As the New Year's Day gradually faded into the distance, the approach of the Spring Festival signaled the coming of deep winter. Before the winter break, however, the immediate hurdle was the final exams. Although Wang Qiqi was confident in her abilities, she stopped accepting new work, much to the chagrin of Li Xiangdong. After all, the closer it got to the Lunar New Year, the more international contracts cropped up. While Chinese people took the Spring Festival holiday, foreigners did not, and having only recently finished their Christmas break, they were now rushing to complete work, eager to finalize many matters in January. Li Xiangdong could only request that Wang Qiqi delay her departure by a few days to help finish the backlog.

Gong Yiying had also poured all her energy into her studies. Although she had failed one course, she refused to give up on the rest. She was determined to show everyone that the only reason she didn't receive a scholarship was that one skipped class that resulted in her failing grade. "Qiqi, do you have time now? I have a question here." Despite finding Wang Qiqi thoroughly irritating, Gong Yiying still had to turn to her for help.

Wang Qiqi was truly annoyed by the constant stream of impromptu questions. She seriously regretted not having gone back earlier to review in peace. Thankfully, she was still managing to study in the library, meaning her roommates could only pester her during the limited time she spent back in the dormitory.

Wang Qiqi patiently answered all of Gong Yiying’s questions one by one. Before she could even pick up her own book again, Bai Ge had another query. By the time all questions were settled, the lights-out signal sounded. Today, she hadn't managed to review at all.

Upon hearing the lights-out announcement, Bai Ge and the others quickly grabbed their flashlights to continue reading. Wang Qiqi, however, was already tucked into her bed, fast asleep. Cramming before an exam could be effective, but if one had studied solidly beforehand, there was no need to exhaust oneself like this now. As Wang Qiqi closed her eyes, she noticed that only Zhang Yan’s bed area remained dark, indicating she too was asleep.

Bai Ge called out to Wang Qiqi a few times, intending to ask a question, but received no reply. Peeking over, she saw no light emanating from Wang Qiqi’s bunk. "She’s asleep. Sigh, Qiqi is so composed."

"She spends so much time in the library; it would be strange if she didn't have to pull an all-nighter," Gong Yiying muttered sourly.

"It’s not about spending time in the library; it’s Qiqi’s state of mind," Bai Ge retorted, turning over to continue her reading, unwilling to engage with the other girl. Did she think they were all idiots? The questions she asked were slightly challenging, but for her, they weren't problems. The fact that she even asked Qiqi suggested her motive was not genuine difficulty—asking was just an excuse to keep Qiqi from studying. If it weren't for Qiqi frequently studying in the library...

For the final exam, many students brought their luggage to the testing hall. Some had afternoon train tickets, meaning they had to rush straight to the station after the test. Bringing luggage saved considerable time. Wang Qiqi and her roommates also brought their bags to the classroom. Although they were leaving a few days later, they planned to stay home for two days immediately after the exam. As for the tickets, Li Xiangdong had taken care of everything, securing them sleeper berths. This settled Shi Man's lingering objections; delaying departure wasn't ideal, but trading a hard seat for a sleeper was something Shi Man thoroughly enjoyed.

Shi Man, Zhu Lina, and Han Tao stood guarding a pile of luggage near the ticket check, murmuring anxiously. "Will Qiqi make it?" Honestly, knowing the train schedule, the fact that she hadn't arrived yet was agonizing. If they didn't leave today, the Spring Festival travel rush would begin, making tickets even harder to secure. Forget sleepers; even standard seats looked unlikely.

Han Tao glanced at his watch and listened to the station announcements, his worry mounting. "If Qiqi doesn't catch the train, I'll stay behind." He couldn't let Qiqi remain alone in the capital city. If she couldn't get a ticket home, Han Tao decided he would stay in Beijing to accompany her.

Shi Man turned to look at Han Tao, an odd expression crossing her face. "When you get back, do you want to buy an extra ticket for your aunt so she can come to Beijing to spend the New Year with you?" She found something peculiar in his tone, suspecting he might be plotting something mischievous.

"That works perfectly. Our family will be celebrating in Beijing anyway." Han Tao smoothly picked up the conversational thread. "Alright, Qiqi’s here, we can grab the bags."

While speaking, Han Tao scanned the crowd, watching for Wang Qiqi's arrival. Although Zhu Lina and Shi Man were doing the same, their shorter stature meant Han Tao had a better vantage point. When he announced that Qiqi had made it, they quickly hoisted their backpacks and hauled out their suitcases.

Wang Qiqi, having heard the announcement at the station entrance, was thoroughly startled and sprinted towards their meeting spot. Upon reaching the group, none of the four exchanged a word, immediately dashing toward the platform. The train attendant, seeing people still rushing toward the carriage, shouted loudly, "Find the nearest car and get on board; the train is leaving!" The attendant muttered to himself, seeing they looked like students—always so unhurried.

Just as Wang Qiqi and the others scrambled onto the train, it began to slowly accelerate. The moment Shi Man saw the aisles crammed with people, she felt a wave of dizziness. "Qiqi, you should have arrived earlier, oh well." They still had a distance to cover to reach the sleeper section, especially navigating the crush of bodies while burdened with four sets of luggage.

Wang Qiqi had no time for lamentations. "Keep a tight hold on your bags. Be careful. Don't reach our seats only to find a bag missing." Such incidents were common; in a crowd, bags could easily be jostled away, let alone the risk of theft.

Shi Man murmured an acknowledgment. Although she didn't carry much cash, she had other valuables. She carefully shifted her personal bag to her front. Zhu Lina performed the same maneuver. After forcing their way through the dense human traffic, the four finally reached the sleeper section twenty minutes after the train had pulled out. Upon arriving at their designated berths, they discovered someone already lying on one of the beds reserved for them.

The person, noticing the four students burdened with luggage, was an elderly couple who looked distinctly intellectual. They stood up. "These berths belong to you, right? We are taking our child back to our hometown, and our berths are on the top level. We brought our child..."

Hearing the elderly woman speak so politely, Wang Qiqi couldn't summon any anger, especially since the couple had a child with them. "It’s fine; we can sleep up top." Han Tao and the others exchanged glances, remained silent, shoved their suitcases under the bunks, and placed their carry-ons on the middle tier bed.

The elderly couple had initially worried about securing a smooth exchange of berths, but they were relieved to see university students arrive. Although their expressions hadn't been welcoming at first, they said no more. "Thank you, thank you."

Shi Man pulled a large thermos from her bag. "I'll go get some hot boiled water. Qiqi, do you want to go to the restroom to wash your face?"

The thought of the bone-chilling cold water made Wang Qiqi shudder. "I won't wash. I'll bear it; I can find a place to shower as soon as we get home tomorrow." That was, provided she cleaned the house thoroughly upon arrival. Although she had done some cleaning during her last visit, this time she intended to be meticulous.

"Oh right, did you ask someone to clean your house?" Wang Qiqi shook her head. "No, I planned to do it myself. Auntie Gong hasn't been feeling well these last few days." She had originally planned for Auntie Gong to handle the cleaning, but a few days prior, Auntie Gong had fallen from a window ledge while working. The injury wasn't severe, but she wouldn't be mobile for several days, making the cleaning a problem.

Han Tao, hearing this, set down the book he was reading. "I'll help you clean tomorrow." Han Tao had assumed Wang Qiqi would arrange for Auntie Gong to tidy up; Auntie Gong often went over to clean or air out the place before. He hadn't expected no one to be cleaning this time. He wished he had asked his own mother to help out.

"That would be great, especially for wiping the windows." Wang Qiqi accepted without hesitation; she certainly couldn't handle tasks requiring climbing. "I have other things to do when I get back, too. Thankfully, I don't have to host any dinners this year." Wang Qiqi had no intention of treating anyone this year.

"I doubt that," Zhu Lina said, skillfully climbing onto the top bunk to sleep. "Knowing your uncle and his family, they won't let you off the hook easily once they know your situation." The environment downstairs was too noisy with all those people; it was better to stay in the bunk.

Hearing Zhu Lina, Wang Qiqi recalled the look in Gao Kai's eyes that day and understood. Perhaps a major battle awaited her return. "Hmph. His family never hosts either. Why should mine treat them? His in-laws own a hotel; why don't they treat us to a meal?"

"Maybe they'll invite you once they make some money," Zhu Lina replied, aware that the stock market was booming. Qiqi had mentioned her aunt was also trading stocks; perhaps she had made a considerable profit.

Wang Qiqi shook one finger playfully. "You don't know her well enough. No matter how much she earns, she won't be that generous." For Li Cui, she would boast among her maternal relatives, but when it came to the Wang family, she felt entitled to benefit. "Besides, I wouldn't dare eat a meal hosted by her. The cost of that meal would surely be enormous." Wang Qiqi knew that she would only be dining alone, whereas their entire contingent was at least three people. That was unsustainable.

"Don't forget Gao Kai," Zhu Lina countered, pointing out the most likely reason Li Cui would offer an invitation.

Wang Qiqi was completely silenced by Zhu Lina’s statement. "Alas, what misfortune in the family. I wish I hadn't hoped for that pair to get together." Wang Qiqi deeply regretted that now. Although she spent most of her time in Beijing, she had to go back for the winter break, and dealing with endless troubles was inevitable then.

"Just bear with it; they are relatives after all," Han Tao could only advise. "Besides, just pretend you didn't hear anything they say. Oh, is the rental house contract still valid?"

Wang Qiqi checked her memory of the contract. "Until the end of this year." Unless something unexpected occurred, they would likely renew. The distant relatives were quite good; any issues with the property were handled by them directly. If they rented it to the Gao family, they would likely call about every minor issue. (To be continued)