The vast road was devoid of life except for occasional passing cars, and a single girl cycling down its length.

Wang Qiqi pedaled onward, pausing intermittently to consult her map. "Such an expansive layout with hardly anyone around - who's going to ask directions?" she muttered inwardly. No wonder Han Tao had looked so bewildered when she mentioned being unable to find people to inquire of - he must have known asking for help was a lost cause long before this moment. According to the map, his workplace should be somewhere in this vicinity, yet after circling these streets multiple times without success, she found herself baffled.

The oppressive heat sapped her strength, but turning back felt like admitting defeat. She'd come this far; returning empty-handed would make all the effort futile. And there was that promise - to personally deliver dinner today! If Han Tao didn't receive it, would he start fretting about some mishap along the way? Regret gnawed at her for not getting his office number beforehand, which could have prevented this anxious uncertainty.

With no option but to press on, she took a swig of water and continued cycling according to that makeshift map - despite its glaring inaccuracies in her eyes. Shaking the nearly empty mineral water bottle, she silently prayed it would last until she found Han Tao's workplace. Fortunately, shortly afterward, she finally located his destination. In fact, she'd passed by here earlier when fixated on reading the building sign without looking upward to notice the subtle plaque indicating his company. It seemed multiple businesses shared this office space with only modest branding efforts.

Given it was a shared complex, Wang Qiqi abandoned any plan to circumnavigate and inspect its scale. After all, rented or co-occupied spaces rarely warranted grand displays of architectural ambition. Better to hurry to the supermarket and stock up on supplies instead.

Carefully recalling her route home while noting prominent landmarks along the way, she reversed course toward the store. By late afternoon, exhaustion overtook her as she returned home past 1 PM. Her stomach had been protesting loudly for hours, but cooking lunch felt impossible after this exhausting trek - and with no dining companions, even basic meal preparation became a chore. She contented herself with leftover porridge before collapsing into bed for an afternoon nap.

"Losing my spring chicken vitality apparently," she mumbled from her pillow, surprised at how drained she felt despite the leisurely pace she'd maintained. A thought about future transcontinental cycling adventures made her groan - physical conditioning was clearly required. As drowsiness claimed her, dreams of exotic travel with Shi Man danced through her mind.

In her slumber, she savored delectable meals in faraway lands while third-wheel Feng Xuanxiang inexplicably remained absent from the dreamscapes. But this idyll shattered abruptly as a nightmare took hold -

"Ah!" She jolted upright, clutching her chest to steady her racing heart. "How could I possibly dream about being prohibited from traveling?" The mental image haunted her: someone gravely informing Han Tao that due to circumstances beyond their control, he'd have to cancel the trip. And Feng Xuanxiang, that cad of a friend, would naturally opt for additional company time with him!

It took several minutes to rationalize this absurdity away. Shi Man's meticulous planning - including that thick itinerary notebook she'd compiled - made cancellation unthinkable. Dreams often worked in reverse anyway...

After preparing some dishes, Wang Qiqi neatly packed them into specially purchased lunch boxes before setting off again toward Han Tao's office. With the route memorized from earlier, the evening delivery proved considerably easier than morning's navigational ordeal.

Following security instructions, she ascended to his floor only to discover it housed just one company, its modest plaque dwarfed by grander corporate identities elsewhere. Standing indecisively at the entrance made her feel ridiculous - had Mary in reception noticed her awkward hesitation?

"Excuse me," she offered with a bright smile as she approached the front desk. "Is Harry available? My name is Angel, his girlfriend."

Mary's eyes widened in surprise to hear fluent English from this unexpected visitor claiming to be Harry's girlfriend. Earlier rumors about his charming Chinese partner had seemed exaggerated when colleagues returned from the barbecue welcoming back Han Tao - but now those tales appeared grounded in truth. She quickly dialed his extension.

"Thank you," Wang Qiqi said as she shifted her weight, suddenly aware of her prolonged staring at the entrance. "I was worried I might have gone to the wrong place."

Mary now understood why this young woman had looked so disoriented - she'd simply been uncertain whether she was in the right spot. "Not at all," she reassured, glancing curiously at the lunch box.

"A home-cooked dinner for Harry," Wang Qiqi explained with an apologetic pause. "I have nothing else to do these days."

While Mary had expected a personal delivery from his girlfriend, she still found it amusing - the office provided evening meals after all! The mysterious cuisine had impressed everyone at last month's potluck; colleagues raved about this angelic wife candidate's culinary talents.

"Chinese food?" Mary managed through her mental calculations of which coworkers might be hungry enough to appreciate such a gesture...

Wang Qiqi nodded, declining further discussion despite the curious glances she knew were coming from foreign colleagues who valued directness in communication. She worried about potential repercussions - occasional meals were one thing, but the implications of becoming an office cook...

Han Tao, meanwhile, had begun worrying when his expected visitor failed to arrive. He'd immediately considered possible accidents given her insistence on delivering dinner personally. Remembering he hadn't provided his workplace number made matters worse as calls to their home went unanswered. When Mary's call finally reached him, he nearly launched himself off his chair in excitement.

The sudden outburst startled colleagues engrossed in work. "What's up? Did you solve that tough case?" they asked skeptically before catching sight of Han Tao's grinning face as he dashed away with a single sentence: "My girlfriend brought me dinner!"

John, witnessing this display, found himself smirking at his friend's frugality. Wasn't Chinese hospitality supposed to be legendary? He'd have to discuss this later, but first - greetings for Angel were in order!

Approaching reception where Mary and Angel were chatting amicably, Han Tao called out, "Qiqi!"

Smiling at the sight of him, Wang Qiqi quickly handed over the lunch box with a reminder. "Remember to return the container after eating." She didn't know whether she could enter the office area - if Han Tao insisted on showing her around and colleagues saw their domestic arrangements, that might cause awkwardness for both of them...

Han Tao frowned at his girlfriend's hasty departure. "Don't you want to sit inside?" He'd wanted to show her where he worked anyway.

"Really?" Wang Qiqi blinked in surprise as Han Tao affectionately ruffled her hair before receiving a pointed look in return - this was becoming familiar territory for them both.

No sooner had they stepped into the office area than several men burst out, causing a startled reaction from Wang Qiqi. They quickly parted to create space while turning their attention immediately toward Han Tao's lunch box... which he hastily shielded behind his back with predatory protectiveness. This was home-cooked love - not for sharing!

John watched this possessive display unfold and shook his head in amusement at the frugality of his friend, who'd clearly misunderstood Chinese hospitality norms. A meaningful glance exchanged between them promised future discussions while Han Tao sighed in resignation. Some cultural education would be required here... but for Angel's sake, he resolved to endure it all.