507. On the Bus 【6/40】
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Lin Nan originally thought that this camping trip was just Zheng Qian picking some random mountain for the students to climb.
But upon further consideration, that seemed unlikely; after all, as a counselor, if Zheng Qian didn’t prioritize the students’ safety, he might as well kiss his career goodbye!
On Saturday, Lin Nan and Chen Yao stood at the school gate waiting.
They didn’t bring much with them, having no clue what to expect on their first camping trip. Just a backpack stuffed with a few light summer clothes, mosquito spray, and two portable chargers.
After giving it some thought for a few days, Lin Nan decided it was time to leave a memory of her college life, and this collective activity with her classmates seemed like a good option.
Since the trip was for hiking and not just a cozy little getaway, Lin Nan intentionally wore a pair of knee-length shorts, a loose white tee, tied her hair in a ponytail, and donned a baseball cap. She looked like a sporty girl, all lively and youthful.
Chen Yao couldn’t stop glancing at Lin Nan’s well-shaped, fair calves. They didn’t seem swollen or muscular, just a subtle curve, making him uncontrollably want to give them a squeeze!
When they reached the gate, they spotted quite a few classmates hanging around. Lin Nan looked around and was surprised to see Tu Junhui leaning against the guardhouse wall, looking as if he just rolled out of bed.
“Wow, Tu Tu actually came?” Lin Nan said, surprised. “Where’s Xiong Da? He’s not joining?”
“He went to buy water.”
“You two shut-ins actually decided to come?” Lin Nan’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Tu Junhui scratched his head, looking sleepy, and sighed, “You have no idea how annoying Lin Kexin is. She’s been calling me at midnight for days trying to convince me! I almost thought I had a girlfriend.”
“Forty-some people from the class are going. Xiong Da saw almost everyone was going, so he just signed up too.”
Lin Nan teased, “Maybe Lin Kexin’s got a crush on you?”
“Yeah, right! I wouldn’t even date myself! If Lin Kexin really liked me, that would just mean she has zero taste.” Tu Junhui looked toward the girls’ dorm, where Lin Kexin was walking over with a group of girls. When she caught his gaze, she waved at him enthusiastically.
The chubby guy’s face turned red, and he quickly looked away, continuing to brag to Lin Nan, “Let me tell you, back in high school, I took two months off and, including summer vacation, hiked around the Inner Mongolia Grassland! I’m a pro at this camping stuff!”
“If it weren’t for that impulsive decision, I might’ve been able to get into Tsinghua or Peking University.”
His bragging was top-notch, but Lin Nan wasn’t buying any of it.
She turned around to check back on Chen Yao, stretched out, and comfortably leaned against the “human chair”: “Chen Yao, I think Tu Tu might have a crush on Kexin. He just blushed!”
“Can you blame him? Seeing a pretty girl wave at you would make anyone blush!”
“Well, I’m not blushing when I see you.”
“Not the same!” Tu Junhui glanced up and down at Lin Nan disdainfully, turning his head to the side.
Fuming with irritation, Lin Nan raised her foot to kick him but was startled by the roar of a bus engine from behind. She dropped her foot, turned around, and saw a big bus parked on the road at the school gate.
Zheng Qian seemingly appeared out of nowhere, opening the luggage compartment on the side of the bus: “Students with luggage, put your big stuff in here! Everyone else, hop on quickly, don’t block the road!”
Chen Yao tossed his backpack into the luggage compartment, while Lin Nan, with her small shoulder bag, excitedly dashed onto the bus.
She hurriedly claimed a window seat in the second-to-last row, rolled down the window, poked her head out, and called, “Chen Yao, hurry up!”
“Coming!”
Chen Yao walked up in the queue, sat beside Lin Nan, and turned to see his girlfriend frowning, looking a bit uncomfortable.
“What’s wrong?”
“I feel a bit carsick.” Lin Nan pinched her nose, her brows knitted, “This bus smells way too much like gasoline!”
Although she normally didn’t get carsick, she couldn’t stand the smell of gasoline. If the smell of hospital disinfectant was just distasteful, gasoline was practically lethal for her.
That’s why she snatched a window seat as soon as she got on the bus.
Chen Yao pulled out a pack of gum from his pocket and offered it to Lin Nan: “Maybe some gum will help?”
“Too bad the convenience store didn’t have some sour olives; that would’ve worked well,” he said, glancing at Tu Junhui and Xiong Da in the back. Once the aisle was clear, he stood up and said, “I’ll go see if there are plastic bags available, just in case you need to hurl.”
“Okay.”
Lin Nan gazed out the window as the bus finally started moving, the wind blowing in through the open window, barely dispersing the gasoline smell swirling around her nose.
She let out a sigh of relief and chewed on a mint-flavored gum, finally relaxing her tight brows.
Chen Yao returned and stuffed a black plastic bag into Lin Nan’s hands with a smile, saying, “Zheng Qian said it’ll take about an hour. If you can sleep through it, do so, and by the time we arrive, it’ll be lunch!”
However, as the gasoline smell faded, Lin Nan grew increasingly excited. She grabbed the back of the seat in front of her, leaning forward to survey the fun happening inside the bus.
The vehicle was buzzing with excitement, as classmates chatted animatedly with familiar friends about who-knows-what.
Maybe because she was peeking out, a girl in the front seat turned around and offered Lin Nan a bag of chips: “Wanna snack?”
“Thanks!” Lin Nan reached out and grabbed a few chips.
Cucumber flavor…
Her face turned into a bitter melon as she awkwardly sank back into her seat, forcing a smile, “Tasty!”
“What’s up?” Chen Yao asked, trying not to laugh at her expression.
Lin Nan made a sour face and fished into Chen Yao’s pocket.
Chen Yao liked wearing loose sports pants with roomy pockets, so this time, most of the snacks they bought were stuffed there and in her shoulder bag.
Pulling out a small pack of crispy noodles, Lin Nan looked up only to see Chen Yao’s face slightly flushed.
Confused, she looked back down and noticed Chen Yao had propped up one leg.
A teasing grin crept across her face as she leaned closer, her cherry lips nearly against Chen Yao’s ear, and whispered, “Playing hard to get?”
Chen Yao’s ears were always sensitive, and Lin Nan’s breath tickled him, making him squirm. He turned his head and promptly pushed her back.
“Stop it.”
“Who’s causing trouble?” Lin Nan felt a rush of joy from teasing him, her smile growing even brighter, “Most of the time, it’s you messing around!”
