CIATB Chapter 42: Searching for Meng Chao
Chapter 42: Searching for Meng Chao
Chapter 42: Chapter 42:
He couldn’t remain in his small world forever; he needed to step out someday.
Lin Qin was unaware that this segment of the program was entirely planned by Meng Chao. Upon receiving the filming itinerary that night, Lin Qin briefly felt an urge to confront the director but quickly suppressed it.
He also wanted to step out—to be a better person, someone who could stand taller by Meng Chao’s side. He wanted to fully break free and integrate into society. Once his impulsive emotions faded, Lin Qin calmed down. He made a small cheering gesture to encourage himself.
Lin Qin leaned over the table to write in his journal when his phone chimed softly nearby. It was a message from Meng Chao.
Surprised, Lin Qin eagerly opened the message. Upon reading it, his eyes curved into crescent moons, and he laughed softly in delight.
Meng Chao: I’m waiting for you.
Three simple words instantly dispelled the unease in Lin Qin’s heart, replacing it with a sense of wholeness and purpose.
In his journal, Lin Qin doodled two tiny stick figures representing him and Meng Chao. Above his own figure, a speech bubble read: Brother Chao, I will do my best.
The next day, a provincial bus pulled up at Nanjiang Town’s bus station, and a young man stepped off. He was about 1.8 meters tall, wearing a baseball cap and dressed in a plain white t-shirt and jeans with white sneakers—exuding youthful charm.
The station was bustling, and when Lin Qin stepped off, his height, long legs, and distinct aura immediately captured the attention of many. To top it off, a camera crew trailed behind him.
The gazes directed at Lin Qin made his steps falter slightly, but he mustered the courage to keep moving forward.
The production team’s hint was a straightforward, overly simplistic map. To make things harder, it didn’t even include directions. Lin Qin stared at the map, at a total loss.
The team also provided Lin Qin with two keywords, claiming that as long as he used the keywords to ask for directions, he would surely find his way and locate Meng Chao.
The two keywords were "bamboo forest" and "house."
Lin Qin analyzed the situation, glanced at the map again, and concluded that Meng Chao must currently be on one of the town’s mountains, with a bamboo forest and a house hidden among it.
His next task was to match the map with the town’s roads and follow the route he inferred—then he’d be all set.
Feeling a sense of direction at last, Lin Qin let out a sigh of relief.
He stepped out of the bus station. The sunlight poured down warmly, so bright that even with his baseball cap on, Lin Qin found it somewhat dazzling. He instinctively tugged the brim lower and headed forward.
Outside the station, groups of tricycle drivers were vying for passengers. Some drivers eagerly approached potential customers, passionately inviting them to ride, while speaking in a dialect unfamiliar to Lin Qin.
The buzzing and chattering around him made Lin Qin’s eyebrows furrow beneath his cap, his forehead damp with sweat—he couldn’t tell if it was from the heat or his nervousness.
"No, thank you." Lin Qin repeated the same phrase over and over. At first, his voice was soft, but it gradually grew louder. Since high school, Lin Qin hadn’t spoken this loudly in public, even though to others it was merely a normal volume.
At last, Lin Qin managed to escape the surrounding crowd of tricycle drivers. He exhaled in relief, realizing that in focusing on finding a way out, he had almost forgotten to feel nervous.
He couldn’t help but chuckle at himself, suddenly feeling a heightened sense of confidence.