Wang Qiqi yawned, clutching a book, looking thoroughly exhausted as she walked into the room. After offering a greeting to the people gathered around the conference table, she retreated to her office to put down her books, grabbed her mug, and prepared for a much-needed coffee to start her workday—drinking coffee so early felt like a pace she couldn't quite handle.

Just as Wang Qiqi stepped into the breakroom and poured herself a cup, Mark ambled in. Knowing he likely wanted to discuss something, she paused her movements instead of leaving immediately.

Mark poured his own coffee and asked, "I showed John the email you sent me. He said we can all get to know each other a little better." Ugh, Mark felt rather embarrassed; even though the other party hadn't said it outright, the implication was clear. Even he, a foreigner, could see it, yet his friend with Chinese heritage was pretending ignorance. But there was nothing to be done; he was his good friend, so he just had to accept it.

"Get to know each other a little better"—Qiqi was about to curse. She knew very well that Zhang Yan didn't want to hear about the matter, much less learn about that person's situation. If they went against her wishes now, serious trouble would erupt. Although Zhang Yan had claimed yesterday not to take it to heart, the way she looked at Qiqi and Shi Man carried a distinct chill, making Qiqi regret everything; she wished she could kick that person out the door to chill out for a while. Qiqi knew she couldn't avoid Mark at work, but did he really have to bring up such unpleasant news first thing in the morning?

After a moment of thought, Wang Qiqi decided to be direct. "Well, I can't say much about this. They're at the same school; if your friend is interested, can't he find out on his own?" She had no intention of acting as a go-between. Those eighteen braised trotters weren't that easy to eat, and besides, foreigners didn't have that custom, not to mention eating too much of that stuff was fattening and unhealthy.

Mark understood the gist of what Wang Qiqi was saying: she wouldn't get involved. It was a blessing if she didn't actively hinder things; hoping she would put in a good word was out of the question. "I told him you couldn't help, but he insisted. Sigh..." John kept saying that Chinese people were warmhearted. Sigh, even if they were warmhearted, if someone wasn't interested in you, they would naturally align their forces against you. This was exactly what had happened. However, it seemed Angel's intent was that she wouldn't actively obstruct things. "By the way, you don't have afternoon classes these days. Are you heading straight home from here?" He wanted his friend to grow closer to Ella, and the first step was spending time together regularly; it would be best if that third wheel wasn't around.

"I need to go to the library to borrow some books these few days, so I'll be heading back with Ella." Hmph, Qiqi knew what the other party was planning, but right now, when things were sensitive, she certainly wouldn't make it easy for them. "If I get busy, I expect I'll have to ask Ella to borrow the books for me."

Mark understood when he heard this. So, they would be heading back together recently, meeting at the library. Hmm, that wasn't bad. Since John often hung around the library anyway, once he figured out where Ella and the others usually stayed, he wouldn't worry about finding an opportunity. For now, they just needed to get familiar with the routine. When Angel no longer went to the library later, couldn't they just walk home? Driving was such a waste; the trip was too short to have a good conversation. If Angel was there, they could even get a ride. "Alright, I'm off to get busy. Oh, you didn't rest well yesterday?" It would be rude to just ask what he needed to know and leave immediately, especially since there was still time before the official start of work.

Wang Qiqi yawned. "Yeah, I got several rush orders yesterday, so I was rushing to meet the deadline, and my coursework was tight too." Wang Qiqi had been busy until two in the morning last night. Honestly, her current state of living didn't feel great. Although staying up late was common, she knew that a lot of her daytime hours were spent on things completely unrelated to studying or exercising—pure waste. Wang Qiqi felt she really needed to utilize her time better. For instance, although they were all doing reasonably well, five people crammed together didn't mean much chatting time. But if one person said they were hungry, the others would suddenly feel hungry too, leading to eating, which wasted time. You couldn't read while eating, right? They’d chat a bit, and a conversation would easily chew up an hour. After two such sessions, they’d be forced into night shifts.

Rushing orders? Mark found that strange. "You're still taking outside jobs?" She was just an assistant; everything was handled here. There was nothing she needed to take home.

Wang Qiqi hummed in affirmation. "I've been taking on some translation work since college." There was nothing to hide about that; it was money earned by her own hands—laboring was honorable. Of course, the main reason was that the money she earned was pocket change in their eyes.

"Impressive." Mark was quiet for a moment before expressing genuine admiration. "Did you pay for your college expenses yourself?" Ah, many international students from China only started working part-time for living expenses or tuition after arriving abroad. He hadn't expected this young woman in front of him to have been earning money since university.

Wang Qiqi nodded in agreement. "I was interested in it, and since I planned to study abroad anyway, I thought it would be a good way to improve my English. Plus, the opportunity arose then, so I slowly got into it." Looking back, she realized she had been quite lucky. Not everyone had the same good fortune as her. There were plenty of people with better English back then, but they either didn't get the chance, or if they did, they felt the pay was too low, or they had other plans and just gave up. Wang Qiqi persisted because she wanted to learn more. Of course, she knew that once you stayed in this line of work, the financial prospects were good.

Mark hummed. Even if that was her initial motive, it was still commendable. "Alright, I'm off to work."

Wang Qiqi knew that what she told Mark this morning would quickly reach John's ears, but she hadn't expected someone's actions to be so swift. Since Qiqi was standing outside near the corridor, she appeared to be looking for a book, but judging by his searching glances, he was clearly looking for Zhang Yan. Qiqi was curious why he was showing up now. Had he just finished class? Or was he worried about Zhang Yan giving him a cold shoulder, timing his arrival just as she entered the library? He figured that Qiqi, out of respect for Mark, wouldn't make things difficult for him. Qiqi strongly suspected the latter was the case; the young man was quite calculating.

Even though the person in question had appeared, Wang Qiqi had no intention of greeting him immediately. He would naturally come to her. Given his demeanor, Qiqi was curious how long it would take him to find Zhang Yan. Perhaps he was also looking for books, multitasking. Otherwise, someone should have spotted her already, yet the person didn't seem to notice her at all. In that case, she might as well offer a small helping hand. Based on the rhythm of his book search, finding Zhang Yan was only a matter of time. Moreover, even if Zhang Yan finished finding her books, Qiqi would have to pass that area on her way out and would inevitably be spotted by him anyway. Since it was going to happen regardless, she might as well play the benevolent person.

Wang Qiqi turned slightly to look at Zhang Yan beside her, who was focused on browsing the shelves. "Have you found all your books?" Zhang Yan casually asked when she noticed Wang Qiqi wasn't looking for anything. Since they were both studying under the same professor, their required reading was similar, so one person would borrow books for both. They usually divided the tasks beforehand, and Wang Qiqi had found the books she needed smoothly this time.

Wang Qiqi hummed. "All set. I think I'll go find a spot to read for a bit." Qiqi glanced at the books Zhang Yan was holding, estimating she'd be searching for a while longer. Qiqi decided to move to a nearby spot to read; it would also free up space here. Wang Qiqi considered herself quite a good person. Although she could read at work, she couldn't read continuously—one moment it was printing a file, the next, photocopying something, then binding this, then stapling that. Even though these were minor tasks, they kept coming, preventing any sustained reading. But she could only focus on doing them diligently, after all, she was just an assistant.

Zhang Yan acknowledged her. "Wait for me for about half an hour; I can catch Manman then." Shi Man would be out of class shortly, and the three of them could take a ride back together, saving her the walk.

Wang Qiqi hummed, pointed toward a certain direction, and walked away. Whether the person in question would notice her was no longer her concern.

Wang Qiqi settled down and read for a while before realizing someone else had taken the empty seat beside her. "Angel, what a coincidence, you're reading here too." A man's voice, rich with magnetism, drifted over from the side.

Hearing those words, Wang Qiqi felt nauseated. She looked up and forced a strained smile toward the man. "It is quite a coincidence." Since Zhang Yan isn't here, you don't need to pretend this is a chance encounter. I'm not unaware of your true intentions. Wang Qiqi would bet that the moment her car left the office, Mark would have notified this young man immediately.

John chuckled awkwardly, knowing nothing could be hidden from Angel—nor could he hide anything from her. John sat down. To be honest, he had searched for a long time without spotting any familiar figure and had assumed they had both left, which he deeply regretted. He had thought, if only the teaching assistants weren't so numerous, he wouldn't have missed such a prime opportunity. He hadn't expected that just as he was about to leave, he spotted Angel's figure, which instantly energized him. If she was here, then Ella must be nearby too. "Um, is Ella here?"

Wang Qiqi knew he would ask this; he was very direct. "She's still looking for books." Whether the man decided to leave her side to find the person or stay here posing as a diligent student was his business, and it would also reveal whether he possessed any sense of reason.

John had intended to go to the bookshelves to look for her; an accidental meeting with Ella by the shelves would have been ideal. Being here, however, felt too much like a planned meeting, easily exposed. But he reconsidered: if he went over to find her, and Ella finished borrowing her required books and headed off with Angel, wouldn't he be devastated? He decided that as long as he kept Angel occupied, he wouldn't have to worry about Ella slipping away from under his nose. Regardless of how plausible this so-called coincidence was, establishing a connection with the beautiful woman was the priority.

Wang Qiqi was surprised that the young man actually sat down and focused on reading. Hmm, this kid has some brains; he wasn't completely blinded by beauty.

"I might need to bother you in the future." Although Mark had said Angel wouldn't be very helpful, John felt he still needed to interact a bit. Perhaps over time, she might put in a good word for him. "We should grab coffee sometime." When asking for a favor, one should always try to curry favor with the friends of the person they are seeking help from.

"I prefer tea," Wang Qiqi replied with a smile. I have tea at home, and the office isn't lacking; why should I go out for coffee with you? Besides, I have nothing worth discussing with you; it would just be a waste of time.

Tea? John could only resign himself to it. "That sounds more troublesome, doesn't it?" He recalled the elaborate setup his grandfather required just to drink tea, which made him dizzy. He hadn't expected this young woman to like tea. "You really are quite amazing."

"How is drinking tea troublesome?" Wang Qiqi found it rather baffling. "You put in some leaves, add hot water, and that's it. It’s much better than fresh-ground coffee." The latter required grinding beans, brewing, and then the tedious cleanup of the coffee machine. Ever since working as an assistant over there, Wang Qiqi realized her speed at cleaning the coffee machine and tidying up had increased—one, because she did it more often, and two, because finishing quickly meant more time for reading or actual work. Wang Qiqi didn't know how other assistants managed, but Han Tao said she had found a good boss because he paid her even when she was reading.

Ah, so that's how you drink tea. "It is quite simple, though it feels like a cow drinking water, as my grandpa used to say." John was stunned; his own father drank tea that way, and his grandfather had always corrected him.

"What you're referring to is probably Gongfu tea, which is quite elegant. But the point of drinking tea is to drink it, right? Going through all those elaborate movements just to sip a tiny amount—I can't handle that." Wang Qiqi recalled a tea ceremony performance during a trip. All those movements were visually appealing, but by the time you could actually drink the tea, half an hour had passed. Even worse, everyone only got a tiny cup, and you were supposed to savor it in three sips. For Wang Qiqi, after watching for so long, that small cup wouldn't even fill the gaps between her teeth; even the pot wouldn't have been enough for her. Showing off was fine, but practicality was lacking. "Ella and I sometimes brew a pot of tea and chat while eating some snacks." Zhang Yan, like Wang Qiqi, preferred tea.

John strongly agreed with what Wang Qiqi said. Although he hadn't managed to deepen the conversation with her, knowing she liked tea was a satisfying piece of information to take away.

After a long time, Zhang Yan returned, carrying a large stack of books. She hadn't noticed the person next to Qiqi. "Qiqi, I'm done. Shall we go back?" Ugh, with this many books borrowed, who knew when she'd finish them? Monday was the start of the week and the start of her need to work overtime.

Wang Qiqi hummed and began packing her things. As for the man beside her, how he managed to strike up a conversation with her was his own problem. She wasn't generous enough to offer matchmaking assistance.

John heard them talking about leaving, and Angel hadn't offered any introductions or reminders, so he had to take the initiative. He nodded slightly and waved toward Zhang Yan. "Oh, what a coincidence."

Wang Qiqi felt faint. He said "What a coincidence" to her, and now to Zhang Yan. Doesn't this guy have another phrase in his vocabulary?

Zhang Yan froze, not expecting to see him here. She glanced questioningly at Wang Qiqi—surely they hadn't arranged this? Otherwise, why would they be sitting together?

Receiving the questioning look, Wang Qiqi felt truly wronged. Although she had spoken at length with Mark this morning, she truly hadn't betrayed anyone. She shrugged to signal her innocence. "It was a coincidence meeting him too. Do you think I would contact him?" Wang Qiqi murmured in Chinese. After the tantrum someone threw yesterday, why would she bother with such thankless effort? Besides, he was here to borrow books; running into him was normal, just perhaps too coincidental.

Listening to Wang Qiqi's low grumble, Zhang Yan felt a little embarrassed herself. Right, she hadn't given them a pleasant look yesterday. It had only been one day. Even if Qiqi had some ulterior motive to get along with colleagues, she wouldn't forget so quickly. Besides, Qiqi wasn't that kind of person. And the library wasn't huge, nor was it tiny; running into someone was normal. "Hi, hello." Zhang Yan offered a greeting.

Zhang Yan gave Wang Qiqi a look, urging her to hurry up so they could pack up and leave.

Wang Qiqi thought to herself, After searching for you for so long, how could he let you slip away? Didn't she see he was packing his bag too? Wang Qiqi sighed inwardly. Sigh, I shouldn't have told Mark so much; the retribution came so quickly. She didn't want to get close to the man, yet he was trying to use her to connect with the person he liked.

Regardless of whether they ended up together, Wang Qiqi felt her own prospects were grim. If they did get together, they probably wouldn't credit her effort, and Zhang Yan might even bring up old grudges. In short, whether they got together or not, she stood to gain nothing. Thinking of this, Wang Qiqi's face fell. Why should she take on a task that offered neither merit nor labor? It was truly a losing proposition.

No matter how unwilling she was, Wang Qiqi quickly packed her bag. Just as she was about to bid John farewell, the man preempted her. "Angel, you drove, right?" Hahaha, his friend was quite reliable after all. Even though he'd have to walk to school tomorrow morning, as long as he could chat with Ella today, the walk to school was a minor issue. And he might even bump into Ella on the way! "Could you give me a ride? My car broke down and is in the shop."

Wang Qiqi knew the main act was starting. She nodded. Although Zhang Yan beside her was shaking her head vigorously, Qiqi wasn't one to tell such lies. Moreover, the other person had already thoroughly assessed her situation and might have deliberately pretended not to drive. "Yan Yan, do you think we should give him a ride?" As for whether to take the man, Wang Qiqi tossed the decision to Zhang Yan. If you say yes, we'll take him, and don't blame me later. If Zhang Yan says no, then I apologize to John; it's not my fault, it's the heartlessness of the girl you like.

Zhang Yan was dumbfounded. She had expected Qiqi to just refuse. She hadn't expected Qiqi to throw the hot potato back to her. And she had even said it in Chinese! Did she really have to say no? Wouldn't that be too harsh? "We're neighbors; it's only right to give a ride if we're going the same way."

Zhang Yan squeezed Wang Qiqi's flesh hard where John couldn't see, with enough force to almost make Qiqi cry out. Qiqi shot Zhang Yan a look full of grievance; this wasn't her fault. She felt like a suffering child. "Let's go, let's go. Sigh, Zhang Yan said she’d give you a ride today, John, you know what you should do, right?" Hmph, for squeezing my flesh and bullying me, I won't help you now. Wang Qiqi was being deliberately contrary.

Zhang Yan was stunned. She stared intensely at Wang Qiqi's back. If her gaze could turn into swords, it would have struck a fatal blow by now. Wang Qiqi felt absolutely no pressure from the other person's fervent stare. Let the person stare if they wanted to.

Shi Man stepped out of the school gates, looked around, and spotted Wang Qiqi's car parked not far from the entrance. She hurried over and was about to open the front passenger door when she noticed someone already sitting inside. Taking a closer look, she gave a silent thumbs-up—Wang Qiqi was impressive; she had already made contact with that person so quickly. However, the atmosphere in the car didn't feel right; it felt like dozens of degrees below zero, making Shi Man feel colder than outside. She weighed her options and decided it was better to walk back, although she needed a reason why she wouldn't ride with them.

Wang Qiqi watched Shi Man hesitate at the door, her eyes darting around. She thought, This guy might try to bail. "Hey, warmth doesn't cost money! Hurry up and get in, sit in the back." Hmph, there was no way she would suffer while the other person escaped.

Shi Man was just formulating her excuse to retreat when she heard Wang Qiqi's words. She certainly wasn't going to obey. "I just remembered I still need to borrow some books." Yes, that was the perfect excuse.

“Borrowing books? Wang Qiqi stared at Shi Man with a smile for a moment. “We can go with you. Anyway, dinner tonight is simple, and it’s already getting dark. We can’t let you walk home alone.” Wang Qiqi knew that perhaps Zhang Yan wasn't keen on wasting any more time with a certain someone, but she was happy to. Since she had already offended someone today, adding another charge didn't matter much to her.

What, accompany me to borrow books? Shi Man’s face instantly fell. “Never mind, let’s just go back. Don't waste any more time.” She still hadn't finished with the books she’d already borrowed; taking out new ones would surely kill her. Shi Man sat sullenly beside Zhang Yan.

Wang Qiqi noticed the drooping faces of the two in the rearview mirror—it was quite comical. As for the person beside her, Wang Qiqi figured he must be quite pleased. She drove home quietly, not uttering a word. Because she wasn't speaking, John felt awkward about starting a conversation, though he did try a few times. Only Wang Qiqi responded briefly; Ella remained completely silent, which left him feeling rather dejected. But then again, didn't this present a certain challenge?

“Thank you for driving me back. Goodbye.” John got out of the car, thanking Wang Qiqi again for the ride, and took the opportunity to bid farewell to Shi Man and the others.

He was genuinely happy that Shi Man and the girls also said goodbye to him. In Wang Qiqi’s view, it was probably because Zhang Yan felt much better once he was gone, plus, it was just good manners, wasn't it? RS