Chapter 5 Travelling
As soon as they entered, Xiaoyuan and Xiaomei felt their heads, which had been foggy from sitting in the vehicles for hours, instantly clear.
The air was filled with the fragrance of flowers. Before them stretched a large garden, where all kinds of flowers vied for attention. It was a breathtaking sight.
There were also the tinkling sounds of flowing water, the leaping of fish, and the chirping of birds attracted by the flowers.
The combined sounds were surprisingly pleasant.
The garden alone was enough to make them reluctant to look away.
“Hello, are you staying here?” Tang Yao came out of her room when she heard the voice.
Tang Yao had been eating homegrown vegetables lately and her skin had improved considerably, becoming fair with a rosy glow. From one glance, she looked very healthy.
The vegetable seeds were brought back from a small cultivation world. Even ordinary seeds had been imbued with spiritual energy. This was very beneficial to her body as an ordinary human.
Thus, Tang Yao's appearance almost became another beautiful sight in this small garden, leaving Xiaoyuan and Xiaomei mesmerized.
After a while, the two came to their senses, blushing and whispering, "Oh, right, we talked over the online call."
Tang Yao flipped through her notebook: "Xiaomei, right? You booked a single room for 188? A single room only has one bed, but it's quite large, enough for the two of you. We include breakfast. Lunch can also be provided, but you'll need to pay for it yourself. The flowers in the garden are for viewing and taking pictures only. No picking. Any damage to any ornamental plants or animals here will require a tenfold compensation."
Xiaoyuan and Xiaomei nodded. This place was so beautiful; it was only right to abide by these rules.
Tang Yao then showed them the room. The walls, floors, and beds were spotless, while the air was filled with a pleasant floral scent. Small plants adorned the room.
The bathroom was also spotless; toiletries were neatly arranged. Even the drainpipe, which was usually a breeding ground for dirt, was dust-free—a sight that soothed the soul.
The windows facing the courtyard revealed a riot of flowers, while the windows facing outwards offered a view of a tranquil bamboo grove.
It far exceeded their expectations.
"Is this room alright? Or would you like to choose the second or third floor?"
Xiaoyuan's eyes sparkled as she nodded vigorously, "Yes, yes, this is perfect! This is our first time traveling alone. We were initially worried about stepping into a pit, but never thought it's this great!"
Xiaomei nodded repeatedly.
Looking at the two adorable girls, Tang Yao chuckled, "You two are so cute."
Xiaoyuan and Xiaomei eagerly paid the deposit and received the keys. After putting down their luggage, the two didn't go out to play immediately, but instead ran to the garden to take photos.
Exclamations of surprise could be heard from them every now and then.
Upon learning that the beautiful glass building was the restaurant, they decided to stay and have lunch there.
Before they even left the guesthouse, it was already lunchtime.
Entering the glass building, Xiao Yue was watering the flowers.
Xiaoyuan and Xiaomei were amazed again. Were all the people in this guesthouse so good-looking?
"Would you like to dine? The menu is on the table. Just let me know when you've ordered."
Although the robots were programmed with their own tasks, they would also do other tasks when they weren't busy. Giving them a degree of autonomy saved Tang Yao a lot of trouble.
Xiaoyuan picked up the menu, which listed the various dishes and prices in delicate, elegant calligraphy.
"Wow, a bit pricey," Xiaomei whispered, covering her mouth.
"It's like this at tourist attractions and the environment is so nice. We can afford this meal. Since we're here, what would you like to eat?"
"I've been feeling a little heated lately and got pimples on my face. Let's order something light," Xiaomei said.
"Stir-fried pork slices, seasonal vegetable soup, and a vegetable wrap."
"Okay."
The three dishes cost over a hundred, almost two hundred yuan. But it wasn't surprising that Tang Yao had priced them so high. After all, the seeds were brought back from the cultivation world and the meat was raised on spiritual plants, making the cost incalculable.
Soon after, Xiao Li came out carrying a tray.
It was filled with steaming hot food.
The aroma already wafted to Xiaoyuan and Xiaomei's noses even before they got close.
"It smells so good!"
Xiaoyuan, who was still taking pictures, put down her phone and looked towards the source of the aroma.
Her eyes lit up again when she saw Xiao Li. What was up with this guesthouse? Even the cook was so pretty!
Xiao Li put down the food: "Please enjoy your meal. Let me know if there's anything you don't like."
Xiaoyuan nodded: "Okay, thank you."
The dishes on the table looked simple, but the aroma wafted into her nose.
Xiaoyuan picked up a thin, translucent tortilla, wrapped it around fresh vegetables, and drizzled some sauce.
She stuffed the whole thing into her mouth. Instantly, the salty, savory flavor, along with the unique sweetness of the vegetables, all converged in her mouth.
Xiaoyuan's eyes widened. Before she knew it, the tortilla was gone.
Xiaomei, on the other hand, picked up a slice of meat. It was tender and smooth, completely different from the pork she usually ate. The meat itself had a subtle aroma.
"How can it be so delicious?" Xiaoyuan and Xiaomei exclaimed in unison.
Suddenly, the two understood why the prices were so high. The ambiance and the food were definitely worth it.
After that, they didn't have time to talk, stuffing their mouths full of food and almost crying with happiness.
After finishing the meal, they stared at each other.
"Oh no! After eating something this delicious, how can we ever eat school cafeteria food again?" Xiaomei said dejectedly.
"It's okay, our school isn't far from town. We can come here whenever we want to treat ourselves. I'm planning to bring my parents here for a day sometime. As long as they love the food and scenery, hehehehe." Xiaoyuan grinned mischievously.
"Yeah, that's a good idea! My parents are planning to take my grandma out for a change of scenery!"
The two hit it off immediately and began discussing how to "lure" their families here.
With the help of Xiao Li, Xiao Yue, and Xiao Ling, Tang Yao could finally relax. Sitting on the newly decorated rooftop, she admired the flowers and sipped tea.
This was the life she had longed for all these years in the Quick Transmigration Bureau—no need to be busy with missions and still able to continue her parents' legacy.
As for her so-called wealthy biological parents, she had long since forgotten them.
...
At this moment, the Xu Family was holding an engagement ceremony for Xu Wan and Chen Yuxuan.
In the resplendent hotel, glasses clinked, guests filled the room, and everyone was dressed in elegant evening gowns or haute couture suits, chatting and socializing in small groups, with elegant symphonic music playing in the background.
Xu Wan sat in the lounge as a makeup artist did her makeup.
Sun Yulan stood beside her, wearing a custom-made cheongsam and a jade necklace. Her eyes filled with pride and joy as she looked at her beautifully dressed daughter.
This marriage made her proud among her friends.
Xu Wan held her phone. Her brows slightly furrowed. The engagement banquet was about to begin, but Chen Yuxuan hadn't arrived yet.
Chen's parents seemed unfazed, simply washing their hands of the matter and telling her to contact Chen Yuxuan. But she had already made over a dozen calls and still no one answered.
"Wanwan, has Yuxuan answered the phone?" At that moment, Mother Chen walked in with a young woman in tow.
"He hasn't answered yet," Xu Wan replied. Her smile was somewhat forced.
“Young people just love to have fun. I’ll have a good talk with him later,” Mother Chen said casually, making her stance clear. “By the way, Wanwan, let me introduce you. This is my good friend’s daughter, Zou Huan. She just returned from Y country. She and my Yuxuan are childhood friends.”
Zou Huan tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, revealing her delicate face, and extended her hand to Xu Wan: “Hello.”
“Hello,” Though Xu Wan felt a strange dislike for this person, she replied politely since the parents were present.
Seeing that Xu Wan was distracted, Zou Huan revealed a meaningful smile.
Her phone vibrated in her bag. She avoided the crowd and slipped it out. It was a new message from the other protagonist of this engagement party.
"Why didn’t I see you when I woke? Ran off? You little naughty thing."
Zou Huan's smile deepened: "Auntie invited me to your engagement party."
Xu Wan's phone finally rang. It was Chen Yuxuan’s apologetic voice on the other end: "Sorry, Wanwan, I had a bachelor party with my buddies yesterday and drank too much. I'm on my way."
Having been pampered since childhood, Xu Wan naturally had her share of tempers. Chen Yuxuan coaxed her gently for a while before a smile returned to her face.
When Chen Yuxuan arrived, he used his glib tongue to make everyone forget about his tardiness. While shaking hands with his childhood friend Zou Huan, whom he "hadn't seen in a long time," their eyes lingered on each other and exchanged ambiguous glances behind everyone's backs.
One could only imagine the chaos that would ensue after this seemingly glamorous, but actually murky, engagement.
The news of the engagement between the Chen and Xu families was reported. Tang Yao, who happened to see the news while browsing online, naturally learned about it. The media captured the banquet beautifully and it quickly became a hit. Many comments praised the bride and groom for being a perfect match, and the engagement ceremony was like a celestial scene.
Tang Yao felt no emotion whatsoever, as if she had just scrolled through an unrelated news item, and casually scrolled away.
…
At dusk, Xiaoyuan and Xiaomei, who had been playing outside for half a day, returned with reluctance.
Upon returning, they saw a family in the guesthouse.
A couple with a three-year-old girl.
"You want the 388 yuan suite?" Tang Yao asked the three of them.
"Yes, please arrange a less crowded place for us. This child always has trouble sleeping in unfamiliar places and would wake up crying several times in the middle of the night. So it’s better to not disturb others," the young woman said.
"Okay, there aren't many people now, so you can choose whatever you like." Tang Yao smiled. Then she turned to greet Xiaoyuan and Xiaomei, "Back already? Have you had dinner?"
"Yes, boss," Xiaoyuan replied with a grin.
They were still students and their money wasn't enough to afford meals at the guesthouse every day. Still, some of the local snacks outside were quite good.