For the next two nights, things were just as intense, lasting well past midnight. When Feng Yujie finally informed her they were leaving the next morning, Xue Yue felt a wave of relief.

When she told He Lang, he just nodded. At bedtime, Xue Yue braced herself for more, but he didn’t make a move.

Xue Yue gave him a curious look. ’Is he... tired?’

He Lang sensed her gaze and pulled her into his arms.

He nuzzled his chin against her hair. "You’re leaving tomorrow, so get a good night’s sleep. When you’re abroad, don’t go out alone. It’s not as safe as it is here. Don’t stick your neck out for anything. I heard the food isn’t that great, either. I was going to pack you a bunch of snacks, but I heard you can’t take things like that on the plane, so I couldn’t. You’ll just have to tough it out."

A warmth spread through Xue Yue’s heart as she listened, and she hugged him tightly.

"Don’t worry, I’ll take care of myself. You take care of things at home, too. Eat your meals on time, and... the children. Don’t neglect them."

"Yeah, I know." He Lang placed a kiss on her hair, then added, "And one last, most important thing."

"What is it?" Xue Yue asked.

"Keep your distance from other men. Or I’ll get jealous."

Xue Yue laughed at his words. "So you’re just going to come right out and say it now?"

He Lang sighed. "What can I do? My wife is too exceptional."

Xue Yue gave his back a light pat and laughed.

The next morning, after saying goodbye to her family, she got on the motorcycle.

Although Xue Yue had told Shiyi and Ruanruan about her departure two days before, they still cried when the moment finally came.

"Mama, come back soon."

"Mama, don’t forget to miss us."

"I don’t want you to go! WAHHH..." That was Shiyi.

Seeing her children cry, Xue Yue’s heart ached.

Mrs. He picked him up and waved to them. "Go on. Be safe on the road and come back soon."

"Let’s go," He Lang said, and the motorcycle slowly pulled away.

He brought Xue Yue to the entrance of her workplace. After she got off the motorcycle, He Lang didn’t say anything, just looked at her.

People were coming and going from the building at this hour, so Xue Yue simply gave him a quick wink before picking up her suitcase and heading inside.

He Lang waited at the entrance for a little while before leaving.

The rest of the delegation was gathered in the courtyard. Feng Yujie was already there. She nodded at Xue Yue upon seeing her, and Xue Yue went to stand by her side.

Both Jin Shaoming and Zheng Guofeng were going this time. The Ministry of Commerce was sending a total of eighteen people, but there were others from different departments as well. They would all meet at the airport, and a dedicated bus was arranged to take them there.

When they arrived at the airport, a large crowd was already waiting.

Xue Yue spotted Wei Yuyang in the crowd. He saw her as well and gave her a nod.

This was Xue Yue’s first time seeing an airplane up close, and her first time flying. The whole experience felt brand new.

The entire plane was filled with members of their delegation, making it a charter flight of sorts. Feng Yujie was seated next to Xue Yue. Seeing her colleague’s curious expression, she let out a small laugh. "It’s always like this your first time. Given the nature of our work, you’ll have plenty more chances to fly in the future."

Xue Yue smiled. "That’s good to hear. A plane is much faster and better than the train."

That was true enough. On their last trip abroad, the train rides had added up to nearly half a month. They had been about to lose their minds.

Feng Yujie smiled.

Xue Yue rarely saw Feng Yujie smile. At work, she was always very serious and spoke with rigid formality. A lot of people were a little intimidated by her.

"Sister Feng, you look really beautiful when you smile. You should do it more often."

Feng Yujie’s expression stiffened at her words. She looked at Xue Yue for a moment, then sighed.

"You’re young, beautiful, have a good job, and a happy family. I’m not so lucky. At my age, there’s no peace at home, people love to gossip, and my job is full of pressure. I have almost nothing besides my career, so there isn’t much to be happy about."

This was the first time Feng Yujie had said such things to someone who was, for all intents and purposes, an outsider.

Xue Yue looked at Feng Yujie earnestly. "Sister Feng, don’t you think you’re being a little too pessimistic? You’re beautiful, so what if you’re a bit older? That means you have life experience. And you’re so capable at your job. I always hear people saying in private how much they admire you. Not every woman has your kind of courage. Getting married is a personal choice. Being single is perfectly fine, too; you can still live a wonderful life. I’ve seen plenty of people who married in their teens and were miserable, and many others who separated partway through. That’s why I think it’s best to just live for the present."

Feng Yujie stared at Xue Yue in surprise. "I never expected someone your age to say something like that."

Xue Yue smiled. "Sister Feng, I’m from the countryside. Back home, what everyone hopes for most is to have enough food to eat and warm clothes to wear. They toil in the fields from dawn to dusk, just to get a little more grain to fill their bellies. For them, everything else is secondary. Eating a meal of white flour, having meat once a week—that’s happiness. Happiness is actually very simple."

’Is it that simple?’

Feng Yujie listened to Xue Yue’s words and began to reflect.

Seeing her fall silent, Xue Yue said no more and turned to watch the clouds through the airplane window.

「At 5:00 PM local time, they arrived in Country A.」

As they deplaned, they were met by people from their embassy and several officials from Country A’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

After an exchange of pleasantries, they boarded the vehicles that would take them to their apartments.

The difference in climate between the two countries was immediately apparent. Xue Yue felt hot the moment she stepped off the plane; even though she had changed into a light windbreaker, it was still too warm.

Looking out the window of the car, she saw lush green flowers, grass, and trees, all bursting with life.

Upon arriving at their apartment building, they got out, grabbed their suitcases, and followed the embassy staff inside.

The officials from Country A did not follow them in.

"These are the apartments we’ve rented for you. You’ll have to make do for now."

This was because their country had not yet established a standalone embassy in Country A, only a consulate general that housed the consuls of several different nations.

The staff had gone to great lengths to rent these apartments. Even though relations between the two countries were thawing, many locals were still unwilling to rent their properties to foreigners.

Xue Yue sized up the space. It was a little small, but otherwise fine. She would be sharing a room with Feng Yujie again; it had two single beds.

They had barely put their things down and had no time to rest before they were called into a meeting.

The agenda was to discuss the specific time and place for the negotiations between the two countries, who would be attending, and the current attitude of the officials from Country A.

In a setting like this, it wasn’t Xue Yue’s place to speak. She simply sat behind Feng Yujie, taking notes on the discussion.

Back in their room, Xue Yue asked Feng Yujie, "We’re negotiating with them tomorrow. If we decide to cooperate, shouldn’t it be as simple as us paying and them shipping the goods? Why does it have to take so much time?"

Feng Yujie shook her head. "It’s not as simple as you think."

Feng Yujie walked around the entire room, carefully inspecting every corner as if searching for something.

At first, Xue Yue was confused, but then she understood.