Wang Qiqi followed the crowd to the exit, gazing out at the dense mass of people. She felt a wave of dizziness wash over her; there were far too many people. How was she ever supposed to meet up with Shi Man? In an age without cell phones, staying connected with friends at all times was a genuine headache.

Qiqi widened her eyes, scanning everywhere, hoping to spot a large sign bearing her name. Though perhaps a bit gaudy, it was the only way to quickly link up with Shi Man. After sweeping her gaze around several times, Qiqi admitted she hadn't seen any sign displaying her name in either English or Chinese. "Could it be Shi Man didn't come to meet me?" Heavens, what a predicament. Staying or leaving the airport was now the question. Still, Shi Man had said yesterday she bought train tickets and would be there to pick her up—she wouldn't just fail to show. Perhaps something held her up on the road, or traffic? That seemed like a common enough issue in the automobile kingdom of the United States.

Qiqi decided to wait for Shi Man by the arrival gate. She was stuck between a rock and a hard place. "I'll wait for Manman for two hours. If she doesn't show, I'll find a spot with Wi-Fi and contact Feng Xuanxiang..." But then, where would she find a signal? And was Feng Xuanxiang even sitting by his computer right now? Rumor had it the God of Wealth often wandered off. Given all this, Wang Qiqi had a creeping suspicion that this whole trip might turn into a complete disaster.

Wang Qiqi sat down on her suitcase, engrossed in a travelogue. Her air of placidity left a deep impression on the hurried tourists and greeters rushing past. They found her odd, reading so intently in such a busy place, behaving as if she were settled in a library.

Shi Man arrived at the airport, breathless and hauling luggage. Seeing Wang Qiqi tucked away by the exit, quietly reading, made her simultaneously relieved and anxious. She knew she was over an hour late, but truly, it wasn't her fault.

Shi Man caught her breath, then slowly approached Qiqi, nudging her. "Qiqi, Qiqi."

Hearing such a familiar voice, Wang Qiqi looked up and saw Shi Man was covered in sweat. "Did something happen on the road?" she asked, otherwise, why this state?

Shi Man felt a wave of relief upon hearing Qiqi’s concern, knowing she wasn't angry. "Yes, I took a bus straight from the train station. Who knew the traffic would be so bad? I could have been here ages ago, but the jam lasted two full hours." All along the way, Shi Man's heart had been pounding, genuinely worried Qiqi might have already left.

Wang Qiqi tucked her book into her bag, pulled out a handkerchief, and handed it to Shi Man, taking one suitcase in each hand (one belonged to Shi Man). "It's good you're here. I was starting to worry something had happened to you."

Shi Man took the handkerchief to dab her forehead. "Let's go. First, we’ll take transport to where we're staying, drop off the bags, and then we can properly start exploring." New York—a name she had only heard whispered before, and now here she was, setting foot on this land. Wang Qiqi hummed in agreement. "Our budget trip is about to begin. Manman, are you ready? Jì," after discussing it extensively and soliciting advice from other travelers, the two had finally booked a short-term rental apartment. Strictly speaking, the price was comparable to a mid-range hotel, but the hotel lacked a kitchen, whereas the rental had one. When traveling, food, lodging, and transport consumed the bulk of the budget. Having a kitchen meant Wang Qiqi could cook dinner herself. Though a bit of a hassle, with so little money between them, they had to conserve wherever possible.

Shi Man nodded. "I’ve already figured out the route to our temporary spot. I must admit, it’s quite convenient where it is, thanks in part to New York’s sprawling subway system. Otherwise, just the taxi fare alone would have drastically shrunk both our purses."

Over the following five days, Wang Qiqi and Shi Man managed a general tour of New York, visiting Columbia University. Although it was summer break, many students were still rushing about campus. "Back home, you often hear people say it’s easy for foreigners to go to university. Now look at how seriously these people are working," Qiqi remarked, pointing to the busy students clutching piles of books. C University was considered excellent back home, and many students there were diligent, but one rarely saw this level of dedication even during term time, let alone during breaks. The fact that Qiqi and Shi Man often frequented the campus library was proof enough of how conspicuous this diligence was.

Shi Man agreed. "It might be easy to get into foreign universities, but hard to graduate. But in our country, getting into university is hard, yet once accepted, many just coast along. University should be the most important time, the period demanding the most focus, but in China, it’s the opposite. But what can you do? So much of what the teachers cover feels divorced from reality. Plus, many renowned professors are now heavily involved in work outside teaching, dampening their enthusiasm for instruction. Under such conditions, how much dedication to learning can you expect from the students?"

The two wandered the campus like idle strollers. Their leisurely pace eventually became embarrassing, not just to onlookers but to Qiqi and Shi Man themselves. "Maybe we should go wander over to Central Park next door?" In such an intense atmosphere of scholarship, Wang Qiqi felt like a thief wasting time. "Good idea," Shi Man readily agreed. Even if she couldn't get into Columbia’s graduate program, it didn't matter; she’d have plenty of time to stroll around if she ever came to the States later.

Though they knew from the internet and guidebooks that Central Park was vast and free, the moment Wang Qiqi and Shi Man stepped inside, they were truly astonished. Especially considering this expanse sat in Manhattan, one could easily calculate the immense output value if this land were converted into skyscrapers. Yet, New Yorkers hadn't touched it, keeping it a free park.

Even though it was summer, the park's excellent greenery and the shade from the large trees kept the heat at bay. Wang Qiqi and Shi Man felt hardly any warmth as they strolled through. Being a weekday, the park wasn't overly crowded, but they frequently saw dog lovers walking their pets, young parents pushing strollers to enjoy the scenery, or elderly couples with silver hair. If they tired, there were always benches along the paths, and even if they couldn't find one, they could simply pick a patch of lawn and sit down. Along the way, Wang Qiqi spotted several groups of young people, likely Columbia students, gathered to chat or debate—a scene rarely observed in Chinese parks, which were usually packed with tourists rushing through, snapping photos merely to prove they had been there.

"So leisurely. I really want to find a spot and just lie down for a while," Shi Man said, her pace slowing the further they walked, as if afraid of disturbing the park's overall tranquility. "Next time we come, we should bring food and have a picnic like them," Shi Man pointed to a family of five sitting on the grass.

Wang Qiqi just stared at the sky in exasperation. "Do you think we're in the capital city?" This wasn't Beijing; they couldn't just pop over whenever they pleased. They were tourists, and tourists needed to act like tourists; they couldn't be this relaxed.

Does the capital even have a park this big? Shi Man mused. If such a large area in the very center of the capital were dedicated solely to public leisure, she figured it would have been torn down long ago and replaced by commercial districts or residential blocks. "The only place in central Beijing that large is the Forbidden City, and even that charges admission." Shi Man suspected if the Forbidden City weren't an ancient structure, it too might have been flattened.

"We’ll have a proper visit next year when we come back to the States. We’ve seen Columbia and Central Park today, so our mission is accomplished," Wang Qiqi stated rather bluntly. Their original plan hadn't even included Columbia University. But after the long journey to New York, they arrived at noon, checked into their accommodation, dropped their bags, and immediately changed plans to visit C and Central Park.

According to Shi Man’s view, universities were largely similar. She often took evening walks with Han Tao to scope out MIT or Harvard. But Columbia gave her a different feeling altogether. And the seemingly unremarkable Central Park turned out to be quite fascinating—a massive oversight on her part. However, they couldn't linger too long in either spot; who knew what better, more immersive places lay ahead?

"I regret it, Qiqi," Shi Man suddenly declared, the words vague but clear enough for Wang Qiqi to understand her meaning. "I regret it too, but what can we do?" Jì, currently, Wang Qiqi’s thought was to just stay in New York for an in-depth exploration. Even if half a month felt like a long time, they could stay eight or ten days, then head to Boston to see those world-class institutions. Even if they never had the chance to enroll, they should at least visit and take pictures as a memento. The problem was, regret didn't change their bookings. They had already reserved their subsequent hotel stays and train tickets. Backing out now would mean significant financial loss. "I really think you shouldn't make plans too detailed." They had booked flights early precisely for the discount, and now they regretted it. It was too awkward to cancel, yet too costly to proceed.

Shi Man felt the same way. But what choice did they have? She sighed. "Let’s head back. We’ll take a proper look next time. You’re tired; let’s go rest."

In the following days, especially visiting many of the museums, Wang Qiqi felt they were merely ticking boxes, achieving only a "been there, done that" status. It was marginally better than a guided tour, but not by much.

A miserable Bubu stayed up until the early hours, immediately calculating costs in the shopping cart to place an order. She could place the order, she could pay, but the item was gone—it had only been available for seven minutes! Utterly frustrated, Bubu decided she wasn't going to open Taobao today. She was furious.