Shi Man held Wang Qiqi, desperately trying to rub Qiqi's tears into her own shoulder, weeping, "Qiqi, I'm going to miss you." Having eaten the meals Qiqi had cooked these past few days, Shi Man suddenly realized her own cooking was utterly mediocre. The thought of returning home to fast food or her own disastrous attempts at Chinese cuisine made her regret not sticking with cooking; otherwise, she wouldn't be starving now.

Wang Qiqi knew Shi Man wasn't thinking clearly while hugging her. Feeling her clothes growing slightly damp, Qiqi realized this wasn't a drill. She struggled free, "Use a tissue for your tears, my clothes are not your handkerchief." Hmph, Qiqi had originally planned to invite someone to her place for a relaxing couple of days, but now that "benefit" was gone. "Alright, your plane is boarding soon, hurry up and go."

Shi Man certainly knew boarding time was approaching; the announcements had already started. What annoyed her was Qiqi's dismissive attitude, actively trying to push her away. "Qiqi, you've changed from how you used to be. The old you would have at least offered some comfort." For instance, she had clearly mentioned that during her time in the States, the only decent meals she'd eaten were those she shared with Qiqi—and only when Qiqi was cooking. Normally, even the coldest Qiqi, hearing Shi Man say this repeatedly, especially at a tearful airport farewell, would at least offer superficial courtesies, like suggesting she visit Boston or inviting Shi Man over. Why hadn't Qiqi mentioned anything? This was highly unusual.

Suddenly, Shi Man wondered if this was a case of absence making the heart grow fonder, and Qiqi was eager to see Han Tao soon to engage in things only adults did. Thinking of this, Shi Man decided Han Tao was a scoundrel for snatching Qiqi away from her.

But it didn't matter; Shi Man thought, if Qiqi wouldn't ask, she could just show up unannounced. Didn't she know Qiqi's address? Wouldn't she just storm over there, and Qiqi couldn't possibly ignore her then? Cheered by this thought, Shi Man stopped being angry. She patted Wang Qiqi's shoulder, "I have to go. You take care too. By the way, did you tell Han Tao your flight time and arrival details?" Although Shi Man was leaving earlier, she would actually arrive home later than Qiqi.

Wang Qiqi shook her head, "No. And he's really busy lately. I'll just grab a cab from the airport myself." There was no need to make Han Tao take time off work to pick her up; it would be a waste of money. She'd rather use that time to earn more.

Shi Man pursed her lips, silently mocking how the wealthier people were often the most calculating. "I'm having Feng Xuanxiang pick me up." Although Shi Man sounded deliberately spoiled, acting like a pampered lady, even if she hadn't asked Feng Xuanxiang, the other person wouldn't feel at ease. Her flight arrived around one in the morning, a time when neither Wang Qiqi nor Feng Xuanxiang felt comfortable with a young woman taking a taxi home alone.

"That’s good then. Message me online when you get home." Wang Qiqi gave Shi Man a final hug. If nothing unexpected happened, their next meeting would likely be when everyone returned to the country. "Take good care of yourself. I don't want to see a bag of bones when I get back."

How could that happen? "Don't worry. Didn't you say, Qiqi, that eating too much fast food turns you into a fat pig sooner or later?" Shi Man wouldn't have believed it before, but having spent these months in the US, she noticed how many overweight people there were. Wang Qiqi, who had a bit of soft flesh and was considered quite slender, was a good example. Observing the diets of those heavy people, Shi Man deeply felt that what Qiqi said held truth. Of course, she was only staying in the US for two months this time, and Shi Man was careful, taking walks and exploring every day, so she was confident about her figure. However, if she were to stay in the US long-term, Shi Man thought she would either have to cook for herself or be mindful of her health—perhaps doing odd jobs like walking dogs for neighbors in the same complex, which would both earn money and provide exercise.

Stumped by Shi Man’s retort, Qiqi scanned her up and down. It was indeed a distinct possibility. "Alright, exercise is important, but a little meat on a girl is what men prefer. It feels better to touch." Wang Qiqi looked at Shi Man with a suggestive gaze. "Okay, stop wasting time, I need to head to my gate now too."

Wang Qiqi paid the taxi fare and returned to her rented place, only to find the three-story house completely dark. It was clear no one was around. Qiqi assumed her man must be working overtime. Carrying luggage that felt significantly heavier than when she left, Wang Qiqi slowly made her way to the attic apartment. The moment she opened the door, a smell almost made her pass out.

Wang Qiqi fumbled for the light switch and quickly threw open the door and windows. "My goodness, how has anyone lived here with this stench?" As fresh air rushed in, the atmosphere in the room slowly improved, though a lingering odor remained. Wang Qiqi truly admired the other person’s sense of smell.

Without examining things too closely, Wang Qiqi located the source of the stench: several bowls on the dining table. Two of them seemed entirely covered in mold. If not for the shape, she might have admired the mold's growth, but the patterns clearly indicated one thing: "He hasn't been leaving the unit these past few days, has he?" My goodness, Wang Qiqi was shocked by this realization. In winter, staying indoors to work overtime might be understandable, but it was summer now. Even with air conditioning at work preventing sweating, it still felt strange, especially since he hadn't even washed his dishes before she left—that was revolting.

Wang Qiqi desperately wanted to throw out the two bowls obscured by mold, they were so disgusting, but she realized there weren't many dishes to begin with. Throwing them out meant buying new ones. Wang Qiqi calculated the cost and sighed, "Ugh, forget it. I'm the housewife, after all." Wang Qiqi truly wondered how Han Tao managed without her during the winter break. Was his refrigerator really stocked only with beverages, as he claimed?

After thoroughly cleaning the kitchen, Wang Qiqi surveyed the dusty interior and sighed. She skipped any rest, heading straight to the bathroom to fetch cleaning supplies to tackle the whole place. Fortunately, it seemed no cooking had been done recently; apart from the settled dust, everything else was decent, which allowed Wang Qiqi a moment of relief—a light clean should suffice.

However, Wang Qiqi soon realized her joy was premature. When she opened the bathroom door, an even fouler smell assaulted her nose. She had thought the odor from the kitchen was astonishing, but compared to the bathroom, the kitchen was trivial. Wang Qiqi opened the bathroom window and quickly shut the door. "This is polluting the air too much. Thank heavens there isn't a detector," she muttered, "or we'd be charged for sewage discharge."

Wang Qiqi rummaged through the house for a cheap rag to wipe down tables, chairs, and the sofa. First, she stripped the bed in the bedroom, throwing the linens directly into the washing machine. Despite being nauseated by the bathroom fumes moments ago, she spotted two pairs of trousers and several T-shirts in there, unsure if they were clean. She guessed they were what the man changed into upon returning home to shower. Wang Qiqi seriously questioned whether she had spoiled him too much recently, making him accustomed to having everything handled for him. "Men really can't be spoiled," she thought, looking at her current disheveled state as proof.

After wiping down the seating, sofa, and bookshelves, Wang Qiqi pinched her nose and rushed into the bathroom to retrieve the mop. Thankfully, the smell in the bathroom had lessened somewhat by then, bringing Wang Qiqi great relief. "It's a good thing the landlord couple went out, otherwise, cleaning like this in the middle of the night might earn us a complaint, or worse, the police showing up."

When Wang Qiqi finally finished her labors, hung the sheets and duvet covers to dry, and loaded the man's clothes into the washer for another cycle, she finally permitted herself to sit down for a brief rest. Naturally, she didn't forget to log online and leave Shi Man a message confirming her safe arrival. Wang Qiqi had initially wanted to complain online about the hardship of just getting home, but she decided against it; it was better to save her man some face.

While Wang Qiqi lamented her difficult fate inside, Han Tao, returning from his late-night overtime shift, felt utterly drained. He thanked his colleagues with a yawn and headed toward his room. "The place must be filthy. I can't reveal myself today; I need to wash the dishes and clothes first. Checking the date, Qiqi should be back." Han Tao mumbled to himself as he walked toward the stairs, failing to notice the light shining from the attic—the one place that should have been dark tonight.

Han Tao shuffled to the entrance, one step dragging after the other. Only then did he sense something was amiss. The door was shut, but a window was open, and light was leaking out. His first thought was that a burglar had broken in. But then he reconsidered: what thief would be that brazen? Could it be...?

Thinking this, Han Tao felt a surge of joy. He quickly fumbled for his key and opened the door. As expected, he saw Wang Qiqi busy by the stove. He casually dropped his laptop bag onto the dining table, then grabbed Wang Qiqi and enveloped her in a hug, peppering kisses all over her face. Han Tao’s hands weren't idle either; he touched and stroked here and there. "Qiqi, you’re finally back. I missed you, I missed you so much..."

Wang Qiqi had actually known someone was back the moment the footsteps reached the door. However, given the man’s current dramatic display, Qiqi hadn't reacted. But she never expected him to be this bold. (To be continued)