Daili Jun had expected Shi Man to continue dressing him down, but surprisingly, after whatever Qi Qi said to her, there was no further re-education when she came out. While Shi Man wasn't looking, he made a gesture of thanks to Wang Qiqi. Though he had no idea what Qi Qi and Shi Man had discussed, it must have been conciliatory words, otherwise why would Shi Man have stopped berating him? To be honest, Daili Jun was quite annoyed. He knew Shi Man meant well, but the issue was that he considered this his private affair, and Shi Man was merely a very good friend; did she really need to lecture him like a mother?

After Han Tao finished tidying up the day's purchases, he stepped out of the room just in time to see Daili Jun thanking Qi Qi, and his girlfriend accepted the gratitude without the slightest reservation. Han Tao chuckled internally. If Daili Jun knew what Qi Qi and Shi Man had actually discussed, he wondered if he would still be offering thanks—perhaps he'd end up throwing them both out.

Daili Jun caught sight of Han Tao emerging from the corner of his eye and smiled at him. He understood Han Tao must have played a part in this. He walked over to Han Tao, threw an arm around his shoulder, and whispered close to his ear, "Brother, thank you so much. You're the best to me."

"We're brothers," Han Tao thought, hoping Daili Jun wouldn't have the urge to kill them later. "Right, that program, bro, did you get it sorted out?" Han Tao didn't want to dwell on the previous topic and immediately asked the question that was truly on his mind.

Daili Jun pouted. "Not finished." He had finally gotten a lead, but after being lectured by Shi Man for so long, that hard-won thread of thought had completely vanished. It was miserable.

Han Tao looked at the downcast Daili Jun and patted his shoulder. "We'll discuss it together," he offered, perhaps as a form of penance.

Shi Man watched Daili Jun, who moments ago had been stern-faced, now arguing so animatedly with Han Tao, his face flushed with excitement, even gesturing by slapping the table. "Thank goodness he didn't hit the computer; I was genuinely worried..." She knew the monitor looked sturdy, but too many hits, and it would eventually need replacing.

Wang Qiqi considered their squabble minor stuff. When Gong Junyu and the others were around, a group of men would debate even more intensely. On a few occasions, in the heat of argument, coffee or tea cups would be overturned, resulting in ruined mice or keyboards. At first, Wang Qiqi had been quite worried, but seeing it so often, she had grown very composed. "You get used to it," she said.

Seeing Wang Qiqi casually turn away to busy herself with other things, Shi Man felt bored. After bidding them farewell, she headed back. "Remember to come over for dinner tonight, and call Nana!" Wang Qiqi called out to Shi Man. Wang Qiqi wasn't worried that Zhu Lina would be preachy at Daili Jun during dinner. It wasn't just because the female lead was returning; it also related to their character dynamics. Shi Man appeared aloof, but if she truly considered you a friend, she cared deeply. Meanwhile, Zhu Lina and Wang Qiqi were cut from the same cloth: outwardly they looked like sweet young ladies, warm and engaging, but inwardly they were quite cold. Even if they knew a friend needed concern, they sometimes felt it wasn't necessary to get overly involved.

Lu Qiaowei said goodbye to her friends and returned to her boyfriend's place, finding Wang Qiqi already preparing food in the kitchen, while her boyfriend Daili Jun and Han Tao were engrossed in their computer discussion. However, upon seeing her return, they took a moment to greet her, which made Lu Qiaowei feel that her boyfriend still loved her. Once he was immersed in the world of computers, he paid no attention to external matters, so the fact that he spared her even a sliver of focus today thrilled her.

Wang Qiqi noticed Lu Qiaowei return and saw the groceries in her hands. "You're back. Come help. Manman ran off so fast," she huffed. "She even said she was going back to learn cooking." Wang Qiqi ordered Lu Qiaowei without ceremony. She knew that the more polite she was, the more the silly girl might overthink things; giving direct orders made the other feel more comfortable.

Lu Qiaowei's thoughts proved Wang Qiqi's assessment correct. She knew Shi Man had come to see "Idiot" (Daili Jun's nickname, often used affectionately or teasingly), and she suspected it was about Jiang Xin. Jiang Xin had asked Daili Jun out earlier. What Daili Jun and the others didn't know was that Lu Qiaowei had actually followed them that day. However, due to where she was seated, Zhu Lina hadn't noticed her. She waited and waited, but Zhu Lina never approached Daili Jun. Then, as soon as Shi Man and the others returned, they went straight to Daili Jun, and Wang Qiqi had even deliberately dragged Han Tao out shopping (in Lu Qiaowei's view, Wang Qiqi only dragged Han Tao out to scope out the location so Shi Man and Daili Jun could talk privately). To her surprise, events hadn't unfolded as she predicted.

Wang Qiqi tasted the spare rib soup; it was good, quite decent. Using her peripheral vision, she noticed the girl, Lu Qiaowei, continuously observing her. She inwardly mused that this girl was quite sharp. Qi Qi and Han Tao had discussed it in the room earlier and figured Lu Qiaowei wasn't entirely clueless. Regarding Jiang Xin asking "Idiot" out, it was likely Lu Qiaowei knew and might have even been present, yet she hadn't brought it up, only appearing slightly off. Her current demeanor gave Wang Qiqi greater certainty to this assumption.

"Weiwei, come taste this and tell me what you think." Even if Lu Qiaowei had a little cunning, Wang Qiqi thought, in a contest between two women for one man, if the woman had no schemes at all, she should just leave or find her own happiness. Even a white lotus has the cunning of a white lotus, but Wang Qiqi wasn't impressed by those types. She hoped Lu Qiaowei wasn't the same.

Lu Qiaowei hummed, took the spoon Wang Qiqi offered, and calmly tasted it, savoring the flavor carefully. "It’s a bit bland. Idiot likes things saltier."

"Too much salt is bad for the body." Wang Qiqi sighed internally. This child clearly knew some things, yet she maintained an air of putting "Idiot" first in everything. It was incomparable; Wang Qiqi admitted if it were her, she probably wouldn't have the generosity. But she kept her expression neutral. Some things needed to be experienced together; no matter how many hints she gave, it wouldn't alter the trajectory of their future relationship.

Well, this was the head chef speaking. Lu Qiaowei, serving as the assistant, didn't press the seasoning issue further and switched topics, asking Qi Qi about the places they visited in the States. Wang Qiqi recounted some of the beautiful sights they saw, including Disneyland. Lu Qiaowei, listening beside her, stared at Wang Qiqi with undisguised envy, which annoyed Wang Qiqi quite a bit. She really wanted to shout, Stop staring at me, I’m not a lesbian! Of course, this was Wang Qiqi's own internal drama. She patted Lu Qiaowei’s shoulder. "It was quite nice. I recommend it for when you have children."

"And besides, that place just feels wrong for Idiot." Wang Qiqi couldn't quite picture how the bookish Daili Jun would feel there. In Wang Qiqi's view, Idiot would probably feel an urge to run. For instance, when Han Tao learned she'd been to Disneyland and then suggested they go again someday, he begged off, saying he could only go later with their children, claiming he wasn't suited for amusement parks. This infuriated Qi Qi; so many couples went to amusement parks on dates, how could he say it didn't fit? It was outrageous. Unexpectedly, Feng Xuanxiang shared the same sentiment, leading the two men to vent profusely to Wang Qiqi and Shi Man.

Lu Qiaowei thought about returning to such a childish place again. "Don't worry, I will definitely drag Idiot there, even if he doesn't want to," Lu Qiaowei resolved. She believed that if he truly loved her, how could he refuse to take her to an amusement park, especially for a kiss on the Ferris wheel? Wasn't it said that kissing at the highest point of a Ferris wheel guaranteed lasting affection?

"Dominant," Wang Qiqi gave Lu Qiaowei a thumbs-up. This girl certainly had more gumption than her. "By the way, how did it go meeting Idiot’s parents this time?"

"It was fine." Regarding her future in-laws, Lu Qiaowei felt that although they were a bit surprised, they were quite satisfied with her. "I heard you and Han Tao are next-door neighbors. You're lucky, Qi Qi, getting along well with your future mother-in-law since childhood." Lu Qiaowei had initially intended to ask about Qi Qi's reaction when she first met her future mother-in-law, but after hearing from Idiot that Qi Qi and Han Tao were neighbors, she was thrown for a loop. They truly were childhood sweethearts, raised under the eyes of each other's parents, knowing each other completely.

"Getting along well since childhood," Wang Qiqi laughed. "Although my future mother-in-law watched me grow up, she was still quite surprised when she learned Han Tao and I were together. After all, she never really imagined I’d become her daughter-in-law." Wang Qiqi understood Luo Hongjuan's various concerns. "Your future mother-in-law's expectations for you are different from the auntie who watched you grow up. But since you two will be going abroad eventually, you don't need to worry too much."

Lu Qiaowei nodded. "Yes. Oh, Qi Qi, I want to learn English. Practice speaking with me when you have time." This would improve her spoken English and allow her to foster a good relationship with Wang Qiqi. As a fallback, even if she eventually broke up with Idiot, with her English skills, she could manage well on her own.

"Sure thing." Wang Qiqi certainly had no objection. "But I'll be very strict with my requirements."

"Roger that, Teacher. I won't pay tuition; I'll just handle the cleaning here and cook the meals," Lu Qiaowei said, clasping her hands together. She knew her own talents weren't exceptional; she wouldn't be a strong asset to a man's career, but she could be a virtuous wife and loving mother—this was the one area where she might surpass Wang Qiqi and the others. Shi Man disliked housework, and Wang Qiqi felt it was better to earn money and hire a housekeeper than waste time on chores. It must be said, Lu Qiaowei had found the greatest advantage likely to capture Daili Jun's heart. (To be continued)