Then she saw a long-distance bus parked next to a small car. A girl in a beautiful red dress was crying next to the small car, complaining to the people inside.
A young man, about eighteen or nineteen years old, stood silently watching, his unruly eyes flashing with annoyance.
Feng Chuxiao suddenly understood. Those two people who were going to the same place to go to the countryside with her were these two. It's just that they were children of high-ranking officials and had a car to send them off.
However, for some reason, the people in the small car had not gotten out, nor had they tried to comfort the girl.
Feng Chuxiao thought: This journey was going to be hard on her ears. Given the current situation, this delicate girl would either be crying or arguing with the young man beside her along the way.
She glanced again at the young man, who was about eighteen or nineteen years old. He was very good-looking, with dark eyebrows, bright eyes, and chiseled features. Coupled with his tall and slender build, he was like a top-tier celebrity from later generations.
It would be a beautiful thing to be able to admire such a man often in daily life.
It was more realistic than watching videos or celebrity posters.
Gu Linjing sensed a scrutinizing gaze but didn't pay much attention, as he had grown accustomed to such situations over the years.
Now, he was even a little annoyed by the gazes directed at him, especially from women.
However, fortunately, this gaze didn't disgust him, otherwise, he would have definitely made things difficult for the person!
"Are you getting on or not? If you don't hurry, we're leaving!" someone on the long-distance bus shouted down, trying to suppress their impatience.
If the people who needed to board weren't of significant status, he would have driven away already, not wanting to wait for them.
Feng Chuxiao heard the driver's words. Without waiting for the Educated Youth Office staff to urge her, and without looking at the handsome man anymore, she picked up her belongings and got on the bus, then put away her bundle and found a seat.
She stuck her head out to look and saw that the staff member from the Educated Youth Office had also walked to the small car and was saying something with his head lowered.
After a while, the crying girl got on. She frowned and covered her nose, clearly disliking the smell inside the bus. "Little Jing Gege, it's too smelly in here, I don't want to sit!"
"Then you can get off," the magnetic male voice sounded somewhat indifferent, but not at all indulgent.
Feng Chuxiao, enjoying the drama, stared at the girl, watching her throw her belongings onto the seat, her face full of grievance but not daring to make a sound.
She then watched the good-looking young man effortlessly stack two large suitcases and then sit down opposite the girl he was with.
"Sit tight! We're leaving now," the conductor said as he walked through the carriage.
The bus started, and as expected, the girl in the beautiful red dress began to cry, her cries growing louder.
Several passengers began to express their dissatisfaction, finding the early morning crying annoying.
"Shut up! Or I won't care about you anymore!"
"Sob... Little Jing Gege, you... *hic*... you're too much! You're not comforting me and you're yelling at me!"
Gu Linjing became even more impatient. If Auntie Qian hadn't repeatedly asked him to look after this drama queen out of consideration for their families' relationship, he would never have gone to the same place to go to the countryside with her. Who knew how many messes he would have to clean up for this drama queen then.
"I'll say it again, shut your mouth and stop crying, or I'll throw you off!"
This threat actually worked. The crying girl finally quieted down, quickly wiped away her tears, and held back from making a sound.
"Brother, how can you be so harsh to your sister?" an auntie began to speak up for the crying girl.
Gu Linjing turned his head and looked out the window, not wanting to pay attention to anyone.
✦✦✦
The long-distance bus bumped along for over two hours, reaching its destination—Junyang County.
But this was not Feng Chuxiao's destination, so she shouldered her bundle and began to look around.
Then she saw no other buses and no one from the Educated Youth Office, so she was momentarily unsure what to do.
She stood there for less than a minute before walking out of the station towards the main road, carrying her belongings. If there were no buses, there should be other means of transportation; she couldn't possibly not be able to get out of this place.
Gu Linjing was also feeling irritable at this moment. The sun was scorching overhead, and he had to carry a suitcase in each hand. His neighbor's daughter, Bai Yaoyao, had her schoolbag on her head to shield herself from the sun, and she was still complaining about something.
He looked up and saw Feng Chuxiao, carrying her bundle, about to leave. Then, as if possessed, he called out to Feng Chuxiao's retreating figure, "Hey, little girl! Where are you going?"
Seeing that Feng Chuxiao didn't turn around, he called out again, "Little girl with the bundle!"
Feng Chuxiao stopped and looked back in confusion. Who was that good-looking young man calling? It seemed she was the only one here carrying a bundle.
"I'm calling you."
Feng Chuxiao received Gu Linjing's gaze and knew he was calling her.
She asked, puzzled, "What are you calling me for?"
"Don't wander around... Let's go together." Gu Linjing replied. Out of humanitarianism, and because they were from the same place, he couldn't let this little girl get lost.
So he's cold on the outside but warm on the inside, Feng Chuxiao thought to herself.
Since the other person was being friendly, Feng Chuxiao didn't stand on ceremony. "Come over here. There are trees by the roadside, it's cooler to wait here."
Gu Linjing quickly walked out of the station with his suitcase, caught up with Feng Chuxiao, and stood under the big tree. Yes, it was indeed cooler.
Bai Yaoyao glared fiercely at Feng Chuxiao's retreating back. That brat! Why was Little Jing Gege proactively talking to her?
Feng Chuxiao glanced back at the person glaring at her and ignored her. This was a spoiled young lady. Her developing such a personality and going to the countryside indicated that something had happened at home, and they could no longer protect her for the time being.
As soon as Bai Yaoyao reached Gu Linjing's side, she pouted, "Little Jing Gege, I'm hungry. Where are we going to eat?"
"Nowhere. We're waiting for the bus here. If you're hungry, eat. You have food in your bag," Gu Linjing said indifferently.
"Okay." In this unfamiliar place, Bai Yaoyao didn't dare to go too far, and she was still a little afraid of Gu Linjing getting angry.
Feng Chuxiao also felt hungry. She put her large bundle on the ground, sat down on it, and then opened her small bundle, took out the flatbread she had bought that morning, and took a bite. It was too dry, so she opened her water bottle and took two large gulps.
Only Gu Linjing stood there, straight as a pine tree, neither eating nor drinking.
They waited like this for over an hour, still no sign of the Educated Youth Office staff, nor any vehicles. Forget buses, there weren't even trucks or ox carts.
Gu Linjing couldn't wait any longer. He thought about looking elsewhere, but looking to his left and right, one person needed constant protection, and the other was so frail she looked like she'd fall with a gust of wind. He couldn't feel at ease.
Feng Chuxiao seemed to read Gu Linjing's mind and asked, "Are you thinking of going to find a vehicle? But don't look for a vehicle, look for the Educated Youth Office instead. Because the staff from the Educated Youth Office should be coming to pick us up. Maybe they were delayed by something, or they forgot about us."
Gu Linjing was stunned for a moment. He recalled what the staff member from the Educated Youth Office in the provincial capital had said. He seemed to have forgotten about this matter.
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