Wang Qiqi changed into her going-out clothes and said to Shi Man, who was curled up on the sofa reading a French book, "I have something tonight; you'll have to figure out dinner on your own." Nowadays, Juliana was essentially running a three-point line between school, home, and work, so the girls usually only managed to eat breakfast together; lunch depended on their schedules, and dinner was out of the question. Wang Qiqi and Shi Man often shared meals, provided neither had a date.

Shi Man hummed an acknowledgment. "Go out to eat with your Han Tao, and pick something up for me while you're out." Shi Man assumed Wang Qiqi was meeting Han Tao for dinner. They usually ate just outside the complex gates and were always back by a little after seven. Honestly, Shi Man felt the two of them were like an old married couple. Watching them progress together, their relationship was so consistently calm that Shi Man hadn't even registered a proper passionate phase.

Shi Man certainly remembered the fervor Wang Qiqi exhibited when she was with Gao Kai back then. Well, even though Gao Kai often complained that Qiqi was too cold, if he could see how Qiqi and Han Tao interacted normally, he'd think Qiqi was plenty passionate toward him. But even when they were together, they were each absorbed in their own things. Shi Man wondered if her presence was a factor, but when she discreetly asked Wang Qiqi about it, the answer remained the same. This left Shi Man unsure how to characterize them. But that wasn't the main point; the important thing was that Qiqi and Han Tao were okay with it. After all, Shi Man couldn't imagine accepting such a dynamic with Feng Xuanxiang; they were young, how could they have a relationship fit for elderly women?

"Sorry, I'm not meeting Han Tao tonight, and I won't be eating anywhere nearby either." Wang Qiqi thought that even if the dinner location wasn't far from here, she had no idea when she would be able to return home.

Not meeting Han Tao? Shi Man looked closely at Wang Qiqi’s attire; she seemed to have put in a little extra effort dressing up, which struck Shi Man as odd. "Who are you meeting? Don't tell me you've found a man better than Han Tao." Of course, this was just Shi Man teasing. She truly didn't believe Wang Qiqi would dump Han Tao; Qiqi had plenty of suitors who were better off than Han Tao, but for Qiqi, Han Tao was simply the most suitable man.

"Li Qian." Wang Qiqi hadn't mentioned meeting Li Qian today to Han Tao yet. If that woman shot her a strange look when she saw him, it would only cause unnecessary trouble. "I’m going out to eat with Li Qian to discuss something."

Meeting Li Qian? Shi Man was stunned. "Could it be that they found out you’re planning to switch jobs and are going to settle scores with you? I should go with you then."

Shi Man worried that if Li Xiangdong and Li Qian teamed up to corner Qiqi, this silly girl was truly planning to go negotiate alone. Shi Man didn't have a good impression of the Li couple. "No way. I’ll call Han Tao too; this is a big deal." No matter what, Han Tao was Qiqi’s boyfriend. If his girlfriend encountered something this serious—possibly something life-threatening—he absolutely had to be there.

Wang Qiqi looked at Shi Man acting as if they were facing an imminent enemy, and a dark line formed on her forehead. "It's not that serious. I agreed to meet Li Qian at a restaurant, and she’s coming alone too." If Li Qian saw her arrive with Han Tao, or with Shi Man, what would she think? Would she assume Qiqi was feeling insecure, bringing backup to intimidate her? The thought made Wang Qiqi shiver. She didn’t want the matter to end up worse than it started because of a botched negotiation.

Seeing Wang Qiqi’s firm insistence on going alone, what else could Shi Man do? She really wanted to ask where the meeting place was, but she knew Qiqi wouldn't give her any details even if she asked. "Fine, fine. If you say you won't bring him, don't. Hmph, I bet you won't realize how much you regret not listening to me until you’ve been thoroughly taken advantage of."

Wang Qiqi had expected to spend a lot of effort persuading Manman to let her go, so she found Shi Man giving up so quickly quite strange. "You’re not planning on tracking me, are you?"

Shi Man thought, That’s exactly what I’m planning, but I certainly won't let you guess it. She picked up her book and waved it at Wang Qiqi. "I don't have time to mess around with you. I need to focus on improving my French so I can pick up some translation gigs to earn my own living expenses. I can’t rely on my family for money forever." Honestly, why wasn't she leaving yet? The sooner she left, the sooner Shi Man could follow and notify Han Tao to catch up.

Wang Qiqi glanced at the time; the agreed meeting time was approaching. She gave up on trying to probe Shi Man further. "Then I'm off. You can either make yourself some noodles or go eat with Han Tao and the others." After saying this, Wang Qiqi hastily grabbed her bag and rushed out.

As soon as Wang Qiqi was out the door, Shi Man snatched up her phone and called Han Tao, telling him to meet her downstairs in three minutes, and to be careful not to be seen by Qiqi. After giving these instructions, Shi Man hung up, completely unconcerned about what Han Tao might think when he received such a nonsensical call.

Han Tao hung up, utterly bewildered, but he obediently put on his coat, grabbed his keys and wallet, and hurried toward the main entrance area. Before he even reached it, he saw Wang Qiqi walking quickly ahead with a bag slung over her shoulder. As she passed his general vicinity, her eyes swept over the area. Han Tao swiftly darted into a darker spot. He wondered why Qiqi was leaving now. Had Shi Man noticed something suspicious about Qiqi and alerted him?

However, Han Tao quickly dismissed that thought. Qiqi wasn't that kind of person, and besides, if Qiqi had something going on, Shi Man, as her best friend, wouldn't notify him. Han Tao stood there, lost in thought, watching the spot where Qiqi had disappeared.

When Shi Man reached the entrance area where Han Tao was waiting, she found him standing there looking rather foolish. "Did Qiqi see you?" When Han Tao shook his head, she clapped him on the shoulder. "Hurry up and follow her!"

Fortunately, when they reached the complex gates, they spotted Wang Qiqi hailing a taxi in the distance. Just as Shi Man worried they would lose sight of her immediately, an empty car suddenly pulled out of the complex. The agitated Shi Man immediately stepped right in front of the car's path, which thoroughly terrified Han Tao. "Manman, you..." Thank goodness the driver braked quickly, otherwise... Han Tao truly couldn't imagine what the consequences would have been.

Shi Man ignored everything else, jumped into the car, and commanded, "Driver, turn left at the exit!" Shi Man prayed that the car Qiqi was in would be stopped by a red light.

It must be said that Shi Man’s luck was quite good; Wang Qiqi’s car was indeed stopped by a traffic light, and the driver of Shi Man’s cab was exceptionally skilled, managing not to lose their quarry the entire way. Han Tao now understood why Shi Man had dragged him along in such a hurry. As for Shi Man’s suspicion that Li Xiangdong and his wife might pose a threat to Qiqi, Han Tao thought it impossible. While Li Xiangdong could be petty, overall, he wouldn't commit illegal acts. Still, Shi Man had made one correct point: as her boyfriend, he absolutely needed to be present for this.

Wang Qiqi had thought she had successfully shaken off Shi Man, as she had kept checking behind her constantly before leaving the complex. She hadn't seen any sign of Shi Man or Han Tao. Moreover, she managed to hail a cab right outside the gate. In Wang Qiqi's view, the start of her outing had been remarkably smooth. Yet, she hadn't realized that someone else’s luck was significantly better than hers.

Wang Qiqi quickly got out of the taxi and hurried toward the restaurant. After entering the lobby and looking around, she spotted Li Qian waving at her from a window table. Wang Qiqi quickly moved over to Li Qian. "Auntie Li, I am so sorry. Something came up during class today, making me a little late." Even though she wasn't technically past the appointed time, the other party had arrived early, and she was an elder, so an apology was necessary regardless.

Seeing Wang Qiqi apologize the moment she approached, Li Qian thought Qiqi was just as polite as ever. "I arrived early."

Li Qian looked at Wang Qiqi, and Wang Qiqi simply looked back at Li Qian. To be honest, neither knew how to begin. Finally, Li Qian spoke first. "I've ordered a few dishes. Qiqi, do you want to order anything else?"

Wang Qiqi shook her head. "No, thank you." Both understood that the true purpose of this meal was not eating but the conversation, or rather, the negotiation.

At this exchange, the two fell back into a stalemate. Shi Man and Han Tao, who had followed them in, found a relatively discreet table where they could observe Wang Qiqi and Li Qian. "Huh? Why aren't they talking?" Shi Man wondered. Now that they were face-to-face, shouldn't they bring up whatever they needed to discuss? Why were they sitting there looking foolish—one staring down, preoccupied, the other holding a teacup and simply gazing at the other?

Han Tao noticed it too. Observing their distinctly different expressions, one thought surfaced in his mind: Qiqi might lose this negotiation. Her presence wasn't as commanding as Li Qian's. After all, Li Qian had risen alongside Li Xiangdong; even though she rarely handled the translation agency's affairs now, some things were etched into her bones. Qiqi was different; though smart and capable, she hadn't gone through many situations like this. It was quite normal for her presence to yield to Li Qian's. "It will normalize in a bit; they can’t stay this quiet the whole time." Even if Qiqi remained silent, Li Qian wouldn't let the time go to waste for nothing.

Shi Man withdrew her gaze with a sense of boredom. She noticed the waiter nearby was already growing impatient. She ignored the observation and focused on ordering food first. She had been tense the entire time, and since it was getting late, she was starving. Shi Man glanced at Han Tao, saw that his eyes were fixed on Qiqi’s table, and didn’t bother asking him what he wanted, ordering a few dishes based on her own preferences.