Wang Qiqi yawned her way into the classroom, glancing left and right to find that Bai Ge and the others hadn't arrived yet. To her surprise, Duan Xiaomin, who had been extremely busy lately and often nowhere to be seen, was present. Considering how someone had thrown a tantrum before—even though it wasn't directed at Wang Qiqi—everyone understood Duan Xiaomin’s feelings towards her. Wang Qiqi wasn't sure how Duan Xiaomin managed to get along with everyone else; in any case, she felt meeting Duan Xiaomin alone was bound to be awkward.

It wasn't just Wang Qiqi who felt the awkwardness; Duan Xiaomin felt it too. However, given her relatively successful standing in the department student union, Duan Xiaomin offered Wang Qiqi a bright smile and waved, "Qiqi, you're quite early today."

When someone greeted her so warmly, Wang Qiqi thought to herself that she couldn't be outdone. She returned a big smile, walked over to Duan Xiaomin, and sat down beside her, casually handing over the steamed bun she was holding. "Bought this on the way. It's the meat filling."

Duan Xiaomin initially didn't want to eat it, but eventually accepted it with a word of thanks and began eating. "I'm really sorry about that day."

Duan Xiaomin apologized, perhaps because she already felt she had gone too far that day, or perhaps because she had accepted Wang Qiqi's bun.

Although her apology was vague, Wang Qiqi knew exactly why she was apologizing. "It's fine, Bai Ge told me."

Wang Qiqi wasn't sure how to continue the conversation. Should she tell her that not staying at the university wasn't a big deal? Wang Qiqi genuinely didn't understand why Duan Xiaomin placed such importance on securing a job at the university. While staying on might seem like a good thing, the real question was: was it truly the best path for Duan Xiaomin? Duan Xiaomin knew Bai Ge wouldn't hide this from Qiqi. She actually felt quite frustrated, but after thinking it over these past few days, she said, "I've thought about it. Although finding a good job right now is tough, I am a student union cadre, and my grades are good. Even if I can't work in Beijing, I can work somewhere else."

"Qiqi, do you know? The reason I wanted to stay at the university was so I could transfer my household registration (hukou) to Beijing. That way, I would be a Beijing resident."

Duan Xiaomin knew her insistence on staying had caused a lot of gossip behind her back. Frankly, if there were other options, Duan Xiaomin wouldn't have pushed to stay; there were so few positions available, and the competition was fierce. The units that offered Beijing hukou were limited. Some of those units weren't even doing very well financially, and the ones that were doing well had competition even more intense than the race to stay at the university. Duan Xiaomin didn't believe she had the luck to snag a spot at a good company. She had researched for days and felt that only by staying at the university offered a plausible chance for a registration slot. But what she thought was a fifty percent chance had suddenly plummeted to just ten percent.

Beijing hukou? Wang Qiqi was taken aback.

What era was this, that someone was still focused on a Beijing hukou? "So that's why you were set on working at the university?" Ah, but domestically, hukou was still a crucial thing, especially in Beijing. The presence or absence of one felt like the difference between a high-born and a low-born status. "Then work hard for it. Even if you don't know the odds, you won't regret it if you try."

Wang Qiqi recalled how some people in later generations would endure mediocre work in state-owned enterprises just for that hukou. Honestly, Wang Qiqi truly didn't understand; it could really erode one's ambition. Many people had their willpower worn away this way.

Duan Xiaomin offered a wry smile. "It's not something achieved just by trying hard; there are too many competitors." After looking into the situation these last few days, she realized that unless a miracle occurred, she had almost no chance of securing a spot, regardless of how many positions might open up in two years. "Now I realize that quite a few people at school have connections."

"Qiqi, I truly envy you. You're definitely someone destined to get a Green Card someday." Duan Xiaomin made no secret of her envy towards Qiqi. "Even if I don't study abroad, I would still try to stay at the university for a Beijing hukou."

Wang Qiqi thought that Beijing might not truly suit her, especially if it meant stifling herself for years just for that elusive hukou. Wang Qiqi honestly felt the trade-off wasn't worth it. She believed she was speaking the truth, but Duan Xiaomin perceived it as mockery. Duan Xiaomin thought that Wang Qiqi naturally wouldn't care about the Beijing hukou; with her assets, she would live comfortably even without studying abroad. "My high school classmate goes to university in Shanghai, and she told me that Shanghai's development is in no way inferior to Beijing's. She suggested I consider Shanghai if I can't stay here."

Duan Xiaomin knew she could get some advice by discussing these matters with Wang Qiqi, whereas she felt too awkward to discuss alternative paths with Bai Ge and the others.

Shanghai? That was a good option. "If I had to choose, I'd pick Shanghai. Beijing has too many people with connections; perhaps the relative of a janitor is an official. But Shanghai is different. If Han Tao hadn't gone to the States, I would have considered moving to Shanghai with him later." Wang Qiqi favored Shanghai because it was closer to home, making return visits easier.

Duan Xiaomin hadn't expected Wang Qiqi to hold such a high opinion of Shanghai. It seemed she really needed to seriously consider her classmate's suggestion. She had originally thought Beijing held a slightly higher status than Shanghai, but now she felt...

...Qiqi's reasoning made a lot of sense. For a girl like her, without powerful backing, Shanghai seemed like a decent alternative.

"Qiqi, thank you." Duan Xiaomin was about to say more when she saw Bai Ge and the others approaching, causing her to stop talking. After all, they would surely find time to chat in the future.

Bai Ge took her usual seat next to Wang Qiqi, taking advantage of a moment when someone was talking to Duan Xiaomin. "Did Duan Xiaomin complain to you?" Complain? Wang Qiqi wondered why Bai Ge would say that. Had someone been sporting a long face in the dorm? "No, she just apologized for the incident last time." Although Wang Qiqi wasn't sure if Duan Xiaomin had mentioned the Shanghai plan to Bai Ge and the others, she instinctively kept that detail private. "Right, why are you late today?"

Late? Bai Ge looked Wang Qiqi up and down, then slowly uttered, "You arrived early. Did you stay up late last night?" Since collaborating with Ye Ruizhi, although Bai Ge hadn't investigated everything, she understood some of the dynamics, like knowing Wang Qiqi's current translation rates were multiples of the classmates' going rate. In the quiet of the night, Bai Ge often wondered if she shouldn't have pushed herself harder to improve her English, even as an apprentice. Her family worked themselves ragged, yet their earnings were still far behind Wang Qiqi's income. But then she considered that Wang Qiqi's current English proficiency was good enough for her to travel the US; even memorizing the entire Band 8 English vocabulary list wouldn't grant her Wang Qiqi's ability. With this realization, Bai Ge let go of her envy toward Wang Qiqi—not because she didn't want to be jealous, but because the gap in skill was too vast. Especially when urgent jobs came in, Wang Qiqi sometimes had to stay up until midnight or even pull an all-nighter. Frankly, Bai Ge wasn't sure if she would maintain such professional dedication if she had Wang Qiqi's wealth.

"Even though you're young, you need to take care of your health." She remembered when they first met, Qiqi always emphasized wellness, one rule being never staying up late. Looking at Qiqi now, "You used to say a woman needs water and sleep the most."

Wang Qiqi felt struck by her own past words. Of course, she knew staying up late was a major taboo, but she tragically discovered her sleep time was getting later and later. She sighed, "When you're out in the world, not everything goes the way you want." While some people could wake up early to continue working, if Wang Qiqi had the choice, she'd rather sleep a little later and spend the morning in bed with her man. Though it sounded a bit sentimental, waking up to her man's morning kiss was moving, especially since certain matters, due to both of them or Han Tao needing overtime, would get postponed until the morning, which was also the most vulnerable time. After all, the early riser needed to prepare meals. Fortunately, whether it was due to Lu Qiaowei trying to avoid suspicion or if they handled things the same way, everything remained peaceful.

Although Lu Qiaowei handled the cooking now, and late-night snacks were provided, Wang Qiqi eagerly awaited Dai Lijun's departure for the US. Even if she had to do those things herself later, at least she could do as she pleased. Wang Qiqi recalled their days huddled together in the States; although her man often had overtime, there was far more freedom. You could do whatever you wanted. Now, there were too many considerations. Even if the two of them closed their bedroom door, Wang Qiqi worried someone outside might hear.

Bai Ge didn't understand Wang Qiqi's sudden blush but didn't press for an explanation. "I'll treat you to a meal when I have time." Bai Ge had wanted to treat Qiqi after she helped introduce business, but Qiqi had refused, saying it was unnecessary trouble. "Don't eat out; my mom will cook our hometown delicacies. I'll invite your Han Tao over then." Bai Ge murmured this quickly in a low voice before lowering her head to read.

Wang Qiqi initially wanted to decline. Her man was busy enough already; classes had become a luxury, indicating how demanding his current assignments were. Well, compared to the tasks in the US, his current workload was lighter, but Wang Qiqi felt the overall pressure was immense. If Han Tao weren't so young, Wang Qiqi would have bought some ginseng to supplement him. But if she gave him ginseng now, she wondered what supplements he could take when he got older. It seemed better to just have a good dinner and then take Han Tao out for an hour-long walk.

Wang Qiqi calculated for a long time, deciding Han Tao was lacking exercise. She forgot that Han Tao had once mentioned he would often pace around the campus during short breaks between classes, and she forgot that his physique was still quite well-maintained; he hadn't gained obvious weight like that simpleton.

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