Chapter 7

Green Bubble, Pat-pat

“Lin Senmu, the king of schemes, I’m telling you, I don’t want to travel with you. I’ve signed up for a tour group, and we’re going to explore the Western Regions for seven days!”

Jiang Yuan was dragging a small white suitcase, carrying a pink backpack on her shoulders, dressed in a chiffon floral fairy dress, and wearing a white cotton cap.

Her stunning beauty and graceful demeanor exuded a goddess-like aura, immediately attracting the attention of the opposite sex as soon as she stepped off the train.

Lin Senmu walked beside her with a travel bag on his back. His tall figure, handsome face, and minimalist, restrained outfit also drew the gaze of many young women.

Passersby, seeing this attractive pair walking together, instantly labeled them as a young couple.

“Jiang Yuan, how about I join your tour group?” Lin Senmu’s intention was clear. He didn’t want to travel alone anymore; he wanted to stick with the girl he had met on the train.

Jiang Yuan shook her head gently, “You’re only staying for three days. You’ll end up leaving me halfway through the trip.”

Not being directly rejected, Lin Senmu saw a glimmer of hope. “I can stay for seven days too.”

“No, no.”

In fact, when Lin Senmu suggested it, Jiang Yuan had already checked with her tour group. The travel agency said the group was full, and there was no room for additional members.

The reserved girl no longer had an irrefutable excuse to travel with him.

“Which hotel are you staying at?” Lin Senmu asked, perhaps feeling a bit lonely after traveling alone for so long, and inexplicably wanting to be closer to the girl.

“Anxi Grand Hotel.”

After a moment of thought, Jiang Yuan shared her accommodation details.

“Ugh, it’s the peak travel season during summer vacation. The hotel you’re staying at is fully booked.”

After searching online, Lin Senmu’s hope of staying at the same hotel as the girl was dashed.

Jiang Yuan masked the disappointment in her eyes and smiled brightly, “Well, that’s too bad then. Goodbye, Lin Senmu!”

“Have a great trip!” Lin Senmu forced a smile.

“You have a great trip too! My ride is here!”

Jiang Yuan secretly glanced up, memorizing the boy’s appearance, then pushed her suitcase to the roadside and got into the waiting green-plated car.

Lin Senmu watched as the girl drove away, a strong sense of regret welling up inside him. After this parting, the two of them, from different corners of the world, would likely never meet again.

With a sigh, Lin Senmu decided not to dwell on impossible dreams.

He took out his phone and snapped a photo of the entrance of ‘Anxi Station.’ Throughout his travels, besides collecting train tickets, he also enjoyed photographing train stations.

While Lin Senmu was busy capturing the station, he didn’t notice that Jiang Yuan’s car had circled around to the right and passed by the train station again from the left.

Jiang Yuan rolled down the car window and, across four lanes of traffic, gazed at the boy from Xiangchu who had left a mark on her heart.

Soon, the car carrying Jiang Yuan drove off into the distance.

Around 9:30 PM, the sky in Anxi City, the capital of the Western Regions Province, was still bright. Lin Senmu had already arrived at the hotel he had booked.

As soon as he entered his room, he received a message from Jiang Yuan, “Lin Senmu, have you arrived at your place yet?”

“I’m here!” Lin Senmu replied instantly.

Jiang Yuan also replied instantly, “Oh, so if I don’t message you, you won’t message me, huh?”

“Are you saying I can chat with you?” Lin Senmu’s eyes lit up.

“So you don’t want to chat with me?”

Jiang Yuan sent a sad emoji along with her message.

“Miss you!”

Lin Senmu replied swiftly.

At the Anxi Grand Hotel, Jiang Yuan lay on the white bedsheet, swinging her little feet.

When she received the reply “Miss you!”, the corners of her mouth involuntarily turned up, but her words still carried a hint of pride: “Men’s words are deceitful ghosts. It’s been over an hour since you got off the train, and you haven’t reached out to me! [Arrogant]”

“The hotel I booked is in the city center, quite far from the train station. I just got to my room,” Lin Senmu explained.

“But you didn’t message me on the way either,” Jiang Yuan added.

“I, I, I…”

Lin Senmu was so flustered that he broke into a sweat, completely unaware that he was being played.

“Alright, I won’t tease you anymore. Since you’re traveling alone, I’ll send you a travel guide for the Western Region!”

Jiang Yuan sent a link on Green Bubble.

When Lin Senmu opened it, he saw a blogger’s introduction to the tourist attractions in the Western Region Province, along with some local delicacies.

He had actually researched these before coming, but since it was sent by the girl, he still found it fascinating.

“Lin Senmu!!!”

Jiang Yuan suddenly sent a voice message, sounding like a fierce little tiger.

“What’s wrong?”

Lin Senmu was completely confused.

Jiang Yuan was both embarrassed and angry, “What kind of weird message did you set for your Pat-pat on Green Bubble??”

Just now, unaware that Lin Senmu was reading the guide she sent, she tapped on Lin Senmu’s avatar when he didn’t respond. The result displayed: You patted Lin Senmu and stuck out your butt at him!

“I’ll change it right away!!”

Lin Senmu was mortified.

“I’m starting to suspect you’re lying to me. You must have been in a relationship before, right? This Pat-pat is clearly a trick to flirt with girls!!”

Jiang Yuan pouted angrily.

“It’s snowing in August! I’m more wronged than Dou E. This is just a prank between me and a good buddy. I’ll send you a screenshot to prove it—he set the same Pat-pat!”

Lin Senmu quickly minimized the voice chat window, found his buddy’s chat window, and took a screenshot of the record showing they had set the same Pat-pat.

“Wow, you two guys are really passionate!”

Jiang Yuan teased after seeing the screenshot, “Lin Senmu, are you sure you’re not gay?”

“Of course not!”

Lin Senmu shouted in anger. If this cheeky girl dared to spout nonsense again, he would definitely prove her wrong the next time they had a chance to sleep together!

“Ha, Lin Senmu is the bottom!”

Jiang Yuan taunted him.

Seeing the girl being so cheeky, Lin Senmu’s eyes darted around. After making some adjustments, he coaxed, “Jiang Yuan, I’ve changed the content of my Pat-pat.”

Jiang Yuan’s face was full of hesitation. Whether Lin Senmu had changed it or not, if he hadn’t, tapping it would mean sticking her butt out at him again. If he had changed it, then so be it!

But staring at Lin Senmu’s avatar, Jiang Yuan was genuinely curious about what he might have changed it to.

Her fingertip lightly tapped his avatar, and after seeing the display, she instantly hung up the voice call and turned into a typing machine: “Lin Senmu, you really are a master of schemes, so mean!”

Lin Senmu wore a triumphant smile, finding the screen increasingly amusing.

It displayed: Jiang Yuan patted Lin Senmu and called him “hubby.”

“Should I respond to that?”

Lin Senmu ventured tentatively.

“Don’t want to talk to you!”

Jiang Yuan sent an angry emoji.

Indeed, it was too abrupt.

Lin Senmu had no choice but to say, “I admit I was wrong!”

After a while, Jiang Yuan finally replied, “Lin Senmu, hurry up and pat me!”

“No patting!”

Lin Senmu refused without a second thought.

Jiang Yuan grew anxious and sent a voice message, “No way, you have to pat me!”

Lin Senmu replied with a voice message, “Am I stupid? Knowing you’ve dug a pit for me, I’d still jump in?”

Jiang Yuan clenched her little fists in frustration, but she had a trump card. She cooed sweetly, “Good brother, please pat me!”

“Oh no, my defenses are down!”

Lin Senmu was hooked and couldn’t resist, fulfilling the girl’s request.

“Hehe!”

Both their screens simultaneously displayed: Lin Senmu patted Jiang Yuan, paying respects to the beautiful little princess.