Zhao Ziqiang was missing.

The Zhao family remained calm because Zhao Ziqiang had informed them in advance.

The boss and his wife were also at ease; the vacancy announcement had already been posted.

Even Qian Wang was unbothered; he had been keeping a close watch on this person all along.

So the only one who remained uneasy was Sun Wanjue. But as a student without the means to do anything, he could only ponder the situation on his own.

In fact, as Zhao Ziqiang was finalizing his discharge procedures, he was already under the watchful eyes of Qian Wang’s informants.

“Hey.”

“I said, Professor Qian, why do you sound so listless?”

“Oh, is there something you need?”

“Just woke up, huh? That voice of yours sounds too sexy.”

“I asked if you had something to say.”

“Alright… your person is in the process of completing the discharge procedures.”

“Got it, thanks.”

“I said…”

Beep—beep—beep—

Qian Wang stepped out of the hotel with a bag in hand, looking utterly unwell. He rubbed his temples, headed to the parking lot, and drove straight to the hospital.

He drove the car near the hospital entrance but didn’t get too close, instead he parked the car at a spot along the route that Zhao Ziqiang would take to go home and waited inside.

Just as sleepiness began to set in, he caught a glimpse of Zhao Zili’s figure rushing past the car. Before he could call out, that girl had already met up with Zhao Ziqiang.

Zhao Ziqiang only had a small bag with him; the rest of the items, which were bought from the hospital for temporary use, were probably left behind or discarded as they wouldn’t be sanitary to take home.

Qian Wang initially planned to drive over and pick the two of them up. However, he saw Zhao Ziqiang hand the bag to Zhao Zili and then say something to her before taking a travel bag that she was holding.

It was then that Qian Wang noticed that Zhao Zili’s expression was quite odd.

The two seemed to exchange some words, then shared a brief hug. After that, Zhao Ziqiang touched the girl’s forehead before shouldering his bag and walking in the opposite direction.

Qian Wang didn’t have time to pay attention to Zhao Zili and quickly started the car, slowly following behind.

Zhao Ziqiang appeared to be in a great mood, casually humming a song as he strolled toward the bus stop, chewing gum all the while.

Qian Wang watched the person waiting anxiously for the bus, which still hadn’t arrived. The person had shifted positions multiple times, and Qian Wang hesitated, unsure whether to approach and pick him up.

Just as he was considering this, the bus arrived.

Zhao Ziqiang wore a light fleece pullover, the fabric hung loosely around his upper body. He paired it with jeans and brown suede skate shoes, presenting a youthful vibe that Qian Wang hadn’t seen in years.

Having been ill for nearly a month, Zhao Ziqiang still looked a bit unwell and moved clumsily. He had lost quite a bit of weight, but he now carried an artistic air about him, exuding the charm of a carefree young man. Coupled with his not-so-short stature and the longer strands of his messy hair, Qian Wang felt a flicker of attraction.

Qian Wang initially thought Zhao Ziqiang was heading to the restaurant where he worked, but to his surprise, when he got off the bus, he walked toward the bus station next to it instead.

Although his confusion grew, Qian Wang didn’t feel he had the right to chase after him and ask questions. Instead, he parked the car in the lot and followed at a distance. While it wasn’t the busy season for buses, there were still quite a few people at the station.

Qian Wang could only watch from the shadows.

Zhao Ziqiang stood beneath the departure board, scanning the lines one by one while muttering to himself, clearly unable to decide on his destination.

In fact, his pocket contained only the 1,600 yuan he received from the boss as his final paycheck. He had originally planned to head to a city in the south to develop his career, as he was a true northerner and had always longed for the vibrant southern cities.

However, as he looked at the bus schedules, a sudden idea flashed into his mind.

He smiled slightly and then stuffed his hands into his pockets as he queued at the ticket counter.

Qian Wang had no way of knowing where Zhao Ziqiang was headed. He could only watch from outside the ticket hall as Zhao Ziqiang stood in line, bought his ticket, waited for the bus and then entered the station.

It wasn’t until he vaguely saw Zhao Ziqiang board the bus that he felt it was safe to follow him.

As soon as Zhao Ziqiang entered the station, he felt an unsettling sensation that someone was watching him from behind. It was a feeling he had become quite familiar with during his time in the hospital.

However, after glancing back a few times and seeing nothing unusual, he reassured himself. As a grown man, with only a few bills featuring Chairman Mao’s face in his pocket, there was really nothing to worry about. He decided to brush it off.

Once he settled comfortably into his seat on the long-distance bus, he finally relaxed completely. He took out the snacks his sister had prepared for him and began munching on them while examining the ticket in his hand.

Although he claimed to be a northerner, he had never actually been to the coldest regions, like the northeastern provinces or the remote northwest. While he yearned for the luxury of southern cities, he also felt a sense of curiosity and anticipation about the mysterious landscapes of the north.

Once the bus had been stationary for a while and both the driver and ticket attendant were ready, it finally started moving.

The scenery outside the window began to shift gradually as the city where he had lived his entire life passed by slowly.

The bus moved slowly, only picking up speed once it reached the outskirts, where the scenery outside blurred past even faster.

Though the ride wasn’t particularly bumpy, Zhao Ziqiang internally lamented that his pre-boarding predictions had indeed been accurate. The bus frequently stopped to pick up passengers, and it was soon overloaded.

Given that the driver was an experienced professional, he could only swallow his unease and settle in for the journey.

Having never been on a long-distance bus before, he didn’t realize that after a few hours, the cabin would become filled with smoke. The sweets he had eaten earlier began to churn uncomfortably in his stomach. No matter how much he tried to hold it down, he felt like he was about to burst.

Fortunately, the old bus was fuel inefficient, and it soon pulled into a gas station. Seizing the opportunity, he quickly got off with the others and found a small mound by the roadside to vomit.

After throwing up for a while, he finally started to feel better.

Zhao Ziqiang stood up, using the mineral water in his hand to wash his hands and rinse his mouth. Out of the corner of his eye, he vaguely noticed a familiar-looking small SUV, but at that moment, he felt utterly exhausted and had no energy to think about it. He returned to the bus and fell asleep.

Meanwhile, Qian Wang had pulled over to refuel and took the opportunity to rest his head on the steering wheel. He almost dozed off completely until one of the attendants gave his shoulder a gentle nudge to wake him.

“Boss, it’s all done.”

Qian Wang rubbed his eyes and adjusted his glasses, ignoring the attendant’s chatter about the safety of the new car. He continued to follow an old taxi as it drove away.

After Zhao Ziqiang’s head had bumped against the window for what felt like the umpteenth time, the bus finally arrived at its destination.

Once he got off, he stood at the exit, completely disoriented and wandering around, unsure of which direction to go.

He had thought that this bustling place wouldn’t be too complicated, but the bustling traffic and noise made him feel dizzy again. He squatted on the ground for a long time to collect himself before finally getting up to ask a staff member at the bus station for help.

With his bag slung over his shoulder, he continued toward the ticket office and waiting area, buying tickets, waiting, boarding, and traveling. This was how he spent the next few days.

The final destination was a small city. Zhao Ziqiang had changed his plans several times along the way before deciding to stop here. He remembered that he had once researched this place and spent several days gathering information to draft a travel plan. Although that plan had ultimately fallen through, it still helped alleviate his long-standing longing for this place.

When it comes to travel, Zhao Ziqiang believed that getting to the destination is part of the process, and there are many ways to do it. However, when it comes to enjoying the sights, one must have enough energy.

After taking care of some matters, Zhao Ziqiang took a taxi to the city center. The city matched his expectations perfectly; it only took ten minutes to travel from the outskirts to the city center. The small city had a charming appeal.

It was his mother who had warned him not to stay at any hotel by the bus station; stories of locals taking advantage of outsiders are often more believable than not.

He found a small inn that seemed decent enough run by a friendly owner and checked in. Exhausted from his journey, he collapsed onto the bed as soon as he entered the room, forgetting to lock the door, not even take off his shoes before drifting off to sleep.

He slept soundly until nightfall, and when he woke up, the sky outside the window was already dotted by the stars.

Stretching under the covers, he sat up and glanced around the room before finally deciding to get up.

Heading downstairs to the front desk, he found a shy young girl on duty, looking quite innocent. When he smiled at her, she blushed. As he casually turned to look outside, he asked her:

“Did the guy who came in to ask about me today check in?”

The girl was momentarily taken aback but answered honestly, “Yes, he did. He’s staying right next door.”

Zhao Ziqiang smiled and said, “Thank you,” before stepping out of the inn.

Meanwhile, in the next room, Qian Wang, feeling exhausted from the long drive and perhaps catching a chill from traveling at night, had inquired about Zhao Ziqiang’s registration at the inn. After two weeks on the road, he could no longer hold on and decided to book a room to rest.

Zhao Ziqiang leisurely wandered around the city when he suddenly thought of Qian Wang’s smartphone. That guy’s phone was a smart one, and although Zhao Ziqiang had never really grasped high-tech products, he couldn’t help but feel envious of the satellite maps and travel guides it offered.

In contrast, he was still stuck with his old blue-screen Nokia, which only allowed for calls and texts, with Snake being the only game available…

To save on call costs, he had already gotten a temporary SIM card as soon as he got off the bus, since he couldn’t afford roaming fees.

He wandered aimlessly, lost in thought, and as he scanned the people and things on the streets, he unconsciously passed several blocks. He noticed various small stalls along the way, most of them run by outsiders, which were actually quite similar to those back in his hometown.

However, it was his first time seeing a temple across from a large shopping mall, and he found it quite interesting.

Since he was out exploring, he decided to walk into the temple without thinking much about it.

From the outside, it looked like an ordinary temple, but inside, it turned out to be a quaint little park with an ancient charm. He stopped in front of the statue and, following his memory, sincerely knelt down to pray. He bought three sticks of incense and lit them, following the customs he had learned from his mother or seen on television.

As Zhao Ziqiang inserted the incense, he mumbled to himself,

“Hmm… Please bless my mom, dad, and sister with good health and safety. And… bless me and the one traveling with me, so that we can have a smooth and happy journey.”

After making his wish, he stood up and brushed off his knees, then his attention was drawn to the elderly man outside the temple shaking a rattle drum, pushing a small cart, and sucking on a lollipop, so he walked over.