The train was not moving particularly fast, slicing through the English countryside toward the north. Since it was summer, the plains and distant hills were awash in green, dotted here and there with wildflowers. Scattered sheep and horses grazed on the distant grasslands. "This feels just like going to the Inner Mongolia grasslands," Wang Qiqi remarked with a sigh. Of course, she had only been to the summer pastures a few times; the real Mongolian steppes were nothing like the idealized versions seen in documentaries. Still, she'd heard that many parts of the vast grasslands were suffering from desertification now, due to having too many sheep and horses—exceeding the land's carrying capacity.

"Many parts of the Mongolian steppe are more beautiful than this, but some places aren't," Zhang Yan murmured, continuously snapping photos out the window, pausing only briefly to offer a comment.

Wang Qiqi truly admired Zhang Yan's photography skills. "Don't the pictures come out blurry?" Even though the train didn't feel fast, most of the resulting photos were either blurred or completely out of focus. To capture a truly good shot meant the photographer had serious ability, yet Wang Qiqi had never actually seen Zhang Yan in the act of shooting, making her very curious.

Zhang Yan glanced at the passing scenery, deciding it probably matched what she had captured. Since she expected to travel this route often in the future, she casually handed the digital camera to Wang Qiqi, inviting her to look and see how the resulting pictures turned out.

Wang Qiqi took the camera and began reviewing the photos. "Wow, these are actually really good. Not blurry or fuzzy at all." Wang Qiqi recalled Zhang Yan mentioning she funded her travels by writing travelogues. At the time, she assumed it was just text, but now it seemed photographs were part of the package. Though she didn't consider herself an expert, seeing the images lent a powerful sense of reality, as if she had truly visited those places herself.

Shi Man also leaned over to look. "Zhang Yan, you are amazing! You managed to take such beautiful pictures." Shi Man was actively considering her future career. Qiqi had once mentioned that as the internet developed, more and more things would move online—perhaps even banking, shopping, and ordering food someday. Although Shi Man found Qiqi's predictions a bit futuristic, after talking it over with Han Tao, she recognized the sharp intuition Qiqi possessed as the partner of an IT specialist. Consequently, Shi Man felt she really ought to learn photography, not to become a master, but just enough to make her own products look appealing. (If Qiqi heard this, she’d definitely tell her, "Girl, it’s not about how pretty the product looks or how good your photography is; the key is how skilled you are at Photoshop!") "Zhang Yan, I really want to learn photography too. Can you teach me sometime?"

Wang Qiqi was surprised Shi Man had taken an interest in photography. She had always assumed Shi Man, like herself, thought a point-and-shoot was sufficient. Why the sudden, formal request to learn? Qiqi doubted Shi Man just wanted to learn how to use a compact camera. Moreover, Qiqi was curious: just yesterday, their interactions seemed quite awkward, yet now their relationship had warmed up considerably.

If their relationship hadn't improved, Wang Qiqi wouldn't believe Shi Man would so boldly ask to learn photography. Could it be that their shopping excursion yesterday had created common ground, slowly bridging the gap between them? Regardless, seeing their relationship improve was a relief to Wang Qiqi. Now, the ball was in Zhang Yan’s court to see if she would agree to Shi Man’s request, as Shi Man had made the first move.

Zhang Yan was generally easygoing, but she needed to set expectations first. "I'm actually self-taught. I borrowed a few books and then just practiced a lot, studying how others shoot. I think we would mostly be exchanging experiences." Zhang Yan thought to herself that she wasn't a professional, having learned everything through trial and error without a proper mentor. If Shi Man had very high expectations, she felt she might not be qualified to teach.

"I just want to capture static things well—like taking flattering portraits," Shi Man clarified. She felt her requirements weren't demanding; she just needed to make people look good in photos. She certainly wasn't aiming to be some photography guru. Her sole requirement was that the resulting pictures should create a desire in the customer to buy the product. If she could achieve that, Shi Man would feel completely satisfied.

Upon hearing Shi Man's objective, Zhang Yan had no objection. While photographing still life had its demands, they were slightly less demanding than capturing moving subjects, which was what Zhang Yan had been attempting earlier. She figured that if Shi Man’s skills advanced later, she could introduce higher standards, but only once Shi Man was ready to accept more advanced coaching. "Deal, but is there a benefit for me teaching you photography?" Zhang Yan teased, noticing Shi Man’s sudden nervousness.

A benefit? Wang Qiqi raised an eyebrow. Oh, this relationship was advancing quickly—they were already negotiating compensation. Not bad; it wasn't just one-sided enthusiasm.

Shi Man was momentarily stumped by Zhang Yan’s request for a benefit. It wasn't that she was unwilling to offer a gift, but what gift would be appropriate? A gift measurable in currency felt like an insult to Zhang Yan, who wasn't selling her technical expertise for money. After thinking for a moment, Shi Man had an idea. "Once we find a place, I can have Qiqi cook you a feast!" Shi Man thought the idea was brilliant—delicious food and satisfying Zhang Yan.

Zhang Yan had only been joking, never expecting Shi Man to agree so readily and even propose a specific 'payment.' However, it seemed Wang Qiqi was the one footing the bill. Zhang Yan glanced at Qiqi and saw she was momentarily stunned. Knowing Qiqi, Zhang Yan suspected she might blow up, but she understood the principle: "The last one to the party gets penalized." "No problem, it's a deal." Hahaha, even if Qiqi regretted it later, Zhang Yan was sure Shi Man would hold up her end of the bargain.

Hearing the word "deal," and seeing the two shake hands, Wang Qiqi, despite her impatience, could only voice her conditions. She knew if she objected now, someone would just pester her incessantly later. "I have no objection to cooking a feast, but the cleaning, the grocery shopping, and all the prep work—that's all on your shoulders. And I certainly won't be making an entire banquet, since this is technically your thank-you dinner, right?" Hmph. While she had intended to cook a nice meal to celebrate securing a home after finding a place, Shi Man’s casual command annoyed Wang Qiqi. She definitely needed to reclaim some ground after this exchange.

"No problem," Shi Man immediately agreed. She knew accepting this might lead to Qiqi making her suffer later, but she couldn't refuse. Wang Qiqi’s fierce look clearly indicated that if she didn't comply, Qiqi might do something drastic. She certainly wouldn't cook willingly then. Thus, even knowing she was jumping into a pit—a very deep one—Shi Man had to leap in to quell Qiqi’s rising anger.

Shi Man was wise to concede quickly. Wang Qiqi had been ready to ditch the entire cooking agreement if Shi Man had shown even a hint of defiance or argument. What a missed opportunity! Qiqi had secretly hoped to leverage this into getting a full meal cooked by Shi Man, but it seemed that chance was indefinitely postponed.

Zhang Yan watched the intense, silent exchange of glances between the two. She certainly didn't interpret it as affectionate; it looked more like one party radiating lethal intent while the other constantly backed down and conceded. The outcome was obvious. Zhang Yan felt certain that the coming year of living together wouldn't be dull. With someone handling meals and intermittent drama to watch, the future looked genuinely promising.

Wang Qiqi stopped staring, which was a huge relief to Shi Man. She had genuinely worried Qiqi would refuse to cook and demand Shi Man make the whole meal herself. "Qiqi, you are the best! I love you the most!"

For Shi Man to say "I love you" and even make a heart gesture was a bit much for Wang Qiqi to process. "Holding hands or being overly familiar in public abroad can lead people to assume you're lesbians or gay," Qiqi cautioned. "Back home, people would just think you two are close friends; they wouldn't read deeper into it. But overseas, you might get some very surprised looks. If I were a lesbian, fine, but I'm not."

Shi Man hadn't expected Wang Qiqi to bring up such a point and rolled her eyes. "I love men, relax. I won't steal Han Tao from you." Shi Man thought that even if she were a lesbian, she wouldn't choose Wang Qiqi; living near her was too much pressure. If Qiqi were a man, Shi Man thought she could accept it, but Qiqi was a woman.

Watching their conversation spiral off-topic, Zhang Yan finally understood why Bai Ge had warned her that listening to Wang Qiqi and Shi Man chat required both broad general knowledge and a very strong stomach. In just one day, Zhang Yan realized she hadn't taken Bai Ge's advice seriously before, which was why she was now in this situation.

After half an hour listening to Wang Qiqi and Shi Man veer off course, Zhang Yan interjected. "Alright, it’s settled then! Qiqi, I’m fine with being your sous chef, but can I at least get to order the dishes?" Shi Man looked expectantly at Wang Qiqi—this was a very important detail.

Order dishes? Wang Qiqi felt Shi Man's audacity kept setting new records. "Zhang Yan can order the dishes, but you..." Wang Qiqi huffed a few times. "If you want to eat something, you go cook it yourself." She doesn't cook, but she wants to pick the menu? She certainly dreams big.

Hearing the expected answer, Shi Man sighed. "Sigh, I knew it." This preferential treatment was unbearable! However, there might be a loophole, and Shi Man immediately focused her attention on Zhang Yan.

Zhang Yan hadn't expected them to loop back to the original topic after getting so sidetracked. She was truly impressed.

Shi Man stood on the platform watching the departing train, letting out a long breath. "The scenery is nice, but I'm getting sick of looking at it after so long." The views were too repetitive for Shi Man to genuinely appreciate. More importantly, the rhythmic clatter of the tracks was starting to irritate her. At this moment, Shi Man desperately wanted to get to their cute little hotel room and sleep. She realized that having grown accustomed to comfort, the train journey was proving quite taxing.

Wang Qiqi also let out a big yawn. "Let's drop off our luggage first, then head to the agency to look for a place." Wang Qiqi was tired too, but for her, finding a place sooner meant they wouldn't have to keep paying for the hotel rooms; three people’s daily accommodation fees were not cheap.

Shi Man immediately cried out, "Heavens, Qiqi, you’re a real Ebenezer! After such a long journey, you won't even give us time to rest!" Shi Man felt incapable of looking at houses right now. "I'm exhausted, utterly exhausted. I need rest. I need a bed."

Although Zhang Yan said nothing, the weariness evident on her face showed she was tired and desperately wanted to sleep.

Wang Qiqi looked at Shi Man, who was complaining the loudest, and felt speechless. "If we were going shopping, I bet you’d suddenly have the energy, right?" Qiqi recalled that after sitting on a plane for so long yesterday, enduring an eight-hour time difference, Shi Man had been eager to hit the shops right after dropping her bags. Qiqi wondered why Shi Man was suddenly playing dead the moment serious business needed addressing.

Shi Man knew her comment was over the line, but she was genuinely spent and didn't want to move at all. "Qiqi, my dear Qiqi," Shi Man whined, shaking Wang Qiqi's hand pleadingly.

Seeing her like this, what could Wang Qiqi say? "Fine, fine, you two go rest. I'll go check with the agency myself." Wang Qiqi was tired and wanted sleep too, but while they could rest, she, as the temporary head, couldn't slack off.

Hearing the first part, Shi Man was overjoyed, thinking Qiqi was wonderful. But then she realized Qiqi planned to scout apartments alone. "Qiqi, I’ll come with you then." Qiqi wasn't doing this just for herself, but for everyone. If Qiqi felt unwell, fine, but she was working hard for them all.

"Yes, we’ll go together."

"It's fine, I'll just check in with the agency. We definitely all need to go view the properties together," Qiqi insisted. It wasn't just her living situation; even if it were just her and Shi Man, Qiqi was confident Shi Man would agree to any place she chose. But with Zhang Yan involved, everyone’s approval was necessary. "Besides, I need to schedule a time with the agent." Foreigners rarely did overtime; only the IT crowd—those computer fanatics who, once struck by an idea, couldn't wait to code it—were notorious for working late. Other professions, especially real estate agents, needed appointments set in advance if they were expected to work past normal hours.

Shi Man and Zhang Yan exchanged a look. Given Qiqi's insistence, they dropped the idea of tagging along. Qiqi was right; a property viewing didn't count unless all three were present. Her trip out today was just to gather initial information. "Then we'll have to trouble you, Qiqi. Zhang Yan and I will treat you to dinner tonight," Shi Man offered before consulting Zhang Yan, certain her friend wouldn't mind—after all, Qiqi would be busy while they slept in the hotel, so some compensation was due.

"Really?" Wang Qiqi looked delighted. She hadn't expected such a pleasant turn. She tapped her chin, already contemplating where they should eat. She wondered if this city had any Michelin-starred restaurants and whether reservations would be needed.

Seeing Qiqi’s calculating gesture, Shi Man panicked. "Hey, we’re poor students! Let’s keep it simple, maybe under twenty pounds per person." She had initially thought ten pounds, but that felt stingy, so she reluctantly raised the limit. "Don't say it's not enough! Converted to RMB, that’s nearly 250 yuan each!" Shi Man winced at the thought. Back in China, 500 RMB could get the three of them a seafood feast! Being abroad made both living and eating so expensive.

Wang Qiqi sighed. "And you said I could choose whatever I wanted." Thinking about the budget instantly dampened her enthusiasm. "Forget it. Let's just go for steak then." Even if it was pricier, it should still fall within the revised budget.

Steak sounded good. "But no high-end restaurants!"

Wang Qiqi was exasperated. "Do I look like someone who breaks her word?" Qiqi thought she had never deceived Shi Man, so why the lack of trust? "Look, if you don't trust me, we'll all go, and we'll just pay for our own meals."

Shi Man managed a sheepish smile. "Never mind, Qiqi, you just go ahead."

After visiting several agencies, Wang Qiqi grew disheartened: very few properties matched their requirements. She had assumed that paying more money could solve the problem, but the additional rent quoted was substantial. The moment an agent gave a price, it caused her heart to ache. With no other immediate options, Wang Qiqi decided to retreat for the day and reassess their strategy.

It wasn't that Wang Qiqi hadn't found anything suitable. She had spotted a whole house for rent—five bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room, dining room, and kitchen, plus a small garden outside. This presented a dilemma. Where would she find two other people to share it? Aside from the high price for only three occupants, the vacant rooms would be a waste. But finding roommates was also complicated: they needed to be clean, not overly gossipy, and unlikely to air the housemates' private matters to outsiders. This was easy enough in China, but abroad, things were trickier. Finding foreigners meant living under the same roof made her worry about interpersonal friction. Finding other Chinese nationals meant splitting rent and utilities among five people, and Qiqi worried she might not find anyone suitable at all.

Wang Qiqi walked back to the hotel, sighing the entire way. She was unsure whether to tell Shi Man and Zhang Yan about the large house. If she didn't mention it, they would inevitably see it tomorrow when they visited the agencies, but if she told them, what could they do? They would just have to regret missing out.

Wang Qiqi kept agonizing over whether to inform Shi Man and Zhang Yan until she arrived back at the hotel. "Qiqi, what's wrong?" Shi Man was sitting in a chair, chewing on a piece of bread she had bought, and looked surprised to see Wang Qiqi walk in with a tight frown.

Wang Qiqi glanced around; only Shi Man was in the room. "Where’s Zhang Yan?" If they were in China, Qiqi wouldn't worry so much, but being abroad, she didn't want anyone getting into trouble.

"She went down to the garden to take pictures," Shi Man pointed upstairs towards the small garden. "I’m keeping an eye out." Although the hotel wasn't large—it felt like a family-run guesthouse—it did have a petite garden. Zhang Yan had wanted to photograph it since they checked in; if she hadn't been so tired, she probably would have been out there already.

Wang Qiqi looked out the window and saw Zhang Yan chatting with the landlord while holding her camera. "Do you have anything to eat?" After all that walking, she was genuinely starving.

Shi Man pointed to the bread and the teapot nearby. "Black tea goes perfectly with bread." Sipping tea while sitting by the window, looking at the flowers in the garden, she sighed contentedly, "This is such a very English afternoon tea experience, so relaxing." Her relaxation ended when she saw Wang Qiqi retrieve her laptop. "With such a lovely environment, why are you going on your computer?" Honestly, she wasn't a businesswoman; did she need to be glued to a screen constantly?

"I’m going online to look for houses," Wang Qiqi explained. She admitted she wanted to play the part of an English gentlewoman, but she simply didn't have that much leisure time. "We need to secure housing in the next couple of days, or you can kiss goodbye your dream of touring the local area."

Shi Man panicked when she heard this. That was right; she couldn't afford to relax yet. Her boyfriend was due to meet her in ten days. If the housing wasn't settled, how could she enjoy her vacation? Even with Zhang Yan around, it would be too rude to leave her guarding the place while they traveled. "Did you not see anything suitable when you were out?" she asked, worried there were no options at all. Shi Man regretted waiting for Zhang Yan earlier. "We should have come here first." If Zhang Yan wasn't satisfied, they could just let her rent a place separately, instead of causing this current stress.

"You know how my family has been recently," Wang Qiqi said, pulling a long face. "But it’s not like I saw nothing good. The houses were just large, the rent was high, and it felt like a waste for just the three of us. Even finding one more person to share would mean the cost is still outrageously high." Wang Qiqi had calculated during her return trip; the listings looked promising, but even splitting the expense with one more person kept the cost steep.

Hearing Qiqi’s description, Shi Man was tempted, but the price remained a major issue. "Forget it then, we shouldn't even bother looking at that house." Looking at it would only lead to disappointment.

"Look at what?" Zhang Yan pushed the door open and walked in, having overheard their discussion about not looking at a certain house. "Is the house bad? Why aren't we going to see it?"

Wang Qiqi shot Shi Man a look, gesturing for her to explain. Shi Man briefly recounted Wang Qiqi’s findings from the agency trip. "There really aren't many good options."

"I was just chatting with the boss, and he mentioned a relative of his moved to the States. That relative has a big house over there that they're looking to rent out. Maybe we should go take a look," Zhang Yan relayed the information she had just gleaned from their conversation. "Though, it sounds like it’s not very close to the school." This proximity issue was precisely what made Zhang Yan a little hesitant. However, hearing what Qiqi said now made her feel it was definitely worth checking out. Still, what the boss had conveyed was that the entire house needed to be rented out as a whole unit. Since the semester was fast approaching, many students had already secured their housing, which was why the landlord had lowered the price; otherwise, it wouldn't be offered at this rate.

Even without knowing the actual condition of the house, just based on the address alone, Wang Qiqi and Shi Man were already less than thrilled. "How about we go take a look anyway? Qiqi, you know how to drive, right? You’ll have to take on the burden of driving then," Shi Man could only think this way. They couldn't keep staying here; the expense was frighteningly high, and there wasn't a shred of privacy either.