"Qiu Xi, you're amazing!" Ma Qinshu, feeling awkward, immediately turned to Qiu Xi to change the subject.
"Heh~" After speaking, she even gave a feigned laugh.
"Um... what are you guys talking about? Can I join?" Xi Weimu smiled politely at Ma Qinshu.
Ma Qinshu's eyes widened. After a pause, she immediately nodded, "Y-Yes, you can."
"Thank you." With that, Xi Weimu clasped his hands together and performed a dramatic martial arts salute as seen in dramas.
Qiu Xi and Zhao Mingyun: "......"
This seemingly refined and gentlemanly Xi Weimu seemed a bit strange?
Only Ma Qinshu didn't notice this. Looking at Xi Weimu, she heard his "thank you."
"You're welcome!"
"The three of us were just talking about..." Ma Qinshu rattled off everything to Xi Weimu.
"Is that so? Then student Qiu Xi is indeed remarkable." Xi Weimu casually echoed.
"Right? I think so too."
"Mhm, you're also very capable. Thanks to you, I've now remembered several teachers' names."
"Heh heh~"
"It's all minor stuff."
"Shall I introduce the three of us to you then?"
Xi Weimu nodded, "Okay, I'll trouble you then."
"Mhm."
As Ma Qinshu spoke, after seeing Qiu Xi and the others nod, she began to talk to Xi Weimu.
"This is Qiu Xi, she came with Teacher Ding..."
Ma Qinshu introduced Qiu Xi to Xi Weimu in just a few sentences.
"A pleasure to meet you."
"...A pleasure..." The stunned pair.
Isn't this awkward?
Xi Weimu: As long as I'm not awkward, then anyone else is awkward.
"Cough, cough~"
"At this hour, if we wait a little longer, we should be able to go in."
The group nodded.
According to the time previously agreed upon by the teachers, it was indeed almost time.
As expected, shortly after the four of them finished speaking, the last person attending the exchange meeting arrived.
"Qiu Xi, are you surprised to see me? A little bit delighted?" Zhen Zhu, pulling her small suitcase, stared confidently at the person in front of her.
"Yes, there is a bit of surprise. As for delight... it's more shock than delight." Qiu Xi observed for a long time and nodded.
Their relationship during the Century Cup competition hadn't been good.
Although much of it was said by her friend Jia Yinxin, it was undeniable that her impression of Zhen Zhu was not good.
"Mhm, surprise is enough." Zhen Zhu nodded solemnly and said.
After that, she didn't dwell on it and greeted Zhao Mingyun and the others beside her.
"Hello everyone, my name is Zhen Zhu. I came with Teacher Cheng Su. Please guide me."
As the saying goes, you can rely on friends when you are away from home. She understood this to some extent.
As for whether they could become friends, she wasn't concerned about that now.
After all, everyone was here for the exchange. For the time being, the biggest entanglement was still interests.
"Hello..."
Although Ma Qinshu and Zhao Mingyun, who had been observing for a while, were full of questions, the situation on the ground was clear, and it wasn't a good time to ask.
So, they simply greeted this person named Zhen Zhu first.
One shouldn't strike a smiling face. They were seeing Zhen Zhu for the first time. As for what kind of entanglement existed between Qiu Xi and her, what conflicts there were, or who was right or wrong, they believed their own eyes and would see the outcome in the future.
For now, they still had to get along well. At least, there shouldn't be any conflicts on the surface. Otherwise, they might be sent back by the teachers before they even left the country.
If that really happened, wouldn't that be a huge embarrassment?
This was not acceptable, and definitely not!
Once everyone was present, it wouldn't be long before they departed.
Indeed, shortly after the five of them had just met, the teachers over there began to call them over.
"Teacher, we're here."
"Mhm, hold your belongings. We're ready to go in."
"Okay."
With that, the five teachers, along with the five students, walked in, ready to board the plane and depart.
......
That afternoon, in Country F.
"Alright, this is it. Let's go in."
With that, Ding Yujing and Wang Zhihong walked ahead, and the group entered the hotel that had been booked long ago.
Ten minutes later, they had completed their check-in.
"Teachers, do you have any arrangements next?" Ding Yujing asked the other teachers as they prepared to head to their rooms.
"If you don't have any arrangements, would you like to go out for a stroll this afternoon?"
The teachers, who had initially expected something like having dinner together, hesitated.
They themselves didn't have any strong opinions, but they were still thinking about talking more with the children they had brought along. If they went out for a stroll this afternoon, this time would be wasted.
"Teacher Ding, I won't be going. We just got off the plane, and I want to rest properly." Zhao Qin was the first to refuse.
Although it was polite, everyone present understood the meaning.
"Teacher Ding, I don't plan to go either. The student who came with me this time is too lively. I plan to lecture her again this afternoon." Yang Shanshan was more direct.
"Mhm, both teachers have valid points." Cheng Su nodded beside them. "Then Teacher Ding, please excuse me. I also want to stay and rest properly."
On the way here, his student had already told him that the student who came with Ding Yujing was the Qiu Xi she had mentioned before.
This immediately piqued his interest.
Cheng Pei, his relative several generations removed, was previously the teacher who brought this girl.
Zhen Zhu, this girl, was intelligent, but not enough. However, given how much her family had paid, he had agreed.
It was just taking students along, after all. He was no longer young, and reaching his current position was probably the limit. After this matter was over, he didn't plan to continue.
He would be content with teaching a class or drinking tea in a small town in retirement.
But for now, he hadn't left yet, and he wanted to see how remarkable the student his relative and the current student were talking about truly was.
Therefore, while there was still time, he needed to make the most of it for Zhen Zhu. Seizing the moment was sometimes very necessary.
Seeing that the three of them had spoken, Ding Yujing naturally had nothing more to say.
"No problem, no problem. Since all the teachers want to rest, I won't force it. We can meet again at the exchange conference. It's not too late."
The three were very satisfied with Ding Yujing's final remark.
"Okay, then it's settled."
"Alright."
"Then this afternoon, I'll take my student out to see the scenery of Country F. I won't bother you all anymore."
With that, Ding Yujing prepared to part ways with them and return to his room.
"Hey~"
"Brother, wait a moment! I haven't spoken yet!" Wang Zhihong called out with a smile to Ding Yujing, who was preparing to leave.
"I have nothing else going on. I'll take my slow student and go see the sights with you."
"Such a good opportunity, it would be a waste not to go~"
"Hahahahaha~"
"Since Teacher Wang has this idea, then we're agreed. We'll go for a stroll together this afternoon."
"Great!"
"I'm going up to rest now. See you this afternoon."
"Okay."
With that, the two left with smiles on their faces.
Watching the teachers slowly walk away, the students behind them had mixed expressions.
"Qiu Xi, I'm so envious of you~" Ma Qinshu whispered to Qiu Xi, glancing at the backs of their teachers.
She had come to broaden her horizons. Besides the exchange conference, she also wanted to take this opportunity to see foreign scenic spots.
"Me too!"
"Qiu Xi, you're really lucky to have such a teacher." Zhao Mingyun, though more reserved, also revealed longing in her eyes.
Qiu Xi chuckled, "Seeing you all looking so dejected, didn't your teachers say we can see things after the exchange conference?"
"That's true..."
"Then I'll bear with it for now~"
Although they said they were envious, in their hearts, they were still a little uneasy.
This was their first time attending such a professional exchange conference. Although they had participated in many activities and competitions to varying degrees before, this was their first time at such a large-scale, rigorous, and formal event.
If their teachers had truly let them wander freely for an afternoon, they themselves might not have been willing.
Moreover, as Qiu Xi had said, there would be time after the exchange conference ended, so they didn't need to be too anxious.
"Mhm, exactly." Qiu Xi agreed.
She could also tell that these two were still a little concerned.
This was good, maintaining vigilance was a good thing at an exchange conference.
"Oh dear~"
"If you don't go, you don't go. We can always come again in the future~"
This was Zhen Zhu, about a meter away from Qiu Xi and the others. She was smiling at the three of them.
So fussy!
Scenery like this wasn't something you could see whenever you wanted. Looking at them now, she almost felt like laughing.
Thinking this, Zhen Zhu raised her hand to cover her mouth, a slight smile curving her lips.
"What Zhen Zhu said also makes sense. If that's the case, then let's leave it at that. I need to find my teacher."
Although there was something strange about the way she said it, seeing that the teacher had already walked away, Ma Qinshu didn't dwell on it further and hurried after her.
Zhao Mingyun merely glanced at Zhen Zhu without saying anything.
Turning to Qiu Xi, she said, "Then let's go too. If we don't, our teacher will disappear."
"Okay."
Xi Weimu, looking back and forth, prepared to follow.
"Student Xi, aren't you worried about going with them?"
Zhen Zhu looked at them leaving one by one, feeling a bit unwilling.
Xi Weimu paused his lifted foot, "I do want to come again in the future, but the people will be different."
With that, Xi Weimu quickened his pace.
This Zhen Zhu seemed a bit difficult to communicate with, so he needed to leave quickly!
......