Sweetie, don't look at him, kiss me.

"Okay, okay, business trip, business trip." Jiang Yao waved her hand, then leaned closer and lowered her voice, "But what will happen to your family now that you're gone? Won't your sister cause trouble again?"

"Let her make a fuss if she wants to." Lin Qingmian lowered her head and took a sip of milk tea. "I'll just ignore her."

"What about Su Tingwan?"

"She probably won't contact me again."

Lin Qingmian's tone was calm. "When her agent came to see me that time, I made myself very clear. I won't see her, and whatever she does is none of my business."

Jiang Yao stared at her for a few seconds, then nodded: "You're much more assertive than before."

After saying that, she took a big sip of pearls, chewed for a moment, and then said, "That's good. You used to always think of others first, swallowing all your grievances yourself. Now you finally know to think of yourself first."

Lin Qingmian didn't reply, but just looked down at the light brown milk tea in her cup.

The light from the window fell on the table, making the sticker she had peeled off the milk tea cup appear translucent.

She reached out and smoothed the sticker with her finger, then clipped it to the back of her phone case.

When she got home that evening, Ji Linzhou wasn't back yet. She dragged her suitcase out of the closet, spread it on the floor, and started putting clothes inside.

She folded one piece at a time and put it away. When she got to the third piece, she paused and took out the misty blue shirt from the closet.

She held its collar for a few seconds, then folded it and put it in the top layer of her suitcase.

As she closed the box, she heard the sound of a lock being opened at the door.

Ji Linzhou walked in and saw her squatting next to her suitcase, her coat still on. He walked over and glanced down at the neatly folded clothes in the suitcase: "Did you bring that one?"

She stood up and dusted off her knees: "Hmm."

He hummed in response and didn't ask any further questions, but as he turned to go to the dressing room, the corner of his mouth flickered briefly under the light.

She stared at his back for two seconds, then bent down, zipped up the suitcase, and pushed it into the corner.

The next morning, when they set off for the airport, it was still not fully light.

Bai Cheng waited downstairs and helped them put their suitcases into the trunk.

As the car drove onto the airport expressway, Lin Qingmian leaned back in her seat and looked out the window at the gradually brightening sky. The morning light outlined the distant buildings with a pale golden silhouette.

She glanced at Ji Linzhou beside her; he was looking down at his phone screen, his brows slightly furrowed, as if replying to a message.

The car stopped at the entrance of the airport terminal.

Bai Cheng got out of the car to help them unload their luggage. When Ji Linzhou took the suitcase and trolley, he glanced at him and said, "Keep an eye on things at the company these next few days."

"Don't worry." Bai Cheng nodded, then looked at Lin Qingmian, "Madam, I wish you a safe journey."

"Thanks."

As the two walked into the terminal hall, sunlight streamed in through the huge glass curtain wall, making the floor bright and warm.

Lin Qingmian pushed her small suitcase and walked half a step to Ji Linzhou's side. Listening to the rumbling sound of the wheels rolling over the paving stones, her heart beat a little faster than usual.

She couldn't tell if it was because it was her first time attending Fashion Week, or because of the people around her, or perhaps both.

She simply followed him through the crowd toward the check-in counters.

By the time the plane landed at Charles de Gaulle Airport, it was already dark in Paris.

As Lin Qingmian followed Ji Linzhou out of the terminal, a night breeze swept over them, carrying a coolness and dampness unlike anything they'd experienced back home. A black minivan had come to pick them up; the driver, a local, greeted them in heavily accented English. Ji Linzhou replied in French, speaking fluently and giving them the address, after which the driver started the car.

Lin Qingmian sat in the back seat, tilting her head to look out the window. The streetlights illuminated the foreign streets, making them appear both unfamiliar and fresh. She looked for a while before turning her gaze away, only to find Ji Linzhou looking at something on his phone, his brows slightly furrowed and his lips pursed tighter than usual.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"It's nothing." He put his phone away. "Just a small matter at the company."

She didn't press him. She believed him when he said it was nothing, and vaguely felt that if there really was something, he would probably tell her on his own. The car stopped in front of a hotel, and a doorman came over to help them unload their luggage. Lin Qingmian looked up at the building's exterior; it wasn't particularly tall, but the facade was beautiful, and the lights shining through the floor-to-ceiling windows gave the whole building a warm glow.

As she entered the lobby, Lin Qingmian was rummaging through her bag for her passport when she caught a glimpse of a woman standing next to the reception desk. The woman was wearing a beige trench coat, her hair was loose, and she was holding a cup of coffee. Lin Qingmian paused when she looked up.

Su Tingwan stood there, looking a little thinner than when they last met, her face appearing somewhat pale under the fluorescent lights, though her makeup remained impeccable. She watched them enter, placed her coffee cup on the counter, and walked towards them.

"Linzhou." Her gaze fell on Ji Linzhou first, and she called his name, her tone much calmer than before, "I know you're also in Paris. I happen to have a brand event here, and we're staying at the same hotel."

She paused for a moment, then looked at Lin Qingmian: "Qingmian, I meant no harm. I just wanted to apologize to you in person."

Lin Qingmian looked into her eyes and remained silent for two seconds. "And then?"

"And then?" Su Tingwan paused slightly, as if she hadn't expected her to ask that. "Then I'll leave. I'll leave after I've said that, and I won't bother you anymore."

She lowered her head, her fingers clenching in her trench coat pocket for a moment, then releasing. "I've done a lot of bad things before. I know it myself. I don't ask for your forgiveness, but I want to say sorry."

Lin Qingmian stood there, looking at Su Tingwan's lowered eyes. She was silent for a moment, then spoke, "Well, you've finished talking. We should go check in."

Su Tingwan's eyelashes trembled, as if those words had struck a vulnerable spot. She looked up, opened her mouth as if to say something, but ultimately only took a half-step back. "Okay. I'm done."

She turned and walked towards the hotel entrance, took two steps, then stopped and glanced back at Ji Linzhou. "I won't bother you anymore. I mean what I say." After saying this, she left. Her off-white trench coat flashed briefly in the lights of the revolving door before disappearing into the night.

Lin Qingmian stood there looking in that direction until Ji Linzhou's voice came from beside her: "Let's go, check in."

She looked away and followed him to the front desk. He spoke entirely in French while they were going through the formalities. She couldn't understand a word he said, but she could hear the syllables flowing smoothly and steadily from his throat, like a quiet, flowing river.

As the elevator went up, he suddenly spoke up: "What did you mean when you asked her 'And then?'"

She glanced at him sideways: "Let's see if she's genuinely apologizing or just pretending. If she's pretending, she'll keep acting. If she's genuine, she'll leave as soon as she's done."

The elevator doors opened with a ding. He stepped out, pulling two suitcases, and turned to look at her: "So, do you think she's being genuine or just pretending?"

Lin Qingmian followed, walking half a step to his side: "I don't know. But it's good that she's gone."