"Where are we heading today?" Zhou Li tilted his head to look out the window.
"To Jinghong!" Brother Nan sounded puzzled by his question.
"Straight to Jinghong?"
"Yeah, what's up?"
From the back seat, Huai Xu chimed in while eating spicy chicken, echoing Brother Nan's words, "Yeah, what's up?"
Zhou Li glanced at his watch.
It was only nine o'clock, quite early.
The GPS indicated the total journey would take about sixteen hours. Hmm, if we didn't stop for meals, water, or restroom breaks, we should reach Jinghong City around one o'clock tomorrow morning.
Jinghong is the capital of Banna.
Seeing the matter-of-fact expressions on both the human and the Demon, he hesitated and then decided not to say anything, to avoid appearing odd and redundant.
Zhou Li stretched his hand to the back. "Pass me a few packets too."
A few packets of loose spicy chicken were stuffed into his hand, along with Huai Xu's voice saying, "And grab the trash can."
This Old monster is surprisingly hygienic,
Brother Nan, while driving, glanced at them briefly out of the corner of her eye and wondered, "Where did the trash can come from?"
"Took it from home."
"When did you get it?"
"Just now."
"Oh!" Brother Nan's eyes widened in realization. "Then it'd be easy for you to rob a bank too, right?"
"Yeah."
"What are you guys eating? It smells so good!" Brother Nan sniffed. "I'm drooling!"
"Spicy chicken. Want some?" Zhou Li asked.
"I can't eat while I'm driving," Brother Nan said, fidgeting slightly.
"True..." After saying that, Zhou Li looked down at Tuanzi and teased her, "Lord Dumpling, want some? I'll feed you."
Tuanzi, who had been squashed to his knee by the cushion, turned her head, looked at him pitifully, and pointed at the cushion. "Zhou Li, this thing is about to squeeze Lord Dumpling off!"
"Just climb up a bit."
"MEOW..." Tuanzi hesitated for a moment, then, while climbing off Zhou Li's legs, grumbled, "Lord Dumpling is moving to the back seat!"
"..."
Zhou Li was reluctant to let Tuanzi go, but he could only watch as she crawled to the back seat.
Huh? What's that Old monster chuckling about?
Zhou Li caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye and fell silent.
He saw Brother Nan with a frosty expression, her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. She signaled, slowed down, and navigated turns flawlessly. When she didn't need to turn, she would rhythmically tap a finger on the steering wheel. It seemed like a mundane action, yet for some reason, Zhou Li sensed an ominous tranquility, as if heralding the end of days, weighing heavily on his heart.
"Brother Nan, open your mouth."
Zhou Li tore open a bag of spicy chicken and held it to her mouth.
Grease had stained her lips. He grabbed a tissue and, when they reached a straight stretch of road, carefully wiped it off for her.
"Taste good?"
"Good."
"Want more?"
"Yes."
"Open your mouth."
"AH..."
The sense of impending doom finally receded.
The road to Jinghong included a scenic stretch along Huanhu Road. Then, after leaving Jinning, there was a rough patch of road. Zhou Li remembered a similar rough stretch on the way to Dali. For such a big city, you'd think they'd fix it up.
Things improved a bit after they got onto National Highway 213.
Zhou Li hugged a cushion, leaned against the window, and stared out, watching as the unfamiliar scenery was overtaken by the car and quickly left behind.
Brother Nan turned on the music, showcasing her rather dated playlist—these were all songs Zhou Li used to listen to in elementary and middle school. Songs by Jay Chou and Xu Song were most prominent, along with hits from various online singers. On average, their quality surpassed contemporary songs, though. The various tunes mingled with Jin Sha's gentle navigation voice, creating a tranquil atmosphere inside the car.
Brother Nan occasionally spoke to him—
"We should buy a phone holder."
"This sound system isn't great. We'll spend our own money to replace it with a better one sometime."
"This window tint isn't good either; it's too dark at night."
"..."
She had rolled her sleeves up to her elbows, revealing slender, pale wrists. A black hair tie was fastened around one of them, lending her a touch of feminine gentleness.
In the back seat, Tuanzi was already scrolling through TikTok.
Most of the videos TikTok recommended to her were cat-related: humans talking to cats, cats meowing, even skits performed by cats. Oh, and clips from "Tom and Jerry."
Huai Xu, meanwhile, continued eating and drinking, occasionally leaning forward to watch Brother Nan's driving intently.
Time passed, and it was gradually approaching noon.
After playing a few rounds of games, Huai Xu grew restless. She put down her phone and asked Brother Nan, "Are you tired, Brother Nan?"
"I'm not tired."
"Do you want some ice cream?"
"No, thanks."
"...It's time for lunch."
"Oh, right. Then let's start looking for a place."
"How about this: you two decide what you want to eat, I'll go back to Chunming, find a shop, and get it to go. The three of us can eat in the car first. After we're done, I'll take over driving, and you can eat then. How does that sound?" Huai Xu looked expectantly at Brother Nan. "It'll save time."
Brother Nan thought for a moment. "We should try one of those fast-food places by the national highway, the kind meant for long-haul drivers, to experience that kind of atmosphere."
"Oh, alright..."
Only Zhou Li could see the dejection in Huai Xu's eyes.
Suddenly, Zhou Li's phone rang.
Brother Nan glanced at him.
"Aunt Jiang."
"Oh."
Brother Nan quickly turned down the music.
"Hello, Aunt Jiang."
"Hello? Zhou Li, about when will you be back?"
"Probably not until after the twentieth of the last lunar month."
"Be safe while you're out having fun."
"I will."
"Those big trucks are so annoying!" Brother Nan suddenly blurted out, staring straight ahead. A heavy truck was wobbling along the bumpy road, kicking up a huge cloud of dust and making it impossible for her to overtake.
"Whose voice is that?" Aunt Jiang asked, puzzled. "Are you with Xiao Nan?"
"...Yes."
Xiao Nan, she calls her so affectionately.
Zhou Li couldn't help but sneak a glance at Brother Nan. She was obviously listening intently, but she probably couldn't hear what Aunt Jiang was saying.
Aunt Jiang said earnestly, "When you're out, you must take good care of the girl. Always consider Xiao Nan's needs. The journey might be tiring, things might not always go smoothly, or you might have disagreements. You must be patient and accommodating with each other... But you've always been very good about these things, so I won't say more, lest I annoy you."
Zhou Li managed a smile. "You're not."
And she calls that not saying much...
After a moment's thought, he figured Aunt Jiang and Old Zhou must have gone to Brother Nan's family's noodle shop to gather information. Learning that Brother Nan was also going to Banna, Aunt Jiang had made a special call to remind him. The comment Brother Nan made had simply given Aunt Jiang a smoother opening to ask.
Pretending she was just asking when he was coming back... Haha!
"Do you have enough money?" Aunt Jiang asked.
"I do."
"When you're out with a girl, you need to be generous, not stingy. It's a rare chance for you two to travel together, so don't fuss over money. Spend what needs to be spent, understand? If you're short, just tell Aunt Jiang... You child, you haven't asked the family for money all semester!" Aunt Jiang feigned dissatisfaction with her last remark.
"...Got it."
Aunt Jiang paused slightly. "When you come back, why don't you bring Xiao Nan home for a meal? You can also bring that classmate from last time, what was his name..."
"Huai Xu."
"Right, him. It's up to you."
"I'll try."
"..."
They talked for a while longer before Aunt Jiang finally hung up.
"What did Aunt Jiang say?" Brother Nan asked.
"Nothing much."
"I heard it," Huai Xu suddenly raised her hand and said. "Aunt Jiang said that after he gets back, he should bring us both home for a meal."
"Hm? Really?" Brother Nan asked, keenly interested.
"That's right, I heard it clearly. Aunt Jiang said other things too. Brother Nan, if you let me drive, I'll tell you."
"..." Zhou Li pressed a hand to his forehead. "Focus on driving."
"Huai Xu, roll down the window~~" Lord Dumpling's voice—light, delicate, and with a hint of a childlike lilt—rang out. "For some reason, Lord Dumpling feels a bit dizzy~~"
"..."
Brother Nan found one of those roadside restaurants she had mentioned earlier. These kinds of places were often tourist traps, primarily overcharging passengers from large tour buses. Fortunately, Brother Nan was lucky; this one wasn't too bad and didn't overcharge excessively.
It was twenty-five yuan per person, all-you-can-eat.
The dishes looked decent, with a good dozen or so options, including meat and vegetarian choices, though they seemed a bit stingy with the meat portions.
After looking it over, Brother Nan decided this was the place.
Pay, grab a plate.
Tuanzi trailed after Zhou Li slowly. She was feeling a bit carsick, so she looked somewhat listless. She said to Zhou Li, "Zhou Li, Lord Dumpling wants fish soup with rice~~"
Zhou Li had no choice but to pick her up and comfort her softly, "How about we have it for dinner instead?"
"Lord Dumpling wants it for lunch."
"I promise we'll definitely have fish soup with rice for dinner."
"Then what's for lunch?"
"How about some imperial-grade, special deep-sea silverfish jerky?"
"MMM... MEOW."
This cat is so incredibly picky.