Han Tao looked at the plastic bag Wang Qiqi handed him, giving her a puzzled look. It couldn't be the chicken wings she had braised, could it? Han Tao knew she had been busy preparing these things since yesterday afternoon, and he hadn't expected any of it to be for him.

“Shi Man and the others bought a bit too much,” Wang Qiqi insisted, pushing it into Han Tao’s hands. “Use this to build a better relationship with your roommates.” Although Han Tao wasn't someone incapable of socializing, wasn't a nice snack a better way to foster camaraderie? Besides, this would last him a couple of days. Han Tao knew this girl would never allow herself many treats while at school. Moreover, the money Aunt Luo had just sent felt like pressure, yet it was also a measure of her trust; otherwise, Han Tao wouldn't have asked Aunt Luo to mail it over.

Han Tao glanced at the contents of the bag. “Then I won't be polite. Oh, right, my mom said your aunt has been bad-mouthing you around the neighborhood.” Han Tao hadn't intended to bring it up with Qiqi, but he felt he should let her know.

Bad-mouthing her? Wang Qiqi thought it would be strange if Li Cui wasn't pulling these petty stunts behind her back. “Why bother with her? Does she think spreading nasty rumors in the community will salvage anything?” In Wang Qiqi’s view, she’d be better off spending that time plotting against Wang Rui. What if Wang Rui did something foolish? Her aunt would be the one to suffer. “I might not even go back after I graduate, and that house will just sit empty.”

Regarding that house, Wang Qiqi wouldn't rent it out or sell it, even if her parents eventually took their photographs. That place held too many memories for her. Whenever Wang Qiqi felt restless or exhausted, she’d recall the house back home, and at those moments, she felt no hardship was insurmountable.

“Then your aunt will be terribly jealous.” Han Tao understood the house’s significance to Wang Qiqi, much like how he and his mother still cherished their old home, built on the beautiful memories of a family of three. It was only after his father passed that his grandmother kicked him and his mother out. “My grandmother sold our old house and gave the money to my uncle.”

Wang Qiqi paused, momentarily confused as to which house Han Tao was referring to. Then realization dawned. “She’s going to regret that.” She recalled Han Tao mentioning once that his cousin was a good-for-nothing. “She’ll eventually realize that her most promising grandson is the one least close to her. She’s probably going to explode with anger.”

“Why wouldn’t she be happy? She should be thrilled that she’s about to have a great-grandchild,” Han Tao said, though his expression clearly betrayed a sense of schadenfreude.

A great-grandchild? Good heavens, Wang Qiqi’s eyes went wide. “How old is your cousin?” Heavens, he couldn't legally be married yet, could he? “How old is the woman?”

Han Tao shook his head. “My mom didn't elaborate. She just said my grandmother was sick and hospitalized. When my mom visited, she said she missed me.” Ha! Now that she remembered her eldest grandson, Han Tao found it quite laughable. “She said she wanted me to come back and see her.”

Wang Qiqi let out a cold laugh. “You’re going back to counsel your cousin?” That was impossible. Before the New Year, when Wang Qiqi and Han Tao went shopping for supplies, they ran into his cousin. That kid didn't look like a decent person, and the way he treated Han Tao—no need to elaborate. Wang Qiqi suspected that if no elder had been poisoning his mind against Han Tao’s family, the cousin wouldn't look at Han Tao that way. However, Wang Qiqi thought of her own cousin; she wondered if she was still involved with her Prince Charming. Best of all, she hoped the girl was already pregnant.

Wang Qiqi knew that if Wang Rui had a child, she would cling to Gao Kai relentlessly. What Wang Qiqi wanted was for Wang Rui’s scandal to be widely publicized before the Gao family’s fortunes declined. At that point, ditching Gao Kai wouldn't be easy for Wang Rui. Of course, even a starving camel is bigger than a horse; Wang Rui might not give up Gao Kai, and as long as they dragged things out, by the time Wang Rui realized the Gao family’s situation was far worse than she imagined, she’d already be unable to extricate herself.

Han Tao was also lost in his own thoughts, missing the calculating look on Wang Qiqi’s face. “She wants that, but my mom told her I don't have time to go back, saying I need to work to earn my tuition.” Actually, his mother said that partly to see how the old woman would react, but events unfolded in a way that disappointed his mother yet again. “She just grunted an ‘oh’ after hearing that.”

“You’re just the backup plan. Look at it another way: if your grandmother truly gets sick to death from angering your cousin, the only person who could use filial piety to pressure your father will be completely gone,” Wang Qiqi admitted her comment sounded rather heartless, but it was the truth.

Han Tao sighed. “It’s fine. Even without my cousin’s antics, my grandmother isn’t going to live much longer. Besides, there was an agreement back when they kicked my mom out: my mom and I left with nothing, and my uncle’s family is responsible for my grandmother’s medical bills and funeral costs.” Some things were just vexing. “Let’s find a place to sit for a bit. I want to talk to you.”

Han Tao had wanted to talk to Qiqi yesterday, but Shi Man had been hovering nearby, making him too embarrassed to discuss such tedious family gossip. He was a man, after all; how could a man gossip? Yet, he felt stifled if he didn't vent. While his mother was a decent confidante, Han Tao didn't want to burden her with his worries, as it would only make her sadder. Qiqi, however, seemed like the right person.

Wang Qiqi surveyed the area. There was no suitable spot to sit down for a proper talk. “I’ll walk you to the station then,” she suggested, allowing them to converse along the way.

Han Tao let out a breath. “My grandmother isn't in good health; she has lots of ailments, but she hates seeing doctors and just endures the pain. Now, with her favorite grandson provoking her like this, her conditions will surely worsen. According to what my mom asked the doctor, if she gets treatment, she might have a year or two left.” Of course, even after insurance covered its share, the out-of-pocket expenses would run into tens of thousands. In his aunt’s eyes, this was a massive sum, which was what annoyed Han Tao the most.

“Don’t tell me they expect your family to cover some of the medical fees?” Wang Qiqi was surprised by the sheer shamelessness of the Han family. “Didn’t you have an agreement back then?” Their nerve was truly thick.

“Yes, my mother made it very clear: we stick to the original agreement.” Han Tao knew his mother wouldn't budge on this. “Every time they see my mom visiting, they just whine about having no money, and they even tell the doctors and nurses that we also have a son and that we aren't contributing anything.” Han Tao knew they were absolutely capable of such actions.

Using outside pressure—"That’s smart. I doubt Aunt Luo will let them get away with that so easily.” Don't let Aunt Luo’s gentle demeanor fool you; her inner resolve was something few people noticed. Perhaps she would have conceded repeatedly in the past, but right now, Aunt Luo wouldn't back down—even if she wanted to, she lacked the standing to retreat.

“My mom is only one person; they are a whole group,” Han Tao said. He wanted to be there by his mother’s side, even if his presence wouldn't help much. It would at least show his mother she wasn’t alone.

Wang Qiqi looked at Han Tao, shaking her head slowly. Truly two kind-hearted kids. “Did you forget the terms of the family division agreement?” Humph, pull that thing out and see what they do then.

The division agreement—right! How could he forget? That agreement was witnessed and signed by his maternal grandfather and uncles before the major fallout with his paternal relatives. “Yes, how could I forget? I’ve seen that agreement. It was incredibly detailed, specifying the exact location and size of that house.” The current market value of that property alone should cover their share of the old woman’s medical expenses. “Why was I so foolish?” He had a powerful weapon in hand and had wasted it. “I’ll go back and have my mom take the agreement to them.” There was no reason for them to reap all the benefits while he and his mother had to pay more.

“Remember to make copies,” Wang Qiqi reminded him. This was evidence; if some shrew decided to tear it up and deny it, no one would pity them. Given the current situation, Han Tao’s relatives sounded like a family of absolute terrors; they were definitely capable of something like that.

“And have my mom show it to them while they are at the hospital,” Han Tao quickly understood why Qiqi insisted on bringing out the agreement—to maximize its effect, it needed to be presented as a formidable weapon right there in the hospital. “I really look forward to their expressions.”

“They’ll likely be miserable. And once this happens, they won’t try to pull stunts so easily again,” Wang Qiqi mused. The years Han Tao and his mother spent keeping quiet must have led his relatives to believe they were pushovers.

“The worse their faces look, the better. Our relationship isn't good anyway; even if my family pays, it won’t improve. It might even make them think we’re easy targets,” Han Tao learned a valuable lesson from Wang Qiqi: sometimes, backing down doesn't earn gratitude. “Alright, let’s head back. I need to return to school too.”

After chatting with Wang Qiqi for a while, Han Tao felt much better. “Sometimes I think we’re so unlucky to have met so many awful relatives.” Perhaps that was a strange form of fate.

“Every family has its terrible relatives; they just don’t talk about it,” Wang Qiqi consoled him. “Call your aunt once you get back to school.”

As Wang Qiqi strolled back slowly, she found Shi Man watching her with an intensely gossipy look, and although Zhu Lina was nestled on the sofa reviewing materials, her gaze was also fixed on Qiqi. “We were discussing a few things on the road. Han Tao’s grandmother isn't doing well and needs some money for medical expenses.” Wang Qiqi wouldn't share this with just anyone, but while Shi Man and Zhu Lina might love to gossip, they wouldn't spread sensitive family matters.

Although Shi Man and Zhu Lina weren't fully aware of the details of Han Tao’s family situation, they did know that after his father died, he and his mother were effectively thrown out by the Han family. Realizing this, the gossip in their eyes softened.