Shi Man went to the kitchen for some water and, hearing someone standing at the door, casually asked, "Who is it?"

Wang Qiqi hadn't expected Shi Man to be home; wasn't she supposed to be out on a date today? Had Feng Xuanxiang been dragged back by his supervisor again? She really wondered what promises the man would make the next time they managed a date. Wang Qiqi felt that Feng Xuanxiang was truly an ill-fated soul. While his girlfriend wasn't prone to fits of anger, when she did lose her temper, it was a major event. But hardly a single date for Feng Xuanxiang went by without some unexpected issue, often requiring him to leave mid-way through because a leader or mentor called him away for work. Each time, it left Shi Man extremely annoyed.

Shi Man opened the door without even looking out, "There's food I packed back from my takeout in the kitchen. If we don't finish it today, I'll take it to school tomorrow."

Seeing Shi Man's demeanor, Wang Qiqi understood that she had, in fact, been intercepted mid-date. "Right, is Nana home?"

Hearing Wang Qiqi say this, Shi Man turned around with a puzzled look. She knew that Qiqi rarely asked for Zhu Lina with such solemnity; asking for her usually meant something significant. After all, before bed, they often gathered in the living room for a chat, though the topics varied widely—most often revolving around money. They were all truly caught up in the pursuit of wealth these days. Qiqi saying this must mean something important. As she turned, Shi Man knew exactly what was happening.

What was bound to come had finally arrived. Shi Man pouted slightly. "Nana just got home too." She called out toward the study, "Nana, someone's here for you."

After saying this, Shi Man slipped back inside. "I'm going back to read. French literature is killing me." She'd rather be tortured to death by cryptic texts than face that flattering visage.

After placing the book she was holding in her room, Wang Qiqi went to the kitchen to fetch two bottles of mineral water. When Jiang Xin saw Wang Qiqi actually being this polite, her eyes nearly popped out. "No way, you can't be serious. I've never been treated with such courtesy when I visited before." She noted that even Han Tao could never expect such politeness from Wang Qiqi.

Wang Qiqi rolled her eyes at the other woman. "Every other time I've been here, didn't you walk straight past the living room and into the kitchen, helping yourself to whatever you wanted without a second thought? If I were to treat you politely now, I think we should just pack up and move out for you."

A moment later, Zhu Lina emerged from the study. She had initially thought there was some urgent matter requiring group discussion, but upon hearing a certain voice she disliked echoing from inside the room, she realized the other party had truly made their move. She secured some documents in the safe, placed some trivially disguised papers on top, tidied up slightly, and then walked out of the study.

"Let's see who this rare guest is," Zhu Lina said, worried she might push too far. If the guest started saying things that, under the influence of her man, suggested frequent visits, she might truly gag. "Cao Rui, hello."

Seeing the principal guest arrive, Wang Qiqi immediately stood up. "I need to get back to work; I have some urgent drafts that need to be finished."

Cao Rui watched Wang Qiqi retreat to her room. With only three people left in the living room, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Losing a few unnecessary onlookers made a huge difference to the atmosphere. The involuntary sigh amused Zhu Lina sitting nearby; was she really that terrifying? Although she had changed significantly since high school and was less easygoing, she felt she was quite amiable now. There was no need for him to look so miserable.

Back in her room, Wang Qiqi booted up her computer and began to focus intently on her translation work. Halfway through, she remembered the substantial amount of takeout food in the kitchen. She wondered how much the girl had packed. If it was too much, it would be a waste. But then she considered that perhaps the girl, in retaliation against Feng Xuanxiang for venting her frustration, might very well have done just that. Wang Qiqi quickly sent an email to Han Tao, asking him to come over for food later, also mentioning that someone's boyfriend had tagged along.

Wang Qiqi worried that if Daizi saw Han Tao leaving, she might ask where he was going, potentially leading to their own boyfriend bringing Daizi over—a situation that could result in an actual collision between Mars and Earth.

A moment later, Han Tao replied to the email: Got it.

Seeing Han Tao's confirmation, Wang Qiqi felt confident that he handled matters reliably and wouldn't create any major issues. She didn't bother asking if he intended to bring Daizi along, instead diving back into translating manuscripts to earn money.

When she finished her current task and double-checked that the documents were flawless, she sent the email off. Knowing Wang Qiqi was severely short on cash lately, Li Xiangdong had changed her payment schedule from monthly to settlement every Friday, significantly easing Wang Qiqi's tight finances. (After setting aside living expenses for the following week, Wang Qiqi channeled the rest into the stock market for a period to amplify her earnings. Of course, this relied on the current favorable market conditions; if the market soured, Wang Qiqi didn't know what she would do, as she would never engage in such a potentially loss-making venture.) "Tomorrow’s pay is expected to be quite substantial," Wang Qiqi thought smugly to herself. Having completed her task, she habitually checked the time—it was already 9:30 PM. Why hadn't he shown up yet? Surely he wasn't planning to arrive precisely at the midnight snack hour of eleven?

Wang Qiqi opened her door, just about to shout about ordering midnight snacks, when she noticed the eerie situation in the living room. The people who should have left were still there, and the people she thought hadn't arrived yet were already present. Though there were a few extra people, the silence was absolute; no one was speaking, which made Wang Qiqi profoundly uncomfortable.

Shi Man noticed Wang Qiqi's appearance and shot her a look, silently urging her to quickly defuse the awkward standoff. Wang Qiqi desperately wanted to pretend she hadn't finished her work and retreat to continue laboring, but as soon as she made a slight move, she felt the gazes of Shi Man and Zhu Lina cutting into her like knives. Wang Qiqi knew that if she truly turned around and went back inside, the consequences after everyone left would only be worse. With no other option, Wang Qiqi forced herself to speak, "Han Tao, you're here? Xinxin, do you want a late-night snack before you go?"

Jiang Xin looked to Cao Rui, clearly deferring to his decision. Meanwhile, Daizi leaned limply against the study door, his head bowed even lower. He was clearly in a terrible mood. Anyone, no matter how mentally prepared, would feel uncomfortable seeing the girl they liked leaning so heavily on another man.

Jiang Xin's action struck Shi Man and the others as excessive. They couldn't believe she couldn't sense Daizi’s feelings for her. They noticed Daizi freeze when Han Tao entered, which made them suspect Jiang Xin was fully aware of the situation but was deliberately playing dumb. This realization instantly stoked the simmering anger of Shi Man and the others toward Jiang Xin.

Han Tao nodded. "I got hungry finishing up my work. These others didn't want to come, so we came looking for something to eat. I thought... since Shi Man had a date tonight..." Though Han Tao didn't state it explicitly, everyone understood his implication: since Shi Man was out, there would certainly be food for a late-night snack; only the source or quantity was in question.

Han Tao had actually been quite startled today, delaying his arrival until past nine. He had figured that since the dorm gates closed at ten, they should have left by now, but to his surprise, they were all still present, and Daizi’s mood had significantly worsened. Han Tao regretted his timing.

Jiang Xin was surprised that Daizi had shown up today, especially since this was her first time bringing Cao Rui to Zhu Lina's place. She knew Daizi visited sometimes, but not usually on evenings like this. Wasn't he always holed up at home tinkering with computers? Why was he here today? Jiang Xin suspected Wang Qiqi had notified Han Tao, but then she recalled the look of genuine surprise on their faces upon entering—could it truly have been a chance encounter?

Cao Rui hadn't given the two men who entered much thought: one was Daizi, the computer geek who never bothered with his appearance, and the other was likely Wang Qiqi's broke boyfriend. However, he hadn't anticipated the abrupt shift in everyone’s expressions the moment they walked in. He had intended to suggest staying for a late-night snack, but in the current atmosphere, he felt too awkward to ask. Moreover, Wang Qiqi had mentioned it was already 9:30 PM. If he suggested staying for food, he would miss the dorm curfew. Where would he stay tonight? While taking Jiang Xin to a hotel was an appealing option, would Jiang Xin agree? And what would Zhu Lina think of him? This couldn't be mentioned in front of Zhu Lina under any circumstances. "It’s getting late; we need to head back."

Before leaving, Cao Rui thanked Zhu Lina repeatedly. Jiang Xin glanced at Daizi before following Cao Rui out of the Zhu residence.

Five or six minutes passed, and Shi Man was just about to complain about something when she saw Zhu Lina signal her to hold her temper, as Daizi was still there. Daizi remained motionless, leaning against the study door, which frightened them all.

Han Tao gently led Daizi to sit on the sofa and simply stared at him. Daizi sat there blankly, without reaction, like a person devoid of thought. Zhu Lina observed Daizi’s state and sensed things were not going well. She looked up at Han Tao and asked, "Should we call Gong Junyu and the others over?" If he suddenly went berserk, there was only one man in the house capable of handling the situation, and they couldn't risk accidental injury.

Han Tao also felt Daizi's condition looked worrying. After thinking for a moment, he said, "I'll call them over; they can eat the late-night snack then, saving me the trouble of taking it back later." He had peeked into the kitchen earlier; Shi Man had packed a lot of leftovers. It seemed like this was another instance where, just as dinner was ordered, someone had been pulled away. He wondered if this food was a kind of compensation from that person.