Wang Qiqi said goodbye to Shi Man and Juliana at the station, carrying her luggage. The two girls planned to stay home with their parents for the next few days. Naturally, no one would see each other; they all intended to hide away and try to lighten their complexions, lest the tan become too obvious.

“Rest well these next few days,” she said. Although they all considered their midday break at the restaurant—out of the sun, studying, and grabbing a quick nap—infinitely easier than class, it hadn't been entirely relaxing. While playing, they were always half-focused on their assignments, and even while walking, one or two academic questions would inevitably pop up.

Even though they had dozed off on the rattling bus ride back, they were quite exhausted. It was hot, the bus air conditioning barely worked, and the air inside was stale. Yet, none of them dared to open a window. After all, there was some cool air in the cabin; opening the windows would surely leave them completely dried out.

But no matter how tired they were, they dared not slack off. Who knew how diligently those others might study during the holiday? “I’m going home to sleep, and I’ll start memorizing my liberal arts subjects tomorrow.” Shi Man had already planned it out: being alone at home was quiet, perfect for reviewing material that required rote learning. As for Math, she’d save that for when she stayed at Qiqi’s place, so the three of them could discuss it together. It would be much easier to find someone to ask about difficult problems than to be stuck studying alone behind closed doors.

Juliana felt the same way. “But the main reason I’m going home is to rest. I’m so, so tired. I need to build up my energy. I genuinely cannot imagine having to endure another three hundred difficult days.” Every day felt like such an ordeal.

After seeing Shi Man off, Wang Qiqi took a taxi home. As she reached her building, she ran into Gong Hong. Even though Wang Qiqi hadn't been home these past few days, Gong Hong still came by daily to air out the rooms and tidy up. “Qiqi, didn’t you say you were coming back tomorrow?” Gong Hong thought nervously, realizing she hadn’t bought any groceries. “I’ll run to the market and get something.”

Wang Qiqi yawned. She had actually intended to return a day later precisely to prevent Gong Hong from buying too much food. Moreover, after the long bus ride, she had completely lost her appetite. “Aunt Gong, just pick up some nice fruit; I don't really feel like anything else. Or you could just make me some noodles.”

Gong Hong murmured in understanding. In this heat, after such a long journey, one wouldn't have much appetite. Gong Hong first helped Wang Qiqi carry her luggage upstairs, then went out to shop. Wang Qiqi, meanwhile, began unpacking a bit, taking out the gifts intended for the other household. The items meant for the family across the hall, she decided to give to Han Tao when he visited in a couple of days, saving herself an extra trip, lest neighbors see and start more gossip.

Even though Han Tao often came to her house now, people had still gossiped. However, with Shi Man and Juliana staying over, and sometimes the door left ajar so passersby could often see the four of them huddled over textbooks, they eventually understood that they were studying together. After that realization, people recalled that Han Tao and Wang Qiqi were in the same grade, and the rumors eventually died down. In truth, the gossip couldn't really take root; the three girls lived together, and even with the door shut, if one listened closely, they mostly heard discussions about schoolwork—or more often, Han Tao tutoring the three girls.

While Wang Qiqi didn't really care about minor gossip, she didn't want to invite unnecessary commentary. The gift for Aunt Gong she placed on the dining table, to be taken when Gong Hong left. Over the next few days, Wang Qiqi visited several relatives and neighbors to drop off gifts. Except for her uncle’s family, everyone else’s attitude had been quite pleasant.

Wang Qiqi saved the visit to Wang Dagui’s house for last, wanting to preserve her good mood upon returning. Worried that Li Cui might later complain that she only brought some inexpensive local specialties, Qiqi deliberately chose to arrive around dinnertime.

When Wang Qiqi arrived at her uncle’s house around six o’clock, she assumed they would have finished eating. To her surprise, they were just finishing dinner. Such a late dinner? She had expected something better, but upon closer inspection, she saw they were eating steamed buns with congee and a small side dish—nothing meaty. Whether the buns had meat filling, Wang Qiqi couldn't say.

Wang Rui looked at Wang Qiqi’s deeply tanned face, then at the local specialty box in her hand. Connecting that with the fact that her cousins hadn't been home for days, she initially wanted to mock Wang Qiqi a bit. But she held back. She had spent the last few days analyzing things, especially after Li Cui had given her a thorough "training session." It made Wang Rui realize that under the current circumstances, she was no longer the favored niece she once was when her aunt and uncle were around. Furthermore, in terms of temperament, she was truly miles behind Wang Qiqi. According to her mother, the affection her aunt showed her had actually been detrimental, which made Wang Rui resent her aunt, believing they had deliberately spoiled her upbringing.

Wang Qiqi had expected Wang Rui to lash out, but she was surprised that she held back. It seemed someone had given her a serious talking-to recently. However, Wang Qiqi certainly wouldn't give Wang Rui a second thought—was there any basis for comparison between them? Absolutely not. The only two major conflicts she'd ever had with Wang Rui involved a man and money. As for the former, Qiqi would gladly yield, as long as Wang Rui didn’t drag her down. As for the latter: Sorry, that’s my money, and it has nothing to do with your family.

Seeing Wang Qiqi arrive, Wang Dagui quickly ushered her in. “Would you like something to eat?”

Wang Qiqi shook her head. With such a meager spread, why would she eat here when she had other options? “No need. I had some cold noodles at home; Auntie makes excellent cold noodles.” The cold noodles, especially the dressing, were so delicious that even Qiqi, who wasn't usually fond of noodles, had started eating two bowls recently.

Wang Dagui glanced at the food on the table. He knew that even if Wang Qiqi hadn't eaten, she wouldn't dine here. “It’s hot; eat whatever you like.” Alas, since that banquet where trying to profit led to a loss, their meals had become significantly worse. He’d tried to discuss it with Li Cui, but she only argued that the banquet expenses were high. Sigh, what a misfortune for the household.

Li Cui knew Wang Dagui was dissatisfied with the food, but the thought of the agonizing pain of working hard for two days only to receive six thousand yuan made her stingy. “You want lavish dishes? Don’t forget our daughter needs eighteen thousand for the non-resident student fee, plus gifts for the connections. Thank goodness my brother-in-law has a classmate in the Education Bureau, which kept the gifting costs lower, but it still ran over three thousand. And the relatives don't help at all.” Li Cui wanted to imply their financial hardship, but she dared not say such things in front of Wang Qiqi; that would be suicidal.

So, it was through her brother-in-law’s classmate. Wang Qiqi mused that they’d used that connection. Three thousand spent on gifts wasn’t truly excessive, but Li Cui felt the pinch. Last year’s fee was fifteen thousand; adding the gift costs this year brought the total to twenty-one thousand. Subtracting the six thousand in gift money meant they were out of pocket fifteen thousand—how could Li Cui, who was as attached to money as life itself, not feel the pain? But what use was telling her all this?

“It’s alright, Auntie. When Xiao Rui graduates and starts earning money, she will certainly take good care of you, right, Xiao Rui?” Wang Qiqi said this with clear intent: the money was spent now, but Wang Rui would repay it later. However, Wang Qiqi doubted Li Cui’s investment would ever see a return. For one thing, even as a non-resident student, Wang Rui shouldn't expect a top class—the school relied on the top students to bring prestige. Even a slightly better mid-level class required further bribes for the head teacher to even accept the student. Since Li Cui had already pulled so many strings, she likely wouldn’t spend more, meaning Wang Rui would land in an ordinary parallel class, though even that might be slightly better than the fast-track classes at outside schools.

Even if Wang Rui settled down and studied diligently, she would only use her future earnings to buy clothes and pamper herself; she certainly wouldn't hand the money over to Li Cui. Wang Qiqi worried that if Li Cui didn’t save up more for her retirement, she'd be left struggling later.

Li Cui felt like she’d punched cotton—this girl was too slippery. Whatever she said, Wang Qiqi managed to twist the words back at her. “I don’t expect Xiao Rui to repay me much later. I just hope she can get a good job and marry a good man.” Li Cui secretly hoped that any son-in-law Wang Rui found would be just slightly better than whoever Wang Qiqi ended up with. Besides, a wealthy family wouldn’t choose a mere orphan as a daughter-in-law; it offered no leverage and carried risks regarding the girl’s temperament.

Those two requirements weren't high, but the crucial point was whether Wang Rui could keep her head clear. “I’m sure, with you overseeing things, Auntie, Xiao Rui’s path will unfold exactly as you plan.” A good husband? Forget it, Wang Qiqi thought. Given the deep rift already formed between her and Wang Rui, coupled with the constant pull of Gao Kai’s background, Wang Rui would surely become deeply emotionally involved in that relationship. Li Cui’s hopes of finding a stellar son-in-law were slim indeed.

“Mom, why are you saying all this to Qiqi? I’m still a student; why should I think about all that? I’m not as precocious as Qiqi, dating a boyfriend so early. Oh, right, Qiqi, where did you travel to this time?”

“QD.” Wang Qiqi shook the box of local specialties slightly. “Man’s parents happened to have a few lodging vouchers, and since they’d stayed at my place before, they invited me to QD for a trip.”

Li Cui was about to retort, Didn’t you say you were broke, that you’d spent your entire budget for the last two months? How could you go traveling? But Wang Qiqi’s explanation stopped her. Nevertheless, Li Cui refused to believe it; such good fortune didn't just happen. “Well, that’s great. Free travel should definitely be taken advantage of.”

Wang Qiqi smiled and nodded. “Yes, exactly. Since the food, fun, and lodging were free, I thought I’d go relax a bit. Otherwise, the coming days will be hard to bear.”

Wang Qiqi had intended to drop off the gifts and leave immediately, but seeing Wang Rui’s face look as if she’d just swallowed excrement, she sat back down. She started telling Wang Dagui about the scenery at the QD attractions, even detailing how delicious the seafood was. This only made Wang Rui feel worse. She could have gone traveling herself—to XM, even—but Wang Qiqi had ruined everything. Now, Qiqi was excitedly showing off her vacation anecdotes. Wang Rui might have gone through Li Cui's lessons, but she was still just a child; her self-control training was far from complete.