Though they had originally planned to leave first thing Monday morning, Shi Man wasn't in a good mood. More than that, she desperately needed to know if Qi Qi's suspicion had actually come true. So, after getting a full night's sleep, Shi Man went to Wang Qi Qi's room to wake her so they could head back. Until she got confirmation, she wouldn't be able to relax and enjoy the rest of their vacation here.

Shi Man knocked on Wang Qi Qi’s door for a long time, but no one answered. She found it strange; even if someone was asleep, such a racket should have woken them up. "Maybe they slipped out to explore," she muttered to herself.

This realization left Shi Man feeling decidedly sour. Even if the truth remained unconfirmed, Shi Man was already miserable enough to ruin her sleep the night before. She’d traveled all this way for a break, yet hadn't managed to enjoy herself properly. But Qi Qi and Han Tao, meanwhile—strolling yesterday, vanished today. Could they really have gone off seeking some secret discovery?

Feng Xuanxiang was packing his things when he saw Shi Man returning, looking dejected. "Manman, why the long face?" He immediately worried that she had run into Wang Qi Qi again and that the topic had somehow upset her. Lately, Feng Xuanxiang felt a genuine jolt of anxiety whenever his wife went to find Wang Qi Qi. He silently prayed that nothing major had gone wrong, or his poor heart truly wouldn't handle it.

"Qi Qi isn't in her room," Shi Man announced, puffing out her cheeks. She felt deeply unhappy.

Feng Xuanxiang understood immediately that his wife was just feeling unsettled. "Qi Qi probably felt a bit down, and Han Tao took her out for a walk. Didn't you notice Qi Qi's expression wasn't great yesterday? And their looks today—they both seemed like they wanted to comfort you but didn't know how." After all, this situation was complicated; who knew if Wang Qi Qi might be the one to 'win the prize' in a couple of days? But Feng Xuanxiang dared not voice this thought, as Shi Man was already unhappy enough.

After Feng Xuanxiang’s gentle persuasion, Shi Man felt a bit sheepish. Qi Qi rarely left her place to enjoy the springtime scenery, and frankly, there was a distinct lack of spark between her and Han Tao. Shi Man had hoped a change of environment might let them experience what it felt like to date. Yet here she was, upset simply because they weren't in their room. "Forget it, let's go out for a walk too. Whether we're happy or not, things have happened, and all we can do is focus on solving them. Moping around the room won't help at all." She might as well enjoy the surroundings, since who knew when they’d be back.

Since Shi Man suggested it, how could Feng Xuanxiang refuse? Truthfully, he felt uneasy too; this was his first child. But seeing Shi Man so down, he could only muster the energy to cheer her up.

Wang Qi Qi was admiring the scenery when she suddenly pointed toward Han Tao, who was quietly reading a book. "Look, isn't that Shi Man and Feng Xuanxiang?" Wang Qi Qi hadn't expected to see them. Although their expressions weren't exactly bright—perhaps a bit stiff—at least they looked better than they had this morning. "Shi Man? Han Tao looked up in disbelief in the direction Wang Qi Qi was pointing. "It really is Manman. Jeez, are they looking for us? Maybe they want to go back? That makes sense; if she’s unhappy, we should just leave sooner."

Wang Qi Qi considered that possibility and quickly directed Han Tao toward them, waving her hands energetically. "Hey! Manman, Old Feng, Manman, Old Feng!"

Hearing someone call her name, Shi Man habitually glanced toward the roadside, saw no one, and wondered where that familiar voice could be coming from.

"Hey! I'm on the boat!" Wang Qi Qi realized Shi Man was looking only at the shore and not toward the lake, so she called out again, clearly indicating her position.

On the boat? Shi Man turned skeptically toward the water's edge and saw a small rowboat approaching the bank. Wang Qi Qi was sitting at the bow, waving at her. "You guys actually went rowing?"

As the boat drew closer, Wang Qi Qi nodded sheepishly. "Yeah, we just rowed over for a bit... well, we just wanted to get out on the water for a change of pace, and bam, we ran right into you. I'm a little embarrassed."

Shi Man waved her hand, pretending not to care much. "If that's the case, find a place for us to board. Oh, and you're pushing it a bit, you two. You're buying dinner tonight," Shi Man thought, deciding she had to take advantage of Qi Qi's slip-up, or she’d regret it later.

Wang Qi Qi noticed a subtle shift in Shi Man's expression upon seeing her on the boat and immediately thought, Oh no. Even though Shi Man followed up with the dinner demand, "No problem, it’s just one meal." As for getting on board, Wang Qi Qi couldn't decide that herself. First, there was no dock nearby, and second, she worried about potential issues without a professional helping out.

Thankfully, after some searching by everyone and thanks to Han Tao's superior skill, Feng Xuanxiang and Shi Man managed to board safely. As soon as she was settled, Shi Man laughed, pointing at the items on the boat. "Are you having a picnic? You brought books and a camera? Good grief, I'm so jealous."

Wang Qi Qi gave a small, embarrassed laugh. "Yeah, the weather was too nice to waste. Han Tao and I were drinking tea on the balcony for ages, and then we suddenly thought we should take some pictures to prove we actually left. But Manman, being out here in nature, the whole feeling is so much better than staying indoors."

Shi Man hummed in agreement. "That’s true. Walking around, I already feel a bit better. Besides, my period is just late. What if in a few days, after tormenting me enough, it decides to show up again."

Wang Qi Qi didn't know if Shi Man was truly letting go of her worries or just pretending, but she affirmed, "Whatever the outcome, I support your decision."

Shi Man let out a soft sound. "Alright, boatman, start rowing. But why didn't you rent a motorboat? Han Tao, are you being too frugal?"

Han Tao could manage their two-person boat fine by himself, and with only two of them, they could find a quiet spot to drift with the current. But now there were two extra people, and one of them was complaining about this and that. "Old Feng, you can't just sit there. You start rowing too," Han Tao said, figuring if someone insisted on sitting on the far side, he wouldn't let that person off the hook.

Before Han Tao finished speaking, Wang Qi Qi cheerfully handed the paddle over. Feng Xuanxiang’s mouth twitched. "You two are a real pair—one talks, the other rows. But I genuinely don't know how to row." It wasn't that Feng Xuanxiang wanted to avoid rowing; he simply had no idea how. "I’m worried I’ll just make things worse," he admitted. "We should have just gotten a motorboat; it's faster and less effort." Shi Man brought up that point again.

Wang Qi Qi looked at Han Tao with an amused expression. She had suggested it, but someone overly concerned with appearances had refused. "Then I’ll drop you off at the dock, and you can rent a motorboat. They only have two-person ones, not four-person." "Fine, fine, just get us close to the dock," Han Tao conceded, which slightly displeased Shi Man. Wang Qi Qi remembered that pregnant women’s moods were famously fickle—laughing one moment, crying the next. Worried that Manman’s temper might turn similarly volatile, Wang Qi Qi quickly interjected, "Oh, Manman, I have some jelly and chocolate here, do you want some?"

"Yes," Shi Man replied, realizing she was hungry, so she accepted without ceremony.

Although this trip had its unpleasant moments, everyone left in good spirits in the end. "We have to come back in the autumn, Qi Qi. Let's invite Nana," Shi Man said affectionately, linking arms with Wang Qi Qi in the back, her head resting on Qi Qi’s shoulder. "If we hadn't gone rowing yesterday afternoon, it would feel like we’d been cooped up in the room the whole time. We missed so much beautiful scenery." Wang Qi Qi murmured in agreement. Perhaps Shi Man would feel better by then. As for Zhu Lina, a rich second-generation heiress, Wang Qi Qi felt it was necessary to drag her out. She was too wound up all the time; Wang Qi Qi worried that if this continued, she would become the very 'slave to money' she used to talk about. "We have to pull her out. When was the last time we went out like this? Must have been way back in our freshman year."

Shi Man agreed. "The first semester of freshman year. Starting from the second semester, she became so busy. She didn’t even join us for winter or summer breaks. That trip to France doesn't count." That had been for business, after all, even though everyone had a great time.

When the two returned home, they found Zhu Lina already seated in the study, poring over documents. They shook their heads silently—the diligent successor. "Nana, we brought you back some breakfast, it’s really good."

Zhu Lina thanked them and began eating. While the taste wasn't extraordinary to her, eating while listening to Shi Man and Wang Qi Qi describe the scenery, there was a fleeting moment where Zhu Lina felt weary of her endless studying and handling business. She was still a university student, yet her life bore no resemblance to that of her peers. Although she had chosen this path herself, lately, it just felt… wrong.

"Nana, let’s all go together in the autumn. I hear the maple leaves are stunning when they turn red," Wang Qi Qi noticed the envy in Zhu Lina's eyes and quickly added.

"Winter is nice too. I hear they have skiing. Heavens, I’ve never skied in my entire life," Shi Man said dreamily, closing her eyes. "Every time I see people speeding down those high slopes on TV, there's only one word for it: cool, super cool!"

Seeing the potential for autumn leaves and skiing, Zhu Lina desperately wanted to agree. But before she could accept, her eyes scanned the file in front of her, and her heart chilled. "I have too much work to handle; I might not have time." Noticing the slight look of disappointment on Wang Qi Qi and Shi Man's faces, she softened her refusal slightly. "If I have time then, I will definitely come." Zhu Lina didn't know that this was actually her polite way of saying no. When would she ever have free time, when would she have time to travel? Zhu Lina felt the possibility was slim to none.

Wang Qi Qi and Shi Man certainly understood this veiled refusal, but they decided to pretend they hadn't heard. When it was time to leave, they would just drag her along. After all, would anyone dare say it was wrong for Nana to take time off work? (To be continued)