Cao Rui was exceptionally thoughtful and attentive at the dinner table, treating Wang Qiqi with great courtesy as well. If not for the subtle hints of awkwardness revealed yesterday and just now, he truly would have played the part perfectly.

Everyone at the meal seemed to enjoy themselves (whether they truly felt that way was another matter), but Cao Rui was the happiest. Although he was busy taking care of everyone, he felt his efforts yielded significant rewards, especially with the multiple compliments from Juliana.

Juliana was initially startled when she saw Cao Rui busily serving food (thankfully, they were using serving utensils, otherwise, Juliana wouldn't know whether to eat it or not). She realized that among the men she knew, even those she dined with frequently, serving food like that was unheard of, unless it was in a joking manner meant to playfully silence someone. Especially when relationships weren't close, Juliana felt a strong aversion to it. As he reached to serve her again, she interjected, "Cao Rui, we can serve ourselves, and we've nearly finished eating."

Shi Man and Wang Qiqi both worried he would serve more food and shook their heads, thinking, It’s just a meal; is it necessary to be so assiduously attentive? Doesn't he worry that acting this way will cause us to look down on him?

After lunch, everyone had their own plans. Wang Qiqi had classes that afternoon, Shi Man was going to audit a lecture in the French department, and Juliana was heading to her internship. Jiang Xin did not go to class with Wang Qiqi; instead, she left with Cao Rui.

After Wang Qiqi, the other two, and Jiang Xin separated, the remaining group strolled slowly to aid digestion. "He was certainly polite," Wang Qiqi commented bluntly, "but I honestly felt he was a bit like a eunuch."

Juliana hummed in agreement. "It was excessively mercenary, truly without any moral bottom line. I can’t fathom how Jiang Xin ended up with such a character." As a man, even if you are trying to flatter someone, you shouldn't stoop to the level of a mere attendant; doing so places Jiang Xin in a specific position, yet the man himself seems oblivious, even thinking his girlfriend is gentle and caring.

Shi Man strongly concurred. "If Feng Xuanxiang did that—if he even served Qiqi or you food—I couldn’t stand it either." That's just too servile.

"We're not close," Wang Qiqi finally asked them for their opinions on Cao Rui.

"Two points," Juliana scored him. "And those two points are purely out of respect for Jiang Xin."

"I'll give him three," Shi Man said. She had initially considered giving Cao Rui a five, but seeing Juliana’s low score, she felt awkward giving a higher one. "That extra point is for his thorough service."

Wang Qiqi almost asked why Shi Man gave him such a high score, as Shi Man had been quiet for most of the meal, only occasionally glancing at the man as if scrutinizing him. It couldn't be that she held much affection for him. However, Shi Man’s next remark made both Wang Qiqi and Juliana burst out laughing. "You’re quite something. If that man knew our assessment, I wonder if he’d cry himself to death."

"That's not our concern," Shi Man replied testily. "Anyway, we won't have many chances to see him again."

Wang Qiqi didn't believe someone so thick-skinned would retreat so easily. "He might just use this opportunity to push forward. Won't he try to persuade Jiang Xin? And if Jiang Xin brings him over, you won't let him in, will you?"

Shi Man’s face drooped upon hearing this. "Great, looks like we won't have any peace."

Wang Qiqi and the others grew vigilant about this possibility. They hadn't restocked their pantry for a long time, partly to avoid having Cao Rui visit. If he showed up and saw all their provisions, it would feel impolite not to invite him for a meal. However, after waiting a long time, even by the end of October, he showed no inclination to visit. If they ran into each other on campus, they would exchange greetings and a few words. If they met in the cafeteria, they would eat together, though this happened infrequently. Otherwise, as Wang Qiqi often noted, they’d eventually eat themselves into stomach ailments.

Bai Ge and the others found it strange that they often encountered Wang Qiqi’s group in the cafeteria recently, sometimes even seeing Wang Qiqi at dinner. "Qiqi, don't you all cook for yourselves?" They knew Qiqi’s cooking was excellent; the occasional meat dishes she brought were absolutely superb. Why had Wang Qiqi suddenly stopped cooking?

Wang Qiqi thought to herself that she couldn't very well tell them she was avoiding that person. Besides, she had taken out several loans recently for her mortgage and was constantly busy. So, aside from simmering things like red dates and white fungus, the kitchen at home hadn't seen any heavy stir-frying in ages. The upside was that their kitchen was impeccably clean, and Wang Qiqi and Shi Man had an easier time. "I’ve been swamped with jobs lately, Nana often works overtime, and Manman has occasional extra classes, so I’m too lazy to cook alone."

Bai Ge and the others nodded, thinking it made sense. Indeed, while the three of them were often seen going in and out together during the first semester of freshman year, now it was rare to see all three together. Seeing two at once was good enough. Some classmates were even whispering that Wang Qiqi must have fallen out with her wealthy friend, wondering why the trio hadn't been seen together for so long.

As Wang Qiqi was leaving, she packed up some food for her evening meal. Although they had frozen items at home, they occasionally craved a change of flavor, especially Juliana, who felt that if she hadn't eaten rice for dinner, she absolutely had to have it later. Even if Juliana sometimes ate at her internship unit before coming back, Wang Qiqi habitually saved a portion for her. Even if Nana didn't eat it, she could turn it into xian paofan (savory porridge) for a late-night snack.

Carrying the food, Wang Qiqi reached the school gate and ran into Jiang Xin and Cao Rui. Assuming they were the couple taking an evening stroll, she offered a greeting and prepared to head home alone, needing to finish a few more orders due on the next morning. Previously, Wang Qiqi hated rushing these urgent jobs, but now she actually welcomed them. The pressure was considerable, but simultaneously, Wang Qiqi realized her English proficiency had improved significantly—a rather unexpected bonus.

Jiang Xin watched Wang Qiqi, who had offered a quick greeting and was already trying to leave. She knew Qiqi had been incredibly busy lately. Since taking out a mortgage, Qiqi had become frantic. Once, after meeting Shi Man, she learned that Qiqi had sold a house back in her hometown to buy the new one, putting her under immense financial strain. Given this situation, Jiang Xin felt it would be wrong to bother Wang Qiqi while she was trying to earn money.

Cao Rui waited for Jiang Xin to speak for a long time, growing impatient. He had mentioned several times before wanting to visit Juliana at her place, but she always made excuses. If he hadn't been so good at concealing his true intentions, Cao Rui would have been alarmed by Jiang Xin’s reluctance. But today, he had finally managed to persuade Jiang Xin to come under the pretext of seeking advice. Even fate seemed to be on his side—running into Wang Qiqi right at the school gate was a perfect opportunity—yet now Jiang Xin was faltering.

Helpless, Cao Rui stepped in himself. "Well, I heard Juliana is interning now, and I was hoping to discuss something with her." Cao Rui thought this was the most natural excuse. He had prepared extensively for this discussion; he intended to demonstrate his capabilities to Juliana. If she was satisfied and offered him an internship, Cao Rui knew his future career would be secure. Even if he couldn't stay at Juliana's family company, having practical experience would certainly make job hunting easier.

In truth, graduates from C University rarely worried about finding jobs; it wasn't a time when university graduates were completely saturating the market. The issue was merely the quality of the job. Ambitious Cao Rui naturally wasn't interested in a mediocre position. Entering a foreign company was fine, but the chance to become a wealthy son-in-law to a major boss was far superior to working for foreigners. Moreover, Cao Rui believed that if he could charm the relatively inexperienced Juliana, entering the Zhu family wouldn't be difficult, especially if he proved his competence.

Discussing with Juliana? Wang Qiqi gave the expectant Cao Rui an abstract glance. She sighed inwardly; what was bound to happen eventually was happening. Here he was, making his move. "I don't know if Nana is back yet." Although she found it odd that Jiang Xin remained silent, she didn't stop him either and looked at Wang Qiqi expectantly. What choice did Wang Qiqi have? Besides, they wanted to discuss a matter with Juliana; on what grounds could she refuse? Such petty people shouldn't be offended.

Cao Rui knew Wang Qiqi would never object. After all, she was also someone clinging to Juliana’s influential status. Why shouldn't he be allowed to cling to that same influence? "Thank you, then," he said, the 'thank you' completely devoid of sincerity, merely uttered out of habit.

Jiang Xin, standing nearby, heard Cao Rui’s insincere gratitude and felt unsure how to address it with Qiqi. She had often heard Cao Rui speak about Wang Qiqi recently. She knew Cao Rui perceived Wang Qiqi as an orphan whose family situation might not be ideal, advising Jiang Xin to limit her interactions with Qiqi and instead focus on building good relationships with Shi Man and Juliana. This made Jiang Xin feel her boyfriend was perhaps too pragmatic. Where did this put Qiqi in his eyes? However, Jiang Xin couldn't bring herself to break up with Cao Rui over this minor issue because, most of the time, he was genuinely good to her. Therefore, Jiang Xin felt that if she could maintain her former friendship with Qiqi, everything would be fine. Moreover, building a good rapport with Juliana relied entirely on going through Qiqi first, didn't it? Look—even when they met now, they were quite polite.

Wang Qiqi knew Cao Rui's thanks held no sincerity and paid it no mind. She smiled and led Cao Rui and Jiang Xin toward home. Since Cao Rui held himself in such high regard, she figured she'd let him taste a bit of hardship. Did he really think Nana was easy to deal with? Did he think mere competence was enough? If she hadn't had some personal ability, a small family inheritance, and helped them profit from stock trading, it was questionable how long her relationship with Juliana could have lasted. Did he truly believe that a handsome, capable, attentive man could make Juliana fall for him?

Wang Qiqi glanced sideways at the smug man, thinking, I hope Juliana doesn't get worked to death. Since Juliana started interning at the family business, she had become much colder than before, and her heart had hardened significantly. If Cao Rui had met Juliana back in high school, perhaps he would have had a chance. What a pity.