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

Chapter 31: A Collection of Second Male Leads

"Hey, when did you learn jade carving?" Huang Xiaoyang asked casually while driving.

Li Younan's gaze shifted, and he said casually, "Oh, that? I just learned it when I had nothing else to do."

Huang Xiaoyang didn't ask any further questions, but simply nodded slightly: "The carving is quite good."

Li Younan said politely, "Would you like me to carve one for you as a gift?"

Huang Xiaoyang said without hesitation, "Yes."

The answer was so crisp and decisive that it momentarily stunned Li Younan, as if this guy had been waiting for him to say those words.

Seeing the astonished expression on Li Younan's face, Huang Xiaoyang laughed happily.

He had known Li Younan for so long, but he had never given her any gifts or asked her for anything.

Among all his friends, he had experienced giving and receiving gifts many times, but the vast majority of gifts, whether given to others or given to him, were worthless and were nothing more than ugly industrial waste.

In his limited life, only two gifts left a deep impression.

One of them was a roly-poly toy given to him by a playmate in elementary school when he was a child. The base was made of a cut-up ping-pong ball covered with heavy clay, and the body of the roly-poly toy was made of folded paper from a workbook.

He still keeps that roly-poly toy, but the playmate who gave it to him died of leukemia when he was in junior high school.

Another gift was a wooden slingshot given to him by a transfer student from the mountains when he was in junior high school. The transfer student was very good at using a slingshot and could hit the school's surveillance camera from dozens of meters away. When he was expelled, he looked very dashing.

Huang Xiaoyang said, "I want something that will leave a lasting impression."

Li Younan leaned back in his seat. To be honest, this expensive sports car wasn't as comfortable as his little cool car.

He snorted, "Quite a lot of demands."

The next day, Li Younan had finished the jade carving gift before mealtime.

It features characters from several anime: Vegeta from Dragon Ball, Zoro from One Piece, Hiei from Yu Yu Hakusho, Sasuke from Naruto, and Sesshomaru from Inuyasha. Each character appears in their most handsome pose in a harmonious way within the same sculpted image, creating a powerful and dynamic effect.

Huang Xiaoyang stared at the gift for a long, long time after receiving it. Although his gaze didn't fall on Li Younan, it made Li Younan feel a little guilty.

Li Younan coughed and asked, "Do you like it?"

Huang Xiaoyang then raised his head, his expression unreadable, and nodded faintly: "I like it very much."

……

Li Younan is gone.

Although he had many acquaintances in Lin'an City, Huang Xiaoyang was one of his few close friends.

But Li Younan felt that this was the way of the adult world. People who were traveling together might occasionally meet again after they parted ways at a crossroads, but soon they would go on their own paths in life.

All I can do is shed tears when we meet again, then pack my things and move on without looking back. Perhaps the next time we meet, our relationship will be even more distant.

But that's okay, all changes have meaning.

Li Younan was not sad.

……

Li Younan was in no hurry to leave Lin'an City. After all, he didn't know when he would be able to visit Lin'an City again, so he naturally wanted to experience the places that represented Lin'an City as much as possible in the limited time he had.

Wang Yue sent a message saying that he and Yang Manman were now together. Yang Manman also sent a message saying, "Senior, thank you."

Li Younan replied to Wang Yue, telling him to treat Yang Manman well, "It's not easy to meet a girl like her in a lifetime." He then replied to Yang Manman, saying, "Scolding him when you need to, saying what you need to say, don't spoil him too much, or you'll spoil him."

The two of them wanted to invite Li Younan to dinner, but he refused. Their happiness was too dazzling, making it hard for him to sleep at night.

Besides these, there are a few other friends I was quite close to back in school. However, after so long without contact, we've clearly grown distant from each other.

The former head of the student union's arts and culture department is now married and has a baby. She has gained weight, but she looks very happy.

The quietest boy in the class, "Little Glasses," now sports a slicked-back hairstyle. At the party that day, he was handing out cigarettes to everyone.

And then there was that girl whose name Li Younan couldn't recall. In his memory, she always sat in the last row, wearing thick glasses. Now, she had taken off her glasses, her freckles were gone, and she was wearing heavy lipstick. At the party that day, she mingled with the boys, making jokes that made everyone blush.

Li Younan, however, calmly observed it all. That evening, he strolled alone through the streets of Lin'an City, and chuckled softly. ...

A few days later, Li Younan decided to leave Lin'an City and head towards his next destination.

The basic direction remains unchanged, still focusing on check-ins.

Li Younan opened the map and carefully studied the nearest next check-in location to Lin'an City. In the end, he focused his attention on JH City, which is southwest of Lin'an City.

There are two reasons for choosing JH City. First, it is one of the closest checkpoints in terms of distance. Second, there is another checkpoint along this route, located at Tongji Lake in Pujiang County.

Li Younan did some research and learned that Tongji Lake is a great place for camping, and the scenery near the check-in location is also very nice.

Li Younan felt that this place was tailor-made for him.

After acquiring his culinary skills, he dreamed of finding a scenic spot to cook a delicious meal, then getting a folding chair so he could relax on it and enjoy the view after eating.

Now you can do whatever comes to mind immediately.

Before setting off, Li Younan went to the supermarket and bought a folding chair, a folding table, a portable gas stove, and a set of portable kitchen utensils.

He wasn't in a hurry for the ingredients; he planned to buy the freshest ones near Tongji Lake.

The weather was still very hot. After preparing everything, Li Younan drove straight out of the city. Before getting on the highway, he pulled into a gas station. "Snap!" The gas pump clicked off, and the number on the gauge stopped at 691.07.

The staff member asked, "Would you like to round it up?"

Li Younan stared at the number in a daze, his feelings a mix of emotions.

You don't know how expensive firewood, rice, oil, and salt are until you're in charge of a household; you don't know how expensive gasoline is until you drive a car.

You should know that his little cooler has an auxiliary fuel tank. Although there is still more than half a tank of fuel in the main tank, with a total capacity of nearly 140 liters, Li Younan has a feeling that he will not feel at ease if he does not fill the tank completely, so he always fills it up before setting off.

This simple act of refueling cost me nearly 700 yuan.

Li Younan said, "Let's round it up."

The staff filled up the tank, Li Younan paid, and got back into the car. He smiled helplessly, patted the steering wheel, and said, "You really can eat a lot."

After all, this is a V8 beast, and when all eight pistons are running at the same time, it's not something an average family can afford to power.

Li Younan silently calculated that since Xiao Ku came back to life in his hands, the gas alone had cost him several thousand yuan.

The plan to find a way to make some money has to be brought forward.

The distance to JH City wasn't too far, less than 200 kilometers. Li Younan made a plan and set off.

……

"Even if you want to write a novel, there's no need to be outside. Can't you just stay at home?"

"What if a girl runs into danger while wandering around alone?"

"You can't be persuaded anymore, huh?"

The middle-aged woman, who looked intellectual and wore glasses, spoke with a serious tone, but her expression conveyed more helplessness.

Zhu Qingyue nodded absentmindedly, then looked up and said, "Mom, you look quite good in this red dress."

"I'm talking to you about something serious."

"However, I think it would look better with a beige skirt underneath."

Are you trying to drive me crazy?

Zhu Qingyue smiled mischievously, stood up, and shook her mother's hand, saying, "Mom, please let me go. I promise I won't go to any dangerous places."

The intellectual-looking middle-aged woman remained silent for a long time before finally sighing helplessly: "Go tell your father yourself."

Zhu Qingyue happily kissed her mother's cheek and ran out like a child.

(End of this chapter)