Having finished the exams and eaten their fill, the time for parting arrived once again. Wang Qiqi considered staying in the capital for a while, at least to keep Luo Hongjuan company. After all, Luo Hongjuan had been in the city for quite some time, busy with exams and setting up her shop, having barely spent any quality time with her. As soon as Wang Qiqi let slip her intention to stay, Luo Hongjuan became flustered. "Why stay for me? You know how it is; I'm constantly running between the shop and here. If you stay, you’ll just be sitting in the shop with me. You’d be better off looking after Xiao Tao." Luo Hongjuan felt she could manage perfectly fine on her own, but her son was different. She remembered how thin he’d become—a mere skeleton—after his last break in the States. It had only been a month; if he were gone for two months without his daughter-in-law looking after him, she worried he'd waste away even further.

Wang Qiqi wasn't sure how to react to Luo Hongjuan. On the bright side, she was a wonderful mother-in-law, reluctant to let her son and daughter-in-law separate. On the downside, did this mean her role was simply that of a caretaker? Why was her first thought about how pitiful her son would be without someone tending to him? Wang Qiqi shot Han Tao a look that clearly conveyed, 'Look how much your mother dotes on you.'

In truth, Han Tao hadn't been thrilled when Wang Qiqi first suggested they delay their trip to the States. It wasn't that he didn't care about his mother, but he knew she would simply busied herself with the business in the capital. She had no interest in going out to travel; she always felt the need to help her son earn more money. Moreover, Song Yao and her husband were arriving soon. "Mom, do you plan to stay with Song Yao when they get here?" Han Tao wasn't trying to be difficult; he just worried about the formality between his mother and Song Yao. "Why not rent a small place for yourself then?"

Luo Hongjuan waved her hand dismissively. "Why waste money? Don't worry; I'm not one to pry. Besides, I only need a place to stay." Although Qiqi’s classmates had offered her the spare room, Luo Hongjuan thought, what kind of situation would it be for an old woman to live under the same roof as several young women she barely knew? "And your place is far from where I work. Some clients show up as late as seven or eight in the evening, and I wouldn't get back until past midnight." Even though transportation was relatively convenient, the travel time was significant, and after insisting on this routine for a few days, Luo Hongjuan was feeling tired.

Seeing his mother so resolute, Han Tao fell silent. He had to admit his mother was a good woman. He thought Song Yao, though perhaps quick-tempered, wasn't a bad person, and since his mother was easygoing, real conflict seemed unlikely. "Mom, I was originally planning to treat Sister Yao to a meal once she arrived in the capital. Now it looks like we might not have time." Her arrival had been pushed back from the end of the month to the beginning of the next, by which time Han Tao and Qiqi would already be in the States. They could still treat her to a meal upon their return, but now that his mother would be staying with them, Han Tao felt it was important to smooth things over with an invitation.

"Don't worry; my sister won't make an issue of it," Wang Qiqi thought, wondering if Han Tao’s recent encounters with those unpleasant relatives had made him overly cautious. "My sister and I don't need any of that formality. The more formally you treat my sister, the angrier she'll get. Trust me. If you insist on being so polite, my sister will definitely bring up settling accounts for all the effort I put in to help you before." Wang Qiqi was curious what could have caused Song Yao to delay her trip to the capital; it seemed unlikely to be anything major. Since Ziwen Song’s daughter was healthy, Yang Jing had time to manage the shop, leaving Song Yao no compelling reason to delay her arrival.

Han Tao knew he had been on edge lately regarding relations with relatives, but he was genuinely tired of being treated like a piece of coveted meat by everyone. "Alright, we'll treat your sister to a housewarming dinner when we get back from the States."

No matter how reluctant everyone was to part, the day of departure drew closer. Standing in the airport hall, watching Lu Qiaowei weep uncontrollably while hugging her 'Daizi' (Sweetheart), Wang Qiqi noticed Shi Man beside her was also crying. Wang Qiqi knew Shi Man was thinking of herself. A year ago, Feng Xuanxiang had left for studies in the States in the same way, except Shi Man had gone with him, whereas Lu Qiaowei didn't have that same fortune. "You'll see Feng Xuanxiang again in a year," Wang Qiqi consoled, putting an arm around Shi Man's shoulder.

Shi Man knew this, of course. But whenever she saw Han Tao beside Qiqi, and whenever she had good news or felt unwell and wanted to share it with Feng Xuanxiang, she realized he wasn't there. Even when she could afford the phone call, she had to worry about the time difference. After several such experiences, Shi Man had grown accustomed to relying solely on herself. She constantly feared that if this situation continued, she and Feng Xuanxiang might drift apart before she could ever go to the States.

Wang Qiqi hadn't realized Lu Qiaowei's crying would trigger such thoughts in Shi Man. Given how busy Wang Qiqi had been recently, she realized, upon reflection, that she truly hadn't sat down for a proper chat with Shi Man in ages. Zhu Lina was equally busy juggling academics, TOEFL prep, and an internship at the company. She certainly had no time to listen to Shi Man voice her anxieties. Another close friend was Lu Qiaowei, but Lu Qiaowei herself was full of worries, anxious about this and that. Wang Qiqi suspected that in Lu Qiaowei’s eyes, the relationship between Shi Man and Feng Xuanxiang served as a benchmark for whether her own relationship with Dai Lijun could endure. If Lu Qiaowei knew Shi Man’s internal turmoil, her fears and anxieties, perhaps this young couple would end up splitting too. "Let's sit together on the plane and talk properly."

At this hour, finding a place to sit down and talk was impossible; they would have to chat on the flight. Wang Qiqi felt a small sense of relief that although Dai Lijun desperately wanted to take Lu Qiaowei to the States, she couldn't get a visa, which shelved that idea for now. However, the girl had found a part-time job: working at Song Yao’s shop during the day, then studying English and doing translation work in the evenings. Otherwise, some concerns simply couldn't be addressed until she reached the States.

Shi Man genuinely wanted to tell Wang Qiqi that she was fine and would snap out of it soon, that she was just suddenly feeling down. But looking at Wang Qiqi's earnest gaze, she recalled how truly suffocated she had felt lately. "Qiqi, do you know? We barely exchange a few emails a day now. I’m really worried…" The distance was already great enough, and to save money, they only called each other twice a month, rushing through conversations as if reporting in to parents. Their emails had dwindled from fifty or sixty a day to just a few, sometimes only a handful over several days if one was busy. Shi Man was deeply concerned. Although she kept telling herself that perhaps Feng Xuanxiang was just busy, she remembered that even when Han Tao was swamped in the States, he always made time to email Qiqi, sharing both his joys and frustrations. In contrast, Feng Xuanxiang’s emails were mostly about happy things. While he surely wanted her to know he was doing well and didn't want her to worry, the more he acted like that, the more Shi Man worried. Didn't lovers need to share all their joys and sorrows?

After nagging her son repeatedly to take good care of himself and of Qiqi, Luo Hongjuan turned to Wang Qiqi, intending to share some heartfelt words. It was then she noticed Shi Man was crying, with Qiqi holding her. "Manman, what's wrong?" Wasn't she going to see her boyfriend in about twenty hours? Why was this silly girl still crying?

"She's dwelling on something sad," Han Tao admitted. He had noticed that Feng Xuanxiang had been quite scarce with his emails recently, but he hadn't given it much thought—after all, he wasn't his girlfriend, he couldn't expect constant emails. However, after overhearing Shi Man mention the scarcity of emails from Feng Xuanxiang, a knot formed in his stomach. Could it be that he had changed after going abroad? He wasn't entirely sure, but he held onto the thought that Feng Xuanxiang wasn't that kind of person; perhaps he had his own reasons.

Luo Hongjuan sighed as she looked over at Lu Qiaowei, whose makeup was smeared from crying. "Son, thank goodness you're leaving with Qiqi. Otherwise, I would truly worry." Foreign women were so liberated; Luo Hongjuan constantly worried her son might give in to temptation and hook up with some foreigner if he went alone. She had never once entertained the idea of having a foreign daughter-in-law.

Han Tao was surprised his mother still felt such little confidence in him. To be fair, Qiqi trusted him completely. "Mom, I’m not into tall blondes. Later, Mom, please do your best to comfort Lu Qiaowei." Han Tao wanted to mention that when he first went to the States and left Qiqi behind in China, she had cried all night upon returning home, and he had shed tears on the plane too. But the second time, perhaps out of habit or trust, Qiqi hadn't cried again; she only urged him to work hard to earn money, while Han Tao’s goal on the flight was to work hard to ensure an early return.

Dai Lijun held his weeping girlfriend, and slowly, tears began to trace paths down his own face. Although they had agreed to part with smiles, standing at the airport, Dai Lijun realized he truly didn't want to leave. He had been to the States before and knew he would return, but this time he wouldn't be back until at least the Spring Festival next year, and even then, his return was uncertain. "Weiwēi, promise me you will follow Qiqi and the others to the States next year."

Lu Qiaowei held Dai Lijun tightly. She thought about the calls from her parents a few days ago, asking if she regretted abandoning three years of studies. But standing there, Lu Qiaowei felt she would regret it more if she didn't give up those three years. "Mmm, I promise I'll study hard. You be good in the States too…" Lu Qiaowei gave her sweetheart a firm affirmation, showering him with reminders and instructions.

New Year’s Day was only one day off—it felt terribly jarring—but it was still better than working seven days straight afterward. That was the only way she could console herself.