Wang Qiqi assumed that since Li Xiangdong had urgently summoned her, he must be home. Yet, after chatting with Li Qian for nearly half an hour, she still hadn't seen him. She thought it must be close to four o'clock; if he didn't show up soon, she’d genuinely be stuck there for dinner. While being treated to a meal by the boss was nice in principle, Wang Qiqi always felt a stomachache whenever she had to dine with him.

If you took work out of the equation, Li Xiangdong was an engaging and witty conversationalist. The core issue was that every time he saw Wang Qiqi, he cornered her to discuss business matters. In his view, this was intended to sharpen her professional skills. Having an expert mentor you for free—especially your boss—was clearly a win-win situation. However, Wang Qiqi believed that meals were for relaxation, not for enduring lectures from an elder or a superior; that kind of dining invariably led to indigestion.

Li Qian noticed Wang Qiqi repeatedly glancing at the clock. "Qiqi, is something the matter?"

Wang Qiqi had assumed Li Qian knew why she was called over, but judging by her demeanor, she seemed clueless about the sudden summons. "President Li asked me to come."

Li Xiangdong called Qiqi over? Li Qian found it strange. With so many subordinates and even part-time translators available, Qiqi was the most reliable. Any task assigned to her was guaranteed to be completed on time and to specifications, never requiring a reminder. Li Qian couldn't fathom what business Li Xiangdong might have with Wang Qiqi.

Unsure why Li Xiangdong sought her out, Li Qian worried that the meeting would consume too much of Wang Qiqi's time. She rose, quickly tallied up some paperwork, and transferred the money to Wang Qiqi. "Qiqi, thank you so much for this. Oh, right, is Han Tao heading to the States?"

Han Tao nodded. "Yes, let me know if you need me to bring anything back." His unspoken thought was that he hoped to earn back the cost of his round-trip airfare.

Li Qian watched Han Tao sit gracefully on Wang Qiqi’s back and felt a pang of amazement. Honestly, she had previously only thought of Han Tao as a good tutor who could also fix computers and handle operating systems proficiently. She never anticipated he would develop so rapidly. "Do you plan to go to the US after you graduate from university?"

Han Tao murmured an affirmation. "I originally thought I wouldn't go to the US until after graduation. I didn't expect such a great opportunity to arise." Han Tao felt that ever since he became close with Wang Qiqi, his entire luck had improved significantly. While he knew he would eventually study abroad even if this trip hadn't materialized, gaining a few years' head start in the rapidly evolving field of computer science would be a huge advantage. Otherwise, why were seniors like Gong Junyu so envious when they heard he might intern in the US? Even though they usually traveled abroad during the summer breaks, their envy was palpable.

Li Qian sighed. If she had known Han Tao would leave so soon, she would have sent her own son to the US instead of Europe. "You'll go to the US after your university graduation, right? Once Xiao Zhe graduates, I’ll send him there too." At least then someone would be watching over him. The outside world was too vast, and her son rarely listened to her or her husband. Yet, Han Tao, who had only been his tutor for less than a year, had built an excellent rapport. Han Tao could persuade him more effectively. Moreover, Han Tao was such a driven, ambitious young man; Li Qian felt completely at ease entrusting her son to him.

Han Tao simply smiled in response. He understood that the couple maintained such courtesy toward him partly because they hoped he could influence Li Zhe. Han Tao genuinely wanted to tell them that Li Zhe wasn't entirely without sense; he had his own ideas. But Li Xiangdong and his wife constantly worried about their son—this, that, and the other thing. Han Tao was deeply grateful that his own mother had always trusted him and let him make his own decisions. Although, at first, he felt some decisions were beyond what a child should contemplate, years of experience had made him more mature than his peers. He knew he couldn't compare himself to them. Besides, even if Li Zhe knew he was going to the US, he would probably insist on Europe. The young man had once mentioned that the purpose of studying abroad was to develop independence, not to have his parents dictate everything. As an outsider, a former tutor, Han Tao couldn't voice these thoughts to Li Qian.

Li Qian smiled, offering no further explanation. A pang of sadness struck her: her son had his own thoughts but confided in an outsider rather than his parents. How must that feel for a parent?

The more Li Qian thought about it, the more disheartened she felt. She stood up. "Qiqi, you must be hungry. I made some sweet soup, would you like some?"

Wang Qiqi was just about to agree; after carrying so many things, she was indeed hungry. More importantly, she had no idea when the BOSS would return. Really, he had summoned her with such urgency, looking frantic, but then vanished upon her arrival. Wasn't that just teasing? Ah, this must be the privilege bosses held—the ability to keep their subordinates waiting.

Just as Wang Qiqi was grumbling internally, she heard the sound of a lock turning at the main door. Wang Qiqi knew Li Xiangdong was back. Her heart gave a sudden clench. She wondered if today was good news or bad, though generally, it wouldn't be good. The stingy Li Xiangdong wouldn't be handing out year-end bonuses this early. Besides, she was only part-time, paid strictly based on workload; there were no 'perks' involved whatsoever.

Li Xiangdong kicked off his shoes, spotted Wang Qiqi waiting in the living room, and said, "Qiqi, you're here. Come with me to the study."

As he passed the kitchen, Li Xiangdong added, "Pour me a cup of tea on your way in."

Wang Qiqi, following behind, saw Li Xiangdong adopting the mannerisms of a corporate CEO, unwilling to fetch his own tea and instead commanding Li Qian. She thought it excessive. She mused that if her future husband ever bossed her around like that, she’d show him what colors looked like until he knew how bright the flowers could bloom.

Wang Qiqi kept her head down and quietly followed Li Xiangdong into the study. During that walk, she caught the scent of alcohol and instinctively held her breath, subtly widening the distance between them.

Once inside the study, Li Xiangdong loosened his bow tie slightly and gestured toward a chair in front of his desk. "Sit."

It was then Wang Qiqi noticed the profound exhaustion etched on Li Xiangdong’s face. She was utterly astonished. Usually, as he devoted more energy to expanding the business and Li Qian diligently played the supportive wife, Li Xiangdong, despite being much busier than before, had actually gained weight from all the necessary socializing—his 'general's belly' had become quite magnificent. But Wang Qiqi had never seen him look so haggard.

As Wang Qiqi sat down, Li Qian pushed open the study door and entered with a bowl of hangover soup. "Drinking again today?" Li Qian had assumed the business dinner would have ended hours ago; she didn't know it had dragged on this long, or if her husband could handle it. "I made some hangover soup. Drink this first."

Li Xiangdong grunted, took the bowl, and drank several sips. "Much better. I'm still alive, more or less." Li Xiangdong wasn't in great shape, but what choice did he have? After spending so much today, he couldn't leave without recouping his initial investment. "Qiqi, that manuscript I gave you last time..."

Wang Qiqi was stunned that Li Xiangdong had called her over for this matter. After a moment of shock, she offered a strained laugh. "President Li, you know me. I can translate contracts or agreements, but literary manuscripts, I really can't..." Was he hoping she would improve her ability to translate that kind of material? Wang Qiqi felt immense pressure. From a long-term career development perspective, venturing down that path might be promising, especially with an opportunity handed to her. But the main issue was that Wang Qiqi wasn't struggling for money. Translation work paid, but it was grueling. The constant rush to meet deadlines sometimes made her dream about endlessly translating things. Moreover, Juliana had pointed out that the white hairs on Wang Qiqi's head were multiplying, a detail that—even though Wang Qiqi didn't overly concern herself with her looks—she took to heart. She certainly didn't want to turn into the White-Haired Demoness before she turned thirty.

Li Xiangdong observed Wang Qiqi’s apologetic expression. He knew, given her current trajectory, that translation wasn't likely to be her ultimate career. If he were her, he wouldn't want to do such taxing work either—flying abroad once a month to bring things back could earn her what she made translating for a whole month. "You really think there's a future in this personal shopping/reselling line of work?"

Wang Qiqi shook her head. "No future. More and more people will enter this line of work." Besides, Wang Qiqi’s personality wasn't suited to constantly being cooped up at home, taking orders and processing shipments; it was far too dull and lacked any challenge. "I'm just doing this line of work right now to earn some money, just as I earn hard money translating now."

Li Xiangdong had planned to launch into a serious discussion about her future career path if Wang Qiqi had confirmed her long-term commitment to reselling. But instead, this young woman bluntly stated she never intended to stay in the business and that translation was hard work just to cover living expenses. Li Xiangdong nearly choked. Did any subordinate ever tell their boss so directly that they weren't planning on staying long-term, just using the job for pocket money? Li Xiangdong truly couldn't fathom what young people today were thinking; their priorities were beyond his understanding.

Resignedly, Li Xiangdong spent a long time counseling Wang Qiqi on life and future job selections. The hapless Wang Qiqi could only sit in the study, listening to Li Xiangdong earnestly analyze her future career path. If Wang Qiqi hadn't been reborn, Li Xiangdong’s well-meaning lecture would have deeply moved her, especially given her loss of parents. However, the reborn Wang Qiqi did take some of his advice to heart, even though most of it sounded motivated by his desire to benefit his company. At the time, his points seemed very reasonable.

This Mid-Autumn Festival was truly ill-fated. Bu Bu had inexplicably slipped down the stairs, which was terrible; walking felt like moving like a zombie. She had no idea how she was going to show up for work tomorrow.