The three days of the Gaokao blurred into a routine for Wang Qiqi and Han Tao: a car service for transport, lunch for four in a pre-booked private room enjoying delicious meals, followed by a pleasant rest. No one asked how the others fared on the exams, and certainly, no one dared to compare answers, although Shi Man and Zhu Lina were itching to check theirs just to know where they stood.

But Wang Qiqi and Han Tao talked about things completely unrelated to the examinations. Coupled with the morning's small commotion involving Wang Qiqi, their spirits were completely lifted, a good mood that persisted right up until they entered the examination halls. The moment they held their test papers, their hearts settled completely. It truly wasn't that difficult; or rather, the difficulty was precisely within their expectations. If they performed normally, the results wouldn't be too bad.

The first exam felt like a solid start, perhaps even an auspicious beginning. For the subsequent tests, both girls felt they had done well—though this was just their personal feeling; they would only know for sure when the scores were released.

The moment the final bell rang, signaling the end of the last exam, candidates trickled out of the halls. "Finally free, finally free," a voice declared, clearly belonging to someone who either knew they had failed miserably or had completely given up on the results.

"Sigh, I wonder how it went," came another voice, betraying uncertainty about the outcome.

"How was it?" Wang Qiqi asked, cheerfully approaching Shi Man and Zhu Lina, who were already congregating nearby. Even without asking, Wang Qiqi could tell from their expressions that the two of them must have done quite well.

"Not bad," Shi Man replied with a grin. "Did you know? Huang Li’s expression wasn't great." Shi Man had noticed Huang Li’s face stretched long as she approached; "She didn't even acknowledge people who tried to compare answers with her."

No way, Wang Qiqi thought. Usually, after every exam, Huang Li was happiest comparing answers, especially seeing the look of regret and remorse on others' faces. "Maybe she's just in a bad mood, under a lot of pressure," Wang Qiqi speculated.

Zhu Lina glanced around and whispered, "Word is, she bombed the math exam this time."

Bombed math? Wang Qiqi was surprised. "The math wasn't that hard this time; how could she have bombed it?" Huang Li’s math scores were usually solid; there was no logical reason for her to do poorly.

"Wait a minute," Shi Man recalled, furrowing her brow. "I saw Huang Li right after the math exam, and she still had a smile on her face." It didn't compute that someone who had failed the math section would be cheerful coming out of the hall; that went against the natural order of things.

"That was during the break. Huang Li compared answers with others, and she found that most of her answers didn't match theirs," Zhu Lina mused. That must be why her mood soured later. "But it's also possible she got them right, and the people she was checking with were the ones who failed."

This reinforced why Wang Qiqi disliked comparing answers. Truth wasn't always held by the majority. Perhaps your minority answer was correct, but even if it was, your spirits would already be dampened. Especially during the Gaokao, one’s emotional state was critically important.

"Let's go, let's head back. I need a proper rest now," Shi Man said, completely uninterested in Huang Li’s academic fate. "I plan to sleep for three or four days straight. Oh, Qiqi, I’ll find you later so we can wander around the neighborhood, okay?"

Wang Qiqi shrugged. "No objections." Regardless, she had to go to the capital city soon to open a stock account. She decided to completely unwind for the next two months—take a few trips, and discuss lease agreements with her tenants. Thinking about this, Wang Qiqi suddenly realized an issue.

She was going to university in the capital. The commercial properties were simple; rent would automatically transfer to her account on time. But the apartments were different. Not only would tenant turnover likely be high, but someone would need to handle repairs to furnishings or payments for utilities like water and gas. If she were studying in Shencheng, she could just come back on weekends. But going to the capital made things inconvenient. As for her relatives? No, Wang Qiqi had absolutely no intention of troubling them. Firstly, she didn't want them to know her true financial standing, and secondly, she figured if she had to pay someone to manage things anyway, she might as well pay someone she trusted. She already had a candidate in mind: Gong Hong. After a year of interaction, Gong Hong seemed like a decent person—a good cook, didn't inflate grocery costs much, and most importantly, kept her mouth shut. This type of person was the most suitable. The next step was discussing a monthly salary with Gong Hong.

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

Gong Hong acknowledged this with a soft "Mm," then plugged in the rice cooker. "How were the exams?"

"Decent," Wang Qiqi replied, putting her books away before heading to the bathroom to freshen up. "Auntie Gong, I have something I need to discuss with you."

Gong Hong, stirring something in the kitchen, felt her hand tremble slightly upon hearing Wang Qiqi's serious tone. For over a year working here, Gong Hong had been genuinely happy. Earning several hundred a month, plus being allowed to take home leftover vegetables or fruit, and having employers who were easygoing and didn't interfere with her taking on other small jobs, meant her monthly income easily doubled that of a full-time nanny. But she knew Qiqi was heading off to university out of town, and she wouldn't need a cleaning lady regularly—perhaps only a few times a month at most.

Wang Qiqi was unaware of Gong Hong’s internal anxieties. "Auntie Gong, I am about to go to university out of town, but not in Shencheng—in the capital. That means I'll only be back during winter and summer breaks."

Gong Hong’s heart sank upon hearing this. Just as she was preparing to say she understood and would start looking for another position, Wang Qiqi continued, "The family still hopes you can come by once a week to clean, air out the place, and also, my parents left me some properties which are currently rented out. I hope you can help me manage them moving forward. Of course, we will need to discuss compensation."

Gong Hong blinked. Wait, she wasn't being let go, but rather transitioning to a new kind of work. However, Gong Hong found it strange. Wasn't Qiqi’s father supposed to be a spendthrift who only owned this one house? How did it sound like there were more properties?

Wang Qiqi noticed Gong Hong’s puzzled expression. She knew Gong Hong must have overheard what Li Cui had said about her parents. So, Wang Qiqi briefly explained the family situation. "If my uncles found out how many properties I actually possess, they wouldn't let me off so easily."

Gong Hong nodded. Even without this many properties, given the compensation money involved, what those so-called relatives had done was monstrous. If they had known Qiqi held this much real estate back then, they certainly wouldn't have let go so easily. What surprised Gong Hong most was that the commercial shops Wang Qiqi's parents left behind were all in prime downtown locations. One property, while not in a bustling area, housed a restaurant that Gong Hong remembered as quite nice; she never knew the owner was Wang Qiqi.

"The maintenance for those shops is mostly handled by the tenants themselves, and the rent is signed on an annual basis, paid automatically into my card. But sometimes, I might need you to step in. The most troublesome part will be the apartment rentals—there might be frequent move-outs or new tenants, and things inside breaking down that need fixing," Wang Qiqi outlined the tasks and general responsibilities for Gong Hong’s future role. "Auntie Gong, do you think you can handle all of this?"

Gong Hong lowered her head to think. "Yes, I can." Replacing broken items meant buying parts or calling someone for repairs; that was simple enough, as receipts could always be provided. Collecting rent was also straightforward. "What should I do with the collected rent?"

"We can settle up quarterly. Auntie Gong, you can just deposit the money into the card then." Wang Qiqi had decided she would open a local bank card that could also be checked from the capital. Naturally, Wang Qiqi had no intention of spending this money immediately; it was reserved for buying a future house or investing in the stock market, though she leaned towards the former.

Gong Hong considered the arrangement. "Alright, then every quarter, I will mail you a detailed statement of income and expenses." This way, everything would be clear. Gong Hong knew that if she performed diligently, this arrangement could last at least four years. More importantly, this job wouldn't take up too much of her time; she could still take on two or three hourly cleaning jobs while continuing with Qiqi's affairs.

Since Gong Hong agreed, the next step was discussing the terms. Wang Qiqi had already considered what to offer, but the focus depended on Gong Hong’s expectation, and Gong Hong certainly wouldn't speak first.

Wang Qiqi pondered for a moment. "Auntie Gong, here is my thought: you come once a week to clean, open windows for ventilation, and handle those management tasks. Can we keep the current pay as the base?"

Gong Hong had actually expected the pay to decrease. To maintain the current salary for what amounted to perhaps two hours of light cleaning per week if there were no issues, was more than generous. She certainly had no objections. "No problem, no problem at all."

Wang Qiqi knew that based on the current workload, this pay was slightly generous. However, the alternative was involving her uncles, who would certainly demand a higher price—or worse, might try to pocket the income entirely. Gong Hong, Wang Qiqi believed, was not that kind of person. Furthermore, paying a modest wage carried an implicit element of confidentiality, a confidence Wang Qiqi held. "For the next four years, I hope we can continue to cooperate well." If Auntie Gong performed excellently, Wang Qiqi wouldn't mind increasing her salary later.

Bu Bu went for a physical today; I wonder what the results will be. Yesterday I received news that a friend has cancer, and this afternoon I have to get checked up. Bu Bu feels so terrified, so terrified. Wish me good luck. RS