[GL Mystery] Lost Tracks - Chapter 1

The morning sunlight was always gentler, softly streaming in through the window, quietly bringing a touch of warmth.

The girl on the bed showed no intention of getting up.

Her face tilted slightly upward, perfectly catching the warm sunlight, which highlighted her excellent complexion.

Her naturally fair face took on a warm hue, with distinct features and a delicate appearance, looking especially beautiful on such a morning.

At her age, lazily lingering in bed, enjoying the sunlight and air, Xiyan couldn’t bear to open her eyes on such a lovely morning.

Mu Xiyan, 22 years old, was a freelancer. In her world, the concept of a “career” never existed, let alone any ambition.

Her life, from childhood to adulthood, flowed smoothly like a gentle stream, merging into the sea without any twists.

Her living expenses were modest.

Unlike other girls who spent most of their money on cosmetics or fashion, despite her decent income, she was relatively frugal—though only in certain aspects.

Most of her money and time went into traveling.

Yes, it might be hard to imagine that such a laid-back, unambitious girl would enjoy something as physically demanding as traveling.

That was because she was particularly passionate about things that interested her.

Though young, she had explored much of the country. In previous years, she traveled alone, targeting well-known domestic attractions.

But this year felt different, though she couldn’t quite pinpoint why.

She wanted to try a new way of traveling, to visit places no one else had been to.

Such an idea carried some risks, but once she made up her mind, she was determined to follow through. Travel expenses were never a concern for her.

Speaking of which, it’s worth mentioning Xiyan’s background. Xiyan had an older sister, three years her senior, named Mu Ximo.

They looked very similar, but Ximo’s lips were fuller, and her demeanor was much more mature, exuding a refined, feminine charm.

Busy with studies and caring for her younger sister, Ximo had turned down many suitors. The two sisters, having lost their parents to illness early on, relied on each other.

Fortunately, their parents left them a substantial inheritance, ensuring a worry-free life.

Both sisters were capable, smoothly completing their university education.

Ximo, always an excellent student, was directly admitted to graduate school at her university and later stayed on as a teacher.

She was now preparing for her doctorate. Xiyan, however, didn’t share her sister’s love for studying.

After graduating, she focused on traveling and, in her spare time, worked as a graphic designer in their small town.

Their home in the town was a small two-story old house, left to them by their parents, where they grew up.

Since Xiyan wasn’t short on money, she took on design jobs sporadically through the internet.

When not traveling, she rarely left the house, a true homebody.

Ximo disapproved of Xiyan’s lifestyle, hoping she would continue her studies at Ximo’s university, partly to keep an eye on her, as the town was quite far from the school, and partly to encourage her to learn more.

But Xiyan wasn’t interested, mainly because she disliked studying, and her flexible schedule allowed her to visit Ximo by train whenever she missed her. Ximo had no choice but to let her be.

Ximo had doted on Xiyan since childhood, and their bond was strong.

They attended the same university, but in different departments, so they no longer lived together after starting college.

With different interests—Xiyan always traveling, Ximo busy with research—they spent even less time together.

Ximo often said that once she earned her desired degree, she would travel the world with Xiyan, but that promise had yet to be fulfilled.

The clock ticked to ten o’clock, and the girl heard her stomach grumbling unhelpfully.

When she lived with Ximo, breakfast—rich and nutritious—was always ready on the table before she even got up.

Ximo was an excellent cook, and Xiyan sometimes thought whoever married her sister would be truly lucky.

But after starting university, those days were gone, and she missed them.

Still, her stomach was protesting, so she slowly sat up, stretched lazily, and glanced at the clock stopped at ten.

This was her biological clock—or rather, her stomach’s. If not for hunger, she might have slept until tomorrow.

Reluctantly, she got up, fed her stomach, and sat in front of her computer, searching online for her next destination.

Perhaps tired of her usual travel style, she decided to find a companion this time, to do something exciting together.

In a small town with few people, finding a local travel buddy seemed challenging.

She browsed the town’s forum for a while but found no one with shared interests.

So, she decided to visit the town’s travel club to see if she could find someone to join her.

On an autumn afternoon, the weather wasn’t hot but pleasantly cool.

Xiyan put on her favorite light-colored jeans and a white cotton shirt and headed out.

On the town’s main street, there was a club that offered various services for travelers.

Sometimes, travel and adventure enthusiasts gathered there to play board games or enjoy tea and drinks.

Xiyan had known about the place but never visited, thinking a small-town club would likely be underwhelming and lack exciting activities. But with no other options, she decided to check it out.

The club’s storefront wasn’t large, decorated in an antique style.

The door and window frames were made of dark, textured wood, looking as if tree trunks had been roughly nailed up.

The windows were completely opaque, possibly due to the dim interior.

Above the door hung a sign that read “Unexpected Travel Club.”

Xiyan looked up at it and pushed the door open. Though the exterior hid the interior, the inside was surprisingly bright.

The entire room was decorated with wood, but the wood looked newer than the storefront’s.

The setup was simple: a few bookshelves stood in the corners, holding scattered travel books.

To the left of the entrance was a reception desk, but no one was there. In the center of the room stood a multimedia terminal, a large touchscreen machine.

This machine piqued Xiyan’s curiosity. The town was far from big cities, and its residents lived simply, so she hadn’t expected a club to have such equipment. She quickly walked over to investigate.

“Hello, what travel services do you need?” the machine spoke as she approached.

A menu appeared on the screen, listing “International Travel, Domestic Travel, Self-Guided Tours, Adventure Tours.”

Without hesitation, Xiyan selected “Adventure”—exactly what she came for.

The screen then displayed a dazzling array of adventure options, each with detailed descriptions.

As she scrolled through, one project caught her interest.

She quickly clicked its name, and a card popped out from the machine’s base—a business card, to be precise.

It read “Gu Yue, Travel Project Manager,” with contact information below.

Xiyan found it intriguing and immediately dialed the number on her phone.