The three days of the Gaokao settled into a routine for Wang Qiqi and Han Tao: a car to shuttle them, lunch for the four of them in a pre-booked private room with delicious food, followed by a pleasant rest. No one asked how the others had done on the exams, and certainly no one compared answers, although Shi Man and Zhu Lina’s hearts were itching with the desire to cross-reference their scores to gauge their performance.

Wang Qiqi and Han Tao instead chatted about things unrelated to the exams. Coupled with the morning's incident involving Qiqi, their moods had completely relaxed, a good feeling that persisted until they entered the examination hall. The moment they held the papers, their hearts settled completely. It truly wasn't that hard, or rather, the difficulty was within their expectations. If they performed normally, the results wouldn't be too bad.

The first exam, whether by design or coincidence, felt like a good omen—an excellent start. For the subsequent exams, both girls felt they had done well, though this was merely their subjective feeling, which would only be confirmed when the results were released.

When the bell rang for the very last exam, everyone slowly filtered out of the hall. “Finally free, finally free.” This cry immediately suggested either someone expecting great scores or someone who had completely given up due to poor performance.

“Sigh, I wonder how it went.” This clearly belonged to someone unsure of their own performance.

“How were your exams?” Wang Qiqi asked, approaching Shi Man and Zhu Lina, who were walking to the assembly point with bright smiles. In truth, even if Qiqi hadn't asked, their expressions already told her they had probably done quite well.

“Not bad,” Shi Man said cheerfully. “You know, Huang Li’s expression wasn't good at all.” Shi Man had seen Huang Li’s face stretched long as she approached, and noted that Huang Li hadn't even acknowledged those who tried to talk answers with her.

No way, Wang Qiqi thought. Huang Li’s greatest joy after any exam was comparing answers, especially seeing the look of regret and remorse on others’ faces. “Maybe she’s just in a bad mood, a bit too much pressure.”

Zhu Lina glanced around and whispered, “Word is she bombed the Math exam.”

Bombed Math? Wang Qiqi was surprised. “This year’s Math wasn't that hard; how could she have messed up?” Huang Li’s math scores were usually solid; there was no reason for her to fail.

“That’s not right. I saw Huang Li after the Math exam, and she was smiling,” Shi Man recalled, finding it illogical that someone who did poorly on Math would be cheerful leaving the hall.

“That was during the break. Huang Li compared answers with people, and found that most of her answers didn't match theirs,” Zhu Lina surmised that this must be the real reason for Huang Li’s downturn. “But it’s also possible she did correctly, and the people she compared with were the ones who failed.”

This was precisely why Wang Qiqi disliked comparing answers. True answers weren't always held by the majority; even if you were in the minority, your answer might be correct. But even if you were right, your mood would be ruined, especially during the Gaokao, where state of mind was crucial.

“Let’s go back. I just want to rest well now,” Shi Man said, showing no interest in Huang Li’s scores. “I plan to sleep for three or four days straight. Oh, Qiqi, I’ll ask you to go wander around the area with me later, alright?”

Wang Qiqi shrugged. “No objection.” In any case, she had to go to Jingcheng soon to open a brokerage account. She planned to completely unwind for the next two months—take a few trips, and then discuss lease agreements with her tenants. Thinking about this, Wang Qiqi suddenly realized a problem.

She was going to university in Jingcheng. The storefronts were easy; the rent would automatically transfer to her card on time. But the apartment rentals were different. Not only would tenant turnover likely be high, but if anything inside broke, or if utility bills needed collecting, someone would have to handle it. If she were studying in Shencheng, she could come back on weekends, but studying in Jingcheng made it inconvenient. As for her relatives, sorry, Wang Qiqi hadn't even considered bothering them. Firstly, she didn't want them to know her true financial standing, and secondly, she figured if she had to pay someone for their work anyway, she might as well pay someone trustworthy. She had already decided on the person: Gong Hong. After knowing her for a year, Gong Hong seemed decent—a good cook, not overly inflating prices when sent to buy groceries, and most importantly, tight-lipped. Such a person was the most suitable candidate. The next step was discussing a monthly salary with Gong Hong.

When Wang Qiqi returned home, she saw Gong Hong preparing dinner. “Aunty Gong, it’s just Han Tao and me eating tonight, so don't make too much.”

Gong Hong replied with an “Oh,” and said, “I know, the other two left me a note.” Gong Hong plugged in the rice cooker. “How was the exam?”

“Not bad.” Wang Qiqi put down her books and went to the bathroom to freshen up. “Aunty Gong, I need to discuss something with you.”

Gong Hong, hearing Wang Qiqi’s words from the kitchen, felt her hand tremble. In the year-plus she had worked here as an auntie, Gong Hong had been very happy. Earning several hundred a month, plus getting vegetables or fruit to take home, and the employers being easygoing—it didn't stop her from taking on other jobs. Her monthly income was easily double that of a full-time nanny. But she also knew that Qiqi was going away to university and wouldn't need an auntie for regular cleaning; maybe just a few times a month.

Wang Qiqi was unaware of Gong Hong’s apprehension. “Aunty Gong, I am about to go to university out of town, but not Shencheng—Jingcheng. This means I’ll only be back during the winter and summer holidays.”

Gong Hong’s heart sank upon hearing this. Just as she was about to say she understood and would start looking for a new position, Wang Qiqi continued, “The family still hopes you can come once a week to clean, air the place out, and also, my parents left me some properties that are currently rented out. I hope you can help me continue managing them. Of course, we'll need to discuss the compensation.”

Gong Hong heard this and paused. What? She wasn't being let go, but rather transitioning to a different role? However, Gong Hong found it strange. Wasn't Qiqi’s father known for squandering everything, leaving only this one house? Why did it sound like Qiqi had more properties?

Wang Qiqi noticed Gong Hong’s strange expression, realizing she must have overheard what Li Cui had said about her parents. She briefly explained the family situation. “If my uncles and their families knew I possessed this many properties, they wouldn't let me off so easily.”

Gong Hong nodded. Even without so many houses, given the compensation money, what those so-called relatives had done was unforgivable. If they had known Qiqi held so much property, they wouldn’t have let her go so easily. What surprised Gong Hong most was that the shops Qiqi’s parents left behind were all in prime downtown locations. One property, although not in a bustling area, Gong Hong remembered a restaurant had opened there with good ambiance; she hadn't realized the owner of that place was Wang Qiqi.

“The maintenance for those shops is mostly handled by the tenants themselves, the leases are signed yearly, and the rent is automatically deposited into my account. However, sometimes I might need you to step in. The most troublesome parts will be the apartment rentals, as tenants may frequently move out or move in, and things inside break down requiring repairs,” Wang Qiqi outlined Gong Hong’s future duties and responsibilities generally. “Aunty Gong, do you think you can manage all this?”

Gong Hong lowered her head to think. “Yes, I can.” Wasn't it just fixing things? She could buy parts or call someone for repairs; that was simple enough, and she would have receipts. Plus, collecting rent. “What should I do with the collected rent?”

“We can settle once a quarter. Then, Aunty Gong, you can just deposit the money into my account.” Wang Qiqi had decided. She would open a local bank account in Jingcheng that she could check remotely. Of course, Wang Qiqi didn't plan on spending this money immediately; it was for future property purchases or stock investments, though she leaned towards the former.

Gong Hong considered this. “Okay, then I will mail you a detailed breakdown of income and expenses every quarter.” This way, it would be clearer. Gong Hong knew that if she performed diligently, this job could last at least four years. More importantly, this work wouldn't consume too much of her time, allowing her to take on two or three hourly jobs while continuing with Qiqi’s responsibilities.

Since Gong Hong agreed, the next step was negotiating the price. Wang Qiqi had already thought about what to offer, but the focus was on Gong Hong’s expectation, and Gong Hong certainly wouldn't name a figure first.

Wang Qiqi thought for a moment. “Aunty Gong, here’s what I propose: you come here once a week to clean and air the place out, and you handle those other matters. Can we maintain your current salary?”

Gong Hong had expected the pay to decrease, so she was pleasantly surprised that the offer was the same as her current wages. She naturally had no objection; honestly, if there was no extra work, it was just two hours of cleaning a week. “No problem, no problem at all.”

Wang Qiqi knew that based on the current workload, this payment was generous, but the issue was if she asked her uncles for help, the money she paid out would certainly not be less, and they might even withhold the income from her. Gong Hong, however, didn’t seem like that kind of person. Furthermore, offering a modest salary also served as a confidentiality measure—Wang Qiqi had some confidence in that. “For the next four years, I hope we can continue working together well.” If Aunty Gong performed excellently, Wang Qiqi wouldn't mind offering a raise later.

Bu Bu went for a physical today; who knows what the results will be, sigh. Yesterday I heard news that a friend had cancer, and this afternoon I had my check-up. Bu Bu feels it’s terrifying, terrifying. Wish me luck! RS