"Qiqi Wang stood at the doorway, shouting up the stairs, 'Manman, are you ready yet?' She knew they were leaving on the evening flight, yet Manman was focused entirely on getting herself ready instead of packing her luggage. Did she think Old Feng would meet her at the arrival gate? After such a long flight, no matter how neat and tidy she looked before boarding, she’d still be a wreck afterwards; she wouldn't just sit there motionless on the plane.

'Coming, coming,' Shi Man grabbed her suitcase and rushed downstairs. 'I am so sorry, I was chatting with my Old Feng yesterday.' Shi Man felt truly mortified. They had agreed she would pack yesterday so she could just grab her bags and leave right after class, but she completely forgot while talking to him.

Seeing Shi Man finally descend, Wang Qiqi didn't waste any more breath on her, grabbing the luggage and heading outside. If she kept talking, Qiqi worried they would miss the flight.

Shi Man noticed Qiqi wasn't even acknowledging her hurried movements and could only pinch the bridge of her nose to keep up. 'Yanyan, Rongrong, Ruirui, I'm off.' After bidding farewell to Zhang Yan and the others who were huddled in the living room studying, Shi Man got into the waiting taxi parked right outside the door.

'Sorry, Qiqi,' Shi Man apologized sincerely as soon as she got into the car. She knew this trip to the States was for something big, and she couldn't blame Qiqi for being so anxious.

'It’s fine,' Wang Qiqi pulled out her phone to check the time, noting they still had some leeway. 'If you could go as fast as possible, please, thank you.' Of course, 'fast' was within reasonable limits.

'Understood.' The driver gradually increased the speed. Since the employer needed to catch a flight, accelerating within the acceptable parameters was the way to go.

Fortunately, the driver recommended by Mark was excellent—his driving skills were top-notch, delivering Wang Qiqi and Shi Man to the airport swiftly and smoothly. After paying, Wang Qiqi quickly grabbed the luggage and rushed toward the terminal. Although there was still time before departure, Qiqi only felt reassured once she was seated in the waiting lounge. Plus, she still had baggage to check in. Taking advantage of the trip to the States, Wang Qiqi and Shi Man planned to bring things they wouldn't need immediately, saving them the trouble of shipping them after graduation.

Wang Qiqi and Shi Man raced through the airport. Luckily, the number of passengers flying wasn't too high at that hour, and seeing their frantic state, others understood they were rushing for a flight and courteously made way. Wang Qiqi offered thanks along the way.

'Oh, I’m exhausted,' Shi Man collapsed into a seat near the boarding gate. 'I thought I was going to die.' It had been such a rush. 'I almost thought we wouldn't make check-in.' Shi Man had assumed they had plenty of time for baggage drop-off, but unexpectedly, the system had encountered a glitch, leading to a backlog. Thankfully, the staff were quite efficient and quickly processed all the delayed luggage; otherwise, they truly would have missed it.

Seeing Shi Man’s state, Wang Qiqi went to buy two cups of coffee. 'Here.' They should have arrived at the airport much earlier precisely to avoid unforeseen issues, and Shi Man’s current dishevelment was a result of insufficient preparation today. Forget it. Since they made it safely, the past was the past.

'Thanks.' Shi Man had braced herself for a lecture from Qiqi, but instead, she remained silent and even brought her a coffee. 'Qiqi, I love you! You are so good to me...' If this were not a public place—or if they were in China—Shi Man would have already rushed over to hug her. But here, she didn't dare. Intimate gestures between people of the opposite sex overseas are rarely questioned, but between two women, people might assume something was amiss.

Wang Qiqi understood that half of the flowery, cost-free praise was thanks to the coffee, and the other half was because she hadn't scolded Shi Man just now. 'I wonder when Nana will arrive.' For an investment of this scale, it wasn't necessary to involve Juliana; she was busy enough, and Qiqi knew she rarely attended her so-called graduate courses anyway. As for the diploma, Wang Qiqi was certain that even if the advisor only had one slot available for graduation, it would belong to Juliana.

'She should arrive three hours before us, unless there’s a delay at the domestic airport,' Shi Man quickly reported. 'Nana said the three of us absolutely must have a pajama party to catch up on everything.' The thought of spending an entire night together talking, something they hadn't done since sophomore year, made Shi Man very happy, and she looked forward to the New York trip. 'And Nana and I plan to go shopping while we’re there.'

As for signing the investment agreements in New York, that had slipped to second place in Shi Man’s mind. The major and minor details had mostly been thrashed out in the previous few days’ discussions. This trip was just about finalizing what they had agreed upon, signing the paperwork, and then the funds would start flowing in gradually. At that point, 'I’m about to become poor! The pressure is immense.' Shi Man had always enjoyed a comfortable life with savings in the bank, houses, and a career, but this little venture was about to set her back to square one. This made Shi Man feel the necessity to work even harder to integrate into American society as soon as possible.

'The money will come back,' Wang Qiqi said, seeing Shi Man's troubled expression. She knew Shi Man, like herself, felt a pang of pain at the thought of depleted savings. 'You’re lucky; I have to sell houses.' The thought of selling several properties back home made Qiqi’s heart ache. Song Ziwen had advised Qiqi against it, pointing out that property values were rising and rental income was substantial; she could easily use mortgage refinancing to cover the loans using the rent. Truthfully, Qiqi had considered that idea, but after learning about Wang Rui and Gao Kai, she felt it best not to leave too many assets tied up in their hometown to avoid being blindsided. As for the storefronts in the city center, Qiqi had never managed them officially; she always renewed contracts with the long-term tenants (with a slight annual rent increase, of course). When Qiqi’s parents were alive, they never mentioned the exact locations of those shops. Wang Dagui and his wife knew that Qiqi’s aunt had left her some commercial properties, but Qiqi’s parents never disclosed the details, so the chances of Wang Dagui and his daughter knowing are slim.

Shi Man knew that although Qiqi was wealthy, her money was tied up in inventory or real estate; she never kept much cash on hand. Shi Man had assumed Qiqi would mortgage her properties for the investment funds, as borrowing from the bank in their hometown wasn't difficult, especially with Song Ziwen’s good connections there; Qiqi had done it several times before. But why sell the houses this time? Shi Man truly couldn't comprehend it.

'You're doing that to avoid my cousin, aren't you?' Shi Man felt Qiqi was being overly cautious. Even if the Wang Rui situation exploded, her vindictive cousin, no matter how angry she got, wouldn't direct her fury at Wang Qiqi. 'You're overthinking it. Even if she wants to throw a fit, she won't target you; she’s not an idiot. She knows if she thoroughly offends you, you won’t hesitate to retaliate. Even if you stayed out of it, would Gao Kai let her off the hook?'

'What are you saying?' Wang Qiqi shot Shi Man a sharp look. She knew Han Tao disliked hearing Gao Kai's name, yet Shi Man brought him up. Qiqi had very little interaction with Gao Kai; she certainly wasn't going to take the blame for this. 'If Gao Kai doesn't spare her, it just shows their relationship lacked depth. I don't believe a woman who uses various means to advance her position has deep feelings.' Qiqi felt no sympathy for either of them; both were calculating individuals. Perhaps together they could achieve greater success, or perhaps they would only consume their energy in internal conflicts.

'As long as Gao Kai’s business is doing well, their relationship will be fine; that’s what matters,' Shi Man was confident about this. 'Oh, and last time I heard Gao Kai mention it, your brother’s cabinet factory has been cooperating quite well with Juliana’s family real estate company lately. He seemed interested in working with your brother too.'

Gao Kai wanting to collaborate with Song Ziwen? While new business was welcome, Qiqi was curious, 'Was that recommended by Wang Rui, or did Gao Kai come up with the idea himself?' Although Gao Kai’s real estate business was currently thriving—acquiring land here and there, presenting the image of a promising young man—Wang Qiqi felt the waters of his real estate firm ran too deep. He couldn't possibly have the capital to expand so widely; it must be mostly bank loans. Even at the peak of housing sales, real estate companies have collapsed. Gao Kai didn't seem to be developing steadily step-by-step; what if an issue arose with one of his developments? Song Ziwen’s factory wasn’t huge, but it wasn't small either; if Gao Kai’s company failed, it would be a significant loss. From Wang Qiqi’s perspective, she did not want to partner with Gao Kai. However, she knew Song Ziwen would never agree to turn down business, so she only hoped he wouldn't be blinded by the immediate opportunity. As long as the upfront payment wasn't too large, Qiqi wouldn't mind working with Gao Kai.

'Your brother's factory is doing quite well now too—they invest in advertising, and the quality is good; it’s become a recognized brand. It’s quite normal for Gao Kai to want to work with your brother. But maybe he also wants to improve relations with you, given how close you are with Juliana. Gao Kai, who is so skilled at leveraging connections, wouldn't pass up such a good opportunity,' Shi Man comforted the visibly anxious Wang Qiqi. 'If he wants good relations with you, the issue of payment won't be a problem; he should pay on time. We just don't know if Wang Rui will try to claim the credit.'

'As long as she dares approach Song Ziwen,' Wang Qiqi thought. If Wang Rui wasn't worried about her reputation being ruined, she could cause as much trouble as she wanted. The more fuss she made, the more it would infuriate Wang Damei until she choked on her anger. Song Ziwen welcomed new business introductions, but if Wang Rui expected favors or support from him, Qiqi felt Wang Rui was dreaming. Song Ziwen was a man; seeing his cousin ruin her reputation, he would certainly not be pleased. If Wang Rui tried to cozy up to him, Qiqi believed Wang Damei would never be fooled. Gao Kai might be doing well, but the Song siblings, Song Ziwen and Song Yao, were not doing poorly either. Wang Rui couldn't offer the Song family any real help. Unless Wang Damei was an idiot, she wouldn't lose her bearings over this.

Wang Qiqi waited until the plane reached a stable altitude and the flight attendants began serving. She requested a blanket and prepared to sleep.

Shi Man, excited at the prospect of seeing Old Feng again soon, was quite animated. And she would see Juliana too! But she was surprised that Wang Qiqi intended to sleep right away. 'Did you not sleep last night?'

'I slept, but I need to conserve energy so I can go shopping with you both,' Wang Qiqi said, pulling on her eye mask, ready to drift off.

Shi Man wanted to tell Wang Qiqi that sleeping on the plane was pointless since it would still be night when they landed, meaning she’d just have to sleep then, and might end up oversleeping and struggling to wake up the next morning.

'I didn't sleep well either yesterday; I was just worried about too many things,' Wang Qiqi yawned. She knew it would be the middle of the night when they landed in the US and they would have to sleep, but she felt utterly exhausted right now. Lately, she felt like she hadn't been sleeping well at all. If her period hadn't just ended, she would have suspected someone had tampered with her.

'Sleep,' Shi Man knew Qiqi was under a lot of pressure lately. Schoolwork was intensifying, and the studio had its own demands. Although Qiqi was still acting as an assistant, she was responsible for more tasks, plus she had to scramble for funding and translate work for money. The entire woman was running ragged.

Wang Qiqi had only intended to doze for about four hours, but she ended up sleeping soundly from takeoff until the plane began its descent. What Shi Man found most amazing was that just as she was about to shake Qiqi awake to announce their imminent landing, Qiqi woke up on her own.

'What’s wrong?' Wang Qiqi asked, her voice raspy. She wondered why Shi Man was looking at her like that—was her sleeping posture terrible, or was she drooling? Wang Qiqi wiped the corner of her mouth; it was dry. Since she wasn't drooling, Qiqi found it strange. Oh well, she’d just go to the lavatory to take care of business first, and then ask if she could have something to eat.

Shi Man watched Wang Qiqi start to unbuckle her seatbelt. 'What are you doing? The plane is landing.' Shi Man wondered if Qiqi thought they were still over the Atlantic.

'What? The plane is landing?' Wang Qiqi was startled by Shi Man’s words. She had only one thought: this flight was a total loss. She hadn't drunk anything or eaten anything. Even if the airplane food wasn't great, she had paid for it, and not eating felt like losing out, especially now that she couldn’t even use the restroom. Wang Qiqi felt genuinely nauseous.

'Mm-hmm,' Shi Man nodded. 'You can look out the window.' Seeing Wang Qiqi's conflicted expression, Shi Man thought, Girl, stop agonizing. Even though you didn’t eat, I ate your meal portion so as not to waste it. It wasn't that Shi Man had a massive appetite; it was just that the second meal service looked pretty good, and she felt it would be a shame to waste the extra portion.

Wang Qiqi looked down through the window. The lights below weren't just a few scattered points; they formed a dense cluster. They really were in New York. 'Not bad. I slept quite comfortably.' Since they had arrived, it was a relief to escape the confines of such a small space.

Wang Qiqi had expected to be met first by Han Tao or Feng Xuanxiang. 'Qiqi! Manman!' As they retrieved their luggage, they heard a familiar voice.

'Nana?' Wang Qiqi turned to see Juliana, looking every bit the ambitious white-collar elite, about ten meters away. This struck Wang Qiqi as odd. 'Didn't you arrive three hours before us?' Qiqi knew Juliana would likely meet up with them, but Qiqi had pictured Juliana waiting at an arrival lounge, perhaps having a drink or opening her laptop to make an international call to check if any pressing matters back home needed her attention. Why was she waiting right here? Qiqi wondered if she thought that since they were in the US, a place where one could finally relax, she had abandoned her 'power woman' demeanor.

Shi Man also looked surprised. After the three of them finally gathered, she recovered somewhat and stammered, 'You... you didn't wait for us the whole time, did you?' If that were true, Shi Man felt incredibly honored—what kind of person was she that Juliana would wait for her?

'My flight was delayed; I only got here half an hour ago,' Juliana said, though she really wanted to say she had waited specifically for them for three hours. She decided against it to avoid making the other two suspicious. 'Alright, let's go. None of us ate much on the way; I’m starving. Let’s find a place to eat.'

'My treat,' Juliana added.

Wang Qiqi loved hearing that, especially since she hadn’t eaten for hours and her stomach was already rumbling. 'Nana, you're the best!' If Juliana offered to treat, she certainly wouldn't pick some random spot. At the very least, a Michelin-starred restaurant, or at least somewhere upscale? But she wondered what places would still be open this late at night.

Shi Man’s expression turned a bit green. Ah, because she was hungry, she had eaten Wang Qiqi’s entire second meal, and now she was completely full. 'Let’s go,' Shi Man hurried ahead, pushing her luggage towards the exit, worried that if the other two started debating where to eat, she would suffer more stress.

Shi Man’s unusual behavior made both Juliana and Wang Qiqi curious. Among the three of them, wasn't Shi Man the biggest foodie, always enthusiastic when food was discussed? Why was she so out of character now?

Juliana looked at Wang Qiqi questioningly, signaling if something had happened to Shi Man on the flight or if her appetite had shrunk recently.

Wang Qiqi also found it strange. 'Manman’s appetite is as good as ever; she can eat, drink, and sleep well.' Suddenly, Wang Qiqi thought of a possibility. 'Did she possibly eat my portion on the plane?' Even if someone was desperate for food, they would usually talk about where to eat while urging everyone to hurry up. Shi Man had done neither of those things—other than her current lack of hunger, Wang Qiqi couldn't think of another reason.

Wang Qiqi’s voice wasn’t low when she said this, and Shi Man, walking just ahead of them, heard it clearly. Her face instantly flushed red, and she quickened her pace.

If Shi Man hadn't reacted, Wang Qiqi and Juliana wouldn't have assumed the guess was correct. But her sudden acceleration confirmed their suspicion.

Wang Qiqi silently chuckled. Serves you right for eating my food without waking me up to remind me we could eat. Now she knew she’d lost out. She smiled without speaking. 'Should we go for steak? I wonder if any places are still open this late.'

'The foreigners will definitely be off work by this time,' Shi Man suddenly turned around, saying happily. Hahaha, you thought you could ditch me and eat alone? Too bad! Heaven is on our side. If they were in China, they could find late-night snacks, but labor costs are high overseas, and very few places operate this late. Unless you know the area extremely well, don't even think about it. Shi Man decided that the moment they got out, she needed to coordinate with Old Feng about food arrangements.

Now it was Wang Qiqi's turn to look stumped. She had planned to tease Shi Man a bit, but she hadn't managed to provoke her at all. 'We can’t just go eat burgers, can we?' Those would certainly be available, but after being hungry for so long, eating only a burger felt like it would make her stomach ache even worse.

'There’s Chinese food. If that fails, we can just grab something near the airport,' Juliana reasoned. Due to the heavy traffic, many establishments inside the airport operate 24 hours. Juliana couldn't imagine just heading back out. Even if the airport food wasn't the best, it was better than wandering around New York aimlessly. At the very least, it would be better than the airplane meal."

"Great, we’ll call Han Tao and Old Feng when the time comes," Wang Qiqi said excitedly, laughing. Hahaha, just a moment ago someone was acting all smug, but who knew how quickly the tables would turn. "Manman, we have somewhere else to eat now."

Shi Man hadn't realized there were places near the airport. Ya Xi, how could she have forgotten? Tears welled up in her heart. "Hmph, expensive and tastes bad. A waste," Shi Man huffed, tossing out the remark before quickly grabbing her luggage and storming off. If she stayed any longer, she really might choke on her own frustration. She had thought she could handle this situation perfectly, but Qiqi had resolved it so easily. RP