"Qi Qi, are you going to the department's orientation party today?" Bai Ge asked Wang Qiqi, who was chatting with Jiang Xin nearby.

Wang Qiqi hadn't realized the orientation party was today. "Today? Isn't it tomorrow?" Today was Thursday, wasn't it? She thought orientation was always on the weekend so everyone could stay up late causing trouble.

"The senior students have plans for the weekend, so it’s always on Thursday." Li Xin was accustomed to Wang Qiqi's dullness; in any case, Qi Qi didn't seem to care much about class affairs. "You're famous in the department now."

Famous? "Famous? Did Qi Qi become the class beauty or the department beauty? That can't be right, it shouldn't be you. Did someone perhaps make a public declaration of love?" Jiang Xin asked Li Xin with an expression that clearly indicated she wanted gossip. "Last time, the beauty from the neighboring class became famous. Rumor has it that a talented senior from the third year fell for her at first sight. The way he proposed..." As Jiang Xin spoke, she melted into an expression of intense envy, pink bubbles practically erupting around her.

"Is beauty that easy to attain?" Wang Qiqi chuckled. "But romance certainly costs money." If the start was this romantic, then future dates, surprises, and anniversaries couldn't possibly be cheap. Plus, as a beauty, she'd have no shortage of suitors. A boyfriend was just a small matter, even marriage was minor. And Wang Qiqi had met that girl—she was quite particular, meaning she had high material expectations. If the talented senior was also rich, then there would be no worries.

Bai Ge nodded, looking around. "I heard that senior's family is quite wealthy. His family drove him directly when he checked into university." Good heavens, Bai Ge was filled with jealousy, envy, and hatred. Why hadn't she ever met such a good man?

"Men are as reliable as sows learning to climb trees," Zhang Yan commented bluntly. "If a man is good to you before marriage, he's just trying to coax you into marrying him. Who knows what he'll be like after you're married."

"And if they have a son, it’s manageable. But if it’s a daughter, wealthy families won't favor that daughter-in-law unless her maternal family is powerful. Otherwise, she’ll just be shown the door with a polite bow." Regarding such matters, Wang Qiqi felt it wasn't impossible. For women, especially those without family support, if the wealthy in-laws decided they didn't like the 'poor daughter-in-law,' kicking her out would be easy.

"No way," Duan Xiaomin and the others looked at Wang Qiqi in surprise. "Isn't that valuing sons over daughters?" This wasn't some poor rural area where sons were needed for farm labor and to secure old-age support. Why would wealthy people think the same way?

"When a daughter marries out, everything she has belongs to the husband's family. Would wealthy people be willing to see that happen?" Poor families want sons for their future; rich families want sons to ensure the family fortune continues. "But I think, whether marrying a rich man or a middle-class man, earning your own money is the most reliable thing." Wang Qiqi felt that instead of trying to secure a happy life by marrying into wealth, it was better to find ways to earn more money. That way, even if the in-laws disliked her, she wouldn't panic.

Wang Qiqi's words sounded harsh to Duan Xiaomin and the others, who hadn't really dated yet. "Qi Qi, you are too pessimistic. Isn't marriage based on mutual feelings between the man and woman?"

Feelings? That was the easiest thing to change its nature. "Marriage requires more responsibility," Zhang Yan stated before grabbing her basin and heading out. "I’m done eating, I’m heading back first."

Bai Ge watched Zhang Yan leave, feeling it was strange. "What's wrong with her?" Bai Ge felt that out of the eight people in their dorm, half were eccentric. Among those four oddballs, Wang Qiqi was relatively fine—she defied their general perception of orphans. The others were okay; they could discuss where to find cheap goods, and if a daily necessity was on sale, she would go group-buying with them. Gong Yiying, despite being in a weaker position since her conflict with Han Meina, was gradually mending relationships with her roommates, but Bai Ge remained somewhat guarded around her. Zhang Yan was perpetually cold; although she chatted with everyone, she often seemed to be on a different wavelength, sometimes drifting away from the topic without apparent reason. As for Han Meina, although she occasionally stayed in the dorm, her relationship with her roommates was superficial. She wanted to get along, but after Gong Yiying’s dramatic performance, everyone was cautious around her, sensing she could lash out at any moment. If Gong Yiying, who was supposedly so close to her, could be so cruel, what about the others? This left the remaining four as the closest faction.

"Maybe something is bothering her," Wang Qiqi replied. Her profound understanding of love and marriage stemmed from the massive blow she suffered in her previous life. But how old was Zhang Yan? Even if her mind was sharp, she shouldn't see things so deeply. Perhaps her family situation was also complicated.

"Oh right, are you guys wearing dresses today?" Bai Ge asked Li Xin and the others. The dresses she mentioned were ones a group of them had specially bought over the weekend. Although they had agreed to wear them together, Bai Ge was starting to feel shy about it now.

"Why wouldn't we wear them? We agreed to let everyone admire us," Feng Yanjie said, clearly unhappy when she sensed Bai Ge was backing out. "We agreed today..."

Li Xin glared at Bai Ge too, giving the distinct impression that if she dared to back down, she would regret it.

"I'll wear it, I'll wear it." Seeing the determined expressions on Li Xin and Feng Yanjie, Bai Ge stopped talking. Even though Wang Qiqi and Zhang Yan had described love and marriage so terrifyingly, for them, the orientation party was a fantastic opportunity—what if they had a fateful encounter...?

Gong Yiying hadn't known about Bai Ge’s group’s plans last weekend. She eagerly questioned them about what they planned to wear. In truth, Gong Yiying had also gone out shopping for clothes that weekend; she intended to capture a promising, wealthy senior at the orientation party. Gong Yiying hadn't expected that while she was out preparing her 'battle attire,' Bai Ge and the others hadn't been quiet either. Of course, she wouldn't consider Bai Ge’s group as rivals—not because they were friends, but because Gong Yiying didn't believe they were on her level.

Wang Qiqi, standing apart, noticed a flash of contempt in Gong Yiying’s eyes and secretly smiled to herself. If you despise Bai Ge and the others so much, why bother trying to be friendly with them? You're being so fake.

After finding out what the others were wearing, Gong Yiying asked Wang Qiqi which outfit she intended to wear. "Just this one." Wang Qiqi found it strange. It wasn't a party, and she wasn't the star; was it necessary to dress up?

Gong Yiying knew Wang Qiqi was somewhat aloof, but she didn't expect her to wear the same clothes to such an event. "This is too simple. You know many senior students will be there..."

Wang Qiqi rolled her eyes a few times. In fact, if they hadn't brought it up, she would have totally forgotten the date and gone to the library to read. However, she supposed she should attend some first-year activities, or people would accuse her of being too high and mighty. "I'm not the lead role; I don't need to steal the spotlight from those people." She preferred to keep a low profile. Wang Qiqi could guarantee that if she showed up looking spectacularly dressed, rumors would be flying everywhere tomorrow. While she could ignore them, she didn't want people pointing and whispering as she walked across campus. "I wonder how many good songs we'll get to hear tonight." An orientation party usually featured singing and dancing as the main acts, with other programs serving as secondary support.

Gong Yiying remained reserved about Wang Qiqi's words, wondering how such a girl could be so calm. When the group of seven was preparing to leave, Gong Yiying looked at the five who were clearly dressed up, then compared them to Wang Qiqi and Zhang Yan, who were wearing the exact same clothes as that morning, and she was stunned. Of course, she was secretly delighted. She felt that if anyone in the dorm was going to steal her thunder, it would be Zhang Yan and Wang Qiqi, besides Han Meina. Since Wang Qiqi was being so sensible, Gong Yiying was quite satisfied. "Qi Qi, you’re not changing clothes?"

Wang Qiqi shrugged. "It’s too late to change now. Besides, I plan to wear this outfit until tomorrow." Doing laundry in winter is a miserable task. Wang Qiqi only washed her underwear daily; the rest of her clothes piled up together and would be taken home to wash on Friday. With the heating on, drying clothes wasn't difficult anymore.

Gong Yiying secretly rejoiced, but she still tried to persuade her, "Qi Qi, you are quite pretty too; you should dress up properly. The way you look..."

"Sloppy, you mean," Wang Qiqi said carelessly. "I think my current situation is just fine."

As the seven walked down the street, they attracted the attention of many young men. Naturally, the most intense gazes were fixed on Gong Yiying, which made her increasingly happy. Although she spoke calmly with Bai Ge and the others, the increasingly straight posture of her back revealed her excellent mood. Wang Qiqi and Zhang Yan walked behind, discussing the books they had been reading, and although the spotlight was stolen by those ahead, not everyone was ignoring them.

"Actually, Gong Yiying is quite right. If you dressed up a bit, you would definitely be more popular than her," Zhang Yan suddenly interjected. At first, she thought Wang Qiqi would help build her own momentum, but the subsequent developments exceeded her expectations.

"Being popular is good, but I’m here to attend university," Wang Qiqi whispered. "If I wasn't worried about people saying I lack team spirit, I wouldn't even have come."

Zhang Yan felt the same way. "When you weren't in the dorm yesterday, Han Meina came back and specifically told us we all had to attend."

Wang Qiqi found this strange. Why would Han Meina make such a big deal about it? "Surely no one plans to skip it, right?"

Zhang Yan adopted an expression of someone waiting for a good show. "Apparently so, otherwise why would Gong Yiying be so excited?" Zhang Yan looked at the two who were once the closest in the dorm, and even in the entire class, now seemingly competing to see who could embarrass the other—it was baffling.