Wang Lina returned home to find Shi Man slumped motionlessly on the sofa. She wondered what was wrong with the girl; just a few days ago, she had been so smug. Why was she so lifeless today? Could it be that Feng Xuanxiang had canceled their trip? But that didn't seem right either; she had helped book the flights and find the room. If it were canceled, wouldn't they have notified her?

Seeing Zhu Lina push the door open, Wang Qiqi shot her a series of meaningful glances. "Nana, the tickets for Manman and me to France are booked, right?"

So that was the issue. Zhu Lina couldn't help but smirk internally. Serves her right. Who told her to say that certain someone was unforgivable, only to turn around and plan a getaway to Hainan with him? If she didn't teach her a lesson, she’d never learn. To be fair, if Mother Xuanxiang hadn't mentioned it before, she really would have let Manman tag along this time. It was a shame for Qiqi, though. While her English was decent, the French were notoriously arrogant; even if you spoke English and they understood, they might still ignore you. As for Han Tao, his English was better on paper, and his spoken skills were lacking. Even though Han Tao was a man, compared to Shi Man, he was somewhat redundant aside from carrying bags.

"They're booked. It's the flight on the evening of the 30th. By the way, Qiqi, are your classes sorted out?"

Wang Qiqi had a class scheduled for the 31st.

Shi Man, still curled up on the sofa, heard Zhu Lina loudly announce the flight date and instantly panicked. She hadn't expected Zhu Lina to move so fast. "Ah, the tickets are booked already?" What was she going to do? Shi Man had planned to discuss it with Zhu Lina tonight, but she had acted so swiftly, even booking the tickets. Now what?

Zhu Lina thought to herself, the cast was set, and New Year's Day was just a few days away. Sigh, the tickets were expensive too, even with the company's airline discount. "What day is it today? If we don't book the tickets now, are you two even going to leave?"

Shi Man weighed her options: her friends on one side, her boyfriend on the other. She genuinely didn't know what to do. She ended up clutching her head with both hands. Maybe I should just call Feng Xuanxiang and tell him, she thought. He had stood her up so many times before; surely he would understand that she couldn't make the vacation this time due to important matters. But Shi Man felt it was terribly unfair to abandon Feng Xuanxiang like this, especially since she had agreed to his plans first. Truthfully, Shi Man preferred going to Hainan over this trip to France. Once travel time was deducted, they would only be there for about two days—what was there to enjoy? It felt like the whole trip was just an excuse for shopping, and it was even more rushed than last time, which hadn't been a pleasant experience. Going again was foolish. However, this was a venture meant to earn money for everyone; pushing it onto Qiqi seemed a bit much.

Shi Man considered further: Zhu Lina wasn't going, yet she had arranged all the flights and hotels. If the person who was supposed to contribute suddenly backed out, wasn't that also excessive? They were all contributing financially, yet Qiqi was putting in both money and effort for the same share of the profit. Wouldn't Qiqi eventually become unhappy?

"How about, how about..." Shi Man paused, then decided. Forget it; she would go to France and ask him to postpone the Hainan trip by a few days. She could just take a few extra days off.

Just then, the house phone rang. Shi Man casually answered it. Because she was facing away from Wang Qiqi and Zhu Lina, neither of them noticed the rapid shifts in Shi Man's expression. They were delighted that they had managed to shock the girl.

After hanging up, Shi Man didn't bother looking at Wang Qiqi and the others. She could already guess they must be ecstatic. "I’m going to pack my bags. Is the flight tonight?" Hmph, you wanted to scare me? Fine, I’ll play along and see who scares whom.

Wang Qiqi and Zhu Lina had intended to tease Shi Man a little longer, but they hadn't expected her to declare she was going to France. What were they supposed to do now? Both women were momentarily stunned. If Shi Man really went to France, wouldn't it jeopardize Feng Xuanxiang's happiness? After all, a certain someone had agreed to many conditions.

"What do you think will happen if Feng Xuanxiang finds out his girlfriend can't go to Hainan because of us?" Wang Qiqi shuddered, even though Feng Xuanxiang projected a 'nice guy' image. When he simply stared at you without speaking, Wang Qiqi felt like she was being eyed by a viper—an experience that could only be described as worse than death. It was only because Shi Man had thicker nerves that she could handle it, but Wang Qiqi dared not offend Feng Xuanxiang.

Zhu Lina mused that Feng Xuanxiang had been looking forward to this trip for a long time. If he found out about the situation, he might not be harsh toward Shi Man, but would he be polite to us? "We’ve gone too far this time, haven't we? But Manman looked quite reluctant just now." Her expression clearly showed how much she didn't want to go to France, yet in the blink of an eye, she changed her mind. It was as if she had received a call just then. Could it have been Feng Xuanxiang?

"I'm going to the study to make a call." Zhu Lina decided she couldn't show fear yet. If the Hainan trip was indeed canceled, the flight arrangements would definitely need changing, and hopefully, the fees wouldn't be too high.

Wang Qiqi gave an 'OK' gesture. She knew her next task was to engage Shi Man in conversation. "Hmph, I hope this girl isn't just bluffing."

Wang Qiqi entered Shi Man’s room and was startled to see her pulling out her autumn, or rather, summer clothes, and stuffing winter garments into her suitcase. She raised an eyebrow. Could the girl actually be serious about going to France? Although Wang Qiqi held this thought, she concealed it well. "Manman, it's wonderful that you can come. It will be tougher than last time, but we have to do it for our wallets, right?"

Shi Man was smug, thinking Wang Qiqi had come in to check on her packing. Hmph! After that call, if she still couldn't figure out Qiqi and Zhu Lina's little scheme, she’d truly be an idiot. How could she not retaliate? In her excitement, Shi Man forgot one crucial detail: Zhu Lina hadn't followed her in. Of course, she had briefly asked and, upon learning Zhu Lina was busy with business, Shi Man didn't dwell on it. It was the end of the year, and Zhu Lina was busy; weren't they busy too?

Wang Qiqi and Shi Man chatted about the plans for the France trip. To completely convince Wang Qiqi that she was genuinely going, Shi Man deliberately mentioned many delicacies they had missed on their second trip to France. Wang Qiqi, in turn, raved about how good the coffee was, admitting that even their home machine couldn't compare, and even coffee brewed by Shi Man, the best amateur barista they knew, still fell slightly short.

After thanking the person on the other end again, Zhu Lina was about to stand up to truly startle that girl when she suddenly sat back down and made another call. A short while later, she hung up. Having secured the result she needed, Zhu Lina settled back into her chair and quietly began reviewing documents. The course of events was still following the original plan. She had meant to tease Manman, but she almost got tripped up herself. Really, but even the cleverest fox can't outwit a brave hunter.

After chatting with Shi Man for a long time, Wang Qiqi failed to see Zhu Lina return. Could Feng Xuanxiang really have an issue and not be able to go to Hainan? Panic flared in Wang Qiqi. This was meant to be the first trip for her and Han Tao as a couple, and in France, a truly memorable place. If the plan changed now... She remembered yesterday when Han Tao took her out to dinner; he had been thrilled, talking about where they should stroll around. He had also insisted on having a sketch artist draw a picture of them together. His idea made Wang Qiqi stick out her tongue. While going in the summer was hot, it was certainly better than standing on the street now, buffeted by the river wind. But since her boyfriend had this idea, Wang Qiqi felt she should indulge him, especially since the bust sketch done by a street artist last time had turned out quite well. Despite the high price, the feeling was different. However, if Manman went, Han Tao might choose not to go at all.

Wang Qiqi thought anxiously. But if there were a real change, Zhu Lina surely would have given her some hint, right? Any alteration would mean a significant discount on the perks promised by Feng Xuanxiang. But if he had such a huge change of plans, the future capitalist, Zhu Lina, would probably find a way to recoup double the losses from Feng Xuanxiang. Oh well, regardless of whether Shi Man goes to France or not, it makes no difference. The optimistic Wang Qiqi reasoned that if Shi Man didn't go, it would be quality time for her and Han Tao alone. If Shi Man did go, Han Tao could rest well at home. JOHN had mentioned that Han Tao would be very busy once there. Han Tao had been keeping up with the project's progress via email, and the message was that he should familiarize himself with things in advance so he could jump straight into work without needing intensive onboarding once he arrived. With this realization, Wang Qiqi completely calmed down. It was the same outcome either way.

Shi Man, as she talked, noticed that Wang Qiqi had become completely placid. Perhaps her earlier calmness was superficial, masked by underlying anxiety in her eyes, but now that anxiety was gone. Shi Man thought: Could they have found out the truth by now?

Shi Man snapped out of her excitement and carefully replayed the sequence of events. That was it; Zhu Lina had probably made a few calls and learned the real story. "Fine, I agree to go to Hainan with Feng Xuanxiang." Shi Man conceded, recounting the contents of the call she had just received. "So, you guys think you can trick me, but I can't trick you back?"

Zhu Lina checked the time, calculating that it was about right. She worried that if she didn't intervene soon, she would make Wang Qiqi too anxious. She couldn't believe a couple wouldn't be excited about their first trip together—otherwise, why had Wang Qiqi’s expression been so strained earlier?

……(To be continued)