Wang Qiqi and Juliana had initially thought that by dragging things out, slowing down their driving speed, they would eventually meet the people who had invited them out, but when they pushed open the door to the private room, Wang Qiqi nudged Juliana, who had just hung up her phone, "See? We're actually quite early." And to think they were worried that after being so late, someone might be angry—well, the person wasn't even in the room.

Juliana peered in, sweeping her gaze across the empty private room, "Whoa, nobody's here?" No way, did they not show up, or did they arrive, see that we weren't here, and leave to show how angry they were?

Wang Qiqi quickly flagged down a passing waiter, "Excuse me, has anyone been in this room today?"

"No." The waiter didn't even hesitate before shaking his head, "I'm responsible for these few rooms."

There it was, everything was clear. Someone was even more formidable than they were, making them an hour late. Wang Qiqi raised an eyebrow at Juliana, "How about we take a walk outside first? Otherwise, it makes us look too eager." She really was something else. Shi Man's information was incomplete; she had said the person would be late by at most forty minutes. Had her temperament risen after becoming Mrs. Gao?

"Forget it, let's just wait here." Juliana wasn't in the mood to wander; there were no good shopping areas nearby anyway. "Give me the menu."

"Order food?" Wang Qiqi wondered if Juliana was planning to order right then and there. Although there would be pleasantries at the table, it was usually the host who ordered. Moreover, Wang Qiqi worried about what would happen if the person didn't show up—they would have to foot the bill. "Aren't you worried?"

"Worried about what?" Juliana wasn't concerned at all. "If the wife doesn't show up, there's still the man. Am I going to call Gao Kai? Anyway, I won't be the one losing face. Even if Gao Kai is going to marry her, she hasn't married him yet. Besides, whether she can firmly secure the position of Mrs. Gao is still an unknown." Juliana was thoroughly annoyed. It seemed this person was stringing them along and getting others to help set up a meeting with Qiqi, only to play hard to get when she actually managed to pull Qiqi out—how could this not infuriate Juliana?

Although Juliana's tone was even and her expression perfectly composed, Wang Qiqi knew this person had thoroughly provoked Juliana. Since Juliana had already figured out a plan, Wang Qiqi decided not to hold back either. "I hear the bird's nest here is excellent; shall we get three servings?" Wang Qiqi had never eaten here, but Juliana had given her a thorough rundown of the dining venue on the way over. Of course, Wang Qiqi paid attention to the specialty dishes. It wasn't that she expected Gao Kai's wife to treat her; rather, Qiqi planned to treat Wang Damei and the others before returning home as a thank you, but unexpectedly, she had a free tasting opportunity before even treating herself. Wang Qiqi certainly wasn't going to miss out.

"And let's add a serving of shark fin," Juliana said, looking over the menu, rattling off dishes one by one. "If Gao Kai shows up, he'll need to replenish his energy. If he doesn't come, we'll share it. That’s all for now. Oh, and open your best bottle of red wine."

The waiter glanced at the order and paused slightly by the side, but he quickly walked out.

"They won't think we're planning to dine and dash, will they?" Wang Qiqi picked up her teacup and took a sip. "This tea is quite good." Truly, you get what you pay for. The surroundings were nice too; no wonder the business here was booming.

Wang Qiqi walked over to the floor-to-ceiling glass window, looking out at the artificial lake. "The owner of this place has some real skills." In a few years, this owner would expand the restaurant business further. His establishment always maintained a high-end route; due to the excellent environment and skilled chefs, business remained red-hot. Of course, after a certain leader cracked down on corruption, the owner's life became a bit tougher, as the trend of public funds being used for lavish dining was halted. For private entertaining, an occasional meal was fine, but consistently? That was unsustainable.

Juliana walked over and sat on a nearby lounge chair. "He does have skills. My father once considered this place." The old man had thought it would be a great spot for a clubhouse, but at the time, he hadn't gotten around to it, only mentioning it to a few people. By the time he remembered, the current owner had already secured all the necessary connections. "Every time my father passes by here, he sighs." The old man wasn't sighing over a missed opportunity for profit, but because setting up a clubhouse here would have allowed him to fish or have tea with old friends when he had time. Even if he could acquire land nearby now, the atmosphere had changed; it was no longer suitable for the tranquility his father desired.

"It would be a nice place for retirement, but unfortunately, it will slowly become commercialized." Especially in two years, when certain officials decided this empty space was too much of a waste and turned it into an open park. On weekends, it would be packed. People who enjoyed crowds wouldn't mind, but Juliana’s father valued the quiet here. Even if the restaurant were gone, he likely wouldn't like the atmosphere then.

The two stood or sat by the window, gazing at the scenery for a long time. "She's here," Juliana suddenly stated.

Wang Qiqi was bewildered. She hadn't heard the door open. How did the person know she had arrived?

"Her car is quite flashy, right? A red Honda Accord." Juliana pointed to a vehicle that had just pulled to a stop. "She's also a capable woman. She sweet-talked him into buying it shortly after getting involved with Gao Kai. Your silly sister, she seems smart, but compared to her, she's far behind."

Juliana sometimes truly couldn't understand. Wang Rui's situation wasn't that bad. If she had played her cards right, she absolutely wouldn't have been suppressed by Chen Yan. But she simply didn't know how to utilize such good resources. "I don't even know what to say when your sister hasn't managed to secure a single apartment or car by now." If she couldn't be the wife, being a mistress would at least bring money. Why did she end up with nothing? Juliana couldn't fathom what Wang Rui was thinking.

"Perhaps she doesn't want Gao Kai to think she's with him for the money. Besides, maybe her ambitions are greater; she might be aiming for the position of Mrs. Gao." Wang Qiqi didn't believe Wang Rui wasn't money-oriented. If she had plenty of money, she might choose 'true love' as in her past life. But the issue was she didn't have that much money now. How could she not care about money? This left only one possibility for her current actions: she was aiming for something significant. "It's a pity I'm not here; there would be quite a show to watch."

Juliana could tell Wang Qiqi’s words held a hint of insincerity. She responded playfully, "If there were really a good show, would you stay here?"

Wang Qiqi shrugged. "Why wouldn't I stay? Although there are plenty of drama queens here, my mindset is excellent. If they start causing trouble, I might mock them a bit if I'm in a good mood, or ignore them completely if I'm not. Their tantrums don't concern me; I can leave whenever I want." People care about saving face because they spend a lot of time in their hometowns. Of course, they need to maintain appearances. But since I'm not developing my career back home, while returning brings its own set of troubles, occasionally watching various drama queens throw fits can be amusing—as long as the drama doesn't involve me. Otherwise, it stops being fun, like this current situation, which is a bit troublesome.

"Nice figure," Wang Qiqi muttered after waiting quite a while to see the other woman emerge from the car with perfect grace. "Damn, acting like a big star, taking ten minutes from parking to getting out." She truly thinks she's someone important.

Wang Qiqi felt she had been too polite. Turning to the waiter who brought the wine, she said, "Have them bring two more servings of that shark fin later."

"Oh, and I heard the sashimi here is also good; let's get a serving of that," Juliana chimed in, clearly annoyed. "Your best sashimi."

The waiter hadn't expected the order to grow so quickly. "Isn't that a bit much?" The previous order was already quite large; adding this much now...

Wang Qiqi shot him a glare. "We aren't skipping out on the bill, are we? Why are you nagging?" Hmph, making us wait for her? Then let her pocketbook suffer a major hit.

"Bring another bottle of red wine. We can take our time chatting," Juliana finished her instructions. "That should bring the bill up to around five thousand, right?"

The waiter quickly did the mental math. "It will. The wine alone is over two thousand."

Juliana waved him off upon hearing this, signaling him to go prepare the items. "It's a bit wasteful for three people to eat this much, but their portions here look big because the bowls and plates are large, not because there's actually a lot of food." Juliana seemed to be either comforting herself or trying to ease Wang Qiqi’s potential guilt.

"If she can't finish it, she can pack it up," Wang Qiqi wasn't worried about waste; it wasn't her money being spent. "Mrs. Gao isn't short on cash."

Chen Yan had noticed the car registered to the Jui family while parking. She knew Juliana must have arrived. Initially, she was eager to go upstairs, as she intended to give Wang Qiqi a little warning, but then she remembered that Juliana must have picked up Wang Qiqi. Just as she was about to get out of the car, she received a call that left Chen Yan furious. Although she managed to restrain herself, the lingering resentment in her demeanor was palpable.

"I'm so sorry for being late," Chen Yan apologized immediately upon entering the room. "I truly apologize; something came up on the road."

Something came up on the road. Both Juliana and Wang Qiqi secretly smiled. Even if something had happened on the road, it didn't warrant such a long delay. "It's fine. The view here is lovely; sitting and watching the scenery isn't bad either," Juliana gestured towards the window seating.

When Chen Yan saw the window seats, she knew they must have seen her car pull into the parking lot. But she couldn't explain the real reason: someone had tipped her off that Gao Kai had gone out with Wang Rui. How could she explain that? Although many people knew about Gao Kai and Wang Rui, seeing them openly leave infuriated Chen Yan, especially since this city wasn't huge, and news traveled fast.

What made Chen Yan even more furious, to the point of wanting to vomit blood, was that the person who tipped her off was her professional rival at work. Their relationship was already strained due to the race for a promotion. Even though the person only claimed to have notified her, Chen Yan knew exactly what kind of situation she would face at work tomorrow: ridicule and mocking stares. For a moment, Chen Yan wanted to rush out and confront Gao Kai, demanding an explanation for his attitude, but she dared not. What if she heard words from Gao Kai that she didn't want to hear or couldn't accept? Moreover, Juliana was already here. If she walked out now, Chen Yan could already imagine how Juliana would report back to her mother about how Chen Yan stood her up. That would truly ruin her standing. Furthermore, Chen Yan wanted to ask Wang Qiqi about the Wang family's upbringing—why no one intervened to discipline Wang Rui when she was acting this way.

"I was taking a call in the car," Chen Yan said with a forced, professional smile, walking over to sit at the dining table. "I'll order, and then you two can order what you like." Juliana looked at the expansive table and thought that for just three people, such a large private room was unnecessary. If they ordered too few dishes, the table would look sparse; if they ordered too many and couldn't finish them, it would be wasteful, and more importantly, a waste of money.

Juliana took a seat, acting quite considerately toward the other woman. "I thought you weren't coming, so I already ordered. I didn't expect you to arrive." Hmph, now she wants to order? Don't think I didn't notice your displeasure with this table size. Isn't it just because the table is too big? I hope you won't faint when the food arrives.

What? Juliana had already ordered? Chen Yan was startled. Who was Juliana? A big boss. Would she only order a few dishes? She might be showing off her generosity in an extravagant way. "That's fine, that’s fine too." What could Chen Yan say? It was her fault for being late, and Juliana had made it clear: she thought Chen Yan wasn't coming, so she ordered as if she were paying herself, meaning no need to hold back. If Chen Yan knew what Juliana and Qiqi had discussed earlier, she wouldn't be so calm. Those two were absolutely planning to treat her and her husband like gullible targets to fleece.

The other person replied with a sigh of helplessness, but Juliana pretended not to notice, picking up the already opened red wine and pouring a glass. "The food will be out soon. Let's have some wine first."

The sight of Juliana pouring the red wine made Chen Yan feel faint again. Heavens, this wine cost over a thousand a bottle! Gao Kai had entertained guests here previously, and Chen Yan was present; she remembered the price clearly. While the wine was excellent, the price was the price. And looking closer, she saw there was another bottle beside it. "I don't drink, I drove here." Fortunately, the second bottle hadn't been opened, or Chen Yan might have truly fainted. It wasn't that she couldn't afford the wine, but it was obvious Juliana had ordered these deliberately, and she couldn't bring herself to drink it.

"I drove too," Juliana said, displeased. But since the other woman didn't want to drink, why force her? "I'll order you a bottle of juice then. Qiqi and I will stick to the red wine. We two used to be able to finish two or three bottles just chatting like this." Juliana wasn't exaggerating; they had drunk that much before, though it only left them a bit dizzy. "The fresh-squeezed juice here is also quite good, very flavorful."

The two of them planned to drink two or three bottles just while chatting. Chen Yan sucked in a breath. She didn't believe Juliana was lying; Juliana was known for her drinking capacity. If they truly downed three bottles of red wine, Chen Yan felt she would spit blood. "I don't need juice; tea will be fine for me." Chen Yan thought, where could anything be cheap in this place? She had considered just ordering a Coke, but now that Chen Yan recommended juice, could she contradict her by asking for a Coke? If she refused the juice now, Juliana might order Coke for her every time they ate out afterward, using the excuse that she chose cola over juice this time.

Juliana heard the expected answer and feigned regret. "Since you don't like it, never mind then." Didn't like it? She probably meant she was reluctant to part with her money. It’s not like she can’t pay the bill; why act so pitiful? "Qiqi and I are both women; we aren't going to fall for your pitiful act."

"Don't disbelieve me," Wang Qiqi said, raising her glass and swirling it. "It's decent enough. The red wine at the place my supervisor treated us to last time was quite good, and the price wasn't too steep—about the same in RMB. But judging by the color..."

Wang Qiqi took a sip, tasting it thoughtfully. "The flavor is far inferior, Nana. We should take a trip to the French vineyards sometime to drink. Although I’d be happier if you bought a vineyard then." Wang Qiqi definitely planned to visit and bother the other woman's wine cellar frequently then.

"Dream on," Juliana rejected flatly. "Do you think vineyards are cheap?"

Before long, the dishes began arriving. As one dish after another was brought out, Chen Yan's expression became less strained. She had been completely stunned by the two bottles of wine Juliana had ordered initially. Now, she was thinking that even if there were many dishes, it was better than drinking heavily. What if the two, having not seen each other for a long time, got into the mood and finished three bottles of red wine? Thinking of this, Chen Yan kept urging them to eat, occasionally asking Wang Qiqi about her studies in England.

It wasn't that people hadn't mentioned Wang Qiqi and Juliana's good relationship before. But in Chen Yan’s mind, no matter how good a classmate relationship was, it couldn't compare to a relationship based on mutual benefit. Her man was doing well now, involved in real estate, which intersected with the industries the Jui family was currently promoting. She thought that even if Juliana didn't care for her sake, she might help a little for Gao Kai’s sake. However, Juliana’s previous actions, and the interaction between her and Wang Qiqi at the table, made Chen Yan realize one thing: their relationship was not merely good, as some people claimed; it was extraordinarily close, a friendship that seemed to transcend mere transactional ties.

Chen Yan regretted letting her temper flare earlier and trying to show Wang Qiqi some disdain. Now, she was the one suffering the consequences. They were waiting for her, yet they were leisurely sipping tea and had even ordered some beef to go with it, completely indulging themselves.

"We won't be polite," Wang Qiqi said, her speed in picking up food not slowing at all. The dishes here were genuinely good. She was incredibly grateful to Juliana for not letting her eat breakfast; otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to eat this much. "The food here is excellent, slightly better than where my brother treated us yesterday. It’s good to be back. My brother and sister-in-law treated yesterday, Gao Kai’s wife treats today at noon, and my brother treats tonight. My sister-in-law treats tomorrow at noon." Wang Qiqi counted on her fingers. "Oh my goodness! After returning to England, I must work hard to lose weight, or I'll truly get fat." Wang Qiqi admitted she said this deliberately. Hmph, even if you're marrying Gao Kai, you haven't married him yet. Although he's also a real estate mogul, her brother Song Ziwen and his wife are doing quite well too. "If my older sister and the others were here, they would probably cover my breakfast too."

Wang Qiqi’s comment reminded Chen Yan that she wasn't Wang Rui. Wang Qiqi had excellent relations with the Song siblings and reportedly held shares in their businesses—she was in no way comparable to that girl Wang Rui, let alone having an IT boyfriend who was rumored to be very promising.

"I apologize for my previous behavior," Chen Yan said, raising her teacup in lieu of wine. Her earlier actions had lacked sincerity, and they must have taken offense. Chen Yan consoled herself by thinking she was at least giving Juliana face. Moreover, what if she provoked Wang Qiqi too much, and Wang Qiqi turned to support Wang Rui? Although Gao Kai was going to marry her, marriage didn't guarantee security. It was impossible. Gao Kai was inherently fickle; if he later met someone more beneficial to his career, Chen Yan knew he wouldn't spare her, just as she had managed to suppress Wang Rui because she offered Gao Kai more help.

Wang Qiqi waited until Chen Yan had held the cup up for a moment before slowly raising her own wine glass. "You're a busy woman. Having a last-minute issue and arriving about a hundred minutes late—we understand." Hmph, trying to sweep that debt under the rug? Sorry, I'm not that kind-hearted. Besides, I wasn't blind to the contempt in your eyes. Since your apology isn't sincere, I don't need to be polite to you either. Wang Qiqi had initially thought that since you and Wang Rui weren't getting along, perhaps we could have a good chat. I didn't expect you to be such a fool, treating me like an imaginary enemy. Then why should I go out of my way to talk to you?

This unconventional response almost made Juliana, who was quietly drinking wine as if nothing had happened, laugh out loud. While Chen Yan wasn't looking, she gave Wang Qiqi a thumbs-up. Strong—this was the perfect way to return the slight, neither too hard nor too soft.

Hearing that, Chen Yan was surprised they had even noted how late she was. She desperately wanted to retort that they were over sixty minutes late too, but could she really say that, given she had arrived even later than them? She could only offer a weak, awkward smile. It didn't matter, though; even if she hadn't gained the upper hand in this round, there were still rounds to come. "Eat, eat," she urged, gesturing at the table. "It's such a waste not to eat all these dishes we ordered." The table was nearly overflowing, yet more food kept coming. Chen Yan felt a sharp pang in her chest.