"Song Hao!" Song Hao responded.
"It's not easy for a girl to drive at night!" Song Hao said, starting a conversation.
"It's nothing, I'm used to it. I drive all over the country, so driving at night is normal for me," Li Yan said with a smile.
"Wow! Driving all over the country, I'm quite envious!" Song Hao exclaimed.
"By the way, Brother Song, where are you going?" Li Yan asked.
Song Hao said, "Just go to any place with a station, and then go to Qingdao."
“Qingdao! What a great place! If you don’t mind, I can drive you there directly, and I’ll also visit it myself,” Li Yan said.
"How can that be? Wouldn't that disrupt your schedule?" Song Hao said in surprise.
"It's alright. I'm just traveling all over the country without a specific destination. I'm content with whatever comes my way. I'll just go all the way and take Brother Song straight to Qingdao," Li Yan said with a smile.
"This..." Song Hao hesitated for a moment. A strange woman offered him a ride, then offered to take him all the way to Qingdao, and after being attacked in Tangzhuang, just as he left there... Song Hao couldn't help but feel suspicious.
"What, you suspect I have ulterior motives towards you? Well then, just get off at the town ahead. If you feel bad about it, just give me some money for the ride. Sigh! It's hard to be a good person these days!" Li Yan seemed to have seen through Song Hao's thoughts and shook her head with a sigh.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it." Song Hao looked extremely embarrassed. He was secretly surprised that this woman was so capable, seemingly able to see through his thoughts.
"It's nothing, do as you please!" Li Yan laughed self-deprecatingly.
The atmosphere became awkward for a moment.
Li Yan intentionally or unintentionally slowed down the car's speed.
At this moment, Song Hao took out the cloth bag that Tang Yu had given him from his pocket. When he opened it, in addition to his original items, his ID card, and the golden dragon needle, there was also a stack of money, which should be about ten thousand yuan. It was obviously a gift from Tang Yu.
"Why did Miss Tang give me so much money?" Song Hao was puzzled, but a warm feeling also arose spontaneously.
"Brother Song, when you're out and about, you shouldn't flaunt your wealth. Aren't you afraid I'll rob you?" Li Yan glanced at Song Hao, who was staring blankly at the ten thousand yuan, and laughed.
“Miss Li must be rich to have such a leisurely life and travel all over the country in such a nice car. Why would she care about my little bit of money?” Song Hao replied, then put away the things in his hand.
"Hehe! Since you think I won't be after your money, what are you afraid of? It's our first meeting, do you think I'm after you? I haven't met anyone who catches my eye yet. How about I take you to Qingdao? I don't mean anything by it, I just want to find someone to talk to on the way, I've been so bored these past few days." Li Yan said, suddenly becoming interested again.
Upon hearing this, Song Hao thought to himself, "This woman has a cheerful personality, and with such an air of confidence, she must come from a wealthy family. Perhaps I'm overthinking things for a girl traveling alone. If she drives me directly to Qingdao, I can see my grandfather as soon as possible, which will save a lot of time."
Thinking of this, Song Hao said, "Won't this really delay Miss Li's trip? If we travel together, I would be more than happy to do so."
Upon hearing this, Li Yan smiled mysteriously, then said with feigned generosity, "It won't interfere with my plans. I've always wandered around the country, so it doesn't matter where I go. It's fate that I found you in the middle of the night. You seem like a good person, and I feel safer driving at night with you here. You just need to keep me company; you don't need to worry about the expenses along the way. When we get to Qingdao, you can treat me to a big meal."
"Deal!" Song Hao was so impressed by Li Yan's cheerful and open-minded attitude that he readily agreed.
"Get ready!" Li Yan exclaimed excitedly, then sped off in the car.
Chapter Twenty-Nine of the Record of Strange Writings: Seeing Through
In ancient times, there were true men who could lift up heaven and earth, grasp yin and yang, breathe in the essence of life, stand alone and guard their spirit, and whose muscles were as one. Therefore, they could live as long as heaven and earth, without end. This is the way of life.
In ancient times, there were those who attained perfect virtue and complete understanding of the Way, harmonizing with Yin and Yang, and regulating themselves in accordance with the four seasons. They departed from worldly affairs, accumulating essence and preserving their spirit, roaming freely between heaven and earth, their sight and hearing reaching beyond the eight directions. (Suwen. On the Primordial Innocence of Heaven)
After traveling for a while, the car entered a small town. Li Yan found a hotel and parked the car.
"Song Hao, let's rest here for a bit. I'm exhausted from driving all night, and I'm sure you haven't rested either," Li Yan said.
Song Hao said, "That's fine. Driving while fatigued is very dangerous. It's better to take a nap before you leave."
At the hotel reception desk.
"Hello! Do you two need a room? Please show your ID cards to register. Also, we need to see your marriage certificate." The receptionist at the front desk smiled politely, clearly assuming the two were a married couple.
Li Yan and Song Hao exchanged a surprised glance, a blush spreading across Li Yan's face. Song Hao awkwardly rubbed his forehead.
“You’ve got it wrong. We’re traveling together as friends, and we need two rooms,” Li Yan said unhappily.
"I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!" the waiter apologized hastily, glancing at the two with a suspicious look. He then processed their check-in.
When Song Hao was about to step forward to pay the bill, Li Yan had already paid first, saying, "Don't argue over such a small amount. You can pay for the meal tomorrow."
Hearing this, Song Hao had no choice but to give up. The waiter frowned slightly upon seeing the two of them like this.
The two took their room keys from the front desk and were about to go upstairs when suddenly five or six people rushed down the stairs, their faces filled with panic, supporting an elderly man who was groaning in pain and clutching his abdomen. It was clear the old man was suffering from acute abdominal pain.
"What's wrong with this old man?" A hotel staff member, hearing the commotion, came out of a room and asked in surprise.
"My dad suddenly started having stomach pains for some reason. Is the hospital far from here?" someone asked anxiously.
"It's not far, just a few minutes by taxi," the staff member said, as he helped open the door.
Looking at the scene before her, Li Yan muttered under her breath, "Why go to the hospital in the middle of the night? Two needles will solve the problem." A hint of disdain appeared on her face.
With a doctor's heart full of compassion, Song Hao saw a patient in front of him and wanted to step forward to stop him and offer his help. However, he inadvertently overheard Li Yan's words and was taken aback. He watched as the people helped the old man out of the house and did not move.
"Song Hao, what are you daydreaming about? Go upstairs." Li Yan nudged Song Hao with her hand.
"Oh!" Song Hao responded and followed Li Yan upstairs.
"Miss Li, if I may ask, you must have graduated from university. What was your major?" Song Hao asked as they walked.
"Economics and Management!" Li Yan hesitated for a moment before saying. Then she laughed and added, "I'm not doing my job right now; I'll go back to work after I've had my fill of playing around."
Upon hearing this, Song Hao frowned slightly but said nothing more.
"By the way, Song Hao, if you're hungry, let's go downstairs and find a place to eat later," Li Yan said, seemingly intentionally changing the subject.