Well... upon boarding the train, Wang Qiqi immediately settled onto her berth, completely disinclined to speak. Seeing Qiqi in this state, Juliana's expression soured, and she pulled Shi Man aside. She demanded to know exactly what she had managed to glean from Han Tao.

Shi Man recounted Han Tao's words from earlier with palpable annoyance. Finally, she fumed, "I truly don't understand what happened between them; they're both being so secretive."

Hearing this, Juliana stared out at the inky blackness passing by the window. After a long pause, she sighed deeply. "You said Qiqi met her older female cousin, bringing Han Tao along, right? Do you think today she went to see her maternal aunt?" After all, Qiqi bringing Han Tao out this time was a formal introduction to her relatives. While everyone had met Han Tao before, his status was different then. Since she already met her cousins, it made no sense to skip Aunt Wang Damei. Moreover, Han Tao had rushed back early from overtime work; such a perfect opportunity might not arise again.

Visit the aunt? Shi Man was startled by Juliana's deduction but quickly shook her head. "Didn't you say Qiqi’s cousin is getting married during the May Day holiday? If nothing unexpected happens, Qiqi definitely has to go to the wedding banquet; wouldn't that be a better time to bring Han Tao?" Shi Man knew Wang Damei wasn't an easy person to deal with—she was outright materialistic. She had been nitpicky even about her own son-in-law. If it weren't for Wang Qiqi, they might never have married, or perhaps wouldn't be as happy now. Wang Qiqi was highly educated, attending a prestigious university. Although she was an orphan, her family wealth was substantial. Wang Damei might feel Han Tao wasn't good enough for Qiqi. Even if Han Tao was successful now and being scouted by a foreign computer company, the risks of moving abroad were significant—young couples separated by continents often ended up breaking up. Plus, the US had a high rate of this. The primary reason Shi Man's parents had opposed her relationship with Feng Xuanxiang was that he was going abroad two years earlier; by the time Shi Man went to study abroad, he might already have another woman by his side. Wang Damei might think the same way. With such intense disapproval, she could easily dismiss Han Tao. If that were the case, Qiqi would be unhappy, and Han Tao's vague responses would fit perfectly. "No way..."

Juliana observed Shi Man's shocked expression and nodded gravely. Alas, Wang Damei, Wang Damei. If she rejected Han Tao for this reason, she would surely regret it. Han Tao's career was only just beginning; a single trip abroad led to such an excellent opportunity. When Juliana told her father, he simply remarked that luck, once it arrives, cannot be stopped. Even her experienced father held Han Tao in such high regard that Juliana was completely convinced. Frankly, if Qiqi hadn't claimed him early, and if Han Tao hadn't liked Qiqi, Juliana couldn't deny she might have pursued him. Han Tao had ambition, but he always maintained a bottom line—such a person was rare. "Forget it. Since it's due to this, let's not dwell on unhappy things." Qiqi was already unhappy; why bring up things that would distress her further?

Shi Man hummed in agreement; she wasn't an idiot. "I didn't expect both Han Tao and I to run into this kind of difficulty. I originally thought Qiqi would have it much smoother without parental pressure. Who knew..." She sighed. While Qiqi didn't have the pressure from parents, the aunt was still creating stress for her. "But Qiqi certainly won't listen to her."

Wang Qiqi, unaware that her silence due to unhappiness had caused Shi Man and Juliana to jump to these conclusions, felt a strange mixture of frustration and amusement. However, Qiqi quickly stopped agonizing over the unpleasantness of visiting her parents' graves. Han Tao was right; if she felt uneasy, why not simply move her parents to a different burial site? Frankly, Qiqi had also considered this impulsive idea. Apparently, a much better cemetery was set to open at the end of the year—not only was it well-managed, but it also offered more space. In the future, the price of plots there would skyrocket, attracting wealthy families from out of town. That location was rumored to be truly blessed ground. Yes, that's what she would do. She would properly refurbish her parents' grave plot then. Back then, Qiqi had considered making her parents' grave lavish, but she lacked the time and the circumstances weren't suitable for her to undertake such matters.

Having reached a resolution, Wang Qiqi finally sat up from her berth. She then noticed that Shi Man and Juliana were both lying on the berths reading books. Qiqi found this peculiar; on train rides, she and Han Tao might read, but Shi Man and Juliana usually either chatted or slept. "Eh, what's weird about you two?"

Shi Man hadn't absorbed a single word of the book in her hands; it was simply too dense. Although the content was good—perhaps quite useful for Juliana, who had practical management experience—Shi Man felt no connection to it. She held the book, but her mind was miles away. When she heard Qiqi's comment, she nearly choked. "Us? We're weird? I wonder who hasn't said more than a greeting since the station, and whose face has been sullen the whole time." To emphasize her displeasure, Shi Man deliberately snorted.

Wang Qiqi froze, because Juliana put down her book and nodded at her, which made Qiqi quite embarrassed. She certainly knew her demeanor had been completely off. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I was preoccupied thinking about something earlier. Truly sorry."

Shi Man and Juliana were surprised by Qiqi's apology. They exchanged a glance before Shi Man finally spoke. "We heard you visited your aunt today. What did she say?" Shi Man's directness earned a disapproving look from Juliana, but Shi Man merely shrugged. Honestly, she was itching with curiosity until she knew the details.

"The outcome was very good, but my aunt spoke with Han Tao for a long time. I just don't know what they discussed." It was then that Wang Qiqi remembered something crucial she needed to find out, though she'd likely only get a chance tomorrow. But Qiqi wasn't sure if she could pry the information out of him then; firstly, timing might be an issue, and secondly, when a certain someone decides to keep a secret, his lips seal up tightly. Qiqi felt immense pressure regarding this. As for the 'honey trap' idea, Qiqi suspected she might have been completely fooled and wouldn't get a thing out of him anyway.

Juliana and Shi Man looked at Qiqi's happy expression, and based on the tone of her words, they couldn't quite tell if the meeting had gone well or poorly. Perhaps Wang Damei was still dissatisfied with Han Tao but had to concede due to Wang Qiqi's presence.

"My aunt was incredibly pleased with Han Tao. At the dinner table, she even cautioned me not to throw any childish tantrums and to take good care of him," Wang Qiqi said helplessly. "Honestly, I don't know why my aunt would say that. I'm her niece, shouldn't she have been telling Han Tao, 'Hey, you, treat my Qiqi well. If you dare bully her, hmph, I'll have Qiqi's brother-in-law and cousin go beat you up and stand up for her...'?" She recalled how her aunt had spoken to her previously, so why was she silent about that when Han Tao was present?

Han Tao noticed the train attendant had gone off duty and wouldn't reappear until late at night. Feeling assured, he casually strolled over with a small bag and happened to catch the tail end of Wang Qiqi's complaint. He patted his forehead—silly girl. How could an aunt say such a thing in front of her niece? Saying that would imply she was dissatisfied with her nephew-in-law. During their private conversation, she had seriously warned him, asking about his plans, such as when they intended to marry. Han Tao looked at Wang Damei, who had asked him about timing with eager anticipation, and felt a bit aggrieved. Of course, he had thought about marriage; he’d have loved to marry right after university graduation. But Han Tao felt Qiqi might not agree; she didn't seem very trusting of marriage.

Shi Man was about to say something when she saw Han Tao standing by the berth, looking at Wang Qiqi with an expression of helplessness. She quickly covered her mouth and chuckled. "Look at the look of exasperation on his face; he must have gotten an earful from your aunt."

Wang Qiqi looked back in surprise and saw Han Tao nodding. "My aunt really did talk to you? That's right, then." Wang Qiqi clapped her hands together. "That's my aunt! She's on my side!" Qiqi laughed triumphantly twice.

Shi Man and Juliana stared at Wang Qiqi speechlessly. Just moments ago, someone was complaining about her aunt being overbearing for not helping scold 'a certain someone,' but now, seeing Han Tao, she claimed her aunt was wonderful. Sigh, women, even if you are fickle creatures, must you be this capricious?

"By the way, what exactly did my aunt discuss with you?" Han Tao let slip a hint of information, and Wang Qiqi genuinely felt this was the perfect moment to press further.

"Just routine things, like taking good care of you," Han Tao replied. How could he reveal the substance of Wang Damei's conversation with him? Frankly, he himself had been quite surprised. He hadn't expected Wang Damei to understand Qiqi so thoroughly, or rather, that she understood Qiqi's changes and psychology so deeply, perhaps even better than Qiqi herself. "Don't worry. Your aunt was just having a standard chat. Every parent talks privately with their daughter's boyfriend when they meet."

Wang Qiqi stared at Han Tao for a long moment, noticing his gaze did not shift. She knew further questioning would yield nothing. However, she was certain Wang Damei had discussed other matters with him. "Well, you better take good care of me, or you know the consequences."

Han Tao put on a look of exaggerated fear, deliberately wiping his brow. "Relax, relax. Your brother-in-law and cousin could definitely pin me down. But what upsets me is, do I really look like such a bad guy?" Heaven knew Han Tao wouldn't treat Qiqi poorly. It was Qiqi who had shown him what feeling uplifted was like, the sensation of having someone walking forward with him, of no longer being alone.

(To be continued)