Lu Qiaowei followed behind Dai Lijun, looking at his empty-handed state for two years, a vein throbbing in her temple. Although her boyfriend was on good terms with Wang Qiqi and the others, and they often had group dinners, those were always held out. This was only Lu Qiaowei’s second time visiting Wang Qiqi’s place after meeting them, and Wang Qiqi had specifically invited her over, promising to cook something delicious. How could one arrive empty-handed? No matter how close they were, this just wasn't right.

Dai Lijun stood at Wang Qiqi’s doorway, turning to see his girlfriend’s displeased expression. He chuckled, “Don’t worry, not bringing anything is the right move. There’s no need to be so formal with Qiqi and them. In the future, if they come to our place, they’ll descend like a plague of locusts, sweeping up all our good food and drink, and they won't bring anything either. So, we need to make sure we eat our fill now to balance the scales. Politeness is necessary, but when you’re this close to Wang Qiqi and the others, being overly ceremonial just feels artificial and fake.”

Lu Qiaowei couldn't help but laugh at what Dai Lijun said, lightly hitting his shoulder. “You certainly keep track of things.” Although Dai Lijun was a good person and treated her well, Lu Qiaowei always felt a persistent sense of unease. She had initially thought she had found a simpleton who would stay in the country for work or graduate school—the latter being more likely, as he had mentioned his desire for further studies. However, as Lu Qiaowei joined Dai Lijun for meals with Han Tao and the others, she gleaned from their conversations that her boyfriend planned to study abroad next year. Like Gong Junyu, Lu Qiaowei knew studying overseas would be beneficial for Dai Lijun’s future career planning. Han Tao had already explored that path, and the simpleton had sworn he wouldn't change his mind. But she genuinely didn't know how this relationship was supposed to progress. She was only in her first year of university; she still had three years before she could graduate and potentially go abroad herself. Even if the simpleton left in a year, they would be separated for two years—and two years could change everything.

The shadow of worry on Lu Qiaowei’s face vanished in an instant, and the busy Dai Lijun, trying to evade his girlfriend’s gentle punches, didn't notice. “I absolutely need to calculate things carefully. For the sake of our future little family, I must be meticulous. Otherwise, how will I support my wife and our future children?” Before, Dai Lijun was on his own, managing both his family remittances and the money he earned from programming; he never considered finances a problem. But since starting a relationship, Dai Lijun understood that romance required spending money. Of course, this wasn't a huge financial strain for the simpleton, but thinking about the future expenses of supporting a family, Dai Lijun was preparing to learn about investment. However, the so-called K-line charts and financial reports were gibberish to him. Still, Wang Qiqi was right: such matters had to be entrusted to professionals. Even though Wang Qiqi studied finance, she still delegated tasks to Mu Xuanxiang.

Lu Qiaowei smiled, choosing not to dwell on that topic. “Alright, let’s go in. Didn’t you say you wanted to feast?” Living in the moment, perhaps she should give the simpleton some confidence. As her friends pointed out, sometimes the simpleton was truly just that—simple. His words were blunt, and he was terrible at flattery. Lu Qiaowei had initially been drawn to his honest, straightforward nature, having seen enough people whose mouths dripped with honey to last a lifetime.

Wang Qiqi was busy in the kitchen, while Shi Man rushed back and forth between the kitchen and the living room. Seeing the simpleton and Lu Qiaowei behind him, she immediately squealed, “Weiwei, you’re here! I haven’t seen you out much lately. Is your first year coursework keeping you busy?” It reminded her of when she was a freshman. But in reality, everyone was busy with things outside of studying—like Qiqi and herself reading foreign literature and travelogues, and Zhu Lina being occupied with her internship at her unit.

Lu Qiaowei smiled faintly. “I was interning with the department student union for a while.” Hearing this, Shi Man looked at Lu Qiaowei with surprise. After a long pause, she gave her a thumbs-up. “Impressive, impressive! You’re the best among us.” Shi Man used to joke that although they were all talented individuals, none of them were particularly proactive when it came to team activities. She never expected Dai Lijun’s girlfriend to possess leadership qualities.

Lu Qiaowei felt a little embarrassed by Shi Man’s praise. What made her the ‘best’? She wasn’t sure what Shi Man meant by that statement.

Wang Qiqi poked her head out of the kitchen to greet Lu Qiaowei. “Weiwei, keep up the good work with your student union internship. It will be a huge help when you go to study in the US later. Foreigners place a lot of value on these kinds of team activities, which is a shame because our country doesn't emphasize it as much. Besides, Wang Qiqi has much more important things to focus on.” “Study in the US?” Lu Qiaowei’s mouth dropped open. No way. To be honest, she had never envisioned herself reaching that point. Studying abroad wasn’t easy, and her family wasn't in a financial position to support her going overseas. As for scholarships, she didn’t feel capable of earning one.

“If you don’t study abroad, are you just going to stay here and take care of the simpleton’s daily needs?” Shi Man found this perplexing. “You should definitely continue your education. Don’t worry. The simpleton will certainly be able to support you.” Shi Man wondered if the simpleton had even discussed this issue with Lu Qiaowei. What kind of person was this guy?

Dai Lijun caught Shi Man’s odd glance. Honestly, although he hadn't fully discussed the matter with Lu Qiaowei, he assumed she understood his intentions. “Supporting my wife is a given, but…,” Dai Lijun started, intending to say something to Lu Qiaowei, but he noticed Wang Qiqi, who should have been back in the kitchen, staring at him with bright eyes. As for Shi Man, it was even worse; she pretended to tidy the dining table, constantly hovering nearby. Heaven knew there was hardly anything on the table—just a few plates—but she kept moving them around unnecessarily. “Let’s discuss this after we eat dinner.”

Wang Qiqi and Shi Man, realizing the show was over, could only smile and leave Dai Lijun’s side to return to their tasks. “Don’t worry, we will definitely grow old together.” Dai Lijun quietly discussed the issue with Lu Qiaowei, and then started talking with Wang Qiqi about the grand spectacle of her cousin’s wedding.

“It was quite lively, but also quite exhausting,” Wang Qiqi said. Although she hadn't visited Wang Damei’s house on the third day, Gong Peixing mentioned Song Ziwen’s embarrassing display on his wedding day when he dropped them off at the station. Those people actually crashed Song Ziwen’s home for the wedding night pranks. In short, all of Song Ziwen’s perfect plans were ruined. “My cousin must have done too many bad things in the past; his wedding night was wasted,” Wang Qiqi thought, imagining Song Ziwen was probably so frustrated he felt like vomiting.

Hearing Wang Qiqi’s schadenfreude, Shi Man and the others gathered again by the kitchen door, listening to Wang Qiqi recount the details of the wedding night pranks. However, Wang Qiqi had only heard fragments from Gong Peixing, some of which were unsuitable for younger ears—Gong Peixing wouldn't tell Wang Qiqi everything.

Shi Man, being a girl, heard the supposed wedding night pranks and offered no comment. But Dai Lijun was dissatisfied. “That barely counts as wedding night mischief; it’s too low-level,” he blurted out, immediately suggesting a few more ruthless methods for hazing the groom.

Wang Qiqi listened as Dai Lijun spoke about the pranks without batting an eye, thinking only one thing: when she got married, she absolutely wouldn't let this kid pull any stunts; it would cause serious trouble.

“What, you think that’s harsh?” Dai Lijun spoke enthusiastically. When he stopped to catch his breath, ready to continue, he noticed Wang Qiqi and Shi Man’s expressions had turned strange. “If you don’t prank them, how can it be called hazing? I heard some places are even more intense.”

“Even more intense?” Shi Man thought, teasing the groom was one thing, but why involve the bride? “When I get married, I’m absolutely forbidding you all from joining the pranks. Someone could die!” Although she reasoned that educated people wouldn't cross the line, if a simpleton like him was involved, he’d surely go wild. As for any talk of 'revenge' later, he certainly wouldn't think that far ahead. “Oh, no—I mean, no wedding banquet.” The day of the banquet was exhausting enough. Just get the license, have a dinner with both sets of parents, treat close relatives to a small meal, and then go traveling. Spending that much money to be comfortable and go wherever you want is much better.

Shi Man’s statement wasn't believable to Wang Qiqi, nor to Dai Lijun. “Qiqi not having a banquet might be possible, but you…” Aren't Shi Man’s parents officials? After spending so much money before, wouldn't they want to recoup some of it? Plus, when the daughter of a superior gets married, how could subordinates fail to show loyalty with a generous gift?

“At most, we’ll hold separate events. Will my parents’ colleagues and friends really prank me?” Shi Man conceded the point. Her parents would never let their only daughter have such a meager send-off.

“Actually, the key is just not inviting the simpleton. I think everyone else is civilized and wouldn’t do anything stupid, but the simpleton is different. You know how sometimes he acts incredibly dense,” Wang Qiqi said very seriously. “But then again, if we have fewer guests, we save on gifts. We should invite the simpleton, get him drinking by noon, and sit him next to someone who can hold their liquor. Then we can just get him completely drunk.” Wang Qiqi offered this very practical suggestion.

Dai Lijun was dumbfounded. He pointed at Wang Qiqi several times. “The most venomous heart belongs to a woman! I’ve truly learned a profound lesson today. I thought Wang Qiqi was a good person, but I never expected her to come up with an idea like this. If Gong Junyu and the others heard this, would they treat me the same way too? Wouldn’t I miss out on all the good gossip? If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have brought up wedding night pranks in the first place. I didn't gain any benefits but ended up stirring up trouble for myself.”

(To be continued)