Shi Man had actually prepared herself for the possibility of Qi Qi leaving with Gao Kai when she saw him call out to Wang Qiqi. But unexpectedly, this time Wang Qiqi resisted the charm of the handsome boy. "Are you really cutting ties with Gao Kai?"

"I associated with him back then because I was young and ignorant, but I’m not a child anymore. If I kept seeing him, I’d really go crazy. Besides, does he lack direction?" Wang Qiqi linked arms with Shi Man and walked toward her house. "Oh, should we buy some snacks? Then we can eat while we study."

Wang Qiqi and Shi Man had been studying, which meant little else besides studying. Although this method was efficient, Wang Qiqi still felt a little unaccustomed to it. So, buying snacks to munch on while working seemed like a good idea. Furthermore, there was absolutely nothing to eat at her place, making it hard to host guests, especially since she was vegetarian—she might get hungry late at night, particularly with Shi Man’s hearty appetite. Wang Qiqi was certain Shi Man would be thrilled by the suggestion.

"Okay," Shi Man agreed instantly, raising both hands when Wang Qiqi mentioned it. "I want chips, and I want jelly, and preserved plums too..." Shi Man excitedly listed the things she wanted on her fingers. "Hey, Qiqi, why don't you also get some ice cream? I want the big tub."

Wang Qiqi could only swallow hard. While those things were indeed delicious and tempting to her, the real issue was, "Aren't you worried about gaining a few pounds if you eat all this?" Wang Qiqi genuinely worried that if someone ate so freely for these few days, Shi Man's mother might return, see that the beauty Shi Man had gained weight, and further restrict her eating, perhaps even isolating her from Wang Qiqi.

Shi Man pouted and looked at Wang Qiqi, shaking her hand incessantly. "Good Qiqi, good Qiqi, I'll just eat a little bit. My mom has her issues; you know how thin she is. Look at me?"

Shi Man spun around a few times on the spot, then stopped, looking at Wang Qiqi. "Do you think I’m fat?"

Wang Qiqi looked Shi Man up and down, pondering for a moment. "Well, I don't actually think you're fat." Of course, by later standards, Shi Man was a bit plump, but her figure was quite nice, especially with those two prominent features, unlike herself, who was truly flat as an airfield. "Forget it, eat if you want, but let's skip the ice cream; that’s not good for you."

Although eating ice cream in the summer felt wonderfully refreshing, eating too much of it caused severe cramps when her period arrived. Moreover, women’s bodies were often cool in nature, and consuming too many such cold items was detrimental to one’s health. "I’ll go home and make some mung bean soup; that stuff is quite good."

Shi Man deflated when Wang Qiqi said no to ice cream. Even though there was mung bean soup available, it simply couldn't compare to ice cream. "Then the other things..." Shi Man realized that no matter what, Qiqi wouldn't buy her ice cream, but it didn't matter as long as there were chips or jelly.

Wang Qiqi nodded. "Of course, there will be. Alright, hurry up and go home to get your clothes, then we'll hit the supermarket for a big shopping spree."

Hearing about the big shopping trip, Shi Man hugged Wang Qiqi and spun her around a few times. "I knew Qiqi was the best! Don't worry, I have money here." It wasn't that Shi Man couldn't afford these snacks, but such things couldn't appear at home. If her mother saw them, her allowance would be cut, and more importantly, her dinner portion would shrink. Most critically, given Qiqi’s current situation, no matter how much money Uncle Wang left her, it was money that would dwindle with use.

Wang Qiqi knew Shi Man had money and knew why she said that—she didn't want to burden her. "Don't worry, I still have money to treat you. Besides, the party at fault compensated quite a bit." Even if she didn't mention it, everyone would know about the compensation she received. Plus, Wang Dagui and his wife weren't the tight-lipped type; who knew what they were saying about her outside.

"I know, but how much money could that be? Qiqi, what are your plans for the future?" Even though Shi Man and Wang Qiqi hadn't been on the best terms recently, Shi Man still considered Qiqi a friend and cared about her affairs.

"I'll save the money. My mother left me some money and the house, which is enough for me. Plus, when I go to university, I plan to work part-time." Although Wang Qiqi and Shi Man were close, there were some things she wouldn't tell her. Fortunately, the house left by her maternal grandparents had a two-year lease agreement, and the contract had just been signed at the beginning of the year. The landlord was a chain store owner using the space, and even the downstairs manager didn't know who the property owner was. So, for now, she was relatively safe. By the time the next contract was due, she would already be in university.

"Won't that be tough?" Shi Man looked at Wang Qiqi in surprise, knowing this girl could be quite pampered. "Are you planning to be a tutor?"

Wang Qiqi shook her head. "I don't plan to. Why be a tutor? I plan to work in a small shop later; I want to go into business." Wang Qiqi had thought about it recently: by the time she graduated from university, online transactions probably wouldn't be widespread yet. She planned to use that time to learn more—like visiting good suppliers, finding reliable sources of goods, and improving her interpersonal skills.

Go into business? Shi Man wondered why Wang Qiqi suddenly wanted to do that. "You used to say you wanted to be a teacher, saying there were winter and summer breaks."

Did she really say that? Wang Qiqi had forgotten. "I used to think that; I thought being a teacher was quite leisurely, but now I feel the pressure on teachers is quite high, with the stress of academic advancement. If student scores are poor, parents are unhappy, and the school is unhappy. Even though the pay is high and the benefits are good, the pressure is so intense. It’s better to run an online store; if I start early, the pressure won't be as great, and the income isn't small either. Relatively speaking, running a business allows me to remain somewhat hidden. How about we partner up?"

Shi Man thought Wang Qiqi's suggestion was quite good, but unfortunately, "My parents won't agree. They think I should join the civil service and become a government employee. In their view, it’s best for a girl to have a steady, government job." But Shi Man had seen how much her parents had sacrificed and schemed for promotions, and that wasn't what she wanted. However, getting her parents to agree to her running a small business with Qiqi would be a problem.

Wang Qiqi didn't press Shi Man further. Although Shi Man’s parents held that hope for her, when she grew older and developed her own ideas, she didn't follow their wishes to join the government but went into finance and economics instead.

Shi Man rushed home to quickly grab a few clothes, then called her parents before dragging Wang Qiqi straight toward the supermarket.

Wang Qiqi could only shake her head watching the person beside her become overly excited the moment they entered the supermarket. It was like a mouse falling into a grain silo. "I’m telling you, take less. Jelly isn't good for you." Wang Qiqi didn't know the composition of jellies at this time, but after seeing the ingredients in later-day jellies, Qiqi had lost any impulse to eat them.

"I know. My parents say this is for little kids." Shi Man certainly knew that eating food meant for children at her age was a bit excessive. "But I just like it."

"Fine, if you like it. But don't you think we’ve bought too much? How are we going to carry it all home?" Wang Qiqi planned to buy some fruit on the way back.

"Is this a lot?" Shi Man looked at the basket. "This isn't much. Don't worry, I’ll carry my share back myself."

What else could Wang Qiqi say? If she kept arguing, she'd seem petty. "Okay, okay, if you like it, that’s fine. You’re staying at my place for several days anyway; you have to finish all this stuff."

"Don't worry, if I can't finish it, I can come to your place and eat it later," Shi Man had already planned. "I'll come to your place to study from now on, and I can eat snacks then." Quiet and with snacks—in Shi Man's mind, it was the perfect place to study.

"Deal. Since all this is what you like, hey, help me pick out some salty preserved plums and some chocolate." This stuff helps stave off hunger. Oh, right, she also needed to buy some tea; that was a great aid for late-night studying. During her recent all-nighters, she had drunk all the family stock. "Oh, and get some beef jerky; that’s great for midnight snacks."

"Okay, but that stuff is pretty expensive." Shi Man wasn't crazy about beef jerky, but it was okay occasionally. She truly didn't understand why Zhang Qian liked it so much.

The two filled two handbaskets. When they reached the checkout counter, they attracted the attention of the cashier. "You bought this much?"

"Yes," Wang Qiqi nodded. There was nothing to be done; Shi Man had eventually infected her enthusiasm. "It looks like I need to start exercising early every morning too."

"Exercising early in the morning?" Shi Man shuddered at the thought. "If I had that much time, I'd rather sleep." Studying until midnight every day and then waking up early to exercise—that sounded like death to Shi Man.

"But you'd have an expert exercising with you," Wang Qiqi thought. There was no reason she couldn't stick to getting up early and running in the morning to feel refreshed if someone else could manage it while staying up late.

An expert? Shi Man still felt, never mind. Even an expert couldn't compare to sleep in importance for her. "Sleep is the greatest thing under heaven."

Shi Man rubbed her stomach. "Qiqi, I'm hungry, I'm really hungry. Let’s go back and eat." Shi Man casually grabbed a pack of biscuits and started eating. Thank goodness she had been quick-witted enough earlier to grab a few packs of biscuits and some bread; otherwise, she really wouldn't have had the strength to walk back. "Are we walking back? Your place is far from here."

"Let's take a cab," Wang Qiqi also didn't have the energy to carry all those heavy bags back. A taxi would be more convenient.

Tonight at 8 PM there will be another update. Bubu thanks everyone for their strong support. Although it’s embarrassing to say, Bubu still has to ask, do you dear readers have any pink tickets left? [Cultivation in the Interstellar Era] By Qiyue Shang. Don't want your soul scattered? Qingyao, once you enter the interstellar age, you'll be captivated! Calm down, calm down, don't lose your Taoist heart! [Worth a Thousand Gold] Who says an unlucky person turning their life around is just double-fried? This young mistress will 'fight' her way to the top! [Raising the Saddle and Eyebrows / Cao Mu Cong Zhu] Wedding night, encounter an accident; the main wife is reborn, does she fight for the husband or abandon him?