Wang Qiqi, delayed by a connection in San Francisco, didn't touch down until well past eleven at night. She yawned, deciding to grab a bite near the airport before hailing a cab home. As for Han Tao picking her up, she didn't hold out much hope; he’d been quite busy lately, and she didn’t want to bother him.

“Thinking about what?” Han Tao had been waiting for her right outside the gate. He hadn't expected the girl to just shamble out with her luggage cart, completely oblivious to the precarious pile stacked upon it. It was a good thing the airport wasn't huge, or with the late hour, she might have bumped into half the people walking by.

Wang Qiqi was deep in thought about what delicious thing to eat when a familiar voice startled her. She snapped her head up to see Han Tao standing before her, his face etched with exhaustion. “Why are you here?” she asked foolishly. Shi Man should have just arrived in New York; there was no way she could have notified him.

“I asked Sister Yaoyao, then Juliana, and once I had your return flight schedule, I was able to calculate which flight you’d likely be on.” What Han Tao didn't say was that he had originally expected her on the earlier flight; he’d already been waiting there for over three hours. “Are you hungry?”

Wang Qiqi looped her arm through Han Tao’s as they walked toward the parking garage. Having someone there to meet you felt wonderful. “I’m okay. I ate something during the layover. I’ll drive back.” She didn't know how many hours her man had been working overtime; perhaps it was better if he didn't drive.

“You can?” After such a long flight, was Qiqi really up for driving? “Weiwei knew you were coming back, so she cooked a ton of food. But since you’re arriving this late, I told them to start eating without you.”

Lu Qiaowei had cooked for her? Wang Qiqi felt a pang of guilt. “I invested in another industry while I was away.” Although she had mentioned this briefly in an email to Han Tao, she hadn’t gone into the specifics.

Han Tao watched as Qiqi happily recounted her gains from the trip back home, a smile playing on his lips as he listened intently to every word. The small unhappiness from a few days ago, Han Tao now found himself unwilling to recall. It was enough that his wife was home.

Wang Qiqi yawned as she stepped out of the car, preparing to wait for Han Tao to get their luggage from the trunk. Han Tao pulled her into a tight embrace. “Wife, it’s so good to have you back.”

Feeling the rare wave of tenderness from her husband, Wang Qiqi was not only happy and excited but also slightly uneasy. “You didn’t... do anything while I was gone, did you? Anything involving Anna?” Wang Qiqi mulled it over. For a homebody like him, his life was monotonous. Besides Anna, she couldn't imagine Han Tao having much opportunity to slip up. Before this trip, Wang Qiqi had trusted Han Tao implicitly. But after hearing some things about Gong Peixing upon her return, she understood deeply that even the most honest man could make mistakes.

“Yeah,” Han Tao admitted immediately. “Did Fatty tell you?” Fatty was quick to sell him out, wasn't he?

Wang Qiqi had initially intended to just test Han Tao. She hadn't expected him to confess so readily, which instantly annoyed her. She shoved him away lightly. “What did Fatty want to tell me? Hmph. He even promised me he’d keep a close eye on you.” Fatty hadn't told Wang Qiqi anything at all.

Han Tao realized then that Fatty hadn't betrayed him; it was his own unusual behavior that had made Wang Qiqi suspicious. “I told Fatty not to say anything to you, and things haven't gotten out of hand yet.” Fatty was quite innocent in this mess. “He only found out a little bit afterward; I didn’t tell him everything.”

Fatty only knew a fragment of the story after the fact. Wang Qiqi shot Han Tao a startled look. Someone was supposed to be keeping a constant watch on him; how could he have been caught alone?

“Fatty is with me constantly when I commute, but she—she made her move during working hours.” Han Tao felt a surge of frustration just thinking about it. This was a private matter; if Anna had any feelings for him, all Han Tao could do was maintain distance. But he hadn't expected Anne to be so brazen, to do something like that right there in the office. If he hadn't exercised extreme restraint at that moment, it could have blown up into a major scandal. He certainly didn't want to repeat the mistakes of a certain former US president.

Made a move during working hours? Wang Qiqi was momentarily stunned. That was incredibly audacious. “Even if you have your own office, isn’t that a bit too bold of her?” Although Wang Qiqi often lounged in Han Tao’s office, aside from the occasional kiss or resting her legs on his lap, she had never done anything more outrageous. But now it seemed her man had been subjected to something far worse.

It seemed Fatty’s constant tagging along must have worn thin on a certain someone’s patience, leading to this disastrous lapse in judgment. “What exactly did she do to you?” Wang Qiqi realized at that moment that pestering Fatty would be useless; he couldn't have possibly imagined Anna being this ruthless.

“She pretended to pour me a cup of coffee, and when she set it on the desk, she didn't pay attention to—” Han Tao, despite having been through some experiences, found some words impossible to utter in front of Wang Qiqi. The rest of the story, unsaid, became clear to Wang Qiqi: she had gone straight for the physical. “Damn it, she’s ruthless. If something had actually happened between you two, what would the surrounding colleagues have thought?”

Wang Qiqi imagined if that woman had made a sound—even if colleagues were focused on work, they would eventually come over to check things out. If they witnessed such an indecent scene, their first thought would be that Han Tao was an impatient brute who acted on his urges the moment his girlfriend left, and doing it in a public space! They would certainly assume Han Tao was even more disgusting in private. Not to mention the humiliation she would face back at the office from their stares. The more Wang Qiqi thought about it, the angrier she became. She felt this incident couldn't just end here.

“If I assaulted someone, right in front of many people, what do you think would happen to me?” Wang Qiqi felt she shouldn't be afraid of stirring up trouble. So what if she needed lawyers? She had money now. If she didn't strike back and teach this woman a lesson, she might try something even more outrageous later. More importantly, Wang Qiqi couldn't stay glued to Han Tao every second; what if Anna caught another opportunity? Most crucially, she needed to display her fierce side. This would not only deal with Anna but also intimidate anyone else who might be contemplating similar actions downstairs. If they made a move, Anna would serve as their cautionary tale.

Han Tao was momentarily surprised. He had considered how Qiqi might react upon learning the truth—he'd expected her to explode, to curse Anna—but not that she would resort to violence. “People would cheer for you, and I’d hire the best lawyers.” Assault, while wrong, could be resolved through legal means. It would cost money, but Han Tao thought this was the better approach.

“That’s good then.” This was the attitude Wang Qiqi wanted from Han Tao. “Remember, I’m making a scene for you.” Wang Qiqi had always tried to present a ladylike image in public, but after Anna’s stunt, what was the point of being demure? She was ready to become a shrew. “Let them see how terrifying I can be when I get angry.”

“Qiqi is back?” Fatty continued hammering away at his keyboard, casually asking as Lu Qiaowei walked in, recalling the sound she’d heard from the front entrance earlier.

Lu Qiaowei hummed in assent, settling into her seat to resume work. “Didn’t you say you were hungry? I reheated the food; you can eat with Qiqi.”

Fatty thought to himself, how could he possibly go out and eat now? He had something he hadn't told Qiqi yet. “I think I’ll pass. I’ve been running so much these past few days, I finally lost a little weight; I need to stick with it.” Was that meal even that good? Qiqi would probably lecture him at the dinner table. For the sake of his appetite, Fatty decided to forgo it and focus on earning money through diligent work. “Qiqi goes away once and manages to prop up two entire businesses. Sigh.” The gap was huge.

Lu Qiaowei felt a mix of admiration and resignation regarding Wang Qiqi’s new ventures in beauty salons and traditional Chinese wellness centers. In the past, she might have felt jealousy or the urge to think she wasn't far behind, but after everything she had been through, and seeing the vast disparity between herself and Qiqi’s circle, Lu Qiaowei no longer harbored such thoughts. As long as her relationship with Qiqi remained good, and her own man remained devoted to her, Lu Qiaowei felt content. “When Qiqi goes to the office tomorrow, do you think she won’t find out about this?” Lu Qiaowei found Fatty’s ostrich act amusing. They worked at the same company; if he didn’t say anything today, Qiqi might hear about it tomorrow at the office. Even if it wasn't Fatty’s direct fault, Qiqi would still blame him.

Fatty suddenly realized—how could he have been so dense? Qiqi wasn't in England anymore. Sigh. If it weren't for his wife, Fatty knew his current mistake was growing larger and larger. “Wife, you’re the best.” After hugging Lu Qiaowei, Fatty shot out of the study immediately. “Qiqi, I missed you so much! And I have to confess—I didn't complete your mission perfectly.”

Wang Qiqi had just finished showering and was stepping out of the bathroom when she saw Fatty lunging toward her in a clumsy bear hug. She swiftly pivoted, dodging his grasp. Honestly! She had just bathed, and this man probably hadn't yet. She couldn't let herself be tainted by his smell. Hearing his words, Wang Qiqi understood—he was here to confess. “This isn’t your fault. Han Tao told me. But you knowingly withheld information; that’s a major offense.” Wang Qiqi could forgive him for failing to supervise properly, but failing to relay the message was a serious problem. Fatty, who thought he was doomed when Wang Qiqi dodged his hug, was relieved when she let him off the hook, albeit with one lingering charge. But it wasn't a major charge, was it? Fatty grinned at Wang Qiqi. “My Weiwei made a lot of delicious food, Qiqi, don't be shy.”