Shi Man held an umbrella under the scorching sun, feeling her whole body turn sticky in no time. "Qiqi, can we go to that place you mentioned for quick weight loss? Why aren't we leaving yet?" If it hadn't been for Qiqi mentioning a fast track yesterday, Shi Man wouldn't have ventured out in the blazing sun; it was truly agonizing.

Wang Qiqi glanced at the watch on her wrist. "Waiting for someone. Then we'll go."

Waiting for someone before leaving. A strange feeling Shi Man had harbored since last night resurfaced—a premonition that something bad was about to happen. She cautiously surveyed the passing crowd. Just then, her eyes narrowed, and she spun around, intending to leave immediately. Forget it; staying now would be courting disaster.

Wang Qiqi had been watching Shi Man the entire time she was secretly looking around. The moment Shi Man tried to pivot away, Qiqi grabbed her clothes and smoothly hooked an arm around her shoulder. "Manman, I'm not thirsty. We can buy drinks later. As for your weight loss, there's no rush."

Shi Man hadn't expected her escape attempt to be noticed by Wang Qiqi. Fine, since she was caught, she wouldn't run. She needed a new tactic. "Qiqi, I just remembered I still have homework I haven't done."

"Do it tonight. Homework isn't urgent."

"Weiwei said she has some problems I don't understand."

"Tonight. The exam isn't until the second half of the year, so there's no need to rush this moment. You're seeing your man in less than a month; you don't want him to be startled when he sees you at the airport, do you?"

Of course, Shi Man worried about that—otherwise, she wouldn't have agreed to this agonizing weight loss regimen. But at that moment, she thought that even dieting would be infinitely better than the exercise that was about to happen. As the approaching figures drew nearer, Shi Man decided she had to state her decision quickly: "I'm not going with you to look at shops; people die doing that." While the weight loss might be fast, it was potentially fatal, and in Shi Man's view, this was far more terrifying than a marathon; it was comparable to a gruesome triathlon. At least a marathon has a defined objective and known tasks remaining, whereas this had no clear endpoint—it might end soon, or it might drag on.

"You weighed yourself before leaving, right? Check again tonight. Then you can decide for yourself whether to continue," Wang Qiqi replied, confident that as long as someone was determined to lose weight and look good in that dress, she would certainly show up again.

Shi Man understood then that today’s outing was unavoidable, and she gave up trying to escape. What concerned her more was whether Qiqi would drag her out frequently in the future. Unexpectedly, Wang Qiqi was being quite reasonable. Shi Man stared into Qiqi's eyes, trying to spot any weakness.

"I swear, I'm only dragging you out for today. Whether you continue next time is your problem," Wang Qiqi said testily. "Haven't you noticed how good my energy level has been lately? Besides, while being fair-skinned is great in China, foreigners might think you lack stamina. And hasn't your physical strength declined recently?"

Hearing Wang Qiqi point out her flaws in such a public setting, Shi Man finally cracked. "Fine! I'll go, I'll go, isn't that enough?" It was just one trip. Besides, listening to how Qiqi and the others inspected shops might actually be beneficial if she ever needed to purchase commercial property herself someday, requiring careful consideration.

Bai Ge was surprised in class when she heard Qiqi mention taking Shi Man out that afternoon. Given Qiqi’s transformation over the past few days, Bai Ge hadn't expected Shi Man to subject herself to such misery again. She had assumed it was just Qiqi boasting, so seeing Shi Man’s actual figure—albeit with an expression radiating deep reluctance—was startling. "Shi Man, hello."

Though Shi Man felt wronged, she wouldn't vent to Bai Ge. Even though she suspected Bai Ge was behind this ordeal, leading to her current predicament, she managed a smile. "Long time no see. You’re doing better and better." Shi Man’s previous impression of Bai Ge was of a quiet, gentle, slightly insecure girl. She never expected such a demure person to possess such boldness. Now she understood why Qiqi was so close to her. If Qiqi didn't genuinely find Bai Ge a good person and value her as a friend, Wang Qiqi wouldn't have bothered running errands for her. As one ages, friendships often lose their simple purity. While Wang Qiqi befriended Bai Ge partly because she sensed Bai Ge might become someone significant, it also showed that this quiet girl was slowly beginning to radiate her own light.

Bai Ge waved her hands, looking quite shy. "How can I compare to you two?" While she felt she was doing reasonably well among her classmates, she knew that Shi Man and the others, backed by their families plus their own efforts, had achieved success that she couldn't currently match. Even in the future, Bai Ge doubted her chances of catching up were high unless she encountered a true benefactor.

Speaking of a benefactor, her mother often told Bai Ge in childhood that her Guiren (benefactor) was in the Capital, predicting this daughter would achieve great things. Otherwise, given their family's financial situation, Bai Ge knew her parents wouldn't invest in her education; any surplus funds would go to her younger brother. Back then, Bai Ge thought that even if it was just superstition, she had to thank that Taoist priest, or she wouldn't have had the chance to escape the mountains and come to the Capital, nor would she be who she was now. In Bai Ge's view, her Guiren was Qiqi.

"Let's go, let's go." Shi Man thought, how long would pleasantries last? They needed to hurry, inspect the shops, and then she could finally go home.

"Okay. Oh, I brought a few bottles of water. Tell me when you need them," Bai Ge patted the large backpack behind her.

Shi Man was stunned. She had wondered why someone would carry such a large, seemingly heavy backpack on such a hot day. She hadn't realized she brought water. This girl was too frugal. Wang Qiqi immediately reached out. "Give me two bottles." Qiqi wasn't actually thirsty; she knew Bai Ge had surely overpacked water, which could help lighten the load.

Bai Ge pursed her lips, signaling Qiqi to take them herself. Wang Qiqi skillfully unzipped the backpack, pulled out two bottles, and handed one directly to Shi Man. "Take this."

Don't let Wang Qiqi's single-minded focus on how to subject Shi Man to the toughest possible training fool you; she ultimately chose shops nearby to minimize bus rides.

It was Shi Man's first time accompanying Wang Qiqi to look at properties. She watched Qiqi, arms crossed, constantly muttering to the realtor while discussing their differing opinions with Bai Ge. Bai Ge was busy jotting down observations on a piece of paper. Some properties spanned two floors, and Shi Man remained downstairs, feeling utterly exhausted just watching Qiqi and Bai Ge scramble up and down. Yet, they treated it as routine. As they continued, Shi Man noticed Wang Qiqi’s steps becoming unsteady a few times, even holding her lower back. She was showing a rare level of seriousness.

After the three shared a simple meal, Shi Man linked arms with Wang Qiqi and bid farewell to Bai Ge. "Let's walk a bit before we grab a cab."

Wang Qiqi licked her lips. "Let's find somewhere to sit down, preferably somewhere with good cold drinks and comfortable sofas." Having endured a grueling afternoon, Wang Qiqi desperately needed to rest and recover properly.

"I don't mind if you're paying." Shi Man looked around but found no place to rest. "Never mind, let's just stand here."

"Then let's take a cab. We can talk in the car." Wang Qiqi figured any major discussion should happen outside. "My period started. I'm exhausted." Thank goodness she had prepared supplies; otherwise, it would have been utterly humiliating.

Her period started? Shi Man thought Qiqi’s self-control lately was remarkable. "Let's go back, let's go back."

Once settled in the taxi, Wang Qiqi immediately closed her eyes. Menstruation was uncomfortable enough, but adding strenuous exercise made Wang Qiqi feel worse than death. As for what Shi Man wanted to ask, Wang Qiqi truly couldn't be bothered right then. What annoyed her was that her cycle was early this month. Sigh, it meant her body was weak. She needed to find a traditional Chinese medicine doctor soon to check her pulse and condition her body. She was still young; building this fortune wasn't easy, and Wang Qiqi didn't want the fruits of her hard labor to be enjoyed by some random woman.

Shi Man, seeing Wang Qiqi’s pale face, wisely kept silent about her questions. When the car passed a small supermarket, "I'm sorry, wait for me a moment; I need to run in and buy something." Shi Man remembered her mother had used up all the brown sugar at home last time.

Shi Man rushed into the supermarket and bought two bags of brown sugar. Though she moved quietly, Qiqi remained in the exact position she was in when Shi Man left—sitting in the back seat, clutching her abdomen, her brow tightly furrowed, showing how unwell she truly felt.

"Qiqi, wake up, we're here." Shi Man gently roused Wang Qiqi, thinking that if she didn't wake up, she'd have to go inside and call Han Tao.

Wang Qiqi hadn't realized she had fallen asleep in the taxi. Usually, Wang Qiqi never slept in cars, worried that a sleeping passenger might make the driver drowsy. "Oh." Wang Qiqi groggily grabbed her bag and headed out of the car.

"Right, the fare." Only after the taxi pulled away did Wang Qiqi suddenly remember she hadn't paid.

"I paid it," Shi Man thought, finding the just-woken Qiqi rather amusing—a bit slow on the uptake. Didn't she realize the driver would have driven off if the fare hadn't been settled? "You're getting clumsy."

Wang Qiqi chuckled and offered no defense; the pain radiating from her stomach left her with no energy to argue with Shi Man. "Oh, right, I think we're out of brown sugar at home." Damn it; otherwise, she could have made some warm brown sugar and ginger soup to soothe her stomach, but now...

"I bought some. You go take a bath first; I'll go boil some for you." Shi Man truly couldn't fathom it—was Wang Qiqi confused or lucid, remembering the need for brown sugar but forgetting the taxi fare? (To be continued)