2:00 a.m. Ning City Train Station!
“Woo-woo-woo…”
With a deep, drawn-out whistle, a green-painted train resembling a giant dragon pulled into the station and came to a slow stop alongside the platform.
There were already quite a few passengers waiting on the platform, and Li Yi and Tang Xue were among them.
Half an hour earlier, staff from the state-run hotel had personally driven them to the train station.
This was personally arranged by Wang Anguo!
Originally, Wang Anguo had planned to see them off in person, but since he had urgent business at the bureau, he had arranged for the Municipal Hotel to handle the matter instead.
Although Wang Anguo’s official rank wasn’t high, the captain of the Criminal Investigation Division held considerable authority, so the Municipal Hotel naturally treated them with due respect—after all, this wasn’t a major undertaking.
As for Wang Anguo’s arrangements, Li Yi accepted them.
If it had been just Li Yi on his own, he most likely wouldn’t have accepted a ride, since the City Hotel wasn’t far from the train station.
It was less than two kilometers—he could just treat it as a stroll.
But with Tang Xue, who was pregnant, in tow, Li Yi had no choice but to accept. He couldn’t let his wife go through that ordeal with him.
As the train doors slowly opened, passengers began to file out of the carriages.
Once most of the disembarking passengers had finished, the passengers who had been waiting on the platform for a long time began boarding the train one after another.
Since Li Yi and Tang Xue had booked soft sleeper berths, they didn’t need to wait in line—there weren’t many people there anyway.
After all, a journey that costs just 3 yuan in hard-seat class costs over 20 yuan in soft-sleeper class—only someone with money to burn would do that.
Not to mention, soft sleeper tickets aren’t something you can just buy with money—you have to reach a certain rank to qualify.
If it weren’t for Wang Anguo stepping in, Li Yi might not have been able to secure them.
After boarding, the two made their way to their carriage.
The vast compartment contained only four beds, resembling a dormitory with two bunk beds—only smaller in size, yet the furnishings were quite luxurious.
At that moment, the compartment was empty, with no signs of anyone having stayed there; clearly, the berths had been vacant since the train departed.
After stowing their luggage, Li Yi had Tang Xue lie down on the bed to rest, while he lay down on the bunk next to her.
The bed was very soft; in terms of comfort, it was far superior to a hard bunk.
Lying on the berth, Tang Xue felt a mix of surprise and unease.
In her mind, the most vivid memories of train compartments were of crowding, noise, and filth.
She had never imagined that a train compartment could be so clean and hygienic, with beds as comfortable as those in a hotel.
And the fact that she was able to enjoy all this wasn’t because of her own merits, but because of Li Yi.
It was this man who, worried she might suffer, had arranged everything perfectly for her along the way.
While feeling grateful, Tang Xue also felt a bit of worry and unease.
Was she really worthy of a man like this?
When she first got engaged to Li Yi, both Zhang Xinyao and others—and even she herself—felt she was marrying down.
After all, she had a city household registration, had attended high school, and was an educated youth.
Li Yi, on the other hand, was a country boy who hadn’t spent much time in school and had a bad reputation.
But through their interactions over the past two months—both before and after the wedding—Tang Xue discovered that Li Yi was far more outstanding than anyone had imagined.
Not only was he a shrewd businessman who knew how to make money, but he was also well-read and multi-talented.
More importantly, he had good character and a kind disposition!
When others misunderstood him, he didn’t complain or blame fate; when he was in a position of power, he didn’t bully others or brag about it.
On the contrary, he was naturally open-minded and eager to help others, and before she knew it, he had gathered a circle of friends whose status and influence were seemingly out of reach.
When she saw him conversing freely and on equal terms with billionaires like Wang Anmin, Wang Anguo, Liang Yuke, Li Gang, and even Huang Lixing, Tang Xue felt she truly wasn’t good enough for him.
And to be honest, their marriage was largely the result of her own scheming, which made her feel increasingly anxious.
Li Yi could see her unease and had a vague idea of why.
However, he said nothing; sometimes, actions speak louder than words.
To dispel her doubts, he simply needed to let her know that he truly loved her; everything else would fall into place.
In his previous life, he hadn’t had the chance to do anything for her, but in this life, he was determined to make Tang Xue feel his love!
…….
“Sniff, sniff…”
Two days flew by in the blink of an eye. With a muffled blast of the whistle, the green-painted train finally pulled into Chang’an Station.
And this was the train’s final stop!
So, as soon as the train pulled into the station, passengers poured out in droves.
Li Yi had already packed up his luggage. He then led Tang Xue off the train and followed the crowd toward the station exit.
To Tang Xue’s surprise, once they exited the station, Li Yi didn’t immediately go inside to inquire about train tickets to Shouxian.
Instead, he grabbed a staff member at the exit and bombarded him with questions about the best places to stay in Chang’an, as well as where to find good food and fun activities—asking so many questions that he nearly drove the staff member crazy!
Immediately after leaving the station, Li Yi actually hailed a taxi and headed straight for the Sixth State-Owned Hotel in the city, as the staff member had recommended.
To be honest, Li Yi hadn’t expected that Chang’an already had taxis.
Although the car was a “Shanghai” model—not exactly known for its comfort—the mere existence of taxis was enough to put most major cities in the country to shame.
After weaving through the crowded city streets for over half an hour, the car finally pulled up in front of the State-Owned Hotel.
After paying the fare, Li Yi picked up his luggage and led Tang Xue inside.
Once inside, the decor was indeed quite upscale.
Moreover, judging by the architectural style and the quality of the finishes, it appeared to be a newly renovated property completed within the last year or two—no wonder it was considered a high-end “hotel” in the eyes of the locals.
After checking in, the two made their way to their room on the fourth floor.
As soon as they walked in, Tang Xue couldn’t help but ask, “Why did you pay for three days? Are we going to stay here for three days?”
Li Yi smiled and said, “Yeah, that’s the plan!”
“Why?”
Li Yi replied immediately, “First, you’re already exhausted from two days of train travel. I don’t want you to keep rushing around—it’s not only tiring, but it’s also bad for the baby in your belly!”
“Second, Chang’an is the ancient capital of the Han and Tang dynasties, with a rich historical heritage. We’ve finally made it here—it would be such a shame to leave without exploring it!”
In truth, there was one more thing Li Yi didn’t say: this trip back was bound to be anything but smooth, and he had no idea just how much trouble it would cause.
Rather than rushing back to outwit and outmaneuver those people, it would be better to rest up and recharge before returning!
Settling scores is something that needs to be done slowly; there’s no need to rush.
Tang Xue thought Li Yi’s reasoning made sense. Although they’d been in a soft-sleeper compartment these past two days, traveling by train was still no match for the comfort of home.
On top of that, because of her pregnancy, she’d been absolutely exhausted these past two days.
And Li Yi, in taking care of her, hadn’t gotten much rest either.
Moreover, as a native of Qin Province, she had never really explored Chang’an properly in her entire life, so the idea of spending a couple of days there was quite appealing to her.
And so, the two of them decided to stay in Chang’an!