Chapter 174: Chapter 174: Walking Towards His Light
"WELCOME!"
Ling Qianjun opened the Any Door and stepped into the supermarket, only to be met with pitch-black darkness and an eerie silence. The store was empty; Buwan wasn’t here.
A hint of loneliness washed over Ling Qianjun. He fumbled for the restroom light switch. CLICK. The light flickered on, finally bringing a sliver of brightness into the massive supermarket.
With Hua Buwan absent, Ling Qianjun couldn’t leave through the supermarket’s main doors. To kill time while he waited for her return, he had no choice but to wander between the aisles.
Remembering that the items they had bought were still stored in the rented stairwell space, Ling Qianjun made his way over there. He wanted to inspect their inventory to know exactly what they had on hand. Since he had plenty of time, he figured he could organize the necessities and things useful in his era so he could take them back directly later.
Toiletries, daily necessities...
Just as Ling Qianjun finished sorting everything out, he heard a burst of footsteps coming from the entrance. Unsure if it was Hua Buwan, he immediately ducked to the side to hide, watching the door from the corner of his eye.
RUMBLE. With a loud clatter, the supermarket’s rolling door opened, allowing light to pour inside. Hua Buwan stood bathed in the light, her entire body enveloped in a golden halo.
Seeing that she was alone with no one behind her, Ling Qianjun stepped out from the shadows.
He walked toward his light.
Hearing his footsteps, Hua Buwan looked up and met Ling Qianjun’s burning gaze.
"Oh? You’re here? How long have you been waiting?" she asked, quickening her pace. She pushed the glass door open fully and walked straight toward him.
"Not long. I just got here myself," Ling Qianjun replied.
He noticed her expression was even brighter than usual and wondered if something happy had happened. As the thought crossed his mind, he remembered her mentioning her driving test recently.
"Did you pass your driving exam?" he asked softly. "You’re grinning from ear to ear." He pointed to the corners of his own lips, a matching smile pulling at his mouth.
His gaze fell upon her lips, noting how rosy and glossy they looked... but he quickly tore his eyes away, his earlobes instantly burning red just like always.
"Ugh, don’t even mention it," Hua Buwan said, sighing as she recalled her road test. She waved her hand dismissively. "I failed the exam. I completely bombed it, so I’ll just have to wait for the next attempt."
Ling Qianjun was slightly taken aback by her answer, feeling thoroughly confused. If she had failed, why did she look like she had passed with flying colors?
"I’m sorry. I didn’t know," he said guiltily, pursing his lips. "I shouldn’t have brought up a sad topic."
By now, Hua Buwan had reached his side. She shrugged with utmost ease. "It’s fine. I get five chances in total, anyway, so I still have four left. Plus, I’m actually in a pretty good headspace about it. Do you know why?"
"Why?" Ling Qianjun prompted.
Unable to hold back her amusement at the memory, Hua Buwan explained, "Four of us from my driving school went to take the test, and all four of us failed. So, that completely took the pressure off me. The only sad one is our driving instructor."
"Not a single one passed?" Ling Qianjun exclaimed in surprise. He wondered if the instructor’s teaching skills were lacking, or if the students’ natural aptitude was just exceptionally poor.
At the thought, he cast a measuring look over Hua Buwan.