"Yuanyuan, has Qu Ling been having you organize these things lately?" Uncle San asked while flipping through the documents.
"yes!"
Uncle San pressed his temples as if he had a headache, a deep frown forming between his brows.
"Third Uncle...are you feeling unwell?"
“I’m fine,” my third uncle looked up at me and forced a rather stiff smile. “Yuanyuan, go ahead and get busy. Go back and rest early after you’re done.”
"Hmm!" I turned away uneasily and ran towards the infirmary as soon as I stepped out the door. I wanted to tell my third aunt to give my third uncle a check-up so he wouldn't get sick from overwork.
***
After having dinner in the cafeteria, I returned to the office only to find that there wasn't much to do that day. Just as I was about to pack my bag and head home, Qu Ling suddenly came back.
"Has Yuanyuan not gone back yet?" Qu Ling asked as she hurried into the inner room.
"Not yet," I followed him into the inner room. "Dean Qu, it seems you don't have any meetings tonight. Are you going to work overtime?"
Qu Ling took a stack of documents from the filing cabinet and stuffed them into her bag, saying, "I have to go to N City tonight, and I might not be back by tomorrow morning, so I won't be attending tomorrow's morning meeting."
"Oh." I replied and prepared to leave, when I suddenly smelled a faint scent of alcohol coming from Qu Ling.
"Dean, how do you plan to get to N City?"
"Let's drive." Qu Ling picked up her bag and walked over to me. "Want me to give you a ride home?"
The smell of alcohol was even stronger. I wrinkled my nose and sniffed hard, saying, "Dean, are you planning to drive after drinking?"
"Huh?" Qu Ling looked at me with some surprise, then said with a self-deprecating laugh, "I had no choice, it was the Education Bureau Director's dinner party, I had to drink. Don't worry, Yuanyuan, I'm not drunk."
"That's still not allowed!" I stood in front of him and said sternly, "Driving under the influence is a crime!"
Qu Ling and I looked at each other for a while, and Qu Ling said, "There are no more long-distance buses, so I have to drive myself."
"I'll drive!!" I blurted out in my excitement.
"You?" Qu Ling looked me up and down several times. "Do you have a driver's license?"
I immediately took out my wallet from my bag, held up my driver's license to him, and said, "It's genuine!"
Qu Ling carefully examined the person in the photo, and after confirming it was me, she nodded and said, "Okay, you drive. I'll consider it overtime!"
Yay!! I can finally touch a car! To be honest, I haven't really driven much since I got my license a year ago. Uh, okay, to be honest, I've only driven once. I was so excited that I kept speeding forward in my dad's Passat, and I accidentally pressed the accelerator instead of the brake, crashing into a tree. Since then, my dad has never let me drive. Every time I suggest going for a drive, my dad will seriously pick up the phone and say, "Wait a minute!" I ask, "Wait for what?" He says, "I need to ask the traffic management department to close off all the roads you're going to take, otherwise I'm afraid all the hospitals in H city will be overflowing tonight."
I'm so angry! How dare they look down on my driving skills like that! All I did was accidentally knock your Pajero into a tree last time! Is it really necessary to mock me like this?
And then there's my second uncle. Last time he drove us to the zoo, my aunt, taking advantage of my dad's absence, wanted me to practice driving. She deliberately said to my second uncle, "I heard Yuanyuan drives pretty well, how about letting her drive for a bit?" My second uncle said, "Okay." I immediately jumped for joy, rubbing my hands together, eager to try it out. Just as I was about to show off my skills, my second uncle added, "Then I'll get out of the car first and walk to the zoo myself. You guys ride in Yuanyuan's car."
My aunt chuckled twice and said, "Then let's forget about it." And just like that, I lost another driving practice opportunity! (Fish: Was it an opportunity to crash?)
In short, it's truly an injustice that a racing expert like me, Su Yuanyuan, doesn't have the chance to drive.
Today, my opportunity has finally arrived! And it's a big deal!! N City! It takes two hours to drive there even from the highway!
Oh ho ho! My hands are already itching!
"Yuanyuan," Qu Ling hesitated slightly as she handed me the car keys, "your smile...it looks so strange~~"
I snatched the keys from him, afraid he might change his mind. Suppressing my smugness, I smiled and said, "That's because I'm happy to have the opportunity to serve you, Dean! Dean, please—"
I cheerfully opened the car door for Qu Ling, who gritted her teeth and sat down in the passenger seat. I closed the door and, grinning maliciously, drove to the other side to get in the car.
Qu Ling's ride is a Buick Regal. I hear it's quite powerful. Hehe, great! I love powerful steeds! (Fish: Yeah, the more powerful, the more fun it is to crash! Yuanyuan: Dead fish, get lost!)
"Dean! Hold on tight!" I stepped on the clutch and prepared to shift gears and release the handbrake.
"Yuanyuan, you haven't started the engine yet!" Qu Ling pointed to the area below the steering wheel.
"Oh...oh ho ho! Yes!" I quickly turned the key to start the engine.
"Wait! Wait a minute!" Qu Ling reached for the seatbelt and said, "Let me fasten my seatbelt first!"
"Dean, your awareness of traffic safety is truly excellent!" I looked at him with a smile. "Then I'll buckle up too!" (Pfft~~ Su Yuanyuan actually plans to drive without a seatbelt!)
"Yuanyuan, drive slowly~~" Qu Ling was already realizing that she had been tricked into getting on a bad ship.
"Don't worry! I'm not particularly good at driving," I said with a smile, turning the steering wheel to the left, "I'm just fast—"
*****
The university town is located in the development zone of H city, far from the city center but close to the highway. We got on the highway not long after leaving the university town.
Highways are practically a paradise for high-speed driving.
It was already evening, and the setting sun cast a warm glow on the fields outside the window, its crimson light painting the final picture on the horizon.
"How beautiful!" Drawn by the setting sun, I couldn't help but turn my head to look at the west window where Qu Ling was.
"Look ahead!" Qu Ling reached out and slapped my face back.
"Just take a look! It won't do anything!" I muttered.
"Slow down!" Qu Ling shouted after glancing at the speedometer.
"It's only 180! What's the point of reducing it?" I reluctantly tapped the brakes, just to make a token effort.
"Don't keep driving in the overtaking lane!" Qu Ling was really long-winded.
"But the cars in front are all so slow, I'm about to overtake them!" I kept rushing forward with my eyes shining, when suddenly I felt a pain on my face. Qu Ling had reached out and pinched my right cheek without me noticing. "Ouch! Dean! What are you doing?"
"Will you listen to me or not?"
I didn't say anything, but the hand pinching my face tightened even more.
"Listen! I'll listen, okay?" I reluctantly slowed down and changed lanes, obediently keeping my speed at 120.
Qu Ling sighed, let go of her hand, and said, "Yuanyuan, you've really surprised me today!"
Hehe, Dean, you're only just realizing how good I am now? Let me tell you, there are many more surprises to come!
When we arrived at the Honghu rest area, Qu Ling asked me to drive the car out and rest for a while. Although I repeatedly said that I was not tired, he still insisted that I stop the car.
As soon as she got out of the car, Qu Ling took a deep breath and said, "Finally, I can relax a bit!"
I was the one driving, so why did he act like he was so tired? Honestly, these leaders really love to put on an act.
I bought two meat-filled rice dumplings in the rest area. When I went outside, I saw Qu Ling leaning against the lakeside boardwalk, smoking.
"Dean Qu, would you like some zongzi?" I handed him the peeled zongzi.
Qu Ling shook her head. "Yuanyuan, didn't you have dinner?"
"I've eaten! I ate it at the third canteen!" I said, taking a big bite of the zongzi. Hmm, it tasted pretty good, not bad at all compared to Wufangzhai.
Qu Ling suddenly burst out laughing, "Weren't you on a diet? What, aren't you afraid of fatty liver anymore?"
Leader Qu is good in every way, except for this one thing. Why does he have to expose his shortcomings for no reason? I pouted and leaned on the wooden railing next to him to concentrate on eating my zongzi.
It was completely dark, and the lake water shimmered with a faint silver light in the darkness.
As I chewed on a zongzi (sticky rice dumpling), I looked into the distance. Dense stars moved with the ripples in the lake, as if a layer of mercury had been spread across the surface.
I couldn't help but look up at the sky. The black sky stretched from the horizon of the eastern fields to the waterline of the western lake, completely clear and unobstructed. The sky was filled with twinkling stars, a magnificent sight I had never seen before.
"Dean!" I looked up, pointing excitedly at the night sky.
"What's wrong?"
"Look! Look at the sky! Look at the stars!" I shook his arm vigorously. "Look!"
Qu Ling stubbed out her cigarette and, with a helpless smile, looked up at me.
Between heaven and earth, there is only starlight.
The power and awe that nature can bring to the human soul is immeasurable.
When I look at the night sky, my whole being melts into the Milky Way. My eyes are pressed against every bright star, kissing one before flying to another to dance.
I don't know how long I looked up at the starry sky, but when my neck was so sore it felt like it was about to break, I had to look down and move around a bit.
Turning to look at Qu Ling, he was still looking up at the boundless starry sky.
At this moment, Qu Ling was a stranger. Gone was the smile he always wore as a mask; his face, though expressionless, suddenly felt real to me.
His eyes were dark and deep, with starlight reflecting off them like a layer of pale silver water, making them look like the lake in front of him.
From my perspective, Qu Ling's eyes are like a clear lake filled with silvery light.
Thump—thump—thump thump—
A sound came from somewhere and startled me. When I came to my senses and listened quietly, I realized it was my own heartbeat.
Just as I was clutching my chest in frustration, Qu Ling suddenly turned her face, and our eyes met again. This wasn't the first time we'd looked at each other like this.
“Yuanyuan,” Qu Ling suddenly revealed a childlike, adorable smile, “your eyes, your eyes have stars in them!”
I chuckled and pointed at his eyes, saying, "You have them too! Lots of them!"
Qu Ling laughed loudly, then looked up at the deep starry sky and slowly said, "Is that so? But you have it in your heart, but I don't."
"What?" I didn't understand his words and pressed for an answer.
Qu Ling stopped talking. I tilted my head and thought for a long time before saying, "Then I'll share some with you!"
"Oh? Are you willing to do that?"
"Okay! I'll share a little bit with you!" I gestured with my hand to indicate a length of about one zhu (a unit of length).
Qu Ling looked down at my hand, remained silent for a while, and then said, "Yuanyuan, you're too stingy."
Night terrors while driving
Compared to the complex roads in the city, the highways are practically dead ends.
As soon as I exited the overpass and entered the main urban area of N City, I felt completely disoriented. Everywhere I looked, there were cars, countless headlights converging on the road, looking like a shimmering river from afar.
A terrible river.
"Dean, which road should we take next?" I stared wide-eyed ahead, unsure which way to turn.
"Yuanyuan, don't move! Stay in the middle lane and go straight!" Qu Ling was already sweating profusely with tension, her left hand on the handbrake, not daring to take it off.
"Should we go straight the whole way?"