Wang Qiqi, Shi Man, and Juliana slowly headed home after bidding farewell to Dai Lijun and the others, carrying their takeout containers. "Is Lu Qiaowei acting a bit strange today?" Shi Man suddenly remarked as they neared the doorway.

"She is acting strange. I feel like she’s not as uninhibited as before, constrained somehow." Juliana had sensed something was off during the day but hadn't given it much thought. Now that even Shi Man mentioned it, Wang Qiqi beside them nodded emphatically, confirming it wasn't just her imagination.

"Did Daizi take her back to his hometown during the summer break?" Wang Qiqi recalled Daizi mentioning something like that when he was emailing Han Tao.

Shi Man nodded, humming in agreement. "But that was Daizi's home; she wouldn't need to be so reserved around us." Shi Man wondered if Lu Qiaowei was worried that she might speak ill of her in front of Daizi. She’s overthinking it, Shi Man thought.

Juliana suddenly remembered something. "A few days ago, when I was out, I saw Daizi with Jiang Xin." She hadn't paid it much mind then, but connecting the dots now, a thought surfaced: "She must be feeling insecure, wondering if she's losing him. But then again, if it were me, knowing the boyfriend has such a good family background, plus being so capable, how could I possibly let such a great man go?"

Wang Qiqi and Shi Man paid little attention to Juliana’s latter commentary; what concerned them was: "It’s summer break, so why is Jiang Xin in the capital?" Jiang Xin didn't rent a place in Beijing, nor did they hear she found a summer job. Why would she come to the capital so early? "Could it be that she hasn't given up on Daizi, thinking he's still the better choice, and that's why she’s back?"

Shi Man was speechless regarding Jiang Xin's behavior. After opening the door and stepping inside, she turned on the air conditioning, seething with indignation. "What do we do about Jiang Xin? We can't control her, but how can Daizi still be meeting with her? Didn't Daizi promise last time he wouldn't have much contact with Jiang Xin anymore?" If Lu Qiaowei hadn't entered the picture, Shi Man might have grudgingly accepted Daizi dealing with Jiang Xin again, as it would be his choice. But the issue was that Daizi now had a girlfriend; what was Jiang Xin’s behavior all about?

"Manman, we need to talk to Daizi when there's time," Wang Qiqi suggested, feeling Daizi needed a serious realization about his actions. While Daizi had the freedom to associate with women, the problem was that Jiang Xin’s current mindset seemed set on snatching Dai Lijun away from Lu Qiaowei. Wang Qiqi couldn't tell if Jiang Xin genuinely liked Daizi, or if, feeling slighted after Cao Rui dumped her and seeing him quickly find a new love, she was turning back to this 'backup plan' out of spite. Whatever the reason, Daizi needed to clearly understand his own feelings. If he liked Jiang Xin, he needed to be clear with her. If he didn't like Jiang Xin, he needed to be clear with her too. "This ambiguous attitude of his is going to hurt everyone involved."

Shi Man hummed, realizing that whoever she spoke to last time hadn't taken it in at all, or perhaps hadn't grasped the seriousness of the situation, or maybe the tone hadn't been firm enough. "But you also need to talk to Jiang Xin. Knowing the other person has a girlfriend, why is she still pestering him?" It wasn't Daizi pursuing her; what was her deal?

Juliana listened quietly as Wang Qiqi and Shi Man discussed Daizi and Jiang Xin. Hearing their voices grow increasingly agitated, she suddenly interjected. "Jiang Xin is also looking for a man with good prospects and a promising future. If Daizi didn't meet those requirements, would she even spare him a glance?" Juliana was actually one of the clearer observers regarding why Jiang Xin had returned to Daizi. Daizi was already a notable figure on campus, and everyone was certain he would study abroad; everyone renting this apartment, save for Daizi and Han Tao, was heading across the ocean this summer. As for Han Tao, he was definitely going abroad in two years. This was hot gossip on campus, and Jiang Xin, with her myriad of information sources, couldn't possibly be unaware of how many students envied Lu Qiaowei's good fortune.

Wang Qiqi and Shi Man fell silent, as Juliana's words were the stark truth. "People grow, we are growing, and so is Jiang Xin," Wang Qiqi sighed, acknowledging that Jiang Xin had simply chosen what she felt was the right path for herself.

"How about we set up Jiang Xin with a man who is even better than Daizi?" Shi Man's mind worked quickly, suddenly throwing out an idea. Didn't Jiang Xin just want to find a man better than Cao Rui to prove her own charm? Then they knew where to direct their efforts.

Wang Qiqi immediately thought: Yes, that’s a good idea, a brilliant idea. But when it came to candidates, she looked sheepishly at Juliana along with Shi Man. The men they knew who were capable and well-off were few, and most of those who existed were already taken. Juliana was different; she knew so many people, she could surely find a good catch among them.

Seeing their expectant gazes, Juliana immediately waved her hands. "Don't look at me, don't look at me! I went through enough trouble trying to find a promising girl for Cao Rui before. If you ask me to find another one now, where am I supposed to look?" There was one thing Juliana truly hesitated to say: If there's a truly capable and well-connected man, why shouldn't I keep him for myself? Juliana thought she was, after all, single; why should all the good ones go to others?

Wang Qiqi and Shi Man were stunned by the information Juliana had just revealed. What? Cao Rui's current girlfriend was introduced by Juliana? No way! "Ah, you didn't! You were the reason for Daizi’s current predicament..." Wang Qiqi hadn't expected Juliana to be the catalyst for Daizi's situation. But Wang Qiqi understood Juliana’s feelings. Cao Rui was practically a persistent leech, never actually confessing his feelings, always maintaining that air of needing advice. No matter how annoyed Juliana was, she couldn't publicly rebuke him, or public opinion would side with Cao Rui, especially since Juliana was perceived as a wealthy young lady whose temper was allowed to be a bit sharp.

Shi Man was surprised at first, but quickly burst into happy, excited laughter, slapping the sofa. She then rushed over to Juliana and planted several hard kisses on her cheek. "Nana, you are the best! You should have dealt with Cao Rui like that. By the way, does that girl genuinely like Cao Rui? I really want to see the look on that person's face when he gets dumped by that girl." It would be hilarious, though there was the slight possibility that he might then turn his attention back to Nana, which would be troublesome.

"But Nana," Wang Qiqi worried, "what if the other person genuinely falls for Cao Rui? Wouldn't that just let him off easy?" Wang Qiqi worried about the other possibility: if he managed to sweet-talk the woman into marrying him, wouldn't Cao Rui really get away with it?

Juliana had initially expected Qiqi and Shi Man to criticize her a little, since her actions did aim at breaking up a potential relationship. But to her surprise, neither of them had any objections; instead, they both looked as if to say Well done, Nana! They were practically giving her a thumbs-up. This caused Juliana, who had been holding this secret and feeling awkward about sharing it with friends, a great wave of relief. As for Shi Man's suggestion and Qiqi's concern, Juliana smiled mysteriously. "Don't worry. That girl has a fiancé. It was arranged by her family. That man is currently studying abroad and will return in two years, at which point they will become engaged and marry." As she spoke, Juliana let out a sigh of realization. If her own parents hadn't been relatively open-minded, she might have ended up like that girl, a piece in a family alliance. Whether the young couple had feelings for each other was none of the elders’ business; they simply needed to solidify relationships through marriage alliances. "Regardless of whether she likes Cao Rui later, at most, he will only be..."

"...A lover," Shi Man happily cut in, knowing Nana wouldn't be that kind to help Cao Rui. "But we shouldn't introduce any boys of that caliber to Jiang Xin," Shi Man said after a moment of thought. "No matter what, Jiang Xin is a girl. It’s one thing for a boy to be abandoned, but for a girl, heaven knows if she can handle that kind of blow. If something unexpected happens, we’d truly be the villains."

"I know that," Juliana replied. "But honestly, boys with good credentials are highly sought after. If that girl didn't already have a fiancé, do you think Cao Rui could have hooked her so easily?" Juliana recalled the look on Cao Rui's face when he saw the woman Juliana had deliberately set out as bait. Juliana truly didn't know how to describe him. Before, he had presented himself as a true gentleman, only restrained from overtly pursuing Juliana because of his existing girlfriend. But turning around and adopting a different expression toward another young woman made Juliana genuinely sick. It was precisely because she saw this side of Cao Rui that her guilt toward him instantly vanished. She suspected that even if Cao Rui knew the background of that woman, he would still pounce—he craved success too much. "Of course, a miracle might happen, and the girl might end up marrying him. But if that happens, his wife's family won't give them any dowry." While it sounded somewhat cruel, it could test a person's true heart.

"True," Shi Man affirmed. "Alright, alright, I need to go email my man." She wasn't sure if Feng Xuanxiang was awake enough to receive her email at this hour.

Wang Qiqi watched Shi Man run back to her room, smiled, and then headed to the kitchen to brew two cups of tea. She began catching up with Juliana on recent events. Although they had seen each other while in the US, Juliana had been very busy then, and they had only managed a brief meal together before dispersing. Previously, there were too many people around, so Wang Qiqi hadn't had a chance for a real chat with Juliana. Even the best of friendships required frequent communication to nurture feelings; otherwise, affection would naturally fade.