HPDBC Chapter 47 Let's get on the bus and set off!
Chapter 47 Let's get on the bus and set off!
From afar, Chen Zhiyuan spotted the beautiful figure under the big locust tree.
The morning sunlight filtered through the sparse leaves, casting dappled shadows on her.
He glanced at the time on the dial; there were still about ten minutes until the agreed-upon nine o'clock.
He had assumed that girls would be a little late, but He Fei was an exception.
Not only was she not late, but she was already waiting there early, with her luggage beside her, her figure standing out clearly in the morning light.
Chen Zhiyuan lightly pressed the accelerator, and the car smoothly glided to a stop beside He Fei.
He got out of the car and greeted Li Xiufen warmly, saying, "Good morning, Auntie!"
He Fei wasn't the only one under the tree; Li Xiufen and her youngest daughter, He Lin, were also there.
Besides looking after their stall, their main purpose today was to bid farewell to He Fei.
Li Xiufen beamed. She genuinely liked Chen Zhiyuan, a cheerful and reliable young man, and replied repeatedly, "Little Chen, you're here so early!"
Chen Zhiyuan responded with a sunny smile, then walked to the back of the car, opened the trunk with a "snap," and said loudly, "He Fei, give me the luggage, I'll put it in."
"No need, no need to trouble you." He Fei quickly waved her hand, her face showing her usual shyness and insistence. "I can do it myself."
She didn't have much luggage, and she didn't even buy a new suitcase—that would have cost her a considerable amount of money.
She was using a large, dark blue canvas duffel bag that was faded from washing and had some worn edges. It was bulging and looked quite heavy.
If it were an ordinary girl, it would definitely be difficult to carry, but He Fei seemed to be used to it. She gritted her teeth, lifted the heavy bag with both hands, and put it steadily into the trunk.
Li Xiufen and He Lin also rushed over to help.
Besides the large duffel bag, there was also a red plastic bucket containing a porcelain basin, clothes hangers, soap dish, and other odds and ends of toiletries.
Chen Zhiyuan didn't bring most of these things with him, planning to buy new ones at school; while He Fei chose to bring everything from home to save every penny.
All Chen Zhiyuan could do was help them arrange the canvas bags and plastic buckets neatly in the trunk to make room, and then gently close the car door.
He Fei showed genuine gratitude on her face and said softly, "Chen Zhiyuan, thank you."
"Don't mention it, it was nothing."
Chen Zhiyuan waved his hand casually, his gaze inadvertently falling on a clean plastic bag at He Fei's feet, inside which were three aluminum lunch boxes neatly stacked.
Noticing his gaze, He Lin immediately became excited and became the commentator, saying with a grin, "Brother, look, this was made by my sister before dawn! You're in for a treat on your journey!"
A faint blush rose to He Fei's cheeks as she explained softly, "Nothing special... just some food to eat on the road."
Considering the four or five-hour journey, she thoughtfully prepared dry food in advance.
Chen Zhiyuan nodded knowingly, a warm feeling rising in his heart. He waved and said, "Get in the car, let's go!"
He opened the car door first and got into the driver's seat. He Fei hesitated for a moment, then instead of choosing the more spacious back seat, she opened the passenger door and got in, her movements light and graceful.
After fastening his seatbelt, Chen Zhiyuan called out to the mother and daughter outside the window, "Auntie, He Lin, we're leaving now!"
A pang of reluctance welled up in Li Xiufen's heart at her daughter's departure, but when her gaze fell upon the calm and sunny boy in the driver's seat, a strange sense of peace replaced her worry.
"Feifei, once you've settled in at school, remember to call home to let them know you're safe."
After instructing her daughter, she looked at Chen Zhiyuan and said, "Xiao Chen, please take care of Feifei. Thank you, Auntie."
"Don't worry, Auntie, I guarantee I'll get He Fei to school safely!" Chen Zhiyuan said confidently.
After waving goodbye, Chen Zhiyuan started the engine, gently pressed the accelerator, and the car slowly drove away under the reluctant gazes of the mother and daughter, merging into the traffic on the street.
The car fell silent for a moment. Chen Zhiyuan glanced at He Fei out of the corner of his eye and saw that her eyes were slightly red and her nose was a little sore; she was clearly still not fully recovered from the emotions of leaving home.
He softened his voice and comforted them, "It's okay, everyone's like this at first. You'll get used to it in a couple of days. Once you get to school, complete the formalities, call home, and you'll feel better as soon as you hear their voices."
"Hmm." He Fei nodded gently, sniffed, and turned her gaze to the rapidly receding street scene outside the window.
Thinking about the Jiangnan University I was about to arrive at, a place I had longed for, the sadness in my heart gradually faded with anticipation.
She spoke first, her voice filled with curiosity and longing: "Chen Zhiyuan, tell me... what is our Jiangnan University really like?"
In this era of limited information access, He Fei's understanding of this top university was limited to the brief introduction on the admission notice and word of mouth.
Her eyes sparkled with a pure and bright light.
What is Jiangnan University like?
Memories of this prestigious school from his previous life flooded Chen Zhiyuan's mind like a tidal wave.
Although he did not study here, he had lived in the provincial capital for many years and was familiar with its appearance.
"Jiangnan University? I've never actually been inside it."
Chen Zhiyuan kept his eyes on the road ahead, driving steadily while recounting his impressions from his previous life, "But I've researched a lot of information. It has a long history and a very large campus, reportedly covering more than 400 hectares, almost the size of a small town."
"Inside, there are towering ancient trees, many buildings that are very old, with red bricks and green tiles, and the environment is particularly beautiful, like a large park. There is also the famous 'Mirror Lake,' which is said to be especially beautiful when the lotus flowers are in full bloom in summer..."
He described the outline of the campus, its famous scenery, its strong academic atmosphere, and even mentioned some interesting campus legends.
These things were new and highly attractive to He Fei.
She listened intently, her gaze gradually shifting from the window to Chen Zhiyuan's focused profile, a hint of admiration unconsciously appearing in her eyes.
"Chen Zhiyuan, you know so much, you're really amazing," she said sincerely.
Being looked at by a pretty girl with a slightly admiring gaze, Chen Zhiyuan felt quite pleased and a sense of comfort welled up inside him.
He smiled and said modestly, "It's nothing. I just wanted to come to school recently, so I did some research and know a little more than you."
With someone sitting next to you chatting, time flew by, and the journey became much more relaxed.
Without He Fei, driving alone for four or five hours would inevitably be tedious and boring.
Just chatting and laughing isn't enough.
About twenty or thirty minutes after leaving Wujiang City, once the car reached a flat and wide provincial highway, Chen Zhiyuan gestured with his eyes to the passenger side:
"He Fei, see that bag of fruit over there? My mom prepared some for me to eat on the road. Could you grab a grape for me?"