Autumn Equinox Getaway: A Crowded Bus and an Unexpected Encounter

A few days passed swiftly.

Friday arrived once more, but this morning, Chen Ran wasn’t heading to school with Jiang Lengleng. Instead, he was at home, packing his luggage.

The reason was simple.

Today marked the Autumnal Equinox (TL Note: A traditional Chinese solar term and holiday), and with the weekend following, even the prestigious Saint Hwa Angel Academy had granted its students a three-day holiday.

After discussing it with Jiang Zilin and Jiang Lengleng, Chen Ran decided to seize this opportunity for a short vacation.

After all, they now had new employees.

With someone to look after the convenience store, it was the perfect chance to step out and unwind.

“It’s a shame Mom isn’t here; she won’t be back until next week.”

As they packed their bags that morning, Jiang Zilin was still muttering about Jiang Ruohua not being home, yet her expression suggested she might actually prefer her mother’s absence.

The woman’s gaze kept drifting towards Chen Ran, who was tallying their luggage in the living room.

It was clear she had something in mind.

“Indeed, if Auntie were here, we could have her drive us. We wouldn’t have all this trouble, having to take a tour bus and all.”

“Actually, Big Sister can drive too, Xiaoran~”

“…”

Jiang Zilin had indeed claimed she could drive, and she even possessed a driver’s license—though Chen Ran couldn’t fathom how someone with her social anxiety had managed to obtain it.

Yet,

when everyone had decided to go on vacation during this holiday two nights prior, Jiang Zilin had eagerly volunteered, insisting she could drive.

Subsequently, a skeptical Chen Ran felt Jiang Lengleng stealthily, yet very anxiously, grab his hand, then vigorously shake her head in a clear warning.

Clearly, even her own sister harbored deep distrust for Jiang Zilin’s “driving skills.”

Thus, a tour bus was their only option.

After all, neither he nor Jiang Lengleng had reached eighteen, making them ineligible for a driver’s license—though at sixteen, one could obtain a motorcycle license, that certainly wasn’t suitable for a holiday trip.

After spending some time on breakfast and packing their bags,

they hadn’t brought much.

Given it was only a three-day trip, their suitcases held little more than a few changes of clothes and some daily necessities.

Soon enough, the tour bus arrived at their doorstep to pick them up.

Their vacation destination was Mount Takao.

It was a forest park located in the outskirts of Xijing, not far from Linzhou City, where one could hike and watch the sunrise.

Camping in the woods was also an option.

Being Friday, they planned to explore the nearby small towns upon arrival, check into their hotel for the night, and then on Saturday, hike the mountain and enjoy leisurely strolls through the forest.

During the day on Sunday, they could go camping in the woods before returning home that evening.

The schedule was quite tight, given it was only a three-day holiday.

Nevertheless, it was sufficient.

Chen Ran had planned everything meticulously, and once aboard the bus, he settled into a seat beside Jiang Zilin.

Since the bus had double seats, Jiang Lengleng had to sit in the front row with a middle-aged auntie who appeared to be traveling alone.

The second row was occupied by Chen Ran and Jiang Zilin.

From the moment they boarded, the woman had clung tightly to his hand, her entire body soft and yielding. Though seated on the inner side, she continuously leaned into him.

Early autumn wasn’t particularly cold, yet Jiang Zilin was still dressed in a hoodie and jeans, adorned with a hat and a mask, her loose blonde hair falling around her neck.

She wasn’t wearing sunglasses this time, but her beautiful light blue eyes consistently darted downwards, avoiding his gaze.

She still maintained that furtive, suspicious demeanor.

Fortunately, pressed against him, Jiang Zilin’s tense body noticeably relaxed.

She even drifted into a drowsy sleep shortly after they boarded.

Chen Ran could distinctly hear the faint snores emanating from Jiang Zilin beside him, along with her breath, subtly scented with milk, fanning against his neck.

To any outsider, Jiang Zilin, sleeping soundly while clinging to him, looked utterly like his wife.

Indeed, at that moment, they appeared precisely like a newlywed couple!

This took Chen Ran somewhat by surprise.

Usually, Jiang Zilin’s “aggressiveness” wasn’t this pronounced; he surmised she might simply be overly anxious in public, and thus, he didn’t dwell on it further.

The bus was quite crowded.

The Autumnal Equinox was a national holiday, meaning schools and companies alike were mostly closed today.

Furthermore, with autumn approaching, it was the prime season for viewing maple leaves, which resulted in a considerable number of people heading to Mount Takao.

Consequently, the bus was packed with thirty to forty passengers.

Chen Ran scanned the bus, observing many groups of teenagers, young couples, and middle-aged or elderly pairs. In the very last row, however, he spotted some “familiar faces.”

Several burly men in suits sat side by side, their menacing expressions causing the adjacent seats to remain conspicuously empty.

The one leading them

was none other than Saburo the Scarred, whom he recognized as a member of the Six-Script Society.

‘Hmm,’ Chen Ran mused, ‘it’s been over half a month since the truck incident; surely, he must have been discharged from the hospital by now.’

After a brief glance, he paid them no further attention.

‘Perhaps even yakuza members take national holidays off?’ Chen Ran wondered.

However, Chen Ran also noticed a young man sitting in a corner of the bus who appeared to be traveling alone. With his pale complexion, top hat, and sickly demeanor, he made a rather striking impression.

Approximately an hour later,

the bus pulled into a tourist service area at the foot of Mount Takao.

As expected, the holiday resort was teeming with people. Along both sides of the bluestone-paved pedestrian street stood quaint, ancient-style wooden houses, alongside numerous vendors hawking their wares.

Jiang Zilin was clearly witnessing such a scene for the very first time.

Clutching him tightly and burdened by her backpack, she gasped for breath, even attempting to pull Jiang Lengleng closer, seemingly wanting to hide between the two of them.

Yet, despite her anxiety,

she readily accepted and devoured all the snacks he bought her—candied hawthorn (TL Note: A traditional Chinese snack, ‘tanghulu,’ consisting of fruit skewers coated in hardened sugar syrup), taiyaki (TL Note: A Japanese fish-shaped cake), and glutinous rice balls.

Perhaps the food had diverted her attention, as it seemed to lessen her nervousness.

They planned to drop off their luggage at the hotel first.

With autumn drawing near, the mountain forests felt noticeably cooler. Looking up, one could see the distant peaks ablaze with vibrant red maple leaves, a spectacular tapestry of color.

Chen Ran led Jiang Zilin and Jiang Lengleng.

They soon arrived outside the resort hotel they had booked.

Jiang Zilin had found the hotel, claiming its online reviews were excellent. However, upon reaching the entrance, Chen Ran noticed something amiss.

Outside the hotel, a crowd of young men and women had gathered, seemingly either ‘eating melons’ (TL Note: A Chinese slang term meaning to spectate or gossip about drama) or engaged in some other activity.

Chen Ran struggled to push his way into the hotel lobby, where he found numerous security guards in black suits stationed at the entrance. The hotel’s lobby manager was also present, only granting them entry after confirming they were indeed registered guests.

‘What on earth is going on?’ he wondered.

Then,

as soon as Chen Ran stepped into the hotel, he noticed many staff members bustling about the lobby, seemingly… filming a scene?

He stood there, momentarily stunned.

Immediately afterward, prompted by Jiang Lengleng’s whispered reminder, Chen Ran caught sight of Duanmu Hui emerging slowly from the hotel’s elevator area, clad in a grand and magnificent palace gown, encircled by seven or eight young female staff members…