Shi Man’s jaw dropped when she realized the stock had already climbed thirty percent. She couldn't believe she had just earned back two years' worth of living expenses. “Qiqi, am I dreaming?” Shi Man pinched her own flesh, feeling the sharp sting. “Ouch, I’m not dreaming.”

The moment Shi Man felt the pain, her first instinct was to sell the stock immediately. If it weren't for the desire to earn more, she’d have withdrawn the money instantly. But when she heard Qiqi and the others suggesting they wait to gauge the subsequent market trend, although she preferred securing profits, she reluctantly agreed since Qiqi and Lina both advised holding. “Will it keep rising?”

Even if Wang Qiqi knew for a fact this stock was going to soar, she certainly wouldn't admit it; that would be truly insane. “The current trend is upward, but the broader market, or even our specific stock, might not follow suit. However, the general trajectory is good, and I want to observe the recent action some more. I’m worried about what happens if it keeps climbing after we sell.”

After her initial surprise, Zhu Lina felt the exact same way, and there was another reason she felt comfortable holding the shares: “Our cost basis isn't high; I think we can afford to wait a little longer.”

“Alright then,” Shi Man conceded. She truly didn’t understand these financial matters; all she knew was to follow Wang Qiqi and Zhu Lina’s lead. “You two hurry up and take a bath. I soaked for a bit earlier and realized just how much grime my body has accumulated.”

Wang Qiqi settled into the bathtub, smoothed a homemade banana mask onto her face, and closed her eyes, intending to rest briefly before thoroughly cleansing her body and washing off the mask. Standing before the mirror, Wang Qiqi patted her face. “Not bad, not too dark.” Of course, she couldn't expect true paleness, but compared to her now wheat-colored arms, her face was better off.

The shopping trip, initially planned for just the nine of them, had swelled to fifteen after gathering with Shi Man’s roommates. However, when Wang Qiqi and the others arrived at their designated meeting spot, they saw Jiang Xin waving frantically at them. “Qiqi, you’re so late.”

Wang Qiqi found Jiang Xin’s presence strange; why was she here?

“You’re going somewhere nice and didn't invite me? That’s just mean,” Jiang Xin thought. If she hadn’t coincidentally passed by and seen Bai Ge and the others waiting near the school gate, and hadn’t asked that extra question, she’d never have known they were planning a secret shopping spree.

What choice did Wang Qiqi have but to apologize repeatedly? “It was a last-minute idea, plus I was rushing back to shower.”

Jiang Xin made an 'oh' sound but quickly shifted her focus. “Qiqi, has your face gotten a little lighter?” Jiang Xin remembered that Qiqi’s face hadn't been this pale during the inspection. Even if Qiqi hadn't gone out yesterday, it seemed impossible for her to have brightened up so much in just one day.

As soon as Jiang Xin spoke, Bai Ge and the others crowded around, staring intently at Wang Qiqi’s face. “It does look a bit lighter.”

“Really?” Wang Qiqi exclaimed in delight. “I’ve been putting milk, honey, and banana masks on my face for the past two days.”

Milk, honey, and banana? Wang Qiqi’s words made everyone there gasp. That must cost a fortune. They looked at Qiqi’s face with a different expression now.

“Actually, averaged among the three of us, it comes out to two yuan per day for all three of us.” Wang Qiqi meticulously itemized the cost.

Hearing that the three of them together cost two yuan—less than seventy cents each—didn’t sound too expensive for students still mindful of their budgets. “Maybe we should buy some bananas, milk, and honey on our way back?” If they bought too many bananas, they could just eat them as fruit. All in all, this homemade mask seemed quite cheap, definitely more economical than Han Meina using only milk as a compress.

“Exactly, this is much more cost-effective than Meina using milk on her face,” Duan Xiaomin blurted out without thinking.

Gong Yiying listened from the side, her eyes constantly darting around, though no one noticed this motion as her head was down.

After Duan Xiaomin’s comment, Shi Man and Zhu Lina’s expressions soured slightly. They knew Han Meina and Wang Qiqi weren't exactly close; if Han Meina found out Wang Qiqi possessed a successful beauty treatment formula, she would surely react badly.

Jiang Xin observed everyone’s reactions and then looked at Shi Man and Zhu Lina’s faces; she realized she had likely stirred up trouble this time.

“Qiqi, you are amazing, to have thought of such a brilliant idea.”

Wang Qiqi smiled and covered her mouth. “How could I be that smart? My cousin told me about it. She’s been frantically searching for secrets to make her skin better and fairer for her wedding next year. When she heard I got dark from military training, she specifically recommended this remedy. I actually intended to test it for a few more days before telling you all, but since you found out after only two days of use...”

Wang Qiqi had initially intended to claim she read it in a book, but that created a problem: where would she produce that book if they asked to see it? Therefore, attributing it to her cousin was the safest excuse.

Shi Man, who had been worrying about how to handle the situation, was relieved that Wang Qiqi deflected the source to her cousin. “It sounds like your cousin is really going all out for the wedding.”

Wang Qiqi nodded. “Yes, you have to understand, my sister only just managed to get Auntie’s approval. My cousin is determined to have a grand wedding, and she certainly won't allow even the slightest flaw to appear on her big day.” After military training ended, her cousin had warned her during a phone call not to turn into a charcoal briquette. As for the so-called beauty secrets, she had no time to fuss over that; her current focus was on executing her plan as quickly as possible with the money she had on hand.

“Your brother-in-law must treat your cousin very well,” Jiang Xin thought. Anyone so enthusiastic about their wedding must surely have a deeply loving relationship, and probably a good family background too.

Did Gong Peixing treat Song Yao well? Wang Qiqi wholeheartedly agreed on that point. As for whether it would remain so after marriage, only heaven knew. “Being good after marriage is what truly matters.” Time changed everything, but if their Auntie hadn’t been there stirring up trouble, their marriage might have turned out very differently from the previous life. In the last life, Auntie disliked the son-in-law because she thought his parents were too biased, lacking a house or even necessary permits; this life was different, despite the debt, they still owned two properties.

“Alright, alright, let’s go shopping,” Bai Ge said, noticing the time. “Qiqi, do you remember the shop where you bought your pajamas last time?”

Wang Qiqi looked toward Shi Man with a questioning glance, only to see her shaking her head in the negative. Zhu Lina made the same motion. Wang Qiqi could only offer an apologetic expression. “Sorry, we didn’t write down the shop name. But it specializes in lingerie and sleepwear, and it’s the biggest one on Jiudao Street.”

“And the one with the most traffic,” Shi Man chimed in. “But perhaps another shop might hold a bigger surprise.”

Bai Ge was a little disappointed that Wang Qiqi forgot the specific store. “It should be easy to find, right?”

At first, perhaps many people were drawn there because of the pajamas Wang Qiqi wore, but once the group entered Jiudao Street, their mouths gaped open. It was an entire street dedicated to selling clothes, and what surprised them even more was that the initial asking prices were far from cheap.

Gong Yiying looked at the clothes piled on shelves, on the floor, and hanging overhead, feeling a sudden urge to faint. This was just too much, and the prices weren't low either.

“You have to bargain, bargain hard,” Wang Qiqi advised, while also looking around for any nice sweaters. Wang Qiqi had no intention of stepping in to haggle for them; this should be part of their fun, and she didn't want to end up haggling for them every time they needed new clothes later.

Bargaining? The dozen or so girls were stunned. To be honest, they had never once thought of bargaining when buying things before; they always felt that bargaining was something their mothers did.

“Don’t hesitate to haggle. Stick to one price, and don’t listen to the shop owner asking you to add a little here and there. Remember, if you don’t bargain, the owner will just think, ‘Look at this bunch of fools who came in.’”

“That’s true.” Duan Xiaomin felt a touch of embarrassment, but when she considered the limited money she had, and then saw her friend Zhu Lina, who was apparently better off, enthusiastically haggling with a shop owner over two sweaters, the scene made Duan Xiaomin realize that if someone wealthier than her was bargaining so vigorously, there was no reason for her to feel awkward.

Once Duan Xiaomin resolved this in her mind, she unceremoniously started negotiating with the shopkeeper. With Duan Xiaomin taking the lead and the affluent Zhu Lina setting an example upfront, everyone present naturally began demanding price reductions without reservation.

Wang Qiqi discreetly observed the extent of their bargaining. Honestly, the margins were small, but this was just the beginning. Wang Qiqi could guarantee that by next semester, their haggling skills would be expert level. Gong Yiying watched the group, who were behaving like country folk discovering a treasure trove, frantically picking out clothes and haggling with the gusto of middle-aged women; this made Gong Yiying feel she really shouldn’t have accompanied them shopping.

“Why aren’t you picking anything?” Feng Yanjie had specifically chosen several nice items—good style and cheap prices. Feng Yanjie could already picture the expressions on her younger siblings’ faces when they received these clothes.

Gong Yiying thought the styles were decent, but she would never buy such inexpensive garments. Gong Yiying recalled her mother’s words: clothes aren’t about quantity, but quality. “No, I have quite a few clothes already. I only planned to buy a nightgown. Why did you pick out so many?” Gong Yiying knew it would look odd if she didn't buy anything, given she said she was coming to shop.

Feng Yanjie had merely asked casually. Although Gong Yiying hadn’t brought many clothes, they all seemed quite nice. “I’m buying these for my younger brother and sister.”

As Feng Yanjie finished speaking, she spotted another excellent garment and picked it up. “This one would be perfect for Mom.”