Chapter 23: Am I Worth a Cup of Coffee?

Xu Shujian woke up just past seven o'clock, while Zhang Qidong was still fast asleep. Xu felt he wasn't exactly a model roommate; having lived with Zhang for two days, the two of them had barely spoken in private.

The weather in Yuecheng was beautiful. Before the sky had fully brightened, one only needed to look up to see a vast expanse of blue. After taking a stroll and returning, Xu noticed there was no breakfast on the table in the main living room. He then recalled that they were responsible for their own arrangements: a budget of one thousand yuan for eight people over two days.

Who was the tour guide again?

The female guests' bedroom led directly into the main living room. The door opened and Song Yue appeared. She caught sight of Xu, hesitated for a moment, and then quickly stepped back inside. Five or six minutes later, she emerged wearing a set of athletic gear. Her base layer was a tight, moisture-wicking garment that accentuated her full bust.

As she put on a white jacket, Song Yue whispered, "The others are still asleep. I didn't want to make too much noise, so I came out to get dressed." She looked Xu up and down, then gave a slow nod. "You have it easy, your clothes are all casual; they're perfect for cycling."

Xu thought that Song Yue looked much younger and quite attractive in her sportswear.

"I think I caught a glimpse of the tour guidebook yesterday," Xu said, pointing outside. "We’re supposed to cycle over there today. It looks like a trip of over ten kilometers."

Song Yue noticed his gaze lingering on her and laughed. "What are you looking at? Don't you recognize your own wife?"

"Ahem..." Xu looked away. It was hard for a man not to make some shallow comparisons. In terms of figure, Song Yue seemed only slightly behind Tang Mingyue. Huang Miomiao wasn't bad either, while Lin Xiaoxian was a bit petite. As for Pan Yun, Xu hadn't even bothered to include her in his comparisons.

Chen Linye came rushing in, putting on his clothes as he moved. The moment he entered, he asked, "Where's my wife? What are you all eating this morning?" As the tour guide, he was responsible for their three meals a day, and he needed to go out and buy supplies.

Xu replied, "Forget about breakfast. They seemed to be chatting until dawn. When Brother Dong went back to his room, I checked the time—it was nearly six. How could anyone wake up now? The money is tight enough as it is; let’s just get by at lunch and eat something better tonight."

Song Yue glanced at the room behind her. She and Lin Xiaoxian shared the same schedule; they had chatted for a while the night before and went to sleep at eleven-thirty, so they hadn't been woken up by the noise.

Chen Linye hesitated for a moment before running back out. "Then I'll go buy some things myself. By the way, you all need to pack your luggage; we aren't staying here tonight." With those words, he was already out the door.

Song Yue looked at Xu a few times before heading back inside. "Wait for me a moment." Shortly after, she returned carrying a bag. She handed Xu some meal-replacement items—nuts, chocolate, and biscuits—and then brewed two drinks.

Once everything was ready, the two of them sat in the entryway where Zhang and the others had been talking the night before. "Let's wait for them to wake up before packing; it's easy to wake them if we do it now," Song Yue said, sitting across from him.

Xu nodded, tore open a box of biscuits, offered them to Song Yue first, and then opened another box for himself. He felt as though Song Yue had changed, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Xu had assumed they would be able to set off in the morning, and the production team didn't urge them, as if everything were entirely up to them. As a result, the delay dragged on until noon. Xu and Song Yue had their luggage packed, but everyone else was still busily scrambling around.

In the living room, Zhang Qidong looked at the items Chen Linye had brought back. "Huh? This is all we're eating?" It was a large bag filled with instant noodles, self-heating rice, and self-heating hot pots.

Chen Linye replied, "I’m fine with instant noodles. These already cost over two hundred yuan. With only a thousand for eight people over two days, I calculated that we can only afford two proper meals, and we can't even splurge on those."

Several people gathered around to look. Huang Miomiao said, "There's no need to be that frugal. We should have at least a few snacks." Lin Xiaoxian immediately agreed, "Right, we're here to have fun; we just shouldn't order expensive dishes for our main meals."

Pan Yun interrupted immediately, "No! No! There are eight of us. We need to save at least three hundred for each main meal, that's six hundred total. We can't waste money."

Yu Hui leaned against the sofa and looked over. "We still have four hundred left, don't we? I need a pack of cigarettes!"

Chen Linye looked left and right. "Then... should I go buy some more?"

Yu Hui said, "Why don't you have your wife go with you? You already made one trip, and the tour guide role is supposed to be by household."

Pan Yun walked over, rubbing her eyes. She sifted through the items in the bag and emphasized, "I think this is enough. Believe me, I am a professional when it comes to taking care of everyone. We need to save money for emergencies."

Yu Hui retorted, "Then give me back my cigarettes." After saying that, he looked at Xu, who was standing at the door, and added with a grin, "I brought two packs. I left them on the table outside last night for everyone to share. And guess what? Sister Yun finished an entire pack by herself."

Xu looked at Pan Yun in surprise. She smoked? Didn't she always emphasize that she was a virtuous wife and mother? Pan Yun was left speechless.

Chen Linye immediately said, "It's fine, I'll just go buy some more. Cigarettes and snacks, right?"

Huang Miomiao shot Yu Hui a glare, stood up, and said, "Sister Yun, go change your clothes. I'll go with your husband to pick them up."

Pan Yun was still in her pajamas. She nodded and prepared to return to the bedroom, but after a few steps, she shouted back, "Do I deserve a cup of coffee?"

Chen Linye was already in the courtyard and shouted back, "I have some in my room. Go find it yourself and brew a cup."

Xu sighed. He couldn't stand it anymore. Traveling with this group was exhausting. Trying to avoid the sight to save his peace of mind, he sat back down in the leisure area by the door.

Song Yue leaned in and whispered, "Well? I suppose I'm not as bad as you thought?"

Xu sighed, "If you were like them, I think we should have divorced long ago." Song Yue covered her mouth and giggled.

Inside, Pan Yun, now changed, returned to the living room. She sighed while tying up her hair. At first, no one paid her any attention, so she sighed even louder. Lin Xiaoxian, who was crouching on the floor organizing Zhang Qidong’s suitcase, looked at her and asked, "What's wrong?"

"I asked Linye if I deserved a cup of coffee," Pan Yun sighed. "He didn't get my point."

Lin Xiaoxian frowned. "Didn't he say there was some in his room?"

"I don't like the coffee he drinks."

"So you just wanted him to buy you one?"

Pan Yun nodded. "Exactly. That's why I said he doesn't understand me."

"Then why didn't you just say so directly?"

Pan Yun sighed again. "Forget it. We don't have much money anyway. I'll just go without. Let's just buy things everyone can eat."

With that one sentence, several people rubbed their heads in frustration.

Half an hour later, Chen Linye and Huang Miomiao returned. Pan Yun was still applying makeup in front of the mirror. Chen kept checking the time. After confirming everyone was packed, he ran to the living room and asked Pan, "How are you doing?"

Pan Yun turned back. "That suitcase is so hard to pack. I feel like I didn't sleep well; my head feels empty."

Chen Linye immediately went over to pack the bag himself. "It's okay, honey. You do your thing, give me two minutes."

Outside, Xu Shujian found himself clenching his fists involuntarily.