The train rolled slowly along the tracks, jolting endlessly as it pressed forward. After a grueling sixteen-hour journey, it finally pulled into the Binhai City railway station. The exhausted wheels let out a long sigh, as if they, too, were relieved to have finally reached the end of this epic voyage.
For someone like Chén Zhāoyáng, who was long accustomed to the effortless five-hour bullet train rides of the future, traveling at such a sluggish pace felt like sheer torture. Fortunately, he had Lín Xiǎotáng by his side for the return trip. With the two of them together, time seemed to slip by much faster, their mutual company softening the harsh edges of the long journey.
The moment the train ground to a halt and the carriage finally stopped swaying, Chén Zhāoyáng and Lín Xiǎotáng sprang eagerly to their feet. Chén Zhāoyáng quickly hoisted their suitcases down from the overhead rack, while Lín Xiǎotáng picked up the lighter specialty products from Beijing that they had bought for their parents. Though light, these gifts carried the heavy weight of their deep affection and missing hearts.
Chapter 186