Chapter 120: I'm the One Who Decides?!

Qin Xuan noticed the change in the group chat name immediately. Finding it awkward, he promptly changed it to "The Zookeeper and His Three Peppa Pigs."

This infuriated Nan Zhiyi. Who is Peppa Pig! Just wait until you get back, I’m going to beat you up!

But why hasn't Sister Xi woken up yet?

Nan Zhiyi had already finished freshening up and sat on the sofa, looking toward Qin Xuan’s room with some confusion.

Finally, unable to stand it any longer, Nan Zhiyi pushed open the door to find Sister Xi still fast asleep.

"And you have the nerve to tell me to go out and play?" Nan Zhiyi reached out and gave her a slap on the bottom, using enough force to wake her up instantly.

"What are you doing!" Liu Ruoxi rolled over, clutching her bottom. Seeing Nan Zhiyi by the bed, she realized what was happening and asked irritably.

"Weren't we going out to play..." Nan Zhiyi said helplessly.

"Huh? What time is it? Where’s Qin Xuan?" Liu Ruoxi instantly became alert. She sat up and looked at the empty side of the bed, stunned. Wasn't Qin Xuan supposed to wake her up?!

Nan Zhiyi couldn't help but smile at her dazed expression. "It's almost noon. Qin Xuan and the others left a long time ago."

Liu Ruoxi frantically tousled her hair. So annoying! How could Qin Xuan not wake her up? How was she supposed to follow them now?

"Sister Xi? Are we still going out?" Nan Zhiyi asked softly, observing her state.

"Play my foot! Get out, get out, stop disturbing my sleep!" Liu Ruoxi cursed viciously, flopped back onto her pillow, and pulled the duvet over her head.

Nan Zhiyi was baffled. Fine, don't go then! I won't call you when it's time to eat meat for lunch!

Meanwhile, Qin Xuan and Qin Lin'er had arrived at the train station.

Qin Xuan held Lin'er's hand as they walked out of the station. The two looked around; it was just an ordinary county town, with the tallest buildings appearing to be only ten stories or so.

"Let's go, let's find a place for lunch first," Qin Xuan suggested, looking at Lin'er's curious expression.

Seeing Lin'er nod, Qin Xuan led her to look for a restaurant. Before long, they found a Sichuan restaurant and ordered a couple of dishes, though the food looked quite spicy as it was served.

"Boss, is there anything fun to do around here?" Qin Xuan chatted with the owner while eating.

The owner was a local, and Qin Xuan couldn't quite understand his dialect. After a moment of awkward conversation, Qin Xuan finally realized the man was saying, "There's nothing to do here!"

Qin Xuan was left speechless.

After eating, Qin Xuan and Qin Lin'er felt a bit lost, so they simply held hands and strolled along the river that ran through the town.

A cool breeze blew across the narrow river, ruffling Lin'er’s dress and hair.

"Big Brother, look, there are fish!" Standing on the steps near the river, Qin Lin'er pointed in surprise at a fish that had poked its head out to breathe, calling out to Qin Xuan.

Qin Xuan was busy taking photos of Lin'er with his phone. Hearing her voice, he hurried over to look... but the fish flicked its tail and swam away!

It seemed he really had no fate with fish!

"Haha," Qin Lin'er couldn't help but laugh at the sight.

"Stop laughing, let's go find a hotel to drop off our things!" Qin Xuan said, squeezing her hand.

Qin Lin'er wouldn't let go of his hand. "But I'm a bit tired. Could you carry me?"

Qin Xuan didn't say a word; he just took off his backpack and squatted down in front of her. Seeing this, Lin'er giggled and climbed onto his back, reaching out to take the backpack and hold it herself.

"Off we go!" Qin Lin'er wrapped her other arm around Qin Xuan's chest, whispering excitedly in his ear.

"You silly thing," Qin Xuan couldn't help but smile. He tilted his head to meet her eyes and noticed the excitement in them. Is this what it's like to be young?

Qin Xuan carried Lin'er along the river for about half an hour without finding a hotel. Finally giving in, he had Lin'er take out her phone to search via a map.

Another half hour later, Qin Xuan pushed open the door to room 316 of a hotel with Lin'er still on his back.

He scanned the room and nodded in satisfaction. The bed was quite large...

Qin Xuan dropped Lin'er onto the bed and flopped onto the other one, exhausted. One aimless trip like this is enough! Doing it more would be the death of me...

Qin Lin'er looked at Qin Xuan and thought about the item she had tucked into her bag. She really wanted to try it, but it didn't seem right in the middle of the day. Better wait for tonight...

"Big Brother? What should we do now?" Qin Lin'er turned over and asked Qin Xuan, who was chugging water on the other bed.

"Go out and play! I just looked up a guide!" Qin Xuan held up his phone, debunking what the restaurant owner had said. There were plenty of things to do here! Maybe it was just because he was a local and bored of it?

"Okay! Give me a sip of that water first," Qin Lin'er nodded and beckoned to him. Seeing him reach for an unopened bottle of water to toss her way, she quickly added, "I want the one you're drinking! We can save the unopened one for later..."

Qin Xuan didn't think much of it—he was used to it anyway—and handed her the bottle he had been drinking from. Lin'er took it and immediately took two sips.

"Are your feet okay?" Qin Xuan knew Lin'er had sensitive feet and often got blisters on trips, which was why he had specifically made her wear looser flat shoes that morning.

Qin Lin'er rotated her ankles. "I'm fine. You've been carrying me the whole time, I haven't really walked..."

It was past 3:00 PM. The two packed their things, and Qin Lin'er linked her arm with Qin Xuan's as they headed out.

If you want to understand a city, the best place to go is definitely the street food market!

Especially for a foodie like Lin'er, finding food was as natural as a gaming addict finding an internet café.

Before long, Qin Lin'er was dragging Qin Xuan around the nearest food street, eating everything in sight.

"Big Brother, you have to try this bean curd skin, it's so delicious!" Qin Lin'er used a skewer to lift a half-bitten piece of bean curd skin and held it out to Qin Xuan.

Qin Xuan didn't stand on ceremony and took a bite. The explosion of flavor on his taste buds gave him a jolt.

"Not bad, but it's a bit spicy," he noted. The spice here was even more intense than in Chengdu. According to the vendor, it was a locally unique chili—it packed a punch!

In no time, Qin Lin'er had a pile of snacks in her hands. She dragged him to a milk tea shop.

Sitting in a corner, Lin'er happily munched on her chicken cutlet, occasionally feeding a piece to Qin Xuan.

"Big Brother, let's go see a movie later," Lin'er said, swallowing her food and popping a piece of fish tofu into her mouth.

She realized she had never been to the movies alone with her brother. Before, Sister Xi was always there, and she had always felt a bit envious seeing those couples cuddling together.

"Sure. You're in charge for these two days, anyway," Qin Xuan said, looking at her puffed-out cheeks.

Qin Lin'er’s eyes lit up. I'm in charge?! Hehehe...

"Oh? Are you two here to visit?" the young lady at the milk tea shop asked as she stood nearby cleaning the counter.

"Yes! How did you know, big sister?" Lin'er looked up, puzzled.

"There's a school right next door. Usually, the people who come here are students. I think I know more students than the principal does," the girl said with a sly smile.

Sure enough, as a bell rang in the distance, Qin Xuan and Lin'er watched as a swarm of students in uniforms poured out of the school.