In the following days, Deng Zhi and Gong Yiying continued to flaunt their affection. However, as the weather grew warmer, Wang Qiqi noticed that Gong Yiying had lost a significant amount of weight compared to last year. At the time, Wang Qiqi wondered if it was due to increased physical activity—she had heard rumors that a certain type of exercise could lead to weight loss. Yet, someone else didn't think so; instead, this person commented that Bai Ge and the others were working too hard as tutors and that Gong Yiying should just find a rich boyfriend instead.

Because of this comment, Bai Ge and the others grew increasingly disdainful of that person. Whether she relied on someone to support her was her own business. Furthermore, was Deng Zhi truly a good person? Only Gong Yiying thought he was. This difference in perspective caused Bai Ge and the others to distance themselves further from Gong Yiying, managing their relationship with a cool formality typical of casual classmates. In the dorm, they rarely invited her to gatherings unless they had the misfortune of her finding out about one by chance.

Bai Ge and her group took on several more tutoring assignments; they were quite busy, spending most of their time shuttling between the library and classrooms on campus. The dorm was truly just a place to sleep. "Qiqi, call your man over. We're having dinner at your place tonight." Ever since Bai Ge and the others visited Wang Qiqi's place for the first time, most of their group dinners involved them bringing their own ingredients to Wang Qiqi's apartment to cook, clean up afterward, and then leave.

"Is there another problem?" The moment Wang Qiqi heard they were calling Han Tao, her immediate thought was that they must have run into some trouble, otherwise, there would be no need to involve him.

Bai Ge chuckled, gesturing toward Duan Xiaomin, "A high school student's parent approached Duan Xiaomin about tutoring." This made Bai Ge quite envious. High school tutoring charged significantly more than elementary school tutoring, although the pressure was immense. For Bai Ge, tutoring younger children carried less pressure; if the pay wasn't high, she could just tutor more kids—if the quality wasn't top-tier, she could make up for it in volume.

Duan Xiaomin? Taking on a high school student? Wang Qiqi hadn't expected Duan Xiaomin to be the first to land a high school tutoring gig. "That’s great. Han Tao doesn’t have a tutoring session today, so you aren’t planning on stocking up on his favorite food, are you?" Sometimes Wang Qiqi was genuinely jealous of Han Tao; despite being one-third of the proprietorship, whenever Han Tao showed up, Bai Ge and the others would bring dishes he loved to eat. How could this not provoke jealousy in Wang Qiqi?

Duan Xiaomin walked up to Wang Qiqi, clutching her textbooks. "It's necessary to butter up your man, otherwise, how can we expect him to give careful pointers?" Duan Xiaomin didn't deny that they planned to buy Han Tao’s favorite dishes that day.

"Then why does no one try to butter me up? Don't you people know that if I get angry..." Wang Qiqi exclaimed indignantly.

Bai Ge placed a hand on Wang Qiqi's shoulder. "You aren't that kind of person. Alright, we'll go to the library to read for a while, and then we’ll go buy groceries at your place." Bai Ge knew where Wang Qiqi's boundaries lay; as long as they weren't crossed, she was generally agreeable—look at how well Gong Yiying was managing.

Hearing that Bai Ge and the others were heading to the library, Wang Qiqi pulled two books out of her backpack and fished out her library card. "Thanks for the trouble."

Bai Ge and the others were used to Wang Qiqi’s somewhat secretive behavior. "Still trying to borrow those books you couldn't get last time?"

Wang Qiqi nodded. "Yeah, thanks for the trouble. I’ll head out first." Li Xiangdong had paged Wang Qiqi during lunch, saying a few urgent documents would likely be sent to her email that afternoon—she needed to translate them before seven. Urgent jobs were Wang Qiqi’s favorite; they were stressful, but they paid well, right? Shi Man had teased Wang Qiqi mercilessly when she saw her greedy expression upon receiving the text message notification.

Over the past three months, guided by Feng Xuanxiang—and Wang Qiqi’s own research into the stock market, along with pointers and insider information from Father Zhu—their collective wealth had been steadily increasing. Shi Man often joked that Wang Qiqi didn't need to work so hard at all, which is why she constantly called Wang Qiqi a money-grubber. Wang Qiqi admitted it; having experienced so much in her past life, Wang Qiqi had concluded one thing: without money, you couldn't expect anyone to treat you well.

Bai Ge sighed. It had to be admitted that while their current tutoring situation was decent, it paled in comparison to Wang Qiqi’s earnings. "I think we should have studied that too back then, even if the pay was low or non-existent, even if the boss yelled at us."

Duan Xiaomin chimed in from the side, "It's a pity no one thought of that then. But look around the class now—how many students are actually studying seriously?" If the previous semester felt like the honeymoon phase where certain things were kept under wraps, this semester was different; more and more people were focusing their energy on socializing and chasing pretty girls. Duan Xiaomin firmly believed that if her tutoring arrangement hadn't been confirmed at the end of last semester, she might have fallen into their ranks too.

Bai Ge shook her head. "That’s why everyone says our dorm is lucky to have students who are rare gems in the department for scholarships." Although they had to prepare diligently for their respective tutees, leaving little time for their own studies, they were still far better off than the many classmates skipping classes or putting in minimal effort. "Never mind that, I’m going to the library to check out some books. I have work to do when I get back tonight."

When Wang Qiqi arrived home, she quickly turned on her computer, changed into more comfortable loungewear, boiled a kettle of water for a cup of green tea, and settled onto the floor mat to seriously review the emails Li Xiangdong had just sent.

After a long while, Wang Qiqi seriously felt like cursing. Damn it, these were supposed to be urgent, but the problem was the sheer volume—five documents all at once! It was already… half-past, and she needed the manuscripts translated before seven. Wang Qiqi felt she was seriously losing out on this batch of urgent work. Perhaps Li Xiangdong had secured a large fee from the client, but she was the one taking the loss.

Staring at the drafts on her screen, Wang Qiqi almost picked up the phone to call Li Xiangdong and tell him the material was too complex, that she couldn't possibly translate it in three and a half hours. But as her hand hovered over the receiver, Wang Qiqi pulled it back. "How do I know if I can do it if I don't even try? Spending this time arguing with Li Xiangdong about my impossibility might be better spent translating a small section first."

With that thought, Wang Qiqi printed out the five manuscripts and began translating the easiest one on the computer. This was, of course, just the first draft; she would need time to revise and refine the translations to make them truly fitting.

Shi Man placed her materials in her own room, then walked into Wang Qiqi's, noticing the tea in the cup beside her was empty, and Wang Qiqi was reaching out to pick it up. "Is the manuscript difficult?"

Wang Qiqi looked at Shi Man, confused as to how she knew the work in her hands was a hot potato. Shi Man merely pointed at the glass cup in Wang Qiqi's hand, and Wang Qiqi understood immediately.

Wang Qiqi sighed. "Yes, incredibly difficult. I doubt I can finish by seven." Wang Qiqi picked up the thermos and refilled the glass cup. "Help me call Han Tao and ask him to come over for dinner."

Call Han Tao over for dinner? Shi Man wondered why. "Are Bai Ge and the others coming?" If not, she figured she'd have to cycle to school to buy groceries later. "Did you run into another snag?" Bai Ge and the others bought groceries to cook partly to improve their meals, but mostly to ask Han Tao about things. It was obvious now that the latter was the case.

Wang Qiqi nodded. "Duan Xiaomin got a tutoring assignment teaching a high schooler, and she needs to consult him on how to educate a high school student."

High school tutoring? Shi Man gasped a few times. "But it’s normal if it’s her. Doesn't she often consult Han Tao for advice on how to be a good tutor?" If it weren't her, Shi Man would find it strange; Duan Xiaomin was ambitious and frequently sought to analyze and improve her methods. "I won't keep you. I'm going to read now."

Wang Qiqi responded with an affirmative sound. "Oh, and remember to make the call. Also, when Bai Ge and the others arrive, you're in charge of hosting."

Shi Man acknowledged this, realizing she was the freest person at the moment. Zhu Lina often interned at her family's company during breaks since the winter holiday started, and Wang Qiqi was taking on more and more translation jobs as her skill level rose. "Honestly, with someone as talented as you, why hasn't anyone tried to recruit you?" Shi Man paused at the doorway and suddenly asked this. She had been auditing classes in the French department recently and knew that excellent translators were highly sought after. Why hadn't anyone poached Wang Qiqi, who was hardly lacking?

Wang Qiqi was curious about this point too, having discussed it with Han Tao. "Someone did inquire about me before. It seems a few people left Li Xiangdong's translation agency before the Spring Festival. Whether they quit or were fired, no one knows." At this moment, Wang Qiqi recalled someone who seemed overly interested in her during the interview session she organized for her classmates last time—perhaps that person was among the departing staff? Wang Qiqi wasn't curious enough to pursue it, nor did she have the time. "I basically work through email exchanges now. Would anyone even know who I am?"

Shi Man considered this. "Could you call it a mistake made in the pursuit of efficiency?" It saved time that could be spent reading or doing other things, and it cut down on travel expenses, but it also meant missing out on potential recruiters.

Wang Qiqi thought about it and decided it was hard to quantify. "I think the only drawback is that the fees are a bit low; otherwise, everything is great. Every time a manuscript is sent over, the payment hits my account the next day. I'm very satisfied with that. Didn't you mention a senior student whose translation fees were good, but she waited two months to get paid?" That was too much hassle—having to chase down payment. Compared to that, working for Li Xiangdong was better, as at least she didn't have to worry about the money. "Enough talk, I need to get started, or I’ll have to rush through dinner tonight." Wang Qiqi certainly didn't want to miss the chance for everyone to sit down and chat together.