As Feng Xuanxiang watched the group get into the taxi, he paused for a moment before hailing one himself to head home. Truthfully, the dinner had exceeded his expectations in many ways. For instance, the fact that Han Tao was Wang Qiqi’s boyfriend—Feng Xuanxiang took that as a sign of acceptance from Wang Qiqi and the others. Of course, there was another possibility: perhaps they wanted to glean some information from him. But what of it? Did colleagues never discuss the stock market with their friends?

Han Tao was the second surprise of the evening. Had he not personally revealed that he was a freshman studying Computer Science, Feng Xuanxiang would have pegged him for a sophomore majoring in Finance. But considering Wang Qiqi and Zhu Lina’s demeanor, which hardly seemed typical of first-year university students, he relaxed. Only precocious individuals would truly connect with them.

Han Tao sat in the passenger seat, noticing through the rearview mirror that Feng Xuanxiang was still standing motionless. "A very promising man. Don't let him slip away." Although his tone carried a touch of worldly advice, his sincerity was palpable, especially the way he looked at Shi Man.

Shi Man shot Han Tao a sidelong glance. "Hmph. Who knows what he actually sees in me." Tch, Shi Man thought, if someone didn't know my background, would he be kind to me? He might just be another freeloader.

Shi Man's words startled Wang Qiqi and the others. Was this why Shi Man was hesitant about a relationship with Feng Xuanxiang? However, Shi Man’s concerns weren't entirely unfounded. Judging by what Feng Xuanxiang had said immediately after they opened their trading accounts, it was clear he must know their financial situation. Suspecting he might be after easy money was perfectly normal.

Just as Wang Qiqi was about to speak, Zhu Lina pulled her back, nodding toward the driver in front to indicate they should discuss it at home.

After dropping Wang Qiqi and the others off at their residence, Han Tao returned to his own place. Wang Qiqi, Shi Man, and Zhu Lina flopped onto the floor and began discussing their feelings, the central topic being Feng Xuanxiang’s character and what exactly he saw in Shi Man—whether it was her money they were worried about. These were crucial questions, as Shi Man stood to suffer if his intentions were truly malicious.

This wasn't actually an oversight on Wang Qiqi’s and Zhu Lina’s part. In their view, among the three of them, Shi Man appeared the most aloof to outsiders, and she had also invested the least in the stock market. If someone were truly after money, they should have targeted Wang Qiqi or Zhu Lina first. Moreover, Shi Man was clearly the most difficult to deal with on the surface, whereas Wang Qiqi and Zhu Lina often appeared lighthearted and carefree—seemingly easy targets. Thus, they hadn't anticipated this depth of scrutiny.

After analyzing the situation together for quite some time, they concluded that since he hadn't explicitly stated his intentions, Shi Man could simply treat him as a financial consultant and avoid blowing things out of proportion. Besides, as Wang Qiqi pointed out in summary, "If a man isn't after money or looks, he must be after your figure. Anyway, as long as he treats you well, that’s what matters. If he covets nothing and still pursues you, that's probably a bigger problem." She added, "But Feng Xuanxiang is a decent young man. Look how much we learned just from discussing the stock market trends with him today." His professional knowledge was indeed excellent, but Wang Qiqi was curious why he wasn't planning to study abroad.

This led Zhu Lina to wonder about something else: "Is Han Tao starting to read finance books now?" Between tutoring and studying Computer Science, everyone thought he was busy enough, yet he still found time for finance texts. How much rest did he actually get? Didn't he get tired?

"Human potential is limitless. You'll know once you try, Na Na," Wang Qiqi yawned, picking up a nearby book on contract law.

Zhu Lina, seeing Wang Qiqi reading a Chinese book, initially thought it was a travel guide. Leaning closer, she realized it was legal statutes. She looked Wang Qiqi up and down. "Are you planning to study law?" Heavens, Qiqi already had a sharp tongue; if she started reading legal texts, how many men could argue against her?

What? Study law? Wang Qiqi immediately shook her head violently, remembering the grueling bar exam in the future. "No interest in law, sorry." Being a lawyer in China requires immense effort—it’s not just about being articulate or adept at exploiting legal loopholes. One also has to consider relationships with judges. Lawsuits are infrequent in the country, and large corporations only hire seasoned lawyers or those with powerful connections. It might take ages to finally reach the top.

"Then what are you...?" Zhu Lina pointed to the book in Wang Qiqi’s hand.

"Some of my current translation work involves legal documents, so I wanted to research whether it conflicts with our country’s legal statutes." Wang Qiqi wasn't motivated by pure altruism; she felt that if she was going to earn money this way, she needed to consider her clients' needs. That way, clients would remember her, and she wouldn't worry about finding business later.

Still, this was just Wang Qiqi's hopeful thought. Despite all the translating she did, would clients ever know about her? Especially since Wang Qiqi now emailed the materials directly to Li Xiangdong, who could just print them out without needing a scribe. How would the clients ever know her involvement? Without recognition, she couldn't dream of setting up her own independent practice. Of course, by the time those people recognized her existence, Wang Qiqi might no longer harbor the ambition to earn a living as a translator.

Zhu Lina gave Wang Qiqi a thumbs-up gesture of admiration. "You two could be a power couple. You're both so driven, especially Wang Qiqi. Zhu Lina knew their classmates praised Wang Qiqi for being resourceful in earning living expenses through translation, but they didn't realize that this was just pocket money. They didn't see how much money Wang Qiqi had earned in just the past six months.

"Stagnation is the same as regression. Besides, if you’re taking someone’s money, you have to consider the client," Wang Qiqi thought. Knowing a bit about law was beneficial; at least she could understand simple sales contracts in the future. "You aren't exactly idle either; you should look at some basic legal texts, management principles, and HR basics, right?" Being a CEO demands versatility. Wang Qiqi might have once thought being a rich second-generation heir was comfortable, but looking at Zhu Lina, also a rich second-generation heir, she thought such a life was too burdensome. Being responsible for supporting oneself and living comfortably was one thing; managing so many employees and expanding the family business her parents left behind sounded like a truly grueling existence.

Zhu Lina smiled at Wang Qiqi’s concerned look. "I'm used to it. You know, my dad has a foreign business partner whose son started attending major company meetings at eight, took over managing a failing enterprise at sixteen, and succeeded him at twenty-six. But I estimate I’d be struggling to take over even at thirty-six." Alas, even though it was a family business where her father held the majority stake, the education they received growing up was vastly different.

Wang Qiqi sensed the envy in Zhu Lina’s words, but there was nothing to be done about it. People in China still favored sons; daughters were always considered outsiders. Fortunately, Zhu Lina’s mother was capable enough to prevent her husband from having an affair and producing an illegitimate child to cause distress. "It’s normal. You’ll raise your own child the same way when you have one." Still, Wang Qiqi pitied that child. An eight-year-old should simply be enjoying childhood; forcing them to study these things so early meant exposing them too soon to the darkness of the adult world. Such children had a tough lot.

Zhu Lina shook her head. "Forget it. I don't want a son who acts like an old man. You don't know, that kid isn't even thirty, and he never smiles; he looks like a middle-aged man." His days were spent handling business—either in meetings or on planes, constantly fighting jet lag. He was impossibly busy. "Who would marry him? He's destined to spend his life sleeping alone."

"So what if he sleeps alone, as long as he provides enough allowance," Wang Qiqi mused. As long as there was money, women would flock to him. Besides, there wasn't only one man in the world. "It’s better when men are busy making money; they don't have time to chase other women."

Though Zhu Lina knew Wang Qiqi’s logic had some merit, it felt fundamentally wrong. "Never mind, let's drop it. Classes start officially tomorrow, and I need to sleep. I have an early class." An 8 AM lecture—truly miserable.

Wang Qiqi leisurely continued reading. She had no classes that morning but didn't plan to sleep in. She intended to spend the morning at the library, perhaps reading or auditing classes in the English department. However, after two months, Wang Qiqi felt her progress wasn't significant, not nearly as good as the pointers she got from Li Xiangdong. Unfortunately, he was getting busier and busier. Li Qian could also offer guidance, but she was busy too—either translating or managing internal affairs. Wang Qiqi hated to bother them and interrupt their earning time.

Wang Qiqi took a few books to her usual spot and settled down to read quietly. Before long, she noticed the area around her was becoming noisy and chatty. At that moment, she remembered that Dai Lijun, too, borrowed books from the library to read at home; he wouldn't be sitting and reading here. Shi Man and the others were in class, and Nana was about to start her internship soon. These leisurely reading days wouldn't last long. Has the carefree reading time of last semester already ended? Wang Qiqi thought to herself.

Frankly, Wang Qiqi enjoyed reading in the library; it was quiet, forcing her to read properly. At home, although it was quiet, she often ended up lying down to read and promptly falling asleep. Unfortunately, the current environment wasn't one she could choose to keep. Too many people around, and they certainly weren't there to read quietly.

Wang Qiqi looked at the incessant chatter around her, gathered her books, and stood up, preparing to return to the dorm where it would at least be quiet.

Before leaving, Wang Qiqi took one last look at her spot. It was undeniably prime real estate, especially in winter when the sunlight warmed her pleasantly. "Good spot, very suitable for reading, but perhaps not for falling in love, right, Gong Yiying?" (To be continued.)