Today, their itinerary featured just one destination: Radio City Music Hall in New York. It’s one of the world’s most renowned art venues, boasting the largest indoor theater in the world and a reputation for hosting top-tier performances.

Their task for the day was simple—perform as a group on stage.

Mu Wan: “…”
The production team really had some impressive connections. For a bunch of amateurs like them, it would be impossible to land a performance slot on such a prestigious stage through normal means.

As she wandered around, Mu Wan caught sight of the event schedule for the Music Hall. Her eyes lit up immediately. Today, one of her favorite bands was performing!

The band, Muses, often toured internationally, and chances to see them live were rare. Despite studying in New York for several years, she’d never had the opportunity to catch one of their shows. A pang of regret filled her heart.

If it weren’t for the show’s filming schedule, she could have used her own money to buy a ticket and watch them.

Li Shuqin noticed the glimmer of disappointment in Mu Wan’s eyes. She asked gently, “What’s wrong, Wan wan?”

Mu Wan shook her head, unwilling to add more burden to the group. Everyone still needed to rehearse for their performance later.

But Li Shuqin glanced at the program in Mu Wan’s hands and hit the nail on the head: “You saw a performance you want to attend, didn’t you?”

Hearing this, Mu Wan decided not to hide it anymore and admitted honestly, “I noticed that the Muses band is performing a symphony today. They’re incredibly hard to come by, and every musician in the group is world-class.

“I really want to watch it, but it might not fit into our schedule. Plus, I don’t have enough pocket money for a ticket.”

Concert tickets abroad, especially for renowned bands like Muses, were expensive—far pricier than similar events back home. For example, tickets for a single Muses performance cost $200, and even then, availability wasn’t guaranteed.

After hearing Mu Wan’s explanation, the group suddenly fell silent.

Then Zhou Yang turned to Fang Li and asked, “If I remember correctly, we still have $1,000 in emergency funds, right?”

Fang Li nodded. They had been careful about staying healthy throughout the trip, so the medical fund had gone untouched.

Zhou Yang grinned and said, “Perfect. With $1,000, we can get five tickets. Let’s all go watch the concert together! It’s the last day anyway—let’s treat ourselves!”

Zhong Yi nodded in agreement.

Over the past few days, Mu Wan had been consistently helpful to everyone. This was the first time she made a request, and since they still had enough money, there was no reason not to go. Li Shuqin also nodded.

Mu Wan hadn’t expected everyone to be so considerate of her feelings. Warmth filled her heart, and she sincerely expressed her gratitude. “Thank you.”

Zhou Yang asked Fang Li to retrieve the emergency fund.

Fang Li returned to her room and reached into the inner compartment of her bag to take out the money when her phone suddenly buzzed. She glanced at the screen, and her face instantly turned pale.

—

As time dragged on and Fang Li didn’t emerge from her room, the others exchanged uneasy glances, a sense of foreboding growing stronger.

[What’s taking her so long to grab some cash? Could she have lost it?]
[I had a bad feeling about this from the start—she always seemed so scatterbrained and unreliable.]
[Good thing they didn’t hand her all the money at once.]

Mu Wan hesitated for a moment before knocking on Fang Li’s door. When she opened it, Fang Li’s expression turned panicked as she hastily wiped at the corners of her eyes. “Wan-jie!”

Mu Wan caught a glimpse of the live-streaming camera in the corner and subtly stepped into the room, quickly shutting the door behind her.

[?? What can’t we VIP viewers see?]
[Knowing Mu Wan’s temper, she’s probably been holding back her frustration with Fang Rui for days. Is she finally going to shut the door and let her have it?]
[Uh… Mu Wan isn’t that fierce, right?]
[I’m dying to know what’s happening in there.]

Seeing Fang Li’s reddened eyes, Mu Wan assumed the emergency fund had really been lost. While she felt some disappointment, she consoled her, “If it’s gone, it’s gone. It’s no big deal. Losing money to avert disaster, right? Maybe that’s why none of us have even gotten sick from the water or food here.”

Remembering how Fang Li had cried quietly in the bathroom the other night, Mu Wan didn’t want to scold her too harshly.

Fang Li’s hand tightened slightly around her bag as her voice choked up. “But, Wan-jie, you really wanted to see that concert…”

“There will be other chances,” Mu Wan said with a smile. “Let’s go back and continue rehearsing. Your dancing is amazing—lots of people will love it.”

Then, as if struck by a thought, she added, “Later, I’ll tell everyone I checked, and the tickets are all sold out. You don’t have to mention anything about the money.”

Fang Li stayed silent, but her eyes brimmed with tears. Of course, she knew that Mu Wan was trying to shield her from criticism. Suddenly, she lunged forward and hugged Mu Wan tightly, sniffling. “Wan-jie, you’re so kind.”

Mu Wan patted her on the shoulder. Perhaps her near-death experience had truly mellowed her personality, making her more forgiving and patient. In the past, missing out on something she loved would have sent her into a rage.

But now, she thought, It’s just a concert. I can always catch them on their next tour, wherever they’re performing. I have the money, after all.

Then a small, quiet voice of apology came from her shoulder. “I’m sorry for how I tried to undermine and compete with you before.”

Mu Wan’s eyes softened even more. “It’s nothing.”

Fang Li cried on her shoulder for quite a while. Once she had calmed down, she suddenly stepped back, reached into her bag, and pulled out the $1,000 emergency fund.

With a mischievous and triumphant grin, she said, “Ta-da! Fooled you! I didn’t lose the money!”