Wang Qiqi dragged her suitcase, refusing to meet Feng Xuanxiang’s eyes. Hmph, now he’s anxious—what was he doing before? Hmph. She absolutely wouldn't tell him why Shi Man was in a foul mood; let him worry. Truthfully, the entire journey had been miserable. She’d barely managed to sleep, only to be plagued by an ominous dream, leaving her completely unrested. And Manman hadn't rested well either; she was even shedding tears in her sleep.

Dai Lijun watched the two women, clearly unwilling to explain, and he inwardly groaned. Why is it always me? I’m so unlucky. "You haven't contacted Manman much lately; she’s unhappy. And I told her you were going to give her a surprise," Dai Lijun whispered into Feng Xuanxiang’s ear, adding with an expression of loyalty, "Of course, I didn't mention what kind of surprise."

Feng Xuanxiang finally understood why his girlfriend had been so cold—it was all because of this ambiguous explanation from Dai Lijun. He desperately wanted to shout at Dai Lijun that such a vague delivery was worse than just blurting out the surprise, which would at least prevent his girlfriend from treating him coldly now. "Manman, I’m taking you somewhere. You’ll know when we get there."

"I’m not going," Shi Man struggled violently in Feng Xuanxiang’s embrace. She thought: Is he taking me to meet some new woman, expecting me to bless his new romance? Sorry, I don't have that kind of magnanimity.

Watching his girlfriend refuse to cooperate and nearly ruin the roses, Feng Xuanxiang sighed. He realized that with such uncooperative behavior, he had no choice but to resort to brute force. He casually handed the roses to Dai Lijun, then abruptly scooped up the still-struggling Shi Man and marched toward the parking lot. "Idiot, would you mind taking Manman’s luggage?" Feng Xuanxiang admitted he was taking out his frustration on the 'Idiot,' but this whole mess was his fault. Even though he knew his girlfriend’s anxiety was partly his doing, wouldn't she be fine if it weren't for his actions? In short, Feng Xuanxiang blamed a large portion of Manman's bad mood on Dai Lijun.

Feng Xuanxiang had thrust the roses at Dai Lijun without any warning. Dai Lijun was first startled, then scrambled to catch them. Before he could utter a word, he heard Feng Xuanxiang telling him to carry the luggage as well. He was dumbfounded. Even he wasn't so dense as to miss that Feng Xuanxiang was retaliating. Knowing he had to juggle holding the flowers and managing the luggage, he realized he didn't have a spare hand for Shi Man's bags.

Dai Lijun knew he couldn't call Feng Xuanxiang back; his only recourse was to cast a pleading look toward Wang Qiqi, hoping she’d bail him out. Wang Qiqi snapped out of her daze and followed Feng Xuanxiang. She completely ignored Dai Lijun’s desperate gaze. At this moment, Wang Qiqi understood that this might actually be a joyous occasion, but this dimwit had managed to mess things up completely by being inflexible. She felt he deserved a lesson, and she wasn’t letting him off easy.

Dai Lijun hadn't expected even Wang Qiqi to abandon him. He was utterly stunned. "Qiqi, Qiqi..."

Hearing his increasingly mournful calls, Wang Qiqi hardened her heart and didn't look back. "Hurry up, Idiot, if we don't leave now, we won't wait for you!" Wang Qiqi wasn't actually worried that Dai Lijun would be left behind with Shi Man’s luggage.

Watching Wang Qiqi and the others pull further away, Dai Lijun could only hold one suitcase in each hand, carefully wedging the roses between his hand and the luggage handle, trailing slowly after the main group. When he finally reached Feng Xuanxiang’s car, he found Wang Qiqi simply standing by the vehicle waiting for him. "I told you, you’re too slow. Hurry up and put the luggage in the trunk." After saying this, Wang Qiqi zipped into the backseat.

Dai Lijun felt utterly tragic. He had done exactly what Feng Xuanxiang asked, yet instead of appreciating him, Feng Xuanxiang was teaming up with Wang Qiqi to bully him. This was too much.

Once seated, Dai Lijun didn’t utter a sound, closing his eyes and preparing to sleep. After all, Shi Man was in the car; he didn't need to worry about Feng Xuanxiang selling him out. Besides, he had no inclination to lighten the mood; even if the atmosphere in the car felt strangely heavy, so be it.

After struggling fruitlessly in Feng Xuanxiang’s embrace, Shi Man began to resist through silence. No matter how Feng Xuanxiang tried to coax her into conversation on the drive back, she remained as mute as a statue. As soon as Wang Qiqi got in the car, she made it clear she wouldn't wade into the conflict, yawned, and went to sleep. As for Feng Xuanxiang's last hope, Dai Lijun, he, too, was sleeping off his frustration.

Feng Xuanxiang glanced at Shi Man, who stared blankly ahead, and then looked in the rearview mirror at the two people sleeping soundly behind him, sighing internally. Alas, I went to all this trouble of keeping things hidden just to give my girlfriend a surprise. There was no grand hug as he’d imagined, no sweet kiss—only a cold, frigid face. He felt deeply saddened and wanted desperately to reveal the truth so he could hear his girlfriend’s cheerful laughter for the rest of the journey. But the words caught in his throat, and he pulled them back. They had endured this much already; in just a few more minutes, they would reach their destination, and all the mystery would be revealed. His girlfriend would surely give him the hugs and kisses then. Thinking this, Feng Xuanxiang hummed a cheerful tune, speeding toward the new house.

Shi Man was shocked that even after her clear demonstration of protest, Feng Xuanxiang remained silent and, even worse, was humming! What was that supposed to mean? She desperately wanted to yell "Stop!" right now; she wanted to catch a flight back and avoid the awkward scene ahead. But then she reconsidered: since they had come this far, whatever the scene, she had to face it bravely. With that resolve, Shi Man slowly closed her eyes, determined to conserve her energy for the battle ahead.

While waiting at a red light, Feng Xuanxiang gazed at Shi Man’s sleeping features. "You look much better like this," he murmured. "That ferocious look earlier didn't suit you at all." He gently touched her face, feeling that smooth texture once more, and felt the missing piece in his heart click into place. "One more year..." Feng Xuanxiang silently counted down in his heart.

Wang Qiqi had only been closing her eyes to rest. Seeing Feng Xuanxiang like this, she pursed her lips. Hmph, keep up the act. Wang Qiqi guaranteed that no matter how big the surprise turned out to be, Shi Man would still give Feng Xuanxiang a memorable tribute. She was glad she’d brought her camera; she absolutely had to capture every move Shi Man made to express her 'surprise.' It would be a fantastic memory when they were old, and she could even show it to Han Tao, who hadn't been there to witness the spectacle.

"Manman, wake up, we're here." After parking the car, Feng Xuanxiang gently shook Shi Man. As for the two in the back, Feng Xuanxiang was positive they hadn't actually been asleep the whole time; otherwise, why would they have opened their eyes the moment the car stopped? Hmph. Not only did they fail to help mediate, but they were also clearly enjoying my predicament. That was simply too much.

Wang Qiqi pushed open the car door and stepped out, finding themselves facing a two-story house. Although it wasn't huge, and the garden was modest, this had to be the property Feng Xuanxiang had acquired. For someone who relied entirely on his own efforts without family backing, this was a significant achievement. Wang Qiqi instantly wondered if the house she and Han Tao bought would be this big—she couldn't help it; housing prices where Han Tao worked were notoriously high.

Dai Lijun let out a few whistles. "My God, finance majors make too much money!" He had expected a single-story dwelling, not a detached villa. Rich people, was his immediate thought.

Shi Man, after being roused by Feng Xuanxiang, didn't even spare him a glance before pushing the door open and stepping out. "Did you change landlords?"

Shi Man’s anger flared again. See? He didn't even tell me about a major decision like changing residences! Was he planning to wait until I found our old rental, only to discover he’d moved out, leaving me stranded in this unfamiliar city? The thought of that scenario made her glare fiercely at Feng Xuanxiang a few times.

"I didn't change landlords; I just bought this house," Feng Xuanxiang said with a beaming smile. "It’s mortgaged, and it’s not enormous, but it’s enough for the two of us. Later, when we have children..."

"Of course, we’ll upgrade later..." Feng Xuanxiang, perhaps too elated, only spoke of his own visions and plans, completely failing to observe Shi Man’s expression.

Dai Lijun stood behind Shi Man. Although he couldn't see her face, he felt the intense wave of resentment radiating off her. He pinched the bridge of his nose. Well, someone’s future doesn't look bright. He figured it was best to quietly retrieve the luggage.

Wang Qiqi had already wandered off to inspect the garden and circle the house.

After talking for a good while, Feng Xuanxiang finally noticed his girlfriend hadn't responded. "Manman, do you dislike this house?"

"I haven't toured it yet, so I don't know if I like it," Shi Man replied. She knew this was meant to be a surprise, but the issue was, "You didn't notify me of something this huge. What do you take me for? Alright, I’m happy you wanted to surprise me, but you didn't have to ignore me completely—not even an email?" The magnitude of her anxiety over the past few months outweighed any potential pleasant shock.

Shi Man decided she couldn't let this person off easily. She rushed to Feng Xuanxiang and started hitting and kicking him. "For deceiving me! For not contacting me! You made me worry that you had someone else..." By the end of her outburst, Shi Man was crying.

Feng Xuanxiang knew this was her way of venting, so he didn't fight back. But seeing his girlfriend actually weeping sent him into a panic. He rushed to comfort her, his strategy being to ceaselessly take responsibility for his mistakes and constantly vow never to repeat such errors.