Shi Man saw Wang Qiqi return and put down the book she was reading, giving Qiqi a thumbs-up. "Qiqi, you really let loose today."

Let loose? Wang Qiqi poured herself a cup of coffee, looking at Shi Man with confusion, not understanding the meaning behind her words.

Shi Man recounted what she had heard that day. "Qiqi, I didn't expect you actually spoke to Jiang Xin. That's impressive." Of course, the rumors were rampant across campus, with various viewpoints surfacing. Some said Jiang Xin was thick-skinned, only remembering Dai Lijun's good qualities after breaking up, without considering if he had a girlfriend now. Others claimed Jiang Xin saw Dai Lijun becoming successful and wanted to snatch him back, no different from how she stole Cao Rui’s woman. Naturally, some argued Wang Qiqi was going too far; after all, even when Jiang Xin had a boyfriend and Dai Lijun had a girlfriend, the two of them still occasionally met up for meals and chats. Now that Jiang Xin was single, couldn't she still ask Dai Lijun out?

When Wang Qiqi heard Shi Man relay the campus gossip, all she could do was slap her forehead and roll her eyes. "It spread like wildfire in just this short time, and they've already come up with various versions." Sigh, no wonder later generations had so many online writers—turns out they were all talented storytellers. It’s just that some weave better tales, while others get too carried away with their fantasies, acting as if they were the actual participants. A moment's thought would reveal those speculations were conceived by idiots. "Regardless, I hope a certain someone can figure things out." Being too fixated on some things isn't good.

After finishing her coffee, Wang Qiqi returned to her room, opened her laptop, and started working. Back at Ye Ruizhi’s place, she remembered he mentioned sending several emails to her inbox, requiring replies that very evening. This project was tight, and if Bai Ge hadn't been present, Wang Qiqi would have loved to tell the boss that if the assignment was so urgent, why didn't he, as the boss and a master translator, just handle a few tasks himself instead of wasting time on tea ceremonies?

Wang Qiqi truly couldn't fathom why Ye Ruizhi, who was clearly a northern man and not from Fujian, was so fond of the Way of Tea. Although the entire process was executed beautifully, flowing like water, Wang Qiqi found it frustrating that after all that effort, one only got a few tiny cups of tea. If one was even slightly thirsty, it would only manage to wet the throat. It felt utterly ridiculous. She preferred her own method: tossing some leaves into a large mug and brewing a strong infusion—it quenched thirst, was convenient, and saved time.

Once, Ye Ruizhi noticed Wang Qiqi staring at him and assumed Qiqi also wanted to learn the tea ceremony. He offered to teach her. Recalling the tedious procedure for just a sip of tea, Wang Qiqi immediately waved him off. Honestly, she would rather spend that time reading a book to improve her own refinement. Well, it’s good that the boss has such a highbrow hobby, but the problem is getting too engrossed in it is detrimental. While the more work he assigned her meant more income for Qiqi, sometimes when urgent projects arrived from both sides simultaneously, it really made Wang Qiqi want to go crazy. The mere thought that the great Boss Ye would rather sip Gongfu tea than take on a few assignments sometimes gave Wang Qiqi the urge to commit murder.

"By the way, does Dai Lijun know about this?" Wang Qiqi booted up her computer to check her emails. Seeing five emails from Boss Ye made her sigh, especially since Li Xiangdong had also sent her an email. Without opening them, Wang Qiqi knew this definitely meant pulling an all-nighter, implying she would likely be staying at Han Tao's place again tonight. Although Wang Qiqi wanted to maintain a certain distance and not agree to stay over too easily, she had to admit Lu Qiaowei’s cooking was truly excellent. With dinner made and late-night snacks provided, it was a treat for the night-owl Wang Qiqi. Thinking of this, Wang Qiqi wondered if "Daizi" (Idiot/Dummy) would even know about the massive drama unfolding at school.

Shi Man shook her head. "I don't know, and I don't plan on telling Daizi." Hmph, didn't Daizi think she was meddlesome? Fine, this time she would be an elegant woman. Elegant women don't spread such gossip. "Besides, I've been really busy lately."

Hearing Shi Man say that, Wang Qiqi turned around, looking at her strangely. "What have you been busy with lately?" Right, Wang Qiqi recalled that lately, whenever someone saw her or Zhu Lina, Shi Man would quickly put away whatever book she was reading. Wang Qiqi had long been curious about what Shi Man was reading, but she hadn't managed to breach Shi Man's blockade. "Is it related to the book you’ve been reading recently? Don’t tell me it’s about relationships."

Shi Man shook her head. Did she need to read such books?

If it wasn't about relationships, Wang Qiqi admitted she was stumped. If it were study guides or travelogues, Wang Qiqi felt Shi Man wouldn't need to be so secretive. Could it be... "You’re not reading a cookbook, are you?" But that didn't quite fit either. Reading alone isn't enough for cooking; one must actually prepare a meal to know the taste. Shi Man wasn't aiming to be a gourmet chef, just a wife who could whip up a few home-cooked dishes.

Shi Man was surprised Wang Qiqi had guessed correctly, but she certainly wouldn't admit it. She rolled her eyes at Wang Qiqi. "Are you stupid? Why would I read a cookbook? If I had that intention, I’d rather just follow Lu Qiaowei and learn from her." Truthfully, Shi Man did want to try hands-on practice. But the few times she tried cooking secretly when Wang Qiqi and the others were out, some dishes tasted quite good, but others were genuinely terrible. Shi Man didn't understand why; she followed the recipe quantities and steps strictly according to the requirements. However, many Chinese recipes use vague measurements like "half a spoonful," meaning strict adherence wasn't entirely possible.

Wang Qiqi figured that made sense and didn't dwell on it. If she had noticed the panicked look in Shi Man’s eyes at that moment, she would have known her guess was absolutely correct. "If you have time, learn from Weiwei. She's the epitome of a good wife and mother; you should learn from her." If Lu Qiaowei weren't around, Wang Qiqi might have believed she was a dutiful, exemplary daughter. But compared to her, Wang Qiqi felt she was utterly outmatched. Lu Qiaowei took such good care of Dai Lijun, and she looked after the rest of them so well too. Thank heavens Lu Qiaowei ended up with Daizi; if it were someone else, Wang Qiqi suspected that person might start taking Lu Qiaowei’s efforts for granted over time.

Learning from Lu Qiaowei? Shi Man shuddered. "Forget it." She felt too embarrassed to mention that Lu Qiaowei was too much like an auntie, taking care of Daizi like a spoiled child. "If Feng Xuanxiang needs a wife like that, I apologize to him." Shi Man thought, no matter how much she loved Feng Xuanxiang, she would never want to be with such a chauvinistic man. "My parents didn't raise me to be a maid."

Well, that statement was harsh, but it was the truth. "Don't say that in front of Lu Qiaowei," Wang Qiqi cautioned. Shi Man usually managed her external expressions quite well and was careful about her words in public, but when talking to close friends or those she was very familiar with, Shi Man could be brutally direct. If she said that in front of Lu Qiaowei, she risked offending her—and considering their meals currently depended on her, that was a major risk.

Shi Man rolled her eyes, stood up from the sofa, returned to her room to put the book away. "Fine, I'll go help cook, just as you said." Hmph, to celebrate her good mood today, "I’ll personally cook a few dishes."

With that, Shi Man laughed heartily and walked out of the room, leaving Wang Qiqi stunned. Heavens above, the kitchen-half-killer was going to cook personally? Would that even be edible? Wang Qiqi considered whether she should bring stomach medicine or laxatives. No, maybe medicine wouldn't even work. She should probably just call 120 and have them rush them all to the hospital. Alas, Wang Qiqi secretly prayed that Shi Man’s culinary skills would miraculously improve. She didn't ask for gourmet food; she just hoped it would be something safe to swallow. She decided then and there to ask Weiwei which dishes were made by Shi Man, because even if it meant being labeled wasteful, Wang Qiqi wouldn't taste a single bite. There was no reason why she should be the guinea pig when Shi Man wanted to learn to cook just to show off to her man.

"Feng Xuanxiang should be the guinea pig. I’ll only eat the finished product once Shi Man’s cooking has matured," Wang Qiqi shamelessly sold someone else out. Hmph, wasn't that the responsibility of a proper boyfriend? Even if he was abroad, it didn't matter; he would return eventually, and Shi Man could try out all her new skills on him then.

Wang Qiqi dropped her laptop in Han Tao’s room and walked toward the dining table. Before even asking, she could tell which dishes were Shi Man’s work just by their terrible presentation. Just as Wang Qiqi was about to speak, Dai Lijun emerged from his room after catching up on sleep. He glanced habitually at the table as he passed. "Weiwei, what's wrong today? Why are you serving such awful-looking dishes? You might as well throw them straight in the trash. Who would eat this? It’s disgusting."

Wang Qiqi looked at Dai Lijun’s scornful expression, suppressing a smile. She couldn't let Shi Man see her mocking face, or that girl might throw a fit, which would be disastrous.

"What’s disgusting?" Shi Man roared, storming out from the kitchen. While the dishes were a bit scorched, they weren't exactly an eyesore. "Are you saying the food I cooked is ugly, disgusting?"

Dai Lijun was utterly stunned that Shi Man could cook. After a long pause, he rushed to the kitchen entrance and yelled toward Lu Qiaowei, who was still battling it out inside. "Don't let Manman into the kitchen anymore. She’s wasting money! Food costs money to buy, and who would eat what she makes? Her cooking is already disgusting and hideous, completely inedible. Now I have to worry if eating it means a trip to the hospital." Dai Lijun snorted several times dismissively.

Shi Man thought Dai Lijun's previous comments were already over the line, but he had even worse things to say. She didn't hold back either, delivering a few kicks to Dai Lijun’s backside. "How can I cook well if I don't practice? Do you think I’m a genius?" If she were a genius, would she have failed this many times and still struggle with the basics?

A genius? Dai Lijun could only shake his head. "Manman, you were cooking in the US, right? How many times have you cooked since returning home? There’s been zero improvement..." After saying this, Dai Lijun bolted toward the bathroom, worried that if he delayed any longer, he would get kicked again by her.