Chapter 3

After getting rid of the troublesome Xiao Lin, Ye Huang found himself quite a distance from the station when he left the urban village. Coincidentally, there was a bus transfer station not far away, so Ye Huang simply walked in.

The old house left by the old man before he left was located in a place called Qingcheng Mountain in the northeast corner of Yucheng. After inquiring at the service counter about the bus number he needed to take, Ye Huang boarded the bus with his suitcase.

Since it was still early in the morning and the bus was at its starting point, the bus was empty with only a few people on board. After finding a window seat, Ye Huang pulled out a half-page newspaper that someone had left under the window frame and started reading.

The news was still the same mundane trivialities with no nutritional value. Ye Huang flipped through most of the pages but found nothing of interest. Just as he was about to throw the newspaper in the trash, a public service announcement in the corner caught his attention.

"Recently, a group of roving bus robbers has appeared on our city's buses, committing multiple robberies that have caused serious social impact. Please be aware of your personal and property safety when taking the bus, and report any suspicious individuals to the police to avoid unnecessary losses—Reporter xxx."

After reading this, Ye Huang couldn't help but laugh bitterly. He thought to himself that he had just dealt with a robber right after leaving the station, and now he had to take a bus and risk being robbed again. What bad luck.

Wasn't Yucheng known for its annual crackdown and being one of the top ten civilized cities in the country? How could there still be so many robberies? Did he forget to check the almanac when he returned to the country? Or did these criminals wake up from hibernation after taking some male hormones?

As for what exactly had happened, Ye Huang had no way of knowing. He threw the newspaper in the trash and closed his eyes to rest. Earlier, he had asked the driver how long it would take to get to Qingcheng Mountain, and the driver estimated about an hour and a half. He wasn't worried about missing his stop.

The bus was lively with people getting on and off at various stops, and no one seemed to be particularly deterred by the warning in the Yucheng Evening News. People thought the chances of encountering a robbery on one of the thousands of buses in the city were no higher than winning the lottery, so there was no need to worry. Ye Huang shared a similar mindset with most people.

After about half an hour, the bus stopped at a station called Guanyin Bridge. A group of people got off, and more people got on. Ye Huang, who had planned to keep his eyes closed as usual, was drawn to a faint, refreshing fragrance.

Opening his eyes, he saw a girl with a slender figure, about 1.65 meters tall. She wore a white long-sleeved sweater and a fitted pair of jeans, holding a stack of books and standing quietly by the window.

Her serene demeanor seemed to place her in a different world from the noisy bus. Noticing someone looking at her, she turned to face Ye Huang.

At this moment, Ye Huang truly saw her face. He didn't know what "dazzling beauty" looked like, but the first word that came to his mind upon seeing her was "dazzling." If he had to add another word, it would be "ethereal."

Her bright eyes, pearl-like teeth, fair wrists, willow-like eyebrows, cherry lips, and smooth, flawless skin, along with her long, flowing black hair, left Ye Huang at a loss for words to describe her.

"Could this be my lucky day?" Ye Huang's eyes brightened slightly as he thought with a hint of fantasy.

When she saw Ye Huang, she was clearly surprised, but not for the same reason as him. Xie Chenshan was surprised by how pale and bloodless his face was.

Noticing her gaze, Ye Huang politely nodded at her, and Xie Chenshan smiled back with a serene expression.

Just then, an elderly person got on the bus, and Ye Huang quickly stood up to offer his seat. He then leaned against the railing, standing next to the girl.

"Hello..." Without much more to say, Ye Huang politely greeted her as he approached.

"Y-You... hello..." She seemed caught off guard by his greeting and answered somewhat hastily, her face blushing beautifully.

"Such a shy girl. I can't believe there are still such pure girls in this world," Ye Huang thought to himself as he saw her blush.

Gradually, Ye Huang started chatting with the shy girl. He learned that her name was Xie Chenshan, and she was a teacher at Yucheng University, having just started her job this year.

As for Ye Huang, he only mentioned his name and said he had just returned from abroad and had no other job. It seemed that Xie Chenshan wasn't particularly interested in what he did, so he didn't elaborate.

After two more stops, a group of four or five men who looked like construction workers suddenly got on the bus. When Ye Huang saw them, his eyes flickered for a moment before returning to calmness.

"Let's switch seats, okay?" Ye Huang said to Xie Chenshan without any reason.

"What?" Xie Chenshan, not understanding Ye Huang's intention, asked again.

"Let's switch seats. There's more space over here."

"Oh..." Although Xie Chenshan found Ye Huang's reason a bit weak, she was always adaptable and eventually moved to switch seats with him.

During the switch, Ye Huang's accidental touch of her firm buttocks made her face turn red, and her serene face showed a hint of annoyance.

But seeing that Ye Huang seemed unaware, she stuck out her tongue and thought she had been overly suspicious. She had thought he was one of those lecherous men, but it seemed she had misunderstood him.

After getting on the bus, the four or five men ignored the crowded conditions and pushed their way to the back of the bus. Some passengers grumbled, and two of them even shouted at them.

Seeing this, no one wanted to provoke them, and the men ignored the complaints with a few grunts.

At that moment, one of the men suddenly saw Xie Chenshan standing with Ye Huang, and his eyes lit up with a lecherous look.

After a few words with his companions, the men pounced on Xie Chenshan like hungry dogs.

Seeing this, Ye Huang's eyes gradually turned cold, and a hint of amusement appeared at the corners of his mouth.