Shi Hongrui stood by the roadside, clutching several bags, and waved excitedly when she spotted the familiar car.

"Looks like someone had quite the haul," Shi Man murmured. "The second she gets in, she’ll be telling us what wonderful perks she managed to snag for everyone, promising a feast tomorrow."

Shi Hongrui climbed into the car. After a brief inquiry about Wang Qiqi’s trip back, she immediately burst out with excitement, "Qiqi, tomorrow Yan Yan’s boyfriend, JOHN, is treating us! You absolutely have to be there—this is a meal I worked hard to secure." The thought that the usually taciturn Zhang Yan had found such a handsome boyfriend made Shi Hongrui feel inexplicably slighted. She thought to herself: If buying a coffee could lead to such a romantic encounter, she wouldn’t have bothered discussing that stupid party that day. Could anything be better than landing a high-quality boyfriend?

Shi Hongrui was determined to make JOHN treat them this time, not because she was greedy for the meal itself, but because she had met JOHN’s friends several times and felt they carried an air of status. She discreetly investigated JOHN and his social circle, and the findings stunned her. She hadn't expected Zhang Yan to date someone like him. Initially, Shi Hongrui suspected Zhang Yan and her friends were intentionally hiding information about JOHN, but after digging around, she realized that even Zhang Yan seemed unaware of his background. This led Shi Hongrui to a conclusion: JOHN probably didn't like Zhang Yan that much, otherwise, why wouldn't he disclose his family situation? Since Zhang Yan didn’t know she had snagged a genuine catch, Shi Hongrui started contemplating whether she had a chance to win JOHN over. If not, that was fine; there were still JOHN’s friends to consider. Shi Hongrui’s demands weren't high; she simply required a man who would treat her well and provide her with money to spend.

Although Shi Hongrui currently had a boyfriend, she felt he wasn't good enough, or rather, he didn't meet her requirements for a partner. But since she couldn't find anyone better, she had to make do, viewing him merely as a backup.

Wang Qiqi made a noncommittal "Oh," showing no particular excitement. Seeing this reaction, Shi Hongrui thought Qiqi was being excessive. Never mind failing to say thank you, not even a flicker of enthusiasm showed on her face. But then she noticed Qiqi leaning against the car window with a weary look and reasoned that perhaps she was exhausted from the long flight—after all, it took Qiqi two full days to recover when she flew in previously. "Qiqi, are you alright?"

Wang Qiqi caught the hint of displeasure crossing Shi Hongrui’s face, recognizing that her lack of enthusiastic agreement had caused offense. While she could ignore her, they would only be living together for a few more months before parting ways, so Wang Qiqi decided to tolerate it for now, pretending to be utterly drained. "A few days round trip is absolutely exhausting. Coming back, dealing with all those problems is so draining."

"Why don’t you mention how your brother and sister-in-law treated you? Nana treated you to abalone and shark fin, then Japanese cuisine, then Sichuan food," Shi Man interjected with clear contempt from the side.

"Even eating is tiring. After one huge meal, I still haven't digested before the next round starts. I only go back occasionally. If I lived next to them, do you think they'd treat me every day?" Wang Qiqi thought to herself that if she hadn't given them the opportunity to make money, things would be different. "Besides, I saved my brother from huge losses; it's only right that he's good to me." She knew that without her intervention, her elder brother would have been completely duped by that Gao Kai kid.

"You went back to handle business for your brother this time?" Shi Hongrui knew that the brother Qiqi mentioned ran a factory and was rumored to be doing quite well. From Qiqi’s tone, it sounded like she had rushed back to deal with his affairs. Had his factory run into trouble?

"Mhm, my brother. Seeing how large the factory has grown, he’s looking to climb another mountain, wanting to venture into an industry he knows nothing about. Isn't that just asking for trouble? He should just focus on running the factory he has; that’s more than enough for a comfortable life." Although Shi Hongrui’s expression was perfectly tuned to appear concerned about Qiqi’s brother’s factory, the expectant look in her eyes betrayed her true thoughts.

Shi Hongrui quietly lowered her head to eat her pizza. Right, she had assumed something serious threatened the factory's operation, but it turned out her brother simply had another get-rich-quick scheme. Shi Hongrui found this unfair. Her own parents worried themselves sick over their meager savings, constantly scheming how to keep every penny for her younger brother, while these people were focused solely on multiplying their wealth. "Your brother is very good to you." Even though he was a cousin, he frequently mailed things over. In contrast, after giving her that lump sum of money, her own parents seemed to have completely forgotten they had a daughter, never sending a single letter, let alone a package. It felt chilling. Especially since her parents somehow found out about her small-scale purchasing business and kept trying to gauge how much she earned, all while subtly reminding her that she still had a younger brother. Shi Hongrui seethed. In her mind, if it weren't for that brother, she wouldn't have to scheme and calculate; she could have enjoyed a comfortable, leisurely student life—perhaps like Zhang Yan, meeting a boyfriend with excellent prospects. Instead, she had to run around constantly just to afford to live.

When Shi Hongrui had said similar things before, Wang Qiqi used to try and offer some comfort. Song Ziwen is good to me, but am I not good to him? Relationships take time to nurture. Shi Hongrui constantly complained about how unfairly her parents treated her, favoring her brother and so on. At first, Wang Qiqi and the others believed it. But as they spent more time together, everyone began to suspect that the real reason Shi Hongrui’s parents pushed her away was related to her temperament. In her view, she deserved the lion’s share of everything, and everyone else should bend to her will. Gradually, others sensed that Shi Hongrui likely shared some responsibility for her current situation. Perhaps constant complaining at home about how terrible her brother was eventually wore down her parents.

"You don't see how often Qiqi mails things to her brother and sister. Not everyone is obligated to be good to you," Shi Man offered, feeling unusually kind today. "Ruǐrui, let's take turns driving today. Qiqi looks like she won't be able to drive at all."

Shi Hongrui glanced at the person whose head was already nodding slowly. She knew that even if they forced someone to drive, she wouldn't feel secure. "Fine."

"Then you lie down and rest first. I'll drive the whole way, and I’ll wake you up later. Or do you want to drive first?" Shi Man let Shi Hongrui choose whether to go first or second; it made no difference to her. They would definitely arrive home around midnight, and then she could finally lie down comfortably.

"You drive first. I'm a bit tired; I'll sleep for a while," Shi Hongrui quickly replied. After Shi Man left that day, Shi Hongrui had visited several shops nearby and successfully scored quite a few good items. While the haul was substantial, she was exhausted. She finally understood why Shi Man always felt so incredibly tired after an outing. Even after just this short time, Shi Hongrui felt mentally, emotionally, and physically drained. Furthermore, if Shi Man took the first leg, she was sure Shi Man would drive most of the way before waking her up.

Shi Man smiled at the predictable answer; driving while listening to music wouldn't be lonely anyway. "Qiqi, when we get to the States, we should buy an RV and take turns driving. We can try to see the entire country soon."

"Sure," Wang Qiqi agreed indifferently. "If we still have the time then." She worried that by then, the idea of driving around the US might seem too time-consuming to Manman. Wang Qiqi privately thought that taking a train, similar to a tourist carriage, would also be quite comfortable, just lacking a bit of excitement.

"How could you not have time? Qiqi, didn't you two plan to travel the world after graduation?" Shi Hongrui was envious. This required not only time but also substantial financial backing. Although Qiqi mentioned they could travel cheaply, true budget travel was exhausting: sleeping in eight-person dorms and eating basic food. For Shi Hongrui, such travel, while allowing visits to more places, would be torture.

"No money," Wang Qiqi stated with worldly resignation. "We have husbands waiting for us to take care of them; where would we find time for sightseeing? If the mother-in-law found out, it would be a disaster." The thought of losing out on potential earnings by traveling the world made Wang Qiqi feel suffocated. She was determined to go to the US, make money, invest in stocks, and reach her goal of retiring by age thirty early.

"Mother-in-law?" Shi Hongrui pouted. "You'll be living abroad; why should you be afraid of your mother-in-law?" In Shi Hongrui's view, mothers-in-law were the least frightening people. Besides, Wang Qiqi and the others were both earning money; why worry so much?

"Our men are Chinese, not foreigners, Ruǐrui. You must marry a foreigner later on; then you won't have these worries and can immigrate quickly," Shi Man quickly diverted the topic. "We have no choice; we married Chinese men, so the mother-in-law dynamic is unavoidable."

"I will never marry a Chinese man. I plan only to marry a foreigner and have a beautiful mixed-race baby," Shi Hongrui declared with firm conviction. "Of course, a Chinese-American would also be acceptable."

Wang Qiqi and Shi Man exchanged a look. Could she have taken a liking to JOHN too? Although Shi Hongrui always maintained excellent control whenever JOHN visited, Shi Man noticed something slightly off in the way the other woman looked at him. Shi Man wondered if she was mistaken, but after several observations, she felt it wasn't her eyes playing tricks—the other woman might be harboring inappropriate feelings. And now, saying this confirmed Shi Man’s suspicion: it was too much, knowing Zhang Yan and JOHN were together, yet still harboring such intentions.

Right now, Zhang Yan and JOHN’s relationship seemed stable, but Wang Qiqi was certain that the moment any conflict arose, Shi Hongrui would interfere. If JOHN’s feelings for Zhang Yan were deep, Shi Hongrui would fail. But if their connection wasn't strong, the problem would be significant. Wang Qiqi considered the possibility that Zhang Yan might not even know that someone was already coveting her man. Wang Qiqi decided she would probe Zhang Yan’s thoughts subtly when she had a free moment before making a final judgment.

Shi Hongrui was oblivious to the slight suspicion that had fallen upon her from Shi Man and Wang Qiqi. She was too busy excitedly telling everyone how beautiful mixed-race children would be. "That's why I must have a baby that looks like a doll." Such a child could be shown off, and if they were exceptionally beautiful, maybe even become a star, earning even more money.

"Wake up, we’re here," Wang Qiqi yawned, shaking the two sleeping women awake.

Hearing they had arrived, Shi Hongrui rubbed her eyes in a half-awake state. "Manman, do you need me to drive now?" Shi Hongrui stretched several times and slapped her cheeks, preparing to take the wheel. But she sensed she had slept for quite a long time and wondered if Shi Man had driven the entire seven-tenths of the journey; if so, she'd slept very comfortably.

"Manman is asleep. I drove," Wang Qiqi replied curtly. It wasn't that she wanted to drive, but after Shi Hongrui failed to wake up despite several calls, Wang Qiqi reluctantly took over. "I'm going to wake someone up to help move the luggage."

Wang Qiqi drove them back? Shi Hongrui looked astonished. Heavens, she thought her luck was enormous. How could Qiqi, who had just flown back, be the one driving? "Manman, why didn't you wake me up?" Shi Hongrui saw Shi Man waking up and immediately challenged her. "What if something had happened on the road?" That would have been a major incident, potentially fatal. The thought of having slept soundly in the back seat made Shi Hongrui feel a wave of retrospective fear—her luck was truly immense.

Shi Man looked at Shi Hongrui, who was now blaming her, and retorted sharply, "I tried to shake you awake multiple times, but did you even acknowledge me? You just rolled over and went back to sleep. What was I supposed to do?" Did she think Shi Man was an iron statue needing no rest? "Qiqi drove the whole way back on just three cups of black coffee." It must have been tough on Qiqi, too; even if she could sleep on the plane, it wasn't truly restful.

So, it was three cups of black coffee. "Then I really must thank Qiqi," Shi Hongrui admitted, coming back to her senses. She realized she had been rash earlier, acting so impulsively. Qiqi had brought everyone back safely.

"Then treat Qiqi to something good!" Shi Man said quickly. "Qiqi drove for you." Hmph, wasn't she always finding ways to get others to treat her? Time to switch roles.

Shi Hongrui hadn't expected Shi Man to suggest she treat Qiqi. This form of gratitude wasn't her style; if there was a treat, it should be for everyone, maximizing the expense. She was about to dismiss it with a verbal thank you when she noticed Shi Man watching her with a slight smile in her eyes.

Shi Hongrui instantly sobered up. She recalled the reasons she had previously used to get Wang Qiqi and the others to treat her. She was certain that if she dared suggest a mere verbal thank you now, Shi Man would certainly bring up this exact moment the next time Shi Hongrui tried to wheedle a free meal out of them. Wouldn't that mean she'd miss out on good food then?

Shi Hongrui ultimately decided to treat everyone to a meal. She consoled herself that she had eaten their food many times; it was about time to reciprocate, or she’d truly be going too far. Moreover, judging by Shi Man's expression, if she tried her usual routine again, they might stop offering treats altogether. "Fine, I'll treat everyone in a couple of days." It was just that "a couple of days" was a bit delayed—she wouldn't renege on the meal, just postpone it slightly.

"Ruǐrui, you're treating?" Wang Qiqi and Zhao Rongrong, who had just heard her statement, asked with a hesitant expression. It wasn't that they doubted their hearing, but the impression Shi Hongrui usually left was that she would never volunteer to pay. The complete lack of reluctance in her tone made everyone suspicious. They had tried pressuring her to treat before, but Shi Hongrui would always put on a long face, lamenting her poverty, making it hard for them to press further. That she was being so cooperative this time was genuinely surprising.

"Mhm." Shi Hongrui hadn't expected such a reaction to her offer to treat. This made her reflect on whether she had been too stingy recently, causing everyone to react with such surprise—as if they expected her to immediately suggest an expensive restaurant or ask about the budget. "I'll treat..."

"Alright, move the luggage, and then let Qiqi fix something to eat," Shi Man said, noting the late hour. Dinner was just pizza, long digested. They needed a proper late-night snack.

"Okay." Shi Hongrui quickly regained her energy, ignoring Shi Man taking the words out of her mouth. After such a long overnight drive, and having eaten so little for dinner, a substantial late-night meal sounded appealing. "We have vermicelli and beef at home."

"I've proofed the dough too. Qiqi, can you make some vegetarian steamed buns?" Zhang Yan made an expression suggesting extreme hunger.

Wang Qiqi was about to complain that she hadn't rested properly after flying back only to drive all night, and now, before even sitting down at home, she was being rushed to the kitchen to prepare a late-night meal. Wasn't that too much? Even worse, they were already setting the menu. "You guys..."

"We're hungry, Qiqi. Aren't you hungry?"

"The dough is proofed. If we don't make the buns today, it'll be wasted."

Well, Wang Qiqi saw the situation and realized they had planned this out. Shi Hongrui’s request wasn't excessive, but if the dough was already proofed, how could it be such a coincidence unless they had coordinated? "Fine. But the vegetarian buns will take quite late to finish. Aren't you all staying up?" Wang Qiqi meant that even if they made the dough now, the buns could wait a bit longer.

"We need to stay up anyway; we still haven't finished our reports," Zhang Yan kindly reminded Wang Qiqi. "You have to submit the report for class tomorrow, too."

Ahhh! Wang Qiqi panicked. Right, even though she'd taken leave, the report still needed submission. And of all things, that person hadn't emailed her the materials—was this deliberately forcing her to pull an all-nighter? "You win," she muttered. Too much, too much.

"If I email it to you, can you work on it?" Zhang Yan retorted directly. "Don't worry, I’ve already borrowed the books for you; you can look at them then."

Wang Qiqi’s previously pouting face instantly deflated. It was true; even if she received the email while back home, she couldn't reply to it.

Although Wang Qiqi’s expression wasn't ideal, hearing her acquiesce confirmed to the others that their late-night snack was secured. "Qiqi, don't worry about getting things, we'll do it. We've already prepared all the ingredients for the vegetarian buns; you just need to mix the filling, and I'll help wrap them." Zhang Yan was capable of making dough products, but she couldn't replicate that delicious flavor for the filling.

"Okay." Hearing that someone would help wrap the buns, Wang Qiqi felt the late-night snack wouldn't be too difficult after all.

Wang Qiqi vaguely climbed off the sofa when she heard activity nearby. "What time is it?" She looked outside and saw that the sun was already high in the sky, and Shi Hongrui and Zhao Rongrong were nowhere to be seen.

"A little past nine. Don't sleep anymore," Zhang Yan murmured, gently covering Shi Man with a blanket. "I've made breakfast. Go wash up, and then we'll get ready to leave."

Wang Qiqi mumbled in acknowledgment and swayed toward the bathroom to clean up. Zhang Yan helplessly began tidying up her school bag for her. It really was hard on the poor woman; having rushed through the report right after getting off the plane without any rest.

Wang Qiqi emerged from the bathroom yawning and took the school bag Zhang Yan had packed. "Let's go." After returning, Wang Qiqi felt completely unadjusted. Despite complaining to Shi Man yesterday about how exhausting her trip back was, Wang Qiqi now felt that the time she spent back home was truly blissful.

"Remember to come for dinner tonight," Zhang Yan instructed Wang Qiqi after fastening her seatbelt. "Otherwise, you'll miss a good show."

Hearing Zhang Yan’s cryptic words, Wang Qiqi’s first thought was whether she knew about Shi Hongrui’s intentions. Startled, she almost stalled the car. "You know?"

"Mhm." Zhang Yan understood why Wang Qiqi asked that, likely hearing something from Shi Man. "She was always asking about JOHN's background before. I told her I didn't know him very well, but she dug up information somewhere. The next time she saw JOHN, she was overly friendly. I'm not an idiot; I noticed."

For Zhang Yan, the status of JOHN’s family wasn't the primary concern. What she detested was Shi Hongrui’s opportunistic behavior, especially since she already had a boyfriend.

According to Shi Man, Zhang Yan wasn't very familiar with JOHN’s family situation. Yet, from Zhang Yan’s current response, she seemed to know something. "Is your JOHN from a wealthy family, perhaps?" Although JOHN’s clothes were from ordinary brands, his demeanor and conduct suggested to Wang Qiqi that he wasn't from a particularly privileged background—certainly not extremely rich or noble, but likely from a family with decent means.

“Not exactly the elite gentry, but his family owns several large ranches in the States, plus a vineyard. He’s an only child, and I’m not too clear on the specifics of their real estate holdings,” Zhang Yan said, as if discussing a handful of properties with utter nonchalance. “He also apparently co-founded a company with some friends.”

Wang Qiqi sucked in a sharp breath inwardly. Damn, what else would you call that if not old money? Of course, there might be outstanding bank loans mixed in, but based on those assets alone, Wang Qiqi felt a profound need to look up to him. It made sense why Shi Hongrui was acting so strangely. “Good men are certainly in high demand, but one should perhaps examine the actual quality of the prize,” she murmured.

“That’s why I told her to look into it herself. Information gathered firsthand is always more accurate, isn't it?” Though Zhang Yan was internally furious at Shi Hongrui’s maneuvering, she knew that if it weren’t Shi Hongrui, it would be someone else. Some things simply couldn't be avoided, no matter how much one wished to sidestep them.

Wang Qiqi understood immediately: Zhang Yan was using Shi Hongrui as a whetstone. Wang Qiqi approved of this plan; it wasn't some elaborate trap set by everyone, but rather someone rushing eagerly to fall right into the snare.

*Bu Bu Xin Shu Chong Sheng Zhi Zha Nan Zai Jian Qiu Bao * Qiu Tui Jian Piao RS