Wang Qiqi finally regained her energy two days later. The sight of her returning home that day, her face deathly pale and leaning on Shi Man for support, thoroughly terrified Lu Qiaowei, who opened the door, and equally shocked Han Tao.

Even though they later learned it was just her period, Han Tao still confined Wang Qiqi to the house for rigorous rest. Everyone knew Qiqi usually suffered cramps, but never had it been so severe that she could barely walk. Because of this, the usually good-tempered Han Tao, now genuinely angry, subjected Qiqi to a solid half-hour lecture. Had it not been for the fact that someone was about to head off to meet the Dream God, the reprimand would have easily stretched to an hour. And during Han Tao’s scolding, not a single person spoke up to defend Wang Qiqi. If Qiqi had sensed something was wrong earlier and come home, none of this would have happened; she had walked right into it. It was a sheer stroke of luck that Han Tao didn't go looking for Bai Ge for an accounting, as that scene would have been far more awkward.

Han Tao watched Wang Qiqi emerge from the room. "Want to sleep a bit longer?" His wife’s complexion was finally rosy and beautiful again. That day, her face had been so white, utterly devoid of blood, it had nearly scared him to death. It had taken days of recuperation to bring her back.

Wang Qiqi yawned. "No, if I sleep more, I’ll have no energy left. I’m heading out—I won't be back for dinner today." With that, Qiqi grabbed her bag and bolted. She feared that if she moved any slower, this man would catch her and prevent her from leaving. Today, Wang Qiqi had an appointment with Huang Rong to give Feng Yanxia a final intensive tutoring session. Although the girl’s English scores had improved significantly under Qiqi’s guidance, and her results in several mock exams had been quite good—reportedly, the young woman hadn't forgotten key knowledge points again on the actual test—Huang Rong was immensely pleased.

Han Tao watched the swiftly departing Wang Qiqi with deep dissatisfaction. Did he do wrong by keeping her confined to the house for the past few days to rest? Didn't she realize that if he hadn't been worried sick about her, he wouldn't have been so tense keeping her locked up?

Dai Lijun saw Han Tao walk into the study with a gloomy expression. "What’s wrong? Qiqi left?"

Han Tao grunted an affirmation, then slumped onto his seat, visibly unhappy. "Do you think what I did these last few days was wrong...?"

What could Dai Lijun say? He wanted to point out that anyone would feel miserable being cooped up at home all day, mostly just lying in bed. Even pigs needed to be allowed some exercise. But Han Tao was relentless. "I’d be scared too if I lay around for two days! You know how much energy your woman has, she’s never still."

That was true, yet Han Tao found the words grating. After a few choked sounds of frustration, he switched gears. "Work, work. Right, when are you heading home?"

"In a few days, I suppose. A triumphant return to the old hometown." Dai Lijun thought that once he returned this time, it would be years before he came back again. His parents were already bragging about hosting dinners for relatives and friends to show off their successful son. "Going back means nothing but banquet after banquet. I just hope I survive the trip."

Dai Lijun’s original thought was that a simple family gathering would suffice; there was no need to make such a grand spectacle. Did not inviting irrelevant people mean he wasn't successful? Dai Lijun could already foresee the kind of days awaiting him back home. "Taozi, when you went abroad, did your family throw a huge party?" Although Han Tao’s relationship with his relatives wasn't great, going abroad was a matter of significant prestige, and relatives would surely use the occasion to mend fences.

"A party?" Han Tao calculated mentally. "We did. Just me, Mom, Qiqi, and her entire aunt's family had one meal together. But it served as a formal introduction between both sets of parents." One meal resolved quite a few issues; definitely efficient.

... Dai Lijun mused that he truly was Wang Qiqi’s man—the same amount of money achieved two objectives. Absolutely cost-saving. "Let me think." While hosting a banquet would certainly bring in gift money, the reality was that entertaining at a venue involved venue costs, plus copious amounts of cigarettes and liquor. Dai Lijun estimated that the larger the scale, the wider the gap between expenditure and income. He’d rather spend that money on buying property in Beijing than on feasts. He’d bought one already, but who ever complained about owning too much property? Yes, that was the plan. The more Dai Lijun thought about it, the better it sounded. Money needed to be saved. Otherwise, knowing his status-conscious father, if anyone offered a sob story, he’d generously hand over the cash. While some people deserved help, others were purely trying to scam money. That money would be better spent on securing more property for himself than being conned away.

Dai Lijun was a man of action. Checking the time, he calculated that his father should be out of the house. He could form an alliance with his mother first. Dai Lijun knew his mother cared about him more than his father did, and once his mother was truly set on something, his father would absolutely support her. Therefore, he needed to break down the opposition one by one.

Han Tao watched Dai Lijun hum a tune, shaking his fleshy backside as he approached the telephone. He wondered what had gotten into the kid. When he heard Dai Lijun speaking to his mother on the phone in an astonishingly sweet, almost childish tone, Han Tao’s jaw nearly dropped. After living together for so many years, this was the first time Han Tao had heard Dai Lijun sound so endearing on a family call. Honestly, Han Tao deeply regretted not having a recording device handy; if he had captured it, playing it for Qiqi and the others would surely cause every jaw in the room to hit the floor.

However, the content of what the cute voice was saying was utterly serious, especially concerning the property purchase. Han Tao figured this was Dai Lijun’s usual tactic: acting cute only when asking for a favor back home. Han Tao was genuinely curious about this development.

Dai Lijun hadn't expected things to proceed so smoothly. He had barely opened the topic about wanting to buy property in Beijing when his mother immediately chimed in: Buy it, of course. If you need money, we’ll support you. Upon asking further, he learned his father had recently infuriated his mother so much that even if he hadn't called, she would likely have shown up to find him herself.

Setting down the receiver, Dai Lijun noticed Han Tao staring at him with a very strange expression. "Taozi, are you busy in a bit? If not, come with me to look at properties."

Han Tao was speechless. "No way, your mother has the final say?" Wasn't his friend’s family supposedly ruled by the father? What twist of fate was this?

"Mmm-hmm." Dai Lijun nodded. "Let’s go look at properties immediately, and put down a deposit." His mother had stressed the need for speed; she couldn't hold out much longer. Ideally, they should sign the contract today. Compared to those relatives and friends, his friend Dai Zi's matters were paramount. "If we don't spend the money quickly, perhaps our family status itself will be questioned."

Han Tao found the vague phrasing odd. Whether the money was spent or not, it was still theirs. "Stolen money?"

Dai Lijun immediately recoiled at the inauspicious suggestion, spitting out a few words. "My dad doesn't take bribes, okay!" At most, he accepted gifts during holidays and enjoyed fine dining, which was normal. If he didn't even accept that, how could he get by? "It’s just that my dad’s friends keep asking to borrow money—the kind that’s never paid back. Mom is worried about the household funds..." People saw the old man being so generous with spending and assumed the family was flush, but while their life was comfortable, it couldn't withstand the old man’s extravagance.

Han Tao understood. He patted Dai Lijun’s shoulder. "If you have enough money, go buy a commercial unit. Those appreciate faster. You’re already buying a place in Beijing anyway."

Buy a commercial unit? Dai Lijun’s first reaction was, "They’re expensive!" How could he afford the down payment?

"A loan," Han Tao shot him a look. "If you don’t have enough cash, let your parents cover the loan payments. Do you think your dad has the spare cash to lend to friends then?"

"That’s right!" Dai Lijun realized instantly. If he owed the bank money, his father wouldn't have the financial flexibility to show off. "Buy one that can generate rental income immediately. Even if it's expensive, Mom can collect the rent. Once we accumulate enough cash, we can look at commercial properties." The old Dai Lijun would have envied Wang Qiqi’s strategy of letting rent cover the mortgage. Initially, he had worried about Qiqi buying so many properties and taking on so much bank debt, but now he wasn't concerned; Qiqi was a genuine landlord with countless properties, and the rent was definitely enough to service the loans. "It's great having a rich wife; the pressure is light."

Han Tao changed clothes and emerged from his room just as the slow-witted man was muttering to himself, "You could also dump Weiwei. I’m sure you could find a beautiful, wealthy girl if you tried." He just hoped her temper was good; for Han Tao, a girl's temper was definitely more important than money. "Alright, let's go."

Han Tao wanted to settle this quickly so he could rush home to see when Qiqi would be back. "I brought some of the materials Qiqi looked at for commercial properties last time." Fortunately, Bai Ge was a good person; she had photocopied the documents for the commercial units and returned the originals, otherwise, things wouldn't have gone so smoothly.

Dai Lijun felt deeply that his luck was excellent. He had just brought up buying commercial units, and suddenly, relevant materials appeared. Qiqi’s taste was definitely good; even if these were properties she’d passed over, the ones she bothered to document must be decent. "Taozi, Qiqi mentioned these few units in here were good, but she regretfully didn't buy them." He hoped Han Tao would take note.

Heaven was clearly favoring Dai Lijun. Han Tao nodded under the hopeful gaze of his friend. "I know. Let’s find an agent first, have them take us around." Han Tao speculated that among the three groups looking to buy commercial properties, Dai Lijun’s purchase would likely be the smoothest—deciding to buy one day and putting down a deposit the very same day.

Dai Lijun clapped Han Tao on the shoulder. "Don't worry, I won't drag you around aimlessly like Bai Ge did. Our time is tight and the mission is urgent." If he became too picky, he feared the money transfer might not clear in time. Even though his mother said she would transfer the funds, what if his father insisted on keeping the money? So, the best solution was to spend it immediately and see what his father would do then.