gave him were already full of strangeness, with jealousy, doubt, and disdain.
However, among these numerous gazes, there was one pair of eyes worth mentioning, that was Long Yue's eyes.
Long Yue was an eighteen - year - old girl. For some reasons, she dropped out of school and stayed at home. Now she helped her parents sell boxed meals at the Xingyao Transportation Hub. She had a cute apple - shaped face. Her round face was like a freshly ripened apple, with a faint blush. Her eyes were round and bright, just like two crystal - clear grapes, embedded in that cute face. She was very beautiful. However, because she had been outdoors for a long time and had been exposed to the sun a lot, her skin looked a bit dark. And when she opened her mouth, a small tiger - tooth would be revealed. This small tiger - tooth not only did not destroy her beauty, but instead made her look more playful and cute, so everyone affectionately called her Long Yue. Her boxed meals were very delicious, and the price was reasonable. Coupled with her sweet smile, many young porters liked to buy boxed meals from her. Her family's boxed - meal business was also better than others'. Zhao Yuxuan even secretly guessed whether Long Yue's parents were also using the "beauty strategy" to attract business like he did.
As soon as Zhao Yuxuan appeared in the Xingyao Transportation Hub, he was like a bright pearl in the dark, standing out among all the vulgar porters. When Long Yue saw him for the first time, she couldn't help but like him. In her eyes, Zhao Yuxuan was like the Prince Charming in her dreams. That kind of temperament was what other porters didn't have. However, except for coming to buy boxed meals, Zhao Yuxuan never said an extra word to Long Yue. Even if Long Yue deliberately found topics to ask him, he just remained silent, as if there was an invisible wall in his heart, blocking Long Yue out. Long Yue was very angry about this. She didn't understand why her enthusiasm was always so coldly treated. But every time she pushed the fast - food cart onto the platform, she couldn't help but look for Zhao Yuxuan's figure. Her eyes constantly searched in the crowd. As long as she saw Zhao Yuxuan's figure, her heart would involuntarily beat faster. And every time Zhao Yuxuan came to buy a boxed meal, Long Yue would always quietly take it out from under the fast - food cart for him. There would always be either an extra golden - fried chicken leg in the boxed meal. The skin of the fried chicken leg was fried golden and crispy, emitting an inviting aroma; or there would be some white and fresh fish balls. The fish balls were round and plump, looking very appetizing.
Zhao Yuxuan also unceremoniously accepted these extra gifts, but he still didn't talk to Long Yue. This made Long Yue extremely angry. Sometimes she really wanted to use her small tiger - tooth to bite him hard on the shoulder, so that he would know her dissatisfaction. But angry as she was, the thing of adding more dishes to his boxed meal every day had never stopped. She didn't even know why herself. She just couldn't help but be nice to him.
Another day passed. This day was both extremely lucky and extremely unlucky for Zhao Yuxuan.
He was lucky because he met a fat woman. This fat woman was not very old, probably only in her thirties. Her skin was white and tender, as smooth as a freshly shelled egg. Her facial features were also quite good, but she was a bit short in stature and her figure was really plump. The whole person looked like a round ball. She was only carrying a small suitcase that didn't seem heavy in her hand. Zhao Yuxuan walked up with a slightly tired but still sincere smile on his face, thinking of giving it a try, and gently asked her if she needed him to help carry the suitcase. The fat woman stared at him for a long time. There was a hint of curiosity and scrutiny in her eyes. Then, without even asking the price, she readily agreed. Along the way, she kept asking Zhao Yuxuan all kinds of questions. Zhao Yuxuan was a bit helpless in his heart. He didn't want to expose his situation too much, so he had to make up some words randomly to deal with her. He was a bit nervous in his heart, afraid of being seen through his lies by this fat woman.
When they reached the outside of the square of the Xingyao Transportation Hub, a white car came to pick up this fat woman. The car shone brightly in the sun and looked very luxurious. Before getting into the car, the fat woman handed Zhao Yuxuan two things. One was a one - hundred - yuan bill, which was brand - new and stiff; the other was a business card. The address on the business card was an entertainment city named Happy World, and she also said that he could go to work there, ensuring that it would be much more decent than being a porter at the Xingyao Transportation Hub and that he would earn more than ten times the money he was making now. Zhao Yuxuan knew in his heart what the fat woman wanted him to do. A hint of hesitation flashed in his heart, but he quickly became firm. He kept the one - hundred - yuan bill and then threw away the business card without hesitation. He knew that some money couldn't be earned. He wanted to earn clean money through his own efforts and sweat.
He was unlucky because he met another woman - Zhao Yaxuan.
At that time, he saw a slim, brightly - dressed, long - haired girl on the platform. Her figure was as tall and graceful as a model's, and every step she took seemed to carry a unique rhythm. Her clothes were brightly colored and fashionable, and her long hair floated in the wind like black satin. She was dragging a suitcase in one hand and carrying a travel bag in the other, walking ahead. Zhao Yuxuan trotted over, gently patted her on the shoulder, and said with a smile on his face and politely, "Miss, hello. May I ask if you need me to help you with your luggage?" There was a hint of anticipation in his voice. After all, this might be another good business deal.
After hearing the voice, the girl turned around. Zhao Yuxuan immediately recognized that she was Zhao Yaxuan. She was a former roommate of Chen Shihan. She was tall and graceful, with snow - white skin, just like the first snow in winter, pure and flawless. Her eyes were a bit like a fox's, very smart. When her eyeballs rolled, it seemed that there was endless slyness. Her nose was straight, like a mountain standing in the middle of her face. Her mouth was small and charming, and she was also a member of the dance team in Zhixing Academy. Over the years, following Chen Shihan, she had also freeloaded a lot at his place. A small part of Zhao Yuxuan's debts in the grocery stores in Zhixing Academy was because of her.
Seeing Zhao Yuxuan, whose clothes were already a bit yellowish - black and who was still wearing a red vest, Zhao Yaxuan was stunned, or even shocked. Her eyes opened wide, as if she had seen something incredible. After a while, she came to her senses and exclaimed, "Zhao Yuxuan, it's you." There was a hint of disbelief in her voice.
Zhao Yuxuan hadn't expected to meet Zhao Yaxuan here either. He guessed that she had come back home for something. Hearing her call out like this, and thinking of his current embarrassed appearance, Zhao Yuxuan's face flushed red all of a sudden, like a ripe apple. In a panic, he just stupidly said, "It's not me, it's not me." After saying that, he wanted to turn around and run away. His heart was full of shame. He didn't want Zhao Yaxuan to see him in this state.
But at this time, Zhao Yaxuan dropped the things in her hands and immediately blocked in front of him, glaring at him with her alluring fox - like eyes and said, "Zhao Yuxuan, I know it's you. Don't run." There was a hint of complex emotions in her eyes, including surprise, doubt, and also a trace of concern.
Zhao Yuxuan had no way to avoid it, so he could only bite the bullet and stand there, nodding and saying, "It's me. So what?" There was a hint of stubbornness in his tone. He didn't want to show his vulnerability in front of Zhao Yaxuan.
Zhao Yaxuan stared blankly at Zhao Yuxuan's somewhat haggard and thin face and murmured, "How could this be? How did you become like this? How could Chen Shihan let you be like this? Zhao Yuxuan, this isn't you. It shouldn't be you." Her heart was full of doubts and confusion. In her impression, Zhao Yuxuan had always been a pampered person. How could he be working as a porter here? As she was talking, her eyes turned red and there were actually tears glistening in them. She felt a bit sorry for Zhao Yuxuan in her heart. Although she used to freeload a lot at his place through Chen Shihan, she didn't want to see him in this state either.
In Zhao Yuxuan's impression, this Zhao Yaxuan was quite fond of taking advantage of others, but he had never minded the fact that she had made him be the sucker through Chen Shihan. Seeing the tears in Zhao Yaxuan's fox - like eyes, he knew that she didn't mean to despise or laugh at him, and a warm feeling couldn't help but well up in his heart. But he said coldly, "What do you mean this isn't me? What's wrong with me being like this? I'm making money through my own labor, by myself, do you understand?" Although his tone was cold and hard, there was a trace of emotion in his heart. After all, at this time, Zhao Yaxuan didn't laugh at him.
Zhao Yaxuan still couldn't accept this reality in front of her eyes and kept shaking her head, saying, "No, no. You were so delicate and so clean - loving. How could you come to do such a thing? How could you endure such hardship? You're so pitiful, too pitiful." There was a hint of choking in her voice, and tears had slowly flowed down her snow - white cheeks.
Hearing the word "pitiful", Zhao Yuxuan's heart seemed to be stabbed hard by a needle, and his tone became even colder and harder as he said, "I'm not pitiful, and I don't need others' pity, Zhao Yaxuan. Do you want me to carry your things?" He didn't want to be sympathized with. He wanted to stand up on his own strength.
Zhao Yaxuan looked at his face, wiped her tears, and nodded gently without saying anything more, as if she was afraid of hurting him again.
Zhao Yuxuan said again, "Good. To the transportation hub to Zhixing Academy, ten yuan. Not a penny less." His tone was firm without any hesitation.
Zhao Yaxuan nodded again.
Zhao Yuxuan then went to pick up the suitcase and the travel bag. Zhao Yaxuan quickly came over to take the travel bag, but was pushed away by him. He said, "I've charged you enough money, so I have to do enough work. You're just my customer, understand?" He wanted Zhao Yaxuan to know that now there was only a customer - porter relationship between them.
After saying that, he strode forward. His steps were firm and powerful. Zhao Yaxuan had no choice but to follow silently behind.
Along the way, the two were silent. Only the sound of their footsteps echoed on the quiet road. When they reached the transportation hub, Zhao Yuxuan took the ten yuan, didn't even look at Zhao Yaxuan again, and turned around and left. His back looked a bit lonely, but also revealed a kind of stubbornness.
After returning to the Xingyao Transportation Hub, Zhao Yuxuan suddenly made a decision. He would go to Xiling tomorrow. He couldn't stay in Xingling City any longer. He felt that there was nothing left here worthy of his nostalgia. He wanted to go to a new place and start his life anew.