What more could Wang Qiqi say? The sleeping arrangements were decided, their luggage was moved in, and they even offered to cover living expenses. How could she possibly refuse? "Though I really want to assert that I am the owner here, and though I really mind that you moved in without telling me, the crucial point is: if I say no, will you actually leave?"

Shi Man shook her head. "We moved in with our bags precisely because we knew you might object. Actually, my parents weren't entirely onboard either, but the problem is, they saw the report card I brought home yesterday—they got so excited, saying I have a real shot at getting into a key university." Even though they could pull strings at home, ensuring she could become a civil servant back in their hometown or find a position elsewhere after graduation, the most important thing was securing a university diploma. Her family hadn't set high expectations before, mainly because her math scores were poor, but seeing this sudden glimmer of hope, coupled with her own drive to succeed, how could her family disagree with her aspirations and decisions?

"I also want to study hard, even though I might go abroad later," Zhu Lina said slowly after a moment's thought.

Although Shi Man and Wang Qiqi had a general idea of Zhu Lina's family situation—knowing they had some money, of course—they were surprised to hear she was planning to study abroad. Studying abroad! This made Shi Man incredibly envious. Going abroad wasn't easy, and it certainly took courage. Wang Qiqi had seen many students study abroad in the future, though at that time it wasn't prohibitively expensive; many families with slightly better finances sent their children overseas. However, in many cases, they were just spending their parents' hard-earned money on dining and recreation.

Wang Qiqi wasn't sure if Zhu Lina was going abroad just to polish her credentials or to genuinely learn something. If it was the latter, she could probably gain a lot. "Going abroad is great, but the ** outside can be quite overwhelming."

Zhu Lina wasn't overly enthusiastic about studying abroad herself. Traveling abroad was one thing, but spending three to five years there to earn a degree she wasn't entirely sure she could secure. "Exchanging grades for living expenses, then."

Wang Qiqi understood immediately—so that was the arrangement. Some things could actually be capitalized on. "Later, when I start university, I plan to run a small business. We should partner up then." Where would the initial capital come from? It would come from here. Although she had money, it was left by her parents; she had only engaged in a bit of speculative activity herself.

Partnering in business? Zhu Lina looked at Wang Qiqi with surprise, and Shi Man also wondered why Wang Qiqi seemed so excited by Zhu Lina’s mention of going abroad.

Wang Qiqi slowly laid out her idea. "What do you think? I just feel that if we operate this well, we will definitely make a lot of money, possibly even enough to cover our university fees."

Zhu Lina considered it. This method wasn't bad. Her parents, aunts, and uncles often traveled abroad to shop. If she bought a few extra items, she could easily cover the round-trip airfare, and operating the way Wang Qiqi suggested meant she could earn money too. The only thing required was shopping, which was much easier than washing dishes and wouldn't interfere with her studies. "But who would we sell the items to?" This was a critical question.

"In the beginning, we'll buy small things, and as our reputation grows, we can move on to more valuable items." Exactly how to execute this was a matter for future planning. There was no need to think that far ahead now. "What about it, Lina?"

Zhu Lina thought for a moment. "No problem."

Shi Man looked between Wang Qiqi and Zhu Lina. She lowered her head and pondered. Although her family wasn't overly strict with her financially, the key issue was that they certainly weren't as free-spending as the other two. "Can I join too?"

"Why should we add you? We're not that close," Wang Qiqi teased Shi Man slightly. "But refusing you would be against natural justice. However, if you start doing business, won't your parents have objections?"

"I earn my own money; what would they worry about? As long as I'm healthy and studying well, everything is fine. They don't micromanage me that much. Alright, let's go inside and unpack." Shi Man had worried Wang Qiqi might refuse, so she had hastily dumped her bags into the room. Now that the host had agreed, she needed to start hanging up her clothes; otherwise, they would stay crumpled in the bag.

"Go ahead, but my closet seems too full to fit all your clothes. Maybe we should get some storage bins and put away all my winter clothes first," Wang Qiqi suddenly remembered that her wardrobe was likely packed, with no space left for them.

Shi Man and Zhu Lina were dumbfounded. What? Surely not? They had gathered yesterday afternoon, discussed things for hours, covered every conceivable issue, but they hadn't considered the clothes.

But Shi Man thought, how could I back down over such a small thing? "Okay, we'll go buy some plastic storage bins tomorrow, and while we're at it, we can help Qiqi clear out her closet. I bet you have a lot of clothes in there you don't wear anymore." Although she hadn't seen Wang Qiqi's closet, she assumed there must be many unworn items tucked away.

Wang Qiqi shook her head regarding that point. "The clothes I don't wear, my mother used to give away when she was still here." Otherwise, given how quickly her mother bought her clothes, even the largest closet wouldn't suffice. "My mom would go through the wardrobe and sort things out every year."

Hearing Wang Qiqi's tone become low, Shi Man knew she had touched on an unhappy memory again. She had changed so much after her aunt and uncle passed away. When she discussed Qiqi's change with her own parents, her mother had said, "A child without a guardian is like grass," and warned that if Qiqi didn't pull herself together, wealth could tempt the unscrupulous. Moreover, based on what they knew, even if Wang Qiqi's uncle and aunt had taken the money, they might not have treated Qiqi well. Therefore, Shi Man rarely brought up her parents in front of Wang Qiqi now, fearing it would upset her. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine. By the way, let's go organize the closet now; we still have some energy." Wang Qiqi didn't want them to see her crying; it would make her look weak.

Shi Man and Zhu Lina exchanged a look. It was still a sore spot. "Okay. Actually, we just need one shelf cleared for our clothes. Summer clothes don't take up much space anyway."

Don't take up much space? The moment Wang Qiqi entered the room, she noticed that the relatively wide aisle between her bed and the wardrobe was already occupied by several bags. "This isn't a lot of clothes. I’m really curious how big your wardrobes are at home."

Wang Qiqi didn't spare a glance at their expressions and turned on the air conditioning, while Shi Man efficiently closed the windows, preparing to start the work.

Wang Qiqi initially didn't expect to discard many clothes, but surprisingly, some needed to go. It wasn't that they were unwearable, but rather, looking at them with her much older mindset, they were excessively pink. Many items were pink. Well, it was acceptable for someone her age to wear them, but some of the winter wear was in pale colors, which the lazy Wang Qiqi didn't favor. Some clothes looked too cute and were immediately dealt with. Wang Qiqi sorted through the clothes one by one and placed them aside. "Looks like I won't need to buy clothes until next year. I plan to wear these until then and buy new things once I get to university." It saved the hassle of transporting clothes back and forth, and since the university she planned to attend wouldn't be nearby, she would have to buy clothes there anyway, so there was no point wasting money locally.

Shi Man looked at the pile of clothes Wang Qiqi had sorted out and gasped inwardly. Good heavens, Qiqi's mother truly doted on her! She had bought so many clothes; most were probably designer brands—what a fortunate girl. Some of these items looked quite new. "Are you throwing all these away?" It seemed such a waste.

Throwing them away? Wang Qiqi thought, Am I that extravagantly wasteful? "Of course, the clothes are for people who need them. I plan to call Auntie later and ask if she needs any. My mom used to take these clothes to give to people from out of town working at her unit." Give them to Wang Rui? Wang Qiqi never considered that; besides, Wang Rui probably wouldn't wear her hand-me-downs, and she might not even be thankful, perhaps just feeling looked down upon. No need to invite unnecessary trouble.

"Giving them to Auntie sounds good; she seems quite frugal," Shi Man said, having seen Auntie a few times. Even though her clothes were washed until they were stark white, she still hadn't discarded them, showing how frugal she was. "Does she have a daughter?"

Wang Qiqi nodded. "Yes, otherwise I wouldn't send them to her." Since they were going to be given away anyway, she might as well give them to Aunt Gong; at least Aunt Gong had always been kind to her.

The three of them busied themselves moving the clothes Wang Qiqi didn't want into the living room. Shi Man and Zhu Lina were busy stuffing their own clothes into the wardrobe, as the sudden emptiness of the previously packed closet felt unsettling.

When Han Tao entered, he was startled to see a pile of clothes in the living room. "Are you moving?"

"Giving them away." Wang Qiqi didn't know which clothes Aunt Gong wanted, so she hadn't packed them into bags, but she guessed Gong Hong would likely take most of them. "Let's eat, let's eat. Xiao Man, Lina, time for dinner."

Han Tao was quite familiar with Shi Man. He hadn't met Zhu Lina before, so he just greeted her and they all sat down to eat. When he heard that these two intended to stay until the college entrance exams next year, Han Tao cautiously glanced at Wang Qiqi. Didn't she complain about it being noisy?

"My family situation isn't great; their staying is perfect because they can cover living expenses. Otherwise, I wouldn't have agreed," Wang Qiqi explained, mixing truth with half-truths. "What choice did I have? Last night's dinner cost four thousand big silver dollars! For a student living off savings, that's several months of living expenses."

Shi Man knew Wang Qiqi would have to pay up last night, but she hadn't expected such a hefty amount. "That much? That's not typical of your usual spending power."

"Two thousand was to congratulate her on getting into high school, and two thousand is the travel money I won't spend taking her to Beijing next year. Sigh, although I paid a bit much, it's still better than taking her on a trip to Beijing." Wang Qiqi thought, Is my spending power really that bad? (To be continued)