Chapter 32 Part 2

Lu Yan: "What's up."

Xiao Heng had just gotten the key from under the flowerpot and was informing him, "I got the key."

Lu Yan: "Yeah."

Xiao Heng turned on the computer. While waiting for Lu Yan's crappy computer to boot up, he leaned back in his chair and recalled Lu Yan saying he was going out for something before he left. "Out looking for a job?"

Lu Yan wanted to say no, but the statement wasn't exactly wrong. He was originally going to the wedding emcee interview.

He lowered his head, staring at the swirling shadows of the trees reflected on the road, his voice a little low, "I guess so."

The sound of car horns and traffic from the other end of the line was particularly clear; he was obviously by the roadside. Combined with the odd tone in Lu Yan's voice, Xiao Heng asked again, "Where are you?"

"I'm at..."

Lu Yan didn't know where he had walked to either. His sense of direction was already weak, and after a bout of aimless wandering, he was even more lost. Finally, he said, "I'm in the global village."

Xiao Heng: "Speak human."

Lu Yan: "Under a bridge. There's a Hao Zai Lai Supermarket across the street."

This "under a bridge" wasn't much better than the global village.

Xiao Heng was certain this guy had probably been wandering around outside for half a day and gotten lost again.

"Forget it," Xiao Heng said, exasperated. "Send me your shared location."

Lu Yan found the tool in WeChat and sent his real-time location. Only after sending it did he realize this place was an Ancient Town. As one of the few "tourist spots" in the Lower District, this Ancient Town looked more authentic if it were called an ancient village.

There wasn't much foot traffic usually.

Xiao Heng couldn't quite understand why Lu Yan would run over there. "What are you doing in the Ancient Town, setting up a stall?"

Lu Yan didn't know how to explain, only saying, "Can't I be a tourist!"

Xiao Heng: "You can."

As Xiao Heng spoke, he went online to check the route. Lu Yan heard the crisp clicking of the mouse and keyboard from the other side, followed by the young master's drawn-out sarcastic remark, "Why not? You can fly to the sky for all I care."

Fly.

A single word was enough to bring him back to that battle where he was sent flying two hundred meters.

"...Fuck," Lu Yan said. "Say that one more time?"

But Xiao Heng didn't bicker with him this time. His voice grew low and serious, "Walk fifty meters forward, turn right."

On the computer screen was a route map from the Ancient Town to the Seventh District.

Lu Yan could have actually checked the GPS himself.

Although this place was remote, it wasn't so obscure as to be unfindable like Phoenix Terrace.

But he didn't interrupt Xiao Heng. He let out a breath and, after a good while, stood up and walked forward. "Am I there yet?"

"No."

"Tsk, fifty meters, did you crawl here?"

"..."

Lu Yan walked wherever Xiao Heng told him to.

"Turn, look at the road sign, walk straight towards South Street."

"Got it."

"You got shit. You're going the wrong way."

This human GPS, Xiao Heng, was more reliable than the one he paid a membership for, except he was completely merciless with his words.

When Xiao Heng wasn't speaking, he was typing on his keyboard.

Only when Lu Yan said "I'm here" would the keyboard sounds stop, and he would begin to give directions for the next section of the road.

Lu Yan didn't need to think about anything.

Listening to the voice coming from the phone, he felt as if a gust of wind behind him had formed a pair of hands, pushing him forward.

Xiao Heng didn't hang up the phone until he had successfully found the bus station, bought a ticket, and gotten on the bus.

The weather wasn't great that day.

Though it was only a little after five, the sky was already showing signs of darkening.

This bus was heading towards the Lower District, with its final stop no more than eight hundred meters from the Seventh District.

A child was crying and fussing on the bus. The mother smiled apologetically at everyone and tried to distract the child, patting his back and saying, "Didn't your teacher teach you a nursery rhyme today? How does it go? Sing it for Mommy."

The child sobbed twice, sniffled, and began to sing. His voice was clear and tender, and his rendition of a duck-counting song was full of childish charm.

Lu Yan leaned against the bus window and listened to the song the whole way, only then did he get a slight sense of reality about what had happened today.

As they were nearing the stop, he sent Xiao Heng a message: Arrived, thanks.

A few minutes passed, and Xiao Heng didn't reply, probably busy writing code.

The bus slowly pulled over to the side of the road. Lu Yan stood up and got off.

Although the news had recently said that the Lower District was to be redeveloped, in reality, the Lower District was still the same Lower District. Everywhere the eye could see was a stretch of gray.

Lu Yan had barely taken a few steps forward when a message from Xiao Heng arrived.

Just two words.

[Xiao Heng]: Turn around.

Lu Yan's reaction was half a beat slow. He turned around.

And saw Xiao Heng walking toward him from the other end of the street.

The streetlights had just lit up. The man was very tall, one hand in his pocket, a pair of slippers on his feet. The short haircut, contrary to expectation, made his features appear more defined. It was just that the expression on his face wasn't very good, as if someone had forced him to wait here for someone.

"What are you standing there for?" Xiao Heng glanced at him and said, "Let's go back."