Right after her postpartum confinement, she had been sent abroad by the Zhou family.

Then news broke about Yuan Han’s imprisonment, which had implicated Zhou Wenband… Cases like Zhou Yi’s were rare in their social circle, no wonder Tong Lili and others wanted to mock her.

Moreover, Zhou Yi had cut off contact with them after going abroad. She was the one who had taken a superior attitude and abandoned her friends, so it was natural for them to gossip about her and want to see her fail.

Tong Lili was now the most proud.

Inevitably so – who could blame her when her husband was so capable?

When Tong Lili expressed interest in meeting Zhou Yi, someone went to arrange it.

Zhou Yi initially didn’t want to go – she would rather spend that time at home bonding with her daughter Zhou Ke.

It wasn’t just people who needed companionship – even their Pekingese had stopped barking frantically at her after two days of coaxing. But then she thought, while she could avoid this meeting now, she would still have to face these people when she returned years later.

Not going would make it seem like she was afraid.

Her transformation from an underachiever had given Zhou Yi confidence.

Whether Tong Lili’s group wanted to mock her or show off to her, Zhou Yi wasn’t afraid.

She was no longer lost; she had plans for her life.

Beijing had changed considerably in the four years Zhou Yi had been abroad. Take Western restaurants for example – when she was still in China, you could find Russian and French cuisine in Beijing, but no American fast food.

But in the second year after she left China, at the end of ’87, the first KFC opened near Qianmen.

Of course, seeing the KFC logo stirred no emotion in Zhou Yi.

She had eaten so much American fast food that the mere sight of it made her nauseated.

Zhou Yi observed the novelties along the way until she reached her destination. The popular restaurants from four years ago where Tong Lili’s group used to dine no longer ranked among the best.

When she arrived, everyone had changed. Tong Lili no longer wore sparkly eye makeup and had become somewhat plump and refined-looking.

Others had changed in their ways.

While Zhou Yi was observing others, they were also watching her.

As soon as she entered the restaurant, she was surprised Tong Lili’s group – having spent several years abroad had clearly influenced her style. While not particularly flashy, Zhou Yi looked unmistakably fashionable!

Tong Lili rose to embrace her, “Why did you come alone?”

Others exchanged meaningful glances.

“Zhou Yi, you’ve been abroad for four years – quite successful! We were all wondering if you’d bring back a foreigner. So, have you settled down with anyone?”

They exaggeratedly craned their necks to look behind Zhou Yi, as if she might be hiding someone.

“Dating a foreigner would be good – they have more open-minded views about marriage.”

Zhou Yi immediately sensed the hostility.

Her instincts were right – this meal was indeed a trap, not a genuine welcome back.

What did they mean by foreigners being open-minded about marriage?

After living in America for four years, Zhou Yi hadn’t found foreigners particularly open-minded about marriage. While they might be casual about dating, they took marriage very seriously.

They were criticizing without understanding – showing their ignorance.

Zhou Yi found these “friends'” comments quite unsophisticated.

She understood their subtext – they meant foreign men were more open-minded and wouldn’t care about her previous marriage to Yuan Han or that she had a daughter.

“Alright, alright, everyone’s just concerned about Zhou Yi, but let’s not be too aggressive. Quick, let Zhou Yi sit down, we can chat slowly.”

Tong Lili was good at controlling the situation.

Seeing Zhou Yi’s displeased expression, and still wanting to learn more, Tong Lili quickly arranged a seat for her to prevent her from leaving angry.

“Don’t misunderstand – everyone cares about you. We’ve all been friends since childhood, but you cut off contact after going to America. We just want to know how you’re doing.”

This at least sounded more reasonable.

With Tong Lili offering an olive branch, Zhou Yi shared a bit about herself.

Once bitten twice shy – after being blind about Yuan Han, Zhou Yi remained wary.

Besides, she hadn’t had time for international romance; her life had been consumed by study and work.

Law school was expensive – scholarships covered part of it, her work as a law firm assistant covered another part, and the remainder required loans… If the A&G law firm hadn’t agreed to be her guarantor, she wouldn’t even have qualified for student loans as a non-U.S. citizen.

Zhou Yi wouldn’t share these details with Tong Lili’s group. She’d realized they could never return to their former closeness, so why tell them about her struggles in America?

She simply said she had no time for boyfriends, whether foreign or Chinese – relationships weren’t part of her current plans.

One friend exclaimed dramatically:

“So what did you do in America for four years?”

“Language school, part-time work at a law firm, preparing for law school entrance exams… Women can do many things besides dating!”

Zhou Yi was baffled.

Her comment was an indiscriminate attack – over half the people present hadn’t taken their careers seriously. Tong Lili even suspected Zhou Yi was making veiled criticisms.

Was that necessary?

What did Zhou Yi have to be proud of?

Although the Zhou family showed no signs of decline, Zhou Yi’s father was indeed approaching retirement in a couple of years.

Moreover, while others might say such things, Zhou Yi had no right to.

Everyone remembered her former foolishness.

She appeared quite capable today, clearly prepared. What, was Zhou Yi trying to reinvent herself as a career woman?

Tong Lili smiled ambiguously:

“Zhou Yi, you’ve changed. Law school exams? Do you want to be a lawyer? I heard law school is very difficult to get into. I thought you wouldn’t go back after returning this time!”

Law school was indeed difficult.

More difficult than these underachievers could imagine.

Zhou Yi felt a sense of intellectual superiority.

Then she sank into deep self-doubt.

Why had she come to meet Tong Lili and these people?

They inquired about her life probably hoping to hear she was doing poorly. Even when she told them she’d gotten into law school, they wouldn’t be happy for her.

It was pointless talking past each other. Zhou Yi desperately wanted to leave, so she started responding perfunctorily with vague “hmms” and “ahs.”

Her attitude made everyone assume she was struggling in America, and they became more unrestrained in their comments.

No one believed Zhou Yi had truly changed; they thought she was just burning through her family’s money, wasting time in America.

After wasting four years with no face to return home, they figured she’d probably come back in two years with a degree from some diploma mill.

The law school talk was just bragging – getting some kind of art degree wouldn’t be too hard.

They knew people who had done exactly that.

Though the Zhou family probably cared about face enough not to send her through government-funded channels.

Going abroad for a golden touch – the Zhou family could afford it. Zhou Cheng’s wife Xia Xiaolan was quite wealthy – another irritating woman, Tong Lili’s least favorite person.

As everyone enthusiastically discussed and planned Zhou Yi’s “future,” Zhou Yi wanted to plug her ears. Just then, a delighted voice came from behind her:

“Lawyer Zhou, what a coincidence! You’re back in China too?”