Unbridled 29

Liu Jinping cradled four Corgis in one hand and held a poop-scooping kit in the other as he spoke, "I wish I could come too. If it weren't for starting work and needing to make a good impression, I'd definitely take time off."

"Don't just randomly take time off because you've just started," Ding Ji advised. "Lin Wuyu has his own family matters, and me tagging along is just a gesture."

"Are you worried it'll be awkward? You two are pretty close, right?" Liu Jinping inquired. "If I were dealing with something for my cousin, wouldn't it be normal for you to come with me? What's the big deal?"

Ding Ji looked at him, silent.

"You think so?" Liu Jinping asked, bending down to clean after a tri-colored Corgi.

"But Lin Wuyu isn't yours!" Ding Ji remarked. "My relationship with him isn't as close as ours!"

"That's a good one," Liu Jinping chuckled. "I appreciate that. Your relationship is still strong. After so many years of friendship, it's natural for us to be closer. Apart from me, he's the only one among our shared friends."

Ding Ji stayed quiet.

He didn't explain in detail to Liu Jinping, only mentioning Lin Wuyu's home matters. He didn't bring up Lin Wuyu's prior refusal to let him accompany him, though Liu Jinping's words made sense.

He worried about Lin Wuyu facing trouble alone. The chance of not finding him was high, which would be the best outcome. If they did find him, who knows what situation Lin Zhan was in, with good or bad company, and his attitude toward Lin Wuyu?

When Lin Zhan ran away, he was just a middle schooler. A child of that age, if he'd been wandering without learning anything… Lin Wuyu might not be equipped to handle it.

It fell on Ding Ji, experienced in the ways of the world, to ensure his safety.

"If you go without me, I'll be upset… Little Ke, come here, don't go around! The leash is tangled!" Liu Jinping directed the dogs, lost in his thoughts. "I've never seen a flag-raising ceremony at my age. I want to witness it… Little Ji, slow down, no biting JiJi!"

Ding Ji glanced at him.

"This family has four dogs! Little Ke, Little Ji, Keke, JiJi!" Liu Jinping rattled off. "Owners lack creativity in naming them. There's a Golden Retriever named Maomao and a Teddy named Didi in the shop…"

Ding Ji laughed.

"Well, if you don't take me, I swear I'll go alone. I'll post a hundred videos of flag-raising ceremonies just to annoy you…" Liu Jinping threatened.

"You're traveling just to watch a flag-raising ceremony?" Ding Ji queried.

"I'm just giving an example," Liu Jinping retorted.

The deadline for university applications loomed, and there were still ten days left. As Ding Ji sat watching TV in the evening, he had a feeling Lin Wuyu might not wait that long.

"Granny," Ding Ji tapped her arm lightly, "can you tell me if…"

"You naughty child!" His grandma swiftly slapped his calf.

"Oh," Ding Ji withdrew, chuckling, "you don't act like an old lady."

"That's because of you, always teasing me," His grandpa chimed in.

"What nonsense are you talking?" His grandma scolded him. "I'm training the dog!"

"I didn't say anything," His grandpa defended. "You'd rather scold me than your grandson."

"Are you willing to scold him?" His grandma challenged.

"Grandpa's more inclined to hit me than scold," Ding Ji teased, tipping his foot back and forth.

"You little rascal, always causing trouble!" His aunt poked him. "From childhood, you've been stirring up fights between your grandparents. You're always up for a challenge!"

"Hey!" Ding Ji grabbed her hand. "Who are you calling a troublemaker?"

"I mean you!" His aunt handed him a red envelope. "Take it. I'll forget later."

"Money?" Ding Ji accepted it. "Thanks, auntie. Love you."

"How much?" His grandma leaned in. "Make sure it's enough."

"A lot! I promise, it's plenty," His aunt assured.

"When Little Ji starts working, it'll be time for Little Lüdou's red envelopes," His grandma said. "She shouldn't get less! Let her make a fuss."

Ding Ji chuckled but felt uneasy.

Little Lüdou was his cousin, still in elementary school. If his aunt gave him an envelope, logically, Little Lüdou's father should give her one, but his grandma didn't mention it.

It wasn’t that her son wasn’t accomplished; both he and his wife were outstanding. But the more accomplished they became, the more distant they grew.

"What did you want me to fortune-tell?" His grandma asked.

"Can you?" Ding Ji replied.

"Figure it out yourself," Grandma scoffed. "You want me to do this calculation?"

"You're good at it," Ding Ji said.

"Will he be the top scorer?" His aunt guessed.

"Don't guess!" His grandma scolded. "It messes up the calculation!"

"He won't be the top scorer," His grandma declared. "He cares about his reputation. If he wanted that, he'd hide away to calculate it himself, not ask me."

"Very true," His aunt agreed.

"Sure thing," his grandma reassured Ding Ji with a pat on the leg.

"I'm planning a short trip soon," Ding Ji informed. "Is that okay?"

"Of course, why not?" His grandpa replied. "With your classmates? Or with Pengpeng?"

"With Lin Wuyu," Ding Ji admitted, feeling awkward about the possibility of going alone since Lin Wuyu hadn't confirmed going together.

"Who's Lin Wuyu?" His aunt inquired.

"The potential top scorer in the province," His grandma explained. "The bright student from the secondary school."

"Grandma, can you not nickname people like Pengpeng does?" Ding Ji chuckled. "You're taking what I said and running with it."

His aunt couldn't contain her laughter. "So, are you two going? Do you have money?"

"Will you give some?" His grandma quickly asked.

"You should. He's not my grandson," His aunt teased with a smile. "I'm taking Little Lüdou abroad in the summer. Prepare double the money."

"Such a bother," His grandma grumbled, nudging his grandpa. "Give them some money."

Before Lin Wuyu left, he had informed Ding Ji through a message. Ding Ji hadn't insisted on going together but offered to keep Lin Wuyu's belongings at their grandparents' place.

Lin Wuyu checked; besides his carried items, there were mostly clothes in the dorm. There wasn't much that required special safekeeping.

After packing his meager luggage, he stood in the dorm, feeling somewhat adrift.

Suddenly, he felt utterly lost. Apart from these belongings, he felt disconnected, with nowhere to come back to and nowhere to go. Even the anticipation for summer to end and start anew had vanished. Before that, there were obstacles he hadn't overcome yet—updates about Lin Zhan and his mother's illness.

The station buzzed with enthusiastic young faces—students who'd finished their college entrance exams, heading out to have fun. Some were with their parents, others with three or five classmates.

Lin Wuyu glanced around, hoping to avoid bumping into his classmates. He wasn't in the mood for small talk on the way.

He wished he had bought a plane ticket.

When Ding Ji asked why he hadn't purchased one, he joked that he'd lent all his money to him.

Ding Ji responded with a string of thumbs-up emojis.

Lin Wuyu found it somewhat amusing now.

Glancing at his ticket, he realized the station entrance was a bit far, but he arrived early, tempted by rumors of a delicious spicy hotpot joint at the station…

His phone chimed—a message from Ding Ji.

[Ding Ji] Be careful, stash your phone before you doze off.

[Lin Wuyu] Don't worry, not my first time heading out.

[Ding Ji] But you fall asleep in a blink.

Lin Wuyu laughed at his phone and replied to Ding Ji with a 'got it.'

Even after he found and queued for the spicy hotpot, finished eating, Ding Ji hadn't messaged back.

Lin Wuyu sat, took a few sips of the hotpot soup, stood up feeling satisfied, and headed towards the entrance.

Perhaps he had been too quick and firm in refusing when Ding Ji mentioned wanting to come along that day. Ding Ji was sensitive. Whether it was his way of caring for a friend or not, it might hurt his pride.

Lin Wuyu sighed.

If he had mishandled this, he'd get a gift for Ding Ji when he returned and take him out for a meal.

Many people walked alongside him, numerous voices around. Talking, laughing, shouting—Lin Wuyu didn't mind these sounds. Amidst this chaos, he oddly felt at ease, even inclined to listen attentively to those voices.

"I told you not to bring so much stuff…"

"I've told my sister, she'll pick me up at the station…"

"…Stop crying! If it's lost, it's lost! Annoying!"

"I haven't even entered the station yet…"

Lin Wuyu paused, looked ahead, and though it seemed unbelievable, that voice was too familiar.

Maybe Ding Ji hadn't replied earlier because he was busy with the security check.

"You're quite considerate," Ding Ji held his phone. "I haven't even boarded, and you've already made a list for me."

"I don't know if I can buy these," Liu Jinpeng said. "What if these shops are too scattered? Will you start searching from place to place?"

"Pengpeng?" Ding Ji said. "Am I going on a trip or doing your shopping?"

"It doesn't count as shopping," Liu Jinpeng said. "I'm not paying."

"…Alright," Ding Ji agreed.

"Did you tell Lin Wuyu you're going too?" Liu Jinpeng asked. "What if by any chance, you bump into him earlier? Will he think you're not thoughtful enough? And intentionally trying to annoy him?"

"He wasn't thoughtful first," Ding Ji said, serious about cooperating with Liu Jinpeng. "I'm not afraid of anything!"

Even after saying that, he glanced around. He didn't really want to encounter Lin Wuyu now. "There are many people. I probably won't find him even if I specifically go looking for him, especially since I arrived earlier."

"What if he arrived early too?" Liu Jinpeng said.

"Given his personality, he isn't the kind to arrive half an hour early and wait at the station," Ding Ji said. "He's confident and planned. He'd definitely have a reliable plan to time his arrival for ticket checks."

"You read people quite well," Liu Jinpeng commented. "Remember, take a few videos, post them on your socials. 'I'm just casually traveling,' that's the most annoying."

"Sure," Ding Ji continued walking while looking down. "I'm almost at the entrance, I'll board in a while…"

Someone blocked his path ahead, and he stepped aside, "I'll board in a while when…"

The person moved aside too.

Sometimes, these coincidences were eerie. Two strangers moving in sync, stepping left and right for a long time, could still collide.

"When I board, I'll…" Ding Ji stopped abruptly, looked up, intending to wait until the person moved away before continuing forward.

In that glance, he immediately felt deeply embarrassed. He realized some words shouldn't be said so confidently and understood that his analysis of people might not always be accurate, especially regarding someone like Lin Wuyu.

"The call got cut off," Lin Wuyu stood in front of him, holding his suitcase's handle, softly uttered.

"What were you saying just now?" Liu Jinpeng on the other end sounded puzzled. "Alright, I get it, tell me once you're onboard."

"Uh," Ding Ji looked at Lin Wuyu. "The call got cut off."

Liu Jinpeng hung up from the other end.

"How coincidental," Ding Ji put his phone back in his pocket and said.

Lin Wuyu was perhaps surprised at how confidently Ding Ji delivered such awkward lines. He opened his mouth but didn't say anything, simply smiled.

"What's so funny?" Ding Ji glared at him.

"You really don't know?" Lin Wuyu said.

"I'm going to see the flag-raising ceremony," Ding Ji said.

Lin Wuyu remained silent.

"Alright," Ding Ji sighed. "Honestly, I just feel like your move to handle this matter is unreliable."

"Mm," Lin Wuyu replied.

"Whether Lin Zhan lives nearby or passes by occasionally, you don't know," Ding Ji said. "You're unsure whether he'd be willing to meet you or not. You're not sure what kind of person he is now, whether he's doing well or not, if there's any trouble. You can't even be a hundred percent sure it's him."

Lin Wuyu didn't speak. He put his hand in his pocket, leaned against a nearby pillar, and looked at Ding Ji.

"Dirty," Ding Ji pointed behind him. "Didn't you feel uncomfortable when you saw me near the trash can? Now you're almost sitting on it yourself."

Lin Wuyu left the pillar and walked up to him.

"Is it time for some spicy hotpot?" Lin Wuyu inquired.

Ding Ji, still lost in his thoughts, responded with a confused, "…What?"

"There's a renowned hotpot place at the station, did you know?" Lin Wuyu informed. "There are several branches, but the one at the station is the finest. I'll treat you."

Ding Ji felt grateful and wanted to express his gratitude towards Lin Wuyu.

How fixated was this guy on food, to disrupt such an emotional moment all by himself in the storyline?

"We might not have time to dine here," Lin Wuyu mentioned while walking back. "There's quite a line. Purchase one and eat while walking."

"Wait," Ding Ji grabbed his suitcase. "You've just eaten, haven't you? You can't possibly not have eaten."

"I did eat," Lin Wuyu confirmed. "I arrived half an hour early just to have time to eat."

Ding Ji clenched his fist, "I won't eat. I have to go through ticket checks to enter."

Reminder: Always consider the "food" variable when analyzing Lin Wuyu's actions.

"Alright," Lin Wuyu pondered for a moment. "We can dine when we return. I actually wanted to treat you to something upon my return."

"A meal of spicy hotpot won't suffice for me," Ding Ji remarked.

"Order whatever you like," Lin Wuyu offered, taking a few steps before hesitating. "That day, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stop you from going, I just felt…"

"I know," Ding Ji interrupted him, "But in the future, can you let me finish before refusing? Cutting off the conversation so abruptly makes me lose face."

Lin Wuyu stayed quiet, lightly patting his back.

Their train schedules matched, but their compartments were two cars apart.

Ding Ji stood by the yellow line, complaining, "Now it's comfortable for you, right? Not letting me join and now we're separated by two compartments. I don't even have anyone to chat with on this journey!"

"If I hadn't bumped into you, you wouldn't have had anyone to chat with on this journey," Lin Wuyu pointed out.

"But now that we've met," Ding Ji glared at him, "That hypothesis of not meeting no longer exists."

"Then chat with someone else later," Lin Wuyu suggested, "Not a big deal."

"I hate it when people swap seats with me on the train," Ding Ji said, "Especially moving to a different car, carrying luggage and squeezing through."

"Let’s go chat in the dining car, then," Lin Wuyu sighed.

Ding Ji chuckled, "That's more your style."

The seat change went smoothly. A girl sat next to Ding Ji, traveling alone to visit relatives. She was a sophomore at No. 8 High School and readily agreed to switch seats.

"Wow," the girl looked surprised seeing Lin Wuyu approaching with his suitcase, "Are you Lin Wuyu from Fuzhong?"

"Uh?" Lin Wuyu looked at her, "Yes."

"I've heard of you, the academic genius," the girl smiled, "The city's news even reported about you, the youngest professional guide for the city's drones."

"That sounds a bit embarrassing," Lin Wuyu smiled too, "Let me help you with your luggage."

"No need, no need," the girl lifted her backpack, "I only have this one bag. Please, take a seat."

Lin Wuyu insisted on escorting the girl to his train compartment, only returning to Ding Ji's side after settling her in her seat.

Ding Ji felt a pang of emotion; it wasn't that Lin Wuyu wasn't appealing to the girl. With Lin Wuyu's qualities, he'd have been quite competitive.

"Let's chat," Lin Wuyu sat down, tapping his leg.

"About what?" Ding Ji was puzzled.

"The weather," Lin Wuyu said, "Isn't that why we changed seats?"

"…Small talk?" Ding Ji looked at him.

Lin Wuyu burst into a smile, and Ding Ji sighed before joining in the laughter.

"Thanks," Lin Wuyu said, "I really… didn't expect you to come."

"When navigating the world," Ding Ji said, "It's all about standing up for righteousness."

Lin Wuyu glanced at him.

"No need to thank me," Ding Ji replied.