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

Wang Qiqi hadn't realized the welcoming party was today. "Today? Isn't it tomorrow?" Today seemed to be Thursday; surely the welcoming party wasn't supposed to be on the weekend so everyone could party late into the night.

"The upperclassmen have arrangements on the weekend, so it’s always on Thursday." Li Xin was used to Wang Qiqi's denseness; Qiqi generally wasn't concerned with departmental matters. "You're famous in the department now."

Famous? "Famous? Is Qiqi the class beauty or the department beauty? That can't be right, it shouldn't be you. Did someone perhaps declare their love?" Jiang Xin asked Li Xin with a look hungry for gossip. "The beauty from the next class became famous last time. Rumor has it that a talented senior from the third year fell head over heels for her at first sight. That confession process..." As Jiang Xin spoke, she sank into an expression of envy, pink bubbles practically erupting around her.

"Is a beauty that easy to possess?" Wang Qiqi said with a smile. "But romance costs money." If the beginning is this romantic, then future boyfriends and anniversary celebrations will have to meet a high standard, not to mention the fact that an attractive woman will have too many suitors. A boyfriend is just a boyfriend; even marriage might be a minor affair. Besides, Wang Qiqi had met that girl—she was quite particular, meaning she had high material expectations. If the talented senior also happened to be wealthy, then that wouldn't be a worry at all.

Bai Ge nodded, glancing around. "I heard that senior’s family is quite rich. He was driven directly by his family when he registered for college." Heavens, Bai Ge felt jealous and resentful; why hadn't she met such a wonderful man?

"A man you can rely on is as rare as a sow growing wings," 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 tie the knot."

"And if you give birth to a son, that's manageable. But if it's a daughter, a wealthy family won't favor that daughter-in-law unless her own family is exceptionally strong. Otherwise, it's a one-bow exit," Wang Qiqi said. She felt this scenario wasn't impossible. For women, especially those without family backing, if the rich in-laws decided they didn't like you, kicking out a 'poor' daughter-in-law would be easy.

"No way," Duan Xiaomin and the others looked at Wang Qiqi in shock. "Isn't that valuing sons over daughters?" This wasn't some backward, rural place where sons were needed for manual labor and future old-age support. Why would rich people think that way?

"Once a daughter marries out, everything belongs to the husband's family. Would wealthy people be willing to watch that happen?" Poor families want sons for their own security in old age; rich families want sons so the family fortune can continue. "But I think whether you marry into a wealthy family or a middle-class household, earning your own money is the most reliable thing." Wang Qiqi felt that instead of hoping to secure a happy life by marrying into wealth, it was better to figure out how to earn more money. That way, even if the in-laws disliked you intensely, you wouldn't panic.

Wang Qiqi’s words sounded harsh to Duan Xiaomin and the others, who hadn't experienced dating yet. "Qiqi, you’re too pessimistic. Isn't marriage supposed to be based on mutual affection between the man and woman?"

Affection? That was the easiest thing to decay. "Marriage requires responsibility more than anything," Zhang Yan stated, then grabbed her basin and walked out. "I'm done eating; I'm heading back first."

Bai Ge watched Zhang Yan leave, finding it strange. "What's wrong with her?" Bai Ge felt that out of the eight people in their dorm, quite a few eccentrics occupied half the space. Of those four oddballs, Wang Qiqi was the best—she defied their usual understanding of orphans. The others were fine; they could discuss where to find bargains, and if she heard about a sale on daily necessities, she’d go with them to bulk buy. Gong Yiying, although disadvantaged since her previous conflict with Han Meina, had gradually improved her relationship with her roommates. However, Bai Ge remained somewhat guarded around her. Zhang Yan was perpetually cold; although she chatted with everyone, she often seemed to be on a completely different wavelength, and sometimes she would abruptly leave the group conversation for no apparent reason. As for Han Meina, although she occasionally stayed in the dorm, her relationship with the roommates was tenuous. She wanted to get along well with them, but after Gong Yiying’s dramatic display, everyone was wary of her, feeling she might 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 group with the closest bond.

"Maybe something came up," Wang Qiqi said. Her profound understanding of love and marriage stemmed from the immense blow she suffered in her previous life. But how old was Zhang Yan? Even if her mind was sharp, could she see things so deeply? Perhaps her own family situation was quite complicated.

"By the way, are you all wearing dresses today?" Bai Ge asked Li Xin and the others. The dresses she referred to were ones a group of them had specifically gone out to buy over the weekend. Although they had agreed to wear them together, Bai Ge was suddenly feeling a bit shy about it now.

"Why wouldn't we wear them? We agreed we’d let them have a look," Feng Yanjie objected when she sensed Bai Ge wavering. "We agreed today..."

Li Xin also glared at Bai Ge, conveying clearly that if she backed out, she'd regret it.

"I'll wear it, I'll wear it." Seeing the determined expressions on Li Xin and Feng Yanjie, Bai Ge fell silent. Despite how terrifying Wang Qiqi and Zhang Yan had made love and marriage sound, the welcoming party was such a great opportunity for them—what if they had a chance encounter...?

Gong Yiying, who had been out last weekend, was unaware of Bai Ge's group's plans. She eagerly asked them what they planned to wear. In truth, Gong Yiying had also gone out shopping for clothes that weekend; she intended to snag a promising, wealthy senior at the welcoming party. Gong Yiying hadn't expected that while she was out preparing her battle attire, Bai Ge and the others hadn't been quietly staying in the dorm either. Of course, she wouldn't consider Bai Ge and the others 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 flicker of contempt in Gong Yiying’s eyes and secretly chuckled. If you despise Bai Ge and the others, why bother trying to build a good relationship with them? You're such a phony.

After finding out what Bai Ge’s group was wearing, Gong Yiying asked Wang Qiqi what she planned to wear. "Just this outfit." Wang Qiqi found it strange. It wasn't a party, and she wasn't the main attraction; was it necessary to dress up?

Gong Yiying knew Wang Qiqi was somewhat aloof, but she hadn't expected her to wear this same outfit for such an occasion. "This is too simple. You know many seniors will be there..."

Wang Qiqi rolled her eyes a few times. Honestly, if they hadn't brought it up, Wang Qiqi would have forgotten the date and just gone to the library to read. However, she supposed she should attend some activities in the first year, otherwise, some people would accuse her of being too pretentious. "I'm not the star, so I won't try to steal the spotlight from those people." She wanted to keep a low profile. Wang Qiqi could guarantee that if she truly showed up dressed to the nines, rumors would be flying everywhere tomorrow. She could ignore them, but she didn't want to walk around campus being pointed at. "I wonder how many nice songs we'll get to hear tonight." A welcoming party usually featured singing and dancing as the main acts, with other segments serving as supplements.

Gong Yiying remained skeptical of Wang Qiqi's words. She wondered how 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 and contrasted them with Wang Qiqi and Zhang Yan, who were wearing the same clothes as that morning. She was stunned, though secretly pleased. She figured if anyone in the dorm was going to steal her thunder, it would be Han Meina, followed by Zhang Yan and Wang Qiqi. Since Wang Qiqi was being so sensible, Gong Yiying felt quite satisfied. "Qiqi, you aren't changing?"

Wang Qiqi shrugged. "It’s too late to change now. Besides, I plan on wearing this outfit until tomorrow." Washing clothes in winter is a miserable chore. Wang Qiqi only changed her underwear daily; the rest of her clothes piled up, to be taken home for washing on Friday. With the heating on, drying clothes was no longer difficult.

Gong Yiying was secretly delighted, but she still tried to persuade her. "Qiqi, you’re quite pretty too; you should dress up a bit. The way you look..."

"Sloppy?" Wang Qiqi said nonchalantly. "I think my current situation is just fine."

The seven walking down the street attracted the gazes of many young men. Naturally, Gong Yiying received the most attention, which made her increasingly happy. Although she spoke calmly with Bai Ge and the others, the slight straightening of her posture indicated her excellent mood. Wang Qiqi and Zhang Yan walked behind, discussing the books they had read recently. Even though the spotlight was stolen by those ahead, looks were still cast their way.

"Actually, Gong Yiying has a point. If you dressed up a little, 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 fine, but I'm here to study," Wang Qiqi murmured softly. "If I weren't worried about people saying I lacked team spirit, I wouldn't have planned to come at all."

Zhang Yan felt the same. "Han Meina came back to the dorm yesterday when you weren't around and explicitly instructed us that everyone must attend."

Wang Qiqi found this strange. Did Han Meina need to make such a big deal out of it? "No one is planning not to attend, are they?"

Zhang Yan adopted a look of someone enjoying a spectacle. "Apparently so, otherwise why would Gong Yiying be so excited?" Zhang Yan watched how the two who were once the closest in the dorm, even the class, had turned into people waiting for the other to make a fool of themselves—it was baffling.