Chapter 10

Zhou Hui and Zhou Lin's apartment was quite a distance from the airport. Despite the traffic in Zhonghai being relatively smooth at this time, it still took them over forty minutes to reach the residential area.

The neighborhood where the sisters lived was quite nice, and the security guards at the entrance were very responsible. They parked the car in the parking space, and the three of them carried their luggage and walked home.

The third sister, while carrying the luggage, kept complaining, "Mom, they really went overboard. They sent so many things without thinking if we could carry them. And there’s an extra charge on the plane. We ended up losing money, really."

Zhou Jiaxi, hearing his sister’s words, couldn’t help but smirk and said, "Hehe, if you have the guts to go and tell Mom, see how she’ll suppress you, hehe."

"Brat, you dare to tease your sister."

"Alright, alright, you two have been talking non-stop since we got here. Can’t you give me a moment of peace? You’re acting like kids." Zhou Lin, the fourth sister, was thoroughly annoyed and said helplessly.

Seeing that even the usually good-tempered Zhou Lin was annoyed, the two quickly pursed their lips, though they were still carrying things. Otherwise, they would have covered their mouths with both hands.

The three of them laughed and chatted as they returned home, and they immediately dropped their luggage on the floor and all lay down on the sofa, sighing in unison that they were exhausted.

The apartment that Zhou Jiaxi’s sisters rented was a two-bedroom, one-living room unit. Both bedrooms had good lighting, one with an attached bathroom and the other without. The entire apartment was about 100 square meters. Zhou Jiaxi didn’t ask about these details; he just estimated based on his feelings, and later found out it was close to his estimation.

"You guys have a nice place, but it’s decorated too childishly. Sister, how long has it been since you had that cat? You still treasure it so much. Dolls, cups, bed sheets, pillows, and all that. How old are you?" Zhou Jiaxi said helplessly.

Zhou Lin blushed and said, "What’s it to you, brat? Who’s the sister here, you or me? Get lost." She reached out and pulled Zhou Jiaxi out of her room.

After dinner, the three of them continued chatting until the moon was high in the sky. Only then did Zhou Jiaxi’s two sisters think about getting some beauty sleep. So, Zhou Hui and Zhou Lin shared a room, and Zhou Jiaxi slept in his own room.

The two sisters took two days off to accompany Zhou Jiaxi around Zhonghai. In his previous life, Zhou Jiaxi had already toured the city countless times, but the two sisters didn’t know this and were still excitedly taking him around. One funny moment was when the two of them got lost and forgot the way while taking Zhou Jiaxi around.

They were about to ask someone for directions, but Zhou Jiaxi directly led them through a few turns and back to the main road. Seeing their surprised looks, Zhou Jiaxi immediately realized he had overdone it. So, before they could ask, he quickly said, "Didn’t we just pass by here? What’s wrong with your memory? You’ve been in Zhonghai for so many years."

The two of them were confused, thinking they had remembered incorrectly, and they awkwardly laughed. But Zhou Hui, seeing Zhou Jiaxi’s smug look, gave him a light tap on the head, which made Zhou Jiaxi quite frustrated.

Zhou Jiaxi stayed in Zhonghai for a few days, but his mind was already elsewhere. With his sisters around, he couldn’t go out and flirt with girls, and he felt his energy was wasted.

So, he bid farewell to his sisters, saying he wanted to travel to other places. If they missed him, they could come to Zhonghai to see him. The two sisters were busy, so they agreed, but they were envious of Zhou Jiaxi’s leisurely life.

Their resentful gazes made Zhou Jiaxi feel goosebumps. After leaving countless promises and agreeing to send them local specialties and gifts, the two sisters finally let Zhou Jiaxi go.

Zhou Jiaxi left Zhonghai very leisurely, with just a few clothes and a backpack. He put the suitcase with his clothes in his storage space and carried a backpack for show, then went to the airport.

Zhou Jiaxi had many places he wanted to go, but he didn’t know where to go. He rarely planned anything for himself; he just did whatever came to mind. Zhou Jiaxi particularly admired Tony Leung, remembering a report that said Tony Leung sometimes got bored and would go to the airport at noon, take any flight that was available, like to London, spend the afternoon feeding pigeons in the square without saying a word, and then fly back to Hong Kong the same night as if nothing had happened. Zhou Jiaxi thought this was the way to live.

Although the report was somewhat exaggerated and unrealistic—after all, it takes 12 hours to fly from Hong Kong to London, and if he left at noon, it would already be midnight, so how could he spend the afternoon feeding pigeons and fly back the same night?—he didn’t delve into it. However, he really liked this attitude.

So, he went to Zhonghai International Airport to see where there were flights. Looking at the board, Zhou Jiaxi saw a flight and went to the check-in counter to buy a ticket. After a short wait, it was his turn, and he had to admit that the efficiency here was quite high.

Zhou Jiaxi thought the girl at the counter was quite nice and sized her up in his mind.

"Hello, can I help you?"

"Are there any tickets to Inner Mongolia?"

"Which city do you want to go to?"

"Anywhere with a grassland and a flight will do."

The girl felt this guy was a bit strange, acting so cool in front of her. Maybe he was trying to flirt with her. She glanced at him again and thought he was a bit handsome and had good skin, so she might consider it.

Zhou Jiaxi was waiting for the girl to respond, but she didn’t say anything for a long time, just staring blankly. Zhou Jiaxi was embarrassed by her lack of professionalism. If he knew she was thinking about him, he would have had a different reaction, but he urged her.

"Miss, Miss, I’m asking you a question."

"Ah, you’re the one who’s a miss." As soon as she said it, the girl at the counter realized she had made a mistake, but she blamed the guy in front of her. She immediately had a bad impression of him. "Sorry, sir, sorry."

Women’s hearts are like the bottom of the sea, and Zhou Jiaxi didn’t know how many times this woman had changed her mind about him in just a few moments.

Zhou Jiaxi, realizing he had made a slip of the tongue, said it was no problem. The two of them quickly completed the transaction, and Zhou Jiaxi bought a ticket to Hulun (harmony) Buir City, which was about to depart.

After a two-hour flight, there were no romantic encounters, no beautiful flight attendants, and no hijackings. He arrived at Hailar Airport safely and smoothly. Zhou Jiaxi, feeling a bit restless, wanted something to happen, but he was just bored and didn’t know what to do if something did happen.

Zhou Jiaxi walked out of Hulun (harmony) Buir International Airport, his eyes constantly scanning the surroundings. He walked out of the airport and headed to his destination, Hulun (harmony) Buir City. He hailed a taxi and asked the driver to take him to a good hotel in the area. No matter what, he needed to find a place to stay first.

When he arrived at the hotel, it was already past four o’clock. After settling the fare with the taxi driver, Zhou Jiaxi walked into the hotel. The doorman immediately greeted him, but Zhou Jiaxi smiled and said he didn’t need help, as he had no luggage. He walked to the reception desk, booked a business suite, and followed the attendant to his room. After entering, he asked the attendant where he could buy clothes. The attendant politely told him that there was a pedestrian street just around the corner downstairs.

Hulun (harmony) Buir City has a large temperature difference between day and night, and Zhou Jiaxi hadn’t brought any thick clothes, so he decided to go shopping. After thanking the attendant, he went to the pedestrian street.

Compared to before, Zhou Jiaxi found shopping much more relaxed now. In the past, he would check the prices, but now he didn’t need to, though he still limited himself to ordinary brands. Buying luxury items still made him feel a bit guilty.

He bought a few sets of clothes from two famous sportswear brands. Due to the large temperature difference in Hulun (harmony) Buir City, clothes for all seasons were available. He also bought a few pairs of sports shoes. As he walked, he suddenly saw an outdoor equipment store. Thinking it might be useful in the future, he went in to take a look.

The store owner was a muscular man in his thirties, wearing a camouflage outfit. He had taken off his jacket and was wearing a tank top, showing his well-built muscles. He was over 1.9 meters tall, with a tan complexion and a shiny bald head. His thick eyebrows and large eyes complemented his chiseled face, and there were a few wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. His eyes revealed a沧桑 (沧桑 means "沧桑" in Chinese, which can be translated as "weathered" or "worldly-wise") look that didn’t match his age, but this didn’t hide his fierce aura. Zhou Jiaxi knew this was a man with a story, but who didn’t have a story these days?

The muscular man greeted Zhou Jiaxi warmly. He was very talkative, and it was clear from their conversation that he had a personality to match his physique. The man introduced himself as He Jiang, a local.

"You’re a good kid, and you’re my type. Hehe, today, whatever you buy, I’ll give you the best discount," He Jiang said, patting Zhou Jiaxi on the shoulder.

"Alright, then I won’t be shy, Brother He," Zhou Jiaxi said, pretending to take advantage. As for what happened next, only they knew.

"Just for calling me Brother, you can buy whatever you want. I don’t believe you’ll buy everything."

"Alright, Brother He, can you help me pick out two sets of travel gear?"

"Men’s or women’s?"

Zhou Jiaxi blushed. "No, I don’t have a girlfriend yet. It’s for myself."

"You’ll have one soon, hehe. Let me help you pick out some things. If you don’t like anything, just cross it off." He Jiang said generously.

In no time, He Jiang came back with a piece of paper. It was densely filled with items, quantities, and prices, including shoes, windbreakers, pants, underwear, hats, scarves, sunglasses, gloves, knee and ankle guards, tents, sleeping bags, headlamps or flashlights, waterproof pads, waterproof bags, water bottles, compasses, stoves, windbreakers, personal utensils, fire starters, knives, ropes, communication equipment, and raincoats. Zhou Jiaxi didn’t even want to read the rest.

---

The page is filled with ads.