Wang Qiqi rolled over, about to say something more, only to find the warm nest beside her empty. She groggily climbed out of bed. Though the sliding glass door was covered by curtains, the light filtering through told Wang Qiqi it was already late morning. Dazed, Wang Qiqi pulled herself up from the ** and casually turned off the air conditioner, then slid the glass door open.

As soon as the door slid open, the heat outside almost made Wang Qiqi faint. “So hot.” Wang Qiqi desperately wanted to shut the door and return to the cool, air-conditioned environment. The room, having held them all night, carried a medley of scents, compounded by Han Tao’s drunken antics last night which had filled the room with a great deal of commotion. It would be strange if the air wasn't heavy.

Wang Qiqi walked into the living room and checked the wall clock she had specifically bought yesterday, discovering it was already noon. She patted her protesting stomach. “No wonder you’re complaining... but I’m not starving yet.” Although Wang Qiqi had cooked mostly vegetables yesterday, considering the ‘A’ situation, her stomach still felt overwhelmingly greasy, so she wasn't truly hungry.

Wang Qiqi grabbed the instant noodles she bought yesterday and whipped up a simple scrambled eggs with tomato. Only then did a realization dawn on her: cleaning would not be easy after Han Tao moved in. Just cooking this one dish had made the kitchen a bit greasy. “My chores are going to be immense from now on.”

After tidying up the kitchen, Wang Qiqi checked the time; it was nearly ready. She took the clothes she had washed overnight to the area by the bedroom’s sliding door, where the sunlight streamed in just right while still blocking the view from outside.

With everything done, Wang Qiqi picked up her laptop to go online. Just as she opened her email and logged in, she noticed Shi Man was online. This struck Wang Qiqi as odd. “You’re online?”

Shi Man replied after a significant pause: "Yeah. Just finished organizing the room. The environment here is great, and most importantly, there’s an Ethernet port! How’s your place?"

Wang Qiqi summarized the situation with the house: “We have a balcony. When the sun sets, Han Tao and I can snuggle up there and chat.”

Shi Man: “A balcony? Good heavens, I’m so jealous of you! Your rent is cheaper than ours, and you have such great amenities! Oh well… I suppose the rent over there isn't cheap either. I had initially thought…”

Wang Qiqi hadn't expected Shi Man, having just arrived in Massachusetts not long ago, to be so well-informed about rental market rates. Perhaps she heard it from Feng Xuanxiang’s classmates: “The landlord is Jone’s parents. Plus, because my man behaved so well, the elderly couple isn't relying on this small amount of rent to live, which is why it’s so cheap. Besides, since Han Tao isn't in the US, this place wouldn't be rented out anyway.”

Shi Man, looking at the message on her screen, felt a surge of envy: “How is it that all the good things happen to your man? I swear, you are a truly 'husband-blessing' woman.” (Zhu Lina had once commented that Wang Qiqi’s rounder face was sure to win over elders because she looked like a woman blessed with good fortune who brings prosperity to her husband. Shi Man hadn't believed it before, but seeing this, the words seemed quite true.)

A husband-blessing woman? Wang Qiqi had never considered this. In her previous life, no one had ever called her that. How could the same face in this life be deemed lucky for a husband? Wang Qiqi expressed her confusion: “What husband-blessing, husband-blessing? Isn't everything reliant on oneself? Besides, is your man facing poor opportunities? Are you perhaps trying to say you are ‘career-blessing’?”

Wang Qiqi and Shi Man chatted online for a while longer, but then the conversation trailed off. They both likely had a lot to prepare now that they were settled. From Shi Man’s tone, they had just moved in and hadn't procured many things; they needed to hit the local market soon. And most critically, Feng Xuanxiang needed to check the stock market trends.

Wang Qiqi wasn't surprised by the habits of someone in Feng Xuanxiang’s profession. The pressure abroad was immense; tuition and living expenses were no small sum. Wang Qiqi wondered if Feng Xuanxiang, upon discovering the US stock market was doing well, would become entirely focused on stocks and lose the desire to travel.

The US market seemed to be performing strongly right now. Wang Qiqi considered opening an account herself and trying to profit from her savings. However, that money was in Han Tao’s account. Although Wang Qiqi knew the password and Han Tao had told her she could buy anything she liked, this was an investment that would involve a substantial amount of money. She needed Han Tao’s explicit permission first.

Worried she might forget, Wang Qiqi opened a document on her computer to jot down the idea, then checked her email. Several messages were waiting. Opening them, she unsurprisingly found several translation manuscripts requiring attention.

Wang Qiqi busied herself until past five in the afternoon, finally finishing and sending off all the work. By then, the sun was already setting. Wang Qiqi let out a yawn. “It’s so late already. I need to start dinner.”

Wang Qiqi first went to the bedroom to collect the clothes. She wasn't sure if it was because she had just come from the air-conditioned room or because the bedroom door was open, but Wang Qiqi didn't feel particularly hot. When she stepped onto the balcony, she realized it wasn't her imagination—it was genuinely cool outside. Standing there, Wang Qiqi could see several children from the neighboring house playing in their yard. For a moment, Wang Qiqi just watched, slightly mesmerized. “I wonder if the children I have someday will be this cute.”

After sighing this aloud, Wang Qiqi was instantly reminded of little Taotao’s tantrums. She deeply understood that angels and demons were separated by only a fine line; children transition between these two roles with startling agility. Taotao was a prime example. If she didn't pay attention or satisfy the little master’s demands immediately, he could switch from clear skies to a wail in an instant. Fortunately, Song Yao had been raising the child since he was small, and when Song Yao got serious, even Wang Damei couldn't subdue her. Song Yao had initially thought the child was young, and with their family’s comfortable financial situation, money wasn't an issue; she indulged him because he liked it. But after Wang Qiqi pointed out the issue, Song Yao was dismissive, thinking Qiqi was worrying unnecessarily. However, one day while out with Taotao, the child exhibited selfish behavior regarding food again, and Song Yao realized the problem was serious. She then intensified his discipline. “I hope the future Taotao doesn’t turn into a spoiled second-generation rich kid.” Actually, calling Song Yao and her husband ‘first-generation rich’ was a stretch; with their net worth, it was frankly not that impressive. But this was only the early 2000s, an era where gold was still scattered everywhere.

Han Tao returned to find Wang Qiqi leaning against the sliding door, muttering to herself. “What are you mumbling about alone?” Had this child encountered something upsetting at home?

Wang Qiqi hadn't expected Han Tao to be back this early. “You’re home quite early.” Seriously, he was home before six. Didn’t those people at yesterday's dinner say their workload was heavy and deadlines tight? Why was Han Tao getting off work so leisurely today? Had something happened?

Early? Han Tao thought, perhaps Wang Qiqi had been standing there for quite some time. He held his hand in front of her eyes. “It’s nearly seven o’clock. It’s not early at all.” Many people were still working overtime. Han Tao glanced at his remaining tasks, remembered Wang Qiqi was home alone, said goodbye to Yang M, and brought the rest of the work home. Since Han Tao was catching up with their pace now, when the workload truly picked up, he wouldn’t be able to come home early. “It’s just for these couple of days; after that, I’ll be back late.”

Hearing the second half of that sentence, Wang Qiqi didn't know how to feel—should she prefer Han Tao coming home early to spend time with her, or prioritize his career? In the end, the latter thought won out. “It’s fine, a man must prioritize his career. Tomorrow, tell me where you’re working, and I’ll pack dinner and bring it over to you.” Although it would be a hassle, Wang Qiqi felt that since her man was striving hard for their little family, she needed to pull her weight too and do what a good homemaker should. “I won’t bring lunch; just eat at the office. I’ll handle dinner…” Hearing Wang Qiqi’s words, Han Tao really wanted to say that although the office wasn't huge, the support services were excellent. The pantry was stocked with pastries, drinks, and tea, and there were plenty of 24-hour diners nearby for easy ordering. “You don't need to bother. The office provides meals.”

Of course, Wang Qiqi knew. “Eating those takeout meals constantly isn’t nutritious, and it’ll turn you into a fat man.” Wang Qiqi suddenly remembered she should look up some nutritious meal plans. Although it was a bit troublesome, she had to take good care of her man. “Don’t worry, I’m only busy for this period. Didn't you forget I also planned to go out sightseeing with Shi Man and the others?” Her implication was that once that time came, he wouldn’t even be able to rely on her home-cooked meals.

Watching Wang Qiqi insist on bringing food, Han Tao imagined the envious looks she would draw when she arrived at his office carrying a lunchbox. “But my office is quite far. It takes at least forty minutes by bike. Round trip, that’s over an hour. Add in a bit of chat time, and that’s two hours.” Han Tao gave Wang Qiqi fair warning.

Forty minutes by bike was a bit long, Wang Qiqi thought, but, “I’ll just treat it as exercise. It’s not good for me to always be stuck indoors.” Mark and his wife had long wanted to go traveling, just waiting for Han Tao to arrive. This morning, the couple had flown off to Hawaii to celebrate an anniversary. In Han Tao’s view, those elderly folks had plenty of money; they had too many anniversaries in a year that warranted traveling or dining out.

“Alright then. Be careful on the road.” Han Tao patted his slightly hungry stomach. “Qiqi. I’m hungry. Can we eat now?” Han Tao had eaten a quick hot dog for lunch to rush back and had immediately plunged into work without resting.

“Dinner?” Wang Qiqi realized then that she hadn't cooked anything yet. “You have some bread first. I’ll start cooking...”