It had been many years since Wan Donglin had felt such enthusiasm, but this time, he was in high spirits and personally drove the off-road vehicle.
After passing Songzhou, they stopped at a gas station where he encountered a very young female backpacker. She was traveling on foot, dressed rather flamboyantly. Despite her attire, her sunburnt skin and haggard expression were evident, and her smile was vague and uncertain as she waved, asking for a ride.
Wan Donglin shook his head, a slight, perhaps amused, smile playing on his lips.
Disappointment showed on the woman’s face.
As they drove on, they encountered several more women asking for rides. Wan Donglin, his interest piqued, asked, "Are these the so-called budget travelers?"
"I suppose so. I often read online diaries about budget travel. I just can’t believe how they manage to travel the world with only a few thousand yuan."
Wan Donglin scoffed, "Didn’t you see? They’ve been hitching rides from men the whole way. Not only do they save on travel expenses, but they might even make some money by sleeping with them."
Yan Xixi’s eyes widened. After a moment, she muttered to herself, "If they’re so damn poor, they probably shouldn’t be out here messing around."
This was the first time Wan Donglin had heard her speak in such a tone, and he burst out laughing.
The entrance to Jiu City was swarming with people.
Wan Donglin squeezed through the throng to buy tickets. He then led Yan Xixi inside, only to discover a long line that resembled a sea of people. New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on NoveI~Fire.net
Dozens of buses waited at the entrance. Tourists swarmed onto them, and after queuing for over ten minutes, it was finally their turn.
Wan Donglin glanced over casually and saw Yan Xixi leaning against the window, her head almost sticking out. She looked extremely excited, her eyes glued to the beautiful miniature landscapes in the lakes along the route.
Colorful Pool, Five-Flower Lake, Rhinoceros Sea, Pearl Waterfall... Jiu City was vast, and every attraction involved queuing. The entire day was spent on sightseeing buses. It was an endless cycle: queue, board the bus, and disembark. They would briefly glimpse the beautiful scenery, jostled by crowds taking photos and selfies. Then, it was time to queue again for the bus to the next stop for more commemorative pictures.
Wan Donglin felt this was the most pointless trip he had ever taken; he almost dozed off on the tour bus.
However, Yan Xixi was exceptionally excited. With her simple travel bag and sneakers, she moved with surprising agility, darting on and off the bus. At each spot, she was completely absorbed, leaning over railings for ages to gaze at the incredibly strange colors of the Colorful Pool, exclaiming loudly, "Look! The colors are so bizarre..."
"Seriously, it’s like there are demons stirring within it..."
"Wow! Look at the center! Look, keep looking... Yes, if you look long enough, it’s like a whirlpool, isn’t it? Seriously, there must be some monster hiding down there..."
"Quick, look at this waterfall! Look! They say this is the backdrop from the opening theme of Journey to the West, isn’t it? It’s gorgeous..."
"And this tree! Look, doesn’t it resemble the Loch Ness Monster? Do you think it grew this way naturally, or was it shaped by someone and then tossed in here? Mr. Wan, look!"
She chattered nonstop, her face flushed red with excitement about everything she saw, completely oblivious to any fatigue or hardship.
"Quick, take a picture of me with this!"
"Take one here too... Yes, with this big tree!"
"Quick, get a shot of this miniature landscape... Make sure to capture the reflection!"
Since Wan Donglin had known her, he’d never heard her speak so much. She was as excited as a bird freed from its cage.
Wan Donglin mused to himself, It’s just a matter of getting on and off the bus to take some photos, isn’t it? How can she find it *this* exciting?