Chapter One: The Vacation Plan

As the work at Beiting gradually settled into a steady rhythm, the team grew larger, and Chen Tianyu, never one to sit still for long, began harboring some mischievous ideas. It turned out he wasn’t alone—many others shared similar thoughts.

“Workaholic, you really ought to take a break,” one day, President Li Yiting gently suggested to him. “The work will never be finished, you know. It’s important to relax every now and then—find a balance between labor and rest.”

Delighted by the proposal, Chen Tianyu agreed at once. He planned to travel, to wander and explore the country’s vast and beautiful landscapes. Upon hearing this idea, Shen Mingyue responded enthusiastically, practically itching to join in. How could this spirited girl resist the thought of adventure? But this time, Li Yiting privately put a firm stop to her plan.

“Kid, even if someone’s going, it won’t be you!” Li Yiting chided her.

“Why not? I’m exhausted, too! Every day I work overtime organizing materials, writing reports, helping you all with publicity!” Shen Mingyue protested, cheeks puffed with indignation. “I need a break as well. Don’t play favorites.”

Li Yiting laughed in exasperation. “If you want a break, that’s fine. I’ll give you a few days off—go wherever you like. But you’re not tagging along with Fourth Brother on his trip.”

Shen Mingyue was indignant. “That’s not fair! Are we really that short on funds?”

“It’s not about the money. I want Zichen to accompany Fourth Brother and keep him company,” Li Yiting said with a wink. “You’re always acting as a third wheel—when am I ever going to get to celebrate Fourth Brother’s wedding?”

“Ha, you’re certainly quick with ulterior motives. Why not just say so?” Shen Mingyue rolled her eyes at him. “Poor me, left out again. How tragic!” She slumped over, feigning misery.

Li Yiting lowered his voice. “How about I grant you three days off to wander the city?”

“Fine, I’ll take it,” Shen Mingyue tossed her paperwork onto the desk, her spirits instantly lifted. She skipped out of the office, delighted to play hooky, while Li Yiting burst into laughter. That one, he thought, would never truly grow up—one day, he’d have to see her married off.

Having pacified Shen Mingyue, Li Yiting wasted no time in calling Liu Zichen to explain his plan, which she was only too happy to accept.

Li Yiting chose his words with care. “You know as well as I do—if Fourth Brother has to travel long distances, I’m just not comfortable with him going alone.”

Liu Zichen was quick to understand. “Yiting, no need to beat around the bush. I’ve looked after him for years, haven’t I? Don’t worry. Honestly, I’m not bored at all, but a trip with Tianyu is exactly what I’ve been wishing for.”

“Perfect. I’ll arrange your itinerary right away,” Li Yiting said, delighted.

“We’ll discuss it ourselves,” Liu Zichen replied thoughtfully. “Without a destination, we’d just be wandering aimlessly—what, are we planning to become immortals in the mountains?”

Li Yiting agreed. “You’re right, Zichen, you’ve got experience. I’ll leave it to you two, but try not to delay. If some peculiar case comes up, I’m afraid Fourth Brother will change his mind at the last minute.”

“Of course.” Before hanging up, Liu Zichen said sincerely, “Thank you, Yiting.”

Li Yiting chuckled. “No need to thank me. I’ll let you go.”

The dial tone hummed in her ear as Liu Zichen held her phone, lost in thought, though soon her face lit up with excitement. She was, in truth, a little thrilled. Picking up her phone once more, she began to map out their journey, checking flights, train tickets, high-speed rail schedules, and, after much effort, drew up a route. There wasn’t much need for discussion—she only had to hand the plan to Chen Tianyu, who would accept it without question, largely out of laziness; he simply couldn’t be bothered to fuss over such details.

Although Li Yiting said the length of the vacation was up to them, Liu Zichen settled on twenty days, a fair number. Her initial plan was to follow the western route: starting from Kunming, then Dali, Lijiang, Shangri-La, and finally the famed Jiuzhaigou. On the way back, they might visit Chengdu, Zigong, or Guilin. But as experience showed, squeezing in so many destinations would only result in a whirlwind tour, with most of their time lost in transit.

So she trimmed the itinerary, deciding to spend several days each in Yunnan and Sichuan, staying at least three days in each city. Once the draft was ready, she passed it to Chen Tianyu for review. He had no objections; he, too, wanted to relax among nature. Visiting overcrowded spots didn’t appeal—he doubted they could stand two days in such places.

“You really do know me well—perfect secretary material,” Chen Tianyu joked.

Liu Zichen snorted. “In your dreams. If I didn’t stand to benefit a little, I wouldn’t rack my brains for you.”

“With time so tight, why don’t we just explore all of Yunnan and leave Sichuan for next time?” Chen Tianyu suddenly suggested.

“I want to see the filming locations of Journey to the West. Haven’t you heard the saying, ‘Once you’ve seen Jiuzhaigou, all other waters pale in comparison’? I’m not listening to you on this one,” Liu Zichen replied, shaking her head.

“All right, you’re the boss,” Chen Tianyu conceded with a wry smile. “But don’t forget—it’s already the winter solstice. The water might be frozen by now. They say Jiuzhaigou is at its most beautiful in early autumn.”

Liu Zichen shot him a look. “Seems you’ve done some homework after all—you’re not completely clueless. Beiting only gets downtime in winter anyway. Besides, you don’t like crowds, so why not take advantage of the off-season and enjoy some unique scenery?”

“True, you’re absolutely right. With global warming, if we don’t go in winter, there might not even be snow on Jade Dragon Snow Mountain’s peak. That would be a joke. Now is the perfect time!” Chen Tianyu agreed.

“Is there anything else you need to tell me? I want to prepare in advance. And let me be clear—our budget is limited. All the plans must be set, tickets bought in advance, including the return trip, and hotels booked ahead of time. Otherwise, we might have nowhere to stay. Understood?” Liu Zichen advised, speaking from experience.

Chen Tianyu scratched his nose sheepishly. “Is it really that complicated? I thought this would be a spur-of-the-moment trip, free and easy, maybe even sleeping rough.”

“That sounds more like begging than traveling,” Liu Zichen scoffed. “You’re just lazy—don’t even bother with excuses. If I weren’t going with you, you’d probably lose yourself along the way.”

“Is it really that bad? I’m not a kid,” Chen Tianyu protested.

“Let me see your phone—does it have navigation? Can you use online shopping or food delivery apps? Have you installed the ticket booking app? Can you use mobile payments?” Liu Zichen laughed. “You haven’t used any of these, yet you dare venture out? You’ve got nerve. I can’t imagine how Beiting ever hired you.”

“Yiting must have been blind,” Chen Tianyu agreed with a nod. “No wonder he’s so eager to send me away.”

“Go on, act innocent. We all spoil you and your bad habits. Mingyue was right—you’re a model worker, but hopeless at life,” Liu Zichen said with a laugh.

“All right, enough chatter. I’ve got to start packing.” Liu Zichen glanced at the clock. “We leave tomorrow, and there’s still so much to do.”

“So soon? I haven’t finished my work yet!” Chen Tianyu exclaimed in surprise.

“Weren’t you the one insisting on a spontaneous trip?” Liu Zichen shot him a sidelong glance.

“I was only joking! I didn’t mean it,” Chen Tianyu protested anxiously.

Liu Zichen sighed. “Yiting knew you’d drag your feet, so he reassigned your cases to himself yesterday. Only now do you realize what’s happened? Isn’t it a bit late?”

“That explains why those guys didn’t report to me today. So this is your little coup—practically sidelining me completely,” Chen Tianyu grumbled, scratching his head.

Liu Zichen’s tone turned serious. “From now on, you must forget all about work. Your only identity is that of a traveler. Understood?”

“Yes, ma’am!” Chen Tianyu offered a mock salute. “From this moment on, I follow Comrade Zichen’s orders to the letter!”

“I’m not wasting my breath on you. I need to book tickets.” Liu Zichen cheerfully unlocked her phone.

“Is there anything I can help with?” Chen Tianyu asked, feeling a bit sheepish.

“Just don’t cause trouble on the road. If you promise me that, no matter what happens, you’re not to interfere—especially not with any cases. Otherwise, this trip is over before it begins,” Liu Zichen declared, not giving him a chance to respond.

Chen Tianyu couldn’t help but laugh. “How many cases could possibly pop up just waiting for me?”

“No deflecting—answer me directly!” Liu Zichen was not to be trifled with.

Chen Tianyu thought it over. “Should I make a solemn vow?”

“No need for vows. Just promise not to meddle. Every place has its own police—don’t go stealing their jobs,” Liu Zichen replied, well aware of his contrary nature.

“No problem at all,” Chen Tianyu finally assured her.

Only then did Liu Zichen truly break into a smile. After all these years, this would be the first time she and Tianyu truly enjoyed a world of their own.