Song Yao noticed it was getting late, yet the three of them were still sprawled out, showing no signs of leaving. She couldn't hold back any longer and ran upstairs to knock on the door. "Are you guys planning to catch that noon flight or not?" When Juliana was checking out after retrieving her luggage, she had booked three tickets to Shanghai for that afternoon. It was already nine o'clock; if they didn't get up soon, they would miss the flight.

Wang Qiqi, yawning, was about to snap at whoever disturbed her sleep when she heard Song Yao mention the flight. She instantly bolted upright. Right! They had a noon flight to Shanghai today. "Ah, Nana, Manman, wake up, wake up! We're going to be late."

Shi Man merely rolled over, pretending not to hear Wang Qiqi. Juliana did sit up, but it was clear she hadn't woken up yet. "What tickets? Am I going on a business trip?" Juliana wondered why there were tickets when she didn't have any official work scheduled for these few days.

Seeing Juliana's groggy state, Song Yao realized she had also forgotten about their trip to Shanghai. "Aren't we going to Shanghai for fun? You booked three tickets yesterday, and they were supposed to be delivered today."

It was only then that Juliana remembered their trip to Shanghai. Even though it was just for a few days, it was still a girls' getaway. "Oh, it's getting late! Hurry, hurry!" Juliana grabbed her phone and saw it was already nine. If they didn't get up now, they wouldn't make it.

Juliana’s shriek finally managed to rouse Shi Man. She, too, remembered Shanghai and reluctantly dragged herself out of bed, muttering regrets. "We shouldn't have talked so late yesterday. If we had to talk, we should have done it in Shanghai." Then, the three of them could have stayed together, talked properly, and slept in as late as they wanted the next day. This was a disaster.

Wang Qiqi and Juliana admitted they had been too excited and completely forgot about the time.

After hearing movement from inside the room, Song Yao pushed the door open and stepped in, only to find the room utterly chaotic. Food wrappers were carelessly strewn across the floor. Most glaring were the two empty wine bottles. Looking at the three of them, though now awake, their dark circles rivaled those of a giant panda. "You girls. You chat online all the time, so why stay up so late last night, especially drinking this much?" Song Yao genuinely worried Qiqi might become a drunkard. There was alcohol in England, and when they lived in the Beijing residence, there were literally boxes of red wine stored away, which greatly concerned Song Yao. She felt she needed to have a serious talk with her in a few days; a moderate amount of drinking was fine, but crossing the line was dangerous.

The three women saw Song Yao’s stern face and immediately lowered their heads, squatting down to start tidying up the room. "Go wash up; I'll handle this." With the room in such a mess, Song Yao naturally took charge of the cleaning.

Wang Qiqi felt terribly embarrassed watching Song Yao clean. She rushed over, planted a kiss on Song Yao, and made a heart shape with her hands, which made Song Yao tremble with a feeling of overwhelming sweetness.

Luo Hongjuan felt a pang of sadness knowing her daughter-in-law would be leaving so soon. She still had so much advice she wanted to give Wang Qiqi, but her leaving was for the best; at least her son would have someone to look after him. Early that morning, she had rushed to the supermarket to stock up on things. Although there were many items she wished Qiqi could pack and take to the US, customs wouldn't allow it, let alone the fact that she still had matters to attend to in Shanghai. "I didn't buy that much," Luo Hongjuan said to Song Yao while packing a parcel.

Song Yao looked at the pile of items on the floor and thought, That’s not much? But then she remembered that every time Qiqi returned, she brought back several large suitcases stuffed with gifts for family. While some of that merchandise was for resale, the amount wasn't significant. Song Yao suspected Qiqi would prefer to return with just a backpack if she could.

"By the way, how many days will Qiqi be staying in Shanghai?" Luo Hongjuan suddenly wondered if she sent things to Shanghai, Qiqi might still be there to take them, provided she stayed long enough.

Song Yao was surprised Luo Hongjuan hadn't given up on this idea. "About three or four days, Auntie Luo. Everything is available in the US. You saw how well-stocked the Asian supermarkets were when we visited the UK last time. There’s no need to ship things across the ocean, and heavy luggage incurs extra fees."

Oh, only staying that short a time? Luo Hongjuan’s mouth fell open. Realizing her plan to mail things to Shanghai wouldn't work—she worried the package might end up with strangers if Qiqi had already left—she conceded. "Fine, this will have to do then."

As Wang Qiqi was leaving, she took a rather heavy suitcase from Luo Hongjuan’s hands, inwardly groaning. She had secretly hoped that because the departure was so sudden, her mother-in-law wouldn't have time to shop for things for her to take back. She never expected this last-minute haul. "Mom, you’re wonderful, preparing so many things for us!" Wang Qiqi said with a sweet smile. If this were her actual mother, Qiqi would have definitely complained about the weight and the impossibility of carrying it all. But dealing with her mother-in-law, she had to act agreeable; otherwise, she might get a sharp retort like, Are these for your man to eat? Even if the luggage went overweight, Wang Qiqi knew she had to agree to bring everything back to the US.

Luo Hongjuan knew Qiqi would accept it. "I won't come to see you off. Call me as soon as you arrive safely in Shanghai, and let Tao Tao know when you book your flight back to the US so he can pick you up." Luo Hongjuan specifically instructed her, worried about Qiqi traveling back alone.

"It’s fine, I’ll just take a cab." Wang Qiqi thought that this period might be critical again, and she shouldn't disturb him. She preferred to handle small matters herself. While her mother-in-law said that, she knew Luo Hongjuan hoped for a daughter-in-law who wouldn't impede her man’s progress. "Han Tao is busy too. If he has time to pick me up, he might as well use that time to rest well."

Luo Hongjuan was overjoyed by her very sensible daughter-in-law. Compared to Han Jun’s former wife, Shaimei Na, her daughter-in-law, who also came from a wealthy background, was far more understanding and obedient. "That’s between you two as a couple."

Hearing that, Wang Qiqi knew her mother-in-law was quite satisfied with how considerate she was being. Shi Man suppressed a chuckle watching Qiqi play the perfect wife in front of Luo Hongjuan. If Luo Yi knew that sometimes Han Tao had to do housework at home, Shi Man wondered what she would think. Shi Man just thought to herself that in front of Luo Hongjuan, Qiqi would certainly pamper her husband and ensure he didn't lift a finger for chores.

The three of them raced against time and managed to complete the check-in and baggage procedures just in time for the optimal window. It was only then that they realized they hadn't eaten breakfast. "I’m starving," Wang Qiqi rubbed her stomach. Although they hadn't stinted on snacks during last night's long talk, a night's digestion, coupled with all the running around, and the time approaching noon, meant those calories were long gone.

"Here." Song Yao, who had driven them to the airport entrance and then left, reappeared. "I went to buy breakfast. Eat slowly."

"Thank you." After thanking Song Yao, Wang Qiqi and the others found a spot and leisurely ate their morning meal.

"No rush, no rush. There are still fifty minutes before the plane takes off," Song Yao said, observing their slightly ungraceful eating. "By the way, Qiqi, once you get to the US, can you help me look at houses? Although immigration is still a few years off, we need to start scouting properties." Gong Peixing’s initial thought was that the house purchase wasn't urgent; for one, they didn't have the lump sum ready yet, and second, the time wasn't right—wait until Taotao was older and their assets were stable, then Song Yao could take the child to live in the US for a year and perhaps have another baby. But Song Yao worried that Wang Qiqi might also be pregnant then and wouldn't have time.

Look at houses now? Wang Qiqi was stunned. "Didn't Brother-in-law say...?" Gong Peixing’s intention had been to wait two years. Had something happened between them again? Wang Qiqi had found time to talk to Song Yao a few days ago and knew her brother-in-law had recently encountered some trouble, which her sister had solved, so why the change now?

Noticing the sisters seemed to have something private to discuss, Shi Man and Juliana got up and wandered off to look at the scenery nearby.

Seeing Wang Qiqi’s tense expression, Song Yao gently stroked her head. "Don't worry, your sister won't be taken down by those young things so easily. The better you and Ziwen get along, the more he’ll be wary of me. At most, he’ll have a few flings on the side. Don't worry, Qiqi. You need to keep an eye on Han Tao too. Your brother-in-law was such an honest man back then, but look at him now." Song Yao cautioned softly. "Though, since Han Tao spends all day staring at a computer, it’s hard for him to find a mistress anyway."

Wang Qiqi had shared this logic before, but the problem was that Han Tao was popular even while glued to the office. "The receptionist, Anne, at the company likes Han Tao and looks down on me. Sister, girls nowadays have no shame. As soon as they hear someone is well-off, they don't care if he has a wife or girlfriend. Of course, I still have faith in Han Tao; his career is a huge part of his life. As for that girl, she’s clearly after his other assets, and he won’t be foolish enough to fall for it."

Song Yao hadn't expected that Wang Qiqi, whom she considered safe, was also dealing with such issues. A strange sense of gratification washed over her—a feeling that she hadn't been such a failure after all. Instantly, Song Yao’s previous feeling of being unable to hold her head up in front of Qiqi vanished. "Go back and guard Han Tao well. No matter what the future holds, at least he treats you well now. I've also come to terms with it: as long as your brother-in-law doesn't cross the line, I’ll just continue like this. What’s the point of divorce? Can you guarantee the next man you find will be better? Li Qian was lucky; her ex-husband was excellent after the divorce and remarriage. I dare not gamble." Compared to her own father, Gong Peixing was much better; at least he hadn't continued things with the other party. What more could she demand?

In response to this, Wang Qiqi could only offer her blessings to Song Yao. If they divorced, it would spark a major battle over assets. Maintaining the current situation was the better course.