Wang Qiqi was studying at home, occasionally glancing at her notes—notes contributed by someone else, which Qiqi considered the ultimate weapon for acing exams.

She admired the strong, decisive handwriting covering the pages, murmuring in appreciation. "There's a reason for good grades; even the notes are this clear and well-organized, with such smooth logic. If you aren't too dense and have some foundation, following his thought process makes those problems seem simple. And if you tackle similar problems again, you’ll instantly know where to start. It’s not just English; math is similar. Do a few problems of the same type, and you’ll grasp how to approach them." Wang Qiqi straightened out the problems based on the notes and prepared to continue her homework.

Just then, the phone rang. Wang Qiqi found it odd; the landline rarely rang, and usually only during the day. She set the notebook down, walked to the phone, and picked up the receiver. Upon hearing the greeting from the other end, she instantly regretted answering, yet hanging up now would seem deliberately evasive.

"Hello," Wang Qiqi managed, unsure what to say or what topic to broach, settling for a simple greeting.

Gao Kai, on the other end, sensed Wang Qiqi was acting strangely, but attributed it to the recent passing of her parents. "I heard about what happened at your place. Are you feeling any better?"

Wang Qiqi hummed. "It’s alright. How well can I be when my parents are gone? But they wouldn't want to see me stuck in unhappiness either." She hadn't expected this guy to call so many days after the fact. Perhaps he’d heard that her family received the compensation money. Although it wasn't reported in the papers, in a city this size, such a terrible traffic accident would inevitably lead to rumors circulating, even if officially hushed up.

Gao Kai paused. "I’ve been staking out near your house every day recently, but I just didn't dare come up..." He explained why he hadn't called or visited before. "I was worried your elders would see me and think poorly of it. I wouldn't have known anything today if I hadn't run into your cousin..."

Wang Qiqi listened to Gao Kai chatter endlessly on the phone, wishing she could hang up. He hadn't felt comfortable visiting to pay respects, but a call would have sufficed, or at the very least, having a female classmate call. Yet, he did nothing.

Then again, at that time, she was an orphan. Don't let his outward generosity fool you; he was fundamentally stingy. He was likely worried she might start asking him for money later. But after hearing the gossip circulating, he must have had an epiphany: perhaps she wouldn't need to ask him for money, and could even offer him some. So, he deployed this tactic. Too bad for him; she wasn't the same naive girl from her past life. "I understand. I’m not blaming you. Besides, things at home have been chaotic lately. I’ve been overseeing everything, big and small. Even if you came, I wouldn’t have much time to entertain you." Wang Qiqi genuinely worried this man might suddenly decide to show up to pay respects, and she had no idea how to handle that; she certainly didn't want to face him this early on.

Gao Kai found Wang Qiqi's response strange. "Huh? Your cousin told me your uncles were helping out with everything." That girl had no reason to lie to him. "She also said you’ve been so heartbroken over your parents' death that you haven't been able to manage anything. Qiqi, you need to rest. Just let your uncles handle some things..." Gao Kai naturally assumed that Wang Qiqi’s claim of being busy meant she didn't trust others to handle things. He liked Wang Qiqi partly because she seemed easily bullied, and partly because her family was well-off, meaning outings wouldn't cost him much. Another reason was that she looked presentable; he certainly didn't want to return to school with someone who looked frail and pale—the thought alone made him slightly nauseous.

Hearing Gao Kai speak without any real consideration, Wang Qiqi recognized the information he’d gleaned. It seemed her 'good' cousin must have met some scoundrel around this time and their relationship had progressed. Even living a second life, Wang Qiqi had to admire this man: well-read and knowledgeable about many things. Of course, if you talked to him for long, the conversation dried up; it was clear he only had a superficial grasp of things, just enough to charm a teenage girl. "I know. But this is my parents' final journey; I want to personally see them off." Leaving matters to Wang Dagui and the others would effectively be gifting them money. She wasn't a fool; knowing Wang Dagui owed several thousand in gambling debts, she wouldn't hand him such a golden opportunity.

Gao Kai was quite displeased that Wang Qiqi didn't appreciate his supposed thoughtfulness. Qiqi was good in many ways, but when she dug in her heels, she was stubbornly rigid, unlike her cousin Wang Rui, who made talking to her a pleasure, radiating an air of admiration that was entirely absent in Wang Qiqi’s gaze. Thinking of this, Gao Kai concluded that although Wang Rui wasn't his ideal girl, she was certainly fun to tease now and then. Despite his young age, Gao Kai understood women quite well, though he had concealed it skillfully. Furthermore, he hadn't truly messed with any girls (not for lack of nerve, but because he remembered his father’s advice not to create messy situations that would look bad), so his reputation at school remained relatively clean. Even the girls who broke up with him usually received some small kindness beforehand, ensuring no one would expose him.

After Wang Qiqi spoke, Gao Kai fell silent, choosing to wait, expecting her to realize her mistake and beg his forgiveness. He thought he knew Wang Qiqi well enough: she was stubborn, but if he withheld a response or reaction for long enough, she would eventually yield.

Wang Qiqi waited after her last statement, sensing Gao Kai’s silence, guessing he was displeased with her assertive stance. He might seem gentlemanly, but if you knew him well, you’d realize he was actually quite domineering and self-centered, always expecting others to bend to his will. In her past life, Wang Qiqi might have capitulated, but this time, she wouldn't. "If you have nothing else to say, I'm hanging up now." If you won't speak, I'll assume you have nothing more to offer. Who does he think he is, the Jade Emperor or the General Secretary?

Wang Qiqi hung up with satisfying finality and turned to resume her reading. But after only a few steps, she spun back, picked up the receiver. It wasn't that she felt she needed to call the scoundrel back; rather, she worried that the scoundrel might try calling her. She intended to yank the phone line out, but then realized she’d have to disconnect every extension in the house. To save the trouble, Wang Qiqi simply placed the receiver on the desk, ensuring that anyone dialing in would only get a busy signal.

"There, now I can have some peace," Wang Qiqi clapped her hands, turning back toward the sofa to diligently resume her studies. Sighing, that scoundrel had wasted more of her precious reading time. She inwardly cursed running into him—he’d stalled her in her past life, and now he was doing it again in this one.

Han Tao trudged home, backpack slung over his shoulder, planning to eat something quickly, study more, and then rest. As he reached his floor, he habitually glanced toward the Wangs' apartment. He saw Wang Qiqi waving her hand, murmuring something about peace and quiet. He assumed someone was causing trouble again. "Still having visitors causing a ruckus this late at night."

He didn't know why—maybe it was the wontons and steamed buns he ate at their place last time, or the occasional chat during his morning exercises, or the notes they sometimes exchanged discussing problems, or perhaps it was simply the past consideration shown by Uncle Wang. After all, his mother’s job had been introduced by Uncle Wang; though it kept her busy, the pay was better. In short, Han Tao genuinely couldn't pinpoint why he cared so much about Wang Qiqi's movements.

Wang Qiqi hadn't expected anyone to be around at this hour and was mortified to be caught by Han Tao, her hand frozen mid-air. "You're back. Have you eaten?" She recalled that Aunt Luo was working overtime today. "Um, I still have some vegetable porridge and plain steamed buns left. Want some?"

Han Tao gave an "Oh," and expertly pushed the door open, entering. He set his backpack on a stool and habitually picked up the exercise book Qiqi had spread out. Wang Qiqi automatically went to the kitchen, brought out the porridge, and slightly reheated the buns.

"This is quite good. I didn't expect your progress to be this fast," Han Tao observed after scanning the page. While he noted a few lingering issues, the improvement compared to when she first asked for help was significant. She must have worked hard during this period. "When you get back to school, people will be shocked by how much you’ve improved."

"That’s thanks to you too; if you hadn't lent me these excellent notes." Wang Qiqi waved the notebook. "My math scores might not have improved so much otherwise. But your teaching is genuinely good; I feel it’s much better than the teachers in school."

"That’s because they have to teach so many students, whereas I just tailor the instruction to your pace. Besides, you’re quite diligent yourself," Han Tao acknowledged that such progress didn't come easily. "By the way, what are your plans for the future?"

"I plan to get into a university in Shencheng. It's close to home, so visiting my parents will be easier. And you?" Wang Qiqi recalled that in her previous life, this young man had gone to the capital for a prestigious university. She figured it wouldn't be much different this time around.

"A university in the capital, maybe. If possible, I want to study abroad after graduation." Although the cost of studying abroad was high, Han Tao had looked up information and knew that with good grades, scholarships could significantly ease the financial burden.