Chapter Seven of "The Exchange Student Chasing Dreams"

　　"Xiao Meng, wake up! We're going to a very special place today." Professor Thomson climbed through the window into Xia Meng's room early in the morning. Although nearing seventy, with graying temples, he always seemed energetically performing dangerous acts. He snapped his fingers at the drowsy Eastern girl in bed, beckoning two maids with clothes and shoes in.
　　"...What?" Half-asleep, Xia Meng was terrified. As she was being dressed with gentle yet forceful methods, she thought she was in a nightmare and desperately cried for help.
　　Fifteen minutes later, Xia Meng was shoved into a luxury car. Staring blankly at Lu Fu, dressed like a young master from the Republican era, she blinked her large eyes.
　　"Good morning, Xiao Meng."
　　"Oh..."
　　She vividly remembered that yesterday, after returning to the villa with Thomson, he almost instantly changed his professorial demeanor upon entering, instead playing cards with her and Lu Bin like a child for most of the night. Throughout the game, Thomson resorted to all sorts of tricks, harassment, and unreasonable behavior. Whenever he lost a hand, he would launch into a long, eloquent speech, attempting to bluff his way out. However, this quickly dispelled Xia Meng and Lu Bin's initial awkwardness towards him. They
　　then boldly counterattacked, and the three of them fought until 3 a.m. before finally calling a halt.
　　Xia Meng had only slept for less than five hours when she was put in the car. "Isn't today the weekend?" Was Lu Bin also going to school?
　　In the front seat, Thomson, wearing a top hat and a traditional Chinese Tang suit, turned around, looking at them with a knowing glint in his eye. "I've already spoken to the school, you don't need to go for the next two weeks." The fashionable clothes and the strange Chinese pronunciation felt surprisingly welcoming to Xia Meng, making her feel completely at ease. She relaxed and took a nap in the car.
　　Xia Meng had no idea what their destination was, but Lu Bin had already found out that Thomson was taking them to Paris's most famous attractions. He was incredibly moved to be able to experience the splendor of this art capital with a professor; even his usually stern face showed the joy and anticipation of a normal teenager.
　　But by the end of the day, Lu Bin was extremely disappointed. The so-called "special" place turned out to be Chinatown in District 13. They bought Chinese toys, browsed the food street, listened to Peking Opera, watched street performers, and even went on a dragon and lion dance spree.
　　Thomson dragged Xia Meng along to play with him, and the latter seemed to be having a blast too. The two big kids completely ignored Lu Bin's presence, relentlessly making him do chores like waiting in line and carrying heavy objects. Finally, as dusk fell, the two stopped playing. While Xia Meng went to buy him cotton candy, Thomson handed Lu Bin a business card.
　　"You did a great job. They close in half an hour, so hurry up."
　　Lu Bin glanced at the information on the card and showed a grateful expression. Was Thomson deliberately ignoring or making things difficult for him all day a test? Lu Bin had actually been very confused these past few days. He came to this city seeking answers, but he couldn't find his direction.
　　"The owner there is an acquaintance of mine; he'll tell you what to do." Professor Thomson had learned about Lu Bin's situation through Principal Bing. As an educator, he was happy to help talented young people.
　　"Thank you, Professor Thomson!" the boy bowed deeply.
　　After Lu Bin left, Thomson said he would take Xia Meng to experience the true charm of Paris and inspire her artistic talents.
　　Furthermore, he added mysteriously, "Xia Meng, I have something very precious to give you; it will make you the happiest person in the world." "
　　But the truth is, Thomson didn't produce that thing, and for the next three days, he completely forgot what he had said. Xia Meng also completely forgot about the crucial question she had been trying to ask Thomson why he had chosen her as an exchange student.
　　The two of them traveled from the 13th arrondissement to the 1st arrondissement. They watched a musical in Place d'Italie, listened to the hymn recitation in the church on Boulevard Volchin, watched a rehearsal at the Paris Opera, experienced the passion of Paris on the world-famous Champs-Élysées, admired the magnificent garden design in the Luxembourg Gardens, and finally strolled through the world-renowned Louvre Museum.
　　During this time, because of Shu Qin and the others' wishes, Xia Meng was glued to her phone, strictly adhering to the 'essential task' of being a group member: taking pictures and posting them on Weibo wherever she went. However, by the fourth day, not a single person had liked or interacted with Xia Meng's Weibo posts. At this moment, she and Thomson were enjoying the scenery of the Seine at an open-air restaurant, but even such a beautiful view could not dispel her loneliness from being neglected by her friends."
　　"Have you felt anything different these past few days, Xiaomeng?"
　　"I..."
　　Xia Meng realized almost instantly how disappointing her behavior had been these past few days. Thomson was still very kind.
　　"Life needs to be experienced and discovered; simply recording it with a phone is useless." ...I was wrong.
　　Thomson patted the girl's head reassuringly and said gently,
　　"It's okay, you still have a chance to earn it yourself." As he spoke, he handed Xia Meng a map. "Remember the places I took you to. In the coming days, you need to use a picture book to depict your impressions of Paris. Xiaomeng, you're here as an art student, so this will be a breakthrough you need as an exchange student, and it's also the achievement your Principal Bing wants to see. Tell me, can you do it?"
　　Xia Meng clenched her fist. "I will do my best."