The four of them returned to the library over an hour later. The area around their original spot was now nearly empty. "Those flies are finally gone," Shi Man murmured.

Wang Qiqi felt the same way. It wasn't that she minded people reading nearby, but she despised it when others weren't genuinely reading but instead loitered under the guise of studying, staring at her. To Wang Qiqi, this was an insult. "They must have thought we weren't coming back." Considering her prior attitude and how long they had been gone, it was a reasonable assumption.

Though the movements of Wang Qiqi and her friends were light, they weren't silent. The bespectacled man heard the sound nearby but didn't look up. "Sorry, someone's sitting here. Go find another spot." His eyes never left the book before him during the entire exchange.

Jiang Xin let out a little laugh upon hearing his voice. "He really is a bookworm. Qiqi, maybe we should switch places. This spot's taken."

"Handsome, your steamed buns. They’re still a little warm, hurry up and eat them." Although it sounded a bit foolish, it wasn't a bad gesture; at least he helped guard their seats. Even though the library wasn't overflowing with people now, perhaps he had his own little agenda, but he had proven himself to be a man of his word.

Dai Lijun, the man with glasses, hadn't expected them to return. He was surprised not only that they had come back but that they had brought another girl along. "Thank you. How much do I owe you?"

"No charge for today. We'll need your help holding seats in the future," Shi Man said generously. On the walk over, she had already rationalized things: either she shouldn't come to the library to study, or if she did, someone would inevitably be nearby. And this young man had actually behaved quite well.

Dai Lijun, who had been eating the steamed buns, froze when he heard Shi Man. "You... you want me to help you save seats from now on?" No way. Was this his lucky day? Dai Lijun certainly didn't think his powers of persuasion could charm these girls.

"Yes. Right here, this spot. When you arrive, help secure it for the others," Shi Man said. She wasn't sure how competitive the library spots would get, but this one was good, and she didn't want to move. "Shi Man, Freshman, School of Economics and Management."

"Wang Qiqi, Freshman, Finance Department."

"Zhulina, Freshman, School of Economics and Management."

"Jiang Xin, Freshman, Finance Department."

Hearing the four introduce themselves, Dai Lijun believed they wouldn't lie to him. "Dai Lijun, Sophomore, Computer Science." Dai Lijun quickly finished the two buns, then pulled out money to hand to Shi Man. "How did you... how could you..." He didn't know how to finish the sentence.

"We thought you seemed like a decent person—someone who would seriously study if sitting near us," Wang Qiqi replied very directly. "We come to the library to learn something, not to find men, understand?"

Dai Lijun stared at the assertive Wang Qiqi and forced himself to swallow. He truly hadn't expected that the reason he was chosen was this particular rationale. "Okay, I will study diligently."

Jiang Xin, seeing how easily intimidated Dai Lijun was, burst out laughing again. "Don't worry, Qiqi isn't that scary."

Dai Lijun looked from Wang Qiqi to the newly arrived girl. Although her initial gaze toward him had been a little strange, overall, she seemed the easiest to talk to among the four. "I know. Alright, I need to get back to studying now." Since they had made their intentions clear, he needed to focus on his coursework. He currently had too many borrowed books, exceeding his limit, but he was eager to read all of them, so time was of the essence.

Wang Qiqi and the others had already placed the books they wanted to read on the table, allowing them to sit down and begin leisurely reading. Jiang Xin also selected a few favorite books and settled in. The five of them read in silence. At this hour, many people occupying the library spots were true scholars, as the descent of night was also prime time for dates.

It wasn't until the closing bell rang that the five of them slowly lifted their heads, dazed from their reading. "Time to close?" Wang Qiqi looked at the book in her hands. She had hoped to finish it but hadn't managed. Oh well, she'd check it out and take it back to finish later.

Dai Lijun's dorm was not in the same direction as Wang Qiqi's, but as a seasoned sophomore, he certainly knew the location of the female dormitories for the Finance class. "Let me walk you back." Even though there were five of them, Dai Lijun felt it was necessary to escort them to the dorm entrance.

"Then you should head back..." Jiang Xin was surprised that the bookworm she initially judged had such a chivalrous thought.

"It's fine. It’s only about a twenty-minute round trip; I’ll make it back to the dorm in time," Dai Lijun thought, knowing he had ways to get back in even if the main gate was locked—a secret he certainly wouldn't share.

As Wang Qiqi approached her dorm, before she even went inside, she heard Han Meina’s smug voice floating out. "Wang Qiqi only bought a cheap bike for a little over a hundred yuan. Didn't she say her parents left her money? Hmph, I guess the money isn't that much, otherwise why wouldn't she buy a five-hundred-yuan bicycle?" Han Meina had just returned from a date, and upon hearing the dorm mates discussing bicycle purchases, she had asked out of curiosity, only to stumble upon such explosive gossip. She instantly grew triumphant.

Wang Qiqi stood at the door, shaking her head. After a moment, when the topic seemed to die down, Wang Qiqi pushed the door open. "What are you all chatting about that sounds so happy?"

Bai Ge and the others were startled when Wang Qiqi walked in. They worried if she had overheard anything. "Nothing much. Oh, Qiqi, you were reading at the library until now?"

Wang Qiqi lifted the book in her hand. "Yes. If it weren't for the closing bell, I probably would have kept reading." At least it was quiet there—dead quiet. Much better than coming back here to the sound of someone gloating.

"We heard you bought a bike. Why is yours the same model as your friends'? The Giant rides really nicely. I plan to bring over my family's thousand-yuan bike in a few days." Han Meina paid no mind to whether Wang Qiqi had heard her earlier comments.

"I don't have money," Wang Qiqi knew Han Meina wanted to see her embarrassed. If that's what she wanted, fine. "The money my parents left me needs to last me several years."

Han Meina sneered at Wang Qiqi's response. "I suppose. But it doesn't matter. Just find a slightly wealthier boyfriend, and everything will be taken care of."

Wang Qiqi stared at Han Meina for a long moment after hearing that. "That's your way of thinking. I will never look for a rich boyfriend." Did she look like someone without money? Why would she seek out a rich man only to be walked over? Besides, what if he turned out to be another Gao Kai?

Han Meina was genuinely shocked by the intensity that erupted from Wang Qiqi, who was shorter than her. "I was just making a suggestion."

"A suggestion?" Wang Qiqi knew the other girl was being disingenuous. "The moment I stepped into this dorm, you started criticizing me, and now you suggest finding a rich boyfriend. What exactly is your problem? Who is targeting whom? Don't you realize the impact of those words on a girl?"

Wang Qiqi thought that if she didn't assert herself, this girl would keep talking nonsense. "My parents passed away. Does that mean I must find a rich boyfriend? If we follow your logic, should a rich girl find a poor boy to balance things out?"

Shi Man came downstairs looking for Wang Qiqi and happened to walk in just as Wang Qiqi was erupting in anger. She glared at Han Meina. "Lina said the laptop you liked last time is in stock. Do you want it? If so, she’ll hold it for you to pick up on the weekend."

"The IBM is in?" Wang Qiqi had been hesitant about buying one, but suddenly she felt a need for a laptop; perhaps she could pick up some simple translation work. "Still eighteen thousand?"

Shi Man thought for a moment. "I'm not entirely sure. Lina forgot her pager when she went out and only saw the message when she got back. She mentioned it was a bit cheaper, but Qiqi, are you sure you want to buy it?"

"A laptop will always be useful. I can store a lot of data on the computer," Wang Qiqi reasoned. Buying the laptop would also give a certain person something to see, making it a two-for-one deal.

"Deal. I’ll tell Lina to hold it for you. When I go home for the Spring Festival, I’ll ask my parents to buy me one too, though I hear they’re a bit big and heavy," Shi Man said, knowing that the girl wasn't penniless; she just preferred to spend her money on things she truly valued.

Shi Man left, and a deep silence fell over the dorm. Han Meina had just mocked Qiqi for lacking money, and immediately afterward, she was talking about buying something so expensive. "Qiqi, you're buying something that costly?" Gong Yiying was stunned that Wang Qiqi was planning on buying a laptop—an IBM, no less! At this time, owning a desktop computer was a significant status symbol.

"Once I have a laptop, many things can be centralized," Wang Qiqi said, then promptly stretched out on her bed, ready to read. As for the reaction of the others, sorry, Wang Qiqi didn't have the inclination to care about them.

Han Meina looked at the placid Wang Qiqi, hearing her speak about buying a laptop with the same casual tone one might use when talking about buying a notepad. If this was what "having no money" looked like, it would make a fool of everyone. "Hmph, showing off." However, after climbing into bed, Han Meina glanced at Wang Qiqi with a hint of envy. Her own family's circumstances were decent, but her parents would never agree to spend twenty thousand yuan on a laptop for her—even her own father didn't have one. Owning a portable computer was incomparable to riding a Giant bike. "Showing off. Hmph. I hope you spend all your money soon and become a poor person."

Bai Ge and the others had assumed they were talking about a few yuan notebook, not a laptop computer, and one costing eighteen thousand at that! My goodness, that was equivalent to many people's living expenses for two academic years.