Chapter 33: If Life Had an On/Off Switch

"BGM: It's you, it's you.

The youth behind me is all you.

Painted into my mountains, rivers, and streams.

Pouring down a torrential rain for me.

..."

The music leaped in her ears, and the sunlight, filtering through the car windows, dappled the interior.

Zhao Yaqian sat in the passenger seat, chewing on crispy potato chips. Her body swayed slowly to the music, and from time to time, she hummed along.

The car's audio system had been meticulously upgraded by Gao Mengting, and the actual experience was fantastic.

The front soundstage featured Rainbow three-way components, the rear used Audi-style speakers, and there was a JL Audio 10TW3 subwoofer. Combined with the soundproofing modification of the door panels, listening to music was a pure pleasure.

According to Li Mingjun, the three-frequency transition was balanced, truly restoring the original sound of the music.

She seemed to notice the glances Tang Song cast her way from time to time.

Zhao Yaqian subconsciously smoothed her bangs, took a sip of lime juice, and said softly, "Brother Song, do I sound terrible? My best friend says I'm tone-deaf and never takes me to karaoke."

Tang Song's lips curled up. "Your voice is very pleasant. No matter how you sing, it won't be bad. You're much better than me."

Zhao Yaqian shifted her body, feeling embarrassed. "It's just okay, I guess."

Ever since they met, Tang Song had been constantly complimenting her—from her makeup to her outfit, from her eating habits to her voice.

This made Zhao Yaqian blush.

She was indeed very confident in her figure and looks; she had many pursuers back in school, and even in the half-year since she started working, there had been quite a few.

But apart from that, she had absolutely no talents.

Drawing, singing, dancing, public speaking...

All of them were terrible.

Even if she wanted to be an influencer, she could only resort to "edgy" content.

A friend had once advised her to do that, but Zhao Yaqian had just graduated from high school at the time and couldn't bring herself to do it.

She still wanted to learn a trade to make good money.

Because she liked skincare and cosmetics, she ended up on the path of becoming an aesthetician.

"Brother Song, you work in IT. What is your daily work like? Is it very busy? 996?" Zhao Yaqian crossed her legs and turned her face to look at him.

Tang Song's gaze subconsciously swept over her legs, his throat bobbed, and he hurriedly looked ahead.

"It's not that exaggerated. There are times when it's not busy, but when rushing to launch a project, 997 is possible. When I first started working, in order to gain recognition from my superiors and fix bugs, I often pulled all-nighters..."

"No wonder your skin is bad. Such a schedule, combined with a lack of proper care, is a huge blow to oily skin like yours."

"Yeah, so I'm working hard to adjust now. I need Teacher Zhao's help."

"Actually, my level isn't that high, and I don't have much experience. When I first started, the Sister Li who trained me often called me a dummy, and the boss would even discount my performance bonus when paying my salary."

"That's because they were jealous of your beauty."

Zhao Yaqian beamed and nodded. "I am indeed the prettiest in our shop, so the boss always has me work part-time at the front desk to greet customers."

"BGM: Relax and slowly ascend.

Have a dream under the covers.

There's too much noise outside.

Saying something like 'don't wanna know'.

..."

The song on the music player had changed again.

In the golden sunlight, the Wuling Hongguang made a turn, heading from east to west toward their destination far out in the suburbs.

The car, devoid of any air freshener, was filled with the fresh scent of Zhao Yaqian.

Following the guidance of his "cyber strategists," Tang Song kept the speed as slow as possible, chatting with Zhao Yaqian about their work and pasts, enjoying the pleasure of being alone together.

The scenery along the way flashed past the windows, and the hustle and bustle of the city gradually disappeared behind them.

The smile on Zhao Yaqian's face grew wider and wider.

From time to time, she pointed at a building with a unique design, asking what place it was.

Having been in Yancheng for over half a year, this was her first time out for an excursion.

In the past, when they weren't busy, she would go shopping, watch movies, or eat delicious food with He Liting and the others.

Letting go of everything like this and enjoying the pleasure of a trip was a first for her.

It seemed that every turn and acceleration of the car made her feel delighted.

Music and scenery intertwined, and the cozy Wuling Hongguang seemed to be traveling through a painting.

She turned her face, looked at the programmer friend's side profile, which rose and fell like mountain peaks, and said with a smile, "Brother Song, this is the happiest day I've had since I started working."

"As long as you're happy." Tang Song pointed to a cluster of buildings in the distance. "Our destination is almost here. At this time of year, this place is very beautiful; you'll definitely like it."

"Mm-hmm!" Zhao Yaqian's eyes sparkled.

After parking in the lot on the west side, the two got out of the car one after the other.

Bathed in the sunlight, Zhao Yaqian jumped in place and gave a big stretch; her slender waist was exceptionally fair and alluring.

Tang Song picked up his travel backpack from the back seat, took out a small bottle of sunscreen spray, and handed it over. "The UV rays are quite strong today. I don't know if you've applied any."

Zhao Yaqian took it with pleasant surprise and said happily, "Thank you, thank you! You've been a huge help; I really didn't prepare."

After saying that, she hurriedly sprayed it on her arms, long legs, and neck.

She had been too rushed in the morning and only applied a layer of sunscreen to her face; she had been worried about getting her legs tanned.

Brother Song is really thoughtful!

"No need to be so polite. Let's go!" Tang Song smiled and waved at her.

It was already past 9:30, and visitors were arriving one after another outside the park.

The two walked along the clean asphalt road toward the South Gate.

Under the blue sky and white clouds, the cluster of buildings, full of simple and elegant charm, was right before their eyes.

White walls, blue tiles, horse-head gables, surrounded by green water and green mountains.

Scanning the code to enter the park, the two had no planned route; they just walked wherever looked good, following their mood entirely.

Layered buildings and courtyards, high ridges and flying eaves, winding paths and corridors, pavilions and terraces, flowers and green shade.

The Huizhou-style park, with its rich Jiangnan charm, unfolded before them bit by bit.

The sun gradually rose.

"Wow! This sun hat is so beautiful. I love it. Thank you for the gift, Brother Song!"

"You even brought strawberries? They're so big! Mmm! So sweet!"

They walked and stopped, passing through one courtyard and exhibition hall after another.

Tang Song held his phone, taking photos of Zhao Yaqian from time to time, and also capturing the beautiful scenery with its unique Jiangnan ink-wash style.

Excellent body proportions, a beautiful face, a bright smile, paired with lattice windows, flying eaves and dark tiles, Huizhou carvings, moon beams, column bases, and bird-shaped brackets...

His phone gallery quickly became colorful.

"Thank you for the treats, Brother Song. This is the most delicious pork floss roll I've ever eaten."

"No, no, I've eaten too much. If I eat any more, I'm going to get fat!"

"0-sugar, 0-fat, 0-calorie sparkling water? Brother Song, are you Doraemon?"

The remote "casting" from hundreds of cyber strategists gave the novice Zhao Yaqian a little shock.

From childhood to now, this was the first time she had felt this kind of warmth deep in her heart.

Unknowingly, the gaze she cast toward Tang Song grew brighter, and the smile on her face grew wider.

The gloom and troubles of this period all disappeared.

She opened WeChat, found a few of the most satisfying photos—some of the road, some of Tang Song, some of herself, and some of the scenery—and shared them directly to her Moments.

Caption: "If life had an on/off switch, then the appearance of a friend is a one-click path to happiness!" ===== CHAPTER 34 =====