In the service area, everyone opened the car windows and got out to stretch, while waiting for a new car to arrive.

"Phew... it's so cold." The little girl blew out a puff of white breath, stuffed her hands in her pockets, and kept moving her feet on the spot.

As she spoke, she occasionally glanced at Xiao Feng with small eyes, seeing his indifferent expression, she couldn't help but stomp her feet harder.

"Xiao Feng brother, are you cold?" The little girl hid her face in her scarf and asked.

"Not cold."

"Uh... what I mean is, I'm a bit cold. How about you open your coat and wrap it around me, then I won't be cold." The little girl said eagerly.

Xiao Feng looked at her: "If you're cold, practice the warm-up exercises I taught you. I guarantee you'll not only not feel cold, but even feel warm."

"Tch, stingy! I'm not talking to you anymore!" The little girl said puffing up, then ran off to chat with Lin Jiaxuan and Lu Yao.

Just then, a Wuling car drove up and stopped next to the bus.

After the vehicle turned off, a man with rough skin wearing a big cotton jacket got out, took a cigarette out of his pocket, and started searching himself.

"Brother, can I borrow a light?" The man held a cigarette in his mouth and laughed honestly, saying to Xiao Feng, "I might have left the lighter in the car. My wife's pregnant, and I'm afraid of waking her up."

Saying this, he pulled out a cigarette from the pack: "These smokes are a bit lacking, don't look down on them."

Xiao Feng, not having the habit of smoking, naturally didn't carry a lighter and was about to refuse, but seeing the man's honest smile, he turned around and called Zhao Guo'an: "Old Zhao."

"What's up?" Zhao Guo'an, sounding displeased, walked over. Nowadays he didn't dare open Weibo or any headlines, afraid of suddenly seeing himself naked, feeling utterly dejected.

"Can I use your lighter?"

After getting the lighter, Xiao Feng handed it directly to the man who came down from the Wuling car.

"Thanks!" After lighting up, the man took a satisfying puff, and when returning the lighter, he didn't forget to pass Zhao Guo'an a cigarette.

Zhao Guo'an lit up, took a practiced puff, only to immediately feel a sharp pain in his throat, as if he swallowed a blade, and couldn't help but cough violently, even shedding tears.

"Cough cough cough..."

After a fit of coughing, Zhao Guo'an hoarsely asked, "Man, are you sure this is a cigarette?"

The man gave an apologetic smile, extinguished the cigarette that fell on the ground, put it back in the pack, and then explained: "This cigarette is indeed a bit low-grade, it's throat-burning, sorry about that."

After a few casual chats, Xiao Feng roughly understood the man's situation.

The man's name was Hao Zhenyu, he's been working in Jiangcheng, and this time going home to settle the household registration for his eldest son, without which he couldn't attend kindergarten; the car was borrowed from the Boss he worked for.

"Bro, your wife is pregnant, yet you're bringing her back and forth. Be sure to take care." Zhao Guo'an reminded, while taking out his own cigarettes and handing one over.

Hao Zhenyu took it with both hands, tucked it behind his ear, and said while rubbing his hands: "This time I won't take her back. I'll let her stay at home to take care of the child and have the second child. We originally didn't plan on having a second one, but since it's coming, we can't abort it.

Oh right, looks like you guys are touring. I've got a lot of food in my trunk, take some, the stuff in this service area is insanely expensive and not worth buying."

Xiao Feng and Zhao Guo'an declined the offer, and after chatting a bit more, Hao Zhenyu said, "I'll go in and rest now, have to drive tomorrow."

The service area naturally provided accommodation, usually charges by the hour, but from his financial condition, it was obvious he didn't plan on staying there.

"This is society." Zhao Guo'an lamented, "Rich people can get sports cars and villas with ease, while the poor can't even afford decent smokes."

After hearing this, Xiao Feng felt that this guy was implying something about him and said, "People from different social classes naturally have different worries, for example, someone naked lying on a bus roof might not know he's perceived as doing performance art."

"What did I ever do to you?" Zhao Guo'an said angrily, "When I mentioned rich people with sports cars and villas, I wasn't referring to you. Why do you have to mock and ridicule me so relentlessly?"

But after saying this, Zhao Guo'an regretted it because it basically admitted guilt.

Xiao Feng smirked and nodded: "Oh, don't be upset, just chatting casually. When I mentioned people going naked and doing performance art, I wasn't referring to you either."

"..." Zhao Guo'an was at a loss for words, this really was shooting himself in the foot.

Let this be a lesson for your loose tongue!

...

Once the smell inside the cabin dissipated almost completely, everyone got back on the bus to rest. No one complained, as they were all used to it, except for Zhao Guo'an who seemed a bit out of tune with this pace; even the little girl behaved very calmly.

A few hours later, Xiao Feng received a call from the new driver saying he would soon reach the service area.

Waking everyone to prepare for the move, Xiao Feng got off to get some air, not because the air inside wasn't flowing, but because being stuck in a small environment always felt a bit stifling, one of his reasons for disliking traveling by car.

The sky began to show a faint light, and in half an hour it would be dawn, the darkest time of the day. To put it in a more poetic way, it's the darkness before the dawn.

Just then, the window of the Wuling car next to him rolled down, Hao Zhenyu yawned and moved the seatback upright, appearing surprised to see Xiao Feng: "Hey, brother, you're still here?"

Xiao Feng nodded slightly, smiling: "How about it, not waiting for daylight before leaving?"

"Once I get off the highway, I'll be home. The earlier I get back, the more time I can spend with my family elders. Besides, I can't sleep well in the car, so I'll take a good rest once home." Hao Zhenyu gave his signature honest smile, then woke up his wife and child in the back seat.

"Buzz..."

After a buzz, the rear window rolled down, and an average-looking woman with a pregnant belly sat by the window. Upon seeing Xiao Feng, she nodded and smiled.

On her lap, lay a chubby little boy with a small red dot on his forehead, looking just like a painted porcelain doll.

"You're quite blessed, brother." Xiao Feng said with a smile.

Hao Zhenyu didn't pretend to be modest, laughing heartily: "Absolutely, with them, I have the energy to work hard, and life feels hopeful."

With that, he turned around and pulled his son off his wife's lap: "Come on, greet Uncle."

The little boy rubbed his eyes, clearly unwilling, but still waved at Xiao Feng: "Hello, Uncle!"

Before Xiao Feng could respond, the little boy added: "Uncle, is the sister standing behind you your daughter?"

"Hmm?" Xiao Feng turned around, only to see Lin Jiaxuan behind him with her forehead full of black lines.

Lin Jiaxuan was genuinely frustrated, what kind of eyesight does this kid have?

How could he think I'm his daughter?

Looking at him, how could he have such a pretty daughter like me?

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