Lu Weimin stood there, staring blankly at the scene before him.
At least in his memory, the changes to the Linyang central bus station were minimal. It wasn't until 2003 that the central bus station in Linyang would move north, and the prime location would be taken over by a developer, eventually leading to a major political upheaval in Linyang City, which had been renamed. At least one full-provincial-level official and three deputy-provincial-level officials were implicated in this massive case involving hundreds of millions in land transfer fees.
"Thank you, I'm fine now. I just need to find a place to sit for a while," the girl said softly, noticing that Lu Weimin was still looking around with a somewhat strange expression, and instinctively pulled away from his support.
"Alright, I think you shouldn't be pushing yourself here," Lu Weimin glanced at her, reached out to support her arm again, and said casually, "If you were really fine, I wouldn't want to stick around. But look at yourself now. We came on the same bus, so I at least have some sympathy and a sense of duty. Where are you going?"
"I'm going to the Lijiang Road Party Committee dormitory area," the girl smiled, clearly finding Lu Weimin's personality quite open and generous. "I'm still a bit dizzy. Let me sit by the river for a while, and I'll be fine after resting."
"Alright, I have two bottles of Huoxiang Zhengqi Water here. You don't seem to have motion sickness, but more like heatstroke," Lu Weimin picked up both of their bags with one hand and supported the girl's arm with the other, heading out of the bus station.
The Linyang central bus station was located by the Lijiang River, where Provincial Highway 106 and Provincial Highway 215, leading to Guifu and Linhe counties, intersected, making it exceptionally busy.
A Dongfeng truck drove by crazily, stirring up a cloud of dust. Lu Weimin helped the girl find a stone bench under a tree by the river. It was early evening in August, and the sun was still high, with its heat still intense. Lu Weimin felt his chest and back drenched in sweat, and the short walk felt like a journey through a steamer.
"Here, drink these two remaining Huoxiang Zhengqi Liquids. They should help," Lu Weimin skillfully used a small scissors on his keychain to open the bottles and handed them to her.
"Thank you," the girl accepted them graciously but wrinkled her nose at the unpleasant smell.
"Bitter medicine is good for the disease. Drink up, so I can take you back," Lu Weimin checked his watch; it was already 6:30 PM. He still needed to stay at his uncle's house for the night and visit Gao Yingcheng at the Organization Department the next day.
"Are you worried about delaying your plans? It's fine, you can go ahead. I'll sit here for a while," the girl gritted her teeth and drank the two bottles, the strong medicinal taste almost making her vomit.
"Would I feel right leaving you like this?" Lu Weimin shrugged. "There are a lot of people around here, and it's quite busy..."
"Afraid others will talk? I'm not afraid as a girl, so why should you be afraid as a man?" The girl laughed. Whether it was the effect of the Huoxiang Zhengqi Liquids or the fresh air by the river, her pale face now had a hint of redness. Her smile lifted her eyebrows, and her dimples were faintly visible, making Lu Weimin momentarily stunned. He hadn't really noticed before, but now he realized this girl had a beauty that rivaled Zhen Ni.
Even during his four years of university, Lu Weimin, who prided himself on his broad horizons, always felt that among the girls he had seen, very few could match Zhen Ni's beauty. Her lively and mischievous personality had deeply attracted him. So even though there were one or two female classmates who showed interest in him, he ignored them without hesitation, which often made his roommates, Cao Lang and Huang Shaocheng, lament that he was wasting his talents.
This girl was very different from Zhen Ni's lively and playful nature. Although she seemed somewhat delicate, Lu Weimin felt that she had a strong inner character. Her straightforward and generous words almost left him, who prided himself on his eloquence, speechless. Scratching his head, Lu Weimin said with a half-smile, "I'm not afraid of that, but I'm worried that people might say, 'How can such a beautiful flower be next to such a big pile of cow dung?' I don't want to embarrass you or disgust myself."
The girl couldn't help but laugh at Lu Weimin's self-deprecating words, her laughter shaking her whole body, and her dimples becoming more pronounced. "Wow, I didn't expect to meet such a witty guy."
"This isn't being witty; it's finding joy in hardship and self-regulation," Lu Weimin laughed. "Life isn't always smooth, but we still have to go on, right? We shouldn't make ourselves miserable, should we?"
The girl looked at Lu Weimin with a hint of surprise. Lu Weimin seemed to realize he had said too much and shook his head. "Are you feeling better?"
"Yes, your jokes have made me feel much better. I see you're getting impatient. Let's go," the girl stood up and tried to pick up her bag, but Lu Weimin was quicker. "Let's go. If people see a girl carrying two bags while her companion just stands there, they'll talk behind my back."
The distance from the central bus station to the Party Committee dormitory wasn't far. They walked about two li along the river and then turned right onto Lijiang Road, the most beautiful street in Linyang City. The Linyang Party Committee, the administrative office, and the regional People's Congress and CPPCC committees were all on this street, and the Party Committee dormitory was in a small, tree-lined alley next to the Party Committee compound.
Lu Weimin walked the girl all the way to the entrance of the Party Committee dormitory, waved goodbye to her with a graceful demeanor, and left directly. The girl, standing at the dormitory entrance, was stunned for a moment.
She, who prided herself on her beauty and charm, didn't expect to meet a boy who, after taking her to the Party Committee dormitory, would leave without saying a word, not even asking her name. This made her self-esteem feel somewhat hurt.
Watching Lu Weimin's graceful figure as he left, the girl shook her head thoughtfully and smiled. This boy was truly different.
Lu Weimin didn't realize that his spontaneous actions would leave such an impression on this girl. He didn't have the time to think about it now.
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