Compared to planes, Luo Ye preferred taking high-speed trains and regular trains.
Planes were too cramped, and sitting for hours in a tiny seat was stifling.
Of course, first class was an exception, but the price was several times higher. While not lacking the financial means, Luo Ye didn't want to spend that much just for a means of transportation.
The high-speed train sped through the tracks, and the scenery outside rushed past—lakes, viaducts, tunnels, and mountains.
The journey wasn't long, but Luo Ye hadn't eaten dinner during the ride. By the time he got off, he was nearly starving.
Although he wasn't sure about other authors, he personally loved to visit more places and see more sights; this way, he could write more exciting stories.
This time, he'd come to Hangzhou, and even though he could only explore the city for a bit, he would be satisfied.
However, Hangzhou had a famous nickname.
It was known as the "food desert."
Luo Ye went to a restaurant, eager to try the city's signature dish—West Lake Vinegar Fish.
When he ordered, the waiter gave him an odd look and quietly asked, "Handsome, is this your first time in Hangzhou?"
"Yeah, just got here," Luo Ye replied, confused. "Why?"
"Nothing, just… West Lake Vinegar Fish, one order."
The waiter left, giving him a sympathetic glance.
When the waiter returned, he carried a plate with the fish.
Luo Ye looked at the dish, thinking it didn't look bad, so he took a small bite.
In that moment, his brows furrowed.
Though he wasn't a cook, this fish was terrible.
Not only did it taste awful, but it was also expensive—200 yuan for a single fish!
Looking at the fish's lifeless expression on the plate, Luo Ye sighed and poked its eye with his chopsticks.
"Fish brother, I bet you never imagined you'd be made into such a terrible dish after your death," he muttered.
Reluctantly, he ate it all, despite the awful taste, and went to pay at the front desk.
The cashier, noticing his handsome and somewhat innocent face, kindly reminded him, "If you're new to Hangzhou, you should check out the street vendors, like Lan Zhou Ramen or He Li Lao. If not, there's always Sha County."
Luo Ye nodded seriously.
That was solid advice.
After leaving the restaurant, he decided to find a hotel to stay the night.
He checked into a room, lay down on the bed, and checked his phone. He opened up the chat with the "fairy senior" (a nickname for his crush) to ask what she was up to.
Meanwhile, Su Baizhou had just finished taking a shower at her teacher's apartment.
She'd already booked her train ticket to go home the next morning, so she wasn't planning to stay up late.
But if it wasn't for her mother being at home, she really wouldn't want to go back.
Her parents' relationship was far from good—her mother was in poor health and needed care, but her father never bothered to help.
Her mother, who had once been an incredible beauty, was constantly doubted by her father, leading to emotional and even physical abuse.
When Su Baizhou was little, her mother quit her job simply because she had admirers at work.
The doubt didn't end, and her mother left her career to prove her innocence, but this only made things worse.
As her mother's health declined, her father's indifference grew.
By the time Su Baizhou graduated from high school and was being slandered by a suitor, her father didn't defend her—he even said something that left her speechless:
"You and your mother are alike, always seducing men."
Su Baizhou bit her lip, feeling frustrated as she thought about returning home.
She lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling, waiting for a message from Luo Ye.
When the message alert finally rang, she looked down at her phone and saw his question.
"What are you doing?"
She looked at the ceiling, snapped a photo of it, and sent it.
Luo Ye was momentarily puzzled by the photo.
It showed only the ceiling and a light, looking like the sun.
He could easily picture Su Baizhou lying on her bed, holding her phone with both hands, staring at the screen and taking the photo.
Although the picture didn't have much meaning, chatting with someone you liked didn't need to make sense.
If you needed a topic to keep the conversation going, it usually meant the other person wasn't as interested.
But when two people genuinely like each other, they often find themselves thinking about what to say next, even over the smallest details, like a random photo.
Luo Ye: "Senior, I bet your phone's getting heavy. You're lying on your side with your left leg crossed over your right."
Just as he sent the message, Su Baizhou turned in bed, crossing her left leg over her right.
When the message alert rang again, she looked at it, surprised that Luo Ye had guessed correctly.
She then rolled over to the other side and crossed her right leg over her left.
Fairy Senior: "Wrong guess."
After sending the message, she snapped a quick photo of her legs and sent it to him as proof.
When Luo Ye saw it, he was greeted by a close-up of long, smooth, flawless legs.
Her skin was so soft-looking, especially after her shower, and she was wearing shorts, so most of her legs were exposed.
However, she quickly deleted the photo.
Su Baizhou's face turned bright red.
How on earth had she sent that?
She'd only wanted to prove Luo Ye wrong, but she hadn't considered the implications.
For just a split second, she hoped he hadn't seen it.
But then, a strange feeling of regret crept in—maybe he had seen it after all.
She'd always kept her perfect figure to herself, never showing it off to anyone.
Even when she went out, she wore long pants or skirts, never anything that revealed too much.
She thought to herself, if Luo Ye really hadn't seen the photo, maybe she would feel a little disappointed.
But if he had… Su Baizhou couldn't help but feel a bit flustered.
No response came from Luo Ye.
She panicked and sent another message.
Fairy Senior: "What are you doing?"
It took a while, but Luo Ye finally replied: "I didn't see anything."
But the more he denied it, the more Su Baizhou was certain that he had indeed seen it.
Feeling embarrassed, she tossed and turned in bed, trying to distract herself.
The conversation between them continued with new topics flowing freely.
Without realizing it, Su Baizhou felt more relaxed and the weight of her frustrations seemed to lift.
She wasn't looking forward to going home, where she always faced judgment.
Thinking back to when she had just graduated high school and was cruelly criticized, Su Baizhou felt a heaviness in her heart.