A Girl's Vacation (Part 1)

"Ah, sorry, Senior. Something suddenly came up at the Bureau these past two days. My brother, Xiao Huo, and I might not be able to make it back."

The invitation she had been anticipating and looking forward to for so long fell through the moment she received that apologetic answer.

The disappointment was not as intense as she had imagined. Perhaps because of what had happened with the bonfire dance, she seemed to have already had a faint premonition of this.

Wasn't it often like that? The more wonderful something was to you, the harder it was for it to happen.

Leaving people to rise and fall through disappointment, again and again, in lives that never quite met their expectations.

She continued speaking, trying to sound gentle and considerate, as though she did not mind at all. But even Xia Yao herself thought her smile was terribly fake at that moment.

Fortunately, her junior could not see her.

She gently ended the call. Looking at the words "Call Ended" on the screen, Xia Yao fell into a slight daze before turning to Ming Ling beside her with a smile.

"Junior and the others seem to already have plans."

October sunlight in Beijing was bright and beautiful, and a pleasantly warm breeze drifted in through the open balcony door.

The pure white floor, the neat little table—without the familiar figure who usually sat there, only the crisp chime of the wind bells remained, making the quiet feel lonely.

"I should have invited Junior earlier."

Seeing her so absent-minded, Ming Ling pulled her close and patted her shoulder comfortingly, sighing helplessly from where she sat beside her.

"Sigh, I told you long ago that you should take the initiative. Xiao Yao, you're outstanding, beautiful, and from a good family. What exactly are