Now that Wang Qiqi had prepared almost all the dishes, she called out, "Han Tao, call Manman and the others and tell them the food is almost ready." Honestly, those two women didn't even show up early to help; not only did they contribute nothing, but they had to be begged just to come eat.

After a long while, Han Tao finally rose dazedly from his computer. "Time to eat?" He patted his stomach; he was actually a bit hungry. "Manman and the others aren't here yet?" He looked around, but Shi Man and the others were nowhere in sight.

Great, so his words had been wasted. Relying on oneself was better than begging others. Just as Wang Qiqi walked over to the phone, about to dial, she heard a knock. It looked like Shi Man. "Everyone, help carry the dishes in, please."

"Ding-dong! We brought wine!" Shi Man held the bottle high above her head, completely obscuring her face. "I'm so sorry, I went back to sleep after I got here."

Since Shi Man was so candid, what could Wang Qiqi possibly say? "Come in, but where did this wine come from? We don't have any at home."

"Didn't you say drinking a little red wine every night was good for your health?" Zhulina offered a simple explanation for the wine's origin. "Someone sent it over today."

Good heavens, the rich are truly rich. "Nana, I love you to death! It's wonderful having you around; I get to drink free wine! Sponsor me, sponsor me!" Wang Qiqi threw her arms around Zhulina. Having a wealthy friend was truly a blessing, though of course, you still had to treat your friends sincerely.

Shi Man looked from Han Tao to Wang Qiqi with amusement, chuckling inwardly at what a pair of comedians they were.

Zhulina pushed Wang Qiqi away with a look of disgust. "Get off me, you ugly rock! Even if I were sponsoring someone, it wouldn't be you! My standards are very high." Zhulina thought to herself, who would dare sponsor Wang Qiqi? Didn't they see someone eyeing them from the side?

High standards? Wang Qiqi was offended. "Am I not good enough? I am a great talent!" To show how angry she was, Wang Qiqi huffed several times. "To compensate for my wounded feelings, you must make it up to me—for example, by supplying me with a lifetime supply of red wine."

A lifetime supply of red wine? Gong Junyu and the others gasped, wondering just how much that would cost. They suddenly recalled that they had bought the place where these girls lived. This implied that the girls, or at least one of them, were quite well-off.

A lifetime supply of red wine? Zhulina emphatically kicked Wang Qiqi away from her side. "A lifetime supply of red wine? You actually dare to ask for that! Besides, I'm not your man; I won't bear such a heavy burden. Alright, alright, let's eat. If we don't start soon, we won't even get to drink this bottle."

"Exactly, let's eat!" Shi Man carried in the last plate of food. "Dinner is served! If we don't start now, I'm afraid those men are going to eat you alive."

It was only then that Wang Qiqi remembered this wasn't her home but the place where Dai Lijun and his crew were staying. She froze for a moment, but quickly recovered. "Let's eat, let's eat! I cooked a lot today, and you all must finish it."

Dai Lijun patted his rumbling stomach and looked at the food, which was clearly a step up from the boxed meals. "It’s a real blessing to finally have a hot meal," he said, genuinely on the verge of tears. "Qiqi, it's so good you're back. Will I perhaps not have to eat boxed meals anymore? Even hot pot would be better than those boxes." At least hot pot was hot; by the time the boxed meals got home, they were cold.

"A hot meal isn't hard to come by; just buy the ingredients and make hot pot yourself, it’s easy," Shi Man protested, clearly annoyed that someone was treating Wang Qiqi like a servant. "Big Brother, Qiqi has a lot to do too—she has to study and earn money." Truthfully, someone had already called Wang Qiqi over the moment she arrived, and if they weren't planning to have hot pot today, she would have already left to discuss serious business.

Dai Lijun had only spoken offhandedly, but as soon as the words left his mouth, he knew he had misspoken. "I was just saying. I know Qiqi is busy. Oh, right, I heard you were making money over the winter break too?"

Wang Qiqi nodded. "The New Year expenses are covered." Especially since Li Xiangdong had even given her a two-thousand-yuan bonus, calling it a year-end bonus. This touched Wang Qiqi, even if he was a bit stingy with her manuscript fees and hadn't discussed a raise yet. Could this be considered extra salary? "It feels like I've had a prosperous New Year."

Huang Junze swallowed the meat in his mouth, looking quite puzzled. "Aren't the New Year expenses usually covered by the adults? Aren't we university students supposed to just receive New Year's money from our parents?" How could it be that Wang Qiqi was responsible for these household costs? It couldn't be that her family was struggling financially.

Dai Lijun knew the situation with Wang Qiqi's family. He had mentioned it unintentionally, and he didn't know how to continue the conversation after Huang Junze asked that question.

"My parents passed away when I was in my second year of high school." If they were strangers, Wang Qiqi wouldn't have answered, but they were different. Wang Qiqi explained calmly, "Don't tell me things like 'my condolences' or how 'self-reliant' I am. I've heard those phrases too many times, especially when people say them while looking at me with pity." High school classmates and teachers all had that same expression, and Wang Qiqi was thoroughly sick of it.

Gong Junyu and the others wanted to apologize, wanted to say Wang Qiqi was indeed resilient, but they were taken aback by her directness. Her way of explaining her parents' passing was vastly different from how most people offered condolences, and they didn't know what to say.

"I believe my parents are watching me from heaven. Besides, what do I need pity or sympathy for? Can I live my life just holding onto those things? The proper way is for me to live well," Wang Qiqi smiled lightly. "Eat, eat! Today I've brought out all my best cooking skills. Whether you get to eat my cooking next time depends on my mood."

While everyone else was stunned, Han Tao, Shi Man, and Zhulina started devouring their food frantically. Dai Lijun quickly snapped out of it and joined the secret eating spree.

Ni Guangxin glanced at Wang Qiqi. Truly a peculiar girl—either she was a cold and detached person or an incredibly strong one. He wasn't sure which. When Ni Guangxin turned his attention back to the dining table, he noticed Dai Lijun's mouth was stuffed full, and there was a piece of beef still on his chopsticks. "Dummy, you're going too far! Taking advantage of our distraction to feast like that." Don't let Dai Lijun's quiet demeanor fool you; even though he usually only dealt with computers, when it came to food he loved, his fervor for eating was immense.

Dai Lijun struggled to swallow the meat in his mouth. "Was I sneaking food? Isn't dinner served? You stood there foolishly not eating; does that mean none of us should eat?"

Ni Guangxin snorted, then saw that Gong Junyu and the others had also joined the food-grabbing fray. Ni Guangxin forgot about arguing with Dai Lijun. "You guys are all too much."

By the time the group's chaotic free-for-all ended, the serving dishes were almost entirely empty. What little remained was meager.

Dai Lijun patted his bulging stomach and looked at the few remaining scraps. "I thought we'd have leftovers for a midnight snack, but now it seems that's not going to happen." When Dai Lijun first saw the dishes Wang Qiqi brought out, he was thrilled, thinking supper was sorted, and perhaps even tomorrow's lunch was secured. But now, even midnight snacks were in question.

Wang Qiqi could actually hear Dai Lijun burping, yet he was already thinking about a midnight snack before dinner had even settled. Wang Qiqi was speechless and gave him a thumbs-up. "You're incredible. But didn't the New Year just pass? Dummy, didn't you eat and drink heavily throughout the whole Spring Festival?"

Dai Lijun's slightly smiling face instantly shifted from bright to cloudy, then overcast, upon hearing Wang Qiqi's question. Just as Wang Qiqi started to apologize, he said, "Of course, I ate and drank during the Spring Festival, but since I got here, it’s just been one boxed meal after another."

"That's quite a situation," Ni Guangxin adjusted his glasses. "A few days ago, we didn't even have boxed meals. Alright, alright, let's clear the dishes."

Wang Qiqi had no intention of cleaning up. It was agreed that she cooked, and they would clean up. Besides, it was already nine o'clock. "We should head back now; I need to go see Li Xiangdong tomorrow."

Although they had email now for sending and receiving messages, Wang Qiqi felt it would be good to go meet Li Xiangdong, especially Li Qian, to foster their relationship, and perhaps get some guidance. Even though Wang Qiqi was currently auditing English courses at the university, she felt there was a definite gap between teaching and practical application. While Li Xiangdong wasn't the most brilliant lecturer, some of the material he covered was quite specialized. Therefore, Wang Qiqi still preferred to submit her manuscripts in person, even if the travel expenses were considerable—it was knowledge that money couldn't buy.

"You're going tomorrow?" Han Tao vaguely remembered hearing from Li Zhe's place yesterday that Li Xiangdong was scheduled to go on a business trip these few days.

Wang Qiqi hadn't realized Li Xiangdong was traveling so soon after the Lantern Festival. Business life was tough. "Oh, then I'll just email him. I'll go to the library tomorrow to borrow some books instead." Now that she had the internet, Wang Qiqi had forgotten to check if the other person was even available. But just then, she suddenly remembered she hadn't bought an internet card yet.

"Where do you have internet access?" Dai Lijun suddenly recalled something. "I suggest you install a line. That way, all three of you can get online."

Internet? The moment Wang Qiqi thought of a 56K dial-up modem, she felt a massive headache coming on—the speed was agonizingly slow. But forget it, she'd install it. It would be convenient for checking information. Buying an internet card required paying phone charges, and she had to monitor her time strictly. Every time, Wang Qiqi dared not linger online for too long, completely lacking the feeling of constant online presence people had in later years. "The process is slow, but fine, I'll install it. By the way, have you guys installed it here?"

"We have. You could just leech off our connection; you just need to cook something occasionally." Dai Lijun suddenly thought his suggestion was excellent. Since Wang Qiqi only used it to send and receive emails, this would work.

Dai Lijun was only met with several huge eye-rolls and Wang Qiqi turning her back on him. Wang Qiqi thought to herself, was she someone who couldn't afford an internet bill? (To be continued)

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