Daili Jun, on the walk home, excitedly told Shi Man and Juliana about his biggest takeaway from the dinner. “I’m dying laughing, how could a woman be so dense.” Daili Jun felt that someone’s fighting capability today was seriously lacking; how could such a basic mistake be made? “But will she regret not getting to try the Aolong congee when she gets back?”

Daili Jun was exceptionally pleased with the meal, though he had initially assumed Wang Qiqi would pay. Knowing Han Tao’s family situation wasn't great, he was surprised when Han Tao was the one who pulled out the money. Daili Jun quickly figured it out—it was about saving face as a man. But did being a home tutor really yield such good income? Daili Jun didn't get it, but that wasn’t the main point. The main point was that the meal was truly excellent. “Qiqi, your roommates are going to be under immense pressure from now on. If they get a boyfriend too, yours is treating them to scallops and Aolong oysters.” That was incredible; what were those other roommates supposed to do? Could they afford to treat people to such luxuries if they found a partner with fewer means?

Though Daili Jun was a bit dull, what he said that day caught Wang Qiqi and Han Tao off guard. Wang Qiqi, honestly, had intended for Gong Yiying to see just how well-off they were; otherwise, she wouldn't have ordered seafood. “Ah, does that mean I’ve become a villain?” She didn’t want it to turn into a situation where Bai Ge and the others complained about her spending so much money.

Han Tao didn't overthink it; as long as Qiqi was happy, that was enough. “Don’t worry about it. Everyone’s situation is different. If they find a rich man, maybe they’ll treat us to a meal at a five-star hotel. If they have no money, they can only treat us at the school cafeteria. Are you saying you wouldn’t go?”

“Why wouldn’t I go? If they invite us to eat, no matter what they serve, we have to go and eat our fill. Are we not supposed to eat cafeteria food anymore?” That would be truly offensive. But Wang Qiqi knew this rift was a real problem. The only small upside was that Han Tao had found a tutoring job for Bai Ge and the others; they should have some understanding of Han Tao. Yet, she couldn't just not explain things, sigh. Wang Qiqi felt so conflicted.

Juliana and Shi Man watched as Gong Yiying, who had been gloating moments before about how much the other woman had lost, suddenly looked distressed. Strictly speaking, Wang Qiqi was the one who had lost out, as Gong Yiying hadn't lost any money. “Why should we care about them? Should you hide your wealth just because you have it? If they can’t understand such a simple point, how will they manage in the workplace?” For Juliana, friends often needed to belong to the same social strata to share common ground.

If Wang Qiqi were only academically brilliant and lacked a slightly deeper family background, Juliana wouldn't have bothered befriending her. It wasn't that Juliana was entirely materialistic; Wang Qiqi would have acted similarly. She wouldn't have considered making friends with a girl whose family background was average and who only chased after celebrities.

Wang Qiqi pursed her lips. “Gossip is terrifying.” If it weren't for that, why would she have to act so wronged? Sigh, this was the reality of the situation in China.

“Gossip is terrifying?” Juliana stared at Wang Qiqi for a long moment. “Do you need a professor to write glowing recommendations on your file so you can find a good job? Do you need to rely on them later? You don't need any of that, so why are you making yourself miserable?” Look at Han Tao; if he doesn't get along with his roommates, he doesn't get along, and there's no need to placate them. As his girlfriend, why couldn't Wang Qiqi grasp that principle?

Although Wang Qiqi didn't seek those things, “I’ll just treat it as self-improvement. I can’t live in a vacuum.” Wang Qiqi stated her view. “Socializing is a deep art, but constantly fighting with Gong Yiying is just boring. It’s just that with what happened today, Deng Zhi’s relationship with Gong Yiying will surely get worse. Won’t Gong Yiying hate me even more? It’s a dead end.”

After dropping Wang Qiqi and the others off, Han Tao returned to his room to continue researching his computer. Since moving in with Gong Junyu and the others, Han Tao felt like he never had enough time. There was so much to learn; even just listening to their discussions on topics he didn't understand felt like learning a great deal.

On the way back to the dorms, Zhang Han and Han Meina were also discussing Han Tao. “That kid seems well-off, or he’s made some real money tutoring. That meal cost fifteen hundred yuan today.” Although Zhang Han spent a lot on extras, his monthly allowance was limited. To spend an entire month’s worth of spending money on one meal was something Zhang Han absolutely couldn't stomach.

Han Meina didn't know much about Han Tao either. “If his background were ordinary, would Wang Qiqi even like him? But Deng Zhi was furious today. Do you think Gong Yiying will be alright?” Although Han Meina really hoped Gong Yiying would face negative consequences, she wouldn't voice that little selfish thought in front of Zhang Han. “Should you buy some liquor tonight and go comfort Deng Zhi?”

Comfort Deng Zhi? Zhang Han thought that Gong Yiying might already be with Deng Zhi. Judging by the expression when Deng Zhi left, he wasn't going to let Gong Yiying off easily when they got back. What if they started fighting? Should he go mediate? Even if they didn't fight, what if Gong Yiying did something reckless when she saw him there? That would be an absolute disaster. But not going to comfort Deng Zhi also sounded wrong. “Why don’t we go together? You know Gong Yiying.”

Han Meina had been waiting for this sentence. “Is it appropriate for me to go?” After all, it was a matter between men.

“If you don’t go, I’m not going.” Zhang Han insisted. In short, if Han Meina wasn't going, he wouldn't go, as he didn’t want any unforeseen incidents occurring later.

The final result was Han Meina trailing behind Zhang Han to Deng Zhi’s rented place. As for what happened that night, Bai Ge and the others never knew, only that Han Meina and Gong Yiying returned to the dorm together. However, Han Meina’s expression seemed somewhat delighted to Bai Ge and the others, whereas Gong Yiying’s posture was awkward, and her entire face looked terrible. Upon returning to the dorm, she immediately climbed into her bunk, pulled the curtain shut, and didn't utter a single word.

The next day during class, Bai Ge mentioned to Wang Qiqi, “You should keep an eye out; Gong Yiying was acting really strange today.” Especially when everyone brought up Wang Qiqi, her glare, as Feng Yanjie described it, was like a wolf—a wild wolf at that.

A wild wolf? Wang Qiqi nervously patted her chest upon hearing Bai Ge’s description, whispering, “I noticed something was off the moment I walked in. Didn't she always love flaunting her affection with Deng Zhi before? They weren't sitting together today. Shouldn't that be strange?” So, relationships that are too high-profile are prone to problems. Hers and Han Tao’s, being low-key and reserved, was much more suitable for them.

“What happened yesterday?” Wang Qiqi suddenly wondered if Bai Ge and the others knew some inside scoop.

Bai Ge shrugged and shook her head, signaling she didn't know either. “All I know is she came back with Han Meina yesterday.”

Came back with Han Meina? Weren't they leaving in separate groups? How did they return together? Perhaps the fight between Deng Zhi and Gong Yiying yesterday didn't go well, and then Han Meina and Zhang Han went over to Deng Zhi’s place, and Gong Yiying followed Han Meina back. But as for the specifics of what happened, one would have to ask Han Meina, though the question remained: would Han Meina tell them? “Did you ask Han Meina?”

“She refused to say.” If she had been willing to talk, Bai Ge would have already told Wang Qiqi. “Oh, right, yesterday’s dinner was very lavish, except for one person's experience.”

“As long as you all enjoyed it.” Wang Qiqi paused, then added, “Just don't feel pressured in your hearts that we wasted money treating you to such good food, making you feel like in the future...” Wang Qiqi stopped herself, knowing Bai Ge and the others understood.

Bai Ge and the others had indeed been a little downcast when they left. Wang Qiqi’s group treating them to such fine food certainly put pressure on them regarding future boyfriends. But Zhang Yan was right; Wang Qiqi didn't care about the standard of the meal. “The pressure will be big. Maybe the men we find won't be that outstanding.”

“Actually, Xiao Han saved up for quite a while to treat you all; otherwise, he wouldn’t have postponed the invitation until now, you understand.” Wang Qiqi thought she should explain it this way. “Han Tao is a man who values face, especially after what Gong Yiying said earlier; he wasn’t happy about it either.”

Bai Ge understood this explanation from Wang Qiqi as a gentle deflection. Han Tao could earn money easily enough, but this was Wang Qiqi’s stance nonetheless. “Then I definitely can’t find a man who cares so much about face. Face can’t be eaten as food.”

“That’s true, but men need to be able to earn money; men have to support a family.” Seeing Han Meina walk in, Wang Qiqi immediately called out, “Meina, come over here.”

Wang Qiqi admitted she was quite nosy, especially when it came to jokes involving Gong Yiying; she didn't want to miss any juicy details.

Han Meina was about to respond to Wang Qiqi’s enthusiastic greeting when she heard Gong Yiying call her name, and she responded to Gong Yiying instead.

“Well, some information just can’t be pried out,” Wang Qiqi thought. Gong Yiying calling Han Meina over was surely just to stop her from sitting with Wang Qiqi and discussing things she didn’t want everyone to know.

Bai Ge nodded. “If she won’t talk, she won’t talk. But one thing is clear: Gong Yiying and Deng Zhi had a very unpleasant falling out.” The problem was that everyone knew this, and even the initial cause of the conflict was known. But what exactly transpired between them after they left the restaurant last night made everyone quite curious.

Just as Wang Qiqi and the others were wondering about the details between Gong Yiying and Deng Zhi, the situation took a turn: by the afternoon, Gong Yiying and Deng Zhi were sitting together in class again, openly displaying affection just as before. If everyone hadn't witnessed the previous day's drama, one would assume they had only had a small spat.

Jiang Xin initially thought the same way. After hearing what Wang Qiqi and the others recounted, she came to the same conclusion: “They are definitely acting. Something must have happened when they got back that night.”

“I can guarantee one thing, Wang Qiqi, you’re done for. The feud between you and her is growing deeper,” Shi Man finally concluded, patting Wang Qiqi’s shoulder as she did so. “Good luck with that.” (To be continued.)