Wang Qiqi found herself dealing with the fallout, but as the central figure, naturally, people questioned Juliana. It was only after a classmate she considered reasonably friendly stepped forward to inquire that Juliana finally understood why so many people were staring at her the entire way, and why their gazes were so strangely fixed.

Even knowing the reason behind those odd looks, Juliana would much rather walk through campus enduring them than be in her current situation. She sighed. "Regarding this Deng Zhi you all mention, I genuinely don't know him. I truly don't understand how I got entangled with him. Does speaking a few words to someone automatically mean there's a connection? If so, I really suggest that those with the spare time should thoroughly investigate how many girls Deng Zhi speaks to in school, and then analyze who the cheating partner is based on the content and frequency of those conversations."

Shi Man’s face was a mask of dismay. Just a few days ago, everyone had been laughing at someone else’s joke, trading the freshest gossip, and now, so soon, that very scandal was right on their doorstep, with her dear friend becoming the center of it. Shi Man suspected the source had to be either Deng Zhi or Gong Yiying. The former likely wanted to smear Nana to create an opening for himself, while the latter needed an opportunity to clear her own name, as the person who cheated later usually receives public leniency. Shi Man could understand their motives, but the problem was involving them in it. "There is so much news circulating these days. If we go by what this gossip says, factoring in the first time Deng Zhi approached Nana for help, it’s only been about two months, and that includes a month-long winter break. How could any real feelings develop in that time? I truly don't get how people can be so uncreative when trying to shift the focus."

Everyone in the class had witnessed the interactions between Deng Zhi and Juliana to some extent. It was always Deng Zhi seeking Juliana out, and she always looked utterly impatient. "Exactly! I said those people are going too far. How could they invent such nonsense?"

"Right! How could Juliana possibly be interested in someone who already has a girlfriend?" A certain admirer of Juliana’s raised his voice. "Does he expect Juliana to confess just because of this rumor? Does he think he can leverage this scandal to make Juliana accept him? He wishes!"

"Yes, yes! We can’t let his sinister plan succeed!" Once someone proposed this supposed conspiracy theory, it immediately gained the support of many in the class.

"Qiqi, you wouldn't believe it. I never imagined our Nana had such good rapport in class. I was worrying about how to navigate this mess, but I only hinted at the topic, and they immediately started brainstorming ways to investigate Deng Zhi’s movements from months ago," Shi Man thought excitedly. She knew this situation was successfully defused thanks to her quick wit and sharp reaction.

"Exactly, we have you to thank, Manman," Juliana replied. Although she maintained an air at school that she wouldn't address or clarify the rumors, internally she was quite shaken. Thank heavens Manman steered the conversation elsewhere, and even more so, she hadn't expected so many classmates to rally behind her. Of course, it was also largely due to the fact that Juliana had consistently treated Deng Zhi coldly, otherwise, she wouldn't have a leg to stand on, no matter how much she explained.

"I actually told them it would be more interesting if they investigated exactly when Gong Yiying cheated," Wang Qiqi explained how she handled the curious people in class that day. "I’m genuinely curious if they’ll manage to find out, but there’s strength in numbers."

"I bet it was October," Shi Man stated with certainty. "At the very latest, no later than the end of November."

Shi Man reasoned that if Gong Yiying hadn't been unfaithful around that time, why would she have allowed Deng Zhi to pursue Juliana? Previously, no matter how Deng Zhi treated Gong Yiying, she had always been completely obedient, appearing utterly devoted. Her change in attitude must have stemmed from finding someone else on the outside.

Wang Qiqi nodded. "Mhm. We originally didn't intend to bring it up, but we had no choice when those people proved so dense they didn't even consider that angle." Wang Qiqi sounded genuinely disappointed; that was the most interesting part of the whole affair.

What followed was a complete, almost eerie silence, giving the distinct impression of the calm before a major storm.

Wang Qiqi and Shi Man were genuinely eager to see how events would unfold. They had no idea how much information the others had dug up, but they knew something must have been uncovered, at least the accusation that Juliana was the primary cause of Gong Yiying's infidelity hadn't resurfaced. "Those people really weren't up to the task," Wang Qiqi grumbled, carrying the freshly cooked meal to the dining table, addressing Han Tao and Dai Lijun. "By the way, what about your woman? Why didn't you ask her out?"

Wang Qiqi had only prepared for four portions, assuming Han Tao would be the only one freeloading (with an extra portion saved for a late-night snack), but Han Tao had brought an unexpected tag-along.

Dai Lijun cheerfully helped carry dishes from the kitchen. "She has some matters at school today."

"Oh, Manman, dinner is ready! Stop chatting with your Old Feng for a bit," Wang Qiqi called toward Shi Man's room once everything was on the table. Honestly, they had been huddled together at lunch just hours ago, the picture of intimacy, and now she was already deep into a long phone call again. Young love was so annoying, Comrade Wang Qiqi completely forgot that she was the same age as Shi Man, and Feng Xuanxiang was older than her man, Han Tao.

Shi Man called back from her room, "Qiqi, is there any leftover food at home? I need to take some to Feng Xuanxiang later."

The food was already a little scarce, and now there was an 'out-of-hours delivery service' request. "No. If you want to give it to your man, you should personally make him a loving bento box; that shows genuine effort."

Making it herself? Shi Man was certainly tempted by Wang Qiqi’s suggestion, but the problem was, "I don't know how to cook. Besides, anything I make won't taste as good as yours." Shi Man was more worried that if her cooking tasted bad, she might actually starve Feng Xuanxiang, or worse, give him stomach trouble. The mere thought of her man suffering gastrointestinal distress because of her cooking made her expression change instantly. "Qiqi, dear Qiqi, please make a bit for me? You know my limitations. You wouldn't want our cash cow to get sick, would you?"

Wang Qiqi looked at the pitiful sight of Shi Man and truly wanted to harden her heart and refuse. She couldn't constantly cook for them, especially since Shi Man was practically starting her own household. She planned to study abroad in the States to look after her man, but given her current aptitude, when would she ever truly be able to take care of Feng Xuanxiang? "I’ll do it this once. But once your man leaves, you need to seriously learn how to cook, or I worry that when you get there, he’ll be stuck eating nothing but hamburgers for the rest of his life." Regardless of whether Feng Xuanxiang could cook, would he even have the time once he was there? Not to mention the high standards Shi Man’s parents held for their son-in-law; he was a proud man. If he had to spend his time boiling water, once or twice was fine, but if it became a habit, wouldn't that affect his mindset?

"Exactly. Look, even though Han Tao knows how to cook sometimes, Qiqi still cooks all the time," Dai Lijun chimed in earnestly, looking up. "Listen to me, as your friend and an older brother figure, I’ll put it to you from a man's perspective: even though people shout about gender equality everywhere now, the reality is that a woman's standing isn't as high as a man’s. As a man, I still hope to come home to hot food waiting for me, instead of having the miserable task of washing vegetables and tending the stove."

Although Shi Man’s face showed disdain and she appeared not to have taken in Dai Lijun’s words, she had certainly listened. "Got it, got it. I shouldn't have bothered discussing this with you old fogeys." Shi Man knew they were saying these chauvinistic things precisely because they considered her a true friend.

"Don't just acknowledge it; start learning to cook. Feng Xuanxiang is a good guy. Oh, by the way, has Juliana been in a better mood lately?" Although Dai Lijun’s relationship with most classmates was average, and he rarely paid attention to explosive news, this incident had blown up so large, and Juliana was one of the main characters in the scandal, so he had made a point to inquire a little, though he felt awkward asking Nana directly about her feelings.

"Much better. It was just a disgusting experience, I never expected it to blow up like this," Shi Man thought about teasing Dai Lijun for suddenly taking an interest in gossip—he hadn’t said a word when the rumors first surfaced, and he hadn’t shown any signs of unusual behavior. Now he was showing concern, which struck Shi Man as strange.

Listening to Shi Man and Dai Lijun recount the incident and all the swirling rumors, Wang Qiqi secretly found it amusing. Manman seemed to have found a kindred spirit; her mouth wouldn't stop moving, completely failing to notice that Dai Lijun had mostly stopped talking, only interjecting with occasional 'hmmms.' Han Tao was keeping his head down, eating steadily, but the tremor in his shoulders clearly indicated he was suppressing laughter.

Wang Qiqi quickly finished her meal and, before standing up, patted Han Tao's thigh lightly, signaling him to pay more attention. Manman was on a roll right now; if she noticed his overly obvious amusement when Manman eventually paused to rest, he would be in deep trouble.

Han Tao did find the whole thing quite entertaining, especially the way Dai Lijun kept offering these exasperated, regretful expressions. That made it even funnier for Han Tao.

Wang Qiqi, staying in the kitchen, could still hear Shi Man's incessant chatter. She really wanted to slap her forehead. She should bring everyone who called Shi Man an 'ice sculpture' at school to witness what an ice sculpture truly was. What kind of ice sculpture was this capable of such relentless talking? She was practically a nagging old woman.