GOGOGO, Let's Go

The house chosen by Li Yuanying and the others was located in the picturesque Dream Hill area of Grindelwald, surrounded by two towering peaks that disappeared into the clouds.

Scattered across the hillside were a number of wooden cabins and small villas. The house they had taken a liking to was a two-story wooden villa with a somewhat old-fashioned design and a small courtyard.

“This house costs five hundred euros a day. How many days should we book?” Li Yuanying asked.

Su Yang thought for a moment before replying, “Let’s book it for three days first. We can decide later whether to extend our stay.”

“Okay.”

Su Yang took out his phone and contacted the owner to make the reservation.

More than ten minutes later, he put away his phone and smiled at the three girls. “Okay, it’s all arranged.”

“That fast?”

“Yep. The booking’s confirmed. Once we get to Grindelwald, the owner will drive over to pick us up.”

“Great. Then let’s go. It’s already ten past three.”

“Let’s head out!”

The four of them stood up, pulled along their suitcases, and made their way toward the train station.

“By the way, Su-san, how many rooms does the house have?” Qingxia asked Su Yang.

“I think there are five rooms—three on the first floor and two on the second. The four of us can each have our own room, with one left over.”

“That’s good.”

“It’ll probably be dark by the time we get there. Should we buy something to eat in advance?” Yoshie asked.

Su Yang waved his hand. “No need. I already asked the owner to prepare some ingredients for us. Once we arrive tonight, I’ll cook some Chinese food for everyone.”

“Really?!” Li Yuanying looked at Su Yang, her face lighting up with excitement.

“Would I lie about that?” Su Yang said with a smile.

“Yuanying, I’ve eaten Su-san’s cooking before. It’s unbelievably delicious!” Yoshie said, giving Li Yuanying a playful wink.

“I know. He told me about it, but I haven’t tried it yet. I’m getting more and more excited.”

Qingxia suddenly asked, “Su-san, did you ask the owner to prepare alcohol too? It would be such a waste to sit around the cabin eating delicious food without having a few drinks.”

“Exactly. We absolutely have to drink,” Li Yuanying agreed with a nod.

Su Yang watched the three of them chattering back and forth and smiled. “Don’t worry. Did you really think I’d forget that? I told the owner to stock plenty of alcohol. I’m only worried you won’t be able to finish it.”

“Even if we can’t handle it, we’re drinking anyway! Tonight, we’re drinking until we drop!” Qingxia shouted, pumping her fist.

“Until we drop? Drop where?” Li Yuanying asked, confused.

“Uh… It’s just an expression. You know what I mean.”

“Hahaha, all right. Come on, come on! I can’t wait to get there!”

Li Yuanying freed one hand and grabbed Su Yang, taking off toward the front.

Yoshie and Qingxia hurried after them at a light jog.

Ten minutes later, the four of them returned to Kärnanven Station.

After passing through security, they went to the waiting hall and sat down in the rest area.

It was three-thirty in the afternoon, with half an hour remaining before departure.

The three girls sat together, chatting and laughing, while Su Yang contacted the owner of the house in Grindelwald to confirm a few details.

Before long, an announcement came over the waiting hall’s speakers. As soon as she heard it, Li Yuanying sprang to her feet and shouted, “Come on, come on! We can board!”

Su Yang tilted his head and waved for her to sit down. “What do you mean, we can board? They’re just going over some safety information. They haven’t announced boarding yet.”

“What? It’s already three-forty! Why aren’t they letting us board? Can trains be delayed too?”

“Who knows? Judging by the looks of it, we’ll probably have to wait a little longer. Don’t worry. We’ll definitely get there tonight.”

“All right.”

Li Yuanying sat back down helplessly and continued chatting with Yoshie and Qingxia.

Fortunately, they did not have to wait long. Five minutes later, another announcement rang out—this time, it was the actual boarding call.

Su Yang stood up and called out, “Enough chatting. GOGOGO! Time to go!”

“Got it. Let’s go!”

The four of them joined the line of passengers boarding the same train and soon reached the platform, where they boarded the train bound for Grindelwald.

Qingxia had booked four business-class seats, but this train was different from the one Su Yang and Li Yuanying had taken earlier. It looked noticeably older. Although their tickets were for business class, the seats were barely any different from ordinary ones.

The train had a yellow body and was not particularly long. Its overall appearance was more reminiscent of an old-fashioned green-skinned train.

“Can this train really get to Grindelwald in four hours?” Li Yuanying asked worriedly.

“It can. When I bought the tickets, the listed travel time was three hours and forty minutes,” Qingxia replied.

“But I have a feeling this train doesn’t go very fast.”

Su Yang smiled. “Stop worrying. As long as we get there, that’s all that matters.”

“All right.”

“Let’s find our seats. Qingxia, did you book four seats together?” Su Yang asked.

Qingxia nodded. “Yes. They’re all in the same row in Car Five.”

“Good.”

The four of them made their way down the train’s somewhat cramped aisle. Su Yang walked ahead and quickly found their seats near the door.

“They’re over here!” he called.

“Coming!”

The three girls dragged their suitcases over and finally squeezed in beside Su Yang.

As the only man among the four of them, Su Yang naturally handled all the heavy lifting.

“You girls sit down first. Don’t block the aisle,” Su Yang said.

He then lifted each of their suitcases and placed them in the luggage racks above the seats.

Yoshie and Qingxia sat in the two seats on the left side of the train, while Su Yang and Li Yuanying sat together across the aisle.

As usual, Li Yuanying chose the window seat.

There were still passengers in the aisle searching for their seats. This business-class carriage was much narrower than the train they had taken from Paris earlier. There was very little space between the rows. When Su Yang sat down, his knees were only about a fist’s width from the seat in front of him, making it impossible to cross his legs comfortably.

Still, they had no choice but to make do. Their options were limited.

Once all the passengers were seated, an announcement came over the speakers.

At 4:10 p.m., the train slowly began to move.

“The trip’s pretty long. You can take a nap first,” Su Yang said, turning to look at Yoshie and Qingxia.

“Okay. We’ll play on our phones for a while, then rest.”

“Yeah. You should get some rest too.”

Su Yang turned to Li Yuanying.

“I’m too excited. There’s no way I can sleep.”

“Don’t get your hopes up too high.”

“What do you mean?”

“Haven’t you heard the saying? The higher your expectations, the greater your disappointment. Grindelwald looks wonderful online, but none of us have actually been there. If something doesn’t live up to what you’re imagining, you might end up disappointed.”

“Really?”

“That’s how I see it, anyway. Whatever you’re doing, it’s better to keep your expectations low at first. Then, even if things don’t turn out perfectly, you won’t be too upset. Do you understand what I mean?”

Li Yuanying leaned back in her seat and rolled her eyes thoughtfully. “I think so.”

“Good. Take your time thinking it over. I’m going to nap.”

Su Yang took out his Bluetooth earbuds, put them on, and played some music before closing his eyes to rest.

However, after sitting with his eyes closed for only a few minutes, he felt that something was off. He opened his eyes again and looked out the window, only to see the scenery outside slowly sliding backward.

By this point, the train had already been traveling for more than ten minutes. It should have picked up speed by now, but it was still crawling along.

Su Yang gazed out the window and said, “Damn, this train is way too slow.”

“What?” Li Yuanying turned to ask.

“I said this train is moving so slowly. It feels like we’re going no faster than fifty kilometers an hour.”

“Yeah, now that you mention it, I hadn’t noticed either.” Li Yuanying turned to look out the window as well.

Su Yang pulled out his phone and searched. He discovered that Geneva and Grindelwald were only 155 kilometers apart. By car, the journey would take no more than an hour and a half, yet this train ride took nearly four hours.

“For crying out loud, can this thing go any slower?”