Chapter 111 : Encounter

“Has the team leader personally tested the equipment again?” Zhang Weiqin said nonchalantly. Seeing Liang Qingqing looking at him in confusion, he smiled and explained,”It happens all the time. When the announcer is not around, he will do it.”

Liang Qingqing’s mouth fell open in surprise. “So the person inside is Team Leader Song? He’s quite professional.”

“His mother is a top official at the Shanghai Broadcasting Bureau. He’s been immersed in it from a young age, how could he not be professional?” Zhang Weiqin lowered his voice and winked at Liang Qingqing. “I heard he came to the Cultural Bureau after falling out with his family. Otherwise, he would have already joined the Broadcasting Bureau.”

Zhang Weiqin’s casual revelation about such a secret left Liang Qingqing with a deeper impression of his loose lips. She gave a forced smile, changed the subject, and said, “Let’s go in first.”

“Okay.” They entered the room quietly, but the noise still disrupted the ongoing process.

“Comrade Liang, you’re here?” A team member greeted them and then, like Zhang Weiqin before, exclaimed, “You look beautiful today.”

Liang Qingqing shyly smiled and skipped over the compliment. Turning to Song Shenglin, she tentatively said, “Shall I start?”

Song Shenglin withdrew his admiring gaze, nodded, and offered his seat to Liang Qingqing. “I tested it for a few minutes and didn’t find major issues, though there were occasional noises. Try it yourself, and if you still hear noise, we’ll have a technician check it out.”

Liang Qingqing took a deep breath, accepted the script from Song Shenglin, and began reading into the microphone. Her voice was light, clear, and full of emotion, with perfect Mandarin pronunciation, creating a soothing effect on the listeners.

Song Shenglin leaned against the edge of the desk, lightly tapping his fingers on the surface, and watched Liang Qingqing with admiration. He hadn’t encountered such a talented announcer in a long time, and meeting one in Changbei Province was truly unexpected.

Such a talent might be better suited for a bigger stage.

Once the equipment was tested, it was confirmed that there was indeed a noise issue. The technician said it would take two days to repair, so they had to postpone the recording work. At the same time, their colleague in charge of scriptwriting mentioned that they were missing some material and needed more detailed content from the cultural bureau in the county. Thus, everyone left the provincial capital.

Unable to record, Liang Qingqing thought she would have a few more days off, but then Tian Fengchun called her in for another task.

“Fujin Country is your hometown. You might as well accompany Team Leader Song there and deliver a document to the county broadcasting bureau.”

Hearing this, Liang Qingqing instinctively glanced at Song Shenglin, who was sitting on the other end of the sofa. He sat upright, exuding an air of dignity and grace, seemingly indifferent to the arrangement and ready to go along with it.

Liang Qingqing initially wanted to refuse, but since Tian Fengchun had made the request, she had no choice but to agree. Once everything was settled, she thought this could actually be a good opportunity. If possible, she could take some time to visit Fan Yanxing.

With this thought, Liang Qingqing’s smile finally seemed genuine.

Song Shenglin, who had observed all her small gestures, curled his lips in a faint smile, curious about the reason behind her fluctuating emotions. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t ask, and she might not answer.

After leaving Tian Fengchun’s office, they headed straight to the bus station. They planned to go and return the same day. However, if the material files were too extensive, they had prepared the necessary documents to stay at a guesthouse in the county and return the next day.

“I bought some snacks. Do you want any?” Liang Qingqing pulled out two oil paper-wrapped bundles from her bag and offered them to Song Shenglin. He quickly shook his head and politely declined, “I don’t eat. Thank you.”

“Alright.” Liang Qingqing thought he was just being modest until, not long after the bus started, she glanced over and saw Song Shenglin leaning wearily against the seat with a pale face.

She recognized this look immediately, it was just like how she used to feel when she couldn’t handle the bumpy ride in a tractor.

Liang Qingqing looked around and finally noticed a large bag of oranges in the front row. She took out her own snacks and offered to exchange them. At first, the woman with the oranges was reluctant, but upon seeing that Liang Qingqing had egg cakes, she pretended to hesitate before finally agreeing.

“Smelling the orange peel will make you feel better and less dizzy,” Liang Qingqing said as she peeled an orange and placed the peel into Song Shenglin’s hand. Their fingertips touched briefly, and he swallowed hard, murmuring a thanks.

“No need to thank me.” Liang Qingqing popped an orange segment into her mouth, her words slightly muffled. Noticing this, Song Shenglin’s lips curled up slightly, and he murmured, “Comrade Liang, you’re really something.”

“Hmm? What did you say?” Liang Qingqing was focused on eating the orange, and with the driver’s blaring horn filling the air, she didn’t catch what Song Shenglin said.

He shook his head, “Nothing.”

Liang Qingqing shrugged it off and didn’t dwell on it. She closed her eyes to savor the sweet orange, which was neither sour nor astringent, and the flavor spread through her mouth like a warm touch of winter.

When they arrived in Fujin County, Song Shenglin appeared utterly exhausted, almost as if he had lost half his strength. Liang Qingqing quickly suggested he rest before they continued.

“Team Leader Song, your motion sickness seems quite severe. I recommend you see a doctor for some preventive or relieving medication. It’s always better to be prepared,” Liang Qingqing, who wasn’t usually talkative, offered kindly.

Hearing this, Song Shenglin nodded weakly, “Thank you for your concern. I always have medicine with me, but I just ran out and haven’t had time to get more from the hospital…”

Since today’s trip was a last-minute decision, he had reluctantly boarded the bus despite feeling unwell.

“Alright, let’s go to the hospital first and then head to the Cultural Bureau,” Liang Qingqing suggested understandingly. Seeing him about to refuse, she added, “If we don’t go now, the hospital might close later, and we’d have to wait until tomorrow, which would waste time.”

Her words successfully prevented Song Shenglin from replying, and after a short rest, they slowly made their way to the hospital.

Familiar with the country hospital from when Fan Yanxing had stayed there, Liang Qingqing guided them quickly through the consultation and medication process. They then proceeded to the Cultural Bureau.

After arriving at the Cultural Bureau and explaining their purpose, showing the necessary documents, they were directed to a reception room. Soon, the bureau’s leaders met them and provided the required documents.

While Song Shenglin engaged in discussion with the Cultural Bureau leaders, Liang Qingqing, acting as a passive observer, let her mind wander until a familiar figure caught her eye through the open door. She snapped back to attention and stood up abruptly, interrupting their conversation. Noticing the confused looks from the two men, she hastily said, “I need to use the restroom.”

“The restroom is to the right, turn left, and keep going straight.”

“Okay, thank you.”

Liang Qingqing rushed out the door, hurrying toward the direction where she had seen the figure. As the figure was about to disappear around a corner, she couldn’t help but call out, “Fan Yanxing!”

The figure paused and then turned around. Upon seeing her, he widened his eyes in surprise, “Qingqing?”

Both recognized each other, their faces breaking into delighted smiles. The person beside Fan Yanxing glanced between them, first at him and then at her, finally settling back on Fan Yanxing.

“This is my partner, Comrade Liang Qingqing.”

“Hello.”

“Hello.”

After exchanging greetings, Fan Yanxing’s colleague, understanding the situation, took the initiative to leave, leaving just the two of them in the courtyard.

“What are you doing here?”

“What are you doing here?”

They both asked the same question almost simultaneously, as if by telepathy.

Liang Qingqing covered her mouth with a smile and explained first, “I was planning to finish up here and then go see you. I didn’t expect to run into you here so coincidentally.”

“I came with my colleagues to check the accounts and was about to leave when I heard your voice. At first, I thought I must have misheard, but it really was you,” Fan Yanxing said with a smile. “It’s a good thing we ran into each other here, otherwise, I’d have had to trouble you to come again.”

After a brief chat, Liang Qingqing leaned against a nearby tree and put her hands in her pockets. “I’m guessing that once this is sorted out, I’ll be on vacation for the New Year.”

“We’ll spend the New Year here first and then head to Beijing. We need to submit a report and get approval in advance. I’ll show you how to do it when the time comes.” Fan Yanxing’s eyes sparkled with unspoken excitement, which Liang Qingqing noticed and couldn’t help but tease, “Why do you look so happy?”

“Of course, I’m happy because it’s our first New Year together and it’s my first time bringing you to Beijing. It’s meaningful,” Fan Yanxing said with a self-assured glance at her, his eyes curving into a crescent moon shape. “Besides, you’ve always wanted to see what Beijing is like, haven’t you? This is a perfect chance to show you.”

Liang Qingqing couldn’t help but feel a sense of anticipation. The Beijing of the 1970s must be so different from the future, and she was very curious, much like opening a mystery box, filled with both excitement and nervousness.

“We need to return before my second brother’s wedding. I promised to do Yali’s makeup and hairstyle.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure it doesn’t interfere with your plans.”

The two of them chatted for an unknown amount of time. Liang Qingqing wrapped up the conversation, agreed to head home directly when she was on vacation next, and prepared to say goodbye. Before either could speak, they heard Song Shenglin calling from not far away.

“Comrade Liang?”

Immediately, a tall figure appeared around the corner, and the three of them came face to face, their expressions varied.

“And who is this?” Song Shenglin looked at the close distance between the two, his heart skipping a beat. An answer seemed to be on the tip of his tongue, but he quickly dismissed his guess.

After taking a deep breath, he slowly turned his attention to Liang Qingqing, seemingly waiting for her to introduce him.