Wang Qiqi took out the key to Han Tao's apartment, just about to open the door, when she saw it swing open, revealing Lu Qiaowei standing at the threshold holding a cleaning rag. "You're up so early..." Alright, Wang Qiqi admitted that sounded a bit off; it was already past ten, hardly early. But whether it was the effect of sleeping too much on the plane, Wang Qiqi had chatted up Zhu Lina for ages the day before, and eventually even Shi Man, who had seriously intended to go back to her room to email her man, came out to join the conversation, turning into a grand girlfriends' marathon. Wang Qiqi wasn't sure when she had finally fallen asleep.

Dai Lijun was nestled in the living room fiddling with his treasures. With the rent hiked up, plus his girlfriend essentially moving in, all his expenses were going up, putting significant pressure on him. So, he needed to hustle and earn more money; how else could he support a wife? After all, not every man was as lucky as Han Tao, who found a rich wife. However, Dai Lijun actually felt Lu Qiaowei suited him best. Shouldn't a man support his wife? That’s where a sense of accomplishment came from. Dai Lijun couldn't imagine his future wife looking anything like Zhu Lina or the other two; or rather, if she did resemble one of them, it would truly be a nightmare.

Dai Lijun sat before the computer like a true master, genuinely savoring the comfortable life he now enjoyed. Everything was handled by his girlfriend: laundry, cooking, even the tedious cleaning tasks were taken over. Just now, upon hearing movement outside, his wife automatically went to open the door. "Who is it?" Why did it take his wife so long just to open a door?

"It's me." After greeting Lu Qiaowei and entering, Wang Qiqi saw the blockhead sprawled in the computer chair like an old landlord, with his sides piled high with snacks and drinks. "There's a world of difference between a man with a girlfriend taking care of him and one without." Moreover, the entire place was spotless. Wang Qiqi contrasted this with the old days when a bunch of guys lived here; only the chairs were relatively clean—everything else was coated in a layer of dust. Even with cleaning once a week, Wang Qiqi guessed they were lucky if it happened once a month. But looking at the bright, clean windows now, she thought it felt genuinely good. Wang Qiqi figured Lu Qiaowei was a better match for the blockhead. Even though it felt a bit like viewing her as an aunt figure, it proved the girl was diligent—definitely wife-material material. "Weiwei, don't coddle the blockhead so much in the future. Men, once you spoil them for too long, they start expecting it as their due."

Dai Lijun had initially wanted to needle Wang Qiqi a bit, intending to say this was how a proper wife should act, urging her to take notes on how to care for Han Tao later. But before he could utter a word, Qiqi began sowing discord. "Qiqi, what do you mean by that? If you don't want to be a good wife, don't come here to poison Weiwei's mind." Oh, damn it, Dai Lijun thought, he needed to be careful. He absolutely couldn't let Weiwei mix too much with those three; what if they taught her bad habits? Dai Lijun definitely didn't want to marry an aggressive woman.

Wang Qiqi looked at the visibly tense Dai Lijun. She hadn't actually intended any mischief initially, but seeing his defensive attitude toward her, as if she were a flood, annoyed her slightly. "Weiwei, now that you’re living here too, come over to our place for coffee and a chat when you have time. I can tell you about things in the States. That way, you won't be completely clueless if you go over later." After saying this, Wang Qiqi walked toward a closed door in the corner. As for Dai Lijun nervously cautioning Lu Qiaowei not to get close to her, Wang Qiqi decided she was in a good mood and wouldn't bother arguing with him. However, she resolved to discuss this matter with Shi Man later; some kids really needed proper guidance on how to treat friends they've known for two years—it was outrageous. Was she really such a wicked stepmother?

Watching Wang Qiqi push open the door, Dai Lijun swallowed the reminder he’d been about to give her: someone had worked late last night. Shi Man had shared the details with Dai Lijun about the lovers' quarrel that had happened in the car yesterday. To be honest, he was quite curious how things would unfold.

Wang Qiqi pushed open Han Tao's bedroom door. The curtains were drawn, and the air conditioner was working hard, though its age made the operation rather loud, causing Wang Qiqi to frown slightly. She walked to the bedside table, switched off the AC, and then pulled open the curtains.

As soon as the curtains were drawn, strong sunlight flooded in. Han Tao had actually woken up the moment Wang Qiqi entered, but he remained silent, wanting to gauge her opinion of the furniture setup. He hadn't expected her to ignore the furnishings entirely and just yank the curtains open. This was difficult for Han Tao, who had worked until midnight yesterday. "Close the curtains," he groaned.

Wang Qiqi certainly wasn't going to obey Han Tao. She yanked the covers off him. "Get up and go shopping." Seeing the comforter, which was clearly sized for a single person, made her feel deeply uncomfortable. "So many things need setting up. What were you doing last night?" It was only then Wang Qiqi noticed the dark circles under his eyes. Did he work overtime again after returning? Those people were just too awful; she was back in the country, yet they still overworked her man.

Han Tao yawned and, noticing Qiqi’s pained expression, hooked his arm around her, pulling her down onto the bed and kissing her. "JOHN emailed me. He said because my performance during the summer break was excellent, they're considering promoting me to a full-time employee status, with a salary equivalent to a full-time position. So, my responsibilities will increase significantly." Although he was about to start his junior year and the academic material would deepen, for Han Tao, this was peanuts; he could handle it easily. He planned to shift his focus further toward work. He felt spending too much time on supposed 'studies' was a waste of his time. Of course, he would still attend required classes, but some courses he wouldn't bother attending religiously.

What? A full-time employee? Wang Qiqi was stunned. Heavens, no way. Back in the States, Wang Qiqi had noticed Han Tao's weekly pay increase around August. When she asked, she learned the boss was treating him as a formal employee, but only if he worked full-time. She never expected such good treatment after returning home. While his pay, calculated by workload, wasn't meager, it couldn't compare to a formal employee's salary. Money was good, but it brought something else to Wang Qiqi's mind: "Does this mean you'll have to work overtime frequently now, staying up until dawn or morning?" The sudden question escaped her. Wang Qiqi prioritized seeing her man healthy above all else. "We don't lack those few bucks. I was thinking about growing old together with you." Working under such high intensity while keeping up with domestic coursework—it was exhausting. They weren't short of money to spend; there was no need to trade health for wealth.

"I know. JOHN also said it won't be as hectic as when I was in the States." Han Tao was happy at first; more money was certainly a plus. But he also worried if the workload remained the same as in the US, he wouldn't agree to become a full-time staffer. Classes by day and work by night—realistically, he wouldn't get four hours of sleep a day, which Han Tao found unacceptable.

"Just standard workload, with occasional overtime?" Wang Qiqi truly didn't trust JOHN’s assurances. When were capitalists ever that generous? If the tasks piled up, how could Han Tao bring himself to breach the agreement they had settled on?

Han Tao looked at Wang Qiqi’s unconvinced face and kissed her while holding her. "Relax. They all know my situation. Even if the deadlines are tight, they won't let me go without rest. Whenever I overworked in the past, the boss would tell me to go home and rest properly. You know, even though there are more computer science students now, finding people who can join the team and collaborate well is rare. I only got in due to good timing back then, and then managed to stick around. You don't think everyone has that kind of luck, do you?" What Han Tao omitted was that once he was formally hired, he would be even closer to the goals Wang Qiqi wanted to achieve, and his income from stock trading would also increase substantially.

Hearing Han Tao say that, Wang Qiqi looked at him. She understood that even if she objected, Han Tao had already agreed. Given the situation, she conceded: "I'll make you delicious food every evening from now on."

That’s it? Han Tao was dumbfounded. According to his script, Qiqi should have been hugging him, saying, 'Husband, you work so hard; I promise I'll take excellent care of you. Starting today, I'll move in here and look after you properly.' Why hadn't Qiqi followed the script? Seeing his dumbfounded look, Wang Qiqi knew what unsavory thoughts were running through his head. Even though she knew moving in was the only way to truly care for him, just based on his naughty thoughts, she decided to let him worry a bit. Hmph, he was too much. "Why are you still lounging around? Aren't you going to buy the necessities?" Wang Qiqi snapped at him crossly.

Han Tao was startled by the almost shrewish look on Wang Qiqi’s face, but then he thought: right, if they didn't buy the necessary supplies, how could Qiqi move in? But the blockhead was truly thoughtless; he knew he only had a single bed's bedding and didn't bother buying a set for himself when he furnished the place. How rude! "I'm getting up, I'm getting up now."

Wang Qiqi didn't understand why Han Tao, who moments ago seemed sluggish and unwilling to rise, was suddenly brimming with energy. She looked at him suspiciously, noticing he genuinely seemed in high spirits, even humming a tune. Well, as long as he was happy, it was fine. Sooner or later, he’d slip up. Letting go of her scrutiny, Wang Qiqi decided not to dwell on his sudden cheerfulness and turned to leave the room.