Although Wang Qiqi had previously taken photos of the exterior and interior of the house, when Luo Hongjuan and the others got out of the car and saw the residence, they were momentarily stunned. "Son, this is your house?" While her son and daughter-in-law had bought several properties, in Luo Hongjuan's view, this one held a different significance; it was a villa, and in the United States at that—nothing comparable to houses back home.

"Mm, we haven't moved in yet, so we haven't managed it properly. Once it's sorted out, this place will be quite lovely." Traveling here, Han Tao noticed how beautiful the neighbors' gardens were, while their own was starkly plain, only receiving periodic weeding.

Song Ziwen wasn't particularly impressed by the house; in his mind, any house he bought in the future would surpass this one. "It's quite nice. The garage is big too—can it fit two cars?"

"Yes, two cars will fit," Wang Qiqi said, opening the door to show them inside. She intended to start preparing a meal, while Luo Hongjuan and Wang Damei were feeling somewhat weary after the long flight. "Qiqi, are the rooms ready?"

Wang Qiqi saw the elderly woman and the child stifling yawns and knew they were tired. "Ready, ready," she said, quickly leading them upstairs.

Yang Jing inspected the room upon arrival. Seeing the bedding and supplies were all brand new, she said, "Thank you, Qiqi."

"It's nothing, Sister-in-law. Why don't you rest first, or would you like something to eat?" Wang Qiqi was relieved to see no sign of displeasure on Yang Jing’s face; given the events earlier, she hoped for smooth sailing ahead.

"I think I'll rest first," Yang Jing replied, noticing her daughter already yawning, and having slept poorly during the journey. "Ziwen, what about you?"

"I'll go out with Brother-in-law for a look around," Song Ziwen had overheard Gong Peixing planning to tour the vicinity with Han Tao, and he also wanted to check out the surroundings. "You all rest."

Although Yang Jing was slightly displeased by Song Ziwen's desire to wander around despite his fatigue, she reconsidered, thinking Han Tao might discuss matters with Gong Peixing, making Song Ziwen’s company beneficial. Thus, she didn't insist he stay and sleep.

Taotao, after a quick shower, lay down in the bed and soon fell asleep. Once her son was settled, Song Yao climbed out of bed and went downstairs. She found Wang Qiqi slumped on the sofa, her head nodding slightly. "Are you very tired?"

Wang Qiqi looked up to see Song Yao and rubbed her eyes. "Aren't you going to sleep?" Didn't Song Yao also look exhausted?

"I'm alright. By the way, the upstairs rooms are all taken. Where will you sleep tonight?" Song Yao realized that if the upstairs rooms were full, Wang Qiqi might plan to spend the night in the living room with Han Tao.

"The attic. I bought a mattress," Wang Qiqi said. Knowing Song Yao was up at this hour meant she wanted to talk. "I'll take you up to see the attic." Chatting in the living room risked someone overhearing something they shouldn't.

"Okay." Song Yao also preferred a more private place to talk. "I want to see if there’s a place here suitable for you to live in England." Honestly, Song Yao had never cared much for attics, even glancing at one during video calls with Qiqi, always associating them with shadows and confinement. But ever since attending Wang Qiqi’s graduation ceremony in the UK, Song Yao had become quite intrigued by the attic Qiqi often mentioned.

"It hasn't been decorated yet; it’s completely raw," Wang Qiqi warned to temper expectations, lest Song Yao be disappointed upon seeing it.

Song Yao had initially thought Qiqi was being modest, never imagining she wasn't exaggerating. "You’ve been here over a month, how have you not tidied it up? Are you so busy you have no time to manage the house?" Song Yao considered herself busy, yet she kept her own home well-organized; why couldn't Qiqi manage?

"I only just moved in today. Didn't you notice the master bedroom closet is empty?" Wang Qiqi sighed in exasperation. "I’ve been running around preparing to welcome you all."

Song Yao looked at the bare attic and plopped down onto the mattress. "Why didn't you buy a waterbed? Isn't that supposed to be good for the body?"

A waterbed? Wang Qiqi thought it sounded nice, a high-end item, but the issue was: "I don't want to roll over and hear the glug-glug sound of water moving underneath me. I’d have nightmares."

Song Yao pouted at this, clearly thinking Qiqi was someone who couldn't enjoy the finer things. "The attic window is lacking; it’s not as nice as your place in the UK. But the garage is big, and the yard is spacious. Do you plan to grow some vegetables?"

Wang Qiqi wasn't sure if the community allowed gardening in the yard, but for her, "Sis, do I look like I have time to grow vegetables? I sound like a housewife, but I have quite a few things on my plate. If I work intensely for another year or so, I might get a breather." Although the company’s development was promising, John, Han Tao, and Fatty all hoped Wang Qiqi would remain involved professionally for a while longer. Coincidentally, Wang Qiqi didn't find working agonizing, so she agreed.

"Even if I step back, I might be busy then," Wang Qiqi mused. She knew that once she stopped working, it would likely be time for childbearing, a phase where she’d be constantly tending to a baby.

Song Yao initially didn't understand why Qiqi would say that, as Qiqi had mentioned planning to have children in a few years. Now, however, Qiqi sounded like a child was imminent. "Are you and Han Tao planning to get married? Well, you’ve been engaged for a long time; it’s time to think about marriage." They had been together for years, and while everyone saw them as a couple, the lack of a marriage certificate made a difference sometimes. "Speaking of which, how are you planning the wedding? Will you host a banquet back home? And how elaborate are you planning the ceremony to be?" Song Yao had attended numerous weddings and felt modern ones were so grand, making her own feel terribly simple in retrospect. "My wedding with your brother-in-law was just a bunch of eating and drinking; it was meaningless." Seeing how lively and grand other people's weddings were, while hers consisted merely of greeting guests, serving drinks, and seeing people off—nothing truly memorable—Song Yao was determined that Qiqi’s wedding should be magnificent.

Wang Qiqi saw the eager look on Song Yao's face and knew Luo Hongjuan must have been discussing marriage with Song Yao frequently. "Han Tao and I have decided to keep it simple—just a dinner for relatives and friends. We haven't thought about a grand wedding ceremony."

Song Yao was flabbergasted. "Auntie Luo gave out so many red envelopes. If you don't host a banquet, you won't get those red envelopes back."

Wang Qiqi hadn't expected Song Yao's objection to a simple wedding to be based on financial recovery. "The red envelopes she gave were from colleagues and relatives back home, but we aren't planning a banquet there. You know the Han family relatives—Grandma Han is still alive, right? It’s entirely possible she’d cause trouble if we didn't have a wedding there." Wang Qiqi and Han Tao had never considered holding their wedding back home; that place simply left them with bad impressions. "Besides, keeping the ceremony simple doesn't mean no effort. Han Tao and I have arranged to pay for airfare for you to vacation in Hawaii and attend the wedding—round-trip tickets included, along with five days of room and board. We can use the occasion to honeymoon in Hawaii as well." Though the expense was slightly over budget, the benefit was that only those genuinely wishing them well would attend, filtering out troublesome people.

Hearing Wang Qiqi’s plan, Song Yao nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, yes, that sounds good. Oh, you and Yang Jing seemed unhappy in the car earlier." Worried that Han Tao and the others might return, or Yang Jing might wake up soon, she quickly pressed for the reason Qiqi had sought her out.

"Unhappy is an understatement, Sis. Yang Jing has seemed... almost ferocious lately." Wang Qiqi searched for the right words to describe her feeling, then recounted the previous incident.

Song Yao was shocked by what Wang Qiqi shared. She considered her relationship with Qiqi strong and was envious of the IT company's prospects and financial potential, yet she had never once asked for anything. She knew Qiqi guarded the IT company closely, often remarking that this investment was their hope for future happiness. Song Yao understood that any request would put Qiqi in a difficult position. "She actually pressured Song Ziwen to ask?"

"I specifically told Ziwen not to bring it up, not to bring it up," Song Yao regretted not emphasizing her point more clearly, at least enough to scare Song Ziwen off.

Wang Qiqi was surprised Song Yao already knew about it. Seeing Song Yao’s expression, she asked, "Did he mention it to you first, hoping you’d ask together?"

Song Yao nodded. "Yes, he said since I’m close to you, you wouldn't refuse if I asked. I truly regret it, Qiqi. You don't need to help him this time; you are not in the wrong. You’ve already helped him—you gave him a discount on the shares of the cabinet factory, and he didn't even have the decency to act grateful. I see your continuous yielding has just made him more shameless." Song Yao knew Wang Qiqi had conceded on the share price partly because she hadn't factored Song Ziwen into the valuation of the two industries in Beijing, but one couldn't keep backing down indefinitely.

"I told him if he wants the shares, he must pay the financing price, and in cash," Wang Qiqi knew that even if Song Ziwen understood now, over time, spurred on by Yang Jing, he might grow resentful. "In a while, I plan to return to China to bring my parents' photos back to the US." This task could have been entrusted to Wang Damei, but she was currently in Beijing and might not return soon.

Song Yao was startled by Wang Qiqi's sudden thought. "Are you planning to sell that house?" That house was Qiqi’s only property back home, and Han Tao’s as well.

"No, I won't sell it. It can be a keepsake for when I return," Wang Qiqi had no intention of letting go of that house. "I might go back to pay respects to my parents, or perhaps live there in my old age. I just thought since Song Ziwen is earning more now, maybe he’ll want to expand his own property, perhaps buy a villa. Since he can't properly look after my current house, I thought of bringing my parents' photos back so I can light incense for them here daily." As for Han Tao’s father’s photo, that decision needed to be made after consulting Luo Hongjuan, though Wang Qiqi suspected Luo Hongjuan would agree, as she was living in Song Yao's property in Beijing and might feel uncomfortable offering ancestral rites there.

Song Yao understood that Wang Qiqi’s explanation was somewhat formal. "Are you worried that your relationship with Song Ziwen will completely shatter after this trip to the US?" Song Yao genuinely didn't know how to advise Wang Qiqi, as Song Ziwen’s actions were upsetting for anyone.

"I can’t wait until things are irreparable before trying to salvage them, can I?" Since Song Yao asked so directly, Wang Qiqi knew she couldn't avoid the issue and decided to be honest. "Yang Jing is handling her own sourcing now, plus I no longer have shares in the cabinet factory. My relationship with Song Ziwen’s family has returned to that of normal relatives; I can't impose on them anymore."

Song Yao vaguely understood why Qiqi hadn't included Yang Jing in subsequent proposals, though she hadn't pressed for details until now. Since they were discussing sensitive matters openly, she pursued the thread. "Do you think Yang Jing is too shrewd? Is that why you didn't bring her into your future collaborations?"

Wang Qiqi found sitting up tiring and lay down, staring at the skylight. She didn't answer for a long time, making Song Yao think she had fallen asleep. In truth, Wang Qiqi was contemplating whether this was the reason she developed negative feelings. After a moment of consideration, though she initially hesitated because Wang Rui was also Song Ziwen’s sister, and Yang Jing’s actions weren't entirely wrong, she finally spoke. "Do you know how Song Ziwen’s relationship with Wang Rui later improved?"

Song Yao truly didn't know. "Wasn't it because Wang Rui kept visiting? Did she try to use her connections on him?"

"Yes, it seems she’s collaborating with Wang Rui on something now. You didn't know?" Wang Qiqi knew she couldn't control who Yang Jing befriended, but the fact that Yang Jing maintained a good relationship with Wang Rui—a person who had caused trouble for Song Ziwen before—made one thing perfectly clear to Wang Qiqi: "She is utterly materialistic. She’ll align with whomever brings her benefits. Given that, of course, I can't remain close to her." Wang Qiqi considered herself a person of clear loyalties: if you are close to me, yet maintain a strong connection with my enemy, then, I apologize, but I won't be close to you either.

Song Yao closed her eyes, feeling utterly confused. She hadn't realized there were so many layers to the situation. "I understand. In that case, if you can avoid transferring the shares, don't. At least you won't be irritated seeing her."