Wang Qiqi strolled out of the library, carrying a few travelogues, intending to head home. As she mounted her bicycle and pedaled just a short distance, she noticed a sizable crowd gathered ahead, buzzing with activity. Wang Qiqi wondered what major event had occurred this time to completely block a main road, yet no one seemed to be managing the situation.

She could hear a man and a woman arguing from within the throng. Though the voices sounded vaguely familiar, Wang Qiqi truly lacked the energy and certainly didn't think she could push her way through. Besides, with the commotion being this loud, she figured she'd hear a significantly exaggerated version of the truth tomorrow in class.

Just as Wang Qiqi turned her bike around to take an alternate route, she saw Bai Ge pushing her way out of the crowd. "Bai Ge?" Wang Qiqi hadn't expected to see Bai Ge amidst that gathering. It seemed she was about to find out exactly who was causing the ruckus.

Bai Ge looked utterly terrified. She had only meant to squeeze in for a firsthand look at the spectacle, but she hadn't anticipated the scene escalating to this degree. While she had previously suspected Gong Yiying was far less fragile than she appeared, witnessing her fiercely assertive behavior left Bai Ge’s mind struggling to process things. When someone shouted her name, it took her a long moment to turn around. Spotting Wang Qiqi, she managed, "Qiqi, what are you...?"

Wang Qiqi looked at the clearly shaken Bai Ge, feeling quite surprised herself. "Bai Ge, what happened to you?" Wang Qiqi almost suspected Bai Ge might be one of the parties involved, but seeing the crowd hadn't dispersed and hearing the lingering shouts, she said, "Let's step aside."

Wang Qiqi extended a free hand to pull Bai Ge away from the edge. Alas, it was an intrinsic human trait: where there's a spectacle, people gather, drawing even more onlookers. Bai Ge's current state seemed deeply wrong; her mind appeared to be miles away. If Wang Qiqi hadn't taken hold of her and simultaneously pushed her bike, she genuinely worried that the eager rubberneckers might have knocked Bai Ge right onto the ground.

All the way there, Wang Qiqi was pushing her bike, tugging along the vacant-minded girl, all while trying to avoid bumping into people. Wang Qiqi truly regretted her momentary foolishness in grabbing hold of the other girl. For the sake of getting this "first-hand account," Wang Qiqi felt immense remorse. Only when they finally reached a sparsely populated area did she stop. "Bai Ge, what's wrong? Were you provoked, or are you one of the main characters in this drama?"

Having walked this far, Bai Ge finally snapped back to reality. Hearing Wang Qiqi's question, she immediately shrieked, "How could I be the main character? I was just terrified by Gong Yiying’s performance!" Bai Ge frantically patted her chest as she spoke. "Qiqi, you have no idea how formidable Gong Yiying is."

Listening to Bai Ge and watching her animated gestures, Wang Qiqi’s mouth twitched. Fine, Wang Qiqi mused, every time something involving Gong Yiying happened, it reset her perception of her anew. "While she seems delicate, her gaze and intellect already marked her as no simple girl. But I never realized her 'combat rating' was this high. I wonder, is Deng Zhi simply lacking in fighting power, or is Gong Yiying just too formidable?" Wang Qiqi couldn't imagine Deng Zhi being the type of gentleman who would let Gong Yiying take the lead. That man was selfish; especially with so many people watching, the image-conscious Deng Zhi would surely try to perform well, particularly if Gong Yiying was the one who wronged him first. For Deng Zhi to be suppressed by Gong Yiying under such circumstances—Wang Qiqi didn't know whether to call the man useless or the woman too fierce.

"Her combat rating is so high! Qiqi, you should keep your distance from her in the future. Now I finally understand why she was so polite to you back then," Bai Ge commented, deeply affected. Naturally, she resolved that henceforth, whenever Gong Yiying came up in conversation, she would have to be far more cautious, lest the other woman resort to physical action—Bai Ge doubted she could handle Gong Yiying. "We need to be much more careful around Gong Yiying from now on." As she spoke, Bai Ge nervously glanced around, genuinely worried that someone might suddenly appear.

Wang Qiqi found Bai Ge's cautious behavior quite amusing. "Stop looking; someone is busy negotiating. By the way, did someone catch Deng Zhi in the act of infidelity?" However, Wang Qiqi was curious. Given Gong Yiying’s sophistication, she certainly wouldn't bring a lover onto campus, as her relationship with Deng Zhi was well-known there. If Deng Zhi had caught her elsewhere, the explosion should have happened there, not on campus.

"Gong Yiying and Deng Zhi were supposed to go shopping, but when they reached that spot, they ran into a foreigner who surprisingly greeted Gong Yiying with great affection, and then... and then..." Bai Ge felt too embarrassed to continue. While she hesitated, Wang Qiqi, standing nearby, was becoming agitated by her stammering. "What happened? What happened? Surely they didn't kiss, did they?" Wang Qiqi thought that if it were just an affectionate greeting, Gong Yiying would have smoothed it over. Only a kiss would likely provoke Deng Zhi into an outburst.

Bai Ge nodded in confirmation of Wang Qiqi’s guess. "Exactly that, and several people were standing nearby. When everyone saw Gong Yiying KISS that foreigner, they were all stunned." It wasn't far from the Finance Department; people generally recognized each other and knew whose girlfriend Gong Yiying was. Yet, right in front of Deng Zhi, her official boyfriend, this scene unfolded. What shocked everyone even more was that Gong Yiying didn't push the man away. "Initially, Deng Zhi thought it was a foreigner Gong Yiying knew. She claimed she worked part-time teaching English to foreigners, so he didn't pay much mind. But then..."

This was the first Wang Qiqi had heard of Gong Yiying’s part-time job, but she supposed it fit—otherwise, how would she find excuses to slip out frequently? Given her past record, Deng Zhi kept a tight rein on her. Wang Qiqi just couldn't figure out how Gong Yiying and the foreigner hooked up—before or after the part-time job started. What Wang Qiqi did know was that Deng Zhi, knowing these details, must be absolutely sick about it. Since Gong Yiying and Deng Zhi started living together, they mixed their finances. It was highly possible that some of the money Gong Yiying spent actually came from her lover. Wang Qiqi found this realization utterly fascinating—what a magnificent cuckolding.

"We were actually wondering how long this could be hidden before Deng Zhi found out himself. Many people in the class knew Gong Yiying was seeing someone else; they just felt awkward telling Deng Zhi. We never expected it to explode today..." Bai Ge was about to drop more gossip when she noticed Wang Qiqi starting to laugh—a really loud laugh. She wondered if Wang Qiqi had seen something involving Gong Yiying and that foreigner before. Duan Xiaomin had mentioned something about Qiqi knowing about Gong Yiying's cheating for a long time. Thinking of this, and adhering to the principle of sharing good gossip, Bai Ge asked.

Wang Qiqi hadn't intended to share, but seeing Bai Ge's expression—as if saying, 'We're sharing this juicy news with you, but you're keeping secrets from us!'—she struggled to suppress her smile and revealed her own speculation. "Don't you think this is what makes Deng Zhi the most furious?"

Hearing Wang Qiqi, Bai Ge burst out laughing, equally loud. "Right, right! Isn't he spending the money Gong Yiying got from the adulterer? I just don't get it; he spent the money yet still complains about Gong Yiying's loose morals. His behavior is just like what they write in books..." Bai Ge truly felt too embarrassed to voice the word that came to mind.

"Pimp," a female voice from the side, struggling to stifle laughter, suddenly interjected.

"Yes, yes, a pimp," Bai Ge quickly agreed, thinking it was Wang Qiqi. But she instantly realized the voice wasn't Qiqi's. She turned and felt an overwhelming urge to cry.

Wang Qiqi was also surprised. In just this short time, about ten people had gathered around them, and every single one was laughing heartily, some bent over double, unable to straighten up. She inwardly groaned, Heavens, when did everyone become this idle, just standing by the roadside listening to gossip?

Oh god, Wang Qiqi truly wanted to cry. If this conversation spread and reached Deng Zhi’s ears, who knew what state it would be in by then? Recalling Gong Yiying's "combat rating," Wang Qiqi strongly felt she needed to take a few days off classes immediately, or perhaps buy a large life insurance policy.

Bai Ge also felt an urge to vanish. She shouldn't have gossiped! They were getting so worked up gossiping, only to realize so many people were now eavesdropping. What should they do?

Bai Ge looked fearfully at Wang Qiqi, noting the panic on her face too. "What do we do?" Bai Ge signaled with her eyes.

Wang Qiqi shook her head nervously. She scanned the onlookers; they didn't seem to be from the Finance Department. Wang Qiqi immediately jumped onto her bike. "Move! Move! Move!" she yelled, preparing to speed toward the school gate.

Seeing Wang Qiqi about to flee, Bai Ge thought that wouldn't do—that was abandoning a friend! She scrambled quickly onto the rear rack of the bike. Wang Qiqi hadn't expected Bai Ge to do that; the sudden added weight nearly caused her to panic. Luckily, Wang Qiqi quickly regained composure, pedaling furiously to carry Bai Ge away from the scene. Wang Qiqi grumbled to herself that she should have let Bai Ge ride; the girl had stronger legs than her, and she was heavier, too. How dare she!