The bustling pedestrian street will remain lively for a long, long time; tourists come and go, the crowd never stops. Li Younan carrying a backpack, and the girl carrying an erhu case, illuminated intermittently by light and darkness.
After walking for a while, it became somewhat quiet as they reached the roadside.
Li Younan said, "What a coincidence."
The girl nodded, "Yes, what a coincidence."
Then both of them burst into laughter.
Li Younan looked down and asked, "My name is Li Younan, 'leisurely at peace with the South Mountain' Younan. What's your name?"
The girl said, "My name is Zhu Qingyue, 'Zhu from Zhu Yingtai, Qing for wind breezes, and Yue for surpassing.'"
Zhu Qingyue stopped in her tracks, turned around, and seriously scrutinized Li Younan, noticing his backpack, she asked, "So, are you here in Jinling City for a business trip?"
Li Younan shook his head, "No, I'm here traveling, uh... on a vacation." He smiled, "I don't have a job."
"No job?" The girl appeared surprised, lowered her head to touch her chin, and said, "But... I'm really surprised, I thought you were a philosophical traveler."
She was truly surprised, of course, not only because her previous impression of Li Younan was shattered, but also because amidst a vast sea of people, two strangers reunited in two different cities.
Such a serendipitous encounter.
Zhu Qingyue asked, "What's your plan? How long are you staying here? Traveling alone?"
After throwing these questions, Zhu Qingyue herself paused, feeling a bit embarrassed and laughed.
Li Younan chuckled and said, "Last time you saw me, I was ready to embark on my journey. My plan is to visit as many places as possible in the long term. My first step is to explore the East, and once I gain experience, I'll gradually head toward the Midwest. Jinling City is rich in history, I'd like to stay here a few more days... I'm alone."
Zhu Qingyue's surprise intensified; if it weren't for her actual lack of connection to Li Younan, she would suspect he peeked at her itinerary.
Zhu Qingyue said, "I also plan to stay here a few more days."
But the conversation suddenly paused here; both fell silent.
Zhu Qingyue sneaked a look at Li Younan but he didn't speak.
They walked a silent distance, then Zhu Qingyue suddenly stopped, took out her phone, and said, "Let's add each other on WeChat."
Li Younan nodded; they exchanged WeChat contacts.
Zhu Qingyue stopped again and said, "Keep in touch?"
Li Younan nodded, "Alright."
After their fleeting meeting, Li Younan continued onward.
Zhu Qingyue stood there and bid farewell, waiting until Li Younan departed, she hurriedly took out her phone to respond to messages: "I'm coming, I'm coming!"
Then she turned back, shouldered the instrument case, and jogged toward the direction where she met Li Younan earlier.
Without pause, Zhu Qingyue ran to the entrance of a cafe, breathless, bending over trying to catch her breath.
When she looked up, a girl was already standing in front of her, with a round face, slightly chubby but adorable.
The girl spoke slowly but with a hint of grievance, "Where did you go? I just saw you playing the erhu at the entrance."
Zhu Qingyue chuckled ambiguously, "I just wandered around."
The girl protested discontentedly, "Acting solo again."
Zhu Qingyue finally got her breath steady, "Oh, don't be mad, I'll treat you to late-night snacks."
The girl's expression finally improved somewhat.
They left together in one direction.
"I thought you ran off with some handsome guy."
"Uh, how could that be?"
"It's okay to play around with outside guys, but you must marry someone from our capital eventually."
"Ha..."
"Just saying, next time don't go running around with your erhu; it feels like you're performing for a living, and not in a glamorous way—every time you bring out the erhu, I think you're going to play 'The Moon Reflects on the Second Spring'.
"That's a stereotype; the erhu sounds no less pleasant than a violin."
"Hee hee."
"Oh, update your novel when we get back to the hotel," the round-faced girl added.
"Not inspired yet."
"Not yet? You deadbeat for cutting off updates..."
While chatting, the two walked away.
...
The second encounter with Zhu Qingyue was a low-probability event, worth stirring emotions within one's breast. But after parting, as the excitement faded, Li Younan couldn't help but think this would merely be a brief episode, life had to return to its former path.
Wondering if the rewards would include painting skills?
Li Younan roughly understood the level of skills achieved through rewards now.
Undoubtedly, it's at a professional level. Whether it's his photography, repair skills, or even his piano skills, it's all past the professional threshold.
And for a skill to reach the professional level, living comfortably with it is entirely possible.
Take his car repair skill, for instance; bear in mind that most mechanics at repair shops don't reach this level. Though most mechanics can fix cars, they're not truly professional.
This gap primarily lies in understanding the principles behind the machinery.
According to Li Younan's understanding, this level's watershed is whether one can majorly overhaul most common engine models.
However, Li Younan also knew that the professional level is not the endpoint of any craft.
The top mechanics are invaluable talents sought by professional racing teams, but Li Younan hasn't reached that level yet.
Besides those, his piano and photography skills are likewise at this level—professional but not mastered.
No matter how you look at it, these skills are enough to make one's blood boil, acquiring one skill deeply rooted in a decade's practice with just a tap. As his travel path unfolds, mastering more skills, earning money becomes secondary, but life certainly will become much more interesting.
With that thought, Li Younan decided to slightly adjust his plan, and visit Jinling Museum tomorrow.
His phone chimed, revealing a WeChat message from Zhu Qingyue: "What's your plan for tomorrow?"
"Planning to visit Jinling Museum," replied Li Younan.
"Really? I was planning to go too..."
Li Younan had just sent the message when Zhu Qingyue's phone notification dinged with a WeChat message. Sweetness, nearby, instantly showed a curious yet wary expression, asking, "Who?"
Zhu Qingyue blinked, and replied nonchalantly, "My dad."