If someone speaks so nonsensically, Wang Qiqi really wanted to ask, Hey girl, you picked up the phone, couldn't you have explained things a little? Hanging up so quickly, is that really necessary? Even if answering the phone costs money, and it's not calculated by the minute, saying just that one sentence wouldn't take more than a few seconds, right?

Zhang Yan looked at the things left in the entryway and shook her head as she helped move them inside. "Rongrong or Ruirui are probably going to have migraines over this." To suddenly demand charcoal when the sky was already dark outside—outdoor BBQ was impossible, and indoor BBQ was out of the question—the request for charcoal was strange enough on its own, compounded by the way that certain person spoke.

"I predict they won't buy it." If it were me, Wang Qiqi thought, based on that brief phone call alone, I wouldn't buy charcoal. Even if we were going to barbecue, it would wait until the weekend.

Shi Man had just breathed a sigh of relief, but hearing Zhang Yan and Qiqi express such doubt in her capability made her furious. "Don't worry, Ruirui will definitely buy it." Even though what she said was vague, Shi Man was confident that a certain someone would overdeliver.

Seeing Shi Man so confident, what could Wang Qiqi and Zhang Yan do but stop needling her? Wang Qiqi, however, was starting to worry about whether they should have hotpot or something else for dinner. She thought for a moment, decided against it, and opted to start preparing pastries first, planning the rest of the meal for when they returned with the charcoal.

After carrying the supplies to the kitchen, Wang Qiqi began preparing for her pastry making, while Shi Man sprawled out on the dining table to do her homework. "Qiqi, I think it was shortsighted of us not to have Han Tao set up a proper desk for me when he was here last time." Sitting on the floor to do homework was fine in the summer, especially since they wore less and it was hot, but as the weather grew colder, wearing more layers made sitting on the floor increasingly uncomfortable. Getting up afterward was a long, arduous process.

"Then go back to your room to study," Wang Qiqi replied, continuing with her work, uninterested in someone else's complaints.

Shi Man had only intended to start a conversation, hoping Qiqi would naturally bring up the topic, but since Qiqi didn't take the bait, she couldn't continue. Still, Shi Man wasn't angry; she suddenly remembered that Qiqi's desk was movable. She thought that if Qiqi wasn't using the desk upstairs for revision, it would be better to move it downstairs for everyone to use. But now she realized, Qiqi might not even agree, and moving it down would be another problem entirely—it had taken considerable effort for the group to move it up in the first place.

Wang Qiqi expected Shi Man to complain about Yi Er next, but after just those couple of sentences, there was silence. She found it strange. "Won't we have the fireplace in winter? We can move the dining table into the living room then." Buying a new large table now seemed impractical. "How about we check out some second-hand dining tables that day?" That way, the five of them would have enough space to study. Besides, she heard Shi Hongrui’s business was doing quite well; after sending back the procurement orders, even though the goods hadn't arrived yet, they had reportedly sold out completely—a definite success right out of the gate. Given this progress, Wang Qiqi doubted that certain person would be too stingy now.

Buying a second-hand dining table—Shi Man considered it for a moment but rejected the idea. "Ruirui is already thinking about reinvesting some capital." Good business, of course, meant stocking up on more inventory to earn more. Last time they went to London, although outwardly she was accompanying Shi Hongrui, Shi Man had actually bought the most items; Shi Hongrui hadn't bought much. "I predict she might even be heading to London again this weekend." Goods selling out was a good signal. For Shi Hongrui, who was quite strapped for cash, the shipment wouldn't arrive for another two weeks, and if she wanted to maximize profit, she needed to secure inventory flow, aiming for weekly arrivals.

Wang Qiqi, at that moment, wasn't concerned with second-hand tables. Her mind was stuck on the fact that Manman might be going to London again this week; that sounded exhausting. "I'll go instead," Wang Qiqi considered. Someone making an overnight trip was certainly tiring.

Qiqi going? Shi Man wasn't worried about Qiqi's purchasing skills; rather, "Aren't you supposed to be starting your part-time job? Maybe I should go." What if someone needed Qiqi urgently? Shi Man felt that if Qiqi adapted well, she might not remain just a junior assistant for long. She might get promoted, or at least take on more responsibility, making her more marketable when looking for jobs later—though this prospect was somewhat lukewarm for Qiqi. "But Ruirui and I have already agreed to start learning to drive." That way, Shi Man would only have to exert herself for one day at a time.

"You plan to drive yourselves?" Wang Qiqi immediately understood their thinking. Although the train took an entire night, it was slow, and the route was circuitous. Driving would only take about five or six hours on the expressway, but it would be exhausting. "Take the train instead. At least you can rest. Even if you take turns driving, it will be tiring." Wang Qiqi suspected the two of them would leave in the middle of the night to save money, arrive in London by morning, drive back around six in the evening, and get home in the early hours of the next morning—that sounded terrifying. Even with shifts, it wasn't an easy task. Wang Qiqi had once taken a long-distance road trip with friends in her previous life, and after that single experience, she never considered a second. People get too tired; when you reach your destination, all you want to do is rest. The money saved wasn't worth the lost rest time. "Driving on the expressway isn't a joke." High speeds plus fatigue—if an accident happens, it's a major incident. Wang Qiqi couldn't possibly describe the horrific scenes of car crashes to Shi Man; even without any reaction from Shi Man, she herself felt like vomiting. She described the cost implications instead, knowing that figures were what truly swayed Shi Man and her friends.

Shi Man had only mentioned it casually. To be honest, she was thinking about saving a little money. But after hearing Qiqi’s breakdown, the savings weren't that significant. "We still need to learn to drive. If we purchase some things here later, it will be more convenient for us to run errands." The main reason for going to London was that the selection there was complete, and sometimes the discounts were excellent. However, Shi Man had done her homework here recently and found that the prices for some items locally were quite good, so she planned to procure from both locations. "Also, I want to check prices in nearby cities over the weekend." That way, they could compare and truly understand the price differentials; if the difference was substantial, it would be worth the trip.

Wang Qiqi understood immediately: it was all about price comparison. She thought Shi Man was benefiting from following Shi Hongrui, as Manman had never compared prices so meticulously before. While she used to compare within the same city, now she was comparing prices across different cities. "Manman, you're becoming more capable."

Shi Man smiled and accepted Qiqi's praise. "It's all Ruirui's credit. She's more suited for this line of work than I am; she should be a procurement agent." While talent is important, Shi Man felt she was adequately qualified to be a domestic buyer for Europe. "Of course, I’m not bad either," Shi Man added proudly. "Oh, did you know Gao Kai is getting engaged?" Shi Man suddenly remembered something very important and wondered if Qiqi was aware of it.

"I don't know," Wang Qiqi replied calmly and crisply. "How did you find out?" That news seemed to travel fast. She didn't think Shi Man was trying to gloat, but she was very curious about who Gao Kai was getting engaged to.

"One of my cousins," Shi Man explained. She had only learned about it that afternoon while chatting online with her parents. "My grandmother's sister's grandson's daughter. The relationship sounds distant, but it's not that far off. Still, the relationship isn't very good." Shi Man admitted she was quite surprised when her parents mentioned it. "Do you know what I thought when I heard the news?"

Wang Qiqi found Shi Man's question odd—did that need asking? "A beautiful flower stuck in cow dung?"

"Wrong." Shi Man smirked. "It's a matchup of equals. I'm really looking forward to their future life." Hearing the news, Shi Man secretly cheered. She hadn't expected two people she disliked, who seemed to have no connection, to end up together. If her mother hadn't repeatedly assured her she hadn't misheard or misspoken, she would have thought it was an April Fool's joke.

A match of equals, looking forward to their future life—that didn't sound like a compliment. "Is your cousin not very nice?" Wang Qiqi mused. Gao Kai had been doing well recently; Manman had mentioned last time that he had acquired more land, the housing project was selling well, and he was reportedly up for some kind of 'Youth Model' award. Gao Kai was clearly riding high on success; surely, he wouldn't settle for a subpar woman, considering how high his standards usually were. Wait a minute, Manman's cousin—wasn't she older than Gao Kai? "Changed your taste, have you? Went for the mature type?"

"Aren't older woman/younger man relationships quite popular?" Shi Man replied casually, then quickly steered away from the topic. "My cousin is three years older than me. She looks very cultured and polite, is in great shape, and takes good care of herself. She graduated with a Master's from R University."

Upon hearing this, Wang Qiqi internally exclaimed that Gao Kai was incredibly lucky to marry such a wonderful wife. She remembered that many of Shi Man's relatives were civil servants; even if none held extremely high positions, they could still be helpful when needing favors. Gao Kai was lucky to have found someone with education, family background, and social grace—she seemed like the most suitable wife candidate. The only drawback was her age, but if they were happy, that was all that mattered; outsiders could just make envious remarks. "Gao Kai has really gone the distance this time. Which department does she work in?" Wang Qiqi suspected it might be something related to land or property administration.

"Bank Credit Department," Shi Man delivered an answer that wasn't entirely surprising. "Do you get it now?"

"I get it, I get it." Wang Qiqi understood, but she was still curious why such an accomplished woman would choose Gao Kai, a guy who started from nothing and had a mediocre reputation, over someone like a beautiful woman working in credit. "Could it be love at first sight for incompatible people?" Wang Qiqi exclaimed, though she was hesitant to voice her second thought: maybe she had too many choices and settled for such a mediocre one.

Wang Qiqi was just joking. Gao Kai generally looked presentable, but he was calculating. Qiqi knew that if she hadn't maintained a good relationship with Juliana, Gao Kai probably wouldn't even spare her a glance now; any lingering affection from the past would have long since faded. However, he had truly found an excellent partner this time. But judging by Shi Man's tone, their union wasn't between two entirely good people. "When are they getting engaged?" It was already October; with a little planning, the engagement should be by the end of the year at the latest.

"Engaged on New Year's Day, married on May Day." Shi Man thought the timing was well-chosen, but it also indicated Gao Kai was making significant money recently. A wedding involves the betrothal gifts, banquet costs, house purchase, and renovations. Shi Man knew her aunt on that side was quite grasping; the betrothal gift wouldn't be a small sum, and how much they'd actually hand over was anyone's guess. "I'm busy on both New Year's Day and May Day anyway, so let them fuss over it."

Wang Qiqi agreed. She’d be going to the Old Feng family home for New Year’s anyway. "I think you might get roped into some fuss too. You're considered quite wealthy, after all. Do you really think you won't be expected to buy things?" Especially being abroad, in the eyes of Chinese people, things were much cheaper here. It would be normal for them to ask Shi Man to help bring things back, and then perhaps forget to pay her. What would she do then?

Shi Man wasn't worried about that. "They can ask me to buy things, but they have to pay. I’m not so high and mighty as to refuse payment. Besides, they are all richer than I am; why should I save money for them? My mother gets so angry when she hears them bragging outside, without considering what kind of person her own daughter is."

What kind of person—that certainly wasn't a compliment. "Your cousin she..." Wang Qiqi thought that if they weren't good people, she truly looked forward to Gao Kai's future life. But she wondered how Wang Rui would feel knowing her ex-boyfriend was getting engaged. Since that certain person became successful, Wang Rui had tried to cozy up to him again. Song Ziwen had once told Qiqi that if she had stayed with him, she could have at least made some money, but she had cleanly dumped him. Now, going back would be impossible; no man would accept her, especially since she lacked family connections and money, and her figure was only average. Why would Gao Kai choose her? From Song Ziwen’s words, Wang Qiqi knew he held Wang Rui in low regard. "It's a pity I'm not back home; otherwise, there would be a good show to watch."

"I don't want to watch," Shi Man pouted. "I've suffered enough losses since I was little." The past was unpleasant to recall. Shi Man thought how fortunate it was that she went abroad; otherwise, who knew what might have happened? At the very least, she wouldn't have to listen to constant nagging. "Do you know what she said when she heard I was going abroad to study?" Recalling it made Shi Man angry. Going abroad was a happy occasion, and she wasn't asking for praise, especially since that certain person had always had smooth sailing. But there was no need to provoke her so much.

"What did she say?" Wang Qiqi asked, genuinely perplexed. Even ten years later, studying abroad was a big deal, let alone now. Hadn't Manman been freelancing before? Wasn't it just relatives helping her celebrate? Why the sour words?

"What else? Just saying I was wasting money and so on." Thinking of this, Shi Man’s voice rose in anger. "She was just jealous that I could go abroad. She also wanted to study abroad after graduating from university, but she couldn't get a scholarship and had to pay the full tuition herself. Her family wasn't wealthy enough. She even tried to get relatives to sponsor her—humph! When she wants money, she remembers her relatives, but otherwise, she only pays attention to the rich and powerful relatives. But rich and powerful relatives wouldn't bother with someone like her, would they? They wouldn't have opinions about people who are so two-faced, especially when she constantly puts on an arrogant front." Shi Man thought how glad she was she hadn't gone abroad back then, otherwise, who knew how insufferable she’d have become.

"She also said I didn't pursue my Master's domestically because I couldn't get in. Hmph, my grades were excellent!" My grades were more than good enough. Even if she didn't get a scholarship, she was an excellent student. Besides, while she got scholarships for college, didn't she take plenty of money from home during those seven years? Shi Man had supported herself completely through college without using family money. "My mom said it's a blessing I went abroad; otherwise, seeing the look on her face when I announced it would have made her furious."

Wang Qiqi listened to Shi Man vent for a while, seizing a moment when she paused for breath. "She doesn't know you're running this business?" Otherwise, why would she say Shi Man studying abroad was a waste of family money? After all, that certain person had been earning and supporting herself since university, even managing to buy property and shops on her own—that amounted to a large sum. Had Shi Man’s parents managed to keep this hidden from them? That was possible; if the news got out, it would definitely cause trouble. People wouldn't credit Shi Man's capabilities; they'd just assume the couple received bribes. Hiding such a successful business venture for so many years was no small feat.

Telling the relatives? Shi Man shuddered at the thought of the scene that would ensue if those people found out. "Not everyone has a sense of shame. It’s better to compare prices quietly. Putting aside other things, Gao Kai's fiancée will definitely ask me to bring back high-end cosmetics and such. As for payment, who knows when I’ll get it back." She puts on an air of aloofness, yet she's so calculating about money. Working in a bank was truly the right career path for her. "My mom told me that she might be coming to Europe next year."

Coming to Europe? "For tourism or shopping?" Though Wang Qiqi suspected the latter was more likely. Traveling abroad was difficult now, especially European tours; visas were a hassle. For independent travel, one might wait forever. Thankfully, it would be a group tour; otherwise, Wang Qiqi worried Shi Man would end up playing hostess. "What if you're busy then?"

That was exactly what Shi Man was thinking. "I heard they are coming to purchase a wedding dress, along with some jewelry and clothes." Shi Man silently offered a deep bow to Gao Kai. The betrothal money amount was unknown, but it wouldn't be small. And now they were coming here to buy the wedding dress and jewelry. Shi Man figured a trip to Europe wouldn't be complete without spending hundreds of thousands. Still, making that certain person spend more money made Shi Man happy. "Qiqi, do you think I should go find her and tell her how cheap things are here, or advise her to be frugal?" The first option would be fleecing Gao Kai; the second would be somewhat betraying her relatives.

"A trip to Europe is not easy to arrange," Wang Qiqi stated her opinion frankly. "If a man lacks capital, fine, but if he has capital, he should definitely help his wife buy more things. Besides, buying things yourself and bringing them back is better than asking others to bring them later. Important items should be bought in person; otherwise, you can't trust them."

Shi Man had been worrying about this very thing. She wasn't concerned about what her cousin-aunt might do to her; she was established abroad, while they were back home, with no mutual reliance. In fact, it would be they who needed her help in the future; she wouldn't need to bother them. But her parents would remain in the country. Even if Shi Man wanted to bring them abroad, it would have to wait until they retired. And thank goodness her old man was only a minor official; otherwise, how much longer would they have to wait for retirement? "Once my parents are abroad, I won't bother with that crowd." Let them cause trouble; if they seek my help, I can ignore them. But her parents were in a small city back home, and any minor incident would spread like wildfire within two days. For her parents' sake, what choice did Shi Man have but to endure?

Wang Qiqi knew Shi Man’s family had some difficult members, but she hadn't realized there were such extreme cases. She patted Shi Man's shoulder. "Girl, just bear with it a little. Didn't I endure for a long time too?" Wang Qiqi recalled how she had dealt with Wang Rui and her family, truly finding those memories painful. But she wondered how Liu Cui was doing now. She was someone capable of ruthlessness. After years of divorce, she hadn't contacted Wang Dagui, and what's more, she hadn't contacted her only daughter, Wang Rui. Perhaps Wang Rui’s cold-bloodedness was inherited from her mother.

Shi Man looked at Wang Qiqi with disdain. "You call that enduring? If Wang Rui were here, she'd slap you." If those who called Qiqi gentle saw how Qiqi treated Wang Rui’s family, they would be severely disappointed, thinking the woman was too much of a pretender. "Speaking of which, what cake are you making?" Not wanting to dwell on unpleasant memories, Shi Man knew the summer of their second year of high school was Qiqi's deepest sorrow and the year she grew up the fastest.

"Caterpillar bread; Mark likes it," Wang Qiqi estimated the dough was nearly ready and quickly began working. It was almost seven o'clock, and Zhao Rongrong and the others hadn't returned yet, so dinner was impossible. Wang Qiqi decided to make some pastries first so everyone could have something to tide them over.

Hearing the name Mark, Shi Man’s eyes darted around. "The person you took yesterday was Mark, right?" Didn't Qiqi make pastries yesterday to thank someone for taking the blame for her? Why was she making more today? There must be something fishy. With Han Tao away, Shi Man felt it was her duty, as Qiqi’s best friend and Han Tao’s girlfriend, to investigate clearly. She couldn't let those foreigners steal someone out from under her nose; how would she face Han Tao later?

Wang Qiqi hummed in assent. "That's him. Don't worry, there's absolutely nothing between him and me." Shi Man's question clearly had a deeper meaning, so Wang Qiqi explained the reason for making the pastries. "It's thanks to him, truly, but he's actually quite easily embarrassed." Wang Qiqi genuinely couldn't fathom how a grown man, having followed the professor for a year now, could still be this way. "I wonder how he manages with his girlfriend."

Mark has a girlfriend? Shi Man felt a slight easing of tension upon hearing this, yet foreigners—breakups were often swift matters. A simple "I don't love you anymore" served as sufficient grounds. Moreover, if Qiqi and Mark met often, and Qiqi proved to be so gentle and capable, there was a chance Mark’s internal scales might start tipping toward Qiqi, and then... and then... Thus, Shi Man kept Mark firmly on her list of persons requiring serious scrutiny. RS