Jiahe Wanggang

"Mm... since we're buying tickets today, only second-class seats are left." Ye Shuang looked at the high-speed rail app on his phone and asked Chen Qin, "Is that okay?"

"Riding second-class isn’t some hardship, don’t make it sound so dramatic." Chen Qin playfully swatted his arm repeatedly.

Misunderstanding—this guy definitely had some kind of misunderstanding about her!

Ye Shuang chuckled and went ahead to purchase two tickets.

While filling in the details, he instinctively entered Chen Qin’s ID number—only to snap back to reality and notice her staring intently at him.

"What’s wrong?"

"You remember it so well." Chen Qin grinned, her expression brimming with barely contained delight.

"Didn’t I always fill out forms for you when you were sick?" Ye Shuang said. Back in high school, Chen Qin often suffered from stomachaches, and sometimes Chen Hai would ask him to take her to the hospital. Back then, there were no digital records, so they had to fill out paper medical forms.

Over time, he’d memorized her ID number.

"Let’s go, we’re boarding at Mingzhu Station." Ye Shuang pointed at the time on his phone.

"Okay."

The high-speed rail station wasn’t far, just a short walk away. The two strolled side by side, completely unhurried despite their impending departure.

"Ye Shuang..."

"Hm?"

"My mom asked when you’re coming over for dinner."

"Is there something going on?" Ye Shuang asked.

"Does there have to be a reason to just share a meal?" Chen Qin pouted, looking displeased. "Ugh, now even eating together has to be about business instead of just catching up."

"Ah, the love is gone. You’ve changed, my dude." She sighed dramatically, her theatrics making Ye Shuang’s eyelid twitch.

"I don’t have anything going on lately," he conceded, knowing full well that if he made up an excuse, Chen Qin would only stir up more trouble.

"Then come over this Saturday." Chen Qin blinked, her sweet smile reappearing faster than flipping a page.

Ye Shuang: "..."

Might as well bring Yu You along—the food’s always good there.

At the station, they swiped their IDs to enter and chatted briefly while waiting for the train.

Since they’d bought tickets together, they could choose adjacent seats. Once they found their spots, Ye Shuang let Chen Qin take the window seat.

"It’s been a while since I rode the high-speed rail." Chen Qin stretched her arms after sitting down, glancing around before grinning at him.

Ye Shuang thought her smile looked a little silly, but he just said, "You’ve got a driver for short trips and fly for long ones. Of course you wouldn’t think of this."

"It’s different."

Chen Qin looked at Ye Shuang beside her, then suddenly yawned. "I’m sleepy..."

Ye Shuang knew how hard she worked—business trips and late nights were unavoidable. "Then take a nap on the train."

"Mm."

Chen Qin nodded and leaned against the window to sleep—except she kept fidgeting, her face slipping off her arm before she drowsily readjusted.

Her delicate brows furrowed slightly, clearly uncomfortable.

Plus, the seats were a bit narrow...

"Just lean on me." Ye Shuang couldn’t stand watching her struggle to sleep.

"Isn’t that bad?" A mischievous glint flashed in Chen Qin’s eyes, though she still feigned hesitation. "What if I drool all over you?"

"Never mind, then."

"Wait, wait!" Chen Qin immediately latched onto his arm, nestling against him with a satisfied smile before closing her eyes again.

She held on tightly, her grip so firm that Ye Shuang’s arm sank into her embrace. The sensation instantly reminded him of what had happened before—how Chen Qin, with her clumsy inexperience, had tried to "relieve his stress" using that slime-like toy.

Ever since that day, a lot of things had changed between them.

"Ye Shuang..." A warm breath tickled his ear.

"What?" He tilted his head slightly, feeling oddly flustered.

"Are you thinking about something naughty?" Chen Qin deliberately inched closer, her whisper sending a shiver down his spine.

Her hand rested on his thigh as she asked with a grin, "Want to do it again next time?"

But even as she teased, a faint blush betrayed her bravado.

Thump. Ye Shuang flicked her forehead.

"Ow."

"Sleep. There are cameras everywhere—what are you thinking?"

Chen Qin pouted but obediently clung to his arm and drifted off.

She must’ve been exhausted, because she fell asleep within a minute of resting against his shoulder. Ye Shuang could feel the steady rise and fall of her breathing gradually evening out.

He adjusted his posture slightly to let her rest more comfortably.

Once settled, he checked the time and idly scrolled through news articles to pass the time.

The two cities were close, and before he knew it, they’d arrived.

......

"Time to get off, Chen Qin." Ye Shuang nudged her gently.

Chen Qin slowly opened her eyes and let out a soft, drawn-out "Mmm~"

Instantly, several standing passengers turned to look.

Hey, that sound is way too misleading!

"Let’s go."

"Okay." Still half-asleep, Chen Qin yawned and followed him off the train.

"Taking the subway?"

"Mm, Line 2." The high-speed rail station was connected to the subway, making transfers seamless. Plus, as the terminal station in this direction, it was usually easier to snag a seat.

At least, that’s what Ye Shuang thought—until a flood of passengers surged in and claimed spots with practiced efficiency, leaving him reevaluating his optimism.

These seats are impossible to get.

"No seats? No problem, we can stand." Chen Qin smiled.

"Mm."

The subway rocked gently, and with the poor signal, Chen Qin didn’t bother with her phone. Instead, she studied the route map overhead.

"The last stop is Jiahe Wanggang," she mused, tilting her chin up.

"Something special about it?" Ye Shuang asked. It was just a station name, after all.

"It’s kinda popular online, or so I’ve heard..." Chen Qin said.

"Jiahe Wanggang means something like ‘goodbye forever’—because one direction leads to the train station, the other to the airport. If people part ways here, they might never meet again."

"That’s what’s trending?" Ye Shuang thought for a moment. "But isn’t it also possible that it’s just a transfer point for two new starting points?"

Chen Qin paused, then beamed. "You’re right. It doesn’t have to be an ending—it could be a new beginning."

"Right, A-Shuang?"