Wang Qiqi rushed back to Han Tao's place, and nearly choked the moment she stepped inside. The room was utterly shrouded in a hazy fog; the air quality was abysmal. Wang Qiqi coughed violently for a long time. "Are you two trying to commit suicide?" Good heavens, to make the living room this thick with smoke, how much could these two possibly have smoked? But why wasn't Lu Qiaowei managing them?

Han Tao hadn't expected Wang Qiqi to storm over. Yesterday, Qiqi had called to say she’d be out drinking with Li Qian until they dropped, so he knew she wouldn't be back early. With Lu Qiaowei also absent yesterday, he and Daizi had decided to completely let loose. Daizi threw all thoughts of dieting out the window, gorged himself at a nearby small diner (paid for by Han Tao, who was currently dirt poor), bought several packs of cigarettes, and then they stayed up late working.

"Qiqi, you’re back." Dai Lijun was so startled by Wang Qiqi’s voice that the cigarette in his mouth dropped. But he had no time to worry about the cigarette now; he was filled with immediate regret. Qiqi, why did you have to come back so early? If you’d come back an hour later, you definitely wouldn't have seen this scene. Since they were out of cigarettes, they were planning to pack up and sleep, but they never expected this.

Just as Wang Qiqi was about to scold them for being reckless, she paused. It was inevitable that Han Tao and Daizi, with the other guys hanging around, would smoke, especially when pulling an all-nighter. Coffee, tea, and cigarettes were the best tools to fight fatigue. Before, Wang Qiqi couldn't control them, but ever since Gong Junyu and the others went abroad, and Lu Qiaowei moved in, Wang Qiqi and Lu Qiaowei had teamed up to control the two of them regarding smoking. Yet, they had been behaving well lately, only to relapse the moment their supervisors were away.

Han Tao noticed Wang Qiqi’s displeasure, and his stomach was rumbling too. He looked pitifully at her. "Qiqi, is there anything to eat? Daizi and I have been working nonstop since last night. We haven't had breakfast or dinner."

Dai Lijun, ignoring Han Tao's act of playing cute, chimed in, "Yeah, Qiqi, I’m starving. And I’m so sleepy..."

No matter how immense her anger, seeing two grown men resort to acting adorable and pitiful—even knowing they were faking it—forced Wang Qiqi to swallow her rage. More importantly, Wang Qiqi was hungry herself. "Is there anything left to eat in the house?"

Seeing Wang Qiqi turn toward the kitchen, Dai Lijun and Han Tao exchanged a look that suggested, You haven't gotten away with this. "Don't think you've passed. I will discuss this topic with Lu Qiaowei tonight." Wang Qiqi knew banning smoking entirely was impossible, but the environment just now was practically a death sentence. She couldn't fathom how they endured it. "Open all the doors and windows to air the place out." Whether the temperature outside was low enough to turn the room into an ice box was not Wang Qiqi’s concern.

Dai Lijun was stunned. All his efforts to act cute were for nothing; he still had to face Weiwei about this. Dai Lijun could already foresee the life awaiting him. "Qiqi, Qiqi, you aren't going to actually do that, are you?" Good heavens, the saying is true: only petty men and women are hard to handle.

Wang Qiqi went to the kitchen to check their supplies. She was immensely grateful for Lu Qiaowei’s presence, ensuring the kitchen wasn't desolate—not just stocked with drinks and instant noodles, but with actual meat, fish, and vegetables. Wang Qiqi stared at the provisions for a moment. "Let's just have rice and stir-fry." It was convenient and fast.

"No problem." After opening the doors and windows, Dai Lijun scurried back into his room, shivering. It was miserably cold. Even though the living room’s heating was still running, not a single trace of warmth could be felt.

Han Tao also slipped into the kitchen. "Need any help?" Although the kitchen's heating wasn't great, it was significantly better than the living room, which felt like being outdoors.

Just as Wang Qiqi was about to answer, she caught a strong whiff of cigarette smoke. "Ugh, stay away from me, you reek of smoke."

"You smell strongly of alcohol; did you drink too much yesterday?" Han Tao hadn't meant to bring it up, but seeing his woman’s disgusted expression, he retorted. "Right, how is Sister Qian?" Han Tao had been shocked when he learned Li Xiangdong had a child with his mistress. Honestly, when he first heard Li Xiangdong was seeing someone on the side, he hadn't taken it seriously. Li Xiangdong was an older man; he surely knew the difference between what he could and couldn't do. But he never expected this.

Wang Qiqi quickly recounted Li Qian’s drunken vomiting incident from the previous day. "Sister Qian’s mental state isn’t great, but she’s managing. It’s better than when the affair first broke out, but I didn't expect that woman to actually be quite capable." She managed to convince Li Xiangdong to let her get pregnant and keep protecting her. It wasn't just Li Xiangdong’s exhaustion or dissatisfaction with Li Qian; there must be an element of affection involved.

"So, is Sister Qian planning to divorce and divide the assets?" Han Tao wondered what Li Zhe would think when he found out. He used to be the only son; everything his parents owned would pass to him. But now, the situation was uncertain. Once that other woman was formally brought in, would Li Xiangdong still support his son living abroad, especially when he had a new child right here? The balance would inevitably tip.

Wang Qiqi nodded. "She’ll probably just take the money. What use is keeping the translation agency? Li Xiangdong has managed the company for years; a lot of connections are in his hands. Besides, Sister Qian probably wants to get out and see the world." Honestly, Wang Qiqi thought taking the money and buying rental properties was a good idea. Li Xiangdong was eager to remarry, so Li Qian could take her time. Even if Li Xiangdong tried to start a new company outside, Li Qian wouldn't worry, since she controlled the money for the existing one. Li Qian could only be glad that after the third-party incident, she took charge of the company's internal affairs; otherwise, Li Xiangdong might have ruined it by now.

Han Tao hadn't seen Li Qian much recently. Frankly, as a man, he didn't know how to comfort her, especially now that their marriage was so strained and a divorce battle loomed. He worried his interference would only escalate things. However, he thought Li Qian’s idea of leaving Beijing was excellent. "Seeing the world is good. When I tutored Li Zhe, he mentioned his mother loved traveling when she was younger. She changed that habit later for the sake of family and the company. Maybe divorce is a good thing for Sister Qian."

Wang Qiqi finally understood why Li Qian wanted to travel—it wasn't just about vacationing. She was a backpacker in her youth. Wang Qiqi wondered if Li Qian planned to travel abroad or stay within the country. It was a shame Wang Qiqi hadn't graduated yet; otherwise, she genuinely wanted to backpack with Li Qian. Despite the age difference, Wang Qiqi found she could talk more freely with Li Qian now. Before, Li Xiangdong was a barrier, preventing Wang Qiqi from voicing her thoughts to Li Qian. That was no longer an issue.

Perhaps Li Qian’s divorce would be a good thing for her too. Wang Qiqi admitted this thought seemed slightly heartless. "In any case, I told Sister Qian we stand behind her. Even if we can’t help much, if she gets tired or weary, she can come here to eat and talk." Wang Qiqi couldn't fathom why Li Qian, with so many friends, hadn't confided in any of them. Perhaps the more affluent one's circle, the more self-interest ruled. For example, even though Wang Qiqi socialized with many people now, those relationships couldn't compare to the bond she shared with Shi Man and Zhu Lina. For Manman and the others, friendship was the same way. Although they all became close starting in their final year of high school, a year of shared struggle, plus years of crying and laughing together, forged a bond outsiders couldn't penetrate. Feng Xuanxiang had once been quite jealous, noting that whenever the three girls started discussing serious matters, it felt like no one else could join—not even Han Tao.

"I hope so." Han Tao didn't know Li Qian deeply, but he knew she wasn't a woman who would shrink back or be weak. Perhaps yesterday’s breakdown was just an outlet after enduring so many blows. Once the unhappy feelings were vented, Li Qian would regain her composure. The proud Li Qian wouldn't let Wang Qiqi see any further weakness.

Wang Qiqi looked at Han Tao, who sounded like a fortune teller, and scoffed. "Oh, right, go call Daizi to take a bath, and wash these clothes too." Don't think Wang Qiqi was just bluffing about telling Lu Qiaowei; she was genuinely serious. Wang Qiqi knew the cigarette, one of the key instruments of the crime, was bought by her own man. If Lu Qiaowei started tallying up accounts, her husband wouldn't escape unscathed. "Don't smoke so much from now on. We have tea at home; that stuff is bad for you."

Han Tao watched Qiqi, who was already making dinner while looking like her eyelids were about to give out, yet she was still nagging him about this and that. He suddenly pulled Wang Qiqi into a tight hug and kissed her mouth. "I know. Don't worry, I won't smoke this much anymore." In the past, when pulling all-nighters with Gong Junyu and the others, Han Tao habitually used cigarettes to stay awake. But seeing Wang Qiqi's worried face, he felt his decision yesterday—to indulge while his woman was away based on Daizi’s suggestion—was a huge mistake.

"Remember what you said. I don't want to manage you too strictly, especially not in front of others, but you didn't see how thick the smoke was in here just now." Wang Qiqi had worried that her forceful demeanor earlier might have upset Han Tao, but now, seeing her husband held no resentment, she felt relieved.