Han Tao heard Wang Qiqi humming a tune as she returned to the study, thinking she must be in a good mood today—perhaps her negotiation with Jiang Xin went smoothly, or maybe she finally found leverage over her.

Han Tao stepped out, leaning against the doorframe. "Good mood today. Did things get sorted out?"

Wang Qiqi spun her keys on her finger, nodding when she heard Han Tao. "Things are settled." The mere thought of potentially tackling a challenging knitting project—a sweater—made her genuinely thrilled; after all, she was a capable, devoted little housewife.

Hearing this, Han Tao’s eyes snapped wide open. "Really? You truly resolved it?" His own wife was certainly reliable.

Seeing Han Tao’s excited outburst, Wang Qiqi recalled that she might have given him the wrong impression. "What I settled isn't what you think it is. I've been quite busy lately; I really haven't had the chance to talk to her." Wang Qiqi then remembered something she had forgotten, but it didn't matter. She patted her husband’s cheek. "I trust you completely. You definitely won't fall for any honey trap."

Han Tao looked at Wang Qiqi, who carried an air of command, assuring her subordinate that she had everything under control. "I was worried that Jiang Xin might turn her attention toward Dai Lijun instead." Han Tao gently moved her hand away from his face.

Dai Lijun? "He brought this upon himself. Why should I worry about him? If he hadn't been playing games back then, would someone be targeting me now?" Wang Qiqi thought that if that person had stood firm initially, she wouldn't have had to confront Jiang Xin; Shi Man should have stepped in at the time. Her man was abroad—a real oversight.

Dai Lijun, hearing this inside the room, clearly felt it was aimed at him. He sighed. "Fine, I admit I handled things poorly before. But can you stop bringing it up all the time?" Dai Lijun felt his first love story was turning into a grand tragedy.

Wang Qiqi rolled her eyes at him. "I’m heading back to my room to work." Even though she had learned to knit scarves, some tasks still needed her attention.

Han Tao watched Wang Qiqi’s mood shift so abruptly before she turned and retreated to her room. He wondered if she was genuinely happy or not, or perhaps she had temporarily forgotten about Jiang Xin to deal with something else. That matter must have been resolved quite well. Did her recent frequent disappearances mean she was handling something she deemed more important than Jiang Xin’s harassment? What could be more significant? Han Tao was genuinely curious.

Han Tao walked into the study looking puzzled, while Dai Lijun looked at him with resignation. "Did you just say the wrong thing?" If Han Tao hadn't spoken out of turn, Dai Lijun felt he wouldn't have said anything to Qiqi, avoiding being lectured for no reason.

Han Tao didn't reply, just plopped down heavily in his chair, staring at the floor, lost in thought.

Han Tao’s unusually subdued reaction made Dai Lijun, who expected a lecture, feel unsettled. He cautiously glanced over and found Han Tao sitting there with a look of complete bewilderment. "What’s wrong with you?" Dai Lijun thought he was the unlucky one, yet he wasn't reacting this strongly; why was Han Tao so disappointed?

"I assumed Qiqi went to see Jiang Xin, but she said no. So I don't understand what she actually went to do," Han Tao murmured softly.

"Maybe she was dealing with an admirer. Do you think just because you and Qiqi are together, she suddenly has no suitors?" Dai Lijun, despite being busy, had personally witnessed numerous men expressing interest in Wang Qiqi. "When I first met Qiqi and the others at the library, quite a few guys started frequenting the place just to see them. The pursuers have lessened over the years, but her popularity remains, especially since everyone knows Qiqi is wealthy. You know what I mean." Some men wouldn't aim for a rich wife, but some less ambitious ones certainly would, thinking a capable, wealthy spouse could solve many problems.

Han Tao glared at Dai Lijun, who was offering smug commentary instead of comfort, and snorted. "Qiqi wouldn't do anything like that. I just think she's preoccupied with other matters." Han Tao knew that as long as he didn't do anything to betray her, the inherently lazy Qiqi wouldn't bother adapting to someone new. He was just curious about what Qiqi was secretly up to.

Could it be knitting something for him? Han Tao immediately dismissed this possibility; he knew Qiqi had a psychological block against knitting things like scarves. After thinking for a long time without success, Han Tao suddenly recalled something: hadn't Song Yao mentioned wanting a large oven installed at the shop? Could Qiqi have gone to learn how to bake pastries? This thought filled Han Tao with unexpected joy. Could he occasionally have a change of pace for breakfast now? Thinking of this, Han Tao's expression brightened. Since Qiqi wanted to surprise him, Han Tao certainly wouldn't spoil it now; surprises are best revealed when the fruits are ready to be tasted.

Seeing the transformation in Han Tao’s expression, Dai Lijun just shrugged. People in love have slightly addled brains—one moment gloomy, the next partly cloudy, then suddenly sunny. His own girlfriend was better; sure, she occasionally threw small fits, but those were all guided by Qiqi and the others. Dai Lijun was certain that once his girlfriend was away from Qiqi's influence, she would return to normal immediately.

Wang Qiqi returned to her room, opened her laptop, and continued translating while humming. Even the homework she expected to be difficult turned out surprisingly easy. "A good mood really makes everything go smoothly." After finishing the last file, she double-checked it, sent it off, and went to pour herself a cup of coffee.

As she sipped her coffee and habitually refreshed her screen, Wang Qiqi suddenly noticed an email from Li Xiangdong asking her to contact him regarding something urgent.

Urgent? Wang Qiqi found it strange. Since his divorce from Li Qian at the end of the year, they hadn't been in contact at all—the man hadn't even sent a simple email wishing a Happy New Year. Why contact her now, during an ordinary time? "He must have run into something urgent he can't handle." Although Wang Qiqi didn't know the specifics of Li Xiangdong's request, she figured it must be a difficult manuscript that no one else could manage, or perhaps he was simply too overwhelmed. "He married a spendthrift wife who only knows how to boss around the proprietress. It’s only natural for capable people to leave."

Being in the translation circle, Li Xiangdong's post-divorce struggles were gossip fodder. Sometimes Ye Ruizhi would bring him up. Although Ye Ruizhi sounded calm when he mentioned it, Wang Qiqi detected a hint of schadenfreude in his tone. After all, when someone's business declines, clients leave. Ye Ruizhi, for instance, seemed to be doing quite well lately, handling some of Li Xiangdong's former clients. If clients were defecting, it meant either Ye Ruizhi was exceptionally good at poaching, or Li Xiangdong's company was truly failing, losing too many capable staff members and leaving only newcomers. No amount of client management could fix that.

"Should I help him or not?" Based on the current situation, Wang Qiqi genuinely didn't want to help the man, especially since he hadn't acted honorably and his business was on the decline; there was no need to mend fences with him. But then she thought—he was Li Zhe’s father, and he had been her mentor. After some deliberation, Wang Qiqi decided to make a phone call.

Wang Qiqi said her goodbyes and finally hung up, sitting stunned on the bed. She truly didn't know how to assess Li Xiangdong—was he muddle-headed after achieving some success, or was this simply karma catching up to him?

Wang Qiqi decided to call Li Qian instead. She heard that Li Qian was doing very well in Lijiang now, reportedly attracting many young people. Li Qian even claimed that constantly mixing with young folks had made her feel years younger.

"Sister Qian, long time no see. Are you busy?" Wang Qiqi couldn't help but fantasize about Li Qian living a leisurely life in Lijiang, soaking up the sun while still earning money—the absolute ideal life.

Wang Qiqi expected that running a hotel business, constantly chatting with new tourists or taking a few days off to sightsee, would keep Li Qian occupied. Instead, Li Qian launched into an extended monologue about the shop renovations. If Li Qian had called her, Wang Qiqi wouldn't have minded, but she was the one who initiated the call. Wang Qiqi could already picture her phone bill for the month soaring past the limit. Indeed, their home phone bill often ran into the hundreds, sometimes even thousands. On several occasions when Wang Qiqi went to pay the bill, the staff at the telecom office would look at her with astonishment, some even directly asking if she was running a business from home because the charges were so high. Wang Qiqi could only offer explanations each time, and though the staff seemed skeptical and threatened to inspect the line, Wang Qiqi simply ignored them.

Wang Qiqi finally caught Li Qian during a brief pause to drink water and quickly recounted the essence of Li Xiangdong’s message and his request for contact. "Sister Qian, what should I do?" Whether to help or not hinged entirely on Li Qian's feelings.

If Li Qian said help, she would help; if she said no, she wouldn't. Wang Qiqi was clear that she would follow Li Qian’s lead; after all, she wasn't lacking a few coins.

Li Qian had initially sounded cheerful and smiled while speaking, but after hearing Wang Qiqi’s account, she fell silent for a long time. "Qiqi, I’ll call you back later; definitely before tonight."

Wang Qiqi heard the dial tone of the call disconnecting and let out a long sigh before hanging up the receiver. "Looks like I’ll wait for Sister Qian’s decision. I thought she had put her feelings to rest, but I didn't expect..." Some things are etched into the heart; touching them again will always peel back the layers. (To be continued.)