Wang Qiqi tugged her suitcase along, pointedly avoiding Feng Xuanxiang's gaze. Hmph, so he’s worried now? Should have thought of that earlier. Hmph. She definitely wasn't going to tell him why Shi Man was in a foul mood. Honestly, the journey so far had been utterly miserable. She’d barely managed to fall asleep only to have an ominous dream, leaving her utterly unrested. And Manman hadn't slept well either; she was still shedding tears even in her sleep.

Dai Lijun watched the two women, clearly determined not to explain, and inwardly groaned. Why was it always him? He was so unlucky. "You haven't been in touch with Manman much lately, and she’s unhappy. Plus, I told her you were going to give her a surprise." Dai Lijun whispered into Feng Xuanxiang’s ear, "Of course, I didn’t mention what kind of surprise." Dai Lijun wore an expression of one who hadn't sold out his brother but rather secured a merit badge.

Feng Xuanxiang finally understood why his girlfriend had been acting so taken aback. It turned out to be due to this fellow’s vague explanations. He desperately wanted to yell at Dai Lijun—a half-baked explanation like that was worse than just blurting out the surprise entirely! At least that would be better than being met with his girlfriend’s icy glare right now. "Manman, I'm taking you somewhere. You'll know when we get there."

"I’m not going," Shi Man struggled fiercely in Feng Xuanxiang’s arms. She thought to herself: Is he taking me to meet some new woman, expecting me to bless his new romance? Sorry, I don't have that much grace.

Watching his girlfriend refuse to cooperate and nearly ruin the meiguihua (rose), Feng Xuanxiang sighed. He figured if she wouldn't cooperate, he’d just have to resort to brute force. He casually handed the meiguihua to Dai Lijun, then abruptly scooped up the still-struggling Shi Man and strode towards the parking lot. "Idiot, could you grab Manman’s luggage for me?" Feng Xuanxiang admitted he was taking his frustration out on the Idiot, but this whole mess was his fault. Although Feng Xuanxiang knew he shared some blame for his girlfriend’s anxiety, if it weren't for him, would Manman really be like this? In short, Feng Xuanxiang blamed Dai Lijun for the vast majority of Manman's bad mood.

Feng Xuanxiang had thrust the meiguihua at Dai Lijun without a word of warning. Dai Lijun was startled at first when the flowers were shoved towards him, then scrambled to catch them. Before he could even speak, he heard Feng Xuanxiang instructing him to carry the luggage too. Dai Lijun was dumbfounded. Even he wasn't dense enough not to realize Feng Xuanxiang was seeking revenge; knowing he had to carry the flowers and the luggage, he certainly wouldn't have two free hands left for Shi Man’s bags.

Dai Lijun knew he couldn't appeal to Feng Xuanxiang to stop, so he cast a pleading look toward Wang Qiqi, hoping she would bail him out. Wang Qiqi snapped out of her daze and followed Feng Xuanxiang without hesitation. As for Dai Lijun’s desperate gaze, Wang Qiqi pretended not to see it. At this moment, Wang Qiqi realized this might actually turn out to be joyous, but this Idiot, with his lack of flexibility, had turned a potentially happy event into chaos. She felt he deserved a lesson; she couldn't let him get away with this.

Dai Lijun was completely stunned when he realized even Wang Qiqi wasn't helping him. "Qiqi, Qiqi..."

Hearing the increasingly mournful calls, Wang Qiqi hardened her heart and didn't look back. "Hurry up, Idiot! If you don’t move, we’re leaving you behind!" Wang Qiqi wasn't actually worried that Dai Lijun would be genuinely abandoned with Shi Man's luggage.

Watching Wang Qiqi and the others pull further away, Dai Lijun could only helplessly drag one suitcase in each hand, carefully wedging the meiguihua between his hand and the suitcase handle as he slowly followed the main group. By the time he caught up to Feng Xuanxiang’s car, he found Wang Qiqi just standing by the vehicle, waiting for him. "I said, you are too slow. Hurry up and put the luggage in the trunk." After saying this, Wang Qiqi zipped into the backseat.

Dai Lijun felt truly tragic. He had followed Feng Xuanxiang’s instructions to the letter, yet his friend showed no gratitude, and instead, Wang Qiqi joined in bullying him. It was too much.

Once seated, Dai Lijun remained silent, closing his eyes, preparing to sleep. After all, Shi Man and the others were in the car, so he didn't need to worry about Feng Xuanxiang selling him out. Besides, he had no inclination to smooth over the atmosphere; even if the air in the car felt especially strange, he didn't care.

After struggling fruitlessly in Feng Xuanxiang’s embrace, Shi Man resorted to silent resistance. No matter how Feng Xuanxiang tried to coax her into conversation on the drive back, she remained mute as a fish. As soon as they got in the car, Wang Qiqi made it clear she didn't want to wade into the mess, let out a yawn, and promptly fell asleep. As for Feng Xuanxiang's last hope, Dai Lijun, he was also sleeping off his unhappiness.

Feng Xuanxiang looked at his girlfriend, Shi Man, staring blankly ahead, then glanced in the rearview mirror at the two people sleeping soundly behind them. He sighed inwardly. All his strenuous efforts at secrecy were just to give his girlfriend a surprise! There was no grand hug, no sweet kiss as he’d envisioned—only an ice-cold expression. He felt heartbroken and longed to reveal the truth immediately 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 already gone through all this trouble; they would reach their destination in just a few more minutes, at which point all mysteries would be solved, and his girlfriend would surely reward him with hugs and kisses. Thinking this, Feng Xuanxiang hummed a cheerful tune as he happily drove toward the new house.

Shi Man couldn't believe that even after her strong protest, Feng Xuanxiang remained silent and, worse, was humming happily. What did that mean? She desperately wanted to yell "Stop!" She wanted to catch a flight back immediately, unwilling to face the awkward scene ahead. But then she reconsidered: they were already this far. Whatever the scene, she had to face it bravely. With that thought, Shi Man slowly closed her eyes, determined to recharge her energy for the battle that lay ahead.

While waiting at a red light, Feng Xuanxiang gazed at Shi Man’s sleeping face. "You look much better like this. That snarling look earlier really didn't suit you." He stroked her cheek, feeling the familiar smoothness, and felt the empty corner in his heart fill up. "Just one more year..." Feng Xuanxiang silently counted down in his head.

Wang Qiqi was only resting her eyes. Seeing Feng Xuanxiang like this, she curled her lip in a small huff. Go on, pretend. Wang Qiqi was certain that no matter how big the surprise turned out to be, Shi Man would still give Feng Xuanxiang a memorable souvenir. Wang Qiqi thought bringing her camera was a brilliant idea; she absolutely had to capture every move Shi Man made expressing her ‘surprise.’ It would make for a wonderful memory when they were old, and she could even show it to Han Tao, who couldn't be there to witness the match.

"Manman, wake up, we’re here." After parking the car, Feng Xuanxiang gently shook Shi Man. As for the pair in the back, Feng Xuanxiang was positive they hadn't slept a wink the entire ride; otherwise, how could they have opened their eyes the instant the car stopped? Hmph. Not only did they fail to help mediate, but they were clearly enjoying his suffering. That was simply too much.

Wang Qiqi pushed the car door open and stepped out, only to find a small two-story house before her. Although it wasn't huge and the huayuan (garden) was modest, this had to be the property Feng Xuanxiang had purchased. For someone who couldn't rely on family and built everything through his own efforts, this was a massive achievement. At the same time, Wang Qiqi wondered if the house she and Han Tao eventually bought would be this size. It was unavoidable; the housing prices near Han Tao's workplace were truly sky-high.

Dai Lijun let out a few whistles. "My God, finance really pays well, doesn't it?" He had expected a flat row house, not a detached villa. Rich people, was the thought echoing in his mind.

After Shi Man shook herself awake by Feng Xuanxiang, she didn't spare him a glance, immediately pushing open the door and stepping out. "Did you change landlords?"

Shi Man’s anger flared up again. See? He even changed rental properties and didn't tell her about something so major! Was he planning to wait until she showed up at their old rental only to find he had moved out, leaving her stranded in this unfamiliar city? The thought of that scenario made Shi Man glare fiercely at Feng Xuanxiang several times.

"It’s not a change of landlord; this house is one I just bought," Feng Xuanxiang said with a beaming smile. "It’s mortgaged, and it’s not huge, but it’s big enough for the two of us. When we have kids in the future..."

"Of course, we'll move to a bigger one later..." Feng Xuanxiang, perhaps too delighted, only spoke of his own plans and thoughts, completely failing to notice Shi Man’s expression.

Dai Lijun stood behind Shi Man. Though he couldn't see her face, he could feel the thick aura of resentment radiating off her. He pinched the bridge of his nose. Ah, someone’s future wasn't looking too bright. He decided it was best for him to quietly retrieve the luggage.

Wang Qiqi had already slipped inside to examine the huayuan and wander around the house.

After talking for a long time, Feng Xuanxiang finally noticed his girlfriend hadn’t responded to him. "Manman, don't you like this house?"

"I haven't toured it, so I don't know if I like it," Shi Man said. She knew this was meant to be a surprise, but the problem was: "You didn't tell me about something this huge. What do you take me for? Okay, I’m happy you wanted to surprise me, but you didn’t have to ignore me completely—not even an email?" No matter how big the surprise, it couldn't outweigh the anxiety she’d felt over the last few months.

Shi Man felt she couldn't let the man off easy. She rushed up to Feng Xuanxiang and started hitting and kicking him. "For deceiving me! For not contacting me! You made me worried sick, thinking you had someone else..." By the end, Shi Man was crying.

Feng Xuanxiang knew this was his girlfriend venting and certainly didn't fight back. But he hadn't expected her to actually cry, which panicked him instantly. He rushed to comfort her, his strategy being to endlessly confess his own faults and repeatedly vow never to make such mistakes again.