Chapter 6

The driver is a Chinese woman who has lived in Hokkaido for a long time. She has a humorous and cheerful personality, sharing many jokes along the way and having a very pleasant conversation with Baoyin, who is sitting in the passenger seat.

Baoyin shook her head: "I just had two cups of black tea there before coming back." "Why didn't you invite me to join you?"

At 5:40, everything was already prepared. Before she left, she checked her bag one last time for her passport, disposable phone card, and signature pen. She dragged her suitcase, picked up her coffee, and opened the front door

Returning to the hotel room, only the two of them remained, and the atmosphere was tense and awkward. Ye Baiyuan seemed to be waiting for an apology, while Baoyin only hoped to have a moment alone. They were at a standstill, neither willing to take the initiative to break the deadlock

He spoke first, attempting to find something to talk about in the midst of boredom: "I saw in the news that there might be a typhoon making landfall in the next few days; I wonder if it will come this way."

Having finished preparing, only fifteen minutes had passed. She thought for a moment and decided to make herself a cup of coffee. In the kitchen drawer, there were disposable coffee cups she had specifically prepared for such occasions. She planned to finish the coffee on the way, throw the paper cup away upon arriving at the airport, and then find a place to have breakfast after passing through security.

One evening a few days later, Kong Kong received a call from Bao Yin. She was at the entrance of Chen Kewei's residential community, saying that she had something to give to Kong Kong

Perhaps for many years to come, we will continue like this, Baoyin thought, just like parents do. If there is nothing in particular, they can spend an entire day saying only two or three sentences: 'I have had breakfast, I have had dinner, and I am going to sleep now'

In the past, she would obediently lie beside him, allowing Ye Baiyuan's arm to wrap around her waist from behind

There was still some distance between them, but Baoyin had already seen Ye Baiyuan. He was sitting in a seat next to a charging port, with his back to her, lowering his head to look at his phone. She did not call out to him, but simply walked over casually, approached him, and said: "I forgot..." Ye Baiyuan's phone screen quickly switched to the main page, and he dodged with a swift and decisive motion.

Only after Baoyin had run far away did Ye Baiyuan's soul return to its place. He exhaled a breath, still feeling uneasy, and got up to move to the seat opposite, settling down. He opened WeChat and continued the sentence he hadn't finished typing earlier, sending it out: "Nonsense, of course I would think of you"

At the first rest point, the mobile phone finally received a somewhat unstable signal, and Baoyin was not entirely sure if this was the reason that drove Ye Baiyuan to madness. They took a short break, had something to eat, each went to the restroom, and soon resumed their hike.

Baoyin put on her coat, picked up a room card from the table, and silently left the room. At the convenience store across from the hotel, she bought a pack of cigarettes and a bottle of hot oolong tea, and stood at the smoking area in front of the convenience store to light one up

During the first three days, they got along quite well, with a harmonious rhythm and mutual discussions, visiting all the sightseeing spots near Sapporo. In the following two days, they planned to travel to the farther destinations of Furano and Lake Toya. Baoyin had contacted a local driver in advance; although the price was slightly higher than taking the train and bus by themselves, it was much more convenient in terms of time

I have never told you that ever since that trip to Finland, I have regretted it. Yet, I do not understand why I still force myself every year to pretend to be looking forward to it and to appear very enthusiastic.

In accordance with their agreement, the itinerary for this trip was entirely arranged by Baoyin. Ye Baiyuan seemed to deliberately want to demonstrate his trust in her, as he did not inquire even once.

With nothing to do and not quite understanding the television, Ye Baiyuan suggested, "How about we go to the hall for a drink?"

"Come down and get it quickly, I'll give it to you and then you can leave," Baoyin said. The box was not small, nor was it too heavy; it felt empty, and until it was opened, one would think it contained cosmetics or some beautifully shaped Japanese sweets that were so exquisite they could be deadly sweet. She returned to the house, tore off the beautiful wrapping paper, and opened the box. Inside was a medium-sized glass jar filled with fallen leaves and some small pine cones.

"No, I forgot that I need to use my boarding pass and passport to check out..." She took something out of her bag, waved it at him, and then ran towards the duty-free shop

It was only at this moment that Ye Baiyuan truly confirmed—this morning, she indeed saw nothing at all

For more than three hours on the plane, Baoyin had been sleeping, leaving him no opportunity to test the waters. Throughout the entire journey, he remained restless. Now, he gazed at his girlfriend's face—this beautiful visage appeared even more innocent and captivating due to her complete unawareness of the deception. Guilt replaced worry, and he briefly fell into contempt for himself

Baoyin glanced at the eldest sister waiting for them a few meters away and lowered her voice: "Baiyuan, thank you, but I really don't want to take pictures anymore. Can we just quietly enjoy the scenery?" There was a firmness in her tone that brooked no further argument

"Life is elsewhere, it is like this." Baoyin gazed at the art installation in front of her, wondering what the piece was trying to express. She could not discern it at all, while her mind pondered: there should be hardly anyone reading Milan Kundera these days, right? Even she herself had not opened a book in a long time.

At 5:20 in the morning, the alarm clock had not yet rung, but Baoyin had already opened her eyes. She had realized long ago that the alarm clock was merely a backup plan for her; what she truly relied on was her biological clock

"Can you stop for a moment? I really can't laugh anymore," Baoyin said, trying to suppress his impatience beside a field of golden sunflowers.

She wanted to inquire at the manned window at the station, but was startled by the astonishingly long queue. Some Western faces were mixed among the calm Japanese passengers, appearing as bewildered and flustered as she was. After buying snacks and drinks at the convenience store, she was once again taken aback as she passed by the smoking room made of transparent glass. The not-so-spacious sealed space was filled with people, and the white smoke was thick like chemical gas, their faces appearing hazy in the dense smoke. She stood there, staring intently, almost unable to move, as if observing a avant-garde art experiment.

She nodded slightly: "I am quite happy, the flower fields and the lake are beautiful, and the souvenirs bought at the local specialty store are also very affordable". She pretended to casually lean her head against the car window, and from a certain angle of the right rearview mirror, she could just see the back seat, the cold light of the phone screen reflecting on his expressionless face

I found a delicious soup curry, let's go there now. She tilted her face up, her eyes bright.

After traversing a vast beech forest that seemed to stretch endlessly, the passengers of the vehicle arrived at the hotel. Upon entering the lobby, staff members speaking different languages began to attend to guests from various places, assisting them with the check-in process

Do you want to rest in the room for a while before going out to eat, or should we go right after dropping off the luggage? I am fine with either option His voice was filled with consideration

"The itinerary you planned is actually quite good," he kissed her forehead, "Baoyin, sometimes I think that I need you far more than you need me."

On the fourth day of their journey, they arrived in Aomori. Baoyin had booked a luxury hotel, which provided a shuttle service to pick up guests from the station at scheduled times each day

After the flight landed at New Chitose Airport in Sapporo, they had a smooth journey all the way. After retrieving their luggage, they took the tram to the city center, got off at the station, and followed the directions of the electronic map, arriving at the hotel reserved by Baoyin without taking any detours.

Baoyin thought for a moment: "Alright, let's do it this way"

They could have discussed what to eat for dinner, and just the day before, they had listed many options: tempura? sukiyaki? barbecue? Or perhaps one last visit to that curry soup place? But no one felt like talking about these things

Inside, it contains a tranquil autumn day

They hastily finished their not-so-tasty lunch in the station's restaurant, and then sat idly on the bench at the station waiting for the bus. Now they have resumed their conversation, although it is still somewhat awkward. However, Ye Baiyuan believes that it is all simply because they are in a foreign land. Once the trip is over and they return to Beijing, back to their most comfortable and familiar rhythm of life, the discomfort brought by this awkwardness will dissipate.

His expression was completely natural as he asked with concern, "Have you finished shopping?"

On the flight from Tokyo back to Beijing, Baoyin suddenly asked after finishing the ice cream in the airplane meal: "Actually, why did we make the agreement to travel together every year in the first place?"

She wore a plain bathrobe, her freshly washed hair cascading smoothly behind her head. The neckline of the bathrobe revealed a section of her fair skin, exuding a cool, detached sensuality. Ye Baiyuan's gaze fell upon her, yet he had not a single thought in his mind.

"No one has stipulated that photos must be taken with a smile," Ye Baiyuan did not sense any hostility; his gaze remained fixed in the viewfinder as he continued to search for the most beautiful shot. "Those photos of you with your eyes closed, and some of your silhouette, weren't they all quite lovely?" After a brief pause, he explained, "I noticed you haven't posted a single photo on social media these past few days, and I thought it was because my shots weren't good enough, that you weren't satisfied, so I wanted to take more for you."

By the time the alarm went off, she had already completed her morning routine and had entered the skincare steps

In the faint morning light, the car smoothly traveled along the airport expressway. She took a sip of warm coffee and sent a WeChat message to Ye Baiyuan: "I have set off, I will arrive in about half an hour"

A romantic, timeless, anti-trendy life that seems to have a solid barrier separating it from reality

The pre-arranged car was already waiting at the entrance of the community. After getting in, Baoyin confirmed the destination with the driver: "Capital Airport Terminal 3, yes, that's correct"

Her head rested on his shoulder, and hunger, fatigue, and uncertainty dulled her hearing, as if she had fallen into another dimension... A phrase kept bubbling up from her heart, only to be swallowed back down fiercely—this too shall pass, everything will come to an end...

After she finished speaking, she let out a sigh of relief herself

Ye Boyuan did not dare to interrupt her, let alone refute her. It had been a long time since she had spoken to him in such a serious tone about something. Upon realizing this, he suddenly felt a bit moved, thinking that this would be an opportunity for them to get to know each other again and to establish a closer relationship.

Ye Baiyuan detected her disappointment and self-denial, and without hesitation, comforted her: "The typhoon is not your fault, it's okay, it's okay..." He had regained his composure, as if wanting to make up for his earlier indifference, continuously telling her "it's okay," yet he did not understand how inappropriate this was.

No one expected that even such a simple and comprehensive plan could cause displeasure. Everything was normal at the start; for the first one or two kilometers, they were in good spirits, occasionally stopping to take photos and chat. Baoyin picked up quite a few fallen pine cones and brightly colored leaves along the way, placing them all in a small canvas bag. As they reached the midpoint, she gradually fell behind Ye Baiyuan's pace, but when he suggested waiting for her, she stubbornly refused.

Ye Baiyuan has already taken off his coat and is lying on the bed on the left. After sitting in the car for most of the day, he can finally relax. It has been a long time since he has shown this side of himself—childish and a bit mischievous: "Baoyin, come here, let me hold you for a while"

He actually thought that I hadn't seen anything at all, she wore a smile that was almost painfully sarcastic, she thought, but this is not the worst part, the worst part is that I seem to truly feel nothing at all

It seems that as long as we maintain this kind of enthusiasm, we can be different from most people

After passing through customs, Baoyin's spirits lifted a little. They went to a Hong Kong-style tea restaurant for breakfast, and both ordered sunny-side-up egg cart noodles. There were not many customers, and the waiter quickly brought the noodles to them. They ate their noodles while scrolling through their phones, with almost no conversation in between.

Oh, it's very simple, just hiking along the Oirase Stream, looking at the plants, moss, and so on..." Baoyin took out a pair of white sneakers from the suitcase, preparing in advance for tomorrow, "After hiking, we will have dinner at the hotel, then take a bath, and the day after tomorrow we will go to Tokyo. Soon we will be able to go home.

"No, we returned empty-handed," she sighed. "Isn't this the most frustrating trip we've ever experienced together?"

Most things in the world should come to an end before they actually end, rather than being dragged out until they must end. Baoyin recalled this convoluted sentence that Kongkong had written before, which seemed to have grammatical errors—she liked this uneven rhythm

The evening passed peacefully, with only the forest surrounding them, leaving no place to go. After having dinner at the hotel restaurant and resting for half an hour, they each went to soak in the hot springs for a while. Ye Baiyuan returned to the room first and sent WeChat messages for a long time before Baoyin slowly came back.

At first, she was somewhat surprised by his unreservedness, but she quickly came to terms with it. The broadcast repeatedly aired announcements in Japanese, and she listened attentively with her limited proficiency, trying to discern and grasp any information that might be advantageous to them, but those sound waves merely faded away in the air, futile and repetitive.

Seeing that there was still ample time, she decided to go to the boarding gate to collect her boarding pass

She quickly picked up the items that were in stock according to the shopping list in her memo, and the entire process took no more than fifteen minutes. It was not until she was in line to check out that she heard the staff asking the customer in front of her, "Please show your passport and boarding pass." Only then did she remember that her passport and boarding pass were in her bag, which Ye Boyuan had taken.

Baoyin felt Ye Baiyuan's hand gently caressing her, and she understood what this meant, yet her body remained completely unresponsive. After a short while, Ye Baiyuan noticed her stiffness and ceased his actions

Ye Baiyuan's expression darkened as he put the camera away into his backpack. For the rest of the time, he did not take out the camera again, nor did he speak to Baoyin.

They all exhaled deeply, as if they had finally completed their sentence.

This morning, the sun had just emerged from the horizon, and the sky was already bright. Through the car window, Baoyin silently witnessed a complete sunrise.

Once they arrived at the scenic spot, Ye Baiyuan became exhilarated. As soon as he picked up the camera, he seemed to transform into a different person, persistently taking photos of Baoyin from various angles, obsessively pressing the shutter. Even when Baoyin clearly expressed her desire to stop taking pictures, he was unwilling to put down the camera

Baoyin's seat was next to the window, and she turned her face to gaze at the boundless world of clouds beyond the small window. The intense light made it impossible not to close her eyes, but due to its overwhelming strength, even with her eyes closed, she could still feel the power of the light

"After all, the boarding passes for the fellow travelers were processed together, and you didn't take up anyone else's time," Ye Baiyuan felt that she was overreacting again. "Besides, wouldn't it have been better if you had arrived earlier?"

Bai Yuan, let us terminate this foolish agreement. In this tedious formalism, I know you have long been tired, and so have I

Ye Baiyuan's message quickly came back: "I have arrived at the toll station"

Only when she stood next to Ye Baiyuan did she unable to restrain herself from saying: "Why didn't you wait for me to arrive before lining up together? It would be quite bad if others thought I was cutting in line."

"Anyway, I can just follow you honestly, right?" he said with a grin to Baoyin as the plane was about to land. Baoyin was focused on filling out the immigration card and did not respond.

In the duty-free shop, there was a throng of people crowded in front of all the popular brand counters. In fact, Baoyin wanted to leave as soon as she entered, but since a few of her well-connected female colleagues had asked her to bring back some cosmetics, she thought to herself that she would have to buy them sooner or later. It would be more convenient to purchase them now and store them at the terminal, so she could pick them up when she returned home.

Is it because we have been together for too long, Ye Baiyuan suddenly thought, I almost forgot how beautiful Zhou Baoyin is

The sun at around 1 PM shone directly on the open parking lot, and the gray-white ground reflected a dazzling and blinding light. Baoyin hoped to appear a bit happier for the remainder of the journey—even if it was just for show. She took the initiative to buy coffee and iced cola, and after returning, they waited another ten minutes before the shuttle bus finally arrived

If she could see herself from behind, she would realize that she looks as if she is carrying something, yet upon closer inspection, there is clearly nothing there

Why do people always yearn for another state of life? After staying at home for a long time, one longs to go out; yet once one is truly out, one still feels that home is better

These few sentences, heard only by themselves, became the beginning of the end of their entire journey

He is very confident—Zhou Baoyin is not the type of person who is overly meticulous or holds grudges

When the passport returned to her hands, she turned around and saw Ye Baiyuan giving her a thumbs up gesture

"I won't do it, you can rest assured." Baoyin said coldly

The typhoon that they had only mentioned once, a typhoon that was not taken too seriously, made landfall in the Kanto region on the second-to-last day of their itinerary, severely disrupting transportation, with almost all Shinkansen trains forced to come to a halt. Baoyin has not forgotten for a long time; during the seven hours of waiting at Shin-Aomori Station, how anxious and worried Ye Baiyuan was, repeatedly stepping out of the small waiting room to make phone calls and send messages in the deserted area of the platform

I thought, "Baoyin's expression is inscrutable, neither sad nor happy, yet seemingly containing both emotions at the same time. You might prefer to be alone, as it would be more convenient."

Ye Baiyuan ran over from the end of the platform, took the oolong tea and chocolate from her hand, and asked, "Have you found out anything?"

With some time left before boarding, Ye Baiyuan took the initiative to offer to carry both of their carry-on luggage to the boarding gate, allowing Baoyin to leisurely visit the duty-free shop: "After all, sitting there is just idling, so why not take a stroll"

Ye Boyuan then realized how strong her resistance was, and he felt a bit frustrated. However, he still wanted to try to make a little joke: "OK, I won't take any photos. Even if you want to invite me to take photos tomorrow, I still won't do it"

Some part of her body ached once again, as if to awaken and remind her: Is it possible that you are also part of an experiment?

"I am not late again." This sentence almost slipped out, but she forcefully held it back. Ye Baiyuan was not wrong; she could have arrived earlier, couldn't she? If she hadn't made that cup of coffee before leaving, she would definitely have arrived earlier than him. Baoyin lowered her eyes and turned her face in another direction, no longer entangled with him.

A subtle smile froze on Ye Baiyuan's face as he sensed a certain danger in her words, so he decided to intercept it: "What is our plan for tomorrow?"

Only after completing the check-in did Baoyin quietly breathe a sigh of relief, revealing a bright smile: "I was a bit worried on the way that I wouldn't be able to manage it, and you would laugh at me."

On that afternoon at the Hills of Four Seasons, they indeed had a conflict

Most of the time, Ye Baiyuan sat silently in the back, fiddling with his phone. On the surface, it seemed that he did not understand the topics they were discussing and could not participate, but the occasional smile that slipped out unintentionally revealed a hint of secrecy.

She drew back the curtains, opened the window, and took a few breaths of the fresh air outside, her muddled mind gradually becoming clear. The clothes she needed to wear when going out had been ironed last night and were hanging in the wardrobe, now she just needed to change into them

She then realized that although these new shoes were lightweight, they were not suitable for long periods of walking

Perhaps it was because at that time we were all afraid of the mundane aspects of life, which is why we always sought ways to put up a semblance of resistance. We pretentiously discussed literature, drama, travel, and similar topics, not because we genuinely liked or understood them, but because they aligned with our imagination of a certain kind of life

I truly do not care

The room is in a Japanese style, and the area is very spacious—so much so that Baoyin felt the money spent was well worth it at first glance. On the tea table, there are tea utensils, and small containers hold a few pieces of cookies. Inside the wardrobe, several sets of yukata are neatly arranged, available in sizes S, M, and L.

There were only two or three receptionists who spoke Chinese, and they were all already attending to other guests. Baoyin was unwilling to waste time waiting, so she attempted to communicate with a young staff member using her broken Japanese mixed with accurate English. As she spoke, she realized that it was actually not difficult at all; in such high-end hotels, the processes had long been standardized. Both parties just needed to proceed step by step in order, like a programmed artificial intelligence, until completion.

The light and joyful atmosphere that once prevailed has vanished, and the remaining journey feels like a mandatory goal that must be completed. As time passes, there is still a long distance to the waiting point, and Baoyin's feet are becoming increasingly painful, yet she remains silent. She suddenly realizes that this hike serves as a metaphor for their relationship—beautiful scenery yet also tedious, with discomfort and pain belonging solely to her.

Let it be, even if it really comes, we have no way to deal with it

Ye Boyuan was originally flipping through a comic book. Upon hearing her question, he pondered for a minute or two. After that, he had to admit that he had forgotten as well

She had no idea that on this long, green forest path, marked by varying shades of new and old, her figure was the most clumsy and heaviest among all.

On the way back, the elder sister kindly asked Baoyin: "Have you been having fun these past two days?"

It was so quiet around them that no external factors could divert their attention. In this slight sense of despair, Baoyin heard Ye Baiyuan softly say "It's okay," as if he were kindly comforting her. She found it somewhat absurd, as she had no intention of saying sorry.

She took a deep drag of the cigarette and gently exhaled. There was a faint, lingering pain somewhere in her body, which was neither due to smoking nor because of Ye Baiyuan

In order to avoid the large crowds traveling during the National Day holiday, they specifically postponed their trip by three to four days. Nevertheless, there were still many people in the departure hall, with each check-in line forming a spectacular 'S' shape. Baoyin found Ye Baiyuan in the line for Iceland; he was quite far back, but she still awkwardly explained to others: 'It's not cutting in line, it's not cutting in line, we are together'