"Ding-dong, ding-dong." Wang Qiqi groaned when she heard the doorbell ring from outside. She turned over, pulling the thin blanket over her head. It was outrageous; who would disturb the peace so early in the morning? Wang Qiqi figured they must have the wrong apartment; as long as she didn't open the door, the person outside would eventually leave.

The person outside was remarkably patient, ringing the bell incessantly, giving off the unmistakable impression that they wouldn't budge until someone opened up. Angered, Wang Qiqi finally prepared to heave herself up, only to promptly tumble onto the floor with a thud. There was no chance of her remaining groggy now. She realized the thing she thought was a thin blanket was actually a sofa cushion, and Song Yao’s sleeping posture was the most comical sight: one leg and one arm flung out towards the back of the sofa, her face pressed against the cushion, giving the impression she was scaling a miniature sofa mountain.

Seeing Song Yao, Wang Qiqi instantly knew who was at the door. She finally understood why she had felt so incredibly uncomfortable all night—it turned out she had been sleeping on the sofa, and no matter how comfortable a sofa was, it wasn't designed for sleeping.

Yawning widely, Wang Qiqi opened the door and, unsurprisingly, found Gong Peixing there, holding several plastic bags clearly filled with breakfast. "Brother-in-law, morning. Come in."

Wang Qiqi noticed that Gong Peixing didn't look well either, appearing as though he hadn't slept at all. "Brother-in-law, you didn't sleep last night either, did you?"

Gong Peixing offered a greeting and was about to step inside when the odor in the room wafted out, a thick stench of alcohol. "How much did you two drink yesterday?" Steadying himself, Gong Peixing took off his shoes, entered the apartment, and immediately opened every window for ventilation. He then moved to the living room and spotted the three empty wine bottles on the coffee table. He could only shake his head; so, his wife had come here to drink and vent. Noticing her sleeping posture on the sofa, he almost burst out laughing—that sleeping pose was truly advanced.

Wang Qiqi went to her room to get some clean clothes before heading to the bathroom to shower. "Brother-in-law, I’m leaving the rest to you. You have no idea how exhausted I was yesterday listening to my sister ramble on and on."

In truth, by the end of the previous night, Wang Qiqi and Song Yao had both been airing their worries, and whether the other was actually listening was beside the point. The main focus was the alcohol supply. Wang Qiqi vaguely remembered Song Yao repeatedly saying, "Qiqi, you have so much wine here. Your sister must visit more often." Wang Qiqi couldn't recall how she had responded, but it seemed she agreed instantly. It wasn't that Wang Qiqi grudged parting with the wine, but she worried that if her sister visited this often, their home would truly turn into a bar. Previously, the three of them might finish one bottle; now, with her sister around, they might easily go through three or five, and the apartment would forever be permeated with a heavy, lingering scent of liquor.

"Your sister has been under a lot of pressure," Gong Peixing observed, noting how rarely he saw his wife so relaxed. "Your sister kept talking about what she needed to do and how she needed to do it."

"As for how to alleviate that pressure, I think you should have a pretty good idea, Brother-in-law," Wang Qiqi said, knowing Gong Peixing also harbored insecurities about money.

Gong Peixing knew exactly what Wang Qiqi was implying. "Yes, I plan to take it easy for a couple of years. Also, my uncle mentioned that the house in our hometown is scheduled for demolition next year. Are you planning to..." Although he had asked Wang Qiqi about her intentions regarding the demolition compensation before, she hadn't lacked money back then. Perhaps her perspective had changed now.

"Take the property," Wang Qiqi stated firmly. Considering the amount of money from demolition compensation, taking the replacement property was more sensible. "But maybe we can hold out as 'nail households'?" After all, none of the registered owners had legitimate occupations, so he couldn't easily threaten them. "By the way, they won't resort to forced demolition, will they?" Wang Qiqi asked with concern.

"Don't worry, they won't. Besides, you know many families over there rely on rent income and live quite well. They might even coordinate to demand more," Gong Peixing replied. He knew that once the demolition news broke, his in-laws would start causing trouble again. They had already caused a ruckus when the rumors first surfaced. Gong Peixing felt a wave of relief that he had followed Wang Qiqi’s advice to get the notary deeds done previously, transferring the property ownership directly. Otherwise, being the head of the household here in the capital, he could have signed an agreement, leaving Gong Peixing nowhere to cry. "According to my aunt, they want the property plus a portion of the financial compensation."

Wang Qiqi genuinely didn't know how to navigate these matters. "Brother-in-law, I’ll have to trouble you with this again." Having Song Ziwen handle it would have been fine, but Wang Qiqi suddenly realized that if Song Ziwen got involved, those people would definitely find leverage. It was best to have Gong Peixing step in.

"Done," Gong Peixing agreed immediately. Negotiating for two properties together was much better than negotiating for two separate ones. "I'll have Ziwen go ask about the current market rates for demolitions." The goal wasn't to gain huge advantages from the demolition but to avoid being excessively exploited. Currently, there was no unified policy for demolitions; it all depended on who you knew and how aggressive you were—it was a matter of individual capability.

Wang Qiqi nodded. "Leaving this to Song Ziwen is best. Besides, when we rent out the houses, it’ll bring him business." Wang Qiqi showed no hesitation in putting Song Ziwen to work; money wasn't earned easily.

After speaking, Wang Qiqi quickly slipped into the bathroom, finding the smell on her body unbearable. Gong Peixing, meanwhile, grabbed a rag and a trash bin and started tidying up around the coffee table. He made quite a racket trying to wake Song Yao, but even with all the noise, his wife remained sound asleep. Gong Peixing could only shake his head. She drank heavily and vented her unhappiness, yet slept so soundly. He recalled how much effort he had expended just to coax the little master to sleep the night before. Gong Peixing felt like a long-suffering soul. The more he looked at her, the more irritated he became. He decided he had to wake Song Yao up; there was no reason for him to suffer so much while the mother of his child slept so blissfully. Furthermore, there were only three people at the shop, plus a child, and he worried he wouldn't manage everything. He also had errands to run later. "Qiqi, are you taking Taotao out today?" Wang Qiqi had promised Taotao they would go to the zoo yesterday. Gong Peixing had used that promise to placate the little rascal yesterday, or else he didn't know how much trouble there would have been.

Wang Qiqi, putting on clothes in the bathroom, froze when she heard this. "Right, I am taking Taotao out today." Good heavens, Wang Qiqi felt that in her current state, taking the notoriously energetic Taotao out would be a significant challenge. That child ran everywhere. If she had been well-rested yesterday, Wang Qiqi thought she could manage, but in her current condition, she wondered if she might pass out on the spot.

While Wang Qiqi wrestled with her dilemma in the bathroom, Gong Peixing kept shouting for Song Yao outside, but she slept on, infuriating him to the point where he almost shoved his wife off the sofa—but he dared not, afraid of her potential wrath if she woke up furious.

"Yaoyao, wake up, wake up! Taotao is looking for you." Gong Peixing paused, then deployed his ultimate trump card. If this failed, he’d have to use the final, most drastic measure.

Hearing her son calling for her, Song Yao’s eyes snapped open instantly. "Taotao, Taotao!"

Song Ziwen watched her wake up instantly at the mention of their son, and the first word out of her mouth was "Taotao." His heart felt sour. "The boy is at the shop, Aunt Luo is looking after him. If you don't hurry over, I expect he’s about to cry his eyes out," Song Ziwen said irritably.

Hearing her son was nearby, Song Yao looked around the unfamiliar surroundings. The memories of yesterday slowly flooded back. "Oh, I stayed at Qiqi's place last night. Qiqi’s **is terrible; I didn't sleep comfortably at all." Song Yao felt more physically strained than sleeping next to her husband and son. Her back and waist ached terribly.

"It would be strange if you did sleep comfortably. Did you see where you were sleeping?" Gong Peixing thought to himself that given his wife’s sleeping position, nowhere would be comfortable, and after sleeping like that for hours, how could she not ache?

Song Yao rubbed her eyes, about to retort, when she suddenly saw the television screen and the coffee table in front of her. Heavens! Only then did she belatedly realize she had been sleeping on the sofa. "Oh my god!"

By the time Song Yao and Wang Qiqi had washed up, over an hour had passed since Gong Peixing arrived. "Let’s go. We'll eat breakfast in the car," Gong Peixing said, worried about how much trouble his son might be causing at the shop if they delayed further.

Wang Qiqi hummed in agreement. "Brother-in-law, on the way, let's stop by the supermarket. I need to buy some snacks." This was her secret weapon for placating children; Wang Qiqi was relying on those treats to keep little Taotao sitting still in one place for longer.

Song Yao was still lamenting her plight—no rest all night, and now she had to go to the shop to work. But when she heard Qiqi was taking Taotao to the zoo, she suddenly felt much more balanced. "Qiqi, I really have to trouble you today. Please take good care of my son." People find solace in comparison; seeing someone worse off makes one feel their own troubles are insignificant. "I’ll pay for the snacks. Thank you for looking after my son today." Her son had been pestering to go to the zoo all summer but they could never find the time. Now, finally, she had found a convenient scapegoat. Song Yao was delighted.

Receiving this subtle jab, Wang Qiqi let out a few cold snorts. "Sister, since this is such a great opportunity, you should come along too. It's good for mother-son bonding." Wang Qiqi decided that if she wasn't comfortable, then someone else certainly shouldn't have a pleasant day. She was determined to make Song Yao come along. As for her sister's enthusiastic opposition, Wang Qiqi figured that wasn't a problem; if her own son strongly demanded his mother come too, then she couldn't object, right?

Song Yao watched Wang Qiqi intently during the drive, worried that she might force her hand. She had no intention of accompanying her son to the zoo. "Taotao adores you, Qiqi. He's always saying how wonderful Auntie is. I think the boy is really looking forward to going to the zoo with you."

"That’s because you two don't take him!" Wang Qiqi retorted sharply. "You fill his head with stories about how wonderful the Beijing Zoo is, then you never take him. That’s too much!" Otherwise, the child wouldn't be this excited to hear about going to the zoo. "Don't worry, it all depends on Taotao."

Song Yao was confident in her son. As long as his 'little aunt' was there, it was fine. Qiqi would usually grant reasonable requests. If Song Yao occasionally objected, Song Yao figured her son wouldn't be satisfied if she went along.

The three of them hurried towards the shop. Gong Peixing had already pushed the car speed up to the limit because he knew how impatient his son might be waiting at the shop.

Just as Gong Peixing expected, Taotao stood by the shop entrance, constantly watching the passing cars, occasionally muttering, "Why aren't they here yet?"

"Daddy is too slow. He said it would only take a moment to come back." It had been ages, it seemed. Taotao counted on his fingers and realized he’d already drunk four glasses of water, yet Dad hadn't returned.

Luo Hongjuan and Lu Qiaowei had tried calling Taotao back to sit down earlier, but the little fellow wouldn't listen. What could they do?

"Hmph. If they don't get here soon, what time will it be when we get to the zoo?" Taotao had heard from his kindergarten friends that the zoo was huge and fun, full of many animals. If his aunt didn't arrive soon, it would be too late, and how much time would they have left to play? Taotao decided that if his aunt didn't show up in a few minutes, he would demand she take him to the zoo again tomorrow; hmph, it was all her fault.

Children have sharp eyes. When he spotted his father’s car approaching, he darted over to Luo Hongjuan, wrapping his arms around her waist, constantly voicing his worries. "Grandma Luo, do you think Auntie doesn't like Taotao? Why hasn't she come yet?"

"Taotao loves Auntie so much..."

Luo Hongjuan had been wondering why Taotao wasn't waiting at the door but had instead come to her for comfort. She thought perhaps the child had grown impatient waiting and came to complain. But when she saw Wang Qiqi pushing the door open, she understood. She smiled, pointing first at Taotao, then at the door, indicating that the little guy had been waiting right by the entrance for them. In fact, even without Luo Hongjuan saying anything, the others had already seen it.

Wang Qiqi thought this child was very clever with his maneuvering. She glanced at the time; oh dear, the child was genuinely worried. It was almost ten o'clock. "Taotao, if we go to the zoo today, Auntie might not be able to look after you properly. What should we do?" Wang Qiqi intentionally didn't suggest calling Song Yao, knowing that the child was so excited about the outing, he wouldn't let the plan be cancelled.

What? What did Auntie mean by that? Taotao’s first reaction was that his aunt was backing out. He was about to say, why are all you adults like this? Hmph. His mom and dad were like that, how could Auntie be the same? But then he saw his aunt pointing at his mother, and the little boy understood. Auntie wanted Mom to come along. Although the little boy wasn't thrilled about his mom tagging along, he was good at calculating accounts. If Auntie took him, he could still ask his mom to take him to the zoo another time. If he agreed with Auntie now, wouldn't he lose an opportunity to go to the zoo? However, he also knew that if he disagreed, Auntie would probably just throw a tantrum. "Auntie, let's ask Mom to come too. I want Mom to go to the zoo with me. It’s a pity Dad has work today." The little guy suddenly felt a pang of regret; how wonderful it would be if Dad could come too.

Song Yao instantly sensed trouble when Wang Qiqi brought up Taotao's desire for her to come. "Qiqi, what is the meaning of this? Didn't you promise?" This was clearly forcing her to go.

"I did promise. I’m just letting Taotao choose for himself. Taotao, is it you who chooses for Mom to go?" Wang Qiqi thought that she was letting Taotao choose, but the choice was clearly engineered for him to pick having his mother tag along.

"Mom, you don't want to go with me?" Taotao didn't care about the tug-of-war between his mother and aunt. He only knew that if Mom didn't go, Auntie probably wouldn't either. Auntie had yawned several times just now; hmph, it must be because Mom slept badly last night that Auntie hadn't rested well, otherwise why would Auntie insist Mom comes? "Mom, I love you, I love you so much. You won't disappoint me, will you?" The little guy put on a performance, looking on the verge of tears.

Wang Qiqi just watched Taotao act, waiting for Song Yao. "I'm so tired, Sister. You must have slept well; I slept terribly yesterday." Wang Qiqi immediately flopped onto the sofa, closing her eyes to rest. Her sudden collapse terrified Taotao. He was worried his aunt really wouldn't take him anymore.

"Grandma Luo, look, my mom isn't taking me."

"Auntie Wei, look, my mom won't take me to the zoo. Adults don't keep their word."

"Dad, you always said you’d take me to the zoo before, but you never did. Now Auntie says Mom should come, but Mom..."

After Taotao’s dramatic plea, Song Yao immediately felt the weight of everyone’s gaze. "I'll go, I'll go, isn't that enough?" Song Yao thought Qiqi’s tactic was ruthless; she had dug such a huge trap for her. As she spoke, she shot Wang Qiqi a fierce glare. Wang Qiqi, however, acted as though she hadn't noticed. She saw glares often, and Song Yao’s look held absolutely no impact.

Taotao cheered and clapped his hands when he heard his mother agree. "Mom, let's go! Otherwise, we'll be late!"

Song Yao snapped back irritably, "We're going, we're going! And remember, Auntie is paying for all the expenses today, okay?" Since it was Wang Qiqi’s idea, she insisted Qiqi should pay. There was no way she should spend money and effort.

Taotao understood this point. He nodded. "Mom, Auntie is treating us to the zoo, so she pays for everything. Mom, let's not save Auntie any money—she didn't buy me a present."

Seeing how quick her son was on the uptake, Song Yao thought it wasn't so bad; at least she wouldn't have to spend her own money taking her son to the zoo. "Husband, when you finish your tasks later, remember to come to the zoo. Then the three of us can have a good time walking around. Today Qiqi is treating, so why don't you skip work and handle it another day?" Song Yao suggested maliciously.

This time, Wang Qiqi looked stunned. "Ah, you can't be serious!" She could already foresee her wallet shrinking significantly today. Taotao would only pick things he liked to eat, and while his favorite things weren't usually expensive, Song Yao would definitely choose the most expensive things, not necessarily what was best.

Song Yao noticed Wang Qiqi's suddenly stiff expression and sneered inwardly. Want to play games with me, little sister? You're still too green. She had planned to start eating snacks on the way and keep eating until they left the zoo, making Wang Qiqi realize she couldn't be easily manipulated.

Gong Peixing waved his hand, watching the two sisters engage in their silent battle. "I'll drop you off at the zoo, and then I have to go handle my business; I promised someone." Besides, if he went, would he let Qiqi foot the bill? Would he still be a man then? So, Gong Peixing decided that to allow his wife to complete her mission of making Wang Qiqi bleed financially, he should obediently go earn money. Furthermore, the boy had endless energy; who knew how much trouble he'd cause at the zoo? In the end, wouldn't he be the one stuck looking after that little terror? Compared to that, staying in the shop, enjoying the air conditioning and a cold drink, and being able to nap when tired, sounded much more comfortable. "You all just go ahead." Gong Peixing then whispered a few words into Song Yao’s ear, and Song Yao’s expression gradually softened.

Watching the two of them walking ahead, excitedly eating ice cream, Wang Qiqi felt her heart dripping blood. She could stomach the entrance fees, but as soon as the mother and son entered the park, Song Yao started demanding this and that. Wang Qiqi thought about how they could eat so many sweets without worrying about gaining weight.

Song Yao seemed to sense Wang Qiqi’s inner resentment and turned to flash her a sweet smile. "Don't worry, your sister has actually lost five pounds since coming to Beijing. Eating these things is fine."

Lost five pounds? Wang Qiqi scanned Song Yao up and down. "Did you really lose weight?" Why did Wang Qiqi feel like the woman hadn't lost an ounce? "Sister, didn't you always say you needed to lose five kilograms to look good?" Even if it was free food, she didn't need to eat this much, did she? Losing weight was hard, but gaining it back was easy.

"Of course, I have to eat diligently when it’s free! Don't worry, your sister's weight is steadily decreasing." Song Yao chuckled inwardly. Now she knew what it felt like to lift a rock only to drop it on her own foot.

Wang Qiqi was speechless. She could only snort and pour herself some mineral water. Eat up, drink up. Wang Qiqi thought, it’s fine; she could just stay and eat at Song Yao's place for the next few days, saving her the trouble of cooking at home and reducing the air conditioning costs. Wang Qiqi calculated it—this arrangement was worth it. Thinking this, Wang Qiqi suddenly rushed over to Taotao and started playfully wrestling with him.

Wang Qiqi had completely recovered, and now it was Song Yaoxin’s turn to feel a prickle of anxiety. How could someone who looked so sour just a moment ago suddenly be beaming, as bright as the midday sun? Song Yaoxin wondered if Wang Qiqi had thought of some scheme. Or perhaps Qiqi had noticed Gong Peixing giving her money earlier, and now she planned to wait until they were ordering a lavish meal to trap Song Yaoxin, only to suddenly announce she was broke. Song Yaoxin conceded that this wasn't entirely impossible. She resolved that for the rest of their outing, she needed to tread carefully, lest she truly provoke Wang Qiqi and end up being the one to suffer the consequences.

Wang Qiqi was too absorbed in playing with Taotao to notice her older sister's troubled expression. If she had known earlier, Wang Qiqi mused, she would have deployed this tactic sooner instead of enduring such internal turmoil that almost caused her heart a hidden injury. RS