After three days of the Gaokao, Wang Qiqi and Han Tao had grown accustomed to the routine: being driven to and from the exams, sharing a pre-booked private room for lunch with the other two, enjoying delicious meals, and then taking a pleasant rest. During this time, no one asked the others how the exams went, and certainly no one dared to compare answers. Although Shi Man and Zhu Lina were itching with curiosity, desperate to check their answers to gauge their performance.

But Wang Qiqi and Han Tao spoke only of things unrelated to the tests. Moreover, the commotion they had caused that morning for Wang Qiqi had completely eased their tension. This good mood carried them right into the examination hall. The moment they received their papers, their hearts settled completely. They weren't really that difficult; the difficulty level was entirely within their expectations. If they performed normally, their scores wouldn't be too bad.

The first exam felt like an auspicious start—a potential Kaimen Hong (opening success). Subsequently, they both felt they had done well on the remaining exams. Of course, this was just their own feeling; they would only know the real results when the scores were released.

When the final bell rang, signaling the end of the last session, students filed out one after another. "Finally free, finally liberated." That exclamation instantly betrayed someone who either knew they had done terribly or someone who had completely given up on the test altogether.

"Sigh, I wonder how the results will be." This clearly belonged to someone who wasn't confident about their performance.

"How did it go?" Wang Qiqi asked, walking cheerfully towards Shi Man and Zhu Lina, who were already gathered nearby. In fact, even if Wang Qiqi hadn't asked, she could tell from their expressions that the two of them had likely 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 drawn long as she approached. "She didn't even respond when someone tried to compare answers with her."

No way, Wang Qiqi thought. After every exam, Huang Li was always the happiest comparing answers, especially enjoying the sight of others regretting and agonizing over their mistakes. "Maybe she's just in a bad mood, a bit too much pressure."

Zhu Lina glanced around and whispered, "I heard she bombed the Math section this time."

Bombed Math? Wang Qiqi was surprised. "The Math test wasn't that hard this time either. How could she have done so poorly?" Huang Li’s Math scores were usually reliable; there was no reason for her to fail spectacularly.

"Wait a minute," Shi Man frowned, trying to recall. "After the Math exam, I ran into Huang Li, and she still had a smile on her face." Shi Man couldn't reconcile the two facts: it didn't follow the pattern for someone who had failed Math to be smiling after leaving the hall.

"That was during the break," Zhu Lina explained. "Huang Li compared answers with some people, and found that the majority of them hadn't matched hers." Zhu Lina suspected this was the real reason for Huang Li's mood souring. "But it’s also possible she got most of them right, and the people she compared with were the ones who bombed."

This was precisely why Wang Qiqi disliked comparing answers. After all, the truth wasn't always held by the majority. Perhaps your minority opinion was the correct one, but even if you were right, your mood would already be ruined—especially during the Gaokao, when state of mind was paramount.

"Let's go back. I desperately need a proper rest," Shi Man said, showing zero interest in Huang Li's results. "I plan to sleep for three or four days straight. Oh, Qiqi, I'll find you later so we can wander around the area, okay?"

Wang Qiqi shrugged. "No objections." In any case, she was going to Beijing eventually to open an account and trade stocks; she might as well completely relax for these two months, take some trips, and then talk lease agreements with the tenants. Thinking this, Wang Qiqi suddenly realized a problem.

She was going to university in Beijing. The commercial properties were manageable; the rent would automatically transfer to her account on schedule. But managing the apartment rentals was different. Not only would the tenant turnover likely be high, but someone would need to handle repairs to appliances or utility bill collections. If she were studying in Shanghai, she could return on weekends easily enough. Going to Beijing made things highly inconvenient. As for her relatives? Sorry, Wang Qiqi had never considered bothering them. First, she didn't want them to know the extent of her assets, and second, she figured if she had to pay someone anyway, she might as well pay someone she trusted. She had already settled on a candidate: Gong Hong. After a year of interaction, Gong Hong had proven herself to be a decent person—good at cooking, not inflating grocery prices too much, and, most importantly, tight-lipped. Such a person was the most suitable choice. The next step was discussing Gong Hong's monthly salary.

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

Gong Hong murmured an acknowledgement. "I know. The other two 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 freshen up. "Auntie Gong, I have something important I need to discuss with you."

Gong Hong, hearing Wang Qiqi's tone from the kitchen, felt her hand tremble slightly. In the year-plus she had worked here as the helper, Gong Hong had been genuinely happy. Earning a few hundred a month, plus getting leftovers of vegetables or fruit to take home, and having employers who were easygoing and didn't stop her from taking on other small jobs, meant her monthly income easily doubled that of a full-time nanny. But she also knew that Qiqi was going to university out of town. She wouldn't need a cleaning lady here anymore, or perhaps only a few times a month for deep cleaning.

Wang Qiqi was unaware of Gong Hong’s apprehension. "Auntie Gong, I'm about to leave for university out of town, but not Shanghai—I’m going to Beijing. This means I'll only be back during winter and summer breaks."

Gong Hong felt a pang of coldness upon hearing this. Just as she was preparing 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 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. Wait, she wasn't being let go? It was a change in duties, but she could keep working. However, Gong Hong found it strange. Wasn't it said that Qiqi's parents were spendthrifts, and they only owned this one property? How could it be that Qiqi sounded like there was more?

Wang Qiqi noticed Gong Hong’s slightly puzzled 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 owned this many properties, they wouldn't let me off so easily."

Gong Hong nodded. Even without this many properties, just based on the initial compensation money, the things those so-called relatives had done were monstrous. If they had known Qiqi had this much real estate, they wouldn't have let her go so lightly. What astonished Gong Hong the most was that the commercial properties left by Qiqi's parents were all in prime downtown locations! One shop, though not in the busiest area, Gong Hong recalled, was hosting a restaurant rumored to be quite good. She never imagined the owner of that place was Wang Qiqi.

"The maintenance for those shops is generally handled by the tenants themselves, and the rent is signed annually, with the money automatically deposited into my account. However, sometimes your help will be needed. The trickiest part will be the apartment rentals—tenants might move out or rent frequently, and things inside might break and need repairs..." Wang Qiqi roughly outlined Gong Hong's future responsibilities and tasks. "Auntie Gong, do you think you can handle all this?"

Gong Hong lowered her head to think. "Yes, I can." Fixing broken things meant buying parts or calling someone for repairs; that was simple enough, as she could keep the receipts. Collecting rent was straightforward too. "What should I do with the collected rent?"

"We can settle up every quarter. You can just deposit the money into my account then." Wang Qiqi had a plan: she would open a local bank account in Beijing that she could check remotely. Of course, Wang Qiqi had no intention of spending this money right away; it was earmarked for future property purchases or stock investments, though she leaned toward real estate.

Gong Hong considered it. "Okay, then every quarter I will mail you a detailed statement of income and expenses." That would be clearer. Gong Hong knew that as long as she worked diligently, this arrangement could last at least four years. More importantly, this job wouldn't consume too much of her time; she could still take on two or three hourly gigs, and Qiqi’s management work could continue alongside them.

Since Gong Hong agreed, the next step was negotiating the terms. Wang Qiqi had already thought about what to offer, but the focus was on hearing Gong Hong’s expectations, and Gong Hong naturally wasn't going to name a price first.

Wang Qiqi thought for a moment. "Auntie Gong, here's what I’m thinking: you come weekly to clean and air out the house, and you manage those other matters. Can we maintain your current salary?"

Gong Hong had expected the pay to decrease. She was surprised it would stay the same, and naturally, she had no objections. Honestly, if there was nothing else to do, it would only take about two hours of cleaning per week. "No problem, no problem at all."

Wang Qiqi knew that based on the current workload, this was more money than the job required. But the key was that if she had asked her uncles for help, the money she paid out would certainly not be less, and they might even try to siphon off the income for themselves. Gong Hong, however, didn't strike her as that kind of person. Furthermore, offering a slightly generous salary carried an element of secrecy, a point of confidence Wang Qiqi possessed. "For the next four years, I hope we continue to cooperate well." If Auntie Gong performed excellently, Wang Qiqi wouldn't mind increasing her pay later.

Bu Bu is going for a physical examination today. I wonder what the results will be. Yesterday, I received news that a friend has cancer. This afternoon, I have my own check-up. Bu Bu feels this is terrifying, terrifying. Wish me luck. RS