Entertainment from Divorce

The suitcase in the entryway wasn't packed yet, and the hot dry noodles pendant on the handle was still swaying gently, as if looking forward to the next trip.

The night outside the window grew darker, and the city lights twinkled like stars scattered on black velvet.

Tan Yue and Chen Ziyu leaned back on the sofa, looking at the plan on their notebooks together, occasionally discussing the details in hushed tones, and sometimes exchanging a smile.

They knew that the next trip would require some time to prepare, including booking high-speed rail tickets, accommodations, and researching travel guides, but they weren't in a hurry at all.

Because they know that what matters is not when you set off, but who you are with, and the feeling of looking forward to the next stop together.

Just like now, although they are still at home and have not yet embarked on their journey, their hearts are already filled with longing for Luoyang—longing for the giant Buddha in the grottoes, longing for the ancient cypress trees of Baima Temple, longing for the snacks in Shizijie, and longing for the light show at the Tang City Ruins.

This longing, like a ray of light, illuminated their lives and made them cherish every moment they spent together even more.

“Oh, right,” Chen Ziyu suddenly remembered something, “Should we go to the supermarket tomorrow to buy some things? Let’s make a list of what we need to bring for this trip, so we don’t forget anything. For example, sunscreen, sun hat, mosquito repellent, and your favorite beef jerky, we need to buy all of that in advance. Oh, and we also need to buy a new travel bag. The zipper on the last one seems to be a bit broken, a new one will be more comfortable to carry.”

“Okay,” Tan Yue nodded. “Tomorrow morning, let’s go have breakfast first. Let’s go to your favorite steamed bun shop downstairs and buy two baskets of pork and scallion buns, along with a bowl of millet porridge. After breakfast, we’ll go to the supermarket, and in the afternoon, we’ll go home to pack our luggage. We’ll also check the water and electricity at home, and make sure the doors and windows are closed so we don’t have to worry when we go out. Oh, and we also need to transfer the travel photos from Jiangcheng to the computer, save them, and then fully charge the camera so we can take photos in Luojing.”

“Okay,” Chen Ziyu nodded. “I’ll make the list tomorrow morning, and we’ll go shopping together. By the way, should we buy a small notebook? Just to record the little things that happen during my trip to Luojing, like the one in Jiangcheng. It’ll be a nice keepsake to look back on later.”

“Sure,” Tan Yue said. “When we go to the supermarket tomorrow, we can also stop by the stationery store and buy a stationery with a nice cover, preferably something related to Luojing, like one with a grotto or a peony printed on it. That would be more meaningful.”

The two chatted for a while longer until they felt sleepy, then got up to prepare for bed.

Chen Ziyu put the notebook away and placed it in the drawer, while Tan Yue went to wash up.

When the two of them were lying in bed, Chen Ziyu was still excitedly talking about tomorrow's plans. As Tan Yue listened to her voice, his eyelids gradually became heavy.

"Goodnight," Chen Ziyu kissed him on the forehead, "Looking forward to our trip to Luoyang."

"Goodnight," Tan Yue said, reaching out to pull her into his arms. "See you in Luojing next stop."

In the darkness, their breathing gradually became steady.

The night outside the window remained dark, the city lights still twinkled, but this small room was filled with warmth and anticipation. They knew that their next trip would come soon, and this time, they would carry the lingering charm of Jiangcheng, their love for each other, to encounter the gentleness of the grottoes, to embrace the tranquility of the White Horse Temple, and to experience the thousand-year splendor of Luoyang, this divine capital—just like every path they had ever walked, filled with their own stories and memories.

These stories and memories, like pearls, will be carefully strung together by them, becoming the most precious necklace in their lives, accompanying them through every journey to come.

After finishing their recent work, Tan Yue and Chen Ziyu quickly fell asleep, preparing to embark on their journey the next day.

……

Tan Yue woke up before the alarm clock could even ring at 6:30 in the morning.

A sliver of pale golden morning light peeked through the gap in the curtains, landing on Chen Ziyu's slightly furrowed brows—she always said she was a light sleeper, and had been packing her luggage until eleven last night, yet her breathing was steady, her cheeks nestled in the soft pillow like a curled-up cat.

Tan Yue tiptoed to the bedside, placed the warm water that had been cooled in advance on the bedside table, and tucked Chen Ziyu in.

The phone screen was lit up, and the ride-hailing app showed that the booked car would arrive at the entrance of the community in twenty minutes. The suitcase had already been placed in the entryway, and the black handle still had the cartoon stickers from last year's trip past it on. Chen Ziyu had casually put them on, saying that this would make it less likely to be mistaken at the airport.

"Wake up, Ziyu." He leaned down, his voice low, and gently touched her earlobe with his fingertips. "The train is almost here. If you don't get up now, you'll miss the high-speed rail."

Chen Ziyu's eyelashes fluttered, and she groggily opened her eyes. Before her gaze could focus, she reached out and grabbed Tan Yue's wrist, muttering, "Just five more minutes... just five minutes."

"Sweetie, get up and eat something before you go. I cooked some noodles." Tan Yue pulled her up and handed her the coat draped over the back of the chair. "The eggs are in the pot. They'll get cold if you don't eat them soon."

The kitchen was filled with the aroma of scallions and soy sauce. A small pot sat on the induction cooker, its keep-warm setting glowing with a faint red light.

Chen Ziyu sat at the dining table, watching Tan Yue scoop noodles into a bowl, topped with a soft-boiled egg and sprinkled with her favorite pickled mustard greens.

She picked up her chopsticks, slurped her noodles, and suddenly looked up and asked, "Did you bring your ID card and train ticket? I think I saw you put them in the drawer in the entryway last night."

“I brought it. It’s in your little beige wallet, next to the power bank.” Tan Yue pushed his bowl over. “You eat this, I’ll cook another bowl. The last one was too soft, and you don’t like it too mushy.”

The two quickly finished breakfast and carried their suitcases downstairs when the taxi happened to stop at the entrance of the residential area.

The driver helped put the luggage into the trunk and asked with a smile, "Going to the high-speed rail station? Now is the perfect time to leave, there's no traffic, it'll only take forty minutes."

Chen Ziyu leaned against the car window, watching the street scenes flash by outside.

The breakfast shops along the roadside were already open, steam rising from the steamers. Students in school uniforms hurried by with their backpacks on their backs. People were waiting for the bus at the bus stop, clutching the soy milk they had just bought.

She suddenly touched Tan Yue's hand and whispered, "Last time we went to Suzhou, we took this early bus, and you almost left your thermos in the taxi."

"No way, we found it in the end, didn't we?" Tan Yue held her hand, feeling the warmth on her fingertips. "I checked it three times this time, everything is in place, it definitely won't be missing."

As the taxi drove onto the elevated highway, the morning light grew brighter, shining through the car window onto Chen Ziyu's hair, giving it a faint golden glow.

She took out her phone, opened the photo album and flipped through it. Inside were the Luoyang travel guide she had made a few days ago. Places marked with red stars were must-sees—the grottoes, the White Horse Temple, the Luoyang Museum, and the Old Town Cross Street, which she had specifically looked up. The notes said, "You must eat the Water Banquet and the Bu Fan Tang (a type of soup)."

"When we get to Luojing, let's go to the guesthouse to drop off our luggage first, and then go eat at that water banquet restaurant you mentioned, okay?" Tan Yue leaned over to look at her phone. "The travel guide says that 'Zhen Butong' is very famous, but I don't know if there are long queues."

"It should be alright. We arrived around 12:00, past the lunch rush." ​​Chen Ziyu put away her phone and leaned on his shoulder. "I checked the weather forecast last night. It's 20 degrees Celsius in Luoyang today, cooler than here, perfect for strolling around the ancient city." Forty minutes later, the taxi stopped at the entrance of the high-speed rail station.

Tan Yue paid the fare and carried his suitcase, while Chen Ziyu carried a backpack and clutched a small wallet. The two followed the flow of people into the waiting hall.

The waiting hall was already quite full, and train information was scrolling across a large screen; their train would be boarding in twenty minutes.

Finding an empty seat, Chen Ziyu took out two candies from her bag and handed one to Tan Yue: "A mint, to perk you up. You can take a nap in the car later. It takes two and a half hours to get to Luojing."

Tan Yue unwrapped the candy, put it in his mouth, and the cool taste instantly spread.

He watched Chen Ziyu scrolling through her phone, sunlight streaming in from the skylight above, illuminating her face with a soft, almost painterly beauty. He suddenly remembered their first trip together, also at the high-speed rail station, when Chen Ziyu nearly lost her ID card due to nervousness, and he was the one who found it at the security checkpoint.

At that time, he thought that he would go to more places with her in the future and take good care of her during the trip.

When the queue began to form at the ticket gate, Tan Yue carried his suitcase, and Chen Ziyu followed behind him, holding the train ticket in her hand.

The train slowly pulled into the station, its silver body gleaming in the sunlight.

After finding a seat, Tan Yue put his suitcase on the luggage rack, adjusted Chen Ziyu's seat back, and handed her a small blanket: "Take a nap, I'll wake you up when we get there."

Chen Ziyu nodded, leaned back in her chair, and quickly fell asleep.

Tan Yue took out her notebook, turned to a blank page, and began writing her travel diary.

He wrote about the morning sunlight, Chen Ziyu eating noodles, the taxi driver's words, and even drew a small smiley face with the caption "My trip to Luoyang with Ziyu, Day 1".

As the train left the city, the scenery outside the window gradually changed to fields and forests.

The lush green wheat fields swayed in the wind, and wisps of smoke rose from the distant villages. Occasionally, a few egrets could be seen flying over the ridges of the fields.

Tan Yue closed his laptop, leaned back in his chair, and looked at Chen Ziyu's sleeping profile, feeling a sense of peace in his heart.

Two and a half hours passed quickly. Just as the train's announcement came over the loudspeaker, "Next stop: Luojing Longmen Station," Chen Ziyu woke up. She rubbed her eyes, looked out the window, and said excitedly, "We're here? I feel like I haven't slept for long at all. It feels like I just closed my eyes and we've already arrived."

“You’ve slept for almost two hours, you probably didn’t sleep well last night.” Tan Yue helped her with her backpack. “Let’s go to the exit first, then take a taxi to the guesthouse. The guesthouse owner said he can hold the room for us, we can just register.”

Stepping out of the high-speed rail station, a warm breeze greeted me, carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees.

Chen Ziyu took a deep breath and said with a smile, "The air in Luojing seems to be better than where we are. Smell it, it smells like flowers."

“It’s probably a peony planted by the roadside. Isn’t Luoyang the city of peonies?” Tan Yue opened a ride-hailing app and quickly got a car. “The guesthouse is next to the ancient city and close to the crossroads. We can go eat right after we drop off our luggage.”

As the taxi drove through the streets of Los Angeles, the buildings along the roadside gradually took on the charm of an ancient city.

Gray brick walls, upturned eaves, and shops with red lanterns hanging in the air; occasionally you can see signs that read "Luoyang Water Banquet" or "Peony Pastry".

Chen Ziyu leaned against the car window, taking pictures non-stop, muttering, "It's even more beautiful than I imagined. Look at that shop's curtain, it's blue, so unique."

The guesthouse is a two-story building with a wooden sign hanging at the entrance that reads "Bluestone Slab Guesthouse".

The owner, a woman in her forties, greeted them with a smile and helped them carry their luggage inside: "You must be Mr. Tan and Ms. Chen? The room is ready. It's on the second floor, and you can see the ancient city walls from the window. At night, you can even see the lanterns lit up."

The room wasn't big, but it was very clean, with light-colored sheets, wooden tables and chairs, and a potted green ivy on the windowsill.

Chen Ziyu walked to the window, pushed it open, and sure enough, he could see the ancient city wall not far away. The gray bricks were layered on top of each other, and some green vines were climbing on the top of the wall.

She turned to Tan Yue and said, "I love this place so much. We can take a walk along the city wall tonight; it will be so much fun."

"Okay, let's rest for a while after we finish eating, and then go shopping in the evening."

Tan Yue opened the suitcase and put their changes of clothes into the closet. "You sit for a while. I'll go ask the owner which restaurant nearby serves good water banquet. I think I saw a few on the way here, but I don't know which one is authentic."

The owner recommended "Lao Luojing Water Banquet Restaurant," not far from the guesthouse, saying it was a local favorite, authentic, and with no queues. The two left, bags in hand, and walked along the cobblestone path. Most of the shops were open, selling souvenirs and snacks. Chen Ziyu stopped and looked at a shop selling peony pastries. The owner enthusiastically offered her a sample: "Try it, it's freshly made, sweet but not cloying, a Luojing specialty."

Chen Ziyu tried a piece; it was crispy and crunchy with a faint peony fragrance. She turned to Tan Yue and said, "It's delicious. Let's buy a box. We can eat it as a snack if we get hungry tonight."

Tan Yue paid for the peony pastry, put it in his bag, and said with a smile, "You always buy snacks whenever you go out. The osmanthus cake you bought in Suzhou last time is still not finished."

“That’s different. Osmanthus cake is from Suzhou, and peony pastry is from Luoyang. We should try them from different places.” Chen Ziyu pulled his hand and walked quickly forward. “Let’s go, I’m hungry and want to eat the water banquet as soon as possible.”

There weren't many people at the Lao Luojing Water Banquet Restaurant, so they found a seat by the window.

Chen Ziyu quietly asked the waiter if they had any recommended specialties.

The waiter handed over the menu and introduced with a smile: "Our Peony Swallow Dish, Sliced ​​Meat in Broth, and Crispy Fried Meatballs are all signature dishes. If there are two of you, ordering three dishes will be enough, and we'll give you a complimentary sweet soup."

Chen Ziyu ordered Peony Swallow's Nest and Sliced ​​Meat in Soup, while Tan Yue added a serving of Crispy Fried Meatballs.

The dishes were served quickly. (End of Chapter)