Song Yao and Wang Qiqi walked ahead, followed by the butcher shop assistant pushing a cart toward the parking lot. When Song Yao opened the trunk, Wang Qiqi finally understood why Song Yao hadn't worried about dirtying the car—she had been prepared all along. There was a large turnover box already in the trunk. After Song Yao directed the assistant to sort and place the items inside, she thanked him again, then pulled Wang Qiqi into the car. "What, stunned?" Honest Wang Qiqi and Song Ziwen were indeed cousins; they both looked quite surprised by her current demeanor.

Wang Qiqi nodded. "Yeah, older sister, your haggling skills now are incredible, definitely surpassing Auntie's." Back when Wang Qiqi thought her Aunt Wang Damei was good at bargaining, seeing Song Yao negotiate made her aunt's skills seem like child's play. "But cousin, considering your current net worth and daily income, doesn't this feel a bit beneath you?"

Beneath her? Song Yao laughed. "Beneath what? They set the initial price specifically for us to haggle down. Weren't you quite good at bargaining yourself back then?" Song Yao remembered the intensity Wang Qiqi displayed when buying things. In Song Yao's eyes, Wang Qiqi was the one she should have been chasing. "At the time, I thought, 'How can someone so wealthy be so stingy?' I never imagined I'd end up like this."

Hearing Song Yao say that, Wang Qiqi recalled the time she first tried to build a good relationship with the Song siblings. That was when she first tried haggling in this life. However, after things took off in the stock market, coupled with her freelance income, Wang Qiqi hadn't truly haggled in a long time. She would just tentatively ask if the price could be lowered, and if the seller insisted it couldn't, she would drop it. Now, she realized she had gotten a bit carried away, feeling that with a little money, these small amounts didn't matter. That was a bad habit. "I haven't truly haggled in ages. Let's haggle together when we buy fruit later, sister."

When they bought fruit next, Wang Qiqi thought she performed adequately, but against Song Yao's formidable verbal dexterity, it was hardly impressive. Wang Qiqi's haggling efforts paled in comparison to just a few sharp remarks from Song Yao. Wang Qiqi sighed. "Alas, my skill has severely degraded. Back in the day..."

Song Yao let out a hearty, unrestrained laugh. "That's because you're rich now. But if you saw Wang Rui, you'd be equally shocked. She's changed so much; she's become incredibly petty and calculating. The last time I bought a new dress, she immediately asked how much that brand cost, saying she loved it, staring at it intently." Song Yao recalled the look in Wang Rui’s eyes and felt thoroughly disgusted. While the old Wang Rui had her little schemes, she had never been this truly aggravating. "Does she expect me to give her my clothes just because she says she likes them?" Hmph. They weren't her parents; why should she give them away? Besides, this kind of person doesn't know when to stop being polite. If you indulge her once, there will be a second time. Should she just hand over any dress she owns that Wang Rui fancies from now on?

Wang Qiqi froze, shocked that Wang Rui had become this way. Good heavens, her nerve was getting thicker. But perhaps it was understandable; she found a boyfriend who turned out to be a fake rich man, and Li Cui, the one who genuinely looked out for her, had divorced. What schemes could a girl like her possibly pull off now? "Is she still with Gao Kai?"

Song Yao truly didn't know. She was busy enough earning money to raise her son, let alone deal with someone who constantly dropped by to freeload. How could she be pleasant to her? "I don't know. But I heard she's been diligently attending classes lately and even asked when Han Tao is coming back, saying she wants her future brother-in-law to tutor her." Saying this, Song Yao suddenly looked very serious at Wang Qiqi. "If it were before, if Wang Rui snatched Han Tao, so be it. There are plenty of good men out there. But now that Han Tao is doing well, I suspect that damned girl Wang Rui has set her sights on him."

When Song Yao first heard Wang Rui inquiring about Han Tao, she thought she was just curious about her future brother-in-law's prospects—so she could find an even better man to surpass Han Tao. Everyone in the family knew Wang Rui’s nature: she couldn't stand seeing her cousins surpass her in any way. Before, her benchmark was Wang Qiqi. As for Song Yao, it wasn't that Song Yao was diminishing her own standing, but Wang Rui never truly saw her as a threat, especially considering Gong Peixing's situation back then, while Wang Rui had Gao Kai. At that time, Wang Rui was at her most arrogant, believing she would be the most successful and wealthiest of all the siblings. But who knew that Song Yao and Gong Peixing would eventually own multiple properties? And Wang Rui, thinking Wang Qiqi found a poor boyfriend, slowly started to lose her luster. This winter break, she was going to intern in America, while her boyfriend Gao Kai was gradually fading, becoming just an ordinary person, possessing none of the advantages Gong Peixing or Han Tao had. Given Wang Rui's personality, it wouldn't be surprising at all if she tried to steal Wang Qiqi's boyfriend, Han Tao.

Wang Qiqi hummed in agreement. "I know. That girl investigates any boyfriend of mine whose situation seems better than hers, and she’ll try to steal him." Especially now, when she didn't possess immense wealth, she'd be even more inclined to snatch a rich and powerful boyfriend. She seemed to forget that once a man accumulates wealth and power, how many would still look at Wang Rui? Frankly, her reputation had already spread considerably in this city. Unless the boyfriend she targeted was from out of town, she still needed to learn a lot of things—like controlling herself when it came to saying one thing to someone's face and another behind their back. People in higher circles were rarely pushovers, especially for a woman like her who relied entirely on men without any background to get ahead; such a woman would never be taken seriously by them. "If she tries to steal Han Tao, does Han Tao's mother not know her reputation? Han Tao doesn't treat her well, and besides, Han Tao won't be coming back frequently in the future."

Song Yao conceded that point. If Han Tao did well in America this time, he would likely spend all his winter and summer breaks there. However, as the older sister, Song Yao suddenly remembered something. "Um, um, Qiqi, are you sure you're okay leaving Han Tao alone in America?" If it were just for a short while, that would be fine, but the summer vacation was two months long. Long-distance separation could easily lead to trouble, especially for a man who has tasted intimacy. How could he possibly resist? Not to mention how open-minded American women were. What if someone snatched him away? Her poor little sister would have no time to cry.

Be okay? How could Wang Qiqi be okay? She firmly believed that no man was entirely faithful. "The visa application won't be ready in time for this trip, but I will go back to America to accompany him during the summer vacation." After all, if she stayed home during the summer, she would be alone, only occasionally going out shopping with Shi Man. But in the peak of summer, Wang Qiqi was too lazy to move, preferring to stay inside with the air conditioning on. Moreover, if Feng Xuanxiang really was leaving in September, Wang Qiqi could guess that this couple would be spending every day together this summer, assuming they didn't break up first.

Hearing Wang Qiqi say she was going to America for the summer, Song Yao mused that Wang Rui was a prideful girl who needed to compete with Wang Qiqi in everything. But Wang Qiqi, without making a fuss, was already a thousand times better than Wang Rui. Wang Rui had once bragged about her boyfriend Gao Kai traveling to Southeast Asia, completely unaware that Wang Qiqi had already been to France—it wasn't just a single trip. "That’s for the best. By the way, Qiqi, are you free this afternoon?"

Wang Qiqi had planned to ask Shi Man how her talk with Feng Xuanxiang went yesterday. "What's up?"

"I still haven't bought New Year's clothes for your brother-in-law and your little nephew." Song Yao had been looking for an excuse to drag Wang Qiqi shopping; shopping was more fun with company. As for Wang Rui, sorry, she needed to focus on tutoring. They couldn't interrupt someone's earnest dedication to self-improvement. In reality, Song Yao had no intention of having someone hanging around during shopping, pointing out which dress suited her or mentioning something else she needed. Forget it; clothes in the mall weren't cheap, and she wasn't some human ATM.

When Wang Qiqi heard Song Yao, she instinctively wanted to refuse. Come on, this older sister’s enthusiasm for shopping was no less than Shi Man’s, especially now that she had money; her desire to shop was absolutely immense. According to the brother-in-law’s frank assessment, Song Yao’s interest in looking at properties and shopping was incredibly high. Thinking she was walking right into a trap, Wang Qiqi said, "Um, I have plans this afternoon, and I already bought my New Year's clothes a few days ago." Wang Qiqi's message was clear: Sister, if you want to shop, find someone else; your little sister here doesn't need or have time for a shopping spree.

Song Yao became furious when she heard Wang Qiqi had already bought her New Year's clothes. "Is that how you treat your sister? You have time to go shopping with your friends, but no time to shop with your sister..." Song Yao rambled on for a long time until Wang Qiqi had no choice but to agree. She knew the outcome would be the same regardless; agreeing sooner would just make Song Yao talk less.

Hearing Wang Qiqi comply about going shopping, Song Yao finally fell silent. She first took Wang Qiqi's purchased meat and fruit upstairs, then went home to put the items away and feed her son.

For the entire afternoon, Wang Qiqi watched Song Yao flit around various mall counters like a generous patron, buying clothes for everyone in the family. Of course, the little dumpling, Tao Tao, got quite a few things too. Wang Qiqi watched Song Yao intensely comparing several sets of children's wear, even asking Wang Qiqi for her opinion. Wang Qiqi was speechless. "Sister, Tao Tao is so little. These clothes you're buying, he'll only wear them for one season. Isn't that too wasteful?" Children's clothes in the mall weren't cheap, and they were only worn for a single season. "You're buying so much; it's really wasteful. Buy a few less, please." Wang Qiqi finally understood why her aunt had privately instructed her to keep an eye on Song Yao and stop her from buying too many clothes for Tao Tao, mentioning that he was just a child and already had the most clothes at home.

Song Yao glared at Wang Qiqi when she heard such a mood-killing remark. She could tell her own mother had put her up to this. Sob, these clothes looked so adorable; Tao Tao would look so cute wearing them. "Qiqi, you are really not cute at all."

Rebirth: Turning the Tables by Yi Anran. Painful rebirth, splendid metamorphosis. Watch how she dominates the commercial and romantic arenas, turning the tables step by step. A reader who is also a writer on Qidian. Although she hasn't read her work, as a newcomer, she hopes readers will offer more support. Your encouragement is the source of a writer's confidence to persevere. (To be continued)