Wang Qiqi and Han Tao quickly grabbed a bite and left in a hurry. There wasn't much entertainment left at the dinner party anyway. As for the situation with the ditzy girlfriend, Wang Qiqi knew she wouldn't find out anything tonight. It was unlikely that Shi Man would get a clearer picture of the ditzy girlfriend tonight either. It was better to leave early to have more time to discuss feelings with her boyfriend.

Shi Man watched Wang Qiqi and the others retreat with envy. She really wanted to say she should go see Han Tao off too, but before she could even open her mouth, Wang Qiqi shot her a look that [suppressed] her. Wang Qiqi thought to herself, Are you kidding me? Why would I bring along extra baggage when seeing my boyfriend off? Besides, why should I take her with me? The moment she leaves the restaurant, she’ll go looking for her own man. Wang Qiqi remembered what someone had said at home this afternoon, so she was determined to get her revenge and teach that person a lesson.

Seeing Wang Qiqi leave without any regard for friendship made Shi Man feel utterly wronged. Why was it that even though she also wanted to see her own boyfriend, she couldn't even say so? Truly different fates. "Xinxin, what time is your train tomorrow?" Shi Man suddenly remembered that Jiang Xin always took the early morning train when returning home. Hmm, this was something she could definitely utilize.

Jiang Xin's answer dashed Shi Man's hopes of leaving early. She shook her head. "Tickets were too hard to get; I managed to snag one for the evening after tomorrow." In fact, Jiang Xin had deliberately booked that specific train so she could spend a few more days with her boyfriend. For a couple deeply in love, even one extra day together was happiness.

Shi Man let out an "Oh," sighing. Even the last possible avenue for maneuvering was now closed. Moreover, with Wang Qiqi gone, she couldn't just abandon Zhu Lina and leave. As for the lovebirds huddled together exchanging sweet nothings, there was no hope there. If she wasn't careful for a moment, the ditzy girl would be lost in sweet talk with her boyfriend. Alas, boys grow up and leave; the ones you try to keep often end up causing resentment.

Shi Man looked at the couple next to her who kept provoking her, then at Cao Rui and Zhu Lina discussing financial management materials. Shi Man deeply admired them; they had just finished exams and still had the energy to talk about such things. "Alright, alright, we just finished our exams today. Don't keep bringing this up; it makes me feel like we have more exams." Shi Man thought that if she let these two buddies keep chatting, when would it end? She noticed Cao Rui inching closer and closer to Zhu Lina as they talked. She truly didn't understand how Jiang Xin could be a girlfriend, not keeping a close watch on her own girl. If it were Shi Man, she absolutely wouldn't just stare at the object of her secret crush; she'd be keeping a tight leash on her boyfriend.

Not long after Wang Qiqi and Han Tao collected their luggage, the driver was already waiting downstairs. The two didn't speak during the ride, just leaning close to each other, holding hands. Although Wang Qiqi wished time could slow down, that the road to the airport could be longer, every journey, no matter how long, eventually reaches its destination. When the car stopped at the entrance, the driver let Wang Qiqi and Han Tao out. "I'll wait for you at the usual spot." After saying this, the driver quickly hurried off to the parking lot. He had work tomorrow and needed to rest during this opportunity; earning extra cash wasn't easy.

After Wang Qiqi entered the departure lounge and checked in her luggage with Han Tao, they found a spot and immediately began reminding Han Tao about everything once he got to America. "Remember to eat on time. Even if you can't eat punctually, make sure to keep bread, biscuits, or similar things ready where you work." Wang Qiqi had a decent gauge of Han Tao's self-care abilities; she knew that once he got busy, he wouldn't pay attention to food until the work was done or his stomach started aching.

"I know, I know." What else could Han Tao do at that moment but nod in agreement?

Wang Qiqi could tell from Han Tao's response that he wasn't sincere at all. She rolled her eyes at him. "You're just humoring me, aren't you? If I find out you've lost weight when I get back, just wait." Wang Qiqi thought that even calling wouldn't keep tabs on Han Tao; she could only threaten him with his weight.

Han Tao hadn't expected Wang Qiqi to resort to this tactic. She knows my weight? He figured Wang Qiqi couldn't possibly know his exact weight, and there probably wasn't a scale near the airport anyway.

"You think I wouldn't know your weight?" Wang Qiqi tapped Han Tao's forehead. What a silly person, thinking he could hide his weight loss just because there was no scale nearby? Truly foolish. "Also, pay attention to the temperature difference when you get there, and watch your entrances and exits. Don't run around everywhere; be careful." Wang Qiqi kept nagging Han Tao. After all, this wasn't a vacation; she felt uneasy about a country where guns were prevalent. What if someone got lost and asked for directions at a stranger's house, and the resident mistook him for an intruder?

Han Tao watched Wang Qiqi's mouth moving non-stop, so he pulled her close and kissed her. "Don't worry; I'll take good care of myself. I'm not a child."

Wang Qiqi was stunned that Han Tao would do something like that, right there in public! Not that it was strictly forbidden, but Wang Qiqi was completely unprepared. Her face instantly flushed red, and she could only bury herself in Han Tao's embrace without making a sound. "Don't worry, I will take good care of Auntie. We will spend New Year's Eve together."

Han Tao hummed in agreement. Since his father passed away, he had always spent the Lunar New Year with his mother, and this year, his mother would be alone for the holiday. "Buy plenty of New Year's goods, take care of yourself during the festival, and don't let the people who upset you make you unhappy."

Wang Qiqi hummed back. "I know. If I'm happy, I'll say hello; if I'm unhappy, I won't even bother." Actually, in the letter Song Yao sent Wang Qiqi recently, she mentioned that Wang Rui seemed to have suddenly gotten serious about studying, and that Wang Dagui often went to Wang Damei's house to cry about being poor. Wang Qiqi knew that the upcoming Lunar New Year at home was going to be tumultuous. Wang Qiqi had initially thought Gao Kai and Wang Rui would have broken up, as Gao Kai probably wasn't the ideal husband candidate in Wang Rui's eyes anymore. But the issue was whether Wang Rui didn't want to break up or Gao Kai didn't. In any case, according to Song Yao, Wang Dagui would occasionally take his daughter over to mooch meals on the weekend, and he even brought Gao Kai along, which Wang Qiqi found quite unbelievable.

"If you're truly unhappy, come to the capital sooner," Han Tao finally advised Wang Qiqi. Although she always appeared aloof, she did have some thoughts about the actions of Wang Dagui and the others, often keeping them bottled up inside.

After seeing Han Tao off, Wang Qiqi boarded the return car listlessly. She didn't speak to the driver the whole way, just gazing out the window at the scenery. This made the driver very uncomfortable. It was understandable that she was quiet on the way there—it was a couple separating, so some sadness was natural. But why was she still like this on the way back? The driver, who had driven Wang Qiqi and her companions several times, finally broke the silence by telling a few jokes, hoping to cheer Wang Qiqi up and get her to talk a little.

The driver's jokes were quite funny, but Wang Qiqi genuinely wasn't in the mood to laugh. However, she reconsidered; if she kept spacing out, the driver might get bored and something untoward might happen. Didn't that Taiwanese celebrity have an accident when everyone but the driver was asleep? Wang Qiqi managed to divert some of her attention to chat with the driver. Whether it was accepting the fact that Han Tao was gone or simply because the driver was very chatty, Wang Qiqi's mood gradually lifted.

After getting out of the car, Wang Qiqi thanked the driver repeatedly. She understood that without the driver's efforts, she might not have recovered so quickly.

The driver chuckled. "It's nothing. That young man is quite good; he won't abandon you."

Wang Qiqi froze. She hadn't expected the driver to comfort her like this. "Abandon me?" Was she misunderstanding, or was the uncle overthinking things?

The driver looked puzzled. "Isn't he going to study in America for a few years?" The uncle had heard the young man say in the car that he would take good care of himself in America. If he wasn't studying, was he going to work hard? The uncle didn't believe that these young people who could afford to travel to France would go there to do hard labor for money.

Wang Qiqi waved her hand. "He is going to America, that's true, but he'll be back after the winter break." It seemed the uncle had misunderstood. "He's going to America for advanced studies and will return when the semester starts."

Hearing that he was coming back, the uncle merely said, "Oh, alright then. Young lady, don't be too sad. The young man is working hard for both of your futures." After saying that, the uncle drove away. It was getting late, and besides, the couple was clearly deeply in love; they didn't need his mediation.

Wang Qiqi stood in the snow for a while. Once the car's taillights disappeared from view, she slowly turned and headed upstairs. Before she even fully entered the door, she heard lively laughter. "I'm back."

Wang Qiqi changed her shoes and walked into the apartment, only to find the ditzy girl's girlfriend, Lu Qiaowei, was also there. Wang Qiqi found this strange. It was almost ten o'clock; why hadn't the ditzy girl taken her girlfriend home? She was supposed to be a university student, right? Even if it was the winter break, many students had already gone home, but dorms often had curfews.

Lu Qiaowei stood up awkwardly, preparing to greet Wang Qiqi when she saw her return. But the ditzy girl pulled her back. "Qiqi, tonight my girlfriend will sleep in Manman's room. Manman and I agreed." Actually, having Lu Qiaowei sleep in Wang Qiqi's room would have been best, but considering Wang Qiqi's temperament, plus there were certain things in her room that couldn't be seen, and Shi Man wasn't staying home tonight anyway, the ditzy girl had arranged it with Shi Man.

Wang Qiqi hadn't expected Shi Man to agree to let the ditzy girl's girlfriend stay in her room. Shi Man was known to be somewhat of a neat freak. It would be fine if it were a close acquaintance, but Lu Qiaowei was someone she was meeting for the first time today! Moreover, Shi Man had gritted her teeth and vowed to get revenge on the ditzy girl. But since the other person had agreed, why should she object?

【Romance in the Red Chamber】 Author: Ye Yu Jing He Synopsis: A cannon fodder family in Dream of the Red Chamber makes a strong comeback with their child. This fanfic by Xiao He is quite good, and it's already finished. You can go check it out. (To be continued)

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