Wang Qiqi couldn't shake the image of someone's shoddy handiwork flashing before her eyes all evening. Although Qiqi inwardly sneered at it, she had to admit that even the crudest piece of stitching represented a display of affection from her boyfriend.

The more Wang Qiqi thought about it, the more vexed she became. Ugh, did she really have to learn to knit at her age? While it was slightly embarrassing, that wasn't the main issue; Wang Qiqi worried she simply wouldn't be able to bring herself to learn. After all, even after six months or a year, her efforts might not match the quality of Shi Man's inferior garment—what if one sleeve ended up longer than the other?

“Aaargh!” Wang Qiqi couldn't help but cry out. Then she reconsidered. Forget it; she'd just pretend she hadn't seen the thing. At that moment, Wang Qiqi deeply regretted her meddlesome impulse that afternoon, actually opening that box. "That really was Pandora's Box; whoever opens it is doomed. Curiosity killed the cat."

Wang Qiqi vented her frustration around the room, her shrieks chilling enough to scare anyone. Naturally, she felt much better after letting it out. However, Han Tao, working in the study, and Dai Lijun were thoroughly startled by her cries. Lu Qiaowei, also tucked away in the study meticulously studying her English dictionary, had an even more dramatic reaction; the dictionary slipped right out of her hands onto the floor. "Qiqi, what's wrong?" Lu Qiaowei asked softly after a moment's pause. "It feels like ever since we got back today, she hasn't been quite right; something feels strange."

Lu Qiaowei had initially assumed Wang Qiqi was struggling with her studies. But when Juliana asked her, she had cheerfully replied that the coursework was trivial and she could handle it easily, so Juliana hadn't pressed further. Later, during dinner and casual conversation, she had been quite animated. So why the sudden shift now?

Han Tao’s brow furrowed. His wife wasn't in a good mood today, but it definitely wasn't about schoolwork. Even though he didn't understand finance, seeing her work so casually on her laptop while still managing to do translation work told him it couldn't be difficult. But when he asked why she was unhappy, she just smiled and shook her head, saying nothing was wrong. Had she run into some unexpected problem? Thinking this, Han Tao stood up and headed toward her room.

Watching Han Tao’s drawn face, Lu Qiaowei recalled Qiqi's poor mood earlier. And the fact that Han Tao hadn't offered a single word of comfort made her suspect something deeper was going on. "Silly boy, did they have a fight?"

A fight? Dai Lijun paused, wondering what conflict could arise between them at this juncture—there seemed no external or internal cause. Still, perhaps there were things he wouldn't know as an outsider. "Forget it. It’s probably a minor issue, or Qiqi is just making trouble for herself. You know how she is; sometimes she'll fret for days over a couple of outfits."

Lu Qiaowei considered her boyfriend’s answer; it seemed plausible. A few times when the three women went shopping, Qiqi had agonized over how many satisfactory items to buy. "I really don't get it. Qiqi isn't short of money, so why the struggle over clothes?" If it were her, she wouldn't hesitate over anything she liked. But Qiqi often got headaches over such trivialities. Ah, no wonder her parents always said the richer people were, the more calculating they became. Initially, Lu Qiaowei thought that, no matter what, she wouldn't be so stingy about things she loved. But after getting to know Qiqi, Lu Qiaowei understood that saying much more deeply.

"Qiqi feels it's unnecessary to buy so many clothes now that she's going abroad soon. She can't take them all with her. And the clothes Qiqi used to buy were more expensive, but now..." Dai Lijun recalled how shocked he’d been when Wang Qiqi started buying clothes from a wholesale market. To him, Qiqi and a wholesale market seemed worlds apart. But he quickly realized Wang Qiqi probably felt it was wasteful to buy expensive items now.

Lu Qiaowei made an "oh" sound and picked up the dictionary that had fallen to the floor, looking at it seriously. "If I can pass the TOEFL this second half of the year, I’ll apply to universities in the States." Her parents weren't exactly thrilled about her dropping out, but they weren't strongly opposed either, so Lu Qiaowei decided to leave the final choice up to fate.

"Good." Dai Lijun had actually assumed his girlfriend wouldn't drop out to start over in the US, so her giving him such a big surprise made him happy.

Lu Qiaowei was slightly displeased by her boyfriend's somewhat detached reaction. She wondered if she was just getting carried away unilaterally. But then Lu Qiaowei noticed her man’s face slowly turning red. She thought, what a reserved man; he must be thrilled inside but was still trying to maintain a composed exterior. "I have to pass the exam first. If I don't pass the test this second half of the year, I’ll just stay here and finish my degree at home. After all, sticking it out for just over a year more, and I'll graduate."

Dai Lijun had initially been happy, thinking they'd only be separated for half a year at most. Now, it seemed his wife might not even leave, and he couldn't keep up his pretense anymore. "Ah, no way! Honey, you absolutely have to try your hardest, harder than ever, you must pass."

"I still have to pass it," Lu Qiaowei looked at the suddenly anxious man. She wanted to tease him a bit more but held back. "You know my English foundation. If I pass, I’ll drop out. If I don't, it’s heaven's will."

Dai Lijun's heart gradually settled. Han Tao had talked to him a few days ago about whether Lu Qiaowei should drop out to start fresh in the US. Dai Lijun was slowly emerging from his own wishful thinking. "It’s fine; we can consider it after you pass." Han Tao had advised him not to put too much pressure on his girlfriend, as pushing too hard might make her want to run away. So, Dai Lijun resolved to try and offer Lu Qiaowei a very relaxed environment for a free choice.

Han Tao rushed into the room to find Wang Qiqi rolling around on the bed. He admitted it was the first time he'd ever seen such childish behavior. "Qiqi, what's wrong?"

Wang Qiqi hadn't expected the man supposedly working hard in the study to burst in. Then she realized how utterly childish her current display was and immediately felt embarrassed, burying her head in the quilt. "It's nothing. I just felt a bit uneasy, and shouting helped."

Han Tao walked to the bedside and gently placed Wang Qiqi's head on his lap. "Feeling uneasy just means shouting it out? Do you know that scream of yours just now scared Dai Lijun and the others half to death? Tell me, I'm listening. Whatever is bothering you, tell me, and we'll analyze the problem and solve it together." Han Tao assumed she had run into some unpleasantness at school, or perhaps it was something to do with Jiang Xin again. "Jiang Xin has been acting weird lately."

Jiang Xin? Wang Qiqi was surprised Han Tao brought up her name, considering he and Jiang Xin didn't interact much. "Did something happen between you and Jiang Xin that I don't know about?" Wang Qiqi forgot her own distress and focused instead on the more concerning matter. "You are not allowed to hide anything from me?"

Han Tao hadn't expected Wang Qiqi to not be worried about Jiang Xin; he inwardly cursed his luck. Still, he didn't want to hide anything. Some things were better coming from him than from others, or from Jiang Xin herself. Han Tao gathered his thoughts. "A few times since I came back, I've run into Jiang Xin, and I keep feeling something is off."

Ran into Jiang Xin? Wang Qiqi’s eyebrows knitted together. C University and Han Tao’s university were nowhere near each other. Han Tao had been swamped with classes and work commitments, so he shouldn't be going to school to find her. Given the circumstances, for Jiang Xin to have encountered Han Tao several times—and for him to notice something strange—was noteworthy. The problem was, Wang Qiqi didn't think Han Tao was the type Jiang Xin would be interested in. After all, Dai Lijun and Han Tao were practically the same type—the sort Jiang Xin called 'unromantic.' Although Wang Qiqi didn't want to jump to conclusions about her man, a woman's intuition sometimes spoke truths. "Don't tell me something happened between you two? And how many times have you seen her? Why didn't you report it?"

Han Tao looked at the shining intensity in Wang Qiqi's eyes and recounted every instance of meeting Jiang Xin, one by one. "I just feel like she's being... maybe a bit too enthusiastic towards me." Han Tao was genuinely confused by Jiang Xin. He didn't think he was that charming. Dai Lijun wasn't inferior to him; his own opportunities had just been slightly better than Dai Lijun's. But Jiang Xin hadn't chosen Dai Lijun back then, so Han Tao figured she wouldn't choose him either, especially since his relationship with Qiqi had always been so stable.

With the principal party confirming her suspicions, Wang Qiqi’s unease solidified. She remembered a previous conversation with Jiang Xin regarding matters involving herself, Dai Lijun, and Lu Qiaowei, where Jiang Xin's gaze toward her had held resentment and anger. At the time, Wang Qiqi hadn't paid it much mind. But now, combining all the facts, Wang Qiqi slapped the bed suddenly. "Don't tell me Jiang Xin is trying to steal you away? I talked to her about her issues with Dai Lijun before winter break; maybe she resents me for not helping her?" It wasn't impossible; it could be revenge, and being with Han Tao would secure her future. Although the probability was low, she might still try, right? Sigh, women, why must they make things difficult for each other?

Han Tao hadn't anticipated Jiang Xin might do something out of hatred for Wang Qiqi. He stammered, "N-no way. Didn't she reject Dai Lijun herself back then? It was her own mistake." To Han Tao, blaming Qiqi for this seemed utterly wrong.

"Men never understand the thoughts of women," Wang Qiqi declared. Now that she understood Jiang Xin's potential motive, even if she was overthinking it, Wang Qiqi wouldn't march over and confront her. "Next time you see her, you keep your distance. Remember, you're married."

If Wang Qiqi hadn't warned him, Han Tao would have understood anyway. He stroked Wang Qiqi’s hair. "My relationship with her was always just ordinary. Besides, if she harbors such thoughts, how could I possibly get close to her?" (To be continued)