The high-speed train crossed the sea and arrived in Meng City.
Meng City is a beautiful coastal city. The tall buildings, green trees, and colorful flowers along the way are all very picturesque, exuding a strong sense of modernity.
Compared to the provincial capital Fucheng in Jingnan Province that Xiao Qi visited with Teacher Zhou before, Meng City is much more beautiful and comfortable.
Fucheng also has many skyscrapers, but it always feels crowded. The streets and such are relatively chaotic.
But the first impression of Meng City is that it is spacious and clean.
The entire city seems to have been scrubbed clean, even the crowded corners are neatly adorned with flowers and plants.
Xiao Qi put away her book, as she hadn't finished reading it and didn't have any study cards. She eagerly looked at everything before her.
If everything goes as planned, she will be staying here for at least four years.
She is 17 years old this year and will stay until she's 21.
The train's broadcast started playing as well.
The cheerful voice of the train attendant introduced Meng City.
Outside, the setting sun shines directly onto the train.
It feels like we're arriving very quickly. Perhaps because the train has entered the urban area, it has slowed down. Watching the sun set and the neon lights, the entire city is never covered in darkness; it remains bright.
The little girl next to Xiao Qi stopped playing cards too.
Everyone is excited, standing up and getting their luggage. Even though we haven't arrived yet, some people have already taken their luggage to the door and are waiting.
A line quickly formed at the door.
Although they know they can get off as soon as the door opens, many people are still anxiously standing and waiting.
Seeing the anxious queue, Xiao Qi also became a bit nervous.
She packed up her book.
Checking the time, there are still twenty minutes left before arrival.
She took out the two remaining boiled eggs from her backpack and peeled the shells. She also ate a tomato.
Both the eggs and the tomato are afraid of being crushed.
After finishing her meal, Xiao Qi took a sip from the thermos cup. There's still half a cup of water in it, just enough to bring along for the journey. She doesn't need to fill it up too much; it would be too heavy.
After tidying up, Xiao Qi prepared to get up and take her luggage. The little girl's father next to her enthusiastically stood up to help.
He was very enthusiastic, and Xiao Qi didn't refuse, just saying, "It's quite heavy."
Cheng Minguang wondered how heavy the little girl's suitcase could be. His daughter's suitcase is much larger than this one, but when he carried it, it didn't feel heavy at all.
However, when he reached out and pulled, it didn't budge.
Xiao Qi stood on her tiptoes and smiled, "Let me do it. Thank you, sir. There are a lot of books inside."
Xiao Qi effortlessly pulled her own suitcase out and placed it on the ground.
With her backpack on her back, she stood there, tall and straight like a pine tree.
Cheng Minguang: ...
The train slowly arrived at the station, tilting forward slightly, causing many people to sway. Xiao Qi stood up, followed the crowd, and dragged her suitcase out.
There wasn't enough time to say goodbye; the little girl and her father sitting next to her had disappeared.
The train station was crowded with people, and Xiao Qi didn't walk quickly. She looked at the signs along the way and reached the exit. She knew she needed her train ticket to exit the station, so she put her ticket in the small bamboo bag. Following what others were doing, she inserted it, and the ticket popped out. The station gate opened, and she walked out.
And then, Meng City has a subway system.
Directly connected to the train station.
There are also bus stops and taxi stands outside the train station.
Xiao Qi had planned to stay in a hotel when she arrived. She had her ID and a mission to spend money, so she chose a very expensive hotel.
It was convenient to stay near the shopping mall in the city center because Xiao Qi also planned to buy a computer and a mobile phone tomorrow.
For her first time, Xiao Qi decided to take the subway. She always felt that taxis were less safe.
She had to transfer from Line 1 to Line 2 on the subway.
It was quite fascinating to ride the subway for the first time. It was different from the simulated subway experience she had in her previous reading and learning card.
The subway system in Meng City seemed newer compared to the subway system in Japan, which appeared to be older.
The place Xiao Qi wanted to go required four yuan, which was much cheaper than taking a taxi. She had checked online before coming, and a taxi would have cost over 80 yuan.
Her suitcase was heavy, and since it was the afternoon and likely rush hour, there were hardly any available seats. But Xiao Qi had been sitting on the high-speed train all afternoon and didn't feel like sitting anymore. Standing was fine.
There were advertisements on both sides of the subway, and in the areas without advertisements, it was dark. But she could use it as a mirror and see a girl in sportswear and a pink elephant T-shirt with medium-length hair tied into a small bun in the mirror.
Xiao Qi liked to expose her forehead when reading. She forgot to untie the bun when she got off the subway, and if Zhou Teacher saw her like this, she would probably nag at her again.
She occasionally checked her phone, which had very little battery left, but she was worried about missing her stop.
As she listened to the subway announcement for the next station, Longwen Station, Xiao Qi dragged her suitcase closer to the door. She was getting off at this station.
The hotel she had booked was near Longwen Station.
She also asked Zhou Teacher for advice on booking a hotel.
Zhou Meiling had lived alone in both Japan and South Korea, so she had a lot of life experience.
She even installed a taxi-hailing app for Xiao Qi, although Xiao Qi hadn't used it yet because Lushan City didn't have that kind of service, only Didi.
Xiao Qi booked the hotel through Ctrip.
Zhou Teacher said that a young girl like Xiao Qi shouldn't settle for a cheap motel and that safety should be the priority, so she should stay in a chain hotel.
Because of the limited time and the mission to spend money, Xiao Qi blindly chose a very expensive one.
Shangri-La.
When booking the hotel, she discovered that different rooms in the same hotel had different prices.
There were differences in prices between city view rooms and sea view rooms, as well as between regular rooms and executive rooms.
There were also single rooms and suites.
Executive suite.
Xiao Qi specifically looked up the meaning of "executive." It stated that there was access to the hotel's executive lounge, which was probably a restaurant where she could have snacks. Between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m., she could also enjoy complimentary drinks and have some simple meals. She could also have breakfast in the executive lounge or go to a designated breakfast area.
Anyway, she understood it as being able to drink alcohol.
Xiao Qi didn't have a need for alcohol. She wasn't good at drinking, and she suspected it was inherited from her father, who couldn't handle even a glass of beer.
Moreover, drinking alcohol outside was very dangerous.
Xiao Qi opted for a more expensive choice, but not the executive one. She felt that it might be more suitable for business people. She chose a small suite.
It cost over 2,700 yuan for one night.
I feel a bit like I'm going crazy.
Just for one night's sleep.
I don't know what kind of consumption view this is, but when she exited the subway station from Exit 2, she saw towering skyscrapers with a Shangri-La sign hanging in front. The lights were bright, and there were probably more people living in this building than in the entire village of Gu Mu La.
She walked to the entrance, pulling her suitcase.
A young man wearing a uniform and a hat asked her if she was checking in.
She nodded.
The young man immediately took her suitcase and also took her backpack.
Xiao Qi had the feeling that her luggage was being stolen. She wondered if she should snatch it back, but since he was still following her, Xiao Qi's heart eased a little, although she felt a bit embarrassed.
Xiao Qi appeared calm as she was led to the front desk.
The hotel lobby was exceptionally luxurious, with a huge crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling, sparkling and shining.
The floor was as smooth as a mirror, and there were beautifully arranged fresh flowers with dewdrops on the lobby, looking very attractive.
Behind the lobby bar stood a male waiter in a formal suit, with a face as white as if powdered, revealing a neat set of white teeth when he smiled, looking handsome like a TV star.
And he was quite tall. He bent down politely, bowing his head to ask Xiao Qi if she had any requests. Xiao Qi shook her head, keeping a poker face.
In fact, she had a little bun on her head, which had been raised all the way in the car.
She wore a cute pink T-shirt with a colorful bamboo bag strap slung across her body, showing her average and not particularly prominent figure.
Despite her serious expression, the waiter could tell from her ID card that she was a young girl with a few baby hairs on her face.
"Miss Su, this is your first stay at our hotel. We have upgraded you to the full sea view suite on the 29th floor. Welcome to check-in," the handsome waiter said with a sweet voice, addressing her respectfully.
He handed the room card to Xiao Qi with both hands, and also gave a detailed introduction to the restaurant. He mentioned that she could use the executive lounge for free after the upgrade, and the beverages in the room were complimentary.
Xiao Qi continued to keep a poker face and nodded, accepting the room card and her own ID card.
The guy who had snatched her suitcase was still waiting for her. When he saw that she had finished, he immediately greeted her and led her to the elevator.
The elevator doors were as magnificent as glass walls. If someone hadn't been leading her, Xiao Qi wouldn't have known it was an elevator.
Once inside the elevator, she saw that the person next to her needed to swipe a card.
Xiao Qi was a little flustered as she took out her room card and swiped it, then pressed the button for the 29th floor.
Time seemed to stretch a bit, and in the end, there were only her and the guy carrying the luggage in the elevator.
When the number 29 lit up, Xiao Qi practically rushed out of the elevator.
Then, in a daze, she followed the guy carrying the luggage to the depths of the corridor and looked at the door with the number 2918 written on it.
She stood at the door in a daze, and after a while, she remembered that she had to open the door herself.
She held the room key card, wanting to check if there was a latch, but the room and the corridor walls seemed to blend together, all made of metallic surfaces.
Feeling a bit awkward, she handed the key card to the bellboy who was carrying her luggage.
He took the card and made a circular motion on the door at a patterned spot, and with a swish sound, the door opened.
The bellboy respectfully placed the luggage inside the room and explained how to use the electricity and switches before taking his leave.
After hearing the door close, Xiao Qi double-checked and locked it before entering the room.
Inside the room, there was a huge floor-to-ceiling window and a pristine white king-sized bed. Most astonishingly, outside the window was the sea, a boundless expanse of it.
As she lay on the bed, she could even hear the sound of the waves outside.
The sea breeze billowed the white curtains.
There was also a gigantic chandelier on the ceiling, shimmering in a champagne color, radiating unparalleled brilliance.
It seemed to be saying to Xiao Qi, "Welcome to this world."
