"What, you're actually giving up on such a great opportunity?" Shi Man stared hard at Wang Qiqi and complained loudly, "Such a wonderful mentor is offering to teach you!" Never mind the tuition fees; at the very least, it shows how much that person values Wang Qiqi. Qiqi is truly lucky, running into such excellent mentors one after another.

"Tired. Besides, what's the point of studying translation? It doesn't align with my future plans," Wang Qiqi drawled, sprawled across the sofa. "I'm not planning to be a full-time translator. Even if I studied for a few years, I might be leaving the country before I even master it. Why waste so much time?" The scope of knowledge required for translation was so vast it was downright terrifying to Wang Qiqi. What if an unexpected situation arose and she couldn't handle it? To stress herself out like that for such meager pay—Wang Qiqi calculated it simply wasn't worth it.

Shi Man considered this and agreed. "Hmm, that’s true. Your main focus in the future will definitely be overseas, so learning all that is useless. Are you planning to do that after you go abroad?"

Taking advantage of the rare downtime, Wang Qiqi flipped through a book on photography. "Didn't you have a date today?" Didn't someone say she planned to go out and deepen the connection with her boyfriend before he left the country?

"A last-minute work emergency. Honestly! He’s about to resign, yet they keep piling things on him, acting like losing him is a huge loss to the company because he's such a talent." Shi Man couldn't stand the faces some people put on. When they used to bully him, fine, but now that Feng Xuanxiang is leaving in June, everyone’s tune has changed—now Feng Xuanxiang is such a great employee. They constantly drag him to events, giving him chances to shine in front of the higher-ups. It seems they only know Feng Xuanxiang is leaving, so they rush to show their superiors how well they look after their subordinates. Yet, they work him even harder; the amount of work he has to do hasn't lessened at all.

"Just endure it to get a good reference on your file," Wang Qiqi thought. Files were the most detestable things; everything was done behind closed doors. To avoid having your supervisor write something negative on it, you just had to suck it up. Of course, this applies to those striving for advancement. For someone like Wang Qiqi, who is determined to be a self-employed professional, the file seems useless. Though, perhaps it's needed for things like studying abroad or immigration.

Bored and thoroughly frustrated, Shi Man couldn't bear to look at the French book in her hands. She felt she should be out exploring mountains and rivers instead of stuck at home staring into Wang Qiqi's eyes. The more she thought about it, the more the outside scenery seemed to beckon her. "Qiqi, let's go out for a stroll and change our mood. Didn't you say you've become a workaholic lately? It's been ages since you breathed some fresh air."

Go out? Wang Qiqi finally lifted her gaze from the book. "But it’s getting late now; we can't see much scenery." It was already afternoon... What view could they possibly see? They'd likely only wander until dusk. "How about we go tomorrow? I don't have classes until the afternoon the day after. Are you free?"

"I can skip class." Shi Man hated the Monday morning session; being a little bad student once in a while sounded nice. "Let’s go to the place Feng Xuanxiang and I originally planned. We can stay the night, and then wander back after a good breakfast on Monday morning." Get out and properly see what spring looks like—the spring in the North was truly late this year. "Or, should we go today?"

"Go today?" Wang Qiqi checked the time. Leaving now meant they could sleep in tomorrow. "Deal. Is that place far?" Since they had decided to go, Wang Qiqi immediately darted into her room to pack, making sure to call Han Tao first.

When Han Tao heard his beloved girlfriend was planning an outing, he replied, "Wait for me, I’ll come with you as soon as I finish this work." Han Tao, on the other end of the line, realized he hadn't spent much time with Qiqi lately. Conversely, Comrade Dai Lijun had completely changed since starting his relationship; he disappeared every other day, returning with a smug smile that needed no explanation—he’d been on a date. He’d even told Han Tao that Han Tao and Wang Qiqi didn't look like a dating couple but more like an old married pair, lacking any real passion. Han Tao used to think his relationship with Wang Qiqi was fine; he preferred the steady, slow burn. But watching the usually introverted and rigid 'Dumb Guy' transform after finding love, Han Tao couldn't compare him to the silly boy from six months ago. After seeing how Dai Lijun, Shi Man, and the others handled their romances, Han Tao deeply felt that his relationship with Wang Qiqi was too placid.

"Coming with me?" Wang Qiqi felt it was strange while packing. "You're coming too?" No way. If Han Tao came, what did that make Shi Man? She thought she was just informing him, not inviting him.

Han Tao sensed that Wang Qiqi didn't seem keen on him joining, and he felt quite wronged. "Qiqi, you don't want me to come? We haven't been out together in ages. Every time we manage a meal, we have to rush back to work. Please, I miss you."

The rare moment of him acting coquettish stunned Wang Qiqi. Thinking about what Han Tao said, and then thinking about Shi Man and the others, she realized her dates with Han Tao were either about focusing on their separate tasks or just grabbing a quick meal. It truly was too quiet. "Okay, then how much longer will you need?"

"Half an hour," Han Tao replied excitedly. "Why don't you come over and help me pack in a bit?"

After hanging up, Wang Qiqi suddenly remembered that if she told Shi Man she was bringing Han Tao along, Shi Man might just throttle her. Just as Wang Qiqi hesitated on how to approach Shi Man, she saw her walk in hesitantly. "Qiqi, um, um..."

Wang Qiqi looked at the conflicted Shi Man. "What's wrong?" Surely she didn't want to cancel?

"Well, my Old Feng just finished up, and he wants to come along." Shi Man realized they had only booked one room. If Old Feng came, she couldn't bring Qiqi. Shi Man worried about how Qiqi would react if she found out. After all, Shi Man had just spent ages vividly describing the beautiful scenery of their destination, successfully piquing Wang Qiqi’s interest. Now she had to tell Qiqi, "Sorry Qiqi, I have to go with my man."

Wang Qiqi froze. Wait, Feng Xuanxiang was coming too? That was good; it meant bringing Han Tao wouldn't be an issue. But Wang Qiqi remembered something very important. "Can we get a room now? I can call my Old Han."

"Right, we bring Old Feng, and Qiqi brings her Old Han?" Shi Man started dialing, praying there was a room available. As for whether the busy Han Tao would actually go out, Shi Man felt zero pressure. If Qiqi, his girlfriend, asked her boyfriend to come out for a trip, there was no way he'd refuse unless he didn't want to work anymore.

"First, see if there’s a room. If there is, I’ll head over immediately to pack," Wang Qiqi thought, deciding that Shi Man would owe her one for this favor.

Whether Shi Man’s prayers worked or simply fewer people were visiting the scenic spot that day, there was indeed a room left—though only one! "There’s one more room! I booked it!" Shi Man exclaimed excitedly. "Qiqi, hurry and help pack! We leave at four, taking a cab straight there."

Wang Qiqi responded with an "oh," grabbed her already packed bag, and hurried towards the sofa, snatching up the photography book she had been reading. Shi Man noticed Wang Qiqi hadn't forgotten her book and glanced over, seeing it was about photography. Her mouth dropped wide open. Good heavens, was Qiqi actually starting to study this? Her photography was already excellent; was she seriously pursuing further education? How were the rest of them supposed to live? Shi Man felt that Wang Qiqi was walking further and further down the path of "not sticking to the main path." Learning languages was for ease of travel, reading geography books was for travel convenience, but why did she need continuous study in photography as well? In Shi Man’s view, the photos Wang Qiqi already produced were breathtaking enough; no more advanced study was necessary. Shi Man felt immense pressure just being friends with Wang Qiqi. She thought she might finally catch up, only to find Qiqi had switched tracks again, excelling effortlessly. This left Shi Man feeling rather melancholic.

Han Tao looked up as Wang Qiqi burst in. "I'll need about fifteen more minutes."

Wang Qiqi glanced around and noticed Dai Lijun lounging at home, finding it very strange. "Not out on a date?" Wasn't this the day he was supposed to be on a date?

"Just got back," Dai Lijun said, looking pleased at Wang Qiqi’s travel attire. "You should go out and have some fun. Staying cooped up at home isn't right..."

Wang Qiqi stared at the 'Dumb Guy,' who was now lecturing about how young people should date, a thick black line appearing on her face. "Dumb Guy, is that really you?" Since he officially started dating, his transformation had been drastic, from taciturn to utterly garrulous. Wang Qiqi seriously wanted to ask why, when they were both in relationships, the 'Dumb Guy' had changed so much. He even had a whole set of well-reasoned arguments. If she hadn't witnessed his change day by day, Wang Qiqi might have suspected he’d been reborn or time-traveled.

Dai Lijun, who had been speaking cheerfully, became unhappy when Wang Qiqi said that. "Who else would it be? I'm kindly offering advice on dating. Han Tao is a looker—good at studies and work. If you don't keep an eye on him, someone will snatch him away, and you’ll have nowhere to cry."

"Thanks, but don’t you think if Han Tao really did get snatched away, my own market value wouldn't be too bad?" Although Dai Lijun meant well, the condescending tone towards women in his words annoyed Wang Qiqi. She stomped over to Han Tao's room to pack, making sure to call Han Tao in with her.

Before entering the room, Han Tao shot a fierce glare at the culprit, the 'Dumb Guy.' Going out should have been a wonderful thing, but the 'Dumb Guy' had managed to sour the atmosphere a bit. Oh well, the first thing he needed to do inside was apologize to Qiqi. A gentleman always apologizes. (To be continued)