Wang Damei's family enjoyed a lively New Year's Eve dinner at Wang Qiqi’s place, and after helping clear the dishes, the whole family took a taxi home. Once Wang Damei was gone, Wang Qiqi sat beneath her parents’ photographs, murmuring to them for a long time until the sound of the New Year’s bells finally rang out.

Following the old tradition, Wang Qiqi kowtowed three times to her parents, then held out her hands. “Happy New Year, now hand over the red envelopes.”

Then, Wang Qiqi proactively retrieved two red envelopes already placed on the offering table. “Thank you, Dad and Mom, for the (hongbao).” Although it felt a bit staged, Wang Qiqi felt this was the only way her parents seemed to remain by her side.

Just as Wang Qiqi finished this ritual, she heard a knock at the door. “Who is it?” Wang Qiqi wondered who it could be this late in the year; surely it wasn't Wang Dagui coming around to cause trouble again because his mind was unsettled.

“It’s me.” Han Tao had just finished kowtowing to the old man, wishing his father a happy New Year in the afterlife, when he remembered he needed to pay his respects to Wang Qiqi’s parents too. He hadn't intended to startle Qiqi so badly; her voice was trembling slightly.

Wang Qiqi recognized Han Tao’s voice and let out a long sigh of relief. “Why are you here?”

“To kowtow to your parents.” Han Tao entered the house, closed the door, offered his respects, and then sat on the sofa to chat with Wang Qiqi. Ever since Wang Dagui caused that scene, Han Tao and Wang Qiqi had been maintaining a polite distance, though they remained cordial when they met on the road, unlike their previous frequent interactions. “Didn’t Wang Dagui say he was treating everyone today?”

“The reservation was cancelled.” Wang Qiqi explained how the Gao family had cancelled Wang Dagui’s private room, which struck Han Tao as odd. “No way. Wang Dagui quietly cancelled the room? He’s not the type to go down easily. Wang Dagui is the kind of person who causes trouble when he’s wrong, and makes even more noise when he’s right. When has he ever been so agreeable? It’s unbelievable.”

“Maybe the Gao family is treating them instead,” Wang Qiqi had discussed this very possibility with Song Yao during their lunch break. Otherwise, why would he be so quiet and troublesome? Even Han Tao noticed the illogical nature of it, let alone anyone else. “But I bet Wang Rui and Wang Dagui are boiling mad right now. Even Li Cui must feel like she’s lost a lot of face.”

Wang Qiqi was only half right. Wang Dagui and his daughter were furious, but Li Cui wasn't nearly as upset. She was currently happy because she had received a portion of the dividends the Gao family had promised earlier. Of course, Li Cui had no intention of sharing this money with the father and daughter. Li Cui had already made up her mind: the stock market was active right now, so she would pour the money back into trading stocks. As for Wang Dagui and the others, Li Cui had already prepared her explanations.

As for her natal family, Li Cui had long since given up on showing off. She clearly remembered how popular she used to be among her brothers and sisters, but once she could no longer offer financial support, she noticed the cold, cutting remarks every time she visited. Li Cui finally understood one thing: her family was unreliable, and her husband was also unreliable. It was best to save the money herself and not expect anyone to remember her kindness just because she helped them out once or twice. Look at Wang Qiqi; she had the capital to be arrogant, the capital to stand up to them, and they couldn't do a thing about it.

Wang Dagui and Wang Rui were so consumed by venting their rage that they didn't notice Li Cui’s shift in demeanor. By the time the father and daughter began to turn on each other, Li Cui was just listening to them argue, whereas in the past, she would have surely scolded them for fighting on New Year's Eve, predicting a whole year of arguments.

When Wang Dagui and Wang Rui finished their fight, or perhaps when they both felt the other had gone too far and sought out Li Cui to complain or seek comfort, they discovered she had already retreated to her room to sleep.

“Dad, what’s wrong with Mom?”

Wang Dagui looked utterly bewildered. “Who knows? Maybe your mother is entering that phase, menopause or whatever.”

Wang Rui didn’t see it that way. “Dad, is it because we couldn’t go to the fancy restaurant today, and Grandma’s side started yelling?” Wang Rui understood her maternal relatives well—they were the type who showed up when there were benefits and vanished when there weren't.

Wang Dagui shook his head. “That wasn’t it. Besides, the Gao family needs to make business deals, we can treat them any time. But the way the Gao family handled this was really unethical.” Wang Dagui had honestly expected the Gao family to invite his family over for their New Year’s Eve dinner, but they didn’t even manage that small gesture.

Wang Rui was actually quite anxious. Earlier, when she called Gao Kai’s mother, the tone on the other end hadn’t been very warm either. “Dad, maybe we should…” Wang Rui suddenly had an idea and whispered it into Wang Dagui’s ear.

Wang Dagui was tempted when he heard Wang Rui’s suggestion, but he hesitated. “Can we really do that?” If things escalated, they might not be able to control the situation. “Forget it, let’s not. You don’t know the spirit Wang Qiqi has right now.”

She was just a girl, yet she was constantly talking about taking things to court, as if the court was her personal domain. But Wang Dagui didn't dare test her. He knew this girl was fierce, not nearly as easygoing as her elder brother and sister-in-law. “I think I’ll pass. If you want to do it, you do it.”

Saying this, Wang Dagui stood up and quickly retreated to his room. Money was a fine thing, but the problem was getting his hands on it.

Wang Rui hadn't expected that after the previous argument between the old man and Wang Qiqi, he would develop such deep apprehension toward her. What was she supposed to do? Wang Rui genuinely didn’t know. Going herself was out of the question. Perhaps she could beg? Thinking it over, Wang Rui concluded this was her only option.

Wang Qiqi woke up early and went with Han Tao to the temple to burn incense, then casually strolled through the temple fair, eating their way from the first stall to the last until the two of them finally headed home in the afternoon.

Wang Rui yawned and rubbed her nose again, silently cursing Wang Qiqi for not staying home on the first day of the Lunar New Year, wandering off god knows where. When Wang Rui finally spotted Wang Qiqi in the distance, she also noticed Han Tao beside her. But what could she say? Wang Rui only wished her father had chosen his moment better. If he had truly caught Wang Qiqi in some transgression, would she be in such an awkward position now?

Wang Qiqi and Han Tao were happily recounting stories from the temple fair. Wang Rui, standing there like a utility pole nearby, was completely ignored. “Sister Qiqi, I wanted to pay respects to Uncle on the first day of the New Year, but you left so early.” Wang Rui kept directing her gaze toward Han Tao, subtly implying that Wang Qiqi was too busy dating to remember her ancestral duties.

Pay respects to Uncle? “How filial of you now. During the first Spring Festival after my parents passed away last year, from New Year’s Eve until the middle of the first month, I regretfully didn’t see a single soul from Wang Dagui’s family. And during the first Qingming Festival after my parents died, I’m sorry to say I didn’t see Wang Dagui’s family at the gravesite either. Now it’s the second year, and someone suddenly remembers? Oh, right, you probably thought of using my parents to remind me about kinship, didn’t you? Forget it.” Wang Qiqi thought, you want to paint me as unfilial? Clean up your own backyard first. “Besides, I was up early to pay respects to my parents. It was already nine o’clock when I left. If you had arrived earlier, it wouldn't have been that late.”

Wang Rui just watched Wang Qiqi go upstairs. She tried to pump herself up, thinking, “Didn’t I just forget last time?”

Wang Qiqi heard the clearly shameless excuse and said coldly, “You didn’t forget; you just decided it wasn’t worth honoring them because they won’t give you any more benefits, right? Now you need to help your man. I really admire Gao Kai; having several women stepping up to secure storefront locations for him.” Wang Qiqi hadn't wanted to bring it up, but since you won't let me have an easy time, why should I let you?

What? Wang Rui was stunned by the information embedded in Wang Qiqi’s words. “Qiqi, you’re talking nonsense. Kai isn’t that kind of person.” Wang Qiqi must be lying.

Wang Qiqi looked at the disbelieving Wang Rui with an expression of pity. “It’s your business if you don’t believe me. Just wait and see; Gao Kai’s family’s restaurant location will be settled this month.” She had gotten this news from Zhu Lina last time. Many high school classmates wouldn't contact Shi Man or Wang Qiqi, but they would certainly contact Zhu Lina, which is how she learned so much.

Wang Rui's innocent and pitiful look gave Wang Qiqi a pang of guilt. “Don’t worry, it’s not my house. That property is due at the end of the year, and I can’t afford the breach of contract fee. And even if I rent it to Gao Kai, even if he’s a man, it has nothing to do with me. At the very least, I would raise the rent. But don’t worry, the expansion of the Gao family’s business won't stop. Apparently, some cute girl named Mengmeng is going to introduce Gao Kai to a place; rumor has it the location is quite good.” Since you look so pathetic, let me send the Buddha all the way to the West. Wang Qiqi felt she was truly a wonderful older sister. “I don’t know the specifics; a high school classmate told me.”

Mengmeng... Mengmeng... Hearing the name spoken by Wang Qiqi confirmed it for Wang Rui; Mengmeng wasn't a high school classmate, but a friend of a friend—someone Gao Kai's friends brought along during the celebration when he got into university, and she reportedly came from a well-off family.

“It’s all your fault. If you had been willing to rent your property to Gao Kai, would all these things have happened?” Wang Rui knew Gao Kai was quite the flirt and often chased after girls, but she felt that if Wang Qiqi hadn’t been so uncooperative, she wouldn’t be in this predicament.

Great, you can’t even be a good person. Wang Qiqi could only shake her head. “Why wouldn’t I be willing to rent my house to Gao Kai? It’s just that Gao Kai refused my terms. I already negotiated them. If he’s willing to pay double the rent—provided he can settle terms with his current landlord to terminate the lease—and the lease is signed year-by-year with a new contract signed a month in advance, and the next year's rent paid in full immediately after signing.” Wang Qiqi considered this a very generous offer and her absolute bottom line. “I was doing this only for your sake, Xiao Rui.”

With that, Wang Qiqi headed upstairs, while Wang Rui stared at her receding back without moving, then spun around abruptly and dashed out. The excuse about needing to go upstairs to honor her uncle and the others was completely forgotten.

Wang Qiqi watched her retreating figure and sighed. If that girl had insisted on coming upstairs to honor her own parents, she really would have considered reducing the rent appropriately. What a pity.

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