Gong Yiying had no idea what she was thinking. But at least she had met a truly loyal foreigner, right? Wang Qiqi had initially assumed that based on the foreigner's aloof actions that day, he would either break up with Gong Yiying or just play around, certainly never taking her abroad. She hadn't expected her to be so lucky. "But was it Gong Yiying who suggested going abroad, or..."

"It was supposedly Gong Yiying's idea, but the foreigner agreed," Shi Man whispered. "Now, quite a few people at school are saying how lucky Gong Yiying is to have such a great opportunity. Jin Ran has completely forgotten the criticism Gong Yiying faced when this whole thing first broke out. Shi Man truly doesn't understand what goes on in those people's minds; one moment they think Gong Yiying is terrible, the next they envy her."

"If the foreigner hadn't taken Gong Yiying abroad, see how many people would have envied her? They might have just said she was out of her mind, throwing away a promising boyfriend for some foreigner," Wang Qiqi yawned. "I'm tired; I need to rest. Oh, right, Manman, I'll wake you up at six-thirty tomorrow morning."

With that, Wang Qiqi grabbed a towel and went to shower, while Han Tao swiftly rushed into the room to help her pack up her bedding. Shi Man watched the man scrambling to flatter Wang Qiqi. "Han Tao, you are such a... domestically capable man. But you're going to spoil Qiqi by taking such good care of her. Fine, she won't admit she's jealous. Although Feng Xuanxiang is much more romantic than Han Tao, Wang Qiqi and Han Tao spend nine months of the year huddled together, while she is about to be separated from Feng Xuanxiang by distance. Who knows if the time they spend reunited will even amount to three months in a year?" Shi Man paused. "Oh, and you should watch out. Deng Zhi used to pursue Wang Qiqi. Rumor has it he might be shifting targets... As for the specifics, sorry, Shi Man doesn't have such powerful intelligence sources, so she really doesn't know much, but even this little bit is enough for her to deduce things."

"Shifting to Qiqi?" Han Tao found that strange. "Wasn't he pursuing Juliana before?" This man was despicable in Han Tao's eyes. He clearly possessed some ability, but look at his conduct—cheating on the woman he lived with was one thing, but the fact that his target kept changing, especially to people he couldn't obtain, confused Han Tao. "But wasn't he trying to chase a young lady from a rich family? Qiqi is an orphan without parents," he muttered, thinking of how many people viewed Qiqi as parentless, perhaps not well-off, which is why she worked part-time jobs to earn money.

"Actually, a lot of people at school know that Qiqi owns property in the Capital now," Shi Man said in a low voice. "That news only surfaced recently." As for who leaked the information, Shi Man felt it was better left unsaid. Since only this small circle knew about Qiqi buying a house, one could easily guess the culprit. This person infuriated Shi Man; it was too much. The very person who distanced herself was the one who pulled such a trick behind her back. Did she really think Cao Rui would appreciate all the things she did for him?

Han Tao immediately thought of who betrayed Qiqi. "Don't tell Qiqi. If she finds out, it will definitely make her unhappy." Even though Jiang Xin didn't interact with Qiqi much anymore, Wang Qiqi still considered the girl a friend. If she learned that Jiang Xin had sold her out, her heart would become even more guarded. When Wang Qiqi emerged from the bathroom and saw Shi Man and Han Tao huddled together, she found it odd. She wondered what these two were whispering about behind her back and crept closer, intending to eavesdrop. She didn't expect it to be about this matter. Honestly, after hearing Shi Man's words, Wang Qiqi felt a pang of deep sadness for a moment. She couldn't believe Jiang Xin would do something like this for Cao Rui. Did she truly lack judgment? Or was she retaliating? Wang Qiqi had noticed several times the look of lingering attachment, even regret, Jiang Xin cast towards Dai Lijun, especially after learning Dai Lijun had a girlfriend. She had asked Wang Qiqi several times about how Dai Lijun and his girlfriend were doing. When she heard his relationship was progressing smoothly, her expression was particularly strange, giving Wang Qiqi an unsettling feeling. You’re cozy with your own boyfriend, can’t you let your secret crush find a new start with someone else? Was that the reason Jiang Xin betrayed her? Although Wang Qiqi kept trying to reassure herself, the facts spoke volumes, making it difficult for her not to feel hurt. "I heard everything," Wang Qiqi said, snapping back to awareness. Hearing her man instructing Manman not to tell her, she stood up and spoke softly, "I'm not a child anymore. I know right from wrong. Don't worry, I’m not that fragile."

After saying that, Wang Qiqi drifted into her room to prepare for sleep. Honestly, Wang Qiqi felt utterly chaotic inside, more unsettled than ever. They had been close before, and Jiang Xin had been tight-lipped. Plus, since Jiang Xin visited often, it was hard to hide things from her, which is how she learned about the house in the Capital in the first place. Who knew she would tell her man? Perhaps she assumed her man was discreet. But didn't she know that when two men are interested in the same woman—Juliana—they would absolutely try to eliminate the competition? Now that Cao Rui knew, wouldn't he exploit it? The problem was, Wang Qiqi suspected that not only Cao Rui but also Deng Zhi knew she owned property in the Capital. It might blow up into a huge storm in two or three days. The thought of the looks from her classmates then, and the swarm of people who thought they could latch onto a rich woman, gave Wang Qiqi a terrible headache.

Han Tao and Shi Man were surprised that Wang Qiqi showered so quickly tonight. Her expression—almost cold, or as if she were listening to something completely irrelevant to her—made them feel strange and deeply uneasy. "Qiqi, is everything alright?" Shi Man asked worriedly. For Qiqi, friends were worth trusting, but only after passing many tests. While Shi Man felt Jiang Xin was still a fair distance from being Qiqi's true friend, she still knew many things about Qiqi. Everyone thought that apart from her questionable choices in men, she was otherwise fine. But this? Sigh... Shi Man mused that if it were her, she would have exploded with anger long ago, or at least wouldn't be this quiet without immediately confronting the person. "Han Tao, maybe you should go check on her..." Shi Man worried that Qiqi might be a dormant volcano; her expression was calm, but the internal fury might be surging outward. If they asked her how she was later, she might erupt. It was better for her intimate partner to inquire.

Han Tao had been itching to go in for a while, but Shi Man’s presence had restrained him. Hearing Shi Man suggest it, he immediately sprang up. As he took that first hurried step, he suddenly slowed. "Are you absolutely sure about this information?" Han Tao was still dazed; he felt the news was just too explosive.

Shi Man nodded. "Credibility is ninety percent." Truthfully, when classmates asked her today, she had been stunned and didn't know how to answer. Thankfully, even though her mind went blank, she at least knew to ask them how they found out.

Han Tao grunted an "Oh," nodded, and gently walked to Wang Qiqi’s door. He softly pushed it open and found Wang Qiqi leaning quietly against the wall, reading a book. Everything looked peaceful, just like her routine before sleep. But Han Tao sensed something unusual. It was as if Qiqi had received a rush job, preparing for an all-nighter by showering early. Translating required Qiqi's total immersion, and her current demeanor showed she was far from calm; her mind was deeply troubled.

"I am very unhappy," Wang Qiqi said, hearing the door open. Knowing they were worried about her, she dropped the pretense. Without even lifting her head, she stated, "I truly never expected Jiang Xin to be like this. What good does this do her? It’s infuriating just thinking about it. I really wonder what she'll think if, down the road, her man Cao Rui finds a better woman and dumps her..."

Han Tao listened to the slightly resentful tone in Wang Qiqi’s voice. Although what she said sounded a bit harsh, it was quite understandable coming from Qiqi.

After Han Tao went in, Shi Man cautiously moved closer to Qiqi's door to listen to the sounds inside. When she heard what Wang Qiqi said, she almost laughed. Who said Qiqi was a pushover? Let them hear what Qiqi was saying now. Still, venting it out was better than keeping it bottled up.

Since Qiqi seemed to be coping, Shi Man slowly backed away from the door and settled on the sofa to read. Juliana walked in carrying a stack of files and noticed Han Tao's shoes were still there. "Han Tao hasn't left yet?" It was already past nine o'clock. Why was he still here? Han Tao was usually quite punctual about leaving at a set time.

Shi Man shushed her and quietly told Juliana what she had gathered today. "Han Tao is inside comforting Qiqi right now."

Juliana became enraged upon hearing this. She dumped her files in the study. "I think she truly has no brain. Hmph. It looks like she’s been having too easy a life; perhaps she needs to be too busy to get involved in these matters." Juliana had hesitated to act before, thinking the girl was pitiful, but clearly, pity was misplaced. She was a modern-day snake among farmers. As for how to cause trouble, Juliana had entertained some rather drastic ideas before but hadn't pursued them. Now, she was ready to pick up where she left off.

Shi Man’s interest was piqued upon hearing this. She immediately scurried over. "Ju-Liana, did you come up with a good idea? Tell me?" How could she miss out on something fun? Shi Man was always the most interested in entertaining schemes. (To be continued)