Wang Qiqi certainly knew Han Tao wouldn't dare bully her, but she still needed to let him know there were boundaries—hmpf, before sucking up to her relatives, why didn't he even offer a compliment to the main person? Too much, too much. "Then how do you plan to compensate me?"

Hearing Wang Qiqi’s words, Han Tao hesitated for a long time before saying, "I know I’ve made a huge mistake. How about I just hand myself over to you for disposal?"

Han Tao said this with great emphasis.

Wang Qiqi rolled her eyes upon hearing this and pushed him away. "Alright, alright, go buy what you need. We have the evening train tomorrow, so during the day, we’ll go see my aunt and them." Even though her uncle had to work, there was no helping that. Han Tao was right earlier; they had already met Song Yao and Song Ziwen, and given that his marriage to Wang Qiqi was practically settled, and New Year's Eve felt a bit like a meeting between both families, it would be improper for Han Tao not to pay a visit to her elders this time. If time was genuinely tight, it made no sense for him to have dinner with friends and younger relatives but not make time for the elders—that would reflect poorly on Han Tao.

Han Tao had already been nervous about meeting Wang Qiqi’s older sister and brother-in-law formally, and he hadn't expected to meet her aunt and uncle so soon. Wang Qiqi had often spoken about Wang Damei and her husband. Han Tao remembered one thing clearly: Wang Qiqi had said her aunt and uncle were quite snobbish, and if the man wasn't wealthy, they wouldn't offer him a pleasant reception. Looking at how hard Gong Peixing had worked to marry Song Yao was proof enough. "I look presentable enough now, don't I?"

Wang Qiqi lightly pinched his cheek upon hearing his slightly narcissistic reply. "Mm-hmm, presentable enough. You don't know, my aunt even asked if you were perhaps flying too high, too fast, and said there was a possibility I might leave you behind." Wang Qiqi couldn't help but laugh recalling the worried expression on Wang Damei’s face that day when she asked how Wang Qiqi and Han Tao were getting along. "She even told me to go easy on you, saying you have more potential than my brother-in-law."

Han Tao was speechless after hearing Wang Qiqi relay Wang Damei's opinion of him. He secretly shed a tear inwardly. Was he really only slightly better than Gong Peixing? Han Tao was certain he was superior to ten, not just three, Gong Peixings. "Let’s go, let’s go. Your aunt probably doesn't know your true capabilities yet. If she did..."

"She would definitely think I’m too much of a waste for you, that I should find a man with better prospects." Wang Qiqi understood this perfectly. In Wang Damei’s view, as her niece Wang Qiqi’s capabilities increased, the standards for a partner should continuously rise. "But regardless of what my aunt thinks, at least you've earned her approval. You know how incredibly nice she is to my brother-in-law now."

Although Wang Damei and Song Wenbo preferred their son, Gong Peixing, despite his clumsy eloquence, was diligent in his work. Furthermore, his son-in-law, despite owning his own home, was willing to live with his in-laws and run errands for his wife's family—this was what Wang Damei liked most. Of course, perhaps now Wang Damei was also slightly troubled by the idea of her daughter and son-in-law living at home.

Gao Kai entered, accompanying a woman in her mid-twenties, carrying several shopping bags. Although his current status was worlds apart from what it used to be, it didn't stop him from having an eye for beautiful women. As he walked into the tea room attached to the mall, he spotted Wang Qiqi. He noticed she had become even more beautiful, but who was the man beside her? Wasn't Han Tao supposedly interning in the United States and not coming back? What was the deal with this guy?

Gao Kai learned about Han Tao going to the US from Wang Rui. He knew Wang Rui telling him this news wasn't meant to share information but to provoke him. If his family hadn't collapsed, Gao Kai would have considered studying abroad in the US for a few years after graduating from university, as girls overseas were generally more open-minded. But now, he couldn't even afford travel abroad, let alone study. The friends who used to flock around him either pretended not to know him or kicked him when he was down after his family's downfall. Life standards had plummeted. Thankfully, he was still presentable; otherwise... Looking at the woman beside him who clearly didn't measure up, and then at Wang Qiqi, who was smiling brightly, he thought that if he hadn't broken up with Wang Qiqi, or if Wang Rui hadn't interfered back then, he could still be living quite well. His living standard wouldn't have dropped, Wang Qiqi was a girlfriend he could show off, and most importantly, she would listen to him and adore him. But now... Well, some things couldn't be revisited; thinking about them only led to the desire to jump into a river.

Gao Kai's girlfriend noticed him staring intently at a certain spot. She followed his gaze and saw a woman. "What are you looking at? She has someone. Besides, look at your current situation—do you have the capital to have a girlfriend?" she looked him up and down dismissively, humming. If he weren't somewhat good-looking, providing some face among her friends, she would have dumped him long ago. Hmph, what did it matter if the family had money before? "Remember your status, and don't forget the tuition money for school..."

Hearing his companion, a wave of humiliation washed over Gao Kai. If it were in the past, Gao Kai would have thrown a punch to show her why her face was so red. But now, he wasn't some nobody. He constantly told himself to endure. "Oh, I just ran into an acquaintance, an old classmate. I was just curious, though. I heard her boyfriend went to the US; how come..."

Gao Kai's girlfriend grabbed his arm and pulled him toward that direction. Although Gao Kai called her an acquaintance, she knew the relationship wasn't that simple. They walked up to Wang Qiqi just as she and Han Tao stood up.

Gao Kai had initially thought Wang Qiqi had a new man and wanted to get a good look at him to threaten Wang Qiqi later. But he didn't expect the man beside her to be Han Tao. After more than a year, Gao Kai noticed that young man exuded more presence. He hadn't been less attractive than Gao Kai before, but he had lacked something. Now, seeing him, Gao Kai understood: that missing piece was sheer aura, while he, in contrast, had lost that aura entirely and was reduced to a clownish figure.

Wang Qiqi and Han Tao were both stunned, both thinking how unlucky their day was to run into Gao Kai. Both felt nothing but bad luck.

Wang Qiqi and Gao Kai's stunned expressions made Gao Kai's girlfriend assume they had been caught by an acquaintance and felt shy. "Pay attention when you're out playing around. With the real boyfriend in the US, you don't need to bring this tramp out in public to embarrass yourself." She originally wanted to vent her anger. Hmph, Gao Kai was her kept man, a freeloader, yet he dared to look at the woman before them with eyes full of adoration right in front of her. She had to teach him a lesson. But she hadn't expected that both the good-looking man she considered her 'kept boy' and the other attractive man would look at the woman in front of them with the same expression. This put her in a foul mood, and her tone naturally became less polite.

Wang Qiqi and Han Tao found her words completely baffling, but Gao Kai sensed a hint of jealousy in her words. He thought, Surely this foolish woman hasn't fallen for Han Tao? "Hmph, Han Tao isn't like me; he absolutely wouldn't look at the woman in front of him with interest." He was about to explain—not because he wanted to be a good guy, but because he knew if she lost face, he would be the one to suffer. This woman truly had a terrible temper; if not for her family's money, then...

Wang Qiqi became angry. She glanced sideways at Gao Kai, hmpf, if it weren't for him, would this have happened? "Do I know you? You look decent enough, but the words coming out of your mouth are inhuman. Are you mentally unstable, or are you the one who keeps men on the side, so you see any close man and woman and assume they are in that kind of relationship?"

This tea room was considered mid-to-high end, so everyone conversed quietly. The woman's tone wasn't too loud or too soft, meaning the surrounding patrons heard her. The way they looked at Wang Qiqi and Han Tao became slightly judgmental; they assumed Wang Qiqi was squandering the hard-earned money her boyfriend was making in America, and Han Tao was just some pitiful kept man. Wang Qiqi thought if this woman wanted to go crazy, she could do it by herself.

Gao Kai's woman hadn't expected Wang Qiqi to be so audacious. She pointed at Gao Kai beside her. "He said your boyfriend went to the US and mentioned directly returning to Beijing to study." She shamelessly betrayed Wang Qiqi.

Wang Qiqi knew Gao Kai was involved. She shot him a sidelong glare. "Breaking up with my sister was between you and her; it has nothing to do with me. What is this? Settle your business between yourselves; don't ruin my reputation."

Gao Kai hadn't expected Wang Qiqi to turn the matter toward him and Wang Rui. Heaven knew that since breaking up last year, he really hadn't had much contact with Wang Rui—just a few phone calls. First, Wang Rui was busy, and second, Gao Kai was busy placating the woman in front of him. He hadn't expected this outcome. "Xiao Rui and I, Wang Rui, parted ways amicably. I..."

"I'm very curious. Since you’ve broken up with Wang Rui and seem quite close with this lady here, where did you get the information that my man went to America, knowing his schedule so precisely? Could it be you and Xiao Rui..." Wang Qiqi said meaningfully. "But didn't you know you could have returned earlier? Also, I assume you recognize my boyfriend, right? Let me ask you one more time, who is this?"

"Your boyfriend." Gao Kai really didn't want to answer. Wang Qiqi hadn't clarified things earlier, leaving a lot of room for imagination, but seeing the displeased looks from both Wang Qiqi and Han Tao, he could only yield.