“Manman, the brooch you picked up is really lovely. Where did you get it?” Before Wang Qiqi even stepped inside, she heard someone’s voice, knowing Shi Man must be back and that she had indeed acquired a brooch, and that someone clearly green with envy was pressing Shi Man for details.

Regarding Shi Hongrui’s relentless pestering about where the brooch was purchased, Wang Qiqi had already heard her ask a dozen times, and Shi Man’s answer remained consistently the same: “Where did you purchase the bracelet you got last time?”

Shi Man wasn't being stingy, but the reality was that some people were playing petty games with her, leaving her with no choice but to return the favor. Wang Qiqi wholeheartedly supported Shi Man’s decision. Hmph, so Shi Hongrui finds something good and keeps it hidden, but the moment Shi Man finds a decent shop, she expects immediate information sharing—that’s a bit much.

“Manman, those aren’t the same thing at all,” Shi Hongrui said, thoroughly annoyed. She wasn't intensely focused on getting the brooch anymore, but Shi Man unexpectedly went and procured another batch. Wasn’t that just provoking her?

The worst part was that she had asked Shi Man several times, yet she flatly refused to say. Because of this, Shi Hongrui had internally criticized her for being excessively selfish many times. Shi Hongrui had considered simply offering a fake address to trick the shop's location out of Shi Man, but every time a fabricated address was on the tip of her tongue, she just couldn't bring herself to say it. She feared the devastating consequences if Manman found out she'd given her false information; Shi Man would certainly never take her along on future buying trips, and forget about asking for any favors later on.

Shi Man carefully put away the brooch. “I’m not letting this batch go. Making money is the priority right now, I’m a bit short.” Hmph, Shi Man said this deliberately within Shi Hongrui’s hearing. She was worried that if she couldn't trick the shop address out of her later, Shi Hongrui might try to take several pieces to mail back home for resale. This wasn't outside the realm of possibility; some people had a thick skin that even machine gun bullets couldn't penetrate, so it was better to preemptively state her position.

Shi Hongrui genuinely planned to buy a few from Shi Man to resell back home. After all, Shi Man wouldn't know if they were for personal use or for sale. But this path had just been abruptly blocked. “Manman, you’re being too petty. We can’t even buy a few to bring back ourselves, and you won’t even tell us where the physical shop is.” So cheap.

If her direct appeal failed, it was fine; there was still Zhao Rongrong. Shi Hongrui couldn't believe Shi Man would refuse Rongrong this much courtesy. Hmph, if she showed face to Rongrong, she should show it to herself, too. If she didn’t even give Rongrong face, then even better—she wouldn't be blamed for badmouthing her behind her back. These outcomes were all a result of their own conduct, Shi Hongrui thought happily. Either way, she stood to gain something. “Rongrong, haven’t you always said you loved the brooches from that shop? Manman bought some; do you want a few?” Shi Hongrui didn’t care if Zhao Rongrong was pleased by what she said; in her view, she was paving the way for their sourcing business, and as a partner, Zhao Rongrong should logically be supportive.

Zhao Rongrong, curled up nearby reading a book, sighed internally when she heard Shi Hongrui’s words. Why couldn't this person just leave her in peace? “I don’t want any; she already said so,” Zhao Rongrong’s tone turned slightly sour. If Shi Hongrui truly wanted the brooches, she should use her own means to acquire them, not drag her name into it. Zhao Rongrong had previously told Shi Man she’d help her source a few, knowing Shi Man would privately give them to her later anyway. These few brooches were birthday gifts for her mother that she was sending back, and she wasn't worried about anything being exposed.

In Zhao Rongrong’s opinion, Shi Hongrui should have just told Shi Man the location of the shop where she bought the bracelets last time. Exchanging sourcing information could expand their business and earn more money. Although they were all in the sourcing business, they operated in different cities, so they weren't direct competitors. Zhao Rongrong genuinely couldn't understand why Shi Hongrui insisted on treating Shi Man and the others as rivals.

Shi Hongrui was secretly delighted by Zhao Rongrong’s poor tone. It seemed Zhao Rongrong had an issue with her. Yes, exactly. She was supposed to be her friend, so why was she always siding with Shi Man, constantly telling her what not to do? It gave her a headache just thinking about it. Now, look—Zhao Rongrong was defending them, and this was how they repaid her. “Manman, look at Rongrong…” She looked at Shi Man with genuine sincerity, hoping she would relent and sell some to Zhao Rongrong.

Shi Man was utterly disgusted by the drama Shi Hongrui was staging. “I said these are for mailing back home. Even if Qiqi wanted one, I wouldn’t give it up.” Hmph, she only lurked in the background and pushed others forward when there was an issue. Why couldn’t she just ask for what she wanted openly?

“You bought brooches?” Wang Qiqi walked over to Shi Man, looked at the items, and nodded. “Not bad, quite pretty. Manman always has good taste, and she works so hard.” She continued, “I need to mail these back tomorrow. My sister has been chasing me about the last batch I didn't keep for her. If you don’t source a few more soon, my sister might start demanding my current stock.” Wang Qiqi spoke half-seriously, half-jokingly. “For our future prosperity, we shouldn't even think about dressing ourselves up.”

Zhang Yan offered a brief greeting and then headed upstairs, clearly opting out of the conversation.

After packing things away, Shi Man also got up to go upstairs.

“Qiqi, you’re back. What are we having for dinner tonight?” Shi Hongrui saw that Shi Man wouldn’t even give Wang Qiqi face, so what more could she say? Should she offer to pay extra for a piece? That would be slapping Qiqi and the others in the face. But the thought of a sum of money slipping away made her heart ache. Should she really consider what Rongrong suggested—exchanging intelligence? Shi Hongrui started contemplating the possibility. She knew that even if they shared information, they wouldn't pose a threat, but in Shi Hongrui’s view, the more Shi Man and the others knew about good finds, the more money Shi Man’s group would make, which was something Shi Hongrui was unwilling to see. However, that wasn't the main point; the key was that Qiqi was back, which meant cooking could commence.

Wang Qiqi shrugged. “It’s not my turn to cook today; it’s Manman’s. I have things to do.” Cook? Nonsense. She needed to go upstairs and translate manuscripts; there were several urgent ones waiting, and the pay wasn't small.

Shi Man cooking again? Shi Hongrui watched the figure disappear up the stairs and felt a surge of anger. It wasn't that Shi Man’s cooking was bad, but was she openly slacking off?

Fuming, Shi Hongrui turned to Zhao Rongrong, still reading on the sofa. “Look, today Shi Man is cooking again, and Wang Qiqi just said she had things to do and bowed out. What does that mean? Isn’t this exploiting Manman? Manman runs around sourcing goods to help her make money.” Shi Hongrui wondered why she didn't have such a good partner; otherwise, she might be much wealthier by now.

Zhao Rongrong put away her book and stood up from the sofa. “Shi Man doesn’t mind, and she’s willing to cook. As long as we have food, that’s what matters. Why worry so much? It was agreed from the start that those two would handle the cooking. Who cooks is up to their negotiation.” She had already complained this morning, and now she was still complaining. Zhao Rongrong felt awkward telling Shi Hongrui that this was likely a calculated tactic by the others specifically designed to provoke her outburst. However, Zhao Rongrong knew that even if she explained, Shi Hongrui wouldn't swallow this frustration; it would erupt eventually.

Shi Hongrui watched Zhao Rongrong stand up, clearly intending not to get involved, and shook her head. Hmph, she wasn't an idiot. She wouldn't say anything directly, but wouldn’t she go talk to Shi Man? Shi Hongrui couldn't believe Shi Man would remain balanced always cooking. The accumulating anger needed a pressure valve; if she added a little fuel to the fire, an explosion wouldn't be far off.

Zhao Rongrong was rushing upstairs for another reason: she had just received a significant look from Shi Man, letting her know Shi Man had reserved a brooch for her. She was eager to retrieve it.

Standing at the top of the stairs, Shi Man saw Zhao Rongrong approaching alone and quickly handed her the brooch she thought she would like. “Qiqi, I’ll cook tonight, okay?”

After taking the item, Zhao Rongrong quickly retreated to her room to store it safely, lest Shi Hongrui discover it and cause trouble.

Wang Qiqi poked her head out. “I have urgent matters to attend to. You handle the cooking, please.”

Shi Man shook her head and walked back downstairs. Shi Hongrui saw Shi Man coming down alone. “Are you cooking by yourself again?”

Shi Man replied curtly, “Yeah,” then turned towards the kitchen to start working. As she walked, she pondered which dishes to make today.

Shi Hongrui shook her head watching the visibly irritated Shi Man. She shouldn't take her bad mood out on me; it’s not like I did this on purpose. “Manman, what delicious thing are you making today?”

“Pan-seared steak,” Shi Man thought. Did she expect me to cook Chinese food for her? That takes too much effort, and frankly, I’m happy she’s throwing a fit. “And maybe a light soup.”

Shi Hongrui hadn't expected steak again. She let out a cry. “Can’t we have Chinese food? I see Qiqi is home too.” Honestly, after tolerating it for so long, it was still Western food. “Our current meal standard is dropping too low.”

“The food budget has dropped too,” Shi Man retorted instantly. Hmph, this way, money was saved, and chores were fewer. “Graduation is approaching, everyone is busy. Just make do for now.”

Make do again. Shi Hongrui was practically boiling inside. They had time to hustle for money and time to go shopping, but no time to cook a decent meal—this was outrageous. Before, she could bring lunch to school, saving a lot of money. Now, forget bringing lunch; even a proper dinner was a problem. Shi Hongrui felt she couldn't let this continue; she absolutely needed to discuss this meal issue with Zhao Rongrong.

“Dinner is served!” Shi Man called out from the stairwell after preparing the food, then returned to the kitchen to set out the dishes. As for Shi Hongrui, who remained slumped on the sofa, she was ignored again. She didn't see how long Shi Hongrui’s face was pulled, but nagging her to work would only lead to displeasure, so Shi Man decided against it.

As the call for dinner echoed, people began descending one by one. “Come eat, come eat. After a good meal, back to studying,” Zhao Rongrong yawned as she came down. “Oh, by the way, we’re almost out of coffee grounds at home. Qiqi, when you go out, grab some more.”

“Toss in some pastries too, I’ll be pulling late nights working,” Zhang Yan added.

“No problem with the coffee grounds, but for bread, I’ll make the simplest kind; I’m pretty busy lately.” Since Wang Qiqi decided to open new income streams, she had told the two big bosses that she was short on cash and needed to earn more. Consequently, she even received a call from Mr. Ye, who worried that Wang Qiqi’s sudden lack of funds meant she had picked up bad habits. Only after learning that Han Tao wanted to start a business did he stop pressing, although the amount of orders in the last few days showed an increasing trend. Since the boss was so committed to his work, Wang Qiqi felt she couldn't slack off either. “Lately, I’ve had a lot of manuscripts, and Han Tao is busy with school, so he can’t manage the work over there, but the loan payments are due, so the pressure is quite high.”

Wang Qiqi wasn't lying about this. She had previously resolved to quit her job and deal with the loan, though Qiqi had fiercely declared she would sell the house. But after discussing it with Han Tao, they decided to keep it—it was both a memory and a way to avoid a huge backlash from their families. Wang Qiqi and Han Tao had kept Han Tao’s entrepreneurial plans quiet. In the eyes of their elders, finding such a well-paying job in the US was great; why pursue starting a business? To keep their ears peaceful, they tacitly agreed to hide it, and consequently, all the pressure fell squarely on Qiqi’s shoulders.

“Hmph, busy earning money, huh? Everyone else is busy too. If someone doesn't have time to cook, then they should just join us in cleaning up,” Shi Hongrui chuckled upon hearing that Qiqi’s husband’s job had changed and she had a mortgage in the US to pay. Hahaha, Shi Hongrui was delighted. Hmph, always boasting about the successful man she found, working and earning money in the US while still in university back home, even claiming to have bought a house there. Now look—the house was bought with a loan, and the job was gone.

Shi Hongrui speculated that perhaps that job was volunteer work with no salary, and the house was bought with family money—essentially just puffing up their chest. “If the pressure is that big and you can’t afford the mortgage, then stop trying so hard to hold onto it. Just sell the house, right?” Perhaps she didn't even own a house in the US, or maybe it was just a dilapidated shack, or perhaps they bought a house in some extremely remote area and just claimed they owned property in the US. What was the point?

“Whether Qiqi sells the house is her private business. Eat your food,” Zhao Rongrong nudged Shi Hongrui’s thigh from below, signaling her to settle down. This woman! Who did she think she was, Wang Qiqi or Han Tao, to dictate selling property?

“We’ll get through this rough patch. Doing a bit more work can also mean learning more things. I’ve started taking on Japanese translation manuscripts too. I think my Japanese has improved quite a bit; I won’t need translations for Japanese dramas or manga anymore.” This was what Wang Qiqi was most satisfied with. “Manman, when we go to Japan someday, I can take you! We can travel all over Japan without fear.” Hahaha, mastering a few foreign languages meant never worrying about dining issues when traveling the world.

Wang Qiqi knew Japanese? Shi Hongrui looked at her in surprise. Although there were Japanese books in her room, Shi Hongrui thought she was just pretending. With how busy she was, how could she have time to study? She hadn't expected her to actually learn it. “Ah, Qiqi, do you know written Japanese? What about conversational ability and listening?” Hmph, she had time to learn that but not time to prepare dinner. “Don't just know the writing; if you can’t even converse, you can’t even ask for directions.”

“If you don't speak, no one will think you're mute,” Shi Man said displeased. “Besides, we aren't going to Japan together. Why are you getting worked up? We still have English, right? We aren’t going to some remote village; there will surely be people who understand English. If all else fails, bring paper and a pen; communication through writing works just fine.”

Shi Hongrui’s anger had risen to a new height, and Shi Man, who was keenly observing her, kept adding fuel to the fire. She intended to make the person explode tonight so she wouldn't have to find another opportunity later. Shi Man silently prayed that this human volcano would erupt soon.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Wang Qiqi interjected to mediate. “My Japanese level isn’t great, but that’s fine. I’ll carve out more time to perfect my spoken ability.” Hahaha, perfecting spoken ability takes time, and where would that time come from? It would have to come from time spent on chores.

Wang Qiqi freed one hand to pat Shi Man’s shoulder, adopting a tone that implied great trust and the assigning of a crucial task. “Manman, for our future world tour, I’m counting on you for all the cooking from now on. Any problem with that?”

Shi Man put down her knife and fork and stood up, speaking very seriously. “Don’t worry. I will complete this mission diligently and perfectly. I will stand guard until the very last post.” Hahaha, little thing, your face is already beet red, why haven't you exploded yet? Hurry up, darling, erupt! Then they could finally clear the air. She secretly hoped Shi Hongrui would storm off in anger, in which case, being the good person she was, Shi Man wouldn’t demand the penalty fee. But that was just a dream. A few months ago, maybe Shi Hongrui really would move out, but with only about four months left on the lease, why would she? Unless Heaven smiled upon them and she quickly found a rich sugar daddy, she would move out immediately to cohabitate.

Shi Hongrui panicked when she heard this. What did that mean? Was Wang Qiqi really not planning to cook at all? It was all going to be Shi Man? It wasn’t that the food Shi Man made was bad, but she constantly made steak. Shi Hongrui knew how to make that herself. If it was always steak, Shi Hongrui felt she might as well eat alone; it would cost less, and since they still needed to cook, she might even get some benefit.

Thinking this, Shi Hongrui stopped Zhao Rongrong, who was pressing down on her thigh to keep her calm. “If Shi Man cooks everything from now on, and it’s always steak, I think I need to reconsider whether I should be joining you for meals.” She stopped trying to provoke Shi Man by saying Wang Qiqi was exploiting her. Wang Qiqi had laid everything out openly, and Shi Man had agreed. Hmph, maybe they already had some agreement. In that case, why should she push herself where she wasn't wanted? She needed to secure her own exit first.

Good, good, finally, an outburst! “Excuse me, I’m busy too. I know everyone dislikes eating steak constantly, so I can promise to try and make more time for Chinese food, but given the current situation, the frequency of steak meals won't decrease much.” Shi Man almost said there would only be time for steak, but then she reconsidered. After kicking Shi Hongrui out, steak would only be an occasional treat, not constant. To avoid accusations of lying to trick her into leaving, she spoke very earnestly.

“Alright, I think steak is pretty good too. Manman’s steak-searing skills are getting better and better,” Zhao Rongrong interrupted. This woman was truly impossible; she had already suppressed her, and she still insisted on making a fuss. Fine, this would be her last intervention. “My cooking skills aren't great, and I don’t plan on entering the kitchen. Manman, I’ll stick with you.” Zhao Rongrong clearly stated her allegiance.

“Me too,” Zhang Yan said while swallowing her steak. “Even if we eat steak every day, I have no complaints.” Hmph, someone who does no chores has high demands. If she dislikes eating steak, she should just cook Chinese food herself. Is this a restaurant where you can place orders? Besides, the sooner she leaves, the sooner they can eat gourmet food. Steak is fine, but nothing beats noodles. She’d ask Qiqi to procure some beef in a few days and have beef noodle soup. The thought made Zhang Yan’s mouth water uncontrollably.

“I have even fewer objections,” Wang Qiqi said, scooping a bowl of seaweed and dried shrimp soup. Although it seemed mismatched, the soup was quite light. Since she was eating at home, there was no need to worry about perfect pairings. “Okay, I’m done eating. I’m heading upstairs now.” Alas, if someone wants to make a scene, they should do it sooner. She still had so much work waiting.

Zhang Yan and Wang Qiqi would follow Shi Man; Shi Hongrui wasn't the least surprised by that. What she hadn't anticipated, however, was that even Zhao Rongrong intended to go with Shi Man. This hit her quite hard. "Rongrong, I can sear steak too. You can come with me." If it was just about searing a steak, she wasn't incapable. For simple meals, it didn't matter if Zhao Rongrong couldn't cook. The general upkeep and cleaning of their shared space would fall entirely on Zhao Rongrong if they separated. Shi Hongrui had already calculated that if they split up, she would inevitably be stuck with the sanitation duties, and she couldn't just claim to be too busy to handle them. After much deliberation, she decided she absolutely had to bring at least one person over to her side—the person she was certain would strike out independently with her was Zhao Rongrong. To think Zhao Rongrong would just abandon her like this truly infuriated Shi Hongrui; it felt like a blatant act of betrayal.

"Rongrong, you're my friend. Just say it—are you going with them, or are you staying with me?" Shi Hongrui decided against playing the tragic card, instead laying out the two options plainly for Zhao Rongrong to choose between. RS