After enduring numerous yawns, Wang Qiqi finally heard the phrase she longed for: "A leader is a leader, after all." A graduation ceremony—one speech after another, each speaker clutching a stack of papers as if competing to see who could talk the longest. To Qiqi, all their speeches sounded like utter nonsense.

Bai Ge sat with a constant, gentle smile, showing not a trace of impatience. She certainly didn't engage in much whispering, only offering a few polite claps now and then. However, Qiqi could tell from the force of her applause that the moment someone else was mentioned, Bai Ge's clapping became the most enthusiastic and sincere. "It’s over. My university life is done," Bai Ge glanced at her watch. "Shall we go meet Manman?"

Wang Qiqi hummed in assent, standing by the main door of the auditorium. The campus was vast, and finding people was a hassle, especially in an era without mobile phones when communication was difficult. She had already arranged with Shi Man to wait at the entrance of the auditorium.

"Didn't Jiang Xin say she found a job? Why does she suddenly want to go abroad now?" Bai Ge, despite being busy with the photo club and training institute matters lately, was still aware of some things. She had been thinking about it for a while and sensed something was off. If she genuinely wanted to study abroad, why hadn't she made preparations during her senior year, only to suddenly decide on overseas study after securing employment? "It sounds like the job she got wasn't bad either—an international firm with decent benefits." Given that, she really had no pressing need to go abroad for further education.

Wang Qiqi wasn't entirely sure, but perhaps she felt that opportunities abroad would bring even better prospects. "Working for a while to see the world outside is a good thing. Besides, if she settles in well at that company, I doubt she’ll truly be set on studying abroad." It was possible that by then, Jiang Xin might have found a suitable partner, and she wouldn't abandon work and love just to leave, would she? As for Jiang Xin's supposed ambition, Wang Qiqi shrugged internally. If the slowpoke had been abroad for over a year, he should have seen enough by now. If he couldn't hold himself together, he would have broken up with Lu Qiaowei long before Jiang Xin even arrived.

Seeing Wang Qiqi so unconcerned annoyed Bai Ge, who looked around restlessly. "Hey, don't assume her target is someone else. That target might be related to you. I heard she greatly admires Han Tao." A woman admiring a man can carry many implications. If it was just mentioned once or twice, fine, but Jiang Xin brought up Han Tao far too often. Moreover, she openly envied Wang Qiqi for having such an outstanding man; perhaps she harbored thoughts of completely replacing Wang Qiqi.

Jiang Xin admires Han Tao? Wang Qiqi certainly knew that, and she also knew Jiang Xin likely wasn't genuinely in love with him. It was just that Han Tao appeared more promising, and on top of that, he was a decent, well-mannered person with a good appearance. It would be strange if Jiang Xin wasn't moved by him. "Bai Ge, you can’t prevent mistresses forever. They will always surround us, eager to take your place. You can drive them away once, twice, or even a hundred times, but can you guarantee a 100% success rate? Relax a bit. Consider someone like that just practice for you."

Wang Qiqi felt that this situation was genuinely difficult to control. If Han Tao were unremarkable, few women would notice him. But when a man becomes successful, he becomes a hot commodity. Will women stop pursuing him? Only if your own man is without merit, unattractive, and unsuccessful. But would Wang Qiqi choose such a man? "If you had the choice, would you pick a man with prospects or one without?"

That was truly a difficult choice. Bai Ge considered it for a moment. "It’s genuinely hard to choose. I won't choose." Men with prospects attract too much attention, while Bai Ge honestly disliked men without prospects, seeing them as mere pretty faces. Of course, pretty faces have their benefits. Bai Ge paused and decided her current boyfriend was better suited for her. He was a tech-oriented homebody who treated her very well. Although a bit timid in front of his parents, he didn't blindly follow their wishes. He might not have money yet, but he had ability. Bai Ge felt this man was the most suitable for her. If compared to the stock market, her boyfriend was a mid-tier, steadily developing 'secondary blue-chip' stock.

Wang Qiqi saw Bai Ge's smiling expression and knew she was calculating her boyfriend's standing. Perhaps things felt good between them in Bai Ge's mind, but Wang Qiqi suspected that while everything seemed peaceful now, as Bai Ge's career developed, the longevity of their relationship would depend not only on Bai Ge but also on whether her boyfriend could endure the dynamic of a strong woman supporting a less dominant man. Not to boast, but if Wang Qiqi hadn't had a strong family background and worked hard to earn money, Han Tao, even if he achieved success as in her previous life, might not have accelerated his progress so quickly in this life. She knew that the earlier one enters certain circles, the greater the achievement. Shi Man still claimed that if Han Tao hadn't later stumbled upon such good opportunities, whether he and Wang Qiqi would have stayed together or maintained such a good relationship was truly debatable, given Han Tao’s immense self-esteem.

Shi Man finally said goodbye to the group of classmates and separated. She wiped her brow, thinking that since Juliana hadn't attended the graduation ceremony, everyone was directing their attention toward her. If Juliana had truly wanted to attend, how could she not find the time? It was precisely because Nana had anticipated this scenario that she claimed to be unavailable. "Qiqi, let’s go."

"It's so late." In the scorching summer heat, Wang Qiqi felt relentlessly hot despite the overhead shade. "Let’s hurry and meet up with my sister, then find a place to eat. There's a dinner engagement tonight, too." Wang Qiqi felt that after expending so much energy, she desperately craved an air-conditioned space. Right now, she felt listening to the professors drone on in the auditorium was acceptable—at least she had a seat and air conditioning, which felt infinitely better than this heat.

Shi Man assumed Song Yao was treating them again. "She treated us at noon, and she’s treating us again tonight? Is my sister being too polite?"

"My sister has something tonight, but Duan Xiaomin said there's a gathering. Why don't you join?" At gatherings like this, if no one explicitly offered to pay, the standard was to split the bill (AA). Having Shi Man along wouldn't hurt.

Wang Qiqi’s dorm mates’ gathering, with Duan Xiaomin there too? Shi Man wasn't very interested. "I’ll just eat with Auntie Luo. I’d rather spend time with Taotao." Shi Man figured that eating with that group, she wouldn't get much food down, but would end up thoroughly annoyed. "Did she find a job?" If she still hadn't found one by now, or at least a decent one, she would become a huge laughingstock. This dinner might even be an occasion for her to complain. Shi Man increasingly felt she shouldn't attend this dinner.

"She found a job, but she has to move back to her hometown in Sichuan." Wang Qiqi found Shi Man’s conflicted expression amusing. "Go ahead. Tonight’s dinner will only feature good news. Although, you might see some fawning faces." Wang Qiqi had already checked: of the seven dorm mates, excluding herself and Zhang Yan who were going abroad, the others had all secured employment. Overall, it was quite good.

"Moving back to Sichuan?" Shi Man hadn't expected Duan Xiaomin to accept such a job. "She didn't just find that job, did she?" Shi Man knew how proud Duan Xiaomin was; how could she agree to return home unless her job search was extremely difficult—either no one wanted her, or the job back home was better? "Then I definitely shouldn't go. Isn't she just going to complain about being underappreciated?" After all, she had done very well in the student union, earning the title of Outstanding Student Cadre. This would be a massive contrast.

"She’s actually quite happy to return home," Wang Qiqi whispered the details of Duan Xiaomin’s situation into Shi Man’s ear. "She does have some capabilities." Although Wang Qiqi wasn't sure if her former admirer had pulled some strings—she felt things weren't as she described. Perhaps few people wanted to go to Sichuan to develop business from the capital, but a securities firm could easily recruit graduates locally in Sichuan. Weren't there renowned universities there? Besides, wouldn't they need to recruit people with local connections to join the company?

"Capability requires backing," Shi Man quickly understood the situation. "Since everyone is doing well, I’ll attend tonight’s gathering." As long as it wasn't a session of complaining about disappointing careers, she was willing to join in for a lively meal.

"Then let’s go take some pictures, take lots of them." Shi Man recalled that Song Yao had specifically bought a digital video camera to film Wang Qiqi’s graduation. "Let’s shoot a lot of video footage to show my parents later." Shi Man looked around at the students appearing with their parents, or at least one parent, and felt a bit sorry for herself. Although Qiqi had no parents, she had her sister and brother-in-law, and her future mother-in-law, whereas she... Thinking about it made her feel quite miserable.

Wang Qiqi noticed the sudden dip in Shi Man's tone and patted her shoulder. "Don't worry. My sister said she’s filming a lot of video today to show Han Tao and Old Feng." Han Tao had sounded regretful during his chat with Wang Qiqi yesterday, lamenting missing Qiqi's high school graduation, and then being unable to attend the university ceremony as well. Both missed each other's graduate school entrance ceremonies due to lack of time. Wang Qiqi recalled the earnest look on her man’s face when he vowed on video call yesterday that he would attend Wang Qiqi's graduate school graduation ceremony, which made her want to laugh. It wasn't that Wang Qiqi didn't look forward to him attending, but perhaps by then, an unforeseen event might crop up. For someone working and studying part-time like him, much of his time was beyond his control. She could only pray to heaven for things to go as planned.

Wang Qiqi and Shi Man pushed open the door to the private room, immediately apologizing in unison, "We are so sorry for being late." Regardless of the reason, being late was their fault.

Han Meina was discussing her job situation with her dorm mates. Since she was truly enjoying success in both career and love lately, her tone lacked its former arrogance; she sounded slightly more human. Noticing Wang Qiqi and Shi Man entering, she said, "Do you know what you have to do when you’re late?"

Hearing Han Meina say that, Bai Ge made a few expressions toward Wang Qiqi, wondering if Qiqi would catch on quickly. If her response was too slow, she would face the punishment they had previously agreed upon.

Shi Man shuddered upon hearing this. Having attended several dinners with her parents, she knew the penalty for tardiness was... well, for someone who could drink, a small issue, but if Qiqi had to drink three quick cups, could she stomach it? Even if it were beer, it would be tough.

In contrast to Shi Man's anxious face, Wang Qiqi was completely unfazed. She walked to the empty seats, picked up the Coke bottle on the table, and poured a full glass for herself and Shi Man. "Same old rule: three cups of Coke." This was the tradition established during their frequent dorm dinners, and it hadn't changed. Of course, Wang Qiqi didn't know if this rule would change after they entered society. She understood the principle of striking first, so time was of the essence; she needed to complete the penalty before they might suggest altering the punishment method.

Seeing it was only three cups of Coke, Shi Man breathed a sigh of relief. Although her stomach would be full of gas, it was better than three cups of beer. She obediently followed Wang Qiqi and drank her three cups quickly.

Han Meina was about to announce the penalty they had discussed when she saw Wang Qiqi had already downed two cups in quick succession. Although Shi Man beside her had only finished one, she was accepting the punishment too, wasn't she? Han Meina had wanted to test Wang Qiqi's alcohol tolerance. Over their many gatherings, someone had occasionally lost composure from drinking, but they realized they had never actually seen Wang Qiqi drunk. This was unacceptable! After knowing each other for so many years, how could they not witness Qiqi’s moments of disgrace? It was unfair if she got away unscathed while seeing everyone else drunk. But she hadn't expected Wang Qiqi to move so fast.

While drinking the Coke, Wang Qiqi briefly glanced at everyone and noticed that only Bai Ge was giving her a thumbs-up; the others looked visibly disappointed. Why the disappointment? The reason was simple. "I drank it." After finishing the last sip of Coke, Wang Qiqi turned her cup upside down to signal she was done.

Shi Man had thought that since Qiqi never drank Coke at home, she would certainly drink faster than Wang Qiqi. She hadn't expected to end up a cup behind.

Han Meina quickly adjusted her expression. Since this simple challenge didn't stop Wang Qiqi, she knew there was no point trying to get her drunk now. It wasn't about letting her off the hook; it was because Qiqi was a free agent—if she got drunk today, she could rest tomorrow. The rest of them, however, had to report to work tomorrow or leave the capital for their respective workplaces. "This is our dorm’s last gathering, and who knows when the next one will be. I hope we all..." Han Meina wanted to say, "I hope we keep in touch," but she knew few would believe those words. Back at their high school graduation, everyone promised to stay connected, but by the sophomore year of university, contact dwindled. The high school reunions held annually saw fewer attendees each year. If that was the case in high school, university was even more certain: some going abroad, others moving for work. Who knew when they would meet again?

Wang Qiqi had already lived through this once. "It's normal for connections to form and dissipate. If the bond is strong, you'll stay in touch no matter where you are." Wang Qiqi felt there was no need to lament the separation of friends. Humans are fundamentally solitary creatures; most of the time, one is alone, especially in death.

Wang Qiqi’s words sounded rather cold, causing Han Meina and the others’ expressions to sour slightly. Shi Man, however, felt Wang Qiqi was right—that was Qiqi. "Let's eat, let's eat." Seeing the atmosphere around the table becoming awkward, Bai Ge quickly stepped in to draw attention back to the food. She nudged Wang Qiqi’s thigh under the table as a signal to watch her words. Everyone knew those hopeful sentiments about staying in touch were just social niceties, but Qiqi was foolish enough to state the reality.

Wang Qiqi sighed internally. She knew her statement was harsh, but she genuinely couldn't utter platitudes about staying in touch. If their friendships were truly deep, they wouldn't have drifted apart over four years of university. Since the others wanted to hear pleasantries, she conceded, "What I mean is, we were classmates for four years; that friendship remains. If we don't see each other often, we still have each other's QQ, right?" Although these online connections were often unreliable—easily hijacked, leading to permanent loss of contact.

Although Wang Qiqi’s transition was a bit clumsy, the others interpreted it as an indirect apology, offering everyone a way to save face. Whether it was sincere or not, surely they wouldn't argue about it at the dinner table?

"Yes, yes, we still have the internet."

"If we don't have QQ, we have email. No matter whose account gets hacked in the future, once a new one is registered, you must re-add everyone."

"Uh-huh, we must stay in touch."

Hearing this, Shi Man secretly smiled. At least she knew that if Qiqi's QQ account were hacked, her probability of reconnecting with them would be less than twenty percent.

Though the start was somewhat deflating, under the smooth handling of Bai Ge and Han Meina, the atmosphere at the table gradually improved, and people began chatting and laughing. Bai Ge, naturally, became more active. "Come on, cheers! To celebrating our graduation today, to finding good jobs, and congratulations to Wang Qiqi and Zhang Yan for going abroad, Shi Man!"

As Han Meina raised her glass, she noticed Wang Qiqi's glass contained only Coke. "Wang Qiqi, you’re being too wicked! It was one thing to drink three cups of Coke as a forfeit, but now everyone else is drinking alcohol, and you’re still on Coke?" That was going too far! Nowadays, at gatherings, 'cheers' meant liquor, didn't it? "Baijiu, Huangjiu, beer, or red wine—take your pick!"

"Exactly! Qiqi, don't tell us you can't drink," Bai Ge chimed in excitedly. This gathering was the most relaxed social event Bai Ge had attended recently; no one was forcing her to drink. "But we’re drinking tonight just for fun; no pressuring anyone," Bai Ge added, as seeing so much alcohol on the table made her feel slightly nauseous. However, she knew if she didn't drink, these women wouldn't let her off easily, so it was better to be upfront from the start to secure a better position to state her terms.

"You've been out entertaining clients a lot recently?" Duan Xiaomin, despite being in training at headquarters, occasionally kept tabs on her classmates’ situations, especially concerning her initial job setbacks, which most classmates knew about. She intended to use this chance to inquire about others to subtly reveal her own improved status. She had heard how popular Bai Ge was—a level of attention she used to command frequently. Although Duan Xiaomin wasn't keen on these types of gatherings, the sheer number of invitations she received indicated good popularity.

Bai Ge hummed affirmatively. "I was late today because I was out eating with a client yesterday." Drinking and singing all night had been exhausting for Bai Ge. Sometimes she wondered: her small business might not generate profits comparable to the training institutions, but it was certainly much more taxing. While the latter involved more entertaining, the money made it tolerable.

"That means your business is doing well. It looks like buying a house in the capital is just around the corner for you," Duan Xiaomin probed tentatively.

Wang Qiqi and Shi Man exchanged a glance, pretended to be nonchalant, finished their Cokes, and then promptly poured and downed red wine. Actually, between the two of them, they preferred red wine over Coke, but they hadn't chugged three cups earlier because drinking that much so quickly could lead to trouble.

Bai Ge hadn't mentioned buying a house before because she didn't want to cause a huge stir in the class. Not long ago, when Qiqi let slip that she had bought a house—not just one—in Beijing, Bai Ge still remembered the frenzy that ensued. But now, it was fine; they had all graduated, and people were more mature. "I bought it, with a mortgage. My parents and younger siblings are all in Beijing, so it's better to have a place to live." Bai Ge was actually referring to the second property. Her parents had saved some money, and Bai Ge was earning too. The landlord of the three-bedroom apartment they were renting had needed cash urgently and sold the unit to them, resulting in a significant appreciation since then.

"The one you're living in now?" Li Xin had visited Bai Ge's place once and wondered why Bai Ge had bought so many expensive furnishings for a rental unit. Now she suspected the property had been purchased long ago. "With a mortgage?"

"Without a mortgage, how could I afford a house? My foundation is weak; I have a whole family to feed and tuition fees to pay," Bai Ge admitted, knowing that her property purchase would attract attention, so she needed to keep a low profile. "By the way, Han Meina, when are you getting married? You and your guy have been dating for four years now." Bai Ge thought they might be the last remaining couple from the class who started dating in school. As graduation approached, many couples broke up due to job or study conflicts, but Han Meina was one of the few who remained together after graduation.

"Marriage isn't as simple as it looks." Although Han Meina always presented herself as having it all—career and romance thriving—only she truly knew if that was the reality. "Marriage requires money, truly, sigh."

Han Meina's comment left everyone at a loss for words. They thought to themselves, wasn't it said that Zhang Han’s family was quite well-off? And Han Meina’s family was doing well too; if both sets of parents contributed a little for the house, wouldn't that solve the problem? If they were worried about money for the wedding, it must mean they were aiming for a villa or a luxury car.

No matter how puzzled the others were, they certainly wouldn't voice it. They just smiled and insisted on receiving an invitation, saying that even if they were too busy to attend, they still needed to soak up some of the joyous atmosphere. And just like that, the topic was skillfully steered away.

Yesterday it was stiflingly hot, making one yearn for short sleeves, yet today it’s so bitterly cold one wishes they could dig out their winter coats.