Chapter 82 Part 1

With only 5 days off, subtracting the travel time, there wasn't much time left for Yan Hang and Chu Yi's 'trip'. Yan Hang felt a little bad for Chu Yi. This was his first time traveling far from home, yet they didn't go to any real 'attractions'.

But Chu Yi didn't care where they went, what they saw, or what they did.

"To quote you," Chu Yi said, "a trip is not just a name, it also depends on who you're with. Going out with you is a trip no matter what."

"You sure know how to talk," Yan Hang smiled.

"Don't underestimate a stutterer," Chu Yi nodded.

"We don't have tickets, so let's just buy a cable car ticket to go up the mountain," Yan Hang said. "That fits your criteria, right?"

"That depends on how much the cable car costs," Chu Yi took out his phone. "Let me check if there are any discounts."

Ever since discovering that paying online was always cheaper than paying on site, Chu Yi would look for deals everywhere they went.

Yan Hang didn't mind saving money, but was too lazy to bother. With Chu Yi around to pinch pennies, things worked out well.

Thinking back, all the extra money he had spent traveling around aimlessly with his dad out of laziness and inconvenience could probably scare Chu Yi out of his wits.

"I've never taken a cable car before," Chu Yi said nervously as they waited in line. "What if I'm afraid of heights?"

"I just saw pictures, it's not very high," Yan Hang said. "If you get scared, kneel before me crying 'save me Brother Xiao Tian', and I'll hold you tight."

"No need," Chu Yi replied. "You don't need an excuse to hold me, you just grab me whenever you feel like it."

"I'm going to push you off halfway through," Yan Hang threatened.

Chu Yi laughed for a long time. When no one was looking, he gave Yan Hang a quick hug. "But I do want you to hold me."

"I'm telling you," Yan Hang said, "I'll make you run alongside the cable car up the mountain later."

The cable car was quite interesting, with one car after another constantly moving along the line. The two girls ahead of them were scaredy cats, running desperately for two rides before one finally got on. The other one couldn't seem to make it no matter what. Watching her companion disappear into the distance, she kept yelling "Wait for me, wait for me!"

In the end a staff member half carried, half dragged her on. They were drenched in sweat by the time they turned to Yan Hang and Chu Yi yelling "Hurry up!"

Chu Yi felt like he and Yan Hang flashed onto the cable car in an instant. The staff member nodded in great satisfaction.

"Take pictures," Chu Yi handed his phone to Yan Hang.

After a few days of touring, his phone was almost full. He had to spend half an hour every night at the hotel deleting photos.

"You're not selfie-ing today?" Yan Hang took the phone and leaned back. "Weren't you really into selfies before?"

"What's the point with you here," Chu Yi smiled.

After Yan Hang took a few pictures, they huddled together for a group selfie.

As Yan Hang held up his phone, Chu Yi noticed through the screen that the girl in the cable car behind them was taking pictures of them with her phone.

"She's secretly taking photos," he whispered.

"Let her," Yan Hang said. "We're not ugly."

"What kind of logic is that," Chu Yi laughed at the screen.

"Handsome guy logic," Yan Hang declared. "You wouldn't understand."

The view at the mountain top was quite nice, with rolling hills on one side and the city on the other.

Chu Yi thought it was beautiful. Three years ago he probably wouldn't have appreciated it, but people change over time. The more you see and experience, the more you understand.

Yan Hang took a few steps back and held up his phone to take a picture of Chu Yi against the view. Chu Yi turned around, "Going live?"

"No livestream," Yan Hang smiled. "Just a photo."

"The front desk girl at our hotel will scream," Chu Yi said.

"Yeah," Yan Hang nodded. "She didn't even dare come say hi the past two days. Probably too shy. She only dares to yell in the comments. A lot of people are like that in real life."

"Posted it?" Chu Yi came over to look.

"What's the rush," Yan Hang said. "Being so narcissistic now, just waiting for people to call you handsome?"

"Yup," Chu Yi answered honestly.

Yan Hang tsked. "At this rate who knows where you'll be in two years. No sense of security at all."

He posted the photo on Weibo.

"With you, I feel secure," Chu Yi said. "What do you have to feel insecure about?"

"What do you mean?" Yan Hang looked at him.

"Handsome, capable, competent, easy to talk to," Chu Yi counted off on his fingers. "And you disappeared..."

"That doesn't count," Yan Hang said.

"It counts. I looked for you, for a whole year," Chu Yi argued. "And you're cold-hearted."

"Then how can you feel secure?" Yan Hang asked.

"Because you always tell me not to care about others," Chu Yi said. "So I understand."

"Understand what?" Yan Hang narrowed his eyes.

"I just understand," Chu Yi said. "Pretend you understand, evem if you don't."

"Damn," Yan Hang laughed and ruffled his hair. "Sometimes when you stutter I think you're a bit dumb. Then occasionally I discover you're not dumb at all and get shocked."

"Only dumb around you," Chu Yi said.

On the last day of their 'trip' as they prepared to head back, Chu Yi took several pictures of the highway toll signs.

"From now on wherever I go, I'll remember the name of the place," he said as he snapped the photos.

"Mm," Yan Hang nodded.

After getting on the highway, Chu Yi rolled up his window.

"Oh?" Yan Hang glanced at him. "No more wind in your hair?"

"Different mood now," Chu Yi looked outside. After a while he turned back to Yan Hang. "Will you come back again in the future?"

"Don't know," Yan Hang said. "I don't have much attachment here. As for my mom...I don't have many memories either. If the old fox wants to visit someday, I can come with him."

"Do you think he's following us now?" Chu Yi looked back.

Yan Hang glanced at the rearview mirror. There was only a local-licensed minivan far behind them. He smiled, "Do you think he worries about me that much?"

Chu Yi didn't say anything more, just sighed softly.

The next day after coming back, Yan Hang went back to work.

Although the working hours in the kitchen seemed much shorter than when he was a manager, the workload was quite heavy. Every day after work, Yan Hang would make one or two dishes that looked very fancy.

"Did you secretly learn that?" Chu Yi asked.

"Not really secretly," Yan Hang said. "Of course you can't just stand there staring at people while they cook without doing anything."

"The dishes now are much fancier than before," Chu Yi looked at today's food.

Today Yan Hang made chicken chops with red wine. Actually Chu Yi felt that Yan Hang could make this before too, but the taste definitely wasn't as good as now. The plating was also very delicate that Chu Yi couldn't bear to eat it.

"Do you want knife and fork?" Yan Hang asked him.

"No," Chu Yi picked up his chopsticks. "I'll just use these, it's faster."

"Who's going to fight you for it if you eat slow?" Yan Hang sighed.

"My enemy is myself," Chu Yi said.

"Then fight on," Yan Hang said. "I'll make you a chocolate ice cream toast, I bought chocolate ice cream."

"Ah!" Chu Yi looked at him.

"What?" Yan Hang asked.