Her luck wasn’t too bad. This stall had just been vacated by the previous tenant. The location wasn’t the very front of the street, but it wasn’t too far back either—roughly two-thirds of the way down.  

Most of the surrounding stalls sold daily necessities, with only one setting up a stove to sell potstickers, so the smell wasn’t too overpowering.  

After walking around and sizing things up, Song Shixi was quite satisfied with everything. The only downside was that the previous stall owner had sold fried snacks, leaving the free table provided by the street office greasy and filthy. They hadn’t even bothered to clean it before leaving—it was downright disgusting.  

Luckily, Wu QiuHong offered to fetch a bucket and rag from her dorm to wipe it down. Otherwise, tomorrow, Song Shixi would’ve had to haul over not just her clothes but also cleaning supplies, which would’ve been a huge hassle.  

Song Shixi didn’t stand on ceremony with Wu QiuHong and followed her back to the dorm. She figured she might as well check out the living conditions while she was at it. If they were decent, she’d go ask her advisor about moving in.  

The dormitory consisted of several buildings, separated by gender. Wu QiuHong’s dorm was on the third floor of Building 2 in the women’s section. At this hour, most people had already returned to their rooms after lunch to rest or study, so the walk over was quiet.  

Sunlight filtered through the gaps between tall branches, casting a golden glow over the long corridor. The air was filled with the sweet fragrance of locust blossoms, carrying the unique scent of youth.  

They tiptoed as they pushed open the dorm door, only to find the others inside not resting but huddled together, chatting in low voices. When they saw Song Shixi enter with Wu QiuHong, they abruptly stopped talking and turned to stare at them with curiosity.  

Well, wasn’t this a surprise? The two of them were hanging out together again.  

Ling Juan’s eyes darted around before she, unusually, took the initiative to greet Wu QiuHong. “QiuHong, you’re back?”  

“Yeah, just grabbing something.”  

Wu QiuHong shot Ling Juan a surprised glance. This girl was usually too proud to give her the time of day—why the sudden enthusiasm?  

But she quickly figured out why. Ling Juan’s gaze lingered on her only briefly before shifting straight to Song Shixi, her face blooming into a radiant smile. “Comrade Song, come sit over here! There’s a chair.”  

The contrast was striking.  

“No need, we’ll be leaving soon.”  

Song Shixi smiled on the surface but mentally blacklisted Ling Juan right then and there.  

After several attempts to engage were deftly deflected by Song Shixi, Ling Juan’s smile stiffened, and she excused herself to retreat to her bed.  

The others weren’t as blatant as Ling Juan, but they were still somewhat eager around Song Shixi. Unfortunately, since they weren’t familiar with her, conversation quickly dried up. By the time Wu QiuHong returned from fetching the bucket from the far corner of the room, they had all fallen silent.  

Meanwhile, Song Shixi had been subtly sizing up the dorm. By the time she finished, her palms were clenched tight.  

The school dorms were all six-person rooms with bunk beds. A shared long table was pushed against the wall, and the space was so cramped there weren’t even closets for clothes—just piles on the beds or personal storage boxes shoved underneath.  

Worse, there were no private showers. Everyone had to use the communal bathrooms, which was enough to deter Song Shixi, who’d grown up in the south.  

On top of that, she’d also noticed cracks in the walls and peeling paint on the metal bed frames…  

Song Shixi silently crossed “moving into the dorm” off her list.  

“Shixi, let’s go. We need to get water from the tap room.” Wu QiuHong’s return snapped her out of her thoughts, and Song Shixi quickly smiled and nodded, then grabbed the bucket from her. “I’ll carry it.”  

The two came and went like the wind. Only after they’d completely left did the others burst into chatter.  

“Weren’t they on bad terms? Why is Song Shixi willing to hang out with QiuHong again?”  

“Who knows? Maybe Wu QiuHong was the one who latched onto her? I saw it this morning—she went out of her way to talk to Song Shixi, and that’s how they ended up sitting together.” Ling Juan poked her head out from her bed again, her tone dripping with sarcasm.  

“Huh? Really? QiuHong doesn’t seem like that kind of person, though.”

Ling Juan rolled her eyes, unsure whether these girls were genuinely clueless or just naïve to the extreme. “Some people act all innocent on the surface, but they’re actually the craftiest of all. If you don’t believe me, just wait for a chance to ask her—you’ll see.”  

They waited—first through the afternoon classes, then until nightfall—before finally catching Wu QiuHong.  

When Wu QiuHong appeared at the dorm door, bucket and rag in hand, she was immediately cornered.  

“QiuHong, what were you two up to? Why are you only coming back now?”  

After class, Wu QiuHong and Song Shixi had vanished without a trace. No one knew where they’d gone. Had Song Shixi taken Wu QiuHong somewhere fun or treated her to good food?  

At the thought, the others nearly turned green with envy.  

“We just wandered around a bit.”  

Wu QiuHong felt it was best not to overshare about other people’s business, so she gave a vague reply. Luckily, after a couple of probing questions that led nowhere, the others quickly shifted focus to grilling her about her relationship with Song Shixi.  

Though they were all from out of town, the differences between them were vast.  

Someone like Song Shixi—who had wealthy, well-connected relatives in Beijing—was the envy of everyone. Especially since she was drop-dead gorgeous, with both looks and money. Who wouldn’t say she was born lucky?  

Back at the start of the semester, when Song Shixi and Wu QiuHong had been close, the others had smiled on the surface but secretly gritted their teeth in frustration.  

They were all in the same class—why had Song Shixi chosen Wu QiuHong, of all people, as a friend? Wu QiuHong was the poorest, most unfashionable girl in the whole class, living a shabby life. Even they didn’t want anything to do with her.  

But thankfully, it hadn’t taken long for the two of them to fall out.  

Who could’ve guessed that, not long after, they’d be hanging out again?  

The others didn’t know how to feel about it and couldn’t help but say, “Have you forgotten how Song Shixi ghosted you last time? Someone like that isn’t worth being friends with.”  

“Yeah, Song Shixi has such a rich relative—she could have any friend she wants. Why would she care about you?”  

“We need to know our place. Don’t go throwing yourself at someone who doesn’t want you—it’s just embarrassing. She probably just sees you as half a servant, making you do all her chores.”  

Out of the six people in the dorm, aside from Wu QiuHong herself, Ling Juan was the most vocal. As she spoke, she shot a pointed glance at the bucket in Wu QiuHong’s hand, her implication obvious.  

Wu QiuHong followed her gaze downward but found herself thinking back to what had happened that afternoon on Back Street.  

The stall had been filthy with grease, and cleaning it had been a hassle. At first, Song Shixi hadn’t even let her help—it was only because Wu QiuHong had insisted that she’d pitched in. The whole time, they’d chatted and laughed. And after they finished, Song Shixi had treated her to sweet tea.  

The sugary taste still lingered on her tongue, making her lips curl unconsciously.  

Wu QiuHong might have been quiet and a bit slow, but she wasn’t stupid. She could tell good from bad. Maybe Song Shixi hadn’t been worth getting close to before, but now she was different—polite, respectful. The way she looked at Wu QiuHong was as an equal, not with the condescension Ling Juan had described.  

Meanwhile, these girls in front of her pretended to be outraged on her behalf, but they all had their own agendas. Deep down, they looked down on her.  

With that in mind, she replied coldly, “What’s it to you? Worry about yourselves. Instead of gossiping behind people’s backs, maybe you should read a few more books and clean out your brains.”  

Her words were sharp, leaving the others speechless and forcing them to shut up in embarrassment.  

Only Ling Juan refused to let it go, fuming, “What kind of attitude is that? We’re looking out for you, and you throw it back in our faces?”  

But by then, Wu QiuHong had already turned and left the dorm to wash up, leaving Ling Juan to swallow her anger in silence.

…

“They said Tianhe has submitted their proposal in Shenzhen.”  

The black sedan slowly pulled into the courtyard. Xu Jinze spoke while glancing at the man in the back seat through the rearview mirror.  

He was dressed in a black shirt, the collar casually unbuttoned, revealing a slender, pale neck. His tall, upright frame and strikingly handsome features exuded an air of cold elegance.  

Earlier that evening, Qin Yue had been dining with several department-level officials at Quyuan and had only just left the gathering. He had drunk quite a bit and had spent most of the ride back leaning against the seat with his eyes closed, resting.  

Hearing the report now, he merely responded indifferently, “We’ll talk about it after we get back.”  

The implication was clear—Tianhe would be left hanging for a while.  

Xu Jinze took the hint and didn’t press further, silently sympathizing with Tianhe for a few seconds while also thinking they’d brought it upon themselves.  

Since the reforms and opening-up, Shenzhen’s development had been astonishing. In just a decade, the former fishing village had transformed beyond recognition. Many had seized the opportunity to make fortunes, but few had managed to hold onto that wealth.  

Qin Yue had started as a small contractor, steadily building his way up with his former comrades, keeping a low profile all the while. Before anyone realized it, he had quietly taken the lion’s share of the market. By the time others caught on, it was already too late.  

For Qin Group’s latest project tender, there were dozens—if not hundreds—of companies like Tianhe, who had initially acted aloof and detached, only to come crawling back later, hoping to curry favor and get a slice of the pie.  

Unfortunately, President Qin didn’t seem the least bit interested.  

Xu Jinze shook off his wandering thoughts, parked the car, and stepped out to open the rear door respectfully. “President Qin, we’ve arrived.”  

“Mn. Good work.”  

Qin Yue opened his eyes, rubbing his temples briefly before getting out of the car.  

Though he’d had a lot to drink, his mind was still clear enough that he didn’t need assistance, walking steadily into the house on his own.  

At this hour, the rest of the household was already asleep. Not wanting to disturb anyone, he made his way to the kitchen by moonlight and poured himself a glass of water. But after just a couple of sips, a faint noise from nearby interrupted him.  

Qin Yue’s brow furrowed instantly. His body moved faster than his slightly sluggish mind—he grabbed a nearby rolling pin and moved toward the sound without a single footstep betraying his approach.  

He raised the rolling pin, ready to strike, but the moment he saw what was inside the room, his movements froze, and his frown deepened.  

The storage room—again.  

The space was familiar, but unlike the last time, when it had been pitch dark, the lights were now fully on, illuminating every corner. Including the woman standing in front of the ironing board.  

She wore light pink pajamas, her long hair tied back loosely, cascading softly down her back. A few stray strands framed her delicate, pale jaw, making her skin appear even fairer.  

Facing sideways, she hadn’t noticed his arrival and continued carefully ironing clothes. The heavy metal iron seemed to strain her grip, and she had to reheat it on the stove every so often. After a while, she switched hands, her movements patient and gentle throughout.  

Watching this scene, Qin Yue’s Adam’s apple bobbed inexplicably.