novelraw Chapter 908 - 890: Off to the Aquarium! (Part 1)
Chapter 908 - 890: Off to the Aquarium! (Part 1)
Chapter 908: Chapter 890: Off to the Aquarium! (Part 1)
In the car, the atmosphere among the four of them was great.
Ye Xi was driving, Yan Siyuan sat beside Ye Xi, Ye Qingcao and Pu Sangzhi sat in the back seats. The girls were chatting away in a lively manner, and the boys chimed in occasionally.
Beijing was experiencing a smoggy day today. As Ye Qingcao looked at the hazy view outside, she exclaimed excitedly, "Wow, what good luck! First time in Beijing and I encounter the legendary smog! What a sight to behold!"
Everyone in the car was speechless...
Ye Qingcao always maintained an extraordinary optimistic spirit, even the worst situation seemed just ordinary to her!
Beside her, Pu Sangzhi quickly took out an anti-smog mask for her, "Remember to wear the mask when you get out of the car later, also there’s one for Yan Siyuan."
Pu Sangzhi handed a mask to Yan Siyuan in the front passenger seat, who turned and took it, saying in a calm tone, "Thank you."
"It’s quite unpredictable visiting Beijing during winter. Last week it was a cold front, and only a few days after it passed, smog came again this week. Many people coming to travel here in winter face such poor conditions. It’s not just you all."
Ye Xi, driving steadily, said, "Actually, it’s best to come during spring. In spring, you get to see beautiful scenery, and it’s not during the peak tourist season, so there aren’t too many people at the attractions."
"Noted."
Yan Siyuan, in the front passenger seat, agreed with Ye Xi, "In the future, I’ll come again in spring and have Xiaocao show me around."
Yan Siyuan was good with his words when he needed to flatter someone.
What he meant to say was that he’ll have Xiaocao show him around for fun...
The underlying meaning was that he listened to Xiaocao, and between him and Xiaocao, Xiaocao was the one leading.
This made Ye Qingcao happy, and it was pleasantly amusing for Ye Xi to hear.
In the back seat, Pu Sangzhi secretly praised him in her heart, thinking, Yan Siyuan’s emotional intelligence was actually not low, but still slightly less than Huo Feng.
"Later, we’ll first take you to the hotel to settle in. As for lunch, what do you want to eat? Would you like to try Quanjude roast duck?" Ye Xi asked.
"No need, bro."
Yan Siyuan said calmly, "Xiaocao and I have discussed it, and we want to experience the Tsinghua canteen. I’ve heard it’s famously good, and since we’re here, it’s part of our plan."
In reality...
When Yan Siyuan and Ye Qingcao were discussing what to eat, the first thing he wanted to try was Quanjude’s roast duck!
However, such an expensive meal couldn’t be covered by Ye Xi.
That dinner at Quanjude was planned for tomorrow night, with Huo Feng picking up the tab!
Being somewhat stingy and strategic, he had a reason for everything, though Ye Qingcao had no idea of the rationale behind many of his decisions!
Of course, Ye Xi and Pu Sangzhi didn’t know either.
Ye Xi was quite surprised to hear he wanted to eat at the canteen, "Made a point to come to Beijing, and only want to eat at the canteen?"
Yan Siyuan nodded, "Yes, bro."
Ye Xi found it very amusing, "No need to save money for me, aren’t there other things you’d like to try? Most tourists usually try Quanjude’s roast duck feast."
"Bro, let’s just go to the canteen today. It’s getting late anyway."
Yan Siyuan glanced at his phone, "Didn’t we plan to go to the aquarium in the afternoon? If we save some time on eating, we’ll have more time to enjoy."
"Oh..."
Ye Xi nodded, "So that’s your plan. Then let’s go to the canteen."
"Tsinghua’s canteen should be really good too! And I’ve heard there are many~"
In the back seat, Ye Qingcao eagerly said, "Bro, bro, I want to go to the one you often eat at~ Bro, I also want to see your dorm, you said you have two cats~ I’m so looking forward to it~"
Ye Xi smiled lightly, "Then let’s go play with the cats in my dorm this evening. The kittens have grown quite a bit now and are indeed quite clever."
"Ah~~ How nice~"
Ye Qingcao was overwhelmingly envious, "In the future, when I have the means, I must keep a cat! No, I want a cat and a dog! Living like that must be incredibly fulfilling!"
Ye Xi nodded lightly, "It is indeed quite fulfilling."
For a long time, Ye Xi was always alone.
In university, he didn’t have many close relationships, most of which were formal acquaintances.
Ye Xi rarely shared his thoughts with anyone, nor did he have anyone suitable to confide in...
Speaking of which, over all these years, he had only ever spoken to Minal about his feelings for Pu Sangzhi...
Even Xiaocao, who had been guessing all these years, but he never admitted it, just tacitly agreed at most.
In his lonely inner world, the only glimmer of happiness came from the two kittens Pu Sangzhi had left him...
Every day, as he returned, he would see the two little lives wagging their tails, waiting for him in his dorm.
They were two lives that depended on him, and at the same time, they were Ye Xi’s spiritual support.
Although keeping pets might bring numerous troubles, for a lonely person, the happiness that animals bring in return is irreplaceable!
Thinking of all this, Ye Xi couldn’t help but glance at the rear-view mirror.
Through the rear-view mirror, he secretly peered at Pu Sangzhi.
That clear and pure little face still held an unjustifiable position in his heart.
It’s been a long time...
He tried to let go, tried to change, tried to let time take it away...
But so far, he’s still failed...
...
Around eleven o’clock, Yan Siyuan and Ye Qingcao were taken to a mid-range hotel near the school by Pu Sangzhi.
Although it was described as a mid-range hotel, the room wasn’t very large, but the price was triple that of the youth hostel Yan Siyuan had arranged for Pu Sangzhi and Huo Feng when they went to Hangzhou!
Beijing’s accommodation prices were originally higher than Hangzhou, and being a holiday, the hotel rates were even higher by over a hundred.
However, Pu Sangzhi wouldn’t specifically mention the hotel prices to them. It’s expected that Huo Feng would mention it tomorrow...
And Huo Feng would keep teasing Yan Siyuan, to prove how stingy he was!
For lunch, they ate at Qingfen Garden.
During the holiday, the Tsinghua campus canteen was nearly packed...
Because the Tsinghua campus is open to tourists on weekends and holidays, as long as they make a reservation, the campus is basically bustling.
And many of Tsinghua’s canteens are open to tourists too, so the canteens are bustling on holidays like today!
But, the food at Qingfen Garden was quite to everyone’s liking.
Ye Qingcao ate happily.
As for Yan Siyuan, it was all the same to him.
In the afternoon, the group planned to go to the Beijing Aquarium, with Ye Xi still driving.
Although Beijing’s traffic was congested, having a car for a group was convenient. At least you didn’t have to squeeze onto the subway and end up looking disheveled.
The Beijing Zoo Aquarium is not listed as a must-visit tourist attraction in Beijing.
Precisely because it isn’t listed as a must-visit spot, some tourists visiting Beijing don’t choose this as a must-see location.
Compared to places like the Forbidden City, Summer Palace, and Great Wall, there were significantly fewer tourists here.
If you come during the usual off-peak travel times, there are very few people, leaving you with plenty of energy to enjoy the underwater life thoroughly.
However, on a national holiday like today, the aquarium still has quite a crowd, just fewer compared to other attractions!
Ye Xi parked the car in a nearby parking lot, and the four of them entered the Beijing Zoo Aquarium through the Beimen, buying four tickets at 170 each.
As the elder brother to the other three, Ye Xi paying was only natural, and Yan Siyuan didn’t argue, only politely said, ’Bro, let me,’
And then he was declined by Ye Xi, after which, Yan Siyuan didn’t say anything more.
As they entered through Beimen, Ye Qingcao and Pu Sangzhi walked hand in hand in the front, while Ye Xi and Yan Siyuan followed behind.
The two girls, wearing little backpacks, were full of enthusiasm, and despite the many tourists around, Ye Qingcao was still very happy!
She turned her head and called to Yan Siyuan, "Little brother, take beautiful photos of me, okay!"
Yan Siyuan smiled faintly, obediently taking out his phone, "You walk, and I’ll take candid shots."
Ye Qingcao smiled broadly, showing her perfectly aligned white teeth, "Hehe, then Sangzhi and I will go~"
Then, Yan Siyuan snapped a photo of her smile.
After taking the shot, he even opened the photo, flipped through the ones he just took, and zoomed in to see her smile, of course, he smiled as well.
Yan Siyuan liked her smile.
The aquarium was large, with seven themed exhibition areas: "Rainforest Wonders," "Tropical Beach," "Undersea Odyssey," "Bering Town," "Chinese Sturgeon Museum," "Whale and Dolphin Bay," and "Ocean Theatre."
The four of them stood at the map, analyzing the direction for their playtime ahead.
At two-thirty, there was a dolphin show in Whale and Dolphin Bay, which, at Ye Xi’s suggestion, both Pu Sangzhi and Ye Qingcao were very excited about!