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

Chapter 56 Living with (crossed out) a female student (shared apartment)

In mid-June in Xiamen, the sky was dazzlingly blue, the sun shone brightly overhead, and the air was filled with the warm, salty smell of the sea.

As soon as the plane landed at Xiamen Gaoqi Airport and the cabin door opened, that familiar, humid, and warm wind rushed in, like a thick blanket covering you, instantly making you feel a little sticky.

Li Younan didn't bring any complicated luggage, just a backpack. As he walked out of the airport terminal, the heat became even more intense.

Taxis lined up outside the airport, and most of the drivers rolled down their windows. Some were scrolling through their phones, while others simply leaned back in their seats and dozed off.

When it was Li Younan's turn, he opened the door of a blue and white taxi. A blast of cold air, mixed with a faint smell of leather and tobacco, hit him like a drowning man plunged into a tank of cold water.

"Driver, go to Zhongshan Road, near the ferry terminal," Li Younan said as he put his luggage into the back seat.

The driver was a tanned middle-aged man wearing a loose polo shirt. He greeted the driver with a "hello" in a thick Hokkien accent, then casually unscrewed a large plastic cup next to the dashboard, which was filled with dark tea leaves, and took a sip.

The car drove out of the airport and turned onto the wide Chenggong Avenue. Tall palm trees and flame trees lined both sides of the road. The leaves of the flame trees were dark green under the scorching sun, and some scattered red flowers hung on the branches, like leaping little flames.

After driving for a while, the car merged into the traffic and slowed down. The driver wasn't in a hurry; his fingers tapped lightly on the steering wheel in sync with the Hokkien songs playing on the radio.

Li Younan looked out the window, glancing past some old houses with red brick walls and swallowtail roofs, which looked particularly charming against the backdrop of modern high-rise buildings in the distance.

As the car gradually approached the old town, the scenery began to liven up.

When passing by the ferry terminal, you can catch a glimpse of the outline of Gulangyu Island on the opposite shore, hazy in the summer steam, as if it were floating on the sea.

"We're almost there," the driver reminded him in his Fujian-accented Mandarin. "Just turn at the next intersection. It's really hot today." He then picked up the large teacup and blew on it.

"Yes, but it's alright with the sea breeze blowing," Li Younan agreed, her eyes still looking out the window. Several elderly women wearing slippers and carrying bags of seafood were chatting under the arcade, their voices loud and their pace rapid.

The car stopped on a narrow one-way street. The driver quickly turned on the meter and tore off the ticket: "We're here. The pedestrian street entrance is just ahead. It'll be hard for the car to get in." He pointed to the meter.

After paying and getting off the bus, the heat and an even stronger sense of life instantly enveloped me again—the salty and fresh smell of dried seafood, the sweet aroma of mangoes and longans from the fruit stand on the street corner, and the faint scent of coffee mixed with the smoky aroma of fried food.

The taxis behind me merged into the traffic and quickly disappeared into the street scene interwoven with arcades and green trees.

Li Younan took out his phone and sent a message to Jing Chaoyi: "I've arrived. Where are you now?"

He had just sent the message when he felt someone tap him on the back.

"Senior! Let's find a bowl of pickled bamboo shoot noodles to satisfy our cravings!"

……

Jing Chaoyi is dressed very coolly today.

She wore a tank top that showed off her beautifully defined abs.

Pair it with a cool short skirt for the lower body.

Her skin was tanned to a golden hue, incredibly shiny, as if she had applied a layer of essential oil.

She was wearing sandals, and her toes had Doraemon-themed nail art.

In the hottest summer, nothing is more pleasant than eating an ice pop. Jing Chaoyi handed over an ice cream that was still in its unopened packaging.

Li Younan didn't stand on ceremony, took the ice cream and started eating, asking as she ate, "Um, where is the Youth Carnival?"

Jing Chaoyi said with a smile, "Senior, aren't you already impatient? At Guanyin Mountain Beach?"

"I'm not in a rush, I just wanted to ask so I can arrange accommodation." Jing Chaoyi tore open her ice cream, licked it, and said slowly, "If we're going to stay, we'll stay here. It's much cheaper to eat and stay here."

"The closer to the beach, the higher the expenses, especially the snacks in tourist areas, which are considered a rip-off for tourists by locals."

"If you want to go eat there, I won't go."

It's clear that Jing Chaoyi is a very fun-loving person, which saves Li Younan a lot of trouble.

Playing with someone like that requires neither a guide nor any effort on your part.

Li Younan said, "Alright, you're here early, so you're in charge."

Jing Chaoyi arrived a few days earlier than him and had already arranged everything here. To Li Younan's surprise, Jing Chaoyi had rented a short-term house here for two weeks.

The room rate here isn't cheap, but it's fully furnished and equipped with appliances. Although it's not close to tourist attractions, the surrounding amenities are quite complete. All things considered, two weeks would cost 2400 yuan.

Jing Chaoyi said, "Senior, you agree to share the apartment, right? Don't worry, I won't take advantage of you."

Li Younan crossed his arms and thought for a moment before saying, "It's not impossible. If you're going to stay here long-term, it's definitely more cost-effective than staying in a hotel."

Jing Chaoyi chuckled and then held out her hand: "Let's split the bill."

Li Younan said irritably, "Don't worry, it won't be less."

Li Younan followed Jing Chaoyi, casually ate a bowl of sour bamboo shoot noodles, and then walked towards the rented room.

The population density here is very high, reportedly higher than in Tokyo and Hong Kong. As an old district of XM City, it's filled with buildings that exude a sense of history. In a sense, it's also an urban village; the old street scenes in the TV series "Raging Storm" were filmed here.

The older people were communicating in Hokkien, which Li Younan couldn't understand. It felt like she had traveled back to a scene from the movie "Goodbye, Ah Lang" that she watched as a child. The two of them weren't in a hurry and leisurely arrived at their rented room.

Jing Chaoyi opened the door and said, "There are two keys. I'll give you one later. After you put your luggage down, let's go buy some groceries. We definitely need to eat seafood here. I'll make you some delicious seafood dishes later."

Li Younan asked instinctively, "Will you do it?"

Jing Chaoyi said with a grin, "What do you mean, 'I'm supposed to do it?' Do you mean I should let you, a big guy, do it? You guys aren't suited for this kind of delicate work."

Li Younan retorted, unconvinced, "Look at the chefs in the hotel, how many of them are women?"

Jing Chaoyi snorted and said, "That's different."

After putting down their luggage, the two went out together. Halfway there, Jing Chaoyi looked Li Younan up and down and said, "Hmm, your outfit isn't quite right for the occasion. Go out and buy some shorts and a cooler short-sleeved shirt later, and it would be best to also buy a pair of cooler slippers."

Indeed, Li Younan looked a bit odd walking down the street at that moment. He was wearing casual pants and a cotton short-sleeved shirt, which, although summer attire, didn't look particularly cool. Li Younan said nonchalantly, "It's all fine."

The two went to the seafood market and bought mantis shrimp, abalone, and oysters. As a boy from the Sichuan-Chongqing region, Li Younan was very interested in seafood... because he didn't have many opportunities to eat it when he was a child.

But to be honest, even though it's a coastal city, there aren't many opportunities to eat seafood... and it's not cheap, especially for those mantis shrimp that are almost as thick as an arm, which come in plastic bags.

These fresh goods cost a full 800 yuan, but it was well worth it.

On the way back, she bought a pair of beach shorts and a pair of flip-flops. She didn't need to buy anything for her upper body, as Li Younan also had two sleeveless vests in her backpack.

For their first meal that evening, Jing Chaoyi insisted on cooking herself, leaving Li Younan somewhat bored as he sat in the living room. This was, after all, an old town; although the furniture in the room was complete, it wasn't new, and the house wasn't large, but it was very clean. Jing Chaoyi had arrived early and tidied the place up nicely.

Li Younan's room only had a bed and a wardrobe, which was enough for him. The sound of stir-frying came from the kitchen; Li Younan turned on the TV and surprisingly felt a sense of warmth.

(End of this chapter)