For three days of the Gaokao, Wang Qiqi and Han Tao had grown accustomed to being driven to and from the exam center. At noon, the four of them would sit in a pre-booked private room, enjoying delicious meals before taking a pleasant rest. No one asked the others how the exam went, and certainly no one compared answers, though Shi Man and Zhu Lina were terribly anxious to cross-reference their responses just to gauge their performance.

But Wang Qiqi and Han Tao discussed matters entirely unrelated to the tests. Moreover, the earlier incident that morning involving Wang Qiqi had eased their tension, and their good mood carried them right into the examination hall. The moment they held the papers, their hearts settled completely. It wasn't actually difficult; the level of challenge was exactly what they had anticipated. If they performed normally, their scores wouldn't be too bad.

The first exam felt like a promising start—perhaps an opening victory. For the subsequent tests, both girls felt they had done well, though that was merely their own subjective feeling, only to be confirmed when the results came out.

When the bell rang for the final exam, students trickled out of the hall. "Finally free, finally free!" This shout instantly identified someone either relieved by success or utterly defeated and done with the process.

"Sigh, I wonder how I did," came the quiet murmur of someone clearly uncertain about their outcome.

"How did it go?" Wang Qiqi asked, walking cheerfully toward Shi Man and Zhu Lina as they gathered. In truth, even if Wang Qiqi hadn't asked, their expressions already told her they had likely fared quite well.

"Not bad," Shi Man replied with a grin. "Did you see Huang Li's face? It was long. I heard someone trying to compare answers with her, and she didn't even acknowledge them."

No way, Wang Qiqi thought. Every time Huang Li finished an exam, she was happiest comparing answers, especially enjoying the visible regret and frustration on others' faces. "Maybe she’s just in a bad mood, under a bit too much pressure."

Zhu Lina glanced around and whispered, "I heard she bombed the math exam."

Bombed math? Wang Qiqi was surprised. "The math test wasn't that hard this time. How could she fail?" Huang Li’s math scores were always solid; it made no sense for her to crash.

"Wait a minute," Shi Man recalled, frowning. "After the math exam, I saw Huang Li, and she was smiling." She couldn't reconcile the image of a smiling girl who had supposedly failed math; it simply didn't align with the expected behavior.

"That was during the break," Zhu Lina explained. "Huang Li was comparing answers with others, and it turned out the majority of her responses didn't match anyone else's." Zhu Lina surmised that this realization—that she might have been right while others were wrong—was probably the source of Huang Li’s subsequent distress. "Although, it’s also possible she was correct, and everyone she compared with had failed theirs."

This reinforced why Wang Qiqi disliked comparing answers. Truth wasn't always held by the majority. Even if you were one of the few who were right, what good was it if your mood was ruined in the process? Especially during the Gaokao, maintaining one's mental state was crucial.

"Let's go back. I need a proper rest now," Shi Man said, showing zero interest in Huang Li’s final score. "I plan to sleep for three or four days straight. Oh, Qiqi, I’ll ask you to go wander around the local area later, okay?"

Wang Qiqi shrugged. "No objections." She planned to go to the capital anyway to open an account and start dabbling in stocks. She might as well fully relax for these two months, take a few trips, and then iron out the rental agreements with her tenants. Thinking of this, Wang Qiqi suddenly realized a problem.

She would be attending university in the capital. The shops were manageable; the rent would automatically transfer to her account on schedule. But managing the apartment rentals was different. Aside from the high potential turnover of tenants, things would inevitably break—appliances, utilities—requiring someone to handle repairs and payments. If she studied in Shencheng, she could easily return on weekends. Going to the capital made it inconvenient. As for her relatives, no thank you. Wang Qiqi hadn't even considered bothering them. Firstly, she didn't want them to know the true extent of her assets. Secondly, if she had to pay someone anyway, she preferred to give the money to someone she trusted. She already had a candidate in mind: Gong Hong. After a year of interaction, Gong Hong proved to be a decent person—her cooking was adequate, she didn't inflate grocery budgets excessively, and most importantly, she was discreet. Such a person was the perfect choice. The next step was negotiating a monthly salary with Gong Hong.

Wang Qiqi returned home to find Gong Hong preparing dinner. "Auntie Gong, tonight it's just Han Tao and me eating, so don't prepare too much."

Gong Hong hummed an acknowledgment. "I know, they left me a note." Gong Hong plugged in the rice cooker. "How were the exams?"

"Not bad," Wang Qiqi replied, putting her books away before heading to the bathroom to clean up. "Auntie Gong, I need to discuss something with you."

Hearing Wang Qiqi’s tone from the kitchen, Gong Hong’s hand twitched. In the past year working here, Gong Hong had been genuinely happy. Earning a few hundred yuan a month, plus being allowed to take home vegetables or fruit, and the family being easygoing—it didn't interfere with her ability to take on other jobs. Her total monthly income easily doubled that of a full-time nanny. But she knew Qiqi was going away to university, and she wouldn't need a weekly cleaner anymore, perhaps only a deep clean a few times a month.

Wang Qiqi was unaware of Gong Hong’s thoughts. "Auntie Gong, I am going away to university soon, but not to Shencheng—to the capital. This means I will only be home during winter and summer breaks."

Gong Hong felt a sudden chill. Just as she was preparing to say she understood and would start looking for new employment, Wang Qiqi continued, "The family still hopes you can come once a week to clean and air out the place. Also, my parents left me some properties that are currently rented out. I hope you can help me manage them going forward. Of course, we will need to discuss the compensation."

Gong Hong blinked. What? She wasn't being let go, but her role was changing. However, Gong Hong found it strange. Wasn't it rumored that Qiqi's parents were spendthrifts, having only this one property to their name? How could Qiqi speak as if there were more?

Wang Qiqi noticed Gong Hong's strange expression and realized she must have overheard the remarks Li Cui made about her parents. She briefly explained the true situation of her family's assets. "If my uncles knew I possessed this many properties, they wouldn't let me off so easily."

Gong Hong nodded. Even without this wealth, given how those so-called relatives acted over the initial compensation money, their actions were hardly human. Had they known Qiqi held so much real estate, they certainly wouldn't have let her go so readily. What surprised Gong Hong most was that the shops left by Qiqi's parents were all in prime downtown locations. One, although not in a bustling area, was where Gong Hong remembered a nice-looking restaurant had opened; she never imagined the property owner was Wang Qiqi.

"The maintenance for those shops is generally handled by the tenants themselves, and the rent is signed annually, automatically depositing into my account. But sometimes I might need to reach out to you. The most troublesome part will be the apartment rentals—tenants might move out or seek new leases frequently, and things inside break down requiring repairs," Wang Qiqi outlined the future duties and scope of work for Gong Hong. "Auntie Gong, do you think you can handle all this?"

Gong Hong paused in thought. "I can." Broken items meant buying parts or calling someone for repair—that was simple enough, especially with receipts. Collecting rent was also straightforward. "What should I do with the rent money once I collect it?"

"We can settle up quarterly. You can deposit the money into my account then," Wang Qiqi decided. She planned to open a local bank account in the capital that could be monitored remotely, though she had no intention of spending that money soon; it was earmarked for future property purchases or investment in the stock market, with a preference for the former.

Gong Hong considered this. "Alright. I will mail you a detailed statement of income and expenses every quarter." This way, everything would be clear. Gong Hong knew that if she performed diligently, this job could last at least four years. More importantly, this work wouldn't consume much of her time, allowing her to take on two or three part-time jobs while continuing this arrangement with Qiqi.

Since Gong Hong agreed, the next step was negotiating the price. Wang Qiqi had already considered a figure but wanted to defer to Gong Hong's expectations. Naturally, Gong Hong wouldn't be the first to name a number.

Wang Qiqi thought for a moment. "Auntie Gong, here is what I propose: you come once a week to clean, open windows for air circulation, and handle those responsibilities. Can we stick to the current salary for now?"

Gong Hong had actually expected the pay to decrease slightly. Receiving the same amount made her thrilled, as, without much to do, this would amount to just two hours of cleaning per week. "No problem, no problem at all."

Wang Qiqi knew that based on the current workload, the pay was generous. But if she involved her uncles, the money paid out would certainly be higher, and they might even try to pocket the rental income. Gong Hong, however, didn't seem like that kind of person. Furthermore, offering a relatively modest salary carried an implied seal of secrecy, a level of trust Wang Qiqi felt confident in. "For the next four years, I hope we continue to cooperate well." If Auntie Gong performed excellently, Wang Qiqi wouldn't hesitate to give her a raise later.

Bu Bu went for a physical exam today; I wonder what the results will be. Yesterday I heard news that a friend was diagnosed with cancer, and this afternoon I had my check-up. Bu Bu feels so scared, so scared. Wish me luck. RS