novelinnhs Chapter 27 Sending You Away, Inside and Outside
Chapter 27 Sending You Away, Inside and Outside
At six o'clock in the morning, just as dawn was breaking, Wang Bo was woken up by his mobile phone alarm.
He reached for the bedside table with his eyes closed and turned off the alarm clock: "If I sleep that late again, I'll be a dog..."
Wang Bo got up. Zhou Yuji's flight was scheduled to take off at 8:30 in the morning, and it would take at least an hour to get from the city to the airport, so he had to hurry.
After taking a cold shower, Wang Bo finally felt a bit clear-headed. He casually threw on a white T-shirt and jeans, grabbed his phone and wallet, and headed out.
He walked to the door, then turned back, pulled a mask out of the drawer, and put it on—after the hit song "Once Upon a Time" went viral last night, his WeChat friend requests exploded. Although he wasn't sure he'd be recognized immediately, it was always better to be cautious.
On the way to the airport by taxi, Wang Bo opened WeChat. In the "Provincial Grand Celebration Operation Command" group, Zhou Yuji had sent a message at 2:30 a.m.: "I'm so awesome for packing my luggage! Little Wang, you don't need to come see me off. I'm so cool, I'll just wave goodbye and not leave a trace~"
Wang Bo typed: "I'm already on the bus, waiting."
Zhou Yuji replied instantly: "You actually came?"
Wang Bo sent a "smiling" emoji.
Zhou Yuji: "Okay, then bring me a coffee, an Americano, double sugar. The Starbucks at the airport is awful, I want the one from 'Afternoon Sunshine' in the city."
Wang Bo glanced at the route: "We'll have to take a detour; we're too late."
Zhou Yuji: "I don't care, I'll be sleepy to death on the plane without coffee."
Wang Bo: "..."
He said to the driver helplessly, "Sir, could you please take a detour to 'Afternoon Sunshine' coffee shop?"
The driver glanced at him in the rearview mirror and chuckled, "Young man, taking your girlfriend home? How thoughtful."
Wang Bo gave a vague "hmm" without explaining.
Actually, he himself didn't understand why he had to come to see her off so early in the morning—Zhou Yuji wasn't a child, she was in her twenties, a few months older than him, and she must have planned her round-the-world trip very clearly.
But he just wanted to come.
Perhaps it's because part of the song "Once Upon a Time" was sung to her.
Perhaps it was because, over the past three years, although she was an unreliable boss, she had never mistreated him.
Maybe it's just because... I want to see him again.
As soon as the "Afternoon Sunshine" coffee shop opened, Wang Bo rushed in and bought an Americano with double sugar and a latte. By the time he got back to his car, it was already 6:40.
"Driver, can you hurry up? I need to catch my flight." Wang Bo was a little anxious.
The driver stepped on the gas: "Don't worry, I've been driving this road for twenty years. I know where the surveillance cameras are even with my eyes closed."
"This road hasn't been open for ten years, has it?"
"To be honest, my brother checks the surveillance footage; he never pays any attention to me."
As the car sped along the empty streets in the early morning, Wang Bo looked out the window at the rapidly receding cityscape and suddenly felt a little dazed.
Just two weeks ago, he was a struggling, unknown singer worrying about next month's rent.
Now, he has no worries about food and lodging. He sits in a taxi on his way to the airport, holding a coffee he bought for his former boss, who is about to travel the world.
Life is truly amazing.
At 7:20, the taxi came to a steady stop at the airport departure level.
Wang Bo scanned the QR code to pay, grabbed his coffee, and rushed into the lobby. He spotted Zhou Yuji immediately—it was impossible not to see her.
Her outfit today practically screamed "I'm going on a trip" and "I'm super rich."
The burgundy bomber jacket, with its crisp cut, accentuated her sleek and sexy shoulder and neck lines. Underneath, she wore a simple black fitted vest with a perfectly low neckline, revealing her delicate collarbone and a hint of cleavage.
He wore army green cargo pants, the cuffs tucked into a pair of brown Doc Martens, the boots polished to a shine and the laces tied meticulously.
What caught everyone's eye was the bag she was carrying—not the usual delicate little bag a girl would carry, but a gray-green professional mountaineering backpack, which looked to be at least 60 or 70 liters, bulging with stuffing, and with trekking poles and a sleeping bag hanging on the side.
But she carried it effortlessly, even with a casual air of "this bag doesn't suit me."
Her long, wavy hair was tied into a high ponytail today, fully revealing her bright and beautiful face.
She wasn't wearing makeup; her skin glowed white under the airport lights, and her lips were coated with lip balm, giving them a natural pink hue.
She was looking down at her phone, her fingers swiping rapidly across the screen, her brow slightly furrowed, as if she were checking some information.
People coming and going around her, regardless of gender, couldn't help but glance at her a few more times—there were men looking at her with amazement, women looking at her with envy, and an uncle pushing a luggage cart was so engrossed in watching her that he almost bumped into a pillar.
"Sister!" Wang Bo called out and quickly walked over.
Zhou Yuji looked up, saw him, and her eyes lit up instantly: "Oh, you really came! Where's the coffee?"
Wang Bo handed over the coffee: "Americano, double sugar."
Zhou Yuji took it, inserted the straw, took a big gulp, and sighed contentedly: "I'm alive again... You have no idea how little I slept last night. I packed my luggage until dawn, and then I was too excited to sleep. I finally managed to count sheep until I had a thousand before I drifted off to sleep."
Her eyes crinkled as she spoke, showing a hint of weariness from staying up all night, but more so, excitement about setting off.
"Are you going alone?" Wang Bo couldn't help but ask, looking at her huge backpack.
"Otherwise what?" Zhou Yuji raised an eyebrow. "Bringing an assistant, is that still a trip? That's a business trip. Bringing a boyfriend? I'd like to, but I don't have one."
As she spoke, she took another sip of coffee, then, as if suddenly remembering something, looked Wang Bo up and down: "Why are you dressed like this? White T-shirt and jeans... Although you look quite handsome, it's too casual, isn't it? You should at least dress up a bit before coming to see someone off at the airport. If you get photographed, people will say that Wang Bo is sloppy in private, which will really damage your image."
Wang Bo was both amused and exasperated: "It's only a little past seven in the morning, who would take pictures? Besides, I'm not a celebrity."
"Not now, but very soon," Zhou Yuji said earnestly. "I was scrolling through my phone until 3 a.m. last night. Do you know how popular 'Once Upon a Time' is right now? It's in the top three on Weibo's trending topics, has over ten million views on short video platforms, and music critics are all praising it... Wang Bo, you're really going to be famous."
She paused, her eyes softening: "So you need to be careful about your image from now on, and watch your words and actions. The entertainment industry can lift you to the heavens, or it can crush you into the mud. Xiaoxiao will protect you, but you also need to be careful."
Wang Bo nodded: "I know."
"Good to know." Zhou Yuji regained her carefree demeanor. "Alright, the coffee is finished, I appreciate the thought, you can go back now. After checking in my luggage and going through security, I'll be boarding."
As she turned to turn around, Wang Bo called out to her, "Sister Zhou."
"Um?"
Wang Bo looked at her seriously and said, "Traveling the world is fine, but don't go to remote places alone, especially abroad. You... you're so beautiful, it's particularly unsafe. Choose reputable hotels, don't go out alone at night, be wary of strangers who try to talk to you, and keep your valuables separate..."
He became more and more long-winded, like an old mother nagging a child going on a long journey.
Zhou Yuji listened patiently at first, but later she couldn't help but say, "I was a backpacker in college. I've been to Europe, Southeast Asia, and South America. I've been to many places by myself. I even learned self-defense for women. Although I've forgotten most of it, it's still enough to scare people."
Wang Bo said, "That's different. The past is the past, and the present is the present. Besides, this time you're going to be gone for so long, and the route is so wild..."
"Alright, alright," Zhou Yuji waved her hand, "I know you care about me, I'll remember that, I'll be careful."
As she spoke, she suddenly leaned closer, staring at Wang Bo: "You're so long-winded, it's like you're my boyfriend."