As the heating had stopped, although the outside temperature wasn't too high, Wang Qiqi, accustomed to the cozy warmth indoors, found it quite uncomfortable. During this time, Wang Qiqi was diligently working early, of course, with an electric blanket turned on underneath her.

Wang Qiqi let out a yawn. After sending the last email, she could finally take a good look at the one Li Qian had sent her. Although she hadn't seen the residential homes Li Qian had described as picture-perfect, Wang Qiqi could tell from the email how good Li Qian's mood was—no more sadness, just relief and happiness. The end of this marriage might have been a good thing for Li Qian, allowing her to live the life she always wanted, rather than constantly managing complicated emotional communications. However, it seemed Li Xiangdong hadn't been having a very good time lately, with both his professional and personal affairs turning messy.

Wang Qiqi had initially wanted to email Li Qian to share this satisfying news, but she reconsidered and canceled the thought. She figured Li Qian must have already learned about Li Xiangdong’s situation through various channels by now. Besides, to Li Qian, Li Xiangdong was merely Li Zhe's father, her ex-husband; his fortunes, good or bad, had nothing to do with her anymore.

In the email reply Wang Qiqi composed, she detailed the recent events concerning her. It was then she noticed Han Tao occasionally returning from the study. "Are you done with your work?" she asked, referencing someone who claimed to have just some lingering tasks to wrap up.

Han Tao chuckled sheepishly. He couldn't very well admit that he had finished ages ago and had spent quite some time chatting with Fatty. Fatty, of course, had mostly been complaining—about how the four-woman gang, led by a certain person, was trying to force him to learn cooking and housework while Han Tao was away. Listening to Fatty’s description, one truly felt he was living in hell. But Han Tao knew from the emails exchanged with Wang Qiqi that Qiqi simply wanted to make things easier for the dimwit when he eventually went to the US. Still, seeing the poor state of the dimwit, Han Tao, as a fellow man, could only offer spiritual support to his friend.

Wang Qiqi, seeing the fiery gaze fixed upon her, immediately understood what the man meant. Alright, she admitted to herself, she missed him too. She shut down her computer. "I'm going to wash up; you can tidy up the computer."

Hearing this, Han Tao was as ecstatic as if he’d won the lottery, grinning with sheer joy. In Wang Qiqi's eyes, however, his look was utterly indecent. "Be careful, don't drop the computer."

This wasn't Wang Qiqi slandering the man's reputation. It was because one time, while hastily tidying the computer so they could get into bed, Han Tao—perhaps due to excessive excitement—had accidentally dropped Wang Qiqi's laptop onto the floor. Fortunately, it was winter. Wang Qiqi had layered the floor with a plastic mat and then a plush rug, otherwise, she would have truly needed a new notebook.

Han Tao thought to himself that he was in a good mood now and wouldn't argue about that issue with her; getting down to business was better. Yet, he felt a bit wronged. If Wang Qiqi hadn't walked out only to return and steal a kiss, would he have been so flustered as to drop the laptop? But even so, this single incident felt like something that would stay with him forever.

Wang Qiqi noticed Han Tao’s pouty expression, and her mood instantly lifted. As she relaxed, she hummed a tune while heading to the bathroom to freshen up. Dai Lijun happened to emerge from his room for a drink of water and heard her singing. "Having your man back certainly brightens things up."

Wang Qiqi glanced at Dai Lijun. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right? In a couple of days, when your Weiwei returns, you'll experience it too. But it seems when Weiwei gets back, you'll be heading out, won't you?" Wang Qiqi thought this brief separation might very well turn into a rather long one. "Poor man."

Dai Lijun had intended to tease Wang Qiqi, but she had immediately counterattacked. "I'm going to bed," he sighed, resigning himself to a life of solitude. Really, that Weiwei girl was too much—why did she have to go away right now? And not only go away, but take her own girlfriend along! That was simply crossing the line.

Wang Qiqi looked at the pitiable dimwit but had no intention of offering him any comfort. That guy didn't deserve it; he was the type who blossomed with just a little bit of sunshine.

After finishing her ablutions, Wang Qiqi returned to the room, swiftly tossed off her nightgown, and burrowed into the covers, where she was immediately enveloped in a warm embrace.

Lying in Han Tao's arms, Wang Qiqi let out a comfortable sigh. Life was so much better with a man around, especially when the heating was off and the room felt chilly, vividly underscoring the importance of a human hot water bottle. "Taotao, I missed you so much, especially now that the bed gets cold at night." Even with the electric blanket, didn't using it too much supposedly draw out the body's moisture?

Han Tao held Wang Qiqi tightly and let out a satisfied breath. "Qiqi, Qiqi..."

Luo Hongjuan stood by the boarding gate, incessantly giving instructions to her son and daughter-in-law. "Mom, don't worry, flying is very safe." Han Tao watched his mother's nervous demeanor, thinking that perhaps she was using constant instructions and reminders to distract herself from the fear of flying.

Luo Hongjuan, who had been ceaselessly listing do's and don'ts, immediately stopped talking. After a moment, she said, "I never imagined I'd get to fly in my lifetime. Actually, I could have..." While flying had a certain prestige, the ticket price was exorbitant—enough for several round trips by sleeper train. Moreover, they needed to take a train anyway, and when calculating the time, it wasn't much of a time saver. Besides, Song Yao and the others were in a hurry, but she wasn't; Luo Hongjuan still felt the train was somewhat safer than flying.

Song Yao was holding Wang Qiqi's hand nearby, discussing matters. As for Luo Hongjuan standing beside them, Song Yao figured the older woman was content as long as her son comforted her; the daughter-in-law was secondary. "Qiqi, you mainly oversee the renovation. And for the shop, talk to the other party and see if the price can be pushed up a bit. If possible, then we can rent it out." Since the shop's transfer, Song Yao had felt immense pressure, calculating the monthly payments due to the bank, finally experiencing what was called the sweet agony.

Wang Qiqi murmured in acknowledgment. "Got it, I'll talk to the agent. As for the renovation, I'll check in frequently, and Nana said the owner of that place is quite honest."

"No matter how honest, you know business minds can change," Song Yao patted Wang Qiqi's hand. Hearing the broadcast announcement, she added, "I think your mother-in-law is scared stiff. Honestly, if we were pressed for time, you could have bought her a train ticket." Seeing her worried expression, Song Yao wondered if Luo Hongjuan would be anxious throughout the entire flight. Truthfully, Song Yao had also been worried the first time she flew, but after several trips, she found flying much faster. Tickets to Beijing were always in high demand; sometimes, even Song Ziwen, an insider, couldn't secure a sleeper berth on the nearest available train. Although airfare was expensive, it was incredibly convenient for people like them who needed to leave unexpectedly.

"Since she hasn't flown before, she naturally has all sorts of ideas, and besides, didn't you see the smile on her face?" Wang Qiqi looked at Luo Hongjuan, who, despite being nervous, couldn't hide her underlying excitement, knowing she was truly happy.

Song Yao glanced at Luo Hongjuan's happy face and conceded that the elderly lady would eventually have to adapt to flying, especially since traveling to the US would require it. "Auntie, we need to head in now, or we'll miss the flight." Song Yao decided to play the good Samaritan.

Luo Hongjuan genuinely didn't know what else to say to her son; the scene had become awkward. When she heard Song Yao announce they needed to go, she breathed a sigh of relief. "Alright, you two go back. Don't stay up too late at night." Then she looked at Wang Qiqi and quietly told Han Tao, "Don't assume you're young; some things that require restraint should be restrained."

When Han Tao heard the last sentence, his face slowly flushed red. Why did his mother have to say something like that in front of everyone, leaving him completely unprepared? "Mom, you go on back. Call me when you get home. Qiqi booking these tickets for you this time was also to make you happier, and if you go to the US in the future, you’ll eventually have to experience it."

Luo Hongjuan nodded, then hugged Wang Qiqi, who had moved closer to her. "Qiqi, don't stay up so late. Your skin isn't as good as it used to be. And some jobs, if you can avoid them, you should. You've gotten so thin." Luo Hongjuan had initially assumed Wang Qiqi was dieting like some girls nowadays, not realizing the reason a big eater like her couldn't gain weight was the immense pressure from school and earning money. After hearing what her son and daughter-in-law said, Luo Hongjuan realized they were planning to buy a house in the US within the next couple of years. Due to various issues, Luo Hongjuan knew securing a loan would be difficult, so they planned to pay the full housing price at once. This realization shocked her; her heart hammered fast. She thought her son and daughter-in-law were moving too quickly. They hadn't even paid off the mortgage in China yet, and they were already thinking about buying in the US. Luo Hongjuan felt truly old. "There's no rush for the house in the US; health is what matters, health is what matters."

"Don't worry, Mom, we have it under control," Wang Qiqi thought. The reason she was rushing to buy the house was to finalize everything before summer vacation. That way, when the stock market crashed during 9/11, it wouldn't affect them much. Even if they took a small loss on the property, Wang Qiqi couldn't ask Feng Xuanxiang to sell off all his stocks for cash right before 9/11; that would look too suspicious.

"Mom, we calculate things carefully," Han Tao never questioned Wang Qiqi's financial planning. He knew she wouldn't harm him, and frankly, he wasn't very interested in those matters. Wang Qiqi provided his solid backing; truly, what a perfectly matched couple they were.