Become a Knight Across the World

Chapter 334 Spring Outing

Two days before the start of the new semester, after the winter break, Lin Yue and Yun Yi finally left the warm and happy atmosphere of Y City and returned to Z City.

The air still held the lingering scent of the New Year holidays, but even more so, it carried the unique aroma of a new semester—a blend of fresh book ink and students' anticipation for the start of school. (Not really anticipation)

Yun Yi seemed exceptionally excited. As soon as he returned to Z City, he started chattering to Lin Yue: "Sister Lin Yue, there's a spring outing next semester! I heard that this year it's at a newly developed ecological farm in the suburbs. We can have a picnic, pick strawberries, and do outdoor training! It sounds amazing!"

Lin Yue was somewhat surprised: "The school only announces where we'll go on the spring outing when the date is almost here. School hasn't even started yet, so the school hasn't even made any plans for where we'll go. Where did you get this information? And what's this 'outdoor training' thing?"

Yun Yi proudly raised his chin: "I have some inside information. My cousin is in the student council, and he said the school is planning to go to an ecological farm this time. The outdoor training is the kind of teamwork activity where you complete tasks and challenge your physical abilities." Lin Yue smiled helplessly: "Okay, but we're in high school, not university. We don't have a student council."

Yun Yi scratched his head and chuckled, "Oh, it's just a student group organized by the school, responsible for some campus activities and stuff. Anyway, my cousin's information is definitely accurate."

"Which cousin? I've never heard you mention him before. And how did the students find out about something the school leaders haven't even started planning yet?"

Yun Yi said mysteriously, "My cousin from my second aunt's side, he's really something. He's got all the inside information at school. Maybe he already knows the inside story before the teachers have even been decided."

Lin Yue was skeptical: "Is it really that amazing? I think you're just believing everything you hear. Don't end up getting your hopes up for nothing."

Yun Yi became anxious: "Sister Lin Yue, my cousin really didn't lie to me. And even if the information isn't entirely accurate, there will definitely be a spring outing, right? Maybe it will end up being an eco-farm."

Lin Yue sighed as she looked at Yun Yi's expectant eyes: "But as far as I know, that ecological farm went out of business a long time ago."

Yun Yi was stunned, and the excitement on his face vanished instantly.

Seeing Yun Yi's stunned expression, Lin Yue slowly added, "It was on the local news last year. It was due to poor management, and the owner ran away. Now it seems that the land is going to be converted into a logistics warehouse."

Yun Yi's excitement completely vanished. He slumped dejectedly onto the sofa: "Huh? It went bankrupt? How could this happen... My cousin was so confident... Oh no, I even bragged to Fei Fei about it..."

"So..." Lin Yue picked up the remote and turned on the TV, her tone flat, "Instead of believing unreliable rumors, you should think about how school starts the day after tomorrow, and your biological clock needs to be adjusted."

"Don't worry." Yun Yi seemed to regain some spirits at the mention of this, but quickly lamented his shattered spring outing fantasies, "Sigh... my strawberries... my outdoor barbecue..."

Lin Yue ignored his rambling and focused her gaze on the television news, but her mind was on other things.

The heartwarming scene of her brother Lin Mu and Yun Xiling's wedding is still vivid in her mind; that simple and genuine happiness seems like a world apart from her current life in Z City. But no matter which world it is, it seems that Yun Yi, this lively character, is indispensable.

The first day of school is always a mix of the lethargy of holiday syndrome and the subtle restlessness of the start of a new semester.

In the classroom of Class 3, Grade 11, the homeroom teacher, Ms. Li, was giving her usual pep talk at the start of the new semester, emphasizing the urgency of preparing for the senior year.

Li Yuetian maintained his usual composed demeanor as a top student, but when the teacher mentioned that "this semester's grades will directly affect the selection for the senior year's key class," he quickly glanced back at Lin Yue.

Lin Yue looked back at him expressionlessly, but what she was thinking was: What are you looking at?

During break, Zhang Wei's seat remained empty. Some well-informed classmates whispered gossip, saying her family seemed to have arranged a transfer for her, though the reason was unclear. Several girls who used to hang out with her had become much more well-behaved. As for Zhao Zhipeng, there were even more outrageous rumors that he was seriously ill and had even secretly gone to see a traditional Chinese medicine doctor to treat his health; of course, none of this was confirmed.

Meanwhile, on the first-year high school side, Yun Yi was leaning on the corridor railing, heartbrokenly describing his disillusioned spring outing plans to the eco-farm to Jiang Feifei.

"Seriously, Feifei, I even figured out who would be in charge of starting the fire when we roasted sweet potatoes! And yet, the business still went out of business!"

Jiang Feifei was amused by his exaggerated expression and comforted him, "It's okay, Brother Yunyi, the school will definitely arrange more fun places! And even if we don't go on the spring outing, we can still go out and play together on weekends, right?"

"That's different..." Yun Yi muttered, but looking at Jiang Feifei's bright eyes, he became embarrassed again. "But you're right! I'll take you to that new amusement park next time!"

"Okay!" Jiang Feifei nodded happily.

.........

Inside the juvenile detention center, Xu Yun was doing some textile work. She was working very hard and efficiently.

"I need to perform well so I can get out sooner and see Yunyi." With that thought, Xu Yun quickened her pace.

.........

The day of the spring outing finally arrived, amidst Yunyi's mixed feelings of doubt and renewed anticipation.

The school's final announcement of the spring outing location was not the closed-down eco-farm, nor could it be that place, but rather a larger comprehensive forest park on the outskirts of the city, nestled against the mountains and beside the water.

Although the strawberry picking that Yunyi had imagined was gone, the picnic, hiking, team building games, and even sketching by the lake were still very enjoyable.

The night before the spring outing, the supermarket was packed with people, almost entirely occupied by students from all grades of No. 2 Middle School. Lin Yue and Yun Yi were also among this shopping army.

Lin Yue pushed the shopping cart, her eyes scanning the dazzling array of goods on the shelves precisely: "Original potato chips, barbecue potato chips, cheese corn sticks, strawberry jelly, milk chocolate, beef jerky, shredded squid..."

She muttered to herself as she deftly placed the snacks she had chosen into the car, her movements fluid and efficient. She has always loved snacks.

Yun Yi followed beside her, but his mind was clearly elsewhere. His shopping basket contained only a few bags of the most common tomato-flavored potato chips and two bottles of sports drinks, but his eyes kept glancing at the electronics section, and he was clutching his phone tightly in his hand, the screen lit up, displaying a strategy page for a popular game.

"Sister Lin Yue, do you think I should bring that new 20,000 mAh power bank or that lightweight 10,000 mAh one tomorrow? The larger one has enough power for me to travel all the way and even help others, but it's so heavy that I'll definitely get tired carrying it on a hike; the smaller one is lightweight, but I'm afraid it won't last long enough to make it back..." He kept analyzing, his brows furrowed.

"Oh right, I need to bring noise-canceling headphones. It's really noisy on the bus, and I need them to block out the world when listening to music, watching videos, or playing games! Data cables... um, bring two, just in case..."

He had little interest in snacks; his mind was filled with the precious hour-long journey on the spring outing bus, a time when he could openly and comfortably immerse himself in the electronic world. This was the "core experience" of the spring outing in his mind.

"Whatever you want." Lin Yue didn't turn her head. Her attention was focused on comparing two different brands of cookies. She picked up a box of beautifully packaged butter cookies and carefully looked at the ingredient list and price. After a moment of contemplation, she looked at another brand of milk cookies that had a good reputation and was more cost-effective. "Don't forget to bring a few garbage bags and wet wipes for cleaning up after the picnic."

"I know, I know! I already stuffed it in the outermost layer of the bag!" Yun Yi replied absentmindedly, his fingers already flying across the phone screen.

In the end, Lin Yue decided that since she didn't know which one to choose, she would just get both kinds of cookies!