Bab 13: Chapter 13: The Arrival
It was a bright, sunny morning when Qin Li hauled her suitcase onto the train bound for Berchtesgaden.
Nestled at the foot of the Alps in southern Germany, Berchtesgaden was a small village with a population of less than ten thousand. Nearby lay the famous Königssee, a picturesque lake that attracted visitors from far and wide.
Qin Li was traveling alone to meet a farmer who had agreed to participate in the matchmaking program. He was supposed to pick her up at the station and take her to his farm. Traveling thousands of miles for a blind date—she couldn't help but feel she had officially joined the ranks of the absurd.
Because Berchtesgaden was so remote, getting there required multiple train transfers. There were no express routes, but she'd purchased her tickets in advance and had a detailed itinerary. What could possibly go wrong?
Apparently, quite a lot.
When she arrived at Munich Central Station, it was chaos. A rail strike had thrown everything into disarray. Protesters crowded the station, chanting slogans while tourists milled around in confusion. The bustling scene resembled a human tidal wave.
After navigating her way to the service desk, she learned that all express trains were canceled for the day. She mentally cursed her luck. So much for being prepared.
"Why do people here love protests so much?" she muttered under her breath as she got swept along by the crowd. Frustrated, she decided to find a quieter spot to call Dani for advice.
But just as she reached for her phone, trouble came her way in the form of two uniformed police officers.
They stopped right in front of her, their towering frames exuding authority.
One of them barked out something in German. Qin Li didn't catch every word, but she understood enough: they wanted to see her passport.
Obediently, she handed it over. One officer flipped through it briefly before returning it to her. Then he asked to check her bag.
Her bag? What was this about? The station was full of people. Why her? Did she look suspicious somehow?
But this was Germany, a country known for its strict protocols. A foreigner like her, unfamiliar with the rules, wasn't about to argue. She handed over her backpack, trying to suppress her unease.
The officer opened every pocket, inspecting the contents meticulously—wallet, phone case, everything. It was thorough, to say the least.
When they finally finished, they handed back her bag with a curt "Danke" and walked off.
Qin Li stood there, stunned. The whole ordeal had left her flustered, but at least it was over. She pulled out her phone to call Dani when she noticed something alarming: her wallet was gone.
Her stomach dropped. It had been right there! The only people who'd touched her bag were those two officers. Or rather, impostors.
"Fake cops," she realized, fury bubbling up inside her. But by the time she looked around, they had vanished into the crowd.
She groaned inwardly. Her cheerful morning mood was officially ruined. Fortunately, the damage wasn't catastrophic—her wallet only had €100 in cash. Her ID and train tickets were still in her bag, and she quickly locked her stolen cards via phone.
"Could've been worse," she muttered, though it didn't make her feel much better.
As she finished dealing with the fallout, her phone rang. Dani's name lit up the screen.
"Where are you? Everything okay?" Dani asked.
Qin Li gave her a quick rundown of the debacle.
"Wow, your luck is off the charts today. First a train strike, then fake cops? You should buy a lottery ticket!"
Qin Li chuckled wryly. "Maybe I should. If I win the jackpot, I'll split it with you."
Dani laughed. "Deal. But seriously, did you report it to the police?"
"No. It's just €100, and I've locked my cards. I still have my ID and tickets, so it's not worth the hassle."
"Lucky for them, I guess. So how are you getting to Berchtesgaden now?"
"I mapped out an alternative route. It'll take seven hours with all the transfers, but I'll get there."
"Seven hours?! You could almost fly back to China in that time!" Dani exclaimed.
"What choice do I have?"
"Well, at least call Yan Sen and let him know. He might think you're standing him up otherwise."
Yan Sen was the farmer she was supposed to meet.
"Good idea. I'll call him now," Qin Li said.
After ending the call, she hesitated for a moment before dialing Yan Sen's number. Her heart raced as the phone rang. She'd never spoken to him before and wasn't sure what to expect.
The call connected quickly, and a deep, husky voice came through the line. It carried a lazy warmth, tinged with a hint of impatience.
"Hello?"
Her mind went blank. For some reason, she pictured him standing in his overalls, leaning on a pitchfork, sweat glistening on his sun-kissed neck as he held the phone between his shoulder and ear.
Her cheeks grew hot. She was so caught up in her own imagination that she forgot to speak.
"Hello?" he repeated, this time with a note of irritation.
Qin Li quickly introduced herself, "Hi, this is Qin Li… your, uh, matchmaking partner."
Yan Sen's response was a simple, dispassionate "Oh." His tone wasn't exactly warm. "Have you arrived?"
"Not yet, I—"
He interrupted, "When will you get here?"
"By 10 p.m.," she replied.
"Are you planning to walk here?" he quipped, the subtle sarcasm in his voice making her blush.
"No, it's just… the trains are on strike today. I have to transfer multiple times, which is causing a delay."
"Where's your transfer point?"
She quickly listed her stops, and without hesitation, Yan Sen decided, "Get off at Bergen. I'll pick you up from there."
Qin Li double-checked her itinerary. His plan would save her nearly a third of the journey, cutting her arrival time down to 5 p.m. instead of 10 p.m.
"Okay, I'll be wearing a blue-gray coat, a white dress, and black boots," she added.
Yan Sen chuckled lightly, a deep, resonant sound. "I already know what you look like. Besides, there aren't many Asians around here to confuse you with."
His calm, teasing tone wasn't flirtatious, but it still managed to unnerve her.
After agreeing on the new meeting point, Qin Li ended the call. She still didn't know much about him beyond his rugged appearance as a farmer. Yet, those few words painted a picture of someone with a sharp wit and perhaps a bit of a temper.
What kind of man is he really? she wondered.
Her feelings were a whirlwind—nerves, excitement, curiosity—all swirling together as she resumed her journey. After five hours of travel, she finally reached Bergen.
As she stepped off the train, pulling her suitcase behind her, she immediately spotted him. The station was small, with only a few passengers disembarking, and there he was, sitting on a bench.
Yan Sen hadn't changed his clothes. He still wore his iconic leather suspender pants, his hands stuffed casually in his pockets. His hair was short on the sides but longer on top, slicked back with what looked like mousse—a vintage "slick-back" style that reminded her of Nazi officers from 1930s documentaries.
He lounged back in the seat, sunglasses shading his eyes, looking as though he were basking in the sun.
Is he a farmer… or a neo-Nazi?
The ridiculous thought sent a chill down her spine. She hesitated to approach him, her imagination running wild.
As if sensing her uncertainty, Yan Sen suddenly turned his head and locked eyes with her. His gaze was sharp and unyielding, making escape impossible. Before she could reconsider, he stood and strode toward her.
He removed his sunglasses and extended his hand. "I'm Yan Sen. Nice to meet you."
Up close, he was even more imposing. Towering over her at least six feet tall, his presence radiated a quiet dominance that was hard to ignore.
Qin Li shook his hand, introducing herself while stealing a glance at his eyes. They were piercingly blue, like glass marbles shimmering under the sunlight, purer than the vast sky behind him.
He was just as handsome as his photo, but his striking appearance only intensified her earlier impression of him as a stoic, unyielding figure.
Taking her suitcase without another word, Yan Sen turned and walked toward the parking lot.
Qin Li had no choice but to follow.
She assumed he had come by car, and technically, he had. It was just that…
She rubbed her eyes to be sure she wasn't imagining it.
Nope, she wasn't.
Yan Sen's "ride" was a tractor.
A massive tractor with oversized wheels, an open canopy, and a seat that sat high enough to make every other vehicle look minuscule. As it idled in the parking lot, it took up two entire spaces, outshining even the neighboring Hummer.
Qin Li had been on her fair share of awkward dates, but she'd never encountered a farmer showing up on a literal tractor.
Forget the white horse. This guy's really leaning into the farmer aesthetic, she thought, dumbfounded.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone