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

Chapter 89: Finally Acquired the Skill: Highway Markings! [7.2 thousand words! Requesting monthly votes!]

It was early morning, and Li Younan was about to set off again.

Actually, he's been driving this car for quite some time now, about a month or so, and has driven several thousand kilometers. He's become very familiar with it.

Sometimes, after driving for a long time, he would have the illusion that he was already an experienced driver. But only when he got off the highway and onto the national road and needed to overtake would he realize that he was still a novice.

Li Younan would earnestly remind himself not to be too confident and to always maintain a sense of awe towards driving.

As we turned onto Hongdu North Avenue, the number of cars on the road gradually increased, but they were all moving slowly.

The blue line on the navigation clearly points towards Changsha.

Once you enter the Changli Expressway and get on the expressway, your view suddenly opens up.

A soothing melody flowed from the stereo, the volume just loud enough to drown out the rustling of tires against the road. The air conditioning was pleasantly cool; with my arm resting on the window sill, I could feel the boundary between the warm outside air and the cool inside the car.

The fields and hills on both sides receded slowly, their greenness solid and lush. Occasionally, a faster car would whiz past from the left, but Li Younan didn't pay any attention, focusing on his own lane as he drove.

Yesterday I filled my thermos with some ice water and drank it; it felt refreshing in my throat.

Driving alone can actually be a very pleasant experience.

If you stare at the road ahead, you will gradually sink into a state of flow.

My mind is unconsciously wandering through interesting thoughts, or imagining certain anticipated scenes; fragmented ideas keep jumping around in my head.

Li Younan thought most about the people he had met along the way and their fates, and secondly about his mother at home.

The sun was high in the sky, and the road surface was steaming with a slight heat, but the temperature inside the car remained neither too hot nor too cold.

Li Younan thought of Brother Long again.

After I drafted the contract last time, I sent it to Brother Long, but I haven't heard anything from him since. I haven't heard anything about whether it was signed or not, or whether it was sent out or not.

This is actually quite a troublesome matter, since Brother Long has already edited several videos, and the revenue sharing arrangement hasn't been finalized yet. The revenue-sharing arrangements for previous commercial collaborations with Brother Long haven't been clearly defined.

It was clear that Brother Long wasn't in a hurry at all, which left Li Younan feeling somewhat helpless.

Li Younan has always been a grateful person. If he accepts someone's kindness for nothing, it will feel like a stone is hanging over his heart.

That's the good thing, but on a deeper level, Li Younan still has a tiny bit of worry... JK Long, is he thyroid-reducing dragon? What kind of person is Brother Long?

After thinking about it for a while, Li Younan found it funny himself.

If you can’t figure it out, just stop thinking about it.

Li Younan hummed a song softly, not in a hurry, and just kept driving.

……

After driving for a full five hours, Li Younan finally arrived in Changsha.

Because we left very early in the morning, it wasn't actually that late; it was just past noon.

After checking into a hotel, Li Younan went to find something to eat nearby. He didn't specifically look for Hunan specialties; he simply walked into a Sichuan restaurant and ordered two side dishes and a bowl of rice.

Driving all the way from the eastern part of the country, the food has changed dramatically. Sichuan and Hunan restaurants are everywhere, and the air is filled with the aroma of spiciness.

Li Younan recalled that during his time in Zhejiang, he couldn't help but think that without Sichuan restaurants, the place really wouldn't be a place for people to stay.

Li Younan doesn't like spicy food, but he dislikes the food from Zhejiang even more.

The soy sauce-colored scrambled eggs he had at the hotel last time were actually sweet, which made him feel nauseous.

Moreover, Sichuan cuisine is not just spicy; there are many famous non-spicy Sichuan dishes.

Hunan cuisine and Sichuan cuisine are almost the same now.

After lunch, Li Younan planned to head straight to the must-see spots in Changsha. A provincial capital like this inevitably has one such spot, and places like Binhai or the capital might have two or three, but these might not be the most famous.

However, Changsha is alright; the photo spot is on Huangxing Road.

Because of the hot weather, Li Younan was not in a hurry to go over.

Jing Chaoyi hadn't sent a message yet, and Li Younan guessed she was still on the plane.

So, Li Younan found a coffee shop, sat there leisurely with the air conditioning on until after 4 p.m., before taking a taxi to Huangxing Road.

Upon arriving at Huangxing Road, Li Younan received a mission notification.

This mission is a bit interesting, but also a bit complicated. Li Younan didn't know how to put it for a moment.

Please record audio or video of the following moments after 12 o'clock on Huangxing Road:
The singer's performance of playing and singing.

A freshly cooked soy sauce fried rice noodle stall.

The clicking sound of the designated driver folding his electric scooter.

While it doesn't necessarily have to be in video format, audio recording would also work, Li Younan still found the midnight time requirement somewhat amusing... But then again, Changsha seems to be most famous for... its nightlife?

I originally planned to finish the check-in task before Jing Chaoyi arrived, but it seems impossible now. I can only wait until Jing Chaoyi arrives and see if I can finish it.

Li Younan shuffled along, not really knowing where she was going, just following the flow of people.

The guitar sound only reached my ears after I turned the corner; it was clear and bright, with a hint of wood resonance.

A young man was sitting in a small open space between a milk tea shop and a convenience store. He looked about the same age as Li Younan, or even a little younger.

He was wearing a plain white cotton T-shirt, and his hair was a bit long, tied up in a messy little bun at the back of his head.

His fingers plucked and slid across the strings with fluid movements. He wasn't playing anything complicated; it was just a soothing, folk-sounding melody that sounded familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.

After playing a prelude, he cleared his throat. His voice wasn't loud, but it was clear and had a unique youthful clarity. Then he began to sing.

"The July wind is lazy, even the clouds feel warm..."

Li Younan went to buy a bottle of water.

The singer was still at the same old spot, plucking the strings and singing some soothing tunes, his voice blending into the background noise of the street.

The violin case lay open at my feet, with a few coins and a white QR code with black lettering pasted on the edge of the box, reflecting the sunlight.

Just then, a gust of wind swept over without warning.

It wasn't a gentle breeze, but the kind of wind that swirls close to the ground with a bit of force.

"Hula-!"

Several light one-yuan bills were instantly rolled up, swirled and flew half a meter away, scattering on the sidewalk.

The young man exclaimed "Hey!" and subconsciously reached out to grab it.

But the wind will still blow.

It then lifted the WeChat payment QR code pasted on the edge of the violin case.

The thin piece of paper was carried by the wind and floated lightly into the air.

The young man's hand froze in mid-air, his eyes following the white piece of paper as it was lifted upwards.

The piece of paper finally grazed lightly over the heads of the queuing crowd and landed very precisely on... the outer wall of the side of the milk tea shop.

The location is quite high.

The young man's neck was still tilted back, his gaze fixed on the air.

His lips twitched slightly.

Li Younan stood a few steps away, with the mouth of a mineral water bottle still in his mouth, and almost choked.

cough cough...

The QR code for receiving payments was blown away, making it difficult for people to give you money while you're busking. Who carries cash around these days?

Li Younan watched this scene with great interest, then slowly walked over to the young man and looked up at the QR code. The wall was the side wall of the milk tea shop, and it wasn't very high, less than 4 meters.

But ordinary people definitely can't get it.

Li Younan is no ordinary person.

He thought for a moment and said to the young man, "Could you move aside for a moment?"

The young man was taken aback. "What?"

Li Younan pointed to the QR code above: "I'll help you get it down."

The young man had a strange expression. Although his brain hadn't quite processed it yet, common sense told him that this was unlikely.

While the young man was in a daze, Li Younan took a step and took off up the wall.

He braced one foot against the cement wall, his body rising vertically for quite a distance. At the highest point, his other foot caught up, he used one hand to grab onto it for balance, and with the other hand held high, he gently peeled off the QR code pasted on it.

The young man tilted his head back, his mouth involuntarily opening.

When Li Younan landed, there was a gust of wind.

Li Younan handed over the QR code, and the deliveryman silently took it, staring at the QR code in a daze.

Light...lightness skill?
Li Younan pointed to his guitar and said, "With this skill level, if you want to earn extra money... why not go to a bar? You should be able to make more money there."

The young man then came to his senses, slowly put away the QR code, and said, "The bar... is not open during the day."

Li Younan blinked: "Oh..."

……

There aren't many people yet.

Li Younan and the young man sat on a bench by the roadside to rest.

The floor is made of polished granite tiles.

A queue formed outside the milk tea shop, water droplets condensing on the plastic cups and dripping onto the scalding ground. The branches of the camphor tree leaned horizontally, filtering sunlight that danced and flickered on the throng of people and billboards, casting shadows on the dusty, high walls of the building.

The young man's family must be quite well-off; his guitar alone cost nearly ten thousand yuan. His playing wasn't exceptional, but his singing was truly remarkable… a voice Li Younan envied.

Of course, unless someone is born tone-deaf, as long as someone has a normal voice, no matter how bad it is, they can always improve through practice. So, theoretically, it's not impossible to acquire a singing skill someday.

The two chatted casually for a while. For Li Younan, this was a time of boredom, and it was a good opportunity to kill some time.

Li Younan did not exaggerate or hide his identity; he simply said that he was a travel blogger who drove around the country.

Most people who make folk music are a little bit romantic.

Li Younan's lifestyle isn't uncommon; after all, there are many bloggers like him. But the young man had never met him in person before, so he was truly impressed.

After exclaiming in surprise, he took out his phone, asked for Li Younan's account details, and added him as a follower.

When he saw the parkour video on Li Younan's account, he blinked and checked again to make sure that the tall, handsome guy sitting next to him was the person in the video.

The guy asked, "Is that really you in the video? You're amazing! I wanted to learn this kind of somersault when I was a kid. Is there any trick to it?"

"A trick?" Li Younan thought for a moment, stood up, and said, "If there is a trick, it is not to be afraid. That is the most important thing."

In truth, Li Younan himself couldn't explain any secrets. The secrets to most skills are gradually grasped during the learning process. But Li Younan didn't go through that process; he learned them directly.

So if you really ask him for a tip, you'll be completely clueless.

It's like how a normal person can't clearly explain to you the tricks of walking.

For Li Younan, parkour is as simple as walking.

Li Younan casually did a front flip. Webster: "I can't really say what the trick is, but you definitely can't be afraid."

The young man was stunned again; this was too easy.

It looks... very simple.

At this moment, Li Younan's gaze fell on the guitar, and he leaned down to ask, "May I take a look?"

The young man said yes, so Li Younan picked up the guitar.

He can also play a little guitar. Back in college, guitar and basketball made him a popular figure in his department.

However, I haven't touched it for many years.

With piano skills, one can also benefit from guitar skills, because music theory is the same, and the improvement in sight-singing and ear training brought about by piano ability can be directly reflected in guitar playing.

However, although both types of string instruments use the 12-tone equal temperament, there are still some differences. Similarly, without dedicated guitar practice over a long period, it's difficult to pinpoint the exact notes on each fret of a guitar.

Just as I was focusing my attention on the guitar, I suddenly caught a glimpse of the guy next to me out of the corner of my eye.

"Just keep moving forward... as long as you're not afraid?" the young man muttered to himself.

Li Younan's eyes widened suddenly, and he looked over sharply, but it was too late to stop him...

"thump!"

"Young man...you're very brave." Li Younan gently touched her forehead.

……

One reason I struck up a conversation with the guy playing guitar was that the daily task required me to collect recordings of singers playing and singing.

It's not yet midnight, but if you know someone in the meantime, completing this task will be much easier.

I found out that the guy would most likely come back to set up his stall and sing after midnight, but right now he needed to take care of the spot where he had fallen.

At this moment, Jing Chaoyi finally sent a message saying that she had gotten off the plane and asked where Li Younan was.

Li Younan told him that he was on Huangxing Road.

Jing Chaoyi sent a smiley face: "Wait for me! It's quite far from the airport."

The young man had his injuries treated in no time.

He sent Li Younan a message, inviting him to a bar owned by his friend.

You can tell that the other person is also someone who likes to make friends.

Li Younan had nothing to do at the moment, so he agreed.

The bar had not officially opened for business yet in the afternoon.

The location of this bar is not very good; in fact, it could be described as somewhat remote.

When Li Younan entered, the waiter was cleaning.

In the center of the bar was a stage, where several musicians were playing their instruments and preparing for the evening.

The young man saw Li Younan and waved to him.

The band members are not all young people.

The lead singer is a woman in her early 30s, dressed very provocatively, with a curvaceous figure.

The drummer was a middle-aged man wearing sunglasses.

Li Younan thought this uncle was really amazing. After all, even indoors, Li Younan felt the light was too dim without his glasses. With the uncle wearing sunglasses, he could probably only knock by feel.

Everyone was very enthusiastic. The young man introduced Li Younan to everyone and said that Li Younan was a video blogger.

These words immediately attracted everyone's attention.

The drummer uncle is the owner here. He also tried live streaming, but it wasn't very successful.

Upon hearing this, he took the initiative to chat with Li Younan and even asked the waiter to pour him a few glasses of juice.

Compared to discussing live streaming, Li Younan actually prefers to talk to them about music.

After all, when it comes to live streaming, Li Younan is now like an emotionless filming machine.

He filmed all the video footage, regardless of whether it was useful or not, and then packed it up and gave it to Brother Long.

So when people ask him about this, Li Younan can only bite the bullet and say, "The main thing is to find your own niche, and then there needs to be a contrast. The key is that the editing must be done well, that's the most important thing."

Everyone listened attentively, found it very reasonable, and nodded earnestly.

Before long, all the band members had arrived, and they began preparing for the evening's performance.

They practiced a few moves according to the score, and then Li Younan leisurely stepped aside to watch them play with great interest.

Music truly has a magical power; it can bring together a group of strangers and create a shared atmosphere.

Everyone played their own instruments, each with a different timbre and melody, but as long as the rhythm matched, there was a sense of harmonious synchronization.

As everyone tapped their feet to the beat, they looked up and exchanged knowing smiles with their friends who were also tapping to the same beat. The meaning behind their smiles was understood between them.

After playing for a while, during a break, the guitarist leaned over to Li Younan and said, "Could you help us film a video later as part of your travel content?"

He said this with a hint of embarrassment, suggesting that his social motives weren't entirely pure.

Li Younan took out her phone, snapped a few photos of him, and said with a smile, "It's nothing."

He filmed a lot of footage of Changsha today, but as Brother Long said before, these unremarkable shots won't yield good footage.

You can save it first, and then edit it into a complete video when you've been to more places.

The young man then asked, "I saw you playing the guitar earlier, do you play it too?"

It's not hard to tell; Li Younan was looking at the piano in the afternoon, and now he's in sync with the music.

Li Younan blinked and said, "Just a little bit..."

The young man immediately tried to pull Li Younan onto the stage, saying, "We happen to be missing two vocal parts, and we have extra guitars too, let's play together!"

Li Younan blinked: "Uh, this..."

At this moment, the drummer uncle looked over. He had heard their conversation and laughed heartily:
"We're all friends when we're out and about, let's have some fun!"

Li Younan paused for a moment, then looked at his watch: "Well... okay then."

He went on stage, and the lead singer handed her guitar to Li Younan.

Li Younan didn't answer; instead, he looked at the keyboard next to him.

They have keyboardists.

But the keyboardist always arrived very late. In the guitarist's words, "He's a master, so he can be a little lazy... After all, we can't even read sheet music, so we have to practice in advance."

Li Younan pointed to the keyboard and said, "How about I play this? I'm better at this."

They exchanged glances, all somewhat surprised.

The keyboard is the most difficult thing to play in a band.

You know how to do this?

"I don't know how..." Li Younan lowered his head, pressed two notes, and said with a smile, "If you know how to play the piano, you can still play it like a piano."

"Oh... a piano is fine too."

After saying that, everyone began.

Li Younan didn't rush to join in. His skill level allowed him to improvise at any time. It wasn't until about ten seconds later that Li Younan began to gradually blend his own vocal part into the accompaniment.
At first, everyone was a little cautious, but by the middle and later parts of the song, they were in great sync. The lead singer got into the zone, singing jazz, and couldn't help but sway her body as she sang. Her vibrato was amazing, and combined with her languid voice, everyone was still wanting more when the song ended.

The lead singer leaned closer and carefully examined Li Younan's handsome face. He maintained his low-key and calm expression: "Handsome young man, are you a professional pianist?"

Li Younan smiled and casually played a few jazz notes on the keyboard. "Just a hobby..."

"You can play this well even if it's just a hobby?" the drummer uncle said. "Why don't you come and play the keyboard here? You've never practiced before, but you can still play so well. Your skill level is already very professional!"

Li Younan blinked. He noticed someone coming down from the stage... the keyboardist?

Li Younan smiled and said, "Isn't that a bit inappropriate... You guys already have a keyboardist..."

The middle-aged man said nonchalantly, "That kid is too casual. I've already gotten over him."

Everyone laughed.

Li Younan guessed correctly; the guy who just arrived was a keyboardist.

Upon hearing this, his expression was as if the sky had fallen: "Huh?"

Everyone turned around and were stunned for a moment.

The drummer coughed and said, "Just kidding... haha... you, how come you weren't late today?"

……

Of course it was a joke. The keyboardist was the uncle's brother-in-law. If such a joke was overheard, it wouldn't really damage their relationship. Li Younan even thought that maybe the other party had deliberately let them hear it to give them a warning.

When Jing Chaoyi found Li Younan, Li Younan was no longer just hanging around the bar. After not seeing Jing Chaoyi for a while, she seemed to have become even more beautiful. The two of them found a restaurant near Huangxing Road and had dinner there.

The night on Huangxing Road is like a bowl of lukewarm noodles, steaming hot, but not something you're in a hurry to eat.

According to Jing Chaoyi, this place was still packed with people in the early hours of the morning. Can you believe that?

Li Younan was quite taken aback when he heard it.

Li Younan and Jing Chaoyi wandered aimlessly in the crowd.

Jing Chaoyi chattered away, telling him everything about Changsha. The two strolled around casually, occasionally stopping at a stall or a place to sit and have a drink.

Around 11 a.m., the crowd seemed to grow even denser.

As I passed a street corner, I saw a singer with a guitar sitting on a small stool, softly singing into his phone screen.

The sound was faint, drowned out by the noise, and only when you got close could you hear a few lines of the melody.

Li Younan glanced at the time; it was almost midnight. His original plan was to find the guys at the bar to complete the check-in task, but it seemed unnecessary now.

When the time for the check-in task arrived, Li Younan pointed the camera at the singer on time. He lightly touched the screen with his finger and briefly recorded a few seconds of the singer's singing and playing.

The crowd thinned out a bit as we headed towards the south gate. The spiciness of crayfish and the sweetness of sugar-coated glutinous rice cakes became even stronger in the air.

Some carts began to be packed away, and stainless steel basins clattered together.

Li Younan took out his phone again and quickly snapped a picture of the glistening, fragrant stir-fried noodles still bubbling in the pan, completing his "check-in" task of photographing the freshly cooked soy sauce stir-fried noodles stall.

The boss didn't even look up, focused intently on tossing the ladle.

Jing Chaoyi was unaware of all this. She simply walked along, with Li Younan trailing half a step behind. Watching the slight sway of her ponytail with each step, he felt a strange, indescribable feeling.

She seemed to have no intention of going back at all; she didn't check her watch, nor did she show the slightest sign of drowsiness or impatience.

This quiet and persistent companionship was somewhat unexpected.

Suddenly, a short, crisp "click! click!"

A sound rang out a few steps away, breaking the stillness of the moment.

A young man wearing a designated driver vest was deftly folding up his small electric scooter with practiced ease.

The sound of metal joints meshing was particularly clear on the street corner in the early morning.

Almost instinctively, as soon as Li Younan caught the sound, his finger tapped the specific icon on the screen, completing the task of checking in after hearing the clicking sound of the designated driver folding his electric scooter.

The system emitted a notification sound, indicating that the check-in was complete.

The young man had already folded the car and put it into the trunk. A black sedan parked on the side of the road turned on its lights and quickly merged into the traffic.

He put away his phone and let out a long sigh of relief.

Li Younan turned to look at Jing Chaoyi: "You must be tired today, right? You flew here and traveled such a long way..."

Jing Chaoyi blinked, yawned softly, and two sleepy tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. She chuckled, looking rather cute: "A little, but senior, I can still accompany you for a while longer... What shall we do tomorrow?"

Li Younan smiled and said, "Anything is fine. You're the guide, so you're in charge. Let's call it a day for now and get some rest..."

The two turned around in unison and headed towards the subway station.

They walked side by side, their shadows trailing long behind them.

However, Li Younan's mood was not as calm as he appeared.

Because after completing the mission, a random skill was obtained...

[Random Skills...]

[Highway driving skill +1]

[Highway Driving Level 1: Anticipating risks 200 meters ahead in a blind curve during a rainstorm, using millimeter-level throttle control to make a 2-ton vehicle glide across ice as if on flat ground!]

If there's on-road driving, then there's probably a corresponding off-road driving...

It's not a comprehensive driving skill!
But in any case, Li Younan was already very satisfied.

Damn, after running around for so long, I finally got this skill randomly. It's so touching.

Jing Chaoyi finally noticed Li Younan's subtle emotions. She suddenly lowered her head and chuckled softly, "Senior, are you... happy today?"

Li Younan paused for a moment: "Hmm..."

Jing Chaoyi tilted her head back and smiled: "Me too."

"How about coming to my house tomorrow...?"

Li Younan blinked. "Uh... okay."

In the early hours of the morning, Huangxing Road was still lit, the hustle and bustle had subsided, leaving behind only the weary shadows and lingering warmth of voices.

(End of this chapter)