Wang Rui had indeed gone to chase Gao Kai, but she didn't expect to fail to catch him even by the school gate. When she finally spotted his shadow, she saw he was already surrounded by several people, two of whom were known to hold ill will toward her. She knew that even if she approached now, she would only be met with sharp words. Perhaps in Wang Qiqi's presence, Gao Kai might afford her a little civility, but now, alone, they wouldn't hold back.

Realizing her unfavorable position, Wang Rui sighed, turned, and headed toward the Grade 1 teaching building. Of course, she was already plotting how to engineer an accidental meeting with Gao Kai at lunchtime. Better yet, if she could manage to have lunch with Wang Qiqi, that would be the perfect indirect way to connect with Gao Kai, wouldn't it?

How could Wang Qiqi possibly know the scheming mind of Wang Rui? If she did, she would certainly affectionately ruffle the girl’s hair and say, "As the young mistress of a successful restaurant, what delicacy haven't you tasted? Why would someone like that crave cafeteria food? Unless she’s lost her mind." Gao Kai had eaten in the cafeteria only a handful of times during his three years of high school; the rest of the time, he ate out. He had likely sampled nearly every establishment, big or small, within a three-block radius. If you wanted a genuinely good place to eat, he was the one to ask. But if you were looking for something both delicious and cheap, don’t bother asking Gao Kai—that boy never bothered calculating the cost of his meals. However, none of this concerned Wang Rui, especially since Li Cui certainly wouldn't hand over several hundred yuan a month for Wang Rui’s lunch money.

For the first meal of the term, Wang Rui stayed in the cafeteria from the crowded peak until the quiet lull afterward. Not only had she failed to see Gao Kai, she hadn't even spotted Wang Qiqi. This struck Wang Rui as odd. Had they really gone out to eat?

Wang Rui considered the possibility. Wang Qiqi had money; why would she willingly stick to the cafeteria, even if the food was decent? Waiting in line was such a time sink. She had rushed to the crowded cafeteria, and as she was washing her bowl at the sink, she overheard a nearby conversation. "There are so few people in the cafeteria today. I haven't even seen your Prince Charming, Gao Kai."

"Why would Gao Kai eat in the cafeteria? He’s rich, his family runs a restaurant. Why would he eat this mass-produced slop? I heard he only eats at those small specialty places outside."

"So rich," someone sighed in awe.

Wang Rui finally understood why her anxious searching in the cafeteria had been fruitless. That meant her plan to use Wang Qiqi to get close to Gao Kai was also doomed. A wave of defeat washed over her. Ugh, the third-year students had evening study sessions; wouldn't that mean she wouldn't run into Gao Kai at all? Wang Rui increasingly regretted insisting on attending this high school.

"But there are so few people eating here. At the opening ceremony this morning, there were tons of people. Why are so few here for lunch?"

"A lot of them go to the restaurants nearby, especially the seniors. If the teachers hold the class even a little late, by the time they get to the cafeteria, all the good dishes are gone." Never mind a slight delay; even if class let out exactly on time, if you moved too slowly, the best food vanished.

"Oh my god, eating out every day—they must be loaded."

"Eating out every day doesn't necessarily cost a fortune. Like eating noodles or wontons—it might not be more expensive than the cafeteria…" Someone scoffed, explaining patiently. Judging by this comment, this girl probably ate out frequently; otherwise, how would she know so much?

Wang Rui, who had been lamenting her wasted lunch break, suddenly thought: right, she could eat out too. Her allowance wasn't huge, but it was enough for a bowl of noodles somewhere. And perhaps, by some stroke of luck, she might run into Wang Qiqi and the others. Then she could score a free meal! Thinking this, Wang Rui sighed. When had she become so desperate? Back when her aunt and uncle were around, her pocket money was more than her entire monthly food budget now, and she never worried about clothes.

How could Wang Qiqi know Wang Rui’s thoughts? Even if she did, she would be obliged to treat her to a meal. Could she really refuse to feed her in front of so many classmates? The whole school would be buzzing, and worse, Li Cui might drag Wang Rui to their door, complaining about how cruel the older sister was to her younger sibling.

Wang Qiqi strolled back to school after her meal to aid digestion, while Zhu Lina and Shi Man beside her were enthusiastically enjoying ice cream cones. "Qiqi, you really won't have any? It's delicious." Zhu Lina simply couldn't comprehend Wang Qiqi; she refused even a popsicle on such a hot day. At home, they had AC, but what about in class? Classrooms got stiflingly hot without air conditioning—how would she endure it?

Zhang Qian smiled knowingly. "I don't really care for it." A girl accustomed to drinking hot tea wasn't interested in these sweet, icy things. "I need to rest when I get back; I’m exhausted." Senior year, senior year—the pressure was immense, partially from school and parents, and partially from the class placement exams. During breaks before, people would move around a bit, sharing cheerful news. Now, there was hardly any difference between class time and break time; the classroom was deeply, deeply quiet. If anyone spoke, it was only to discuss practice problems. The atmosphere was intensely tense.

Zhu Lina had planned to walk another lap on the field; she disliked returning to class early to feel that oppressive tension. "I’m going for a walk outside."

Shi Man yawned. "I’m going back for a quick nap, or I won't have the stamina for the afternoon classes." Thinking of the daily homework load made her want to cry. "We’ve only had half a day of classes, and we already have eight worksheets assigned."

Hearing 'eight worksheets,' Zhu Lina suddenly remembered that today’s workload was likely heavy; she also had to catch up on math tutoring at home. "I’ll go back with you guys. I need to do homework. The teachers are ruthless—as if grading test papers is easy, as if it’s only easy because they assign one test paper per subject."

"Otherwise, how would they feel comfortable constantly taking your money?" Shi Man was also weary of the endless papers. "I honestly don’t get it. With so many tests handed out, is all this frantic work even effective?" Many students just copied the answers or didn't bother doing the sheets at all, especially since the teacher had said not to worry about the ones they couldn't finish, as they’d go over the answers in class anyway. Especially for the liberal arts papers, it felt like relentlessly repeating the same task: constantly drilling the answer to a specific problem until you couldn't possibly make the same mistake again.

"Just push through. We only have a little over ten months until the Gaokao," Wang Qiqi comforted. Alas, she thought, if the college entrance exam were in June instead of July, it wouldn't be so hot, and they'd have more time to wander around.

Ten more months? Zhu Lina was relatively unfazed. "I talked it over with my parents. If my Gaokao scores are good, I’ll stay in China for university and then study abroad for my Master's. If the scores aren't great, I’ll just go straight to university overseas." Her grades used to be mediocre, which made her parents lean toward sending her abroad immediately for university—an idea Zhu Lina hadn't opposed. But now things were different. Her scores had improved significantly; she could stay in China for her undergraduate studies, help her father manage the company in her spare time, and then study abroad for a few years to get an international degree before returning to take over the business more smoothly.

Wang Qiqi was surprised that Zhu Lina’s plans had shifted, but she supposed it made sense. Zhu Lina was an only daughter; whether she went abroad or stayed, she would eventually inherit the family business. If she remained in China, she could intern at the family company during her university breaks. It wasn't guaranteed that returning from overseas study would ensure a smooth transition into leadership. "I wonder if we'll be lucky enough to attend the same university."

"Let's hope so. But when the time comes, we can see if we can apply to schools in the same city so we can at least meet up weekly." Shi Man was confident about attending the same university as Wang Qiqi, but Zhu Lina was less certain, making the possibility of them being in the same city quite high.

"That would be great, great, great!" Zhu Lina had been worried about no longer being classmates. Hearing that they might study in the same city, she wouldn't object. "I’ll have my dad buy an apartment then, and we can live together like we do now, and hire a helper."

"Great, great!" Shi Man had always been resistant to dorm life. When she visited her cousin in college, she’d seen an eight-person dorm room with tiny lockers that couldn't hold much stuff. Now, thanks to this sudden 'sugar mommy,' they wouldn't have to worry. "I'll split the living expenses with Qiqi then."

"Deal." Zhu Lina wasn't going to be overly polite. She knew neither of the other two lacked money. In friendships, over-caring for someone doesn't necessarily equate to kindness; it can lead the other person to feel indebted or, worse, suspect you are showing off, which can sour the relationship.

Wang Qiqi had meant to say she’d contribute to buying a house too, but since the 'sugar mommy' had already offered, she decided against it. Besides, Zhu Lina's family was far wealthier. "Then I won't be impolite about it."

"Why be polite? If it weren't for you two, my parents might not agree to let me live off-campus. But that’s contingent on me getting into my ideal university." Zhu Lina knew securing that independence wouldn't be easy. "Looks like I need to work hard, harder, and hardest. Okay, let's hurry back and get to work."

With that, Zhu Lina dashed off, while Wang Qiqi smiled and strolled slowly toward the classroom. Walking slowly was better in this heat.

"Qiqi, have you already rented out your apartment?" Shi Man remembered that during her negotiation, Wang Qiqi had accepted a portion of cash and a portion in property. When Shi Man told her parents, they had complimented Qiqi on being sharp. But Shi Man felt the location she chose was truly remote; even if cheap, finding a renter willing to pay a good price seemed unlikely.

Wang Qiqi nodded. "It’s rented out. The price isn't fantastic, but it’s decent." For now, the goal was maintenance; in two or three years, the rental income from that area would surely rise. "I plan to save up a bit more money and buy more properties to rent out. Money just sitting there depreciates too quickly."

Before doing that, however, Wang Qiqi intended to take a dip in the stock market. Although she knew certain stocks were set to skyrocket next year or the year after, she hadn't examined them closely. She was certain, though, that the market outlook for the next two years was excellent; as long as she wasn't too greedy, she was bound to make money.