By linking my account to the check-in system, I became a leisurely traveler.

Chapter 20 School Girl
The meaning of travel is to go to an unfamiliar place, taste unfamiliar food, see unfamiliar scenery, hear unfamiliar dialects, and meet unfamiliar people. But it would also be very pleasant to have an acquaintance along the way.

Two long-lost acquaintances, each having experienced an interesting journey, reunite and share their experiences along the way.

Traveling, isn't that all there is to it?

Li Younan recalled Jing Chaoyi, a junior he met in college.

Li Younan met Jing Chaoyi on the playground. At the time, the girl was learning to roller skate; she had just learned to skate but hadn't yet mastered braking. She screamed as she rushed towards him from one direction, then twisted and spun in front of Li Younan before crashing straight down in front of him.

The female college student's long, slender legs were sticking out high, and the wheels of her roller skates were still spinning in the air.

Li Younan took Jing Chaoyi to the infirmary, and that's how the two met.

Jing Chaoyi is two grades below him.

After graduating, Li Younan naturally reduced the frequency of contact with her former classmates and friends, and their relationship gradually deteriorated into a mere exchange of likes on social media.

In the past two years, Li Younan has become too lazy to even look at his WeChat Moments; socializing seems to have become an extremely luxurious thing.

However, Li Younan took great care of Jing Chaoyi when they were in school. Moreover, Li Younan knew that Jing Chaoyi majored in visual communication and had even worked as a photo editor for the school newspaper.

Therefore, Li Younan knew that Jing Chaoyi was good at photo editing, which is why he sent her the message.

Unexpectedly, even after a long period of no contact, Jing Chaoyi remained as enthusiastic as ever, which warmed Li Younan's heart.

Li Younan was lying in his hotel bed when he texted her, "Where are you working right now?"

Jing Chaoyi replied, "I currently work on international student programs, which is essentially an international student agency. I also take on many freelance jobs, including copywriting and photo editing. Simply put, I don't have a fixed work location, which I think is great. It's very flexible, and I can get up whenever I want."

Li Younan didn't plan to chat with Jing Chaoyi on WeChat for too long. He thought to himself, what if they ran out of things to say when they met in person? Heh…

So the two agreed to meet at a park in the suburbs the next day at noon.

However, perhaps it was because they were too excited about the day's activities, or perhaps it was because they took some high-quality photos.

In short, Li Younan couldn't sleep that night.

He tossed and turned, his mind a jumble of thoughts. Thoughts of his university days, his working life, and even scenes with Yang Ting kept flashing through his mind.

He was in a daze and couldn't fall asleep until late at night. The last time he checked the time, it was 2:00 AM.

The next day, when he woke up, sure enough, he had overslept; it was already 11:30 a.m.

Li Younan sat up, her head still foggy. Suddenly she came to her senses and, without having time to process it all, hurriedly went out.

Nothing seemed to be going well today. He drove towards the park he was heading to, but there was a traffic jam on the way.

The car moved slowly through the traffic, and as noon approached, Li Younan couldn't help but feel anxious.

He thought of Yang Ting again. The years he had spent with Yang Ting had trained him to be someone who would never be late.

Once a time has been agreed upon with Yang Ting, being late will have serious consequences.

This sense of insecurity persisted until now. He called Jing Chaoyi, apologizing on the phone that he would be a little late and that he had encountered traffic on the way.

Jing Chaoyi, however, said nonchalantly, "It's okay, just take your time. This road is a bit congested. Are you driving yourself? Be careful on the road. I'll just play in the park by myself."

Li Younan was a little unaccustomed to being treated so leniently, and said twice, "I'm really sorry."

Jing Chaoyi on the other end of the phone paused for a moment, then chuckled in surprise, "Senior, why are you being a little... well... a little distant now? Okay, drive slowly, I'll just stay here and rollerblade for a bit, it's fine."

After hanging up the phone, Li Younan stared at the congested traffic ahead, still somewhat dazed.

Suddenly, his anxiety subsided. He realized that, besides his mother, girls could also be gentle and forgiving. He thought of his mother again, whose favorite saying was, "It's nothing serious, it's not a big deal."

"Being late isn't a big deal. As long as you're not late on purpose, the people waiting can also quietly daydream for a while, and that feeling can be quite pleasant."

Li Younan couldn't help but imagine that at this moment, Jing Chaoyi was probably skillfully rollerblading, gliding back and forth in the park.

If I get tired, I sit on a park bench, drink cola through a straw, and just daydream.

His mood brightened instantly, and when he looked at the traffic outside, he no longer paid attention to the speed of movement. Instead, he observed with great interest the signs on each car, the drivers, and the weather.

Li Younan looked up; the sunlight couldn't break through the clouds, it was a cloudy day.

He started playing music, and to be honest, although the car was expensive, the sound system wasn't anything to brag about.

Connecting via Bluetooth, Li Younan played "Kikujiro's Summer." Since mastering the piano, he has enjoyed listening to instrumental music with piano accompaniment.

With fingers resting on the steering wheel, he tapped the rhythm lightly, then slowly rolled down the window, humming a soft melody as the music drifted away on the breeze.

There was a huge billboard by the roadside that read: You are as free as the wind.

Li Younan casually took out his phone, snapped a picture of the billboard, and posted it to his WeChat Moments with his location and the caption, "I'm as free as the wind."

Looking at such a silly post on WeChat Moments, Li Younan couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Just then, the accident ahead was mostly cleared up, and traffic started moving again.

The road ahead is clear.

……

Li Younan was more than an hour late.

He parked his car in the public parking lot next to the park, walked into the park, and took out his phone to call Jing Chaoyi.

The phone rang a few times before going silent. Suddenly, I heard a slightly surprised shout from behind: "Senior, I'm here!"

Li Younan quickly turned around and saw a girl wearing super short shorts standing on a pair of roller skates.

Her long, slender, and strong calves and thighs were tanned to a wheat color, smooth and glossy.

She bent slightly over, her hands supporting her thighs, a vibrant smile on her face.

Her hairstyle was different from what Li Younan remembered. Her hair was short, but her bangs were dyed three colors: gray, grass green, and pink, making her look flamboyant and individualistic.

Li Younan suddenly felt an impulse; he suddenly wanted to know what had become of all the familiar people he had known in his limited life.
He smiled and said, "Now you shouldn't fall, right?"

Jing Chaoyi paused for a moment, then frowned cutely and said in an annoyed tone, "Senior, you still remember!"

She strolled over gracefully with her hands behind her back, and said confidently, "I'm not the same person I used to be!"

As she spoke, she raised one leg high behind her, and her center of gravity shifted downwards.

The next moment, the suspended leg kicked out in an arc from top to bottom, and the whole person was lifted up by the centrifugal force.
Take to the air!

She spun gracefully twice in the air, like a beautiful figure skater, a sight that left Li Younan mesmerized.

Then, to his astonishment, Jing Chaoyi slipped and fell to the ground with a thud.

(End of this chapter)