Chapter 29: The beginning of the trip! My good sister’s thousand tricks!

The next day at noon, in the school’s faculty office.

Bai Wanting deliberately chose a seat near the door, phone in hand, idly scrolling through short videos.

The office wasn’t crowded; during lunch break, most teachers were either off at the cafeteria or napping at their desks.

“Creak—”

The office door swung open, and Lin Qingya’s homeroom teacher, Ms. Song, walked in hugging a stack of workbooks.

She looked a bit worn out, dumping the stack on her desk before letting out a habitual long sigh.

As she turned around, she spotted Bai Wanting, who had her back to her.

Bai Wanting’s phone was playing a video about the May Day mini-vacation, with upbeat, stirring background music.

Ms. Song set down her books and settled beside Bai Wanting with her thermos cup.

They were the only two young female teachers in the office; the rest were mostly older seniors, with few shared topics.

Ever since Bai Wanting started at the school, Ms. Song had naturally taken her as a chatty confidante for venting.

Of course, Ms. Song was pure-hearted; she just felt thrilled to finally have a same-age friend to talk to.

Bai Wanting, on the other hand, had ulterior motives—to fully control her little treasure, building rapport with her homeroom teacher was an essential step.

“Little Bai, May Day’s tomorrow—what’re your plans?” Ms. Song asked with a smile.

Bai Wanting’s fingertip “accidentally” swiped, landing on the next video: a hilarious clip of cats fighting.

“Song-jie, you’re back!” Bai Wanting smiled and shook her head, her expression tinged with loneliness. “No plans for me, probably just holing up at home.”

“Staying in’s so boring! It’s a holiday—why not head out for some fun?”

Ms. Song’s mouth pursed in disapproval at the thought.

At that, Bai Wanting’s mood seemed stirred; she sighed wistfully. “Sigh, I don’t even know where to go.”

“Look at the kids these days—soon as vacation hits, they’re buzzing with plans for trips out of town, night market strolls, full of that youthful energy.”

Her fingertip slid again, the screen “coincidentally” showing a video on Gan City’s night market food tour.

Sizzling grilled skewers, a dazzling array of snacks, paired with the vlogger’s over-the-top exclamations, blared clearly from the phone speaker.

Bai Wanting deliberately cranked the volume up a notch, her face shifting with the content.

“We’re different, stuck in a big city like Tengchun—skyscrapers and endless traffic every day. Come holiday time, we just feel lost, crowds everywhere, no clue where to turn.”

She paused, then chuckled as if she’d come to terms with it. “Eh, why dwell? What about you, Song-jie—any May Day plans?”

Bai Wanting’s emotions built in layers: longing for youth, adult exhaustion, then self-soothing acceptance—quite the performance!

This heartfelt (staged) outpour successfully tugged at Ms. Song’s sympathy.

The kind-hearted Ms. Song fell right into the rhythm, pondering seriously.

A moment later, as if struck by inspiration, she grinned. “How about this, Little Bai—May Day, let’s hit up another city for a trip together!”

She figured Bai Wanting had just been alone too long, getting a bit sentimental.

Plus, as a psych counselor, she dealt with all sorts of mental woes; as the saying went, physicians couldn’t heal themselves—she must have her own stresses.

Taking her out for some air, night market wandering, snack munching—sure to cheer her right up.

At Ms. Song’s suggestion, surprise flickered across Bai Wanting’s face, followed by a hint of hesitation.

“Is that… okay?”

“What’s not okay? It’s settled!”

Seeing Bai Wanting warming up, Ms. Song perked right up.

“Fine then.” Bai Wanting nodded as if convinced. “But May Day crowds will be nuts—if we’re going, we gotta book fast.”

“And us bookish types? No point squeezing into those mega-cities. Better pick a chill third-tier spot—low-key costs, slower pace, real relaxation.”

As she spoke, she “absentmindedly” swiped to another short video on Gan City’s local vibes.

The footage showed quaint streets, leisurely pedestrians—a stark contrast to Tengchun’s frenetic hustle.

Under this clever chain of psychological nudges, Ms. Song blinked, drawn to the video, and lit up. “Thinking about it, Gan City sounds perfect for us!”

“Hm? Gan City’s fun?” Bai Wanting feigned puzzlement, as if hearing of it for the first time.

“Totally fun!” Ms. Song launched into enthusiastic endorsement. “Their night markets are total influencer hotspots—authentic snacks galore! And prices are a steal! Ideal for folks like us who wanna unwind without breaking the bank!”

“Sounds great…” Bai Wanting played along, looking swayed.

“Done! I’ll book the tickets now!”

“You call the shots, Song-jie.”

Bai Wanting flashed a sweet smile.

And so, under Ms. Song’s “strong recommendation,” Bai Wanting “reluctantly” agreed to ditch the shut-in life for a Gan City getaway over May Day.

Ms. Song was thrilled—she’d been at the school nearly a year and finally had a colleague buddy for outings!

Bai Wanting, meanwhile, glanced at her phone, barely suppressing the grin tugging at her lips, still locked in her no-laugh challenge.

Gan City… my adorable little Ya, sister’s on her way too~

…

Meanwhile, Lin Qingya had no idea she’d been so neatly set up.

She’d already arranged with Wei Re and the others in the group: meet at Tengchun’s high-speed rail station tomorrow at ten a.m., then off to Gan City for their vacation adventure!

After evening self-study.

Lin Qingya and Bai Wanting walked home hand in hand, fingers intertwined, strolling leisurely.

Lin Qingya was distracted the whole way, her mind churning over how to broach the Gan City trip with little Bai-jie.

Just blurt it out? Too abrupt?

Would little Bai-jie think she was ditching her for friends?

Go subtle? But how?

Maybe probe first—ask little Bai-jie’s May Day plans?

But what if little Bai-jie said she had none and wanted to hang with her? Then dropping the trip news would just disappoint her…

Aba aba… what to do!

As she second-guessed herself into knots, Bai Wanting spoke up first beside her.

“Little Ya, any May Day plans?”

Lin Qingya’s heart skipped—she hadn’t figured out her words yet—when Bai Wanting continued with a smile:

“I’ve seen tons of kids heading out for trips on this break. You should go play with your friends too—staying cooped up’s no fun.”

The words made Lin Qingya’s head snap up, eyes sparkling.

“R-really… you mean it, little Bai-jie?”

“Of course.” Bai Wanting beamed at her, reaching to smooth her wind-tousled bangs. “My little Ya studies so hard—holidays are for recharging.”

She pivoted smoothly, a touch of regret on her face. “Only thing is, sister’s got a last-minute psych consult gig—holidays booked solid, so I can’t tag along.”

“If you go, remember: stay safe, take care of yourself, got it?”

Bai Wanting decided to keep Lin Qingya in the dark for now; she was already savoring the image of her little one’s shocked-and-delighted face at their “chance” street encounter in Gan City.

Hearing little Bai-jie couldn’t join, Lin Qingya felt a twinge of disappointment.

Too bad—no trip with little Bai-jie…

But that pang was swiftly drowned in relief and joy.

Still awesome!

At least now she could spill the Gan City beans openly!

Her agonizing dilemma? Casually resolved by little Bai-jie!

Lady Luck really did favor her!

With no more hang-ups, Lin Qingya spilled her full plan.

“Little Bai-jie! I wanna hit Gan City with a few girl classmates I’m kinda close to! They say the night market’s legendary—tons of yummy stuff!”

Bai Wanting listened tenderly, her indulgent smile unwavering.

Mm, girl classmates…

Fine, she’d tolerate that label—for now.

“Of course you can.” She agreed softly. “Our little Ya should get out and see the world more. Got enough cash? Want sister to transfer some?”

“Plenty! Way more than I can spend!” Lin Qingya waved her off frantically, cheeks flushing with excitement. “Little Bai-jie’s allowances are always over-the-top!”

“Good then.” Bai Wanting patted her head. “Just be safe out there—no wandering alone at night, call sister anytime for anything…”

“Mm! Got it! Little Bai-jie’s the best!”

Lin Qingya nodded emphatically, wrapped in bliss, practically floating!

And so, under little Bai-jie’s gentle nudge, the weight lifted from Lin Qingya’s heart.

A Gan City journey brimming with unknowns and “surprises” was about to unfold…