Wang Qiqi knew her current performance wasn't ideal, and she wasn't entirely without justification, but she felt incapable of meeting Li Qian's gaze. In terms of sheer presence, she had already lost. However, losing the upper hand in demeanor was acceptable; after all, she lacked nearly twenty years of life experience, and no matter her past life's advantages, the sheer volume of Li Qian's experiences dwarfed her own.

Li Qian felt no sense of triumph in currently holding the upper hand over Wang Qiqi. She perceived it as Qiqi’s guilt manifesting as avoidance, yet she didn't know how to broach the subject until the waiter announced, "Hello, all your ordered dishes are served."

Li Qian looked at the dining table already piled high with food. "Qiqi, let's eat first. Oh, by the way, did anything happy happen when you went home for the New Year? And did Xiao Tao bring back those things from America?" Li Qian surmised it was impossible for Han Tao to return from abroad without bringing anything. She had just thought of a way to close the distance between herself and Wang Qiqi.

Li Qian's words startled Wang Qiqi. She had to admit, Li Qian had found an excellent entry point. "I brought back a few things, but they were mostly items requested by Nana's parents' friends and my sister-in-law's colleagues. We didn't purchase much for ourselves this time." While Wang Qiqi didn't want to sever ties with Li Qian—no one ever complained about having more money—she wouldn't allow Li Qian to use this as leverage. Zhu Lina was right; these were two separate issues that shouldn't be mixed.

Li Qian was genuinely stumped by Wang Qiqi's response. She had intended to bring this up to explain why she helped Qiqi—purely because Qiqi was still associated with their translation agency. If Qiqi stopped assisting them, Li Qian would reconsider continuing their collaboration. But she hadn't expected such an answer. "That’s a pity. I was really hoping Han Tao could bring some things back."

Wang Qiqi smiled and picked up some food. Hunger was the paramount concern; everything else could wait until her stomach was full. Seeing Wang Qiqi drop the topic and focus entirely on eating, Li Qian was left speechless, unsure whether to call Qiqi sincere or adept at evasion. She didn't believe Qiqi hadn't understood the implication behind her words.

If Li Qian had felt secure initially, believing most of the bargaining chips were in her hand, she was now flustered. She conceded that Qiqi must have found her own sales channels, meaning Li Qian had fewer items with which to threaten her.

Li Qian ate while trying to smoothly steer the conversation back on track. "Xiao Tao used to tutor my Xiao Zhe as well. One day, he mentioned you..."

Listening to Li Qian's reminiscence, Wang Qiqi inwardly chuckled. Was she trying to bring up how they had helped her in the beginning? "Yes, I truly knew nothing back then. I just thought that since I understood a little about English for economics, I could find a part-time job." Wang Qiqi acknowledged that Li Xiangdong had helped her tremendously, but if her initial performance hadn't been good, she doubted Li Xiangdong would have kept her around. He ran a company, not a charity. "Mr. Li truly helped me a lot; my professional level improved significantly." Wang Qiqi considered saying that they had also profited significantly from her work, but she ultimately held the words back. Today was a negotiation, not a complete falling out, and there was no need to sour the atmosphere.

"Yes, my Old Li always says we owe a debt to Xiao Tao for bringing you over; otherwise, the translation agency wouldn't have expanded so quickly. To say the agency’s current standing owes much to you, Qiqi, would not be an exaggeration," Li Qian stated frankly. In the past, their team lacked sufficient talent for commercial contracts. When busy, they often had to decline assignments, causing clients to drift away over time. Since Qiqi joined, they retained existing customers and gained new ones, giving Li Xiangdong and herself some relief. They managed to expand the small-time agency by finding good translators, and among all their freelance translators, Qiqi was the most compliant. If they had an urgent job, calling Qiqi was always the right choice; her translations were both excellent and swift.

Hearing Li Qian's fair assessment, Wang Qiqi thought: So you both know the value I brought to your translation agency. Then why was the raise I received so minimal? And if someone hadn't tried to poach me, I guarantee Li Xiangdong wouldn't have even considered increasing my salary for a non-most-diligent employee. "Yes, the agency has expanded, and there are more staff. Mr. Li has more people under him, which is understandable. But Auntie Li, you know my loan repayment pressure is quite high. Since the winter break started, I haven't taken on many assignments, so I’ve started looking for collaborations with a few other translation agencies. After all, we are all in a cooperative relationship."

Wang Qiqi sensed Li Qian desperately wanted to know her current situation, and she believed the news of her meetings with several agency heads couldn't have stayed secret for long anyway. Concealment was pointless. Furthermore, she genuinely lacked work, so it was unavoidable. "I know it was wrong of me not to inform you beforehand, but I can't exactly tell the bank that my loan needs to be postponed because I have no work lately."

Faced with Wang Qiqi's candid reply, what could Li Qian say? Although Qiqi offered apologies and expressions of embarrassment, a closer analysis of her words led to one conclusion: the agency's growth was her contribution, yet now that the agency was large with more employees, they stopped giving her assignments, or only passed on the most difficult ones. "I haven't been to the company to look into these matters for a while. But Qiqi, why didn't you tell me in advance? Some things require mutual communication, don't you agree?"

Well, the ball was kicked back into her court again. She was told they needed communication, and that she failed to inform Li Qian. Did that mean it was all her fault? "I believe Mr. Li should have communicated some things to you, Auntie Li. And from Mr. Li's perspective, since the agency now has formal employees who are paid whether they work or not, it makes sense to maximize their workload rather than paying my fees on top of staff salaries." Wang Qiqi admitted this statement held absolutely no sincerity. Most of Li Xiangdong’s translators were outsourced; more than half of the in-house staff handled logistics—finance, clerical work, reception, and so on. "However, Auntie Li, sometimes one has to go out to see how big the sky truly is, don't they?"

Wang Qiqi thought: If you are implying I'm disloyal, then I'll preemptively point out the current market rates. They were the ones who acted unfairly first; I've repaid my debt of gratitude sufficiently.

Li Qian pursed her lips. Qiqi's meaning was clear: their remuneration was low. "Mr. Li has consistently mentioned wanting to raise your pay, but we haven't found a suitable opportunity for a face-to-face talk. You know you submit and receive assignments via email, and as soon as the work is approved, the finance department transfers your payment immediately." Li Qian was confident because spot payments were rare outside of A-list talent; most arrangements were monthly settlements. "Qiqi, you know we've collaborated happily, and you translate to earn money. We only hope that the money is settled on time, right?"

That was certainly Qiqi's primary consideration. "Yes, but if the monthly rate is higher, a monthly settlement is fine too, don't you agree, Auntie Li? After all, bank interest rates aren't that high." Wang Qiqi smiled sweetly at Li Qian. "And I doubt they’d try to cheat me over such a small amount of money. For such a large translation agency, how high can the overhead truly be? I doubt they'd destroy their own foundation over such a minor sum."

As for Li Qian’s claim about never finding time to discuss a pay raise, Wang Qiqi didn't believe it for a second. Setting aside the fact that if Li Xiangdong sincerely intended to raise her pay, a simple phone call would have sufficed for a serious discussion, this wasn't a pay cut that required her consent. He could have simply stated it in an email, effective from a certain date, and she wouldn't have objected. The hypocrisy is astonishing. Truly, birds of a feather flock together, Wang Qiqi mused.

Li Qian sighed and abandoned the roundabout approach, asking directly, "Qiqi, what is the rate being offered by your current collaborators?"

Wang Qiqi quoted a figure and, as expected, watched Li Qian suck in a sharp breath. "And it's a monthly settlement. I completed a few assignments a few days ago, and the money arrived the very next day." Honestly, Wang Qiqi was quite surprised herself. She submitted the work last night, and when passing the bank on her way home from school this afternoon, she checked her balance to find the funds already deposited. That speed surpassed Li Xiangdong’s processing time. Although Li Xiangdong claimed payment upon submission, sometimes it was weekly, citing the finance team being too busy with bank transfers. What could Wang Qiqi do? Demand cash every time she visited Li Xiangdong’s office?

With a higher rate and monthly settlement, Li Qian knew Wang Qiqi had already made what she considered the right choice. The assignment given that morning was purely out of consideration for their past relationship. If she tried to call Qiqi for work again at the old rate, Li Qian understood Qiqi wouldn't deliver. "I will discuss this matter with Mr. Li when I return." Before leaving, Li Qian and Li Xiangdong had discussed how much to raise Wang Qiqi's compensation. Li Xiangdong had proposed a price he considered good, but he hadn't anticipated the rate offered by Qiqi's new partner would be so steep. If the difference hadn't been too significant, Li Qian might have persuaded Qiqi to reconsider based on their past cooperation, since money wasn't the sole condition for partnership. But now... reluctantly, Li Qian could only return and discuss it with Li Xiangdong.

"No rush," Wang Qiqi thought. Why would I be in a hurry? A fortnight ago, perhaps, when I was worrying about loan payments. But now, it’s the Li Xiangdong couple who are anxious. Wang Qiqi secretly reveled in the situation.

Recently, I’ve become obsessed with K-pop fan fiction. Bu Bu is completely ruined by it. Bu Bu's favorite among them is Jinjiang's No More Following Seniors in K-pop by Seven Cubes. Seeing her updates gives Bu Bu the motivation to keep typing.