She's a Passerby, But Can See the Protagonist's Halo-Chapter 133

Yan was contemplating whether to watch the video tomorrow or tonight.

There were no early classes tomorrow, so staying up a little later wouldn’t be a problem.

Well, that settles it!

With the desk lamp on, Yan put on her headphones. Watching Ka Ka’s video before bed would surely lead to a soothing, pleasant dream.

The other roommates hadn’t gone to bed yet either, but everyone had instinctively lowered their voices. Senior He Xing and Ding Ling had just returned to the dorm and were changing clothes to wash up.

After sending a message to Jue Jue, Yan clicked on Ka Ka’s latest video.

Qingming Festival was just around the corner, but Ka Ka had been "missing" for a long time.

Her most recent update on the platform was still the holiday announcement from the Lunar New Year, and it had been almost two months since her last travel video. Yan’s go-to comfort videos for meals and bedtime had been replayed so many times they were practically worn out!

Finally, finally, Ka Ka was back!

The opening animation CG played, but it felt different from her usual style. Yan instinctively let out a soft, "Huh?"

Previous openings always featured a tiny Ka Ka setting off on various modes of transportation.

But this time, the scene was different.

The tiny Ka Ka was still wearing the same red down jacket from last time, with a blue knit cap on her head and a large backpack strapped to her shoulders.

Was this… a continuation of the last trip to Mianyang?

Subtitles suddenly flashed on the screen.

[Traveler Ka Ka spent the Lunar New Year resting in Mianyang.]

Next, the animation showed Ka Ka squeezing through a packed food street, waiting in long lines, and sitting in a sold-out movie theater, clutching popcorn and a soda while engrossed in a film.

Yan blinked. Ka Ka hadn’t gone home for the holidays? She’d stayed in Mianyang the whole time—no wonder the Mianyang rice noodles she’d mailed out were sent after the festival.

[Traveler Ka Ka met an extroverted "Kid Sis" at the mall, and then—]

The screen shifted to show tiny Ka Ka standing next to a girl with twin pigtails.

The two sat on a couch in front of a large TV. Yan noticed they were holding game controllers, and a game was playing on the screen.

[We played It Takes Two together!]

A clock icon appeared in the top-left corner, its hands spinning rapidly.

[Three hours a day, and we finished it in five days!]

Yan watched as speech bubbles popped up above the two characters.

[Traveler Ka Ka]: To celebrate beating the game, I’ll treat you to a meal.

[Kid Sis]: No can do. I have tutoring tomorrow, and my teacher’s testing me on The Road to Shu. My mom said if I can’t recite Li Bai’s poem as a fellow hometown kid, she’ll make me regret it after the New Year.

[Traveler Ka Ka]: Shocked.jpg

[Traveler Ka Ka]: Wait, Li Bai’s hometown?

[Kid Sis]: My family’s from Jiangyou, the town under Mianyang—Li Bai’s birthplace.

A lightbulb suddenly lit up above tiny Ka Ka’s head.

With a ding, a new subtitle appeared.

[Traveler Ka Ka unlocks new map—Jiangyou!]

The video abruptly transitioned from animation to live footage.

It was the same rented car as before, with tiny Ka Ka driving at the bottom of the screen and the destination marked: [Li Bai’s Hometown].

What especially caught Yan’s attention was that this time, Ka Ka hadn’t revealed the blind travel destination upfront.

The subtitle at the top read: [New Map Unlocked: Jiangyou Qinglian Town]. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com

Even now, they still didn’t know the final stop.

A small town in Sichuan—it had to be Qinglian Town in Jiangyou. But what about the 1,100 li distance marked in the title? Where could that be?

Yan resisted the urge to search for answers. She’d wait patiently for the big reveal.

Ka Ka kept her eyes on the road as she spoke to the audience in her natural voice.

"Today’s the ninth day of the Lunar New Year. The reason I stayed in Mianyang was partly because train tickets were impossible to get during the holiday rush. Plus, my family didn’t prepare much for the New Year, so going back would’ve been more hassle than it’s worth. Staying at a hotel meant everything was provided, so I just lounged around here."

"I played games with Kid Sis for a few days, and she mentioned Li Bai’s hometown was here. I was genuinely surprised—I always thought his poems referenced Longxi as his hometown. But after checking, I found out Jiangyou is where the poet was born, complete with museums and landmarks. So I figured I’d check it out."

"This is just a casual recording. I wasn’t even sure if I’d post it."

Hearing this, Yan raised an eyebrow. So this wasn’t part of Ka Ka’s original blind travel plan? Had something unexpected happened along the way?

An hour’s worth of loading time passed in a blink, and Ka Ka arrived at her destination.

The place was called Jiangyou Qinglian Poetry Town, with the specific scenic area named Li Bai’s Hometown. Entry cost 40 yuan, and the separate Li Bai Cultural Museum was another 40.

"Don’t they have a ‘recite poetry for free entry’ deal here?" Ka Ka asked someone.

"Only during special events."

"Well, since I’m already here, I guess I’m spending 80 yuan," Ka Ka said, a little disappointed. She remembered famous landmarks like Yueyang Tower and Yellow Crane Tower offered free entry for reciting poetry.

The ticket price wasn’t exorbitant, but letting visitors earn free entry by reciting The Road to Shu would’ve added a fun challenge and sense of achievement.

Blind travel was all about spontaneity, and Ka Ka was technically still on vacation.

[Traveler Ka Ka buys tickets. Money -80.]

At the entrance stood a massive statue of Li Bai. Ka Ka stared at it for a long moment before turning to the camera.

"What do you think—is Master Taibai sitting on a rock or riding a horse here?"

She couldn’t quite tell.

"Probably a rock?" someone nearby chimed in.

"But the part under his hand looks like a horse, Mom," a little girl said, tilting her head up at the statue.

Ka Ka glanced over and saw a family of three.

"Miss, did you buy tickets yet? Have you been inside? How is it?" the father asked.

Ka Ka was momentarily taken aback.

"Yeah, but I haven’t gone in yet. Why?"

"We wanted to bring our kid for some cultural enrichment, but a local friend told us on the phone that this place is all newly built, privately run, and tiny. The real museum is free—it’s in the city center."

"What’re you saying that for? She already bought her ticket. Besides, ‘you’re here, might as well,’" the mother cut in, shooting her husband a sharp look before apologizing to Ka Ka with a slight accent.

"Miss, since you’re here, just enjoy yourself. He’s such a downer."

"No worries," Ka Ka waved it off. If not for this family, she wouldn’t have known—she hadn’t researched much beforehand.

With an easygoing shrug, she said, "I’m just here to wander around casually."

She hadn’t held much expectation to begin with. After all, the Tang Dynasty was over a thousand years ago—wars had raged, dynasties had risen and fallen—what could possibly remain? It was just a modern tourist site built by later generations. Because of the child’s father’s remarks, Ka Ka lowered her expectations even further.

At the entrance of the Li Bai Cultural Museum stood another statue, but what caught Ka Ka’s attention more was the undulating scroll-like display above it, inscribed with lines of the great poet’s verses.

As Ka Ka’s camera panned, Yan’s video feed suddenly filled with colorful subtitles of Li Bai’s poetry.

["The road to Shu is harder than climbing to the sky!"]

["Halfway ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‍up, I see the sun and sea; high above, I hear the heavenly rooster crow."]

She wasn’t the only one entering the museum at this time—many families with children had come here.

Ka Ka couldn’t see the comments that would appear after uploading the video, but she could already hear voices around her reciting the poems aloud.

Since she was filming, Ka Ka didn’t hire a tour guide. This so-called "cultural museum" mostly consisted of exhibition boards and digital screens displaying information.

Ka Ka quickly walked through and showcased different sections of the museum, staying silent the entire time. The only thing on screen was a small animated version of her holding a sign that read: ["Observe quietly, maintain silence."]

It wasn’t until she reached the souvenir area near the exit that she finally spoke.

"So many people here."

Curious if there was anything special, she stepped closer and realized they were stamping souvenir booklets.

By the time Ka Ka left, Yan noticed comments flooding in: ["Wasted 40 bucks."]

["Totally not worth 40 yuan—that guy was right, this museum has no real artifacts."]

["True, but hey, Ka Ka’s already here :)"].

Yan thought about it—official museums were usually free to enter, while paid exhibitions often featured borrowed artifacts from abroad.

During winter break, they had taken Chu Shen to the Forbidden City, where off-season tickets cost only 40 yuan! Even the Treasure Gallery, filled with priceless artifacts, charged just 10 yuan.

Of course, it was understandable for a private museum to charge an entry fee.

Leaving the museum, Ka Ka entered the "Li Bai’s Hometown" scenic area, where she heard even more recitations of poetry, accompanied by earnest parental lectures.

As she passed by, watching children recite verses in front of statues under their parents’ orders, she couldn’t help but feel like she was witnessing a "performance." A faint, amused smile tugged at her lips.

Li Bai’s former residence, the Taibai Forest of Steles—everywhere she looked, there were poems by the legendary poet, walls lined with verses.

Despite the cold weather, Ka Ka bought a cultural-themed ice cream.

On screen, Ka Ka stood before the Moon-Inviting Pavilion, holding up her ice cream—a chubby, cartoonish version of Li Bai raising a wine cup.

"The Poet Immortal raises his cup; I raise the Poet Immortal," Ka Ka teased.

Behind her stood a massive stone carving of Li Bai mid-toast, with a crescent moon crafted from jade looming in the background.

"Raising my cup, I invite the moon"—hence the name Moon-Inviting Pavilion.

The camera’s perspective rose higher and higher, widening into a panoramic view as she launched a drone to capture the scenery.

"Too bad it’s not nighttime," Ka Ka suddenly mused.

Though this was a reconstructed tourist site, everything here, steeped in the legacy of the Poet Immortal, filled her with a fervent longing—to drink beneath the moon just as he once did.

"How long has the moon graced the heavens? Pausing my cup, I ask this question," Ka Ka recited a line from her favorite poem, "Drinking Alone Under the Moon."

Then, out of nowhere, a line of system text floated before her eyes:

[Traveler Ka Ka has randomly triggered a blind-box travel destination—Li Bai Special.]

Ka Ka froze. She was still on vacation—how could this trigger on its own?

Several unknown travel blind boxes suddenly appeared in front of her. She randomly picked one and opened it.

Seeing the destination, she was momentarily bewildered. Why this place?

What connection did it have with Li Bai?