“Hoo, hoo, hoo.” Wang Qiqi jogged slowly through the neighborhood complex. While she had forced herself into a routine of early morning runs during her senior year of high school, by the time she was a freshman in college, these excursions were limited to weekends. And, of course, running was entirely skipped if it rained, snowed, or the weather was simply too hot. Coupled with frequent hours spent translating or reading while perched on the sofa, a chair, or ** a bed, her weight had crept up on her without her noticing.

That day, after provoking Song Yao, Wang Qiqi returned home, retrieved the seldom-used scale, and the Wang residence echoed with her scream for a long time. If it hadn't been for the late afternoon hour, around 4 PM, when some neighbors ventured out to chat about gossip as the sun began to dip, that piercing cry could easily have become the neighborhood's newest hot topic.

Once aware of her weight gain, Wang Qiqi pondered for ages how to shed the pounds. Dieting? Absolutely not. That was entirely unsuitable for someone who was half a foodie. Though it might lead to quick results and visible loss, the weight would rebound quickly once she resumed normal eating, and it was terrible for the stomach. The thought of developing anorexia—such a self-destructive path—was something Qiqi would never choose. Especially the latter, which would leave her with nowhere to even go and cry in private. That left only exercise.

To this end, Wang Qiqi devised a rigorous fitness plan: wake up at 5:30 AM every day for an hour of slow jogging around the complex (before sunrise, when the temperature was still tolerable; running once the sun was up felt like courting death). In the evenings, at 7 PM, she would power-walk for an hour around the neighborhood, wrapping her midsection in cling film to aggressively target that stubborn lower belly fat. Of course, that wasn't enough. Qiqi, who previously only swept, now scrubbed the floors on her hands and knees daily, thoroughly cleaning every cabinet and box in the house. Furthermore, she abandoned the washing machine, opting to hand-wash all her clothes—and even though she stayed home often, she cycled through quite a few outfits, easily four sets including sleepwear. The process was arduous, but Qiqi noticed the results were quite pronounced; she had already dropped four catties in the first week.

Shi Man sat in the steakhouse, sipping her drink while intently watching the entrance. When she finally spotted the long-absent figure of Wang Qiqi, she waved enthusiastically. “Qiqi, over here!” It was fortunate that the restaurant wasn't packed, or they would have instantly become the center of attention.

Wang Qiqi had initially planned to ask a server where Shi Man was seated, but upon hearing her friend’s call, she quickly walked over. “Han Tao has a tutoring session; it should wrap up around dinnertime.” Stepping into the air-conditioned Western restaurant, Qiqi felt an immediate wave of relief. Although her own home no longer ran the AC constantly—Qiqi had acclimatized to the heavy sweating from her new routine—entering such a comfortable environment inevitably prompted a moment of appreciation.

Shi Man was just about to speak when she noticed Qiqi’s arms, legs, and even her face looked tanned. She was genuinely astonished. Qiqi had always been so paranoid about sunlight; since June began, she carried an umbrella everywhere if the sun was out. It made no sense that in just two weeks without gatherings, she could look this dark. “Did you go do manual labor?” But that didn't fit either; Qiqi had always claimed to be cooped up at home doing housework and translation drafts. How could she get so tanned? Yet, as Shi Man looked closer, she detected a subtle difference.

Wang Qiqi pivoted in front of Shi Man a few times, striking a model’s pose. “Well? Don't I have a healthy glow now?”

A glow? Shi Man scoffed. “Get me a watermelon juice.” She quickly dismissed the nearby server; she couldn't very well keep the staff hovering just to eavesdrop on Qiqi’s teasing. “You’ve lost weight.” Although Shi Man saw Qiqi daily and hadn't noticed the slight gain before, seeing her after half a month apart made the weight loss undeniably clear.

After showing off, Wang Qiqi plopped down into the chair beside her. “I’m on a diet lately…”

A diet? Shi Man froze, nearly spitting out the beverage she was drinking. After struggling to swallow, she managed, “You’re dieting? No way. You’re not telling me you’re doing it through starvation, are you?” Shi Man knew that many girls, upon entering university and grasping concepts of beauty and ugliness, began drastic measures—eating once a day or only fruit—to achieve a slim figure. But Shi Man couldn't imagine Qiqi resorting to such self-deprivation for the sake of her figure. “No, of course not. Did Han Tao dump you?” Otherwise, there was no reason for Qiqi to diet; she had only gained a little, not gained the weight of a monster.

“He wouldn’t dare?” Wang Qiqi retorted fiercely. She then explained why she decided to lose weight and detailed her method. “Don’t worry, my motto is that sacrificing food and water for weight loss isn't my style. If I had to choose between gourmet food and looking like a fat pig, I’d choose the former every time.” You only live once. While maintaining a slender figure was important, Qiqi felt that savoring every delicacy was the ultimate motivation. Watching good food slip away, not because of money constraints, would make her deeply unhappy.

“Choose the former,” Shi Man affirmed confidently.

Having reached the same conclusion simultaneously, the two burst into laughter. Just as they were about to say more, the server brought the watermelon juice. Although Wang Qiqi knew this so-called juice was mostly watered down, she decided to sip it indifferently. While drinking, she habitually scanned the surroundings, assessing the ambiance of the Western restaurant. After all, someone had highly recommended it over the phone, acting as if she would regret it if she didn't visit.

Just as Wang Qiqi was about to look away, she stiffened, staring fixedly at a particular spot. Moreover, she lowered her head while staring, which struck Shi Man as very odd. “Qiqi, what’s wrong?” You look like a thief, skulking around.

Wang Qiqi immediately made a shushing gesture and pointed toward a section. “Look over there, isn’t that Li Cui with some man we don’t know?”

Hearing Qiqi’s peculiar movement and seeing her gesture, Shi Man turned and followed the direction of her gaze. Seeing what Qiqi saw, she gasped. Now she understood Qiqi's stunned expression. Still, she stammered, “I’m not seeing things, am I?” Good heavens, how could such a ridiculous thing be happening, and worse, that they—she and Qiqi—had witnessed it.

Wang Qiqi shook her head and shrugged, keeping her head low. Faced with such an awkward scene, Qiqi truly didn't know how to handle it. She had just earnestly lectured someone that they shouldn't be doing this, that they had a husband and a daughter. What Li Cui or her lover might do in response, Qiqi couldn't predict. Or perhaps she should inform Wang Dagui? Qiqi certainly wouldn’t want to. Besides, if Wang Dagui learned that his niece had seen his wife flirting with another man, he might not lash out at Li Cui, but Qiqi was certain she wouldn't escape unscathed.

“You’re not seeing things. Never mind, maybe they’re colleagues or just friends.” Wang Qiqi quickly composed herself, deciding how to proceed. Besides, who would notice them in this Western restaurant unless they were specifically looking around? And Qiqi was grateful that Shi Man had chosen a spot partially obscured by other furnishings; otherwise, Qiqi would have immediately urged her friend to leave.

Shi Man knew Wang Qiqi’s relationship with Wang Dagui’s family was strained, but this was Qiqi’s aunt. Her current attitude clearly signaled that she didn't want to get involved, nor did she intend to tell Wang Dagui. “Um, um, you don’t want to do anything about it?”

Do something? “How would I do anything? I don’t want to end up covered in muck. Forget it.” At that moment, Wang Qiqi suddenly recalled Li Cui approaching her previously. Back then, both she and Wang Damei assumed Li Cui and Wang Dagui were just causing unnecessary drama and paid it no mind. But the current situation seemed to confirm everything.

After Wang Qiqi recounted what Li Cui had told her that day, Shi Man paused. “Oh, you don’t think so? But perhaps leaving that swamp sooner is better; the Gao family’s situation is deteriorating rapidly.”

Wang Qiqi, whose focus had been entirely on identifying the man in front of Li Cui, was quite surprised by Shi Man’s comment. “I thought the big boss…”

“It’s almost time for the final reckoning. The Gao family has been scrambling for money lately.” Shi Man had actually received this news from Zhu Lina; otherwise, she wouldn’t know the details so clearly. She cautiously glanced around. “Word is, his father lost several million, maybe close to ten million, gambling.”

Lost that much? That made sense. If the losses hadn’t been so catastrophic, given how Gao Kai’s mother had been manipulating the stock market all year, the Gao family shouldn't have sunk to such depths. “So, what his wife earned probably isn't enough to cover what his father lost.”

“Oh, right, what about that new restaurant they planned to start building after the Lunar New Year? Any progress?” Wang Qiqi suddenly remembered something Wang Rui had cried to her about one day. “If the restaurant were running, dealing in cash, things might slowly get better.” But Qiqi doubted that was very likely. She’d heard the other party’s daughter was interested in Gao Kai, but given the Gao family’s current state and Gao Kai’s philandering nature, it was questionable whether his parents would approve of their daughter marrying such a wreck.

The new shop? Shi Man pursed her lips. “New shop? Not unless it’s built in the sky. The renovation money was given to the Gao family’s eldest son to cover his gambling debts; there’s no money left for decor.” Although it was supposed to be a partnership, the Gao family was the major investor. If the partner was footing the bill for the storefront renovations, why bother involving the Gao family at all? That would be like handing them free money. “The other party opened their own shop instead.”

Right. Wang Qiqi understood. “Well, that’s fate, I guess.” She wondered if this was one reason Li Cui was seeking a divorce, but it had nothing to do with her. Still, it was good to know she had a front-row seat to the drama.