"Qiqi, why don't you stay over at my place tonight?" Shi Man asked Wang Qiqi after seeing Song Ziwen and his group off. "Don't tell me you're too busy. Once you go abroad, sisters won't have as many chances to chat like this as we do now."

Wang Qiqi knew Song Yao had been upset for days, never fully venting last time. Considering Yang Jing was at home and Gong Peixing's concession, she certainly wouldn't press the issue. Now that the crowd was gone, it would be strange if Song Yao didn't keep her talking for a while. "Fine, but I need to grab my laptop from my place first." While listening to someone vent, she could also get some work done.

A laptop again. This girl never forgets that thing, no matter where she goes. Song Yao smacked the steering wheel hard. "Is that the only thing you have, a laptop? What else do you have besides making money?" With her mood being so foul, Wang Qiqi was still thinking about earning money; Song Yao genuinely felt sorry for her.

Wang Qiqi paid no mind to Song Yao's complaints. "Sister, what you really need is someone to listen to your complaints, and I'm here for that. Besides, your sister is going to study in the UK; how can I not earn some money?"

"I’ll translate manuscripts; you just focus on nagging, Sister," Wang Qiqi said calmly. Song Yao realized she truly just needed someone to vent to. "Okay. Oh, Aunt Luo is coming home late today; let's stop by and pick up some cooked food on the way."

Wang Qiqi had no objections to this. "Deal."

Although Wang Qiqi was prepared, knowing Song Yao would endlessly complain and gripe, the resentment bottled up inside this girl seemed excessive. She talked nonstop in the car and continued her nagging after they arrived home.

"Honestly, Sister, you're overthinking things. The angrier you get, the more you let them win," Wang Qiqi said, finally stopping her work and turning her attention to Song Yao, whose face looked a bit contorted. Although she could keep working while the other kept talking, having someone constantly rambling beside her made it impossible to concentrate, and Wang Qiqi worried she might accidentally type Song Yao's words into the computer.

Song Yao certainly knew that logic. "But you also said that if bad emotions aren't vented, they bottle up inside and cause major problems." Song Yao frowned. "I am truly fed up with that family. I thought I'd never run into them again, but they pop up every now and then. It leaves me unsure how to deal with them."

"I want to be a good wife too. Look at me—I contribute financially and labor-wise more than many wives, but they are still never satisfied," Song Yao fumed. "So, I'll leave them no retreat whatsoever. Hmph, do they think because I’m in business, I care about saving face? Hmph, I’d rather donate to Project Hope than spend a penny on them." At least, no matter what, the beneficiaries of the donations would say something nice about her. Since there was no return either way, the feeling was vastly different.

Donate to those projects? Wang Qiqi pursed her lips, swallowing the words she wanted to say. Honestly, she didn't have a high opinion of those organizations; weren't there plenty of doubts raised about relevant institutions in later years? "Whether you donate or not, Sister, it’s up to you. By the way, when your brother-in-law goes back this time, will he argue with them and then compromise again?"

This matter could have been completely resolved last time, but after being persuaded by the elders and assured that they would guarantee Gong Peixing wouldn't cause trouble, Gong Peixing agreed to let them stay. The result, however, was that the relatives felt Gong Peixing was easy to bully, leading to all these new issues.

"Your brother-in-law called the elders back home a few days ago," Song Yao said with a slight smile, bringing up the call that vastly improved her mood. "He told them we have high expenses in Beijing and plan to sell the house there to buy one here, subtly revealing the mischief that family has been up to."

"What did they say? What assurances did they give?" Wang Qiqi thought that anything those people said was only worth listening to. Their hometown wasn't that big; couldn't they dig up information if they tried? Besides, Gong Peixing’s parents couldn't possibly have remained completely unaware, could they? Even if they didn't reveal anything beforehand, wouldn't they grumble a bit afterward?

"They all claimed to be very surprised and said they didn't know about it. They even advised your brother-in-law that after all, they are his parents... I suspect they have some secrets tangled up in this," Song Yao mused. Gong Peixing thought his relatives were decent, but it seemed most were ungrateful wretches. Still, this was good; it allowed him to see the true faces of those relatives clearly. "Then Gong Peixing's aunt spoke up, saying Gong Peixing’s parents know how good our relationship is with his side of the family, so they concealed a lot. But according to her, she saw their families gathering together several times."

Gathering together? And frequently? Wang Qiqi sensed something was definitely amiss. Gong Peixing’s parents used to maintain a distant relationship with those relatives because they were state-owned enterprise employees. Why were they suddenly so close now? There had to be a catch. "You mean they..." Wang Qiqi asked tentatively, combining this with what they said on the phone, there must be some trickery involved.

"Exactly. Do they think we're fools?" Song Yao considered, looking around. "Your brother-in-law said if they still don't leave this time, he’ll sell the subsidized housing units in our hometown too. Even if it’s a bad deal now, it’s better than having certain people covet them. Fortunately, two houses are under Qiqi’s name." Alas, she had no inclination to ever return to her hometown.

"That's for the best." Wang Qiqi thought about their previous plan—to kick out Gong Peixing’s parents, perhaps offering them some rent money. The concept sounded good, but would the Gong family agree? Nobody was foolish. Under the current plan, they’d at most get to live in that one house. "Sister, even though you resent them fiercely, they are still your brother-in-law's parents, and your aunt and the others live in the hometown. Think of it as charity for beggars." If pushed too hard, who knew what kind of rumors would spread.

Song Yao certainly knew that. "Once Ziwen and the others develop in Beijing in the future, I won't let that group off the hook..." Song Yao understood that she was mostly just venting verbally. As long as Gong Peixing's parents were alive, they couldn't truly go too far. "When those old folks are gone, I'll set off firecrackers to celebrate."

"We should celebrate for several days," Song Yao thought, only then would the Gong family have no excuse to make demands on them.

Wang Qiqi looked at the visibly excited woman. "Sister, don't get carried away." Wang Qiqi thought her sister's reasons for happiness were quite simple. "Alright, Sister, it’s getting late. Go make dinner."

Song Yao was surprised that Wang Qiqi would order her around so bluntly. "Aren't you being a little too impolite?"

Since the other party was fine now and even smiling, Wang Qiqi returned to her work on the computer. "How can a host make a guest work? Oh, right, Sister, don't you have a juicer? Help me make some juice." Since the hostess had already judged her, why should she hold back? She might as well be frank. "Do we have any watermelon left?"

"No." Song Yao gave Wang Qiqi a look. This girl really knew how to order things around. "Watermelons are so expensive now!" A single glass would be over ten yuan, and more importantly, she couldn't just make one glass, right? "We only have apples. We'll make apple juice."

Apples. Wang Qiqi genuinely didn't care for them much. "Didn't I say apples are nutritious? How about oranges instead?"

"Then apples it is." Faced with a two-option choice, Wang Qiqi settled for apple juice.

Just as Song Yao finished juicing the apples and was about to take it out, she saw Wang Qiqi packing her bag. "What's wrong?"

"Bai Ge needs to see me about something." Wang Qiqi waved the pager in her hand. "They are having a dorm dinner tonight." Sigh. Wang Qiqi really didn't want to attend this kind of gathering. When they first started university, the dorm held one every month, not aiming for fancy places, but just to have a chance to treat themselves. But at some point, these opportunities became rare, and by the second half of the junior year, these dinners had completely ceased.

"Dorm dinner?" Song Yao looked at Wang Qiqi in surprise, handing her the juice and gesturing for her to drink it before leaving.

Wang Qiqi took the cup and drank it in a few gulps. "We used to have dinners often. Now that graduation is approaching, they’re reminiscing about the old days." Friendships formed in college are generally purer. Other dorms had already had countless gatherings, but Wang Qiqi’s dorm hadn't managed even one yet. It wasn't just a lack of organization; mainly, their relationships had drifted apart long ago.

"Are you going to drink?" Song Yao asked nervously. She sometimes saw news reports about accidents occurring at graduation dinners where students drank too much. Even though Qiqi was a girl, what if someone insisted on drinking?

Wang Qiqi wasn't entirely sure about that point. "I don't know. We used to drink soft drinks at our gatherings, but some of them have been interning for so long now that they’ve picked up all the tricks of the social world. So, I'm really not certain." Drinking is often a way to bond, especially since Li Xin and a few others were known drinkers. If someone instigated drinking, the situation might spiral out of control. Thinking of this, Wang Qiqi decided against bringing her laptop. It wasn't the cost of the machine she was worried about, but the loss if certain things inside disappeared. "Sister, I'll leave my laptop with you. I'll pick it up from your shop tomorrow."

Song Yao nodded, and besides giving Wang Qiqi a few reminders, she didn't have much else to advise. "Honestly, if those classmates don't keep in touch, so be it. How many people have you kept in touch with among the many acquaintances your sister has had?" Song Yao figured that since her sister was going abroad, she wouldn't have much contact with her university classmates anyway, so there was no need to maintain those relationships. Furthermore, strong friendships wouldn't change drastically just because of one extra or one fewer drinking session.

Wang Qiqi knew that. Of the original eight roommates, the ones she was still close with were Bai Ge (for business dealings) and Zhang Yan (they were all going to the same university abroad). The others either held some animosity toward Qiqi or had simply grown distant because Qiqi had moved out of the dorm early. "I know, but Sister, you know how it is. If I don't go to an event like this, some people will say I lack loyalty." If she skipped this gathering, who knew what they would say?

Wang Qiqi rushed to the small restaurant near the school gate. She straightened her clothes before walking in. Wang Qiqi was actually quite worried. There had been traffic jams on the way, and she knew she was late. She didn't know how those people would react to her tardiness. She had heard that at a certain dorm's gathering, someone who arrived late due to an obligation was forced to drink heavily by classmates and eventually had to be carried out. Wang Qiqi certainly didn't want that fate.

Duan Xiaomin was sitting in the private room, listening to Li Xin and Feng Yanjie chat. As for Bai Ge, she was tucked away to the side, not even looking at Duan Xiaomin. Duan Xiaomin knew Bai Ge was angry about what happened before, and she regretted how she had treated him too. She had always envied and been jealous of Wang Qiqi for finding such a good man, completely unaware that she herself had once had such a boyfriend. But back then, she hadn't seen things clearly and was easily swayed by a few sweet words. Well, even if she missed out on that man, she still had her career, right? But in the end, she didn't even keep her job. After finding a great job, she became too arrogant. Feng Yanjie got into the local graduate program, and Li Xin found a job, but it wasn't in Beijing. Duan Xiaomin, however, was working at a securities company—a job so prestigious to talk about. But now? After searching for so long, Duan Xiaomin hadn't found a job better than the securities firm.

Duan Xiaomin knew there were several jobs she had turned down with promising prospects, but she had a stubborn fixation on finding a unit better than the securities firm so she could boast to her classmates about landing a better job. But as graduation drew closer, the jobs she could find were worse and worse. When she tried to go back to the companies she had rejected, they had already hired someone else. Duan Xiaomin felt utterly miserable thinking about it. Then she looked at Bai Ge: although she hadn't pursued postgraduate studies or found a job, her graphic design studio was reportedly doing quite well, and she had apparently bought a house in Beijing too. They were in the same dorm, yet the gap between them was so huge. Duan Xiaomin truly couldn't understand it.

Bai Ge listened to Li Xin and the others chat, finding the situation utterly amusing. Wasn't it because she was close with Qiqi that she had been isolated by the trio led by Duan Xiaomin? But now, Duan Xiaomin, who always acted as the leader, sat quietly, occasionally saying just a word or two. Meanwhile, the two who used to be her subordinates were chatting animatedly. Bai Ge certainly knew why Duan Xiaomin was in this predicament. Although she tried hard to hide things, the world wasn't entirely large or small. News about Duan Xiaomin's job search had inevitably spread. However, since everyone was unaware of the specific details, no one would ask Duan Xiaomin directly. Even Bai Ge, who knew some inside story, wouldn't bring up that topic with that person.

"Sorry, I'm late." Wang Qiqi pushed open the door of the private room and, seeing only four people inside, breathed a sigh of relief. At least two more were yet to arrive.

Duan Xiaomin saw it was Wang Qiqi, greeted her briefly, and then settled back into her seat without moving. Wang Qiqi didn't pay much mind to this person's unusual behavior; whether she was doing well or poorly had little to do with her. Wang Qiqi said hello to everyone else and plopped down next to Bai Ge. "Whew, I nearly died rushing over. I came as soon as I got the notification."

"Did your aunt and the others leave?" Bai Ge knew Wang Qiqi wanted her to bring up why she was late. "By the way, your brother-in-law left; what about the factory?"

Bai Ge's words were quite a shock to Duan Xiaomin and the others. What? Qiqi’s brother-in-law opened a factory? That was huge news! Why hadn't Qiqi ever mentioned it? They looked at Wang Qiqi with eyes full of surprised envy. Anyone who could open a factory in Beijing must have some backing.

Facing three pairs of eager eyes, Wang Qiqi inwardly thought, I really don't have the heart for this. "My sister is staying in Beijing; the factory can't be left unattended. Besides, my brother-in-law is only going back for a few days."

"Qiqi, your brother-in-law is opening a factory?" Li Xin asked with interest. Ever since starting her internship, Li Xin understood the importance of connections and how childish and shortsighted their previous actions of isolating Wang Qiqi had been. Although in their eyes, Qiqi's popularity in the class wasn't great, for Wang Qiqi, being free from the constraints of the class might actually make her happier.

Wang Qiqi hummed in acknowledgment. "Yes, it just opened after the New Year; it’s a small factory."

Li Xin and the others knew Wang Qiqi was a modest person, or perhaps someone who liked to keep things hidden. They figured since Wang Qiqi’s sister could move from their hometown to develop in Beijing, opening just a small factory seemed unlikely. They all showed expressions of disbelief.

Wang Qiqi had no intention of explaining their skeptical looks; whether they believed it or not was utterly irrelevant to her.

Wang Qiqi’s lack of explanation didn't mean Li Xin and the others didn't have thoughts, but they knew how futile it was to be unwilling now. They were classmates today, but after graduation, how many would remain in contact?

"Oh, right, congratulations on going to the UK, Qiqi," Duan Xiaomin rapidly recovered from her shock and offered congratulations. Before, Qiqi hadn't mentioned where she was going to study abroad, leading to all sorts of rumors in the class. Now, there was confirmed news. "When are you leaving?"

"Around August, I need to discuss it with Zhang Yan and the others." Qiqi and the others hadn't sat down to properly discuss the departure date yet, as they would need time to find housing there. Fortunately, the three of them had adapted quite well to the English-speaking environment, which would save time. However, Wang Qiqi was thinking that since her visa was approved and Han Tao was expected to return to the US after the commencement ceremony in July, maybe she could travel in Europe for half a month first. This would depend on Shi Man’s plans. Qiqi was confident in herself and felt she could travel alone, but she couldn't help that the people back home who cared about her wouldn't agree; they would surely insist she find a companion.

"No thoughts about traveling for fun?" Bai Ge teased. This friend had a knack for earning money even when traveling for leisure. The last time she went to Yunnan to visit friends, she managed to partner with someone to open a small hotel there, and the business was reportedly quite good. Looking at Qiqi's pace, it wasn't just traveling; it was practically scouting for opportunities.

Wang Qiqi smiled without answering the question. "By the way, why aren't Zhang Yan and Han Meina here yet?" Wang Qiqi noticed that two people were still missing since she arrived. What was going on?

"Han Meina has a later internship start, so she'll be late. Zhang Yan seems to have something too and will arrive late," Li Xin explained. "This gathering today was really sudden. It’s been a long time since we had a meal together. Back when we first started..." Li Xin recalled that when they first started university, although one person targeted Wang Qiqi, everyone else actually got along quite well—attending classes together, eating in the cafeteria together, and going out for dinners to treat themselves. Qiqi even asked her man to help introduce tutoring jobs for them. But they ended up forgetting all that. Li Xin felt genuinely sorry for Qiqi, but she really couldn't bring herself to apologize directly.

"People can't always live in the past." Wang Qiqi really didn't want to dwell on past events. The reason everyone ended up where they were wasn't just one party's fault but a collective one. "We need to look forward. By the way, when are you reporting to your unit?" Although Li Xin wasn't staying in Beijing for work, the job she found was reportedly quite good too.

"I'll go for my internship next week and officially sign the contract after graduation." Li Xin had hoped to work in Beijing after spending four years studying there; she had developed a deep affection for the city and adapted to everything here. But after searching for a long time, she couldn't find a suitable, good job. Finally, she found this company; the benefits were good, and the development potential was promising, so Li Xin signed the contract. She looked at Duan Xiaomin constantly job hunting and wanted to suggest she shift her focus to units outside of Beijing, where there might be pleasant surprises. But Li Xin only thought this; she wasn't entirely clear about Duan Xiaomin's plans, though she was certain that Duan Xiaomin's job at the securities firm had fallen through, otherwise, she wouldn't still be searching.

Duan Xiaomin listened to their conversation from the side, feeling sickened. Originally, she should have been the focal point of this gathering, but who knew it would turn out this way? However, she thought if Li Xin could find a good job at this stage, maybe she should also attend job fairs in other cities to see if there were any opportunities. Despite her reluctance, being jobless after graduation was worse.

It wasn't long before Zhang Yan and the other two arrived, and the group dinner commenced. Whether it was the gradual easing of tensions between Wang Qiqi and Li Xin, or perhaps Han Meina had become significantly more articulate, skillfully balancing the mood of everyone present, or maybe someone simply suggested drinks—regardless of the cause—the conversation flowed joyously around the table. They swapped amusing anecdotes from campus life, voiced tentative anxieties about their upcoming careers, yet overwhelmingly, the atmosphere was charged with boundless optimism for the future.

Wang Qiqi observed the largely spirited demeanor of her assembled classmates, a single, persistent thought occupying her mind: she hoped that five or ten years after graduation, they would still retain this same fierce confidence. Time, after all, was the ultimate tormentor, capable of reshaping people. Li Xin, for instance, had certainly become much more polished than she used to be. Conversely, Duan Xiaomin, having sailed too smoothly for too long, had plummeted into despondency after encountering even minor adversity. Of course, if she could manage to climb back up, her future prospects wouldn't be all that bleak.