"These drafts aren't urgent; you can take your time translating them. Can you get them to me by Thursday?" Li Xiangdong quickly pulled money from his wallet to pay Li Xiangdong while simultaneously grabbing a stack of documents from beside him.

Wang Qiqi had initially expected a monthly settlement, as had been mentioned before. She hadn't anticipated getting paid for the drafts this time, and she froze, forgetting to take the money or the manuscripts.

"Your translation is excellent, so we'll settle the payment right now." Li Xiangdong’s thinking was simple: since he couldn't raise Wang Qiqi's rate, he would pay her per submission.

Wang Qiqi hummed an acknowledgment. Since he was paying so readily, there was no reason to refuse the money. After taking the invoice, she signed the receipt, picked up the cash, and counted it. Wang Qiqi certainly wasn't the type to feel embarrassed counting money in front of someone; even if the amount was small, she needed to verify it immediately. If she discovered later that money was missing, was she expected to return and confront them? "That's right," Wang Qiqi said after counting through the bills once, tucking the money into her wallet.

Li Xiangdong watched Wang Qiqi count the money right there in front of him, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. Never mind a girl her age; even he felt awkward doing that when settling accounts elsewhere. Li Xiangdong quickly averted his gaze and bent over his own drafts. Whether she counted the money or not, a clear transaction was best for both parties.

Wang Qiqi took the stack of drafts and skimmed them over. They weren't difficult, though the volume was a bit large. But that didn't matter; more volume meant more money. "Can I get them to you by Wednesday evening?" Although classes would start on Monday, Wang Qiqi knew she could easily translate these drafts at the library. As for the dorm, Wang Qiqi absolutely would not expose her source materials there. When, she wondered, could she finally leave that dormitory for good? Ah.

"That works," Li Xiangdong nodded, adding as a final thought, "Keep up the good work, young lady. You’ll be seeing more of these assignments in the future." Li Xiangdong hadn't taken many of these assignments before; they were too time-sensitive and didn't pay particularly well. More importantly, he’d struggled to find reliable people. But now that he had someone this capable, Li Xiangdong felt he could revive this line of business.

Wang Qiqi hummed again. So, he planned to increase her income through volume. Still, Wang Qiqi wasn't about to fall out with Li Xiangdong now. Whether their business dealings flourished in the future largely depended on Li Qian. Once her own endeavors were established and she had made a name for herself, even if Li Xiangdong refused to raise her salary, Wang Qiqi could easily switch agencies—experience and skill made changing employers simple.

The moment Wang Qiqi stepped out, Li Qian immediately confronted Li Xiangdong. "If you think her translation is that good, why didn't you raise her pay?" Li Qian felt genuinely annoyed. Had their discussion from yesterday amounted to nothing? Even though their business was small-scale and had never expanded much, they had hired capable young translators before, but Li Xiangdong always ruthlessly exploited them. By the time those translators were competent enough to work independently, they would all leave for higher-paying jobs. This cycle was precisely why the translation agency couldn't grow. Li Xiangdong always promised pay raises, but when the promised rewards were deferred too long, it was inevitable that people would leave.

"Is it necessary?" Li Xiangdong set down his pen, leaning back against the chair, fixing his gaze on Li Qian. "She’s just a freshman, not an English major, and has no experience. It’s generous enough that we gave her the opportunity."

Li Qian stared at Li Xiangdong, taking a deep breath. "Do I need to point out that not charging her tuition is already a favor, Xiangdong? If you keep thinking like that, our translation agency will remain exactly this size."

"And what if it does?" Li Xiangdong raised an eyebrow. "We don't need too many new people. Can't we find others? I’ve decided that in the future, I’ll sign contracts with them—three-year terms. If they leave, they'll have to pay a penalty."

A penalty? A contract? Li Qian actually found this amusing. "A penalty, a contract? Do you think that’s applicable here? If the penalty is too high, who will sign? If it’s too low, they can still walk away with a word. That will only make the newcomers more resentful."

"No contract, no hiring," Li Xiangdong declared authoritatively, but under Li Qian’s intense stare, he raised a hand. "Fine, fine, assume I’m wrong. It's just that right now our profit margin is so thin, and we have client entertainment expenses; you have to understand..."

"If we retain good people, we can take on more assignments. Even if our cut from each is smaller, a higher volume means the total will be just as large." Li Qian had wanted to discuss this with Li Xiangdong for ages; the staff shortage meant the couple often had to do the work themselves. "Let's just try it. For a novice, the rate isn't high, but Wang Qiqi's rate could..."

"We can talk about a raise after a year," Li Xiangdong interrupted, not wanting to drag out the argument with Li Qian. "I know you want what’s best for the agency, and my goal is the same. All right, I need to organize the drafts I have; I have to deliver them shortly."

Li Qian watched as Li Xiangdong invariably found an excuse to avoid the topic whenever this subject came up. She sighed. Li Xiangdong hadn't noticed the look in Wang Qiqi’s eyes, but Li Qian had. From the way Wang Qiqi had closed her eyes just now, Li Qian knew that even without experience, Wang Qiqi had a decent grasp of the market rate. "I hope you won't regret this."

Li Qian returned to her desk to continue translating. Even if no one came to work at the office, some tasks still needed doing. Li Xiangdong waited for a long time, not hearing his wife speak, and let out a breath of relief. He did have his own vision for the translation agency's growth, and ultimately, they both shared the common goal of turning it into a medium-sized firm. But his wife always felt they should treat subordinates better. Li Xiangdong, however, believed human greed was endless; if you gave them too much, they would only think about getting more. It was better to proceed gradually. Every time this topic arose, his wife looked unhappy, which always left him feeling helpless.

Li Xiangdong quickly finished his work, tidied up slightly, and asked, "I’m heading out. Are you coming with me today?"

Li Qian shook her head. "No, I need to finish this assignment within the next few days." In truth, Li Qian worried that if she went out with him, they might start arguing halfway there, which would spoil her mood.

Li Xiangdong simply said, "Oh," and didn't press her. He left, and Li Qian didn't instinctively tell him to drive safely or similar things.

Having received her payment, Wang Qiqi didn't feel like subjecting herself to the bus ride. Although the distance wasn't far, it required transferring three times, which Wang Qiqi was reluctant to do. Besides, hadn't she just been paid? There was no need to be so frugal.

Wang Qiqi arrived home just after two o'clock. When she pushed the door open, she startled everyone who was gathered around the heater in the living room. "Qiqi, you’re back?" Han Tao checked the time; even if her trip to the Li family had gone smoothly, she shouldn't be home this early.

Wang Qiqi dropped her bag on the floor and bolted toward the bathroom. She had needed to use the restroom right after leaving the Li residence, but she hadn't dared turn back and had held it in the entire way home.

"Qiqi didn't hold her bladder the whole trip back, did she?" Shi Man watched Wang Qiqi vanish into the bathroom in a flash. "Things must have gone well. But Qiqi’s bag is still pretty heavy." The sound Wang Qiqi’s bag made hitting the floor clearly indicated significant weight.

"Maybe Qiqi went to buy some good food?" Jiang Xin looked at how confident Wang Qiqi had seemed when leaving and thought this was highly possible.

"Did you forget yesterday's dinner?" Zhu Lina looked at the two foodies still hoping for snacks. "Qiqi was translating until two in the morning yesterday." If Zhu Lina hadn't gotten up for the restroom around 2 AM, she wouldn't have known Qiqi stayed up that late. "Earning money isn't easy. If her roommates find out, she’ll have to treat them again."

"Why should they know?" Jiang Xin found this strange. Although Wang Qiqi and Bai Ge had a decent relationship, there was always a subtle tension. Wang Qiqi buying a computer had already made those people uncomfortable for a long time. "Don't worry, I won't say anything." Jiang Xin saw the looks Zhu Lina and the others were giving her and felt a pang of discomfort; why would she tell them?

Zhu Lina withdrew her gaze. Jiang Xin seemed relatively trustworthy; she usually kept her promises. "It’s not that Qiqi’s family lacks this bit of money, but if her roommates find out, who knows what kind of fuss they'll make."

Wang Qiqi finished her business and returned to the living room, noticing everyone staring at her. "It went great. They approved it in one go without asking for revisions, and they gave me several more drafts to turn in by Thursday. I told them I’d deliver by Wednesday evening."

More drafts? Han Tao was surprised that the Li family’s agency was so busy. "Can you handle it?" If the workload was heavy, wouldn't Wang Qiqi have to pull all-nighters again?

"I'll go back to the dorm tomorrow morning; I can work late tonight." Wang Qiqi had decided to finish all the rough drafts today and finalize them the day after tomorrow. "The pay isn't ideal, but he said he settles the account per submission."

"Not monthly?" Han Tao was surprised. "That's great. You gain experience, and it makes switching bosses easier later."

Wang Qiqi nodded. "Exactly."

As soon as Wang Qiqi sat down, she saw Shi Man and Jiang Xin hovering around her. "You two don't have to be like this. I treated you yesterday. You aren't going to make me buy you food all the time, are you?" It wasn't that Wang Qiqi was stingy, but yesterday those three had fully enacted a 'rob the rich to help the poor' routine on her. "Please spare me. I'll treat you all to dinner in the cafeteria tomorrow night."

The cafeteria? Shi Man wasn't entirely satisfied, but there would be plenty of opportunities for feasts later; they couldn't scare Wang Qiqi away from treating them in the future. "Fine. One meat dish each will do."

That wasn't a high demand, but Wang Qiqi knew she would be treating them to meat dishes quite often. Oh well, she had to keep their mouths shut. "Remember, don't tell anyone about this."