Wang Qiqi listened to the birds chirping outside the window, just about to roll over and go back to sleep. She was utterly exhausted, more tired than pulling an all-nighter just to earn money. Wang Qiqi felt that what she had said yesterday had perhaps made someone overly excited, leaving her feeling like she almost couldn't hold on. However, the man finally said, "Qiqi, don't worry, I won't let that situation happen."

Wang Qiqi was too tired to even speak; she instinctively reached out and touched Han Tao’s face. "I know, I know. If it really happens, we'll just let nature take its course."

Wang Qiqi fell asleep immediately after saying that. She didn't realize her last sentence kept Han Tao awake for a long time. If Qiqi had said that at the beginning, Han Tao might have thought she was just trying to comfort him. But with this final remark before drifting off, he knew it was Qiqi’s genuine feeling. He held her tightly all night, which was one of the reasons Wang Qiqi felt so worn out.

Wang Qiqi emerged from the room looking groggy. She expected Shi Man to mock her, but after a quick exchange, she found that Shi Man and Feng Xuanxiang were in even worse shape than she was. "Did you two... not restrain yourselves?" As for the other person, he looked utterly unsatisfied—cough, scratch that, perhaps she was overthinking. It was more likely that the words Wang Qiqi spoke yesterday had kept the other pair awake as well.

Shi Man wearily shook her head at Wang Qiqi. "I didn't rest well. The moment I close my eyes, I dream of being heavily pregnant." Shi Man truly couldn't sleep, feeling her miserable days were imminent. Although Feng Xuanxiang had said that if they did have a child and it wasn't suitable, he would agree to an abortion, the reluctance in his tone showed Shi Man didn't want to lose the baby either. But she knew she couldn't possibly keep it; she was a student, and even if she were willing to give up her studies, she could perfectly imagine the expressions on the faces of her relatives at home.

"It will pass eventually. Besides, it hasn't been unheard of before," Wang Qiqi consoled. Though Manman hadn't said it, Wang Qiqi knew their choice would definitely be abortion. Manman was different from her; once Wang Qiqi made a decision, even Wang Damei and the others couldn't stop her. But Shi Man had parents and many considerations to account for.

"I hope so," Shi Man replied quietly. They had come out for a pleasant outing, but it ended up like this. "Let's eat. And hey, let’s stay for dinner before heading back. I need to go catch up on sleep with my Old Feng later."

Not only had Shi Man slept poorly, but she also knew Feng Xuanxiang hadn't slept well either. Even though he kept holding her, the constant patting on Shi Man’s stomach showed he hadn't slept. Driving in that state wouldn't do. "You two go have fun," Shi Man suggested.

Seeing Shi Man like this, Wang Qiqi lost all desire to go out. She brewed a pot of tea and settled onto the balcony, gazing at the scenery outside. "The people below are watching the scenery, and we are sitting on the balcony watching their scenery." Everyone was scenery in someone else's eyes. Although she regretted not being able to go out and have fun, the sun felt so wonderfully warm on her skin today, complemented by the gentle breeze. However, with Shi Man in a bad mood, if she and Han Tao went off enjoying themselves enthusiastically, Shi Man might feel even worse. Thinking of this, Wang Qiqi sighed.

Han Tao held his teacup, leisurely watching the view. Appreciating the scenery from a seated position was quite nice, and he realized how long it had been since he last felt so relaxed. To be so untroubled, not having to think about this or that—Han Tao realized such moments were rare. From childhood, he had too many things to consider; as he grew up, his mind was constantly consumed with earning money, unable to settle down.

"What’s wrong?" Han Tao wondered why the sigh came so suddenly. "Be careful, sighing too much makes you age faster."

"Beautiful scenery is right before my eyes, yet I can only... alas," Wang Qiqi said mournfully, looking at the richly blooming scenery below with deep sadness.

Han Tao recalled yesterday when Wang Qiqi was strolling along the path, excitedly planning to rent a boat to drift on the lake today and capture all the beautiful sights. Now she was confined to the balcony. "Let's go boating. The weather is perfect; we’re wasting it sitting here like an old couple drinking tea and sunbathing." They could do that at home; why travel so far for it? "Manman probably wouldn't want us to stay here and be unhappy with her either."

Wang Qiqi looked at the boats on the water, then at herself stuck in this small room. After pondering for a while, the attraction of the lake grew stronger for her. "It is a bit of a waste. Let's go down and row."

Worried about stimulating Shi Man and the others, the two carefully went downstairs and took a long detour. The feeling was somewhat like when she was a child and her parents wouldn't let Qiqi go out to play, so she snuck out with the help of her friends. "It feels just like when we were in school."

"When you were little, you were a quiet child; you rarely went out," Han Tao admitted. Despite being neighbors for so long, he didn't know a great deal about Wang Qiqi. He only knew she wasn't like many children who would run wild after school or during holidays, but often stayed home. Many people in the neighborhood’s first impression of Wang Qiqi was of a quiet, shy girl. Deeper inquiry revealed she was too introverted. Of course, later actions of Wang Qiqi caused them to secretly mutter that this girl was quite ruthless, not expecting her to be waiting below all along.

"My health wasn't great back then, and my mom worried I’d be bullied by other kids..." Wang Qiqi recalled how she used to complain about her parents and sneak out with friends, but every time it ended in trouble. "Now, I can't even find my parents to tell them to control me."

Seeing Wang Qiqi’s expression darken, Han Tao knew she had recalled unpleasant memories. "Should we rent a motorized one or a manual one?"

"Motorized, please. I worry neither of us can paddle the boat back," although a manual boat held a certain charm, Wang Qiqi didn't believe Han Tao had the ability to safely take her out and bring her back.

Han Tao had actually wanted to try rowing manually, planning to have Qiqi take a photo of him rowing. But he hadn't expected his girlfriend to undermine him like this. "I’ve rowed before; my technique is pretty good."

Wang Qiqi was surprised that someone actually knew how to do that, but the real question was, "When did you row, and where?" Don't try to bluff, Wang Qiqi thought. If something went wrong, no one would hear them; it wasn't summer where they could just jump in and swim back.

"Third grade. Don’t you remember the lake in Zhongshan Park where you could rent boats?" Han Tao said very seriously. "We went there frequently for spring and autumn outings, right? I rowed every time." Boating wasn't expensive then, and the cost was split among eight people.

Elementary school? And a man-made lake at that? Good heavens, from the shore here, one could clearly see the clothes people were wearing on the far side, indicating just how small that lake was. It was rumored the deepest part of that lake was barely two meters. "A renovated natural lake versus an artificial pond—do you think they are comparable?" Wang Qiqi scoffed. The deepest part of this lake was said to be over twenty meters. Wang Qiqi certainly didn't want to die during the best time of her life.

Han Tao looked at Wang Qiqi with a dejected expression. Could it be that his capabilities were truly that lacking? "Then I insist on trying the manual boat!" Deeply provoked, Han Tao felt he had to show Wang Qiqi some competence today, to let her know her man was quite capable. Han Tao honestly hadn't cared which type of boat they took, but now that he was challenged, rowing manually became a necessity.

Wang Qiqi was stunned, watching Han Tao stride towards the rental window. "Oh my god, no way." Wang Qiqi wondered if a man's pride was truly that important. Alas, Wang Qiqi could only silently pray to her parents to ensure they safely boarded and disembarked.

Whether Wang Qiqi's prayers worked or if the man's skills were genuinely impressive, the fact was, after some initial flurry and a bit of guidance from the staff, Han Tao finally managed to operate the boat quite smoothly. Though a little clumsy, he had officially left the dock. "My man still has some skill, right?" Han Tao said smugly.

Wang Qiqi was truly surprised. Her man was quite multi-talented! Relying on the rudimentary skills from his childhood play and the on-the-spot pointers from the staff, he was handling it quite well. Looking at the other boats rented around the same time, most weren't doing as smoothly; some were just spinning in circles. Just as Wang Qiqi was about to praise Han Tao, she noticed their boat had also started to spin. "Han Tao, oh Han Tao, I was just about to praise you, but look..." One shouldn't praise people; look, danger struck immediately.

Han Tao was startled, but he quickly stabilized the situation, then laughed self-deprecatingly. "Heaven wants me to focus on performing, not accepting praise."

Wang Qiqi nodded along beside him. "Exactly, exactly. People need to be grounded. We remember how capable you are regardless."

The two spent the entire afternoon nestled in the boat. Wang Qiqi had brought some food and drinks when they left. She snapped photos of any beautiful scenery she saw, while Han Tao on the opposite side occasionally lifted his camera too, though more often he was photographing Qiqi. In his heart, the most beautiful scenery was Wang Qiqi; wherever she was, even the most desolate landscape became beautiful. Excitedly playing, the two completely forgot they hadn't told Shi Man and the others, who must be frantically searching for them.

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