After everything was settled, Wang Qiqi spent a full three days resting at home just to recover. Shi Man, hearing that Wang Qiqi was sequestered in bed, assumed she was gravely ill and rushed over. The moment she saw Qiqi, she gasped, "Qiqi, where did you go to work and earn money?" In just a few days, how could Wang Qiqi, who used to have wheat-colored skin, look like she was turning into an African-American?

Seeing Shi Man’s anxious expression, Wang Qiqi was quite puzzled and ushered her in first. "Weren't you visiting relatives?" Someone had been extremely busy lately, dropping by this house and that. Although Shi Man hadn't entered the system (government/established institutions), her current achievements surpassed those who had. Since college, she had been earning her tuition and living expenses herself, buying property in the Capital, running businesses, and now securing emigration through her own merits—immigrating was just around the corner. Before Shi Man left the country, all the relatives were busy trying to nurture their connection with her; Wang Qiqi even jokingly called her a social butterfly. She hadn't expected such a busy person to visit.

Shi Man saw that although Wang Qiqi looked a bit unwell, her spirits seemed fine, and she breathed a sigh of relief. She snatched the glass of juice from Wang Qiqi's hand and downed it in a few gulps, casually wiping her mouth. "This grape juice is quite good, got any more?" Shi Man certainly squeezed juice at home, but for convenience, it was mostly watermelon juice. It was only someone as leisurely as Wang Qiqi who bothered with grape juice, knowing how troublesome it was—peeling the skins and painstakingly removing every seed. In short, a single glass cost a considerable amount of effort.

Wang Qiqi looked at Shi Man’s unsatisfied demeanor and felt like shoving her out the door. She had worked hard for that glass of juice for over ten minutes, and hadn't even tasted a drop herself before it vanished into someone else's stomach. And she still had the nerve to ask for more? With a sharp tone, she retorted, "There are grapes in the kitchen; make some yourself if you want some." Damn it, she rushed over just to steal my juice. How could Wang Qiqi give Shi Man a pleasant look?

There were grapes in the kitchen, but Shi Man pouted, watching the other woman turn back to the sofa to watch movies. She thought to herself, we aren't out of grapes at home; isn't she just being lazy because it's troublesome? She walked to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator to check for anything to drink or eat. As expected, there was nothing inside but milk and yogurt. "Hey, Qiqi, why didn't you buy any ice cream?" With such a large refrigerator open, there was so little inside. Shi Man had only one thought: why keep the fridge running then? Isn't that wasting money?

"I don't eat it," Wang Qiqi wasn't very keen on cold things and hardly ever ate them. She might indulge once or twice a year, so naturally, she didn't keep any stocked at home.

"Didn't you have some last time?" Shi Man recalled there being ice cream before. If it wasn't Qiqi eating it, who was it?

"My sister-in-law ate it." Yang Jing preferred ice cream, and Niu Niu would throw a tantrum demanding some too. So, after buying ice cream, she left it at Wang Qiqi's place, planning to sneak over for a serving when she wanted one. As for why there were no reserves this time, Wang Qiqi claimed she had no idea. "Isn't there yogurt? That's better for girls."

Milk, milk. Shi Man wasn't fond of it. Even though it was nutritious, the issue was that she did drink it at home—compared to tea, Shi Man preferred milk, at least it was cold, right? She grabbed a carton of milk and walked into the living room. "Buy Want Want Milk next time; that one tastes good." Since it was all milk anyway, that brand tasted better.

Want Want Milk? Wang Qiqi mused, could that stuff even be called milk? Want Want never claimed to be a dairy product; it was all artificially synthesized. "I don't like it." Arguing with Shi Man was pointless; a simple "I don't like it" would suffice.

Hearing that Wang Qiqi disliked Want Want Milk, Shi Man shrugged helplessly. Alas, someone who clearly liked milk so much just refused to drink Want Want Milk. Shi Man found this genuinely incomprehensible.

Wang Qiqi waited for a while, noticing that the conversation kept revolving around food. She was surprised. "Weren't you supposed to go to a relative's place today? Why did you come here instead?" Weren't Shi Man's relatives all busy bonding with her? Judging by her demeanor, it seemed today's gathering was canceled. Sigh, why cancel the party? I should have been the one snatching things to eat there. I'm a treasure now; everywhere I go, I'm supplied with delicious food and drinks. Why bother coming here to snatch food from a poor soul like me?

Shi Man got irritated seeing Wang Qiqi's look of distaste. "I came because your aunt told me you weren't feeling well." I actually skipped an important gathering to come see you, and you look at me like that? Shi Man became increasingly annoyed. I specifically came to see you, and you treat me this way—absolutely too much!

So that was the reason. This friend came because she was worried about me. Although her intentions were good, her execution was a bit terrible. Wang Qiqi offered a half-hearted apology, "Then I truly misjudged you. My apologies."

Shi Man hadn't expected Wang Qiqi to maintain this attitude even after learning why she had come. It was simply too much. "Hmph, good intentions get repaid with scorn. Qiqi is a big meanie." If Qiqi didn't admit her mistake this time, I absolutely won't give her a pleasant look.

Wang Qiqi watched the proud friend waiting for her to coo over her, completely ignoring her. "I've been busy buying a new burial plot for my parents these past few days."

A new burial plot? Shi Man was very surprised. "Didn't you hire someone to check the Feng Shui before? Why change it now?" Wasn't that plot quite good? Why suddenly change locations? Although Shi Man wasn't a big believer, Qiqi had been doing quite well these last couple of years. If she moved, would her fortune change? Wang Qiqi's family was deeply superstitious about this, so why would she rashly decide to relocate the graves? This was a significant matter.

Wang Qiqi explained the issue with visiting the graves. "I thought the environment there was nice before, but after seeing it this time, I realized it’s actually not very good." Wang Qiqi explained her reason for relocating the graves. "The place I'm moving to this time has an excellent environment." Although the current sales situation didn't look great, with economic development, the price of burial plots there would certainly skyrocket. As for the original plot for her parents, Wang Qiqi had already thought it through—she would keep it and decide later. If the price went up, she could sell it then. Wang Qiqi chuckled inwardly; she had unintentionally become a cemetery speculator, albeit by accident.

Hearing that the relocation was for this reason, Shi Man moved her lips. She really wanted to tell Wang Qiqi, Honey, you're overthinking things. Once people pass, they don't have intuition anymore. Why obsess over this? But she absolutely could not say that. "When is the relocation? By the way, is Han Tao coming back too?" She knew Han Tao had saved all his vacation time for August, and for such a major event, it would be wrong for him not to return.

Wang Qiqi hummed softly. Although she was a bit disappointed she couldn't travel abroad with her man, there would be plenty of chances for travel later. This was his father's important event; as his son, how could he not be present? "He already requested leave and will be back. My sister and the others are coming back too." Yesterday, Wang Qiqi saw a message from Song Yao online saying their family also planned to return. Even though she claimed it was because Taotao missed his grandparents, Wang Qiqi knew Song Yao had arranged this return specifically for the matter.

Song Yao and the others are coming back too? Shi Man quickly understood why they needed to return. "Your sister is so good to you?" Although she was a cousin, sometimes a cousin was better than a biological sister.

"My sister is good to me." In this reborn life, Song Yao, Song Ziwen, and even Wang Damei had truly been her strongest support system. Although everyone started with a degree of mutual utility, over the years, kinship had grown stronger than mere benefits. In fact, it wouldn't matter if Song Yao and the others didn't come back. Gong Peixing's factory was doing very well. Even though it was summer, orders were booming alongside the temperature. They had just added new equipment in May, and apparently, it was already insufficient. Adding equipment was easy, but finding workers was a bit harder, especially those with technical skills.

Shi Man understood Wang Qiqi's previous irritability stemmed from the stress of running around, and she finally relaxed completely. With emigration imminent, she was genuinely worried that if Wang Qiqi’s health suffered, the departure would be delayed. Now she felt reassured. "We haven't been out shopping in ages. Want to go out?" Since she had already told her relatives she was visiting a classmate, Shi Man didn't want to face their judgmental looks. It was inescapable; repeating the same questions about studying abroad and taking exams once or twice was fine, but saying the same things ten or twenty times—Shi Man dreamed of reciting those lines. How terrifying that was!

Shopping? Wang Qiqi looked at her slightly tanned skin. "No thanks." While foreigners liked a healthy skin tone, her current skin was definitely hitting the healthy mark—just a shade darker than wheat. But Wang Qiqi felt she should use these few days to recover some of her original tone, aiming to become a 'Bai Fumei' before her man returned.

Bai Fumei? Shi Man scanned Wang Qiqi repeatedly with her eyes. "You've already got the last two characters of 'Bai Fumei' down." As for 'Bai' (fair skin)? "Qiqi, you can forget about that in this lifetime." As one ages, the skin’s recovery ability doesn't remain as good. "Wheat tones are trending with foreigners, Qiqi. You'll definitely be popular with them when you go abroad." Shi Man truly looked forward to seeing Wang Qiqi’s expression when a pack of foreigners started pursuing her after she arrived overseas.

Seeing her friend smugly pleased, Wang Qiqi lightly dropped a sentence: "I hear foreigners are particularly fascinated by East Asian women."

Shi Man’s brief moment of smugness was instantly cut short by Wang Qiqi’s remark. She felt utterly choked inside. How come every time she started feeling proud, Wang Qiqi would extinguish her fire? Excessive, absolutely excessive!

Wang Qiqi stood at the airport arrivals gate, listening to the announcements while waiting for Han Tao’s flight. She knew that long-haul flights had a high probability of delays, so she arrived just on time. To her surprise, the moment she reached the gate, she heard that arrival would be delayed by an hour. Wang Qiqi looked at the time: what else could she do but wait patiently by the gate? If the delay were longer, she might find a place for a cup of coffee and a short rest. But with only an hour, finding a place, waiting for the drink or food to arrive—that would take half an hour—and walking back would take another fifteen minutes. Was spending all that time worth just a fifteen-minute break? Wang Qiqi thought it over and ultimately decided to stay put.

After a long wait, Wang Qiqi finally saw her man coming through, looking travel-worn. Wang Qiqi checked her phone and realized she had been waiting for two hours. Only then did she remember the time it took to clear customs and collect luggage. Having not flown in a long time, Wang Qiqi had completely forgotten this detail. "Han Tao! Han Tao!" At this moment, Wang Qiqi didn't have time to dwell on the issue; she stood at the gate, waving excitedly toward Han Tao.

Hearing the familiar voice, Han Tao pulled his luggage and rushed over quickly. "Qiqi! Qiqi!" Han Tao immediately pulled Wang Qiqi into a tight embrace. He hadn't seen his wife for over half a year and missed her terribly.

Wang Qiqi hugged him tightly in return. Although Wang Qiqi considered herself an independent woman and managed fine when Han Tao wasn't around, after being separated for so long, she realized she wasn't entirely independent. The moment she saw Han Tao, Wang Qiqi felt a strong urge to cry, feeling as if her cornerstone had returned. "I missed you so much, I missed you so much."

Han Tao had known Wang Qiqi for so long, but this was the first time he felt her so passionate (excluding certain special occasions). "Let's go; we still need to take the train back." Although Wang Qiqi had her license, she seemed never to have driven long distances. Han Tao figured driving to the city center to buy train tickets in this heat would be tiring. "How about we just take a taxi?" It might be more expensive, but it would be more comfortable.

Wang Qiqi pulled a set of keys from her bag. "I borrowed my sister-in-law's car." Originally, Wang Qiqi had intended to take the train, but Song Ziwen suggested that since she had her license, she might as well drive to pick up Han Tao slowly. In her previous life, Wang Qiqi's driving skills were decent. Although she hadn't touched a steering wheel for over four years since rebirth, the moment she took the wheel again, Wang Qiqi felt the innate familiarity with driving return.

Qiqi drove here? Han Tao was genuinely shocked. Although there were far fewer cars in China than in the US, the roads in the US were much better and wider. China's roads couldn't quite compare. "You... you..." Han Tao wanted to shout at Wang Qiqi for daring to drive this far to pick him up. Even though the foolish woman stood safely before him, Han Tao couldn't help but shudder at the thought of her driving over two hours alone. "I need to tell Ziwen when I get back. Thank goodness nothing happened to you; what if..." Han Tao couldn't bear to imagine hearing news of an accident involving Qiqi. This issue definitely needed discussing with Song Ziwen; just because Qiqi had a license didn't mean her driving skills were good.

Wang Qiqi was about to assert her skill level, adding that if she didn't practice now in China, how could she drive Shi Man and Zhang Yan around Europe later? The three girls had planned it out. While hitchhiking was an experience they wanted to try, not every driver was a good person, and they might not be lucky enough to flag down a ride heading where they wanted. Since their time in Europe wouldn't be indefinite, they planned to rent or jointly buy a used car for getting around, going to classes, or shopping. Among the three, Wang Qiqi, the only one with a license, shouldered the heavy responsibility of honing her driving skills before they left.

"Let's go," Han Tao knew Wang Qiqi would inevitably argue that she couldn't improve her skills without practice. Han Tao understood that one couldn't improve driving without driving much. "Don't drive long distances in the future. If you drive, make it short trips. I'll drive on the way back." It wasn't that Han Tao was chauvinistic or disliked riding in a car driven by a woman; it was simply that he believed his driving skills were probably much better than Qiqi’s.

Han Tao is driving? Wang Qiqi was stunned by his words. "You got your license?" She had heard Han Tao mention wanting to get a US driver's license before, but wasn't he always busy? Plus, he had to scout future schools. How did he find time to take the exam? More importantly, Wang Qiqi was certain she had never heard this man mention passing the driving test before. Wang Qiqi felt she really needed to discuss the driver's license issue with her man. Of course, this was a minor issue, but if she didn't keep a tight watch on this, more serious secrets might follow. Therefore, she had to keep a close eye on small matters. Wang Qiqi would never admit she was deliberately using this issue to avoid being questioned by her man.

Han Tao realized then that while he was busy lecturing Wang Qiqi, he had forgotten to tell her something important. He really wanted to wave his hand and say, It's just passing a driving test; it's a small thing! But when he saw Wang Qiqi let out a cold snort and turn toward the parking lot, clearly signaling she didn't want to hear his explanation, he panicked. He quickly rushed to catch up with her.

"Qiqi, Qiqi, I admit it was my mistake not telling you I passed the driving test..."

"Qiqi, I really didn't expect to pass the license test so quickly. I only took a few days off..." Song Ziwen looked distressed when Wang Qiqi continued to ignore him. "I only got my license at the end of June." Song Ziwen felt deeply wronged. It wasn't just that he was busy with work then, and Qiqi was busy packing and arranging for her sister to manage domestic affairs, and also busy organizing that training school with Bai Ge. In short, everyone was busy, so forgetting was quite normal.

"I was hoping we could rent a car then, so you could go wherever you wanted," Song Ziwen said, sounding wronged. "I just wanted to give you a surprise."

Getting the license at the end of June? That meant he hadn't had it long. And his explanation about wanting to surprise her—Wang Qiqi understood that might have been his intention. Wait, stop. Wang Qiqi thought this wasn't the time for her to feel moved or satisfied. "You got your license at the end of June? That's only a month ago! How many hours have you actually driven? I know you've been working overtime frequently recently." Someone who barely drives dares to say my driving skills are poor? "When I got my license in the Capital, I practiced on my brother-in-law's car. When I went back to my hometown, I occasionally drove my brother’s car out on errands." Wang Qiqi calculated that the mileage she had driven definitely exceeded Han Tao's. "Also, you have a US license; can you drive in China?"

Han Tao shook his head. "No, I can't." If he got caught, it would be a huge problem.

Hearing Han Tao answer so honestly, Wang Qiqi let out another cold snort. "Knowing you can't drive here, you still planned to drive? What kind of logic is that?" Does he think his luck is inexhaustible, or does he think if something happens near his hometown, someone can bail him out? "You've been on a long flight; aren't you tired?" Even if he could sleep the whole way back, Wang Qiqi didn't think he would rest well. "Rest properly on the road. Mom is already at home making delicious food waiting for you."

Originally, Luo Hongjuan also wanted to pick up Han Tao, but she realized there were too many things to prepare. She and Wang Damei were busy buying supplies. "We have to go move the graves first thing tomorrow morning; there's a lot to do." As the dutiful son and future son-in-law, Han Tao was an important figure and absolutely had to be present.

Looking at Wang Qiqi’s serious expression that allowed no room for negotiation, Han Tao could only swallow his insistence. Hmph, she underestimated him; he knew her little scheme. Forget it; this wasn't the place to lecture her. Tonight, he would properly show the little woman that a man's authority couldn't be challenged out in public. Thinking of this, a warmth rose in his body. He felt he should focus on how to educate Wang Qiqi tonight rather than dwelling on this topic. He walked to Wang Qiqi’s side and wrapped an arm around her waist. "How did Mom feel after seeing the new plot?"

Even if Han Tao hadn't brought it up, Wang Qiqi needed to mention it. "Mom said the scenery is beautiful, very comfortable to look at, but that price..." Wang Qiqi had considered hiding the exact figures, but Wang Damei said why hide such things? If she accidentally let the number slip later, Luo Hongjuan might suspect Wang Qiqi was messing with the finances.

Han Tao listened to his own mother haggle over the price. "As long as my mom is satisfied, that's what matters. Before, we didn't have the means, so I had to let Dad stay in that place. Now that things are better, of course, we should move somewhere nicer." Although Han Tao had intended to help his father find a new place, he always got caught up in his work and forgot about it. If Wang Qiqi hadn't brought it up this time, Han Tao didn't know when he would have gotten around to moving his father. Even though Wang Qiqi only mentioned it offhandedly, having a wife who looked after his lingering concerns was truly wonderful. "Wife, thank you, and I love you."

The author, having run out of stored chapters, cannot afford to be careless.