Yang Jing saw Wang Qiqi yawn as she pushed the door open, her own man following closely behind. "Is it settled?"

Song Ziwen let out a sound of assent and glanced at Niuniu, who was asleep on the floor. "Why aren't you sleeping in your room?" Even though it was summer, it couldn't be good for a child to sleep on the floor.

"Niuniu just lay down." Yang Jing inwardly considered how private the bedroom was—could she even enter? Furthermore, Wang Qiqi had slept with the air conditioning running all night; the air in there must be stale. How could she let her daughter sleep in such an environment? Yet, Yang Jing desperately wanted to know the outcome of the drama next door, though her greatest concern was how the issue had been resolved.

Wang Qiqi entered, giving the space to Song Ziwen and his wife. "Brother, I'm going back to sleep a bit longer." Qiqi was already sleep-deprived, and then having to listen to that mother and son shouting made her head feel utterly fuzzy, now threatening to completely scorch. "Don't call me for lunch."

"Not even for breakfast or lunch?" Song Ziwen sounded surprised. "I'll have someone brew some congee later; you need to eat." Song Ziwen truly felt quite sheepish; she had looked as though she hadn't slept a wink and still had to help him deal with these petty affairs.

Wang Qiqi responded with a soft "Mm," yawned, and headed back to her room to sleep. "Oh, Qiqi, when are you planning to visit Great Uncle?" Song Ziwen knew the most important reason for Qiqi's return was to see Great Uncle and Aunt.

"Tomorrow morning, and then I'll pay respects at Han Tao's father's grave." The latter wasn't part of Wang Qiqi's original plan, but then she reasoned, since she was already visiting her own parents' resting place, what was one more grave for Han Tao's father?

Song Ziwen paused, confused by this sudden development. He hadn't heard a whisper of this plan beforehand. But then again, except for the missing marriage certificate, Qiqi and Han Tao's situation was hardly different from being husband and wife. "Then I'll get everything ready for you by then." Previously, Song Ziwen had only prepared offerings for Qiqi's parents. Fortunately, now that they had money, many things could be sourced quickly.

Wang Qiqi knew that entrusting this task to Song Ziwen guaranteed a swift completion. "Thank you, Brother." Wang Qiqi closed the door and retreated to her room to sleep. As for how Song Ziwen explained things to Yang Jing, that was their business.

After waking from a deep sleep, Wang Qiqi sat up, feeling reanimated only after a long while, then picked up the phone to call Song Yao. It wasn't that she wanted to tattle; such a significant event couldn't possibly be kept secret.

Wang Qiqi highly doubted Song Ziwen would inform Song Yao. He probably thought the matter was resolved and there was no need to upset Yao. And as a sister-in-law, Yang Jing certainly wouldn't say anything, especially considering one party involved was the mother-in-law; what would her elder sister-in-law think?

Just as Wang Qiqi expected, Song Yao was indeed completely unaware. On the other end of the line, she was unleashing a stream of colorful curses, directly questioning if her mother had gone senile to fall for Wang Dagui's tricks so many times while still favoring him.

Wang Qiqi inserted an earbud, placed the phone down, and internally mused that her older sister still had that explosive temper. Once her ears recovered slightly, Wang Qiqi reached for her computer to start work when the house phone rang again. She quickly dropped what she was doing, thinking, Surely Song Yao hasn't called back?

"Manman... Yes, she's back for the summer break... Yesterday, she asked about Gao Kai... I told her I didn't know much, just that he's helping the family manage the tea house... What? She actually went to find Gao Kai..." Wang Qiqi was speechless. Wang Rui certainly had thick skin to still be thinking about pursuing Gao Kai. "Alright, thank you. Please pass along a message to Gao Kai for me."

Wang Qiqi angrily hung up the phone. She started to reach for it again but paused, reconsidering. Who would she even tell about this? Song Yao? Song Ziwen? Yang Jing? Or should she just storm across the way and tell Wang Damei directly? Wang Qiqi decided against it. She had already pushed Wang Damei to the brink this morning; if she provoked her further now, Qiqi genuinely worried if she could handle it. Thinking this, Wang Qiqi decided it was best to just keep quiet and bury the news.

Wang Qiqi stretched languidly. "I should just get on with what I need to do. If she has the ability to snatch Gao Kai away, that's her skill. Anyway, Gao Kai knows our relationship is strictly casual; he won't give Wang Rui any face."

Wang Qiqi figured that Wang Rui, that girl, wouldn't stir up any major trouble. In Qiqi's view, besides plotting ways to swindle money from the family—or rather, from Wang Damei—she generally had a sharp mind. However, Wang Qiqi wondered if she wasn't concerned about the significant risks of trying to restart things with Gao Kai before properly concluding matters with that man in Hong Kong. As she became busy, Wang Qiqi quickly forgot about the incident. Shi Man had only called to give a heads-up. Manman worried about what Qiqi's aunt might do to Qiqi next. Since Wang Qiqi claimed to know and said she didn't need help, Manman was naturally relieved. Letting that girl suffer a little wasn't the worst thing.

Because Wang Qiqi had to visit the graves of her parents and her late father-in-law, and it was June, she dragged herself out of bed early. After a quick wash and dressing, she grabbed the bag she had packed the day before and headed out to hail a ride.

"Brother." The moment Wang Qiqi opened the door, she found Song Ziwen emerging from his home, dressed very formally. Wang Qiqi was surprised; he rarely got up that early unless he had a major engagement, which he hadn't mentioned yesterday.

Song Ziwen smoothly took the bag from Wang Qiqi’s hand. "I'll go with you." Although it was summer, the cemetery didn't feel particularly eerie, but the groundskeepers only cleared the grass around the graves before the Qingming Festival. At this time, weeds were growing everywhere. Qiqi was quite brave to dare to go alone. A taxi might drop her off inside, but getting out meant a four-kilometer walk to hail another car. If lucky, it wouldn't take that long, but at least two kilometers, surely.

"Brother, I can go by myself." Wang Qiqi thought about how Song Ziwen had only returned after ten the previous night, and he now had three businesses to manage. While he could mostly just oversee the renovation company and the real estate agency, the cabinet processing plant consumed so much of his heart and soul.

"If I don't take you, I won't be at ease." That reason instantly crushed all of Wang Qiqi's attempts to argue. "I'll drop you off halfway, and you can come back on your own."

Along the way, Song Ziwen drove quietly. Wang Qiqi rested her hand on the windowpane, her head leaning against the glass, lost in thought. Song Ziwen knew that every time Qiqi went to pay respects, her mood would sour, and his own wasn't great either. "If Uncle and Aunt were still here, they would be so happy to see you graduate," he offered as they neared the public cemetery.

It took Wang Qiqi a long while to utter a soft sound of acknowledgment. "Originally, I wanted to bring Han Tao back with me." Her parents hadn't seen Han Tao in half a year, right? But it didn't matter; Han Tao had filmed plenty of videos for her to show them, letting them know their son-in-law was doing well in the States. He had also filmed videos of their new house in the US. Although Wang Qiqi complained that the house was empty—just showing her parents an empty shell—Han Tao felt it showed they had established a foothold in the US, and decorating the new home could wait until Qiqi joined him later.

"Brother-in-law sent back videos, right?" Song Ziwen recalled Han Tao mentioning it once. "Qiqi, do you know what Wang Rui envies about you?" Song Ziwen wondered if Qiqi's luck had only improved since her uncle and aunt passed away. Was her fortune previously suppressed by their presence, and now that they were gone, her luck had risen? Of course, Song Ziwen would never dare voice such a thought to his parents; it would surely earn him a beating.

What Wang Rui envies about me? Wang Qiqi suddenly let out a dry laugh. "She envies a lot about me. Before, she envied that I had capable parents. Later, she envied that I inherited so much property after they died. Then she envied my good grades and getting into a good university. Now, she probably envies me for finding a good man." Wang Qiqi thought that if Wang Rui hadn't initially dismissed Han Tao as someone with nothing to offer besides good grades, she might have tried to seduce him. By the time Wang Rui realized Han Tao was a high-potential investment, it would be too late; her relationship with Han Tao was already stable, and Wang Rui's reputation made any pairing with him impossible. "I know you think my luck is good, my starting point was high, and Han Tao is fortunate, but you all forget the effort Han Tao and I have put in. Han Tao works overtime every day now and has been practically living at the factory for ages."

Already busy with affairs, and with Han Tao trying to carve out a vacation window to spend a few days with Qiqi in England, he had truly made the factory his home. However, he had told Qiqi online yesterday that the UK trip might not happen because the progress wasn't satisfactory. Although Wang Qiqi felt a pang of disappointment, there was nothing she could do; work came first, right?

"Um, aren't you worried about Han Tao?" Song Ziwen hesitated for a long time. As Wang Qiqi got out of the car, he suddenly asked, "You've been apart for so long, and you're going to the UK while he stays in the US. You won't see each other until next year, right?" In fact, Wang Damei had brought this up a few times at home, but they dared not ask Wang Qiqi, fearing it would upset her. Having held it in for too long, Song Ziwen simply couldn't stop himself.

He had finally asked. "Does worrying help?" Wang Qiqi smiled at Song Ziwen. "If you cheated on Sister-in-law later, Brother, what good would it do if you were right beside her? Brother, no matter what, be good to yourself; that’s how you avoid living a tiring life." Although Wang Qiqi worried about her future with Han Tao, she felt worrying was useless. "Besides, Brother, I'm considered a beauty, right? Am I supposed to be alone forever if I leave him?" Wang Qiqi didn't believe she couldn't survive without someone. "Don't worry, Brother. If that day ever comes, I won't beg."

Song Ziwen pulled out a knife from his bag and gestured for Wang Qiqi to walk behind him. "There are weeds everywhere; follow behind me." Song Ziwen checked the sun and realized he needed to speed up; the heat was oppressive. By ten o'clock, they would surely be overcome.

Wang Qiqi was startled when she saw the overgrown area. The management of the public cemetery was truly... Wang Qiqi mused that while the annual management fee wasn't much, the price of cemetery plots increased daily. Couldn't the management put in a little more effort? "Brother, is there a better-managed cemetery around here?" This cemetery had once been the best in this small city, but now, Wang Qiqi didn't know if it was her changed mindset due to wealth or exposure to foreign cemeteries, but every time she visited her parents, she felt a sense of disdain. However, following behind Song Ziwen, watching the speed with which he slashed through the grass, Wang Qiqi had only one thought: Has my elder brother become increasingly capable? My older brother used to not be this formidable.

Song Ziwen didn't stop his actions, his mind racing through any nearby cemetery that might meet Wang Qiqi's standards. "There is one, but that place is a bit remote, though the feng shui is supposedly excellent, and the management is quite good—there’s someone watching over it. The environment is much better than here; at least it doesn't feel like an abandoned wilderness..." After describing the location, Song Ziwen added, "But, Qiqi, I actually thought you might eventually move your parents' graves abroad." After all, Qiqi would be living abroad long-term, making trips back for grave sweeping inconvenient.

Move them abroad? Wang Qiqi had truly never considered it. "My parents wouldn't be happy." Being alone in a foreign land. "When I pass, I want to be buried beside my parents." That way, the three of them could be reunited.

What? Qiqi plans to be buried near her uncle? That wasn't impossible, but the issue was, "If you're buried here, what about Han Tao?" Even if the younger generation didn't return to pay respects every year, surely Qiqi still had Han Tao? "And won't you have no one to pay respects to you later?"

As for the latter, Wang Qiqi wouldn't concern herself with it. "My maternal grandparents—our generation will pay respects. Will Niuniu and the others?" If all ancestors required grave sweeping, the entire nation would likely spend the whole year tending to graves instead of working. "People who die don't know much about what happens after."

As for Han Tao? "I spent a long time carefully selecting the plot for my parents, hoping to find a good spot, but look around now." Wang Qiqi gestured to the surroundings. "When Han Tao's father passed, their situation wasn't ideal. How expensive a plot do you think they could afford?" Wang Qiqi had accompanied Han Tao to pay respects to his father once; the environment there was truly...

Song Ziwen hadn't expected Wang Qiqi to have this foresight. "You mean..." Now that was the thinking of a wealthy person.

"Yes, we'll buy adjacent plots. Han Tao and I will be buried here together later." Wang Qiqi thought that while current cemetery prices were high, they hadn't reached an astronomical point. Now, the same money could buy a villa; who knew what it would be like in the future? "Or Brother, why don't you buy a plot for Aunt as well?" This was just a matter of time. Of course, some people taboo the idea, thinking buying a grave while one is alive carries an ominous meaning.

Song Ziwen considered the suggestion. "Let's discuss it with Mom and Dad when we get back. If they are bought together, they can chat a bit too; at least they won't be among strangers." When there was no comparison, one felt indifference, but once compared, one realized there was a reason those places were expensive.

"That counts as a group purchase then," Wang Qiqi muffled a laugh behind her hand.

After Wang Qiqi and Song Ziwen placed the offerings, Wang Qiqi respectfully kowtowed to her parents and sat nearby, talking to them for a long time, showing them the videos. Although Wang Qiqi often chatted with her parents about recent events at home, she felt reporting matters here was more formal.

Wang Qiqi chatted extensively with her parents, but at Han Tao's father's grave, perhaps because the sun was too harsh, or because she had talked too much earlier and was dehydrated, or simply because she had less to say to him—in any case, Wang Qiqi managed to complete the rites just before ten o'clock.

Song Ziwen hurried to the car, slipped inside, quickly started the engine, cranked up the air conditioning, shut the door, and then ran to the shade of a tree to wait. "Phew, the inside of the car is hot enough to rival an oven." Just starting the engine made Song Ziwen feel suffocated. "What's next?"

Wang Qiqi knew she should head back, but she wanted to check out the place Song Ziwen had mentioned. Relocating graves required selecting an auspicious date; they couldn't just be moved arbitrarily. Graves needed renovation, and headstones needed engraving. "Brother, give me the cemetery's address." Wang Qiqi decided she would take a taxi over herself, aiming to survey the location today and finalize the booking as soon as possible.

Song Ziwen was surprised by Qiqi's eagerness. Although he had factory matters, they weren't so urgent that only he could handle them. "Can we go tomorrow?" While Qiqi was visiting, he could also have his parents take a look. Oh, and shouldn't his in-laws also start preparing? If they were buying, they might as well do it all at once; having everyone as neighbors would be ideal.

Go tomorrow? Wang Qiqi thought for a moment. "Okay, I'll discuss it with Han Tao today." Song Ziwen probably wanted Aunt to go with her. "Brother, will you be going tomorrow too?"

Song Ziwen nodded, then paused. "Maybe Sister-in-law will come too." Even though her in-laws weren't there, seeing his wife was the same thing.

Wang Qiqi was taken aback. Why would Yang Jing need to go? Shouldn't it suffice if Song Wenbo and his wife were satisfied? Yang Jing should stay home and look after the child. Why did it sound like Song Wenbo and his wife weren't even included?

"We haven't bought plots for my in-laws yet, so we might as well take care of it all in one go." Song Ziwen explained why Yang Jing needed to be present. Hearing this, Wang Qiqi became even more confused. Weren't Yang Jing's parents deceased? Shouldn't the final resting place for those two be to their satisfaction? "Don't worry, if Sister-in-law is satisfied, her parents won't be dissatisfied. My in-laws aren't that concerned about post-mortem affairs; as long as their children are filial while they are alive, that’s what matters to them."

Since Yang Jing's parents were so agreeable, Wang Qiqi had nothing more to say. "Then let's head back."

Wang Qiqi settled into the temperature-controlled car and let out a comfortable sigh. "It's much better in the car. It was so hot; I've lost my appetite." "Brother, just drop me off on the road; I can get back on my own." She hadn't been to the library in ages and wanted to use this chance to borrow some books.

"Let me take you home." Under such brutal sun, she shouldn't bother struggling so much. Song Ziwen checked the time on his phone; even without delaying the factory, it would be past eleven. It was better to return, have lunch, and discuss the matter with Mom.

"I need to go to the library." Wang Qiqi thanked Song Ziwen for his offer. "I'll borrow a few books and then head back." Staying cooped up at home was getting a bit tiresome.

Seeing Wang Qiqi's insistence, Song Ziwen could only let her down near a spot where hailing a taxi would be easier. "I'll tell Mom you won't be back for lunch; come back for dinner." Although Wang Qiqi rarely contacted old friends or classmates in her hometown, it wasn't impossible for someone to pick her up on the road.

"I should be back for dinner. If not, I'll call." Wang Qiqi leaned toward the car window to tell Song Ziwen, who was seated inside.

Song Ziwen wanted to watch Wang Qiqi safely board a car before leaving, but there were police officers ahead, so he couldn't linger. After saying goodbye to Wang Qiqi, he accelerated and drove off. After the car disappeared from her sight, Wang Qiqi didn't hail a ride immediately. Instead, she found the nearest bus stop, checked the route map, and calmly boarded a bus, planning to wander to the library. She had the entire afternoon free. Although Wang Damei had eventually yielded to Song Ziwen's wishes and rejected Wang Dagui's idea, Wang Qiqi felt Wang Damei's gaze toward her wasn't entirely pleasant. There was an indescribable tension at home. Wang Qiqi currently felt that living right across the hall from relatives was truly inconvenient in so many ways.

After borrowing the books, Wang Qiqi went to a nearby snack street, bought some street food, had a drink, and then bought more snacks to take back home. Having gone out and eaten so much, it felt wrong not to bring anything back. Even if they didn't know, her conscience wouldn't allow it.

Wang Qiqi placed the items on Song Ziwen's dining table, greeted Wang Damei, and prepared to leave. Although Wang Damei kept saying that Qiqi living alone didn't necessitate running a separate air conditioner—calling it a waste of money—Wang Qiqi thought, I'm not short of that money; why should I make myself uncomfortable?

Wang Damei called out to Wang Qiqi, beckoning her over. Wang Qiqi wondered if Wang Damei wanted to have a heart-to-heart talk with her.

No sooner had Wang Qiqi sat down than Wang Damei asked directly, "I heard from your brother that you’re planning to move your parents' graves?" Wang Damei was startled by the news Song Ziwen had brought back. After all, the grave site chosen for her younger brother and his wife had been selected with such care. Qiqi’s success over the past few years only proved how auspicious the location was. Why move the graves when things were going so well? What if something went wrong during the exhumation and reburial?

Wang Qiqi understood that Wang Damei’s worry wasn't baseless, but the thing was, she felt quite confident about her future. Han Tao’s prospects lay elsewhere, and even if the worst happened, they still had the house as a safety net. Plus, as long as Ye Laoda was around, translating for another ten or twenty years wouldn't be a problem. Human effort was what mattered. Wang Qiqi never believed that a good grave site guaranteed perpetual prosperity for the descendants; if cemetery Feng Shui was truly that powerful, why did emperors always choose the most auspicious locations, only for their descendants to lose the empire anyway? "Auntie, don't worry. Han Tao and I will be fine. I just hope my parents can have a good resting place, a happy resting place."