Wang Qiqi woke up to find Han Tao lying right beside her, holding her as they slept. Wang Qiqi rolled over, lightly tapped his nose, and traced the lines of his face with her fingers, trying to etch his features deeply into her memory. Ah, having to separate for a month put her in a terrible mood, but she couldn't tell Han Tao; after all, he couldn't stay home for the Lunar New Year, which must feel even more frustrating for him than it did for her.

Han Tao had actually woken up the moment Wang Qiqi stirred, but he held onto her, reluctant to move. He knew the next time he could embrace her would be near the end of February. "Qiqi, I miss you so much. What am I supposed to do?" Han Tao reached out, grasping Wang Qiqi's hand, then swiftly flipped them over, pinning her beneath him. He began kissing her face, the kisses slowly trailing downward. Wang Qiqi was so excited she nearly cried out, but she dared not; if Shi Man and Zhu Lina heard, how could she ever live it down?

Wang Qiqi looked at the man resting on her chest, gazing at the ceiling, one thought consuming her mind: Are all men such great actors? The moment they pull up their pants, they become completely refined. She glanced at the time; it must be getting late. She gently pushed Han Tao, who was still lying on her chest. "Get up, get up. We need to go eat."

Han Tao knew it was late, but his lower body felt incredibly uncomfortable. He held Wang Qiqi tightly. "Sigh, the thought of not being able to hold you for over a month makes me miserable."

Wang Qiqi stroked Han Tao’s back. They stayed wrapped in each other’s arms in comfortable silence until they heard Shi Man’s voice drift in from the living room. "It’s almost five, why isn't Qiqi up yet?" Worried she might walk in on some scene strictly forbidden for minors, Shi Man hesitated to push the door open, choosing instead to speak from the living room. Especially since the two of them had been sleeping until now; if nothing had happened, Shi Man wouldn't have believed it.

Hearing Shi Man’s comment from inside, Wang Qiqi’s face flushed scarlet. She swiftly pushed Han Tao away and scrambled to get dressed. Han Tao hadn't expected his girlfriend to be so rough. Of course, Qiqi hadn't struck him that hard, but Han Tao hadn't been prepared, and on top of that, he’d bumped into the corner of a trunk.

Wang Qiqi hadn't anticipated such terrible timing. Without even finishing dressing, she demanded, "How is it? How is it?" That crash from before hadn't been light, and it had completely terrified Wang Qiqi.

Shi Man in the living room was also startled, patting her chest repeatedly. She muttered to herself, They seem like such refined people, how could they be playing so fiercely, making such a racket? Good heavens, even though they have to part for a month, there’s no need to be that enthusiastic.

Shi Man thought for a moment, realizing they were young after all; they should pace themselves. Didn't the medical books say that doing that too much isn't good? With that thought, Shi Man called out, "Qiqi, Han Tao, even though you’ll be separated for a month, be mindful. Take care of your bodies." Shi Man burst into laughter after speaking, feeling terribly smug; she finally had an opportunity to tease Wang Qiqi mercilessly.

Wang Qiqi, hearing someone speak with such faux concern, felt a surge of anger. She hadn't done anything wrong, yet her words implied she had been raising unholy hell. And telling her to pace herself! But Wang Qiqi knew she had no real way to argue back, as the noise had genuinely been quite loud. Should she claim Han Tao had poor sleeping posture and knocked into the wardrobe? Or maybe she’d pushed him away, and he accidentally hit the cabinet? Either way, neither excuse sounded particularly good.

Han Tao looked at Wang Qiqi’s flushed face; she truly resembled a ripe red apple, tempting him to take a bite. But alas, Han Tao knew if he dared to actually kiss her then, he would certainly face a far worse fate. "Let’s get up. If we don’t, Shi Man will surely start imagining what else we might be up to."

Wang Qiqi immediately realized he was right. She was being foolish. If they didn’t get out soon, she’d feel completely melted by those knowing looks. So, the two rushed to put on their clothes and bolted out of the room, greeted by two pairs of eyes that clearly communicated: We know what mischief you were up to in there.

If Wang Qiqi had been riddled with worry inside the room, stepping out meant she had no intention of holding back. She shot a flirtatious glance at Shi Man. "You’re leaving tomorrow too, right? Are you planning to spend tonight at your man's place?" Take that! It wasn't as if she didn't know who occasionally didn't come home for a night or two after New Year's Day. Truly, did she think they were unaware? It was just that they were too intimidated by someone’s perpetually icy demeanor to mention it.

Shi Man heard Wang Qiqi’s retort and thought, Well, now I can't say anything more. She also had leverage over Wang Qiqi. However, Shi Man had no idea about her own rendezvous with Feng Xuanxiang scheduled for that evening.

Seeing the conflicted look on Shi Man’s face, Wang Qiqi knew she was wondering who had leaked information. "Hmph, didn't you notice that starting this morning, you’ve had that look of being in full spring? Even a blind person could tell you have plans today—specifically, plans involving illicit activity." Wang Qiqi then added, with mock concern, "Remember to bring your tools, and try to be moderate. I heard your man has been working overtime lately; don't drain him completely, or things won't be as fun later. You need to conserve your resources."

After saying this, Wang Qiqi turned and headed to the bathroom to wash her face. Shi Man was so incensed by Wang Qiqi’s words that she almost couldn't speak. She pointed at Wang Qiqi and complained to Zhu Lina, "Nana, look at Qiqi!" How outrageous, truly too much.

Why did Zhu Lina have to jump into this conversation at this moment? Zhu Lina knew Wang Qiqi wasn't someone you could easily provoke. "You started it by teasing Man Man first. Don't you think some of those words sound awfully familiar?"

Shi Man certainly recognized that Wang Qiqi was throwing back the very words she had just used on her. Could this be instant karma? Shi Man immediately felt deflated. People say revenge is best served cold, but this person served it ice cold, immediately.

Zhu Lina watched Shi Man sulk with amusement. She certainly wasn't going to comfort her friend; someone else would console her later. "Is your man coming?"

Shi Man shook her head. "No, there will be plenty of chances for gatherings later." If it weren't for Jiang Xin and her man causing trouble, Shi Man wouldn't mind bringing her own boyfriend along. But the problem now was that with them around, conversations wouldn't be as convenient.

Zhu Lina gave an "Oh," and continued, "Gong Junyu and the others also said they have prior commitments and won't attend the gathering." Gong Junyu and his group understood that in this so-called gathering, they were far from the main attraction. Since that was the case, there was no need to sit through a meal that would only give that person an ulcer.

Shi Man sighed, "I wouldn't go either if I wasn't hoping to watch the fireworks." She’d rather spend that time having dinner with her sweetheart and watching a decent movie. But now plans had changed. "Right, have you arranged a car to take Han Tao?"

Zhu Lina nodded, then pointed at Shi Man's outfit. "It's almost time. Aren't you going to change into your battle dress?" Zhu Lina recalled that Shi Man had excitedly picked out an outfit at noon, intending to thoroughly embarrass the 'slowpoke,' but now she seemed hesitant.

Shi Man looked down at what she was wearing. "This is fine. No need to change; we all know each other. There's no need to dress like we're entertaining guests."

Although Shi Man acted calm, claiming familiarity, Zhu Lina understood that this was because the 'slowpoke' had hidden so many facts, making Shi Man feel deceived. Zhu Lina couldn't hide the slight tremor in her shoulders as she looked down, though Shi Man noticed it nonetheless.

Shi Man snapped, annoyed, "Fine, I admit I’m angry. But shouldn't I be angry? We’re supposed to be best friends!" So Gong Junyu and the others all knew that the 'slowpoke' had been pursuing that girl for so long, yet not a single one had told her? And when she’d asked the 'slowpoke' before New Year's, he’d said no! That was too much. Shi Man got angrier the more she thought about it. She almost slammed the coffee table, but then remembered it was wood and only her hand would hurt. She ended up beating the sofa instead. While the intensity of her anger was the same, the lack of a resounding impact sound weakened the display of fury considerably.

Zhu Lina watched Shi Man, who still hadn't calmed down. "Actually, I only found out when you guys told me. We've known the 'slowpoke' for the same amount of time. Besides, he's closest to you, right? Maybe the 'slowpoke' wanted to tell you only after things had settled, so you wouldn't worry."

Shi Man unceremoniously rolled her eyes at Zhu Lina's attempt to comfort her. "Is my relationship with the 'slowpoke' comparable to yours with him?" That was entirely different territory. Just then, Wang Qiqi emerged from the washroom after rinsing her mouth.

Seeing Wang Qiqi, Shi Man suddenly remembered something and waved her over.

Wang Qiqi, suspecting nothing, went inside to grab a coat and walked into the living room. "What is it?"

"You knew about the 'slowpoke's' situation earlier, right? About him pursuing that girl?" Shi Man looked directly into Wang Qiqi's eyes and asked.

"No," Wang Qiqi replied calmly. Are you kidding me? Wang Qiqi hadn't been deaf in the bathroom to hear the sounds of someone having a fit. Moreover, after Han Tao had hinted at Shi Man's situation last time, Wang Qiqi had spent a long time psychologically preparing herself. Thus, she was fully ready for Shi Man's sudden outburst. Coupled with the surprise visit she'd paid Han Meina recently, Wang Qiqi had put Han Tao through rigorous training to ensure she could answer any difficult question immediately.

Shi Man wasn't entirely satisfied with Wang Qiqi’s answer, but the problem was that her reply had been delivered without the slightest hesitation. "You really didn't know? Your man didn't tell you."

Wang Qiqi shrugged. "Han Tao and I are busy often; we don't always have time to be tucked away on dates. When we finally get a little time to date, why would we talk about other people's business? Besides, I figured if the 'slowpoke' got a girlfriend, he would tell us eventually. Why should I ask?"

Shi Man stared at Wang Qiqi for a long moment, unable to find a single flaw in her story. She could only grumble, "Your man actually failed to tell you something so important. Either it’s as you say, or the men conspired among themselves."

Wang Qiqi nodded along continuously in agreement with Shi Man’s theory. She certainly wasn't foolish enough to boast to Zhu Lina about successfully deceiving the girl.

Medical Mastery Over the Land Author: Ye Ruyan, One-Sentence Synopsis: What you want, you must fight for! And of course... your revenge must be exacted by yourself! ... (To be continued)