Shi Man and the others exchanged glances after Wang Qiqi appeared, and then Shi Man spoke, "How was the interview today?"

Wang Qiqi sighed, "Scolded again. They said there's been no progress." Li Xiangdong was right. Even if I have some understanding of business, I can't just spin my wheels in that area. So, although this boss is a bit stingy, he has at least taught me a lot.

Shi Man looked at Wang Qiqi’s aggrieved expression and felt a wave of disdain; the girl was acting again. "What can you do? You're just an apprentice. If I don't scold you, how will you improve? Do you think you’re still in school?"

Zhu Lina watched Shi Man’s enjoyment of the show and asked about the matter they were most concerned about: "How did the interviews go today? Did they hire two people?" Zhu Lina had heard from Jiang Xin that many people in their class were very eager, thinking that if Qiqi could become an apprentice, there was no reason they couldn't. Zhu Lina secretly rejoiced. A bunch of people who usually don't read the original texts think translation work is easy. If they aren't made to suffer a little, they'll never know how high the sky is. Shi Man thought to herself that she reads an original text every day and still doesn't feel confident; there’s no way those people who only recently started trying hard will pass.

Although Wang Qiqi really wanted to tell them about the interview process, she was aware that people were watching nearby. She felt awkward discussing things that were clearly jokes with them. Some things were better saved for when they were alone. Even if they spoke quietly on the path, what if someone hiding in the bushes overheard? "Nope. You all know President Li’s mouth. Not a single one was hired."

"That’s why I’m not going to try out," Shi Man nodded in sympathy. She had once accompanied Wang Qiqi to submit a manuscript and had witnessed Li Xiangdong scolding her. Although it was for Qiqi’s own good, she was still a girl. Only Wang Qiqi could put up with it. Shi Man secretly thought she would have started an argument long ago if it were her. Moreover, she expected the interviewees would provide plenty of amusing stories. However, it wasn't appropriate to discuss such topics at school.

"Am I thick-skinned?" Wang Qiqi said self-deprecatingly. She picked up a book to cover her face, then pulled out some paper from her bag and started working, determined to submit her manuscript the day after tomorrow.

Seeing Wang Qiqi take out the paper, Zhu Lina knew she was getting down to business. Any further questions had to be put aside, so she picked up her book and began reading. Since hearing Wang Qiqi's advice last time, Zhu Lina's reading habits had significantly changed; lately, she was engrossed in books about food, especially fast food.

As the stock market continued to rise, Shi Man felt more and more confident about her summer trip to Europe. Her reading scope had shifted to travelogues about Britain and France. Unfortunately, there were few such books readily available; most required reading original texts, which gave her a headache. Yet, she persisted slowly. Her reasoning was that two out of the three of them were busy, leaving her as the only one with free time. If she didn't read the travelogues, she worried that the other two would get completely lost on their first trip abroad.

Wang Qiqi looked at the anxious Shi Man and really wanted to comfort her, thinking, It’s fine, we can ask for directions later. However, the biggest issue seemed to be asking for directions in French when they were in France, as some French people wouldn't reply in English. Wang Qiqi wondered if she should use the remaining six months to learn a bit of French so she could at least ask how to order when enjoying local cuisine. But she decided this task could be delegated to Manman.

Shi Man stared at the book in her hands and suddenly remarked, "It’s two months until I can go home. That feels so long." Shi Man hadn't felt much of a "homey" atmosphere before, but after being away for so long, she longed to return, even if it meant going back to an empty house.

Wang Qiqi suddenly remembered something. "Oh no, I have to go home for New Year's Day. Are you going back, Manman?"

Going back for New Year’s Day? Shi Man found it strange. "It’s only a three-day break. Why are you rushing back?" She hadn't heard of any urgent matters in Wang Qiqi's family that necessitated such a quick trip.

Zhu Lina put down her book, thought for a moment, and asked, "Is your cousin getting married?" Otherwise, Zhu Lina couldn't think of any reason Wang Qiqi needed to rush home.

"Didn't they say she was getting married during the Spring Festival?" Due to Wang Qiqi's small number of relatives, Shi Man knew the details of their family matters quite well. "It wouldn't be..." Although it was only a month earlier, moving the date forward so close to the original wedding date usually indicated some unexpected situation that needed to be addressed.

Wang Qiqi nodded. "Yes. My sister called me yesterday and said she’s a month pregnant, so they moved it up. Now they are looking for a restaurant to host a gathering on New Year’s Day." Wang Qiqi understood the current situation well. After the unpleasantness between the Gong and Song families over Gong Peixing and Song Yao’s marriage, Gong Peixing had become completely disillusioned with his clearly biased parents. Having already registered the marriage with Song Yao, he moved in with the Song family. At this point, Wang Damei wouldn't push her son-in-law away; her calculations were sharp—she figured this arrangement was tantamount to him marrying into the Song family.

"How much are you planning to give as a wedding gift?" Shi Man knew that Wang Qiqi’s money wasn't only coveted by her uncle and aunt; her aunt, Wang Damei, was also eyeing it, though not as aggressively as Wang Dagui and his wife.

Wang Qiqi held up one finger. "This much." Sighing, Wang Qiqi felt a pang of pain just thinking about spending that much money.

Jiang Xin assumed she meant a thousand. While this amount wasn't excessively high for a wedding gift, the problem was that Wang Qiqi was just a student, and her current work barely covered her living expenses.

Zhu Lina and Shi Man understood what Wang Qiqi's single finger represented. "That’s quite generous. But will you give the same amount when Wang Rui gets married?"

"Yes, equal treatment," Wang Qiqi sneered lightly. "But what I’m concerned about is how much my uncle’s side will give when I get married. If I marry first, I'll match their gift amount. If Wang Rui marries first, then I’ll give that figure."

Zhu Lina looked intently at Wang Qiqi. "Your gift money is still a bit too high. I doubt your uncle’s family will reciprocate with that much."

"I’m not expecting any return gift; giving them money won't earn me any good words anyway," Wang Qiqi said. Giving the money was one thing; she also needed to buy a gift for Song Yao. Regardless of how unreliable Song Yao was in her past life or how she had kicked her while she was down, in this life, Song Yao had been good to her. Since coming north for her studies, Song Yao was the only one who often called her and maintained correspondence through letters. Knowing Qiqi had money for clothes, Song Yao still took the time to knit her two sweaters. Okay, Wang Qiqi admitted she was easily moved; she was simply won over by Song Yao's gestures.

A bit too much gift money? Jiang Xin was confused and asked foolishly, "Are you giving ten thousand as a gift?"

Zhu Lina hummed in agreement. "I imagine if you give that much for the wedding gift, your aunt will become envious again." Zhu Lina could picture the distorted expression on Li Cui's face upon learning the amount Wang Qiqi gave. Wang Qiqi shook her head. "She won't be worried about that; she’s wondering how much I’ll give when her daughter Wang Rui marries. The gift I give Song Yao now sets the baseline for Song Ziwen and Wang Rui's future wedding gifts. Of course, she’s not considering the reciprocity issue."

Jiang Xin was stunned. Good heavens, Wang Qiqi's cousin was getting such a large wedding gift, and judging by their conversation, Wang Qiqi had other cousins, meaning future wedding gifts would be similar. She was astonished by the underlying wealth. "Qiqi, isn't this a bit wasteful? You're still studying now." Jiang Xin hesitated but then spoke up, "Although your parents left you some money, relying solely on savings isn't a long-term solution."

At Jiang Xin's concern, Shi Man and Zhu Lina smiled, though not broadly. It was the first time they had heard someone worry that Wang Qiqi wouldn't have enough money. After a moment, they composed themselves. "Don't worry. I can guarantee that even if Wang Qiqi never worked a day in her life, the money her parents left her would be enough for her to live on." The annual rent from just the ground-floor commercial property was equivalent to many families' annual income, and most importantly, Wang Qiqi didn't actually spend much money.

Since they vouched for her, Jiang Xin just murmured an "Oh." It was their private affair, so she wouldn't press further.

In the following days, besides the library, Wang Qiqi added another location to her routine: auditing classes in the English department. Some found the sudden appearance of this student odd, but few paid much attention. Especially when she attended the sophomore-level courses, Wang Qiqi could clearly observe the atmosphere in some classrooms. Never mind whether everyone was present; some students were clearly engaged in private business during class. Wang Qiqi shook her head repeatedly. What was wrong with the current generation? They didn't study diligently when they had the chance, and they would realize the pain when they graduated and looked for jobs.

When word got around the class that Wang Qiqi was auditing courses, she earned considerable respect. This development forced Gong Yiying to swallow back any rumors she might have spread about the unsavory relationship between Wang Qiqi and Li Xiangdong. Besides, everyone had witnessed the embarrassing situation Wang Qiqi had put Deng Zhi in previously; what if Wang Qiqi truly lost her temper? Moreover, Wang Qiqi’s biggest enigma was her schedule: returning home Friday evening and appearing on campus Monday morning meant she was outside everyone’s scrutiny during those times, but she was present otherwise. This suggested that if there were an illicit affair, the situation might not be so constrained. Additionally, President Li and his wife seemed to have a very good relationship, based on hearsay. After all, in a university full of people, fresh gossip emerged daily, and attention quickly shifted to newer topics. While their curiosity about Wang Qiqi didn't vanish, they would likely re-engage the discussion once slightly more concrete evidence surfaced. (To be continued)