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

Chapter 26 Former Friends
It's unbearably hot in Lin'an City today.

Li Younan parked his car in a free parking lot, intending to take a break. Soon, the car felt like an oven. Unable to bear the heat, he got out and sought refuge under a tree, taking out his phone as he did so.

Li Younan majored in computer algorithm development in university. Those familiar with this field know that the best job prospects are in eastern coastal cities. This is because several large internet companies are headquartered there, especially in major cities where industrial clusters have formed. Besides domestic companies, various multinational giants also establish their Greater China headquarters there.

After graduation, Li Younan found employment directly in Binhai City. Some of his classmates went to the capital, while many others went to Lin'an City, which is only two or three hundred kilometers away from Binhai. In Lin'an City, Li Younan had many old acquaintances, including classmates from the same major and many alumni.

When he arrived in the city, he scrolled through his phone's contacts and found quite a few acquaintances. But right now, he hadn't decided who to visit first.

Just as he was pondering, a familiar yet unfamiliar phone call came in. Li Younan was slightly taken aback when he saw the caller ID on the screen—Huang Xiaoyang.

Li Younan answered the phone, and a cold, emotionless voice came from the other end: "Have you arrived in Lin'an City? Let's have lunch together."

Li Younan could already feel the sweat sticking to his underwear, so he gently tugged at it and replied, "How did you know?"

There was a brief silence on the other end, followed by a soft snort that was hard to tell if it was a cold laugh or just speechless: "At 6 a.m., you posted a message on your WeChat Moments that said, 'Next stop, Lin'an City.'"

These words made Li Younan seem a bit foolish. After all, he was the one who said he was going to Lin'an City, and when someone called to ask if he had arrived, he asked them how they knew.

But Li Younan asked this question for a different reason.

He gently lifted his T-shirt and fanned himself, revealing his well-defined abs, and said, "What I mean is, how come you're looking at other people's WeChat Moments?"

This question silenced Huang Xiaoyang again.

However, Huang Xiaoyang didn't explain further, only saying casually, "I do look at it occasionally. Where are you now?"

Li Younan looked left and right and spotted a road sign. He then roughly told Huang Xiaoyang his location.

Huang Xiaoyang thought for a moment and said, "There aren't many places to eat around here. I'll send you my location, come find me, and I'll take you to get something good to eat."

Li Younan had no objections to Huang Xiaoyang's arrangements. He knew that even if he had objections, he probably couldn't change Huang Xiaoyang's plans. When Huang Xiaoyang proposed something, you either accept it or you refuse it; don't expect to change it and then accept it.

After hanging up the phone, Li Younan went over and opened the car door, a wave of heat hitting him. He endured the pain and sat on the scorching leather seat, instantly wanting to jump up.

He turned the air conditioning up to the maximum, and the air blowing out for the first few seconds was even hot. Li Younan quickly jumped out of the car and waited until the temperature dropped before turning on the navigation and slowly driving towards the location Huang Xiaoyang had sent him.

Li Younan's driving skills were as bad as ever, but his strength was his patience. He wasn't in a hurry to get somewhere, and to avoid becoming a moving roadblock, he always kept his car in the slow lane.

It wasn't until an hour later that Li Younan drove the car to the place Huang Xiaoyang had designated.

This is a high-end restaurant, comparable to a Michelin three-star restaurant. Li Younan had never eaten in such a high-end place before.

As soon as he drove his car to the restaurant entrance, a young security guard in a suit opened the car door for him and asked, "Sir, do you have a reservation?"

Li Younan said, "There should be a reservation, for someone named Huang Xiaoyang... um, sir."

The young security guard pointed Li Younan in the right direction, saying, "This way, please." He then took Li Younan's car keys and helped him park the car.

Li Younan sighed with emotion, thinking that things were different in such an expensive place, with every detail exuding style.

Led by the waiter, Li Younan arrived at a private room. A tall, slender figure sat inside, ordering food. He then slowly closed the menu and handed it to the waiter.

Upon seeing Li Younan enter, he didn't show any particular enthusiasm, simply saying, "The red wine here is quite good, it's from the Braun region. Also, the decor here is very harmonious, the floors are all made of fine elm wood."

Huang Xiaoyang lightly tapped the floor, making a sound. Li Younan was somewhat impressed; he admired Huang Xiaoyang for being able to say such flamboyant things without batting an eye. If it were him, he would have already lost his composure after uttering the very first sentence.

But when Huang Xiaoyang says it, you don't feel like he's faking it. He just states the facts calmly, without any intention of showing off, because this guy is really awesome.

Huang Xiaoyang was in the same grade as him and was the top scorer in the college entrance examination in their city, which is extremely rare for a second-generation rich family.

Yes, Huang Xiaoyang comes from a well-off family. When he was a freshman in college, he was already able to drive a BMW to school.

Others go to work to earn money to support their families, but he goes to work... simply to work.

Huang Xiaoyang once said that he just wanted to experience the atmosphere of a Fortune 500 company, nothing more.

Girls sang praises of Huang Xiaoyang, saying things like, "If I could be Huang Xiaoyang's girlfriend, I'd be willing to drive luxury cars all the time and live in a mansion in the future." However, his status as a rich second-generation heir didn't make Huang Xiaoyang complacent; he frequently ranked first in his grade. The reason it's "frequently" rather than "always" is that Li Younan would occasionally take his place.

Actually, it was Huang Xiaoyang who initially approached Li Younan. Huang Xiaoyang had started a club called the Dawn Club. Li Younan had good reason to suspect that Huang Xiaoyang had bribed the school's teachers when establishing the club, because the club lacked a specific purpose, objective, and nature.

In Huang Xiaoyang's words, he simply wanted to gather a group of people he thought were good. What they did together? It didn't matter. Li Younan was the first person he invited to his club, and later it was mostly men, so for a long time, Li Younan had reason to doubt the guy's sexual orientation.

Huang Xiaoyang is the kind of guy who's so awesome, like a second male lead straight out of a comic book.

Huang Xiaoyang didn't say anything like, "Why didn't you call me first when you got to Lin'an?" He said, "This is an Italian restaurant. I don't know if it will suit your taste, but it should be. After all, I remember you're not a picky eater."

Li Younan nodded and said, "I'm fine with anything."

Logically speaking, having such an amazing friend should make one cherish their relationship immensely. However, Li Younan has never really been fond of Huang Xiaoyang; deep down, he believes they are from completely different worlds. Therefore, it's usually Huang Xiaoyang who initiates contact with him.

Huang Xiaoyang seems to have a natural masochistic tendency; the more you ignore him, the more proactive he becomes. On the contrary, he doesn't even look at those who are always around him.

Huang Xiaoyang asked, "You resigned?"

Li Younan nodded.

When Huang Xiaoyang learned that he had resigned, Li Younan wasn't too surprised, as Lu Haibo was also a friend of Huang Xiaoyang.

Huang Xiaoyang then asked, "What are your plans next?"

Li Younan shrugged: "I plan to travel around a bit, starting with the major cities in the east. When I get to Lin'an, I'll definitely visit West Lake, then maybe I'll check in at a few big companies, and then catch up with some old friends."

Hearing this, Huang Xiaoyang remained expressionless and said, "If that's the case, the college's alumni group in Lin'an City is holding a gathering tomorrow. You can attend, and I'll add you to the group."

Huang Xiaoyang was a man of action; after he finished speaking, he added Li Younan to a WeChat group. There were more than 40 people in the group, and Li Younan saw many of his friends.

However, Li Younan was somewhat curious. He looked at Huang Xiaoyang and said, "Do you join these kinds of groups now?"

Huang Xiaoyang replied in his usual calm tone, "Yes, I will now."

Li Younan then asked, "Will you participate then?"

Huang Xiaoyang shook his head. However, after a moment's hesitation, he added, "By the way, your little brother will also be participating."

Li Younan blinked. "Little brother?" He suddenly realized who Huang Xiaoyang was talking about.

Huang Xiaoyang calmly added, "There's one more thing. Your little brother got dumped. When you go to the event, you might encounter some dramatic scenes."

Li Younan chuckled twice, then fell into deep thought.

The food was served, and Huang Xiaoyang cut the food with a knife and fork. Li Younan followed suit and ate with relish.

Halfway through the meal, Huang Xiaoyang suddenly asked, "What are your plans for this afternoon?"

Li Younan had just put a piece of foie gras into his mouth when he mumbled, "I plan to go for a stroll around West Lake."

Because the system task check-in point is located at West Lake.

Li Younan's idea was that since there were no specific plans for this afternoon, she might as well go and check in first.

Huang Xiaoyang paused for a moment, then suddenly said, "Okay, I'll go with you."

Li Younan glanced at Huang Xiaoyang, said nothing, and continued cutting the food.

Huang Xiaoyang wasn't discussing or requesting anything, nor was he giving an order; he was simply stating what he was going to do.

As I always say, you can reject him or accept him, but don't try to change his decision.

(End of this chapter)