At the start, I tricked the school beauty, and ended up with twins?

"I feel like I'm dreaming of being back in Modu..." As he descended into the subway station, Gu Yu stood at the entrance and looked at the crowded stream of people, momentarily speechless.

It wasn't even eight in the morning yet, but the subway station was already incredibly crowded, with almost every platform packed with groups of office workers in shirts and uniforms.

The people changing trains also moved rapidly, constantly checking their phones, clearly rushing to catch the next subway on time.

"Yes, everyone seems to be having a tough time." Lin Xinyue nodded. Even though it was morning, she could still feel the exhaustion emanating from these people.

It was the listlessness that comes from long hours of work, coupled with inadequate rest at night.

It was the aura of the 996 culture.

In Modu, such people were even more common, visible everywhere on the streets.

"This is just everyday life for the ordinary people in the big city, alas." Gu Yu sighed. Since this was a society that thrived on the demographic dividend, everyone's value was increasingly measured in terms of time cost.

A large number of people had to exchange their time for money and resources, a social trend that was unlikely to change for many years to come.

"That's why we need to cherish the life we have now!" Lin Xinyue said with a slight smile, reaching out to pinch Gu Yu's face.

Gu Yu also smiled. This societal pattern was something he almost couldn't change personally. Therefore, he should cherish what he had even more.

Luckier than most, he no longer needed to worry about the hustle for a living, and the same was true for Lin Xinyue. Her parents had struggled enough to give her a relatively relaxed life today.

"Let's hurry and buy the tickets!"

Seeing more and more people entering the subway station, Gu Yu perked up and led Lin Xinyue to the ticket window.

They could have used something like Alipay to travel, but Lin Xinyue had researched that using the local Octopus Card in Xiangjiang was more convenient.

Since it was not only usable for the subway but also for other public transportation, and it was more economical.

Reaching the ticket booth, the so-called Octopus Card was similar to Modu's transit card, also an IC card.

The process to get the card was simple – input some basic information and load some money onto it.

A small detail while topping up the card significantly boosted Gu Yu's favorable impression of the Xiangjiang subway station.

It supported direct top-ups with Huaxia Coin, converting it based on real-time exchange rates, saving him a lot of time otherwise spent on currency exchange.

"Please keep your card safe—wishing you and your partner a pleasant journey in Xiangjiang~"

The staff handed the card over with a professional smile, offering their blessings for the trip.

The attitude of public service personnel was very good, since tourism is also a major pillar of Xiangjiang's revenue, and the demeanor of public service workers is the first impression tourists get of the city.

As of now, Gu Yu felt very good.

"Hurry hurry, the next subway is arriving in two minutes!"

Lin Xinyue, who had been watching the electronic display for the subway's arrival, suddenly grabbed Gu Yu and they started running.

The couple sprinted through security and then downstairs directly to the underground platform, bypassing the escalators and taking the stairs instead.

True to their timing, just as they reached the last step, a subway train approached the station with its lights on.

Those who were lazily crowding on the escalator stirred, each one scrambling to get down.

Gu Yu broke into a sweat at this sight. A severe stampede could have been unavoidable if someone had fallen at that moment.

"Let's go, let's go!" Seeing Gu Yu staring blankly at the elevator, Lin Xinyue quickly pulled him into the middle car.

Thankfully, they reacted quickly, and in less than five seconds, the whole train was packed with people standing very close to each other, making it difficult even to lift their phones.

And as more people kept squeezing in, the space continued to shrink and friction naturally increased, filling the whole car with complaints and even curses.
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Fortunately, Gu Yu had anticipated this. He and Lin Xinyue stood at the corner next to the seats, with Lin Xinyue leaning against the wall and him blocking other passengers with his arms, staunchly creating a semicircular safe space.

"Keep going! Love you!" Feeling safe from the crowd that couldn't get close to her, Lin Xinyue leaned into Gu Yu's arms, clenching her small fists to cheer him on.

The crowdedness was still manageable as Gu Yu's robust physique made it hard for ordinary people to push through him, but the most uncomfortable part for him was that one-third of the people in the car were foreigners.

Indians, Europeans, and two haters, all sweating from the crowding, soon filled the car with their body odors.

Even though some foreigners used perfume to mask it, the mixed smells only made it worse.

Especially since one of the haters was very close to him, Gu Yu could even see the texture on the man's thick lips clearly.

Gu Yu deliberately turned his head away, not wanting to look at the man anymore.

And the modern subway train, which was originally spacious, now couldn't fit even one more person as the doors blinked red and slowly closed.

The train then slowly started moving, causing everyone in the car to lean back simultaneously.

More noise ensued. Some people yelled when their feet were stepped on but couldn't tell who did it, some got coffee spilled on them by others in front, and some were fighting over seats.