After staying at Wang Damei's for a few days, Wang Qiqi packed her bag and went home. It had been so long since she returned and hadn't visited home—truly unfilial. Wang Qiqi had initially intended to avoid being seen returning with Han Tao; otherwise, she absolutely would have gone home first before visiting Wang Damei. But unexpectedly, what was supposed to be a one-night stay at Wang Damei's stretched into several days. Still, the itinerary ahead was quite packed: she needed to inspect the properties under her name, and also the houses co-purchased with Gong Peixing’s aunt. Although Gong Peixing managed them normally, and some were already occupied, Song Yao insisted that as the owner, she couldn't simply neglect visiting them. Of course, Song Yao also hinted that this trip home was an opportunity to snap up a few more properties to hold, which was precisely the most time-consuming endeavor.

Alighting from the taxi, Wang Qiqi’s mind was consumed with why Song Yao had been buying houses so frequently lately. Did she really have that much money? Wang Qiqi felt too awkward to ask in front of Wang Damei. Wang Damei was unaware of the full situation, but Wang Qiqi knew that after purchasing half of a rural house and handling the renovations, the money Song Yao had must be running low. Stock market speculation? Wang Qiqi found that unlikely. Although the stock market had been robust recently, it was impossible for it to generate that kind of capital. Wang Qiqi truly couldn't fathom it.

Carrying her suitcase down from the taxi, Wang Qiqi saw all the neighborhood busybodies downstairs staring at her. With utmost courtesy, Wang Qiqi greeted every elderly person, uncle, and aunt individually. At this moment, Wang Qiqi desperately missed the apartment in the capital. While the atmosphere there was much more detached, at least she didn't have to greet everyone from the moment she stepped out until she reached the building entrance, nor did she have to worry that gossipy conversations would instantly pivot to her as she passed by.

Just as Wang Qiqi was about to carry her suitcase toward the stairwell, she heard an old woman speak up, “Qiqi, you’re finally back?”

Wang Qiqi hummed an assent. “Yes, just got back after a trip abroad.”

“The Han boy also returned not long ago, did you know?” someone interjected casually.

Wang Qiqi shook her head, looking toward them. “I went traveling right after my vacation started.” She neither confirmed nor denied it.

Seeing Wang Qiqi’s calm reply, the surrounding gossips looked at her for a long time, noting no trace of embarrassment on her face. They began to think that perhaps they hadn't traveled together after all.

Not giving them a chance to stare further, Wang Qiqi went upstairs to her home. The first thing she did upon arrival was open all the windows and doors. Seeing a large watermelon and some seemingly fresh peaches placed before her parents' photograph, she knew Han Tao must have bought them for her family. “Mom, Dad, I’m back. On this trip to France, I bought that perfume you loved most, Mom.” Wang Qiqi took out a specially bought aroma diffuser, lit it, and without adding essential oil, dripped a few drops of the perfume. Instantly, a faint, familiar fragrance filled the air—just like when her mother was alive, the house always held that subtle scent of perfume.

Wang Qiqi sat on the floor and recounted to her parents her situation over the past half-year, the details of her trip to France, and her desire to continue buying property. After about an hour, Wang Qiqi rose to start cleaning, though the house wasn't actually dirty; it seemed someone had tidied it early that morning.

Having finished the housework, Wang Qiqi was just about to retreat to her room to sleep when she heard a knock on the door. Wang Qiqi initially thought it was Han Tao and didn't bother checking through the peephole. However, when she opened the door and saw the person standing outside, she instinctively wanted to slam it shut. Wang Qiqi thought, What terrible luck, to run into this specific person the moment she arrived home.

“If you close the door, I’ll just stand right here,” the visitor said with brazen persistence.

Hearing this, Wang Qiqi realized she had little choice. “There’s nothing to eat or drink here. Come back another day; I just got home and I’m exhausted.” Even if this person wanted to cause trouble or discuss something, she needed to be rested first. Moreover, this was her territory; she couldn't let the visitor’s aura overwhelm her.

“It’s fine, I only have a couple of things to say,” the visitor insisted, not giving up.

Wang Qiqi knew that while she could certainly force the door shut if she tried hard enough, the problem was, with the visitor having said that much, could she really close the door smoothly? Even if she did manage to close it, the visitor would likely stand guard at the threshold, creating a spectacle and instantly becoming the subject of neighborhood gossip once more.

“Then say it quickly,” Wang Qiqi conceded after some thought. She decided to treat it as a small good deed for the day and opened the door, letting Li Cui enter.

Upon entering, Li Cui stared at the immaculately clean room, frozen for a long moment. Wang Qiqi closed the door and said curtly, “What are you looking at? Keep looking, it’s still my house. It has nothing to do with your Wang Lao-er. Don't think you’ve found some dirt and now you plan to ruin my reputation and take custody of my assets.” Wang Qiqi had absolutely no patience left for her. Wang Qiqi couldn't even bring herself to call him Uncle anymore, not even Wang Dagui—she just called him Wang Lao-er, because of the truly inhuman things he had done.

Li Cui looked at Wang Qiqi, who stood with her arms crossed, gazing at her with displeasure. She gave a wry smile. “Even if I were to ruin your reputation, would you even notice? Besides, you are an adult now, and Wang Damei is supporting you; how could I possibly gain custody of your assets?” Li Cui observed Wang Qiqi, who had suddenly matured, managing to secure a substantial inheritance after her parents’ death. She then thought of her own daughter. Li Cui had always believed her daughter would surely be more successful than Qiqi, precisely because Qiqi seemed utterly unconcerned with worldly matters like money. But comparing Wang Qiqi and Wang Rui now—both about to transition from Grade 11 to 12—Wang Qiqi had already composed herself and was striving hard to get into a satisfactory university. Her own daughter, forget university, had barely scraped through the standardized exams. Getting into a vocational college, Li Cui felt, would already be a blessing from heaven. Wang Dagui constantly supported Wang Rui, claiming education was useless; no matter how much one studied, it was only to find a rich husband, and he asserted his daughter had achieved that. But was the Gao family truly that exceptional?

“I’ve already retrieved all the money I borrowed and returned it to the neighbors,” Li Cui said faintly after clasping her hands and bowing three times before the photograph of Wang Dajun and his wife.

Borrowed money? Returned it to the neighbors? Wang Qiqi didn't care about any of that. She hadn't personally borrowed the money, nor was she a guarantor; this debt truly had no bearing on her.

“Actually, most of the money was lent to the Gao family. I exhausted every means to get it back, plus a little interest. But I don’t want people saying I borrowed money and then fled after I leave this place.” Li Cui knew that if she truly left Wang Dagui, that father-daughter pair would certainly pin the blame on her. Li Cui understood Wang Dagui well; she wasn't surprised by his actions. But the problem was that her daughter’s heart could be so dark—that truly surprised Li Cui, causing her to completely abandon any thought of relying on her daughter or straightening her out.

Leave this place? Wang Qiqi froze. “Where are you going?” Surely she wasn't planning to stay with the Gao family? “Did the Gao family buy a house for their future daughter-in-law?” That wasn't an impossible scenario.

The Gao family? Li Cui scoffed. “Don’t tell me you don’t know the Gao family’s situation. Isn’t the Gao family just an empty shell?”

Li Cui hadn't expected her to be so insightful, but what did it matter if she knew? The crucial thing was that the protagonist didn't understand. However, regarding Li Cui's assertion, Wang Qiqi was certainly puzzled and confused. “How could the Gao family be an empty shell? Their restaurant has been running for so many years, they opened a teahouse, and now they are opening another restaurant; they own three properties—I know all of this. I assume Auntie knows too.” Hmph, trying to trick some information out of me. Who knew if the other party was carrying a recording device? If she admitted anything, and Li Cui publicized it, it would be like openly admitting she instigated Wang Rui to pursue Gao Kai, utterly destroying her reputation.

“Gao Kai used to be your boyfriend, right?” Li Cui watched Wang Qiqi’s guarded expression, but her tone was measured; she feigned surprise where appropriate. Li Cui was convinced Wang Qiqi must know something, but so what if she did?

Boyfriend? Wang Qiqi waved her hand dismissively. “You can eat whatever food you like, but you can't spout nonsense. When exactly did Gao Kai and I start dating? If Gao Kai and I were a couple, such an outstanding young man with such excellent family backing, would I just give him up?”

Wang Qiqi paused. “Don't bring up that I often hung out with Gao Kai. If that were the criterion, Gao Kai would have had many girlfriends. Perhaps my boyfriend was someone else. You know that every time I went out with Gao Kai and the others, it was a large group studying together. You know my math grades weren't good back then, so of course, I needed to find people to study with. As for why we grew distant later—sorry, that’s because Gao Kai was no longer in the top-tier class.” She even had a reason for the later distancing. “Gao Kai is a good person, and Wang Rui is pretty and knows how to charm and act spoiled. So don't worry; the Gao family is quite good. Didn't Wang Lao-er often say that Wang Rui being able to snag Gao Kai was a blessing for the Wang family?” A blessing, indeed. Who knew what that blessing would turn into later.

Although Li Cui had given up on Wang Rui, she was, after all, the daughter she raised. Thinking that if she left, Wang Qiqi might offer Wang Rui some support, she could depart with more peace of mind. But the issue was… “I will be divorcing Wang Dagui next month. I don't want the house or the money; after the divorce, I'm moving out of the area.” Over the past six months, Li Cui had managed quite a bit. At the unit, it wasn't an issue either; a batch of people was scheduled for layoffs anyway, and Li Cui was on the list, which solidified her decision.

Divorcing Wang Dagui? Wang Qiqi stopped short, but she wouldn't spare the sarcasm. “Poverty and sorrow plague a couple, truly. When Wang Lao-er gambled and lost money constantly, you never considered divorce. Now that he’s stopped gambling, and your daughter has found a golden goose, you want a divorce? But why are you telling me this? Do you expect me to give you this house, or should I ask Auntie to persuade you two to reconcile?”

Li Cui looked at Wang Qiqi’s skeptical expression, stood up, and walked to the door. “Whether you believe it or not, you will know soon enough.” (To be continued)