Ever since Lu Yuwen had moved in as a guest at the Su family home, Li Li and Su Man had been locked in a cold war — neither of them speaking to the other.

Li Li genuinely couldn’t understand how things had gotten to this point. The two of them had quarreled endlessly since childhood, but they always made up quickly afterward. This was the first time they had gone so long without any contact at all.

Thinking of Su Man’s personality, Li Li told himself to stop taking things so seriously. That woman was just impossibly stubborn, always determined to have the last word…

Since she had taken the initiative to come find him, and was willing to offer him a way to step down gracefully, he would take it — if only to stop his parents from nagging him endlessly.

Li Li slowed his pace without realizing it, mentally rehearsing what expression he should have when they met…

The moment he turned the corner, he came face to face with Yan Qingwen, and stopped dead.

“Yan… Yan-ge?” Li Li’s voice was startled. “It’s you?”

“Yes.” Yan Qingwen gave him a slightly puzzled look. “Who did you think it was?”

Li Li stammered, “My colleague said… said Su Man was asking for me.”

“Oh, Su Man came too.” Yan Qingwen walked closer to him, glanced left and right, and said calmly, “Step aside and talk.”

Li Li was a bit at a loss, but seeing that Yan Qingwen had already turned and started walking, he followed.

There were several reception lounges outside for receiving visitors. Yan Qingwen opened one of them, and Li Li saw Su Man and Lu Yuwen already sitting inside — Zhu Shu was there too.

What was going on here? It felt like something big was about to happen.

Li Li stepped cautiously into the lounge and sat down, asking them, “What happened?”

Yan Qingwen closed the door and said directly, “You must have heard about the base’s decision to abandon the Kings. Something must have come out of the research team, otherwise there’s no reason for them to take such a drastic step. What was it?”

Li Li was momentarily dazed. “We did hear about it, but I assumed it was… it was…”

Su Man, unable to contain her impatience, cut in: “What did you assume?!”

Li Li looked slightly awkward and answered in a low voice, “I assumed it was a kind of pressure tactic by Chu Huaijin… to set up negotiations with the Kings, you know — the kind where you… divide up benefits and risks.”

Su Man immediately stared at him wide-eyed. “You knew about this — why didn’t you tell us?!”

Li Li frowned. “Yan-ge isn’t a King anymore…”

“But Yan-ge is Fu Miaoxue’s subject now!” Su Man was furious. “Yan-ge has saved you so many times — couldn’t you have at least dropped us one word of warning?”

“I wasn’t even sure!” Li Li was indignant too. “That was just my own guess — I couldn’t be certain, so how was I supposed to warn anyone?”

Lu Yuwen said mildly from the side, “Manman, stop arguing with him. Let’s just ask about the research team.”

Su Man smacked her own forehead in frustration. “Right, you’re right, I keep forgetting…”

Li Li turned to look at Lu Yuwen, visibly shaken, his disbelief plain. “You’re calling her Manman?!”

He looked back at Su Man. “You let him call you Manman?! What’s going on between you two?!”

Su Man flushed under his interrogation, stiffened her neck and declared, “We’re friends! Obviously!”

Lu Yuwen gave a restrained smile. “Of course — don’t misunderstand. It’s because her parents both call her that at home, I’ve heard it so many times I just started using it too…”

He reached over and rested his hand on Su Man’s shoulder, smiling. “Manman and I are very good friends.”

“……” Li Li’s hand curled into a fist.

Zhu Shu watched the three of them and could only sigh. She looked over at Yan Qingwen, who was leaning against the door, and asked, “What do we do? Li Li doesn’t seem to know what’s going on inside the research team either.”

Su Man couldn’t figure it out either. “Weren’t you Professor Song’s assistant? How do you not know anything?”

Lu Yuwen said tactfully, “Manman, Professor Song might have had more than one assistant, so…”

“Oh, give it a rest — enough of your backhanded digs at me!” Li Li flared up. “The research team is divided into several departments. At least the part I’m responsible for, I know completely inside and out!”

—