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Chapter 422
Wanqing did not go back to school afterward. Pei Jing went there in person to process her leave of absence.
However, studying abroad was not that easy. First, they had to contact the school over there, and Pei Jing was on active military duty so going abroad required approval through official channels.
During the time when she was not going to school, Wanqing did not let herself go. Instead, she either self-studied in her room or went to the An family home to chat with grandmother.
On the third day of her leave of absence, two of Wanqing's classmates came to visit her at home.
Knovsumner knew one of them, Xia, and had known her to be on very good terms with Wanqing. The three girls had run a small business together over the summer and supposedly made quite a lot of money, though Knovsumner had not asked Wanqing for details.
Their relationship did not seem to have changed much, as Wanqing invited them right into the house.
The three girls stayed in the room for a long time. When the two visitors came out, their eyes were somewhat red, and they looked at Wanqing with reluctance to part.
"Come on, I'm only going abroad to study, not disappearing forever. We can still keep in touch by phone. After I finish my studies over there I'll come back, and then we can get together and have fun again." Wanqing's voice rang out in the yard, bright and cheerful, clearly conveying her delight.
"We're not reluctant to part with you. With you gone we'll have one less competitor. Wanqing Pei, while you're abroad help scout things out for us. We'll study hard too and try to get the study abroad spots this year, so we can come find you."
The girls' choked voices spoke as they hugged Wanqing. The other girl was relatively silent. She also hugged Wanqing briefly without saying anything.
Friendships in youth tend to be simple yet ardent. Watching this scene from the window, Knovsumner felt genuinely happy for Wanqing.
These two friends of hers were decent girls, outstanding academically as well as in character. The three of them were evenly matched.
Not like those other girls from years ago, who only played together because they were of similar age. Any outstanding talent drew their jealousy.
After seeing the visitors off, Knovsumner asked Wanqing, "You three seem to get along very well, and it's rare that they haven't been influenced by others to harbor ill will toward you."
"They're both wonderful girls, and extremely accomplished," Wanqing said with a warm smile. She came over to hug Knovsumner's arm. "Mom, we might really get the chance to reunite overseas. Zhang Rou and I used to take turns ranking first. Qin Yue was just a tiny bit behind us, but with me gone now, they've lost a competitor."
"True feelings are priceless. It's rare to find genuine goodwill. We don't expect much sincerity from others, just civility. The outside world is wondrous yet dangerous. Stay vigilant and focus on safety at all times. Keep a low profile."
After the mother and daughter chatted for a while, Pei Jing returned from outside.
Wanqing quickly asked him, "Dad, how did it go on your end?"
"The approval came through already, but we have to move fast. I can only stay for one week." Pei Jing said.
"That's fantastic..."
Filled with longing for the outside world, Wanqing started spinning in circles with excitement.
"Dad, Mom, before going abroad I want to visit my brother first. I miss him." Wanqing said.
"Then go. Bring your luggage and we'll head out from there." Knovsumner agreed.
Upon learning that Wanqing's family was going to send her abroad, the kids at home all clamored to tag along. But they still had to attend school, so Pei Jing and Knovsumner naturally refused their nonsense.
After giving Sister Zhang instructions on household matters and leaving the family sufficient living expenses, the couple set off with their daughter.
They went to the capital city first to visit their son, only to find out Chenye was not on campus but had entered an research institute with his mentor and would not be able to come out for the time being.
Knovsumner recalled Chenye mentioning something about a research project with his mentor last time, but could not remember the specifics. She had assumed that it would have ended by now, after such a long time.
She reproached herself for not checking before they came.
Seeing Wanqing's disappointment, Knovsumner consoled her, "After your brother becomes available I'll let him know, and you two can arrange to meet in cyberspace. It'll be the same."
To Wanqing's credit, she responded positively, "I guess that's all we can do now."
She had been looking forward to seeing Chenye's learning environment here and reminiscing about when they used to go out together. But now it seemed they would not get a chance to go out again until after she returned from overseas.
It was Wanqing's first time on an airplane. Everything looked novel and fascinating. It was Knovsumner's first flight too, but with her vastly wider experience she kept her cool.
Unsure how long they flew, when Knovsumner woke from a nap the plane had already begun its descent.
The night air outside was piercingly cold, yet the streets remained vibrantly busy. The buildings and people's attire differed greatly from their homeland.
Prior to the trip they had watched many videos on 2024 America in cyberspace to prepare. Still the difference between seeing it on screen versus in person was considerable.
Pei Jing hailed them a cab to a nice hotel for check-in.
The next day he took Wanqing to the school they had already contacted to process her enrollment.
Knovsumner did not accompany them but wandered several blocks near campus instead, observing the environment and buying some things she liked.
By the time she returned to their hotel room, Pei Jing had come back too, but Wanqing was not there.
"Did it go well?" Knovsumner asked him.
"All done. Can't be too careful in unfamiliar territory. We applied for a dorm room instead of having her live alone off campus. Safety first, conditions second." Pei Jing explained, "She took her luggage to settle into the dorm. Will be back to eat lunch with us later. Paperwork is complete today so classes officially start tomorrow."
He sighed, feeling time slip by too swiftly. It seemed only a blink ago their child was still cozying up to them making demands.
Wanqing's English proficiency was decent. She had practiced daily leading up to the trip and had no issues communicating.
But thinking of her parents waiting back at the hotel, after briefly greeting her new roommates she hurried back right away.
Knovsumner inquired about the dorm conditions out of concern. Only after learning her roommates seemed nice so far could she finally relax.
That afternoon, Knovsumner suggested Wanqing treat her roommates to a meal to bond. Knovsumner had wanted to meet them herself, but feared crossing generational boundaries and making them uncomfortable. So she had Wanqing bring the girls small gifts instead, to convey her regards.
With Wanqing properly on track, over the next few days she radiated smiles whenever they saw her, no longer holing up in her room immediately upon returning home. Instead she happily shared school happenings.