Wang Qiqi sat up, clutching the duvet, a momentary flicker of surprise crossing her face as she took in the unfamiliar room. Then it dawned on her: she was finally in the States. "Get up. Start cleaning."

Even though Lu Qiaowei lived there too, and the common areas were kept spotless, Qiqi felt awkward entering Han Tao’s room—she was a woman, after all. Han Tao, despite being a clean person, was currently buried so deep in coding that he often forgot to eat, let alone clean his room. When it was just the two men, a bi-weekly or even monthly clean-up was acceptable. But now that Lu Qiaowei was added to the mix, the immaculate state of the rest of the house only served to highlight the chaotic mess in Han Tao’s personal space.

Lu Qiaowei emerged from her room, yawning, only to find Qiqi already standing at the threshold of Han Tao’s door, mop in hand. “Qiqi, you’re up?” After such a long flight, and following yesterday’s reunion after a short separation, Han Tao was surely already at work. But Qiaowei hadn't expected Qiqi to be up this early either.

Qiqi looked at the drowsy Qiaowei, a knowing, teasing smile on her lips. “Looks like someone had a very good night.” It was obvious from her appearance that someone had been thoroughly worked over yesterday. Qiqi knew that once they were back in their room, they hadn't exactly been resting. "Take it easy, alright?"

Lu Qiaowei could only offer a weak smile in return. “Didn’t you and Han Tao do the same?” Hmph, you were busy too yesterday. “Fatty has been pulling late nights working overtime.” She offered a brief explanation, thinking that since this was also a form of reunion for them, she shouldn't let Qiqi jump to conclusions right away. If the assumption were true, fine, but she wasn't quite so fortunate.

Qiqi made an "oh" sound of acknowledgment. "Afternoon shift today?" Qiqi knew yesterday that Lu Qiaowei worked part-time at a local Chinese supermarket, usually for three or four hours in the afternoons. Yesterday happened to be quiet there, otherwise Qiqi might not have returned so early.

Lu Qiaowei nodded. "Yeah. Oh, and groceries. I'll bring them back." Qiaowei got a discount while working at the supermarket, so she usually handled buying most of the household supplies.

Qiqi had no objections; having someone else source supplies saved her a trip. "Pick up a few things for me while you're out." Qiqi had just rummaged through a cabinet and discovered that Han Tao didn't even have a spare towel. Yesterday, Qiqi had spent ages searching for the last new towel for her hair, which suggested that other necessities were also likely depleted. A house without a woman really was impossible.

"Sure, no rush." Lu Qiaowei had initially planned to head out right after getting up. Besides her supermarket job, she wanted to wander around the neighborhood, looking for interesting items she could perhaps source for resales back home. But seeing Qiqi geared up for a major cleaning operation, she hesitated. Did it seem right to just go shopping?

Seeing her hesitation, Qiqi recalled Song Yao mentioning that Lu Qiaowei was now somewhat of her supplier. "Do you have something pressing? Go ahead with your business, I'll take care of the cleaning."

Under Qiqi’s gentle persuasion, Lu Qiaowei finally decided to go out. "That shop got a new shipment today. I want to check it out and see if there’s anything good I can pick up for orders." Qiaowei explained her reason for leaving, anxious that Qiqi might misinterpret her intentions.

Qiqi genuinely didn't think much of it. In her view, Qiaowei had already taken on many tasks that should have been hers. Soon, Qiaowei would have to leave for work, and these chores would likely fall back to her. She figured she should get as much done as possible while Qiaowei was still around. "No problem, no rush. Are you coming back for lunch?" Qiqi asked. She had initially considered cooking something to take to Han Tao and the others, but then remembered she didn't have a driver's license, didn't know the location, and certainly wasn't going to walk under this blistering sun.

This thought triggered an important question in Qiqi's mind. "Weiwei, did you sign up for driving lessons yet?" In the US, driving was even more crucial; without a car, visiting anywhere slightly further afield was impossible.

Lu Qiaowei happened to be putting on her shoes by the door. Hearing Qiqi’s question, she looked back at Qiqi, surprised. "Didn't Han Tao tell you he signed you up?" Since Qiqi already had a license from her time in the UK, getting certified here should have been simple. "I think you just need to go take the test." Unlike Qiaowei, who had gotten her license back home but found it entirely unrecognized here, forcing her to study again. Thankfully, she had some foundation, which would save on some instructor fees; otherwise, she might have cried.

What? Han Tao signed her up for the test? Qiqi truly had no idea. "I didn't know! Thanks, Weiwei." Hmph, this man! To keep something this significant a secret! Thank goodness she asked Qiaowei, otherwise, showing up to register herself would have been utterly ridiculous—a complete waste of money. "Oh, right, do you know the office phone on Han Tao's desk?" Qiqi realized at that moment how little she actually knew about her man.

Lu Qiaowei felt like she knew very little about them, too. They were such close lovers, yet she didn't even know his office extension. She quickly recited the company number. "I don't know the specific extension. You can ask the operator, or you can just call Fatty." Qiaowei rattled off Fatty's extension number with practiced ease and then quickly left, worried that if she stayed any longer, she wouldn't be able to stop herself from bursting into laughter.

Watching Lu Qiaowei recite Fatty’s number without a moment's hesitation, Qiqi felt deeply embarrassed. She was a company shareholder, yet she didn't know something so basic—a total failure. Especially watching the other woman practically flee the scene, Qiqi desperately wanted to explain: she only ever called Han Tao’s mobile. Today, however, the man hadn't brought his phone, leaving her no choice but to call the office line. Qiqi immediately placed the blame squarely on Han Tao’s shoulders. If he hadn't forgotten his things, would she have been so humiliated?

Qiqi couldn't bother with cleaning anymore. She sat down on the sofa edge and immediately called Han Tao. On the other end, Han Tao sounded utterly bewildered. Qiqi assumed he was playing dumb. Annoyed, she quickly asked about the driving test, got the number for the registration location, and hung up before giving him any chance to explain—nor did she explain why she was picking a fight with him so early in the morning.

Of course, after hanging up, Qiqi felt significantly better. Just thinking about Han Tao now probably stewing in frustration made her feel a surge of satisfaction. With her mood restored, Qiqi attacked the cleaning with renewed vigor. She also promptly called the number Han Tao had provided. She expected to wait several days for an appointment, but to her delight, they told her she could take the test that very afternoon! Getting this sorted before work started was much better than taking time off. What made Qiqi even happier was that the person on the line thoughtfully explained exactly how to get there. This led Qiqi to marvel deeply at how much more pleasant and straightforward things were here compared to handling bureaucracy back in China, where departments never volunteered information, acting as if you were supposed to know everything already.

While Qiqi was overjoyed, Han Tao's situation was less rosy. Looking at the phone whose receiver was already indicating a dead line, Han Tao was completely baffled. "Was that Qiqi calling?" Fatty happened to be in Han Tao’s office to discuss something and had only just walked in when Qiqi called. He witnessed the entire exchange and knew that only Qiqi could make the usually composed Han Tao look so completely defeated and helpless.

Han Tao nodded grimly. "She was fine yesterday. I just forgot to mention that I'd helped sign her up for the driving test, and she just exploded. Don't you think that’s unfair?"

Fatty nodded in agreement with Han Tao’s assessment, but his words implied something else entirely. "When a woman says you’re wrong, you’re wrong. Don't bother thinking about fairness. Besides, you were wrong about this. The license is a huge deal; how could you forget? But wait—how did Qiqi find out you registered her?" Fatty suddenly caught a crucial inconsistency. Only the three of them knew about this, and he hadn't mentioned it yesterday. Could it have been Weiwei who told her? And if so... Fatty’s mind raced with sudden panic. What if his own wife had let something slip when talking to Qiqi? If that were the case, it was a disaster! Fatty started regretting his earlier gossipy comment; perhaps Han Tao wouldn't even have suspected anything otherwise.

As Fatty fretted, Han Tao suddenly understood. He realized the information must have come from one of the three people involved, minus the one who wasn't present. "Go home and control your woman," he snapped. Although he knew Lu Qiaowei likely mentioned it accidentally, Han Tao chose to pin the blame on her.

Fatty looked at Han Tao’s stony expression and quickly tried to interject. "She probably only mentioned it when Qiqi asked where she was going to take her driving test. Weiwei didn't do anything wrong."

"So you're saying I was wrong," Han Tao stated coldly. Even though he wasn't entirely sure how the chain of events unfolded, finding a scapegoat was always preferable, especially since Fatty had been looking at him with an amused expression just moments ago. If he didn't shift the blame, would Fatty remain so optimistic? "That's enough. I have to get back to work now; you can leave too." Han Tao pointedly dismissed him.

Fatty froze. He realized this was a serious problem: Han Tao wasn't even listening to his explanation. What was he supposed to do? If Qiqi was still giving Han Tao the cold shoulder tonight, Han Tao would surely give Fatty the same treatment. Fatty briefly considered working late to avoid Han Tao, but then realized he couldn't avoid Lu Qiaowei. He couldn't subject his own wife to that kind of atmosphere. With a sigh of resignation, Fatty decided he’d have to take his work home tonight—he had to protect his woman.