Wang Qiqi quickly chose her food and walked over. As soon as she set down her tray, she heard Wang Rui speak in a voice she clearly thought was low, adopting an expression that suggested she’d just unearthed a massive secret. "Sis, aren't you going to say something to your brother-in-law? You really can't let things slide like this."

Shi Man finally understood why that certain naive girl had looked so relaxed. She felt a surge of contempt, thinking how utterly clueless this kid was about the actual news. But it also revealed the malice hidden in her heart. Who on earth would bring up 'sister and brother-in-law' talk in a busy cafeteria full of classmates? This girl was being deliberately provocative.

Wang Qiqi hadn't even taken a bite, yet the moment she heard this exemplary woman speaking to her with the look of someone who knew her brother-in-law's secrets, Qiqi felt so incensed she thought she might actually be full from sheer anger. She truly wanted to slam down her chopsticks and walk away. Damn it, eating food she paid for, only to have someone deliberately cause her grief—did this person really think she was a pushover?

Wang Qiqi paused, wondering why she was getting so worked up. It was her money that bought the meal; if she didn't eat it, she’d be hungry this afternoon and have to spend more money. She turned formally to Wang Rui and said, "Little sister Wang Rui, I don't know who told you that Gao Kai is your brother-in-law, but you shouldn't be saying baseless things in public. I know you like Gao Kai. If you want to pursue him, then go ahead. But do you realize how much your current behavior troubles me? I’m already a senior in high school. All my energy needs to be focused on next year's Gaokao. Am I wrong to act this way?"

"Also, Gao Kai and I might have had something going on before, but that is ancient history. Wang Rui, please stop bringing him and me up all the time. I truly don't want to have to explain that I have no relationship with Gao Kai every time," Wang Qiqi grew increasingly irritated as she continued. "I honestly don't know why you, Xiao Rui, always insist on bringing up Gao Kai and me in front of so many people. Forget it. It looks like from now on, we’ll just exchange greetings when we see each other. I really don't want to be thinking about such unpleasant things while I’m eating."

With that, Wang Qiqi lowered her head, ate rapidly, and then stood up to walk out. She felt that she really shouldn't let this eight-yuan boxed lunch ruin her mood. Simply seeing Wang Rui’s face was enough to sour her spirits.

Seeing Wang Qiqi get up and leave, Shi Man and Zhu Lina also put down their chopsticks, regardless of whether they had finished eating, and prepared to follow.

"Wang Rui, I don't know how deep your feelings for Gao Kai run, but your sister Wang Qiqi and Gao Kai ended things a long time ago. I think many seniors here know that. Maybe you should go ask them about the situation; they can tell you about Wang Qiqi and Gao Kai’s relationship." Before leaving, Shi Man stared intently at Wang Rui for a long moment. "I truly don't understand why you resent Qiqi so much. If your adoptive parents were here watching, knowing that the person they treated like a daughter is now treating their surviving daughter this way after their passing, I wonder if they would come looking for you in the middle of the night."

Shi Man finished speaking and quickly retreated, knowing Wang Qiqi would likely go find something else to eat.

Wang Rui had expected Wang Qiqi to throw a minor tantrum or say something bad about Gao Kai, perhaps hoping that with so many people around, whatever Qiqi said would get twisted when it reached Gao Kai’s ears. But she never expected Wang Qiqi to retort so directly and simply walk away. "Honestly, just because she has a bit of money, does she have to be so sharp-tongued?"

Although Wang Rui wore an expression suggesting Wang Qiqi was being petty, she actually felt a twinge of regret. Qiqi's words implied she wouldn't be treating her to lunch again, which felt like a significant loss to Wang Rui. Oh well, it wasn't like she had no one else to treat her. At worst, she could talk to 'Old Man' and ask for some funds from his private stash.

Shi Man reached the doorway and saw Wang Qiqi and Zhu Lina waiting for her. "Should we go get something to eat?"

Wang Qiqi nodded. "Even though I’m full of anger, I still need to eat something. Let's go." Wang Qiqi genuinely wanted to tell that girl, If you want to pursue Gao Kai, then go for it, but stop dragging me into it. If you can charm Gao Kai into marrying you, your sister would be thrilled. Why must you keep putting me and that person together?

Zhu Lina also felt repulsed. "Forget it. There are plenty of people like that. No need to get angry over her."

Wang Qiqi certainly knew the logic. "I’m just upset for my parents. They treated Xiao Rui so well when they were alive, truly treating her like their own daughter. But the moment my parents passed, she didn't even bother to come visit or pay respects. I know she had the high school entrance exams, but she could have visited in the morning or evening. She never did. After my parents' funeral was over, she told me she’d be staying at my place—I don’t know what to say about that. Forget it, forget it. The bottom line is, my family owes her nothing."

"You've been a sufficiently good older sister. Your sister is obsessed with Gao Kai. I think she sees you as an enemy. What she said just now was calculated to make you go cause trouble with Gao Kai, so she could appear gentle and generous to him afterward. She thinks everyone is a fool."

Wang Qiqi knew that in her previous life, she would have been completely dominated by Wang Rui. Of course, in that past life, this girl hadn't exposed herself so early; Qiqi was still foolishly thinking she was a good person. "Let's go eat at KFC." Although she didn't particularly care for fast food, there was no choice. At this hour, any place worth eating at would have a wait.

After the three of them filled up at KFC, they leisurely ambled back to school. The moment they stepped through the main gate, all three felt numerous eyes fixed upon them, though most were directed at Wang Qiqi.

Wang Qiqi found it strange. "Why is everyone looking at me? What did I do now?" Good heavens, had she become a school sensation again? Before, even though she was close to Gao Kai, she maintained a low profile. But after that one time when someone made an outrageous public confession at the school gate, quite a few people started making excuses to walk past her classroom just to see her. If it hadn't been for the subsequent class reallocation, the floor outside her classroom door might have worn down by several centimeters. It had only just settled down, and now she was the center of attention again. This annoyed Wang Qiqi. Could it be that some scoundrel was plotting something new?

"I think you're famous again, Qiqi," Zhu Lina said, pinching her nose. Otherwise, why would everyone be focused on Wang Qiqi again?

Wang Qiqi managed a wry smile. "Famous, and not for anything good."

What else could Wang Qiqi do but walk towards her classroom as if nothing was wrong?

Before she even reached the door, she heard a loud buzz of discussion coming from inside the classroom. Listening closely, she could catch the names Wang Qiqi, Wang Qiqi's sister, and Gao Kai. Wang Qiqi understood: the incident at the small restaurant at noon must have spread to the classroom.

The moment Wang Qiqi came into view, the lively noise, which could rival a vegetable market, immediately hushed. For a long moment, no one made a sound, except for the occasional person who couldn't help but look up at Wang Qiqi. If not for those glances, one might truly believe their ears had played tricks on them.

But the problem was, they weren't talking, yet they kept glancing over. That feeling was incredibly unsettling, but no matter how annoyed Wang Qiqi felt, she had to remain silent; she couldn't let her frustration show.

Wang Qiqi sat down, intending to rest, but the atmosphere made it impossible to relax. She decided to study instead.

Wang Qiqi opened her math assignment, first trying to analyze the teacher’s lesson from the morning, looking for simpler problem-solving steps. However, no matter how hard she tried to calm her mind, the moment she felt someone’s gaze sweep over her, Wang Qiqi found it impossible to settle down.

Even though Wang Qiqi couldn't focus on the book, she knew people were watching. If they saw her looking agitated, they would surely start gossiping, leading to even more noise. So, she just kept fidgeting with her pen to give the impression she was intently analyzing the math problems.

Admittedly, Wang Qiqi’s strategy was quite effective. Not only did the students across the hall not notice anything amiss, but even her deskmate, Shi Man, failed to see that Wang Qiqi was struggling.

Shi Man admired Wang Qiqi’s composure as she studied. If it had been her, she wouldn't have been able to sit there calmly reviewing her lessons without flying into a rage.

Because Wang Qiqi remained quiet and focused on her revision, her classmates, seeing that there was no immediate drama to watch, lost interest and returned their attention to their own assignments. While a good show was entertaining, if there was nothing currently happening, focusing on schoolwork was the better option.

"Your 'Silent Approach' tactic is really brilliant," Shi Man commented as class time neared, noticing that everyone had stopped looking at her. She thought Qiqi was truly impressive; after all, if Qiqi hadn't managed to appear calm from the start, the gossip wouldn't have died down so quickly.

At this point, Wang Qiqi had finally settled completely. "The affairs of that pair of fools no longer have the power to shake my mood."

Shi Man looked at Wang Qiqi and gave her a thumbs-up. "There will probably be more incidents like this in the future."

"I know," Wang Qiqi yawned, tidying her desk and placing the textbooks for the next class neatly.

Not having napped had severely affected her energy. She truly didn't understand how some people managed to stay up studying until midnight after a full day, especially when it was only September. "Actually, I'm still not completely calm. If I were truly relaxed, I would have taken a nap."

Wang Qiqi spent the entire afternoon yawning constantly. Not only did her classmates glance sideways at her, but even the teacher gave her concerned looks, gently advising the students not to stay up too late studying, as the final push hadn't even begun yet. The teacher specifically looked at Wang Qiqi when saying this, to which Qiqi could only offer a wry smile. She certainly couldn't explain that her poor energy level was solely due to missing her midday rest.