"I heard the welcome party for the Finance department yesterday was quite lively," Shi Man said to Wang Qiqi, her expression a mix of excitement and eagerness for gossip, as soon as she saw her that morning.

"They invited you, but you didn't go," Wang Qiqi shot Shi Man a look. "Don't tell me everyone in your department already knows." Although the Finance department and the Economics and Management department shared a dormitory building, the party was held at night, ending quite late. How could Shi Man possibly know?

"Don't you know women are intensely curious about gossip?" Shi Man stated very seriously. "Yesterday's scene was truly sensational. How did it compare to Meng Fei's event?"

Wang Qiqi couldn't offer a definitive comparison. "I wasn't there for Meng Fei's party, but Han Meina certainly stole the show yesterday. I heard Meng Fei was quite unhappy."

As soon as Wang Qiqi uttered those words, Shi Man understood. If the scene hadn't been as grand as Meng Fei's, would she have looked so displeased? "I regret it, I really regret it. Why isn't our department's welcome party as lively?" Shi Man said with clear displeasure. "But I bet your counselor will be hopping mad."

Wang Qiqi nodded. "Yeah, Han Meina was called in for a talking-to first thing this morning."

Shi Man and Zhu Lina were both surprised. "What? That fast?" They had assumed the reaction wouldn't come from the counselor until noon at the earliest. They hadn't expected such swift repercussions this time.

Although being reprimanded by the counselor slightly dampened Han Meina's mood, the moment she recalled Zhang Han publicly proposing to her in front of the entire department yesterday, her spirits lifted again. As for Zhang Han, he didn't take the counselor's lecture to heart; as long as he won the beauty's heart, what was a little scolding?

Since classes ran until past four today, Wang Qiqi decided against heading to the library. She planned to tidy up a bit, grab a meal at the cafeteria, and then head back. However, when they reached the base of the dormitory building and spotted Zhang Han suddenly appearing, they were all startled. Was he waiting for Han Meina? Although the temperature hadn't dropped below freezing, it was only a few degrees, and lingering by the entrance was quite cold. "Oh, isn't this our Vice Minister of Cultural and Entertainment Activities?" Gong Yiying exclaimed dramatically.

Zhang Han knew his current state wasn't ideal, but he couldn't help it. Anyone waiting outside for half an hour risked turning into an ice sculpture, and he couldn't enter the female dorms. He had been standing by the entrance for so long that many passersby had noticed him, pointing and whispering, which made Zhang Han quite uncomfortable. "I—I’m waiting for Meina." Whether from excitement or prolonged exposure to the cold, Zhang Han's speech was beginning to stutter.

The group murmured "Oh," realizing someone was trying hard to make an impression. Just as they were about to approach, Han Meina descended the stairs with a practiced flair. Seeing Zhang Han standing quietly waiting for her at the entrance brought a pleased look to her face; any girl would be envious seeing her boyfriend wait for her so long downstairs. "You haven't been waiting downstairs this whole time, have you? I told you to find a place to shelter from the wind; look how stiff you must be from the cold."

Wang Qiqi shuddered watching Han Meina's affected performance. Damn it, where exactly is a guy supposed to hide when he’s waiting outside a girls’ dorm? And if she came down and he wasn't there, she'd throw a fit.

Zhang Han inwardly groaned at his girlfriend's little act. He thought Han Meina would only be upstairs for a short while, not this long. If he had known it would take this long, he definitely would have arrived later. "Right, Meina, didn't you say there was a rule in your dorm that whoever gets a boyfriend has to treat everyone to a meal?"

Because Zhang Han's performance just now was commendable, she wasn't angry at the sharp looks fixed on her boyfriend. "Yes, why? Are you planning on treating us?"

Zhang Han nodded. "Let's make it today." Although Han Meina didn't spend much time in the dorm, if her roommates spoke well of him, his life would certainly be easier. Zhang Han genuinely liked Meina, but the thought of having to wait outside in the wind for this long every time they went out was something he couldn't endure. If he could flatter Meina's roommates and get them to say a few good words, perhaps she wouldn't be so high-maintenance.

"Sure! I wonder what delicious things you plan to treat us sisters to. Let me warn you, don't even think about anything cheap," Han Meina cooed, nestling closely against Zhang Han.

Wang Qiqi stood next to Gong Yiying and noticed her hand tightly clenched into a fist, recognizing her bad mood. Still, she continued reading. "Tonight?" Wasn't Han Meina supposed to go home?

"I'll go back tomorrow." Han Meina finally remembered that Wang Qiqi usually went home on Friday nights. "Is that a problem?"

Wang Qiqi shrugged. "Do I have an objection to crashing a free meal?" The restaurant was near the school anyway; she could go home right after eating.

Han Meina shot Zhang Han a look, signaling him to inform his roommates. Although Han Meina doubted Wang Qiqi would be impressed by Zhang Han's roommates, who knew about matters of the heart? Perhaps by buttering up his smooth-talking self, he could actually win over the beauty.

After telling Jiang Xin, Wang Qiqi went upstairs to find Shi Man and the others to tell them about the dinner gathering that evening. "Ah, treating us already?" Shi Man climbed out of bed, surprised at how quickly the center of attention had acted. They had only confirmed their relationship yesterday, and now they were treating everyone.

"Claiming ownership early, I suppose," Wang Qiqi glanced at the time—it was getting late, and she needed to go down and prepare a bit. "Right, please take my laptop back with you when you go."

Shi Man got up from her bed. "I'll come down with you to get it." It was a good chance to stretch her legs, and once she had the laptop, she could play with it for a while. You see, when she was back home, that laptop was exclusively for Wang Qiqi to use while she was busy with translation drafts.

As Shi Man followed Wang Qiqi toward the door without even pushing it open, she overheard Gong Yiying's sharp critique of Han Meina. "Hmph, so she got a boyfriend, does she need to be so showy..."

"A jealous shrew," was the only thought Shi Man had about Gong Yiying's words at that moment. She realized this girl must have been severely provoked.

Wang Qiqi chuckled and pushed the door open. Since the other party wasn't worried about her words reaching Han Meina's ears, Wang Qiqi saw no reason to knock. After Shi Man grabbed the notebook and exchanged a few words, she prepared to leave. "By the way, are you going back today?"

Wang Qiqi nodded. "Going back." If she stayed in the dorm, she would probably just end up listening to the shrew's resentful complaints. Wang Qiqi would rather listen to Shi Man's gossip or stare at incomprehensible K-line charts than waste her time there.

When Wang Qiqi and her group arrived at the designated restaurant, they saw a young man around 1.7 meters tall waiting by the entrance. Upon seeing the girls, the young man eagerly rushed over. "I'm Deng Zhi, Zhang Han's roommate. He asked me to wait downstairs for you." Deng Zhi greeted everyone warmly.

Hearing the young man's introduction, Bai Ge couldn't help but let out a chuckle. "We know who you are, Deng Zhi, there’s no need for such a grand announcement, is there?" They were clearly classmates; how could she not recognize him?

Deng Zhi wasn't annoyed by Bai Ge's teasing. He scratched his head sheepishly. "W-well, wasn't that a formal introduction?" Deng Zhi knew his actions were a bit silly, but he was trying to leave a good impression on Wang Qiqi. Through close observation lately, Deng Zhi knew that although Wang Qiqi wasn't as dazzling as Han Meina, she was still low-key in class—wasn't a quiet girl like that the perfect type to pursue? He reasoned that such reserved girls rarely associated with outsiders; if he put in just a little effort, he could easily juggle multiple relationships. Moreover, Wang Qiqi probably had money, and with her parents deceased, she must be in desperate need of comfort. If he played his cards right, the money would start rolling in.

Deng Zhi had already calculated all this, but for now, he maintained a pleasant demeanor. Hearing Wang Qiqi and Zhang Yan discussing their travelogue about Yunnan, he smoothly chimed into the conversation. Neither Wang Qiqi nor Zhang Yan objected to his joining; having an extra person to chat with wasn't bad, and what he said wasn't nonsense; at least he had read the travelogue.

Deng Zhi had expected his sudden interjection to draw glares. He knew Wang Qiqi currently held the reputation of being one of the "Library Killers," with so many suitors having failed and subsequently claiming she was too aloof. But looking at Wang Qiqi's current agreeable demeanor, Deng Zhi could only conclude that the rumors were infuriatingly wrong. My Qiqi is such an easy-going girl! Wait, Deng Zhi suddenly had another thought: it wasn't that Wang Qiqi was easy-going; it was just that the previous suitors weren't her destined match, so they had no fate. I am Qiqi's destined one. At this realization, Deng Zhi’s gaze toward Wang Qiqi became even warmer.

Bai Ge and the others were already used to seeing Deng Zhi greeting them and then engaging in conversation with Wang Qiqi and Zhang Yan. Gong Yiying noticed, her lips moving slightly, but she remained silent. Honestly, Gong Yiying was jealous of Wang Qiqi. She wouldn't warn her about certain things; besides, even if something happened, it wouldn't be her fault.

In the private room, Han Meina and Zhang Han watched Deng Zhi chatting happily with Wang Qiqi. They exchanged glances. Zhang Han was confident in his roommate—if he made a move, it would be a piece of cake. Han Meina, who had expected Wang Qiqi to be much more cunning, was surprised she was so easily caught by a playboy, lowering her evaluation of her a notch further. "Duan Xiaomin, you're here! Sit down, everyone squeeze in a bit."

Wang Qiqi looked at the private room. Although it seemed large, there were sixteen people trying to fit around one table, which was truly cramped. Even though the table was big, people were sitting elbow-to-elbow. Zhang Yan also frowned slightly, looking displeased.

Bai Ge was inwardly cursing Han Meina for being cheap. Han Meina noticed her roommates’ expressions weren't great and conceded it was a bit tight. "There was nothing we could do; we arrived late, and this was the only room available. But it’s fine, we'll just order more dishes."

Zhang Han also realized he had been hasty today, and the situation was a bit awkward. "It was my oversight. Next time, I'll treat everyone again, and I guarantee it won't be like this."

Since the host had admitted fault, could everyone really dwell on the seating arrangement? The atmosphere slowly began to warm up. (To be continued)