Wang Qiqi was tucked away at home, working on her translation drafts. Since settling things with Li Xiangdong, Wang Qiqi felt an immense sense of relief. Lately, she felt she should really learn something new, or perhaps track down Li Qian to see where she’d drifted off to. That was right—after her divorce, she leased out the apartment under her name, spent half her remaining savings acquiring two shops with decent growth potential, and then packed her bags and left. But the thing was, her leaving didn’t stop her from frequently contacting Wang Qiqi, telling her where she’d been, describing the beautiful scenery, and detailing the exquisite food she’d eaten. This really made Wang Qiqi intensely envious. Of course, at this moment, Wang Qiqi was immensely grateful that the other woman hadn't brought a digital camera; otherwise, Wang Qiqi felt she would either impulsively follow Li Qian’s wanderings or simply cut off contact with her entirely. That woman was just too much.

Wang Qiqi sipped her freshly brewed *coffee, glaring at it dismissively. Even though it was ground from the same *coffee beans, it just wasn't as satisfying as the brew from the machine back home in the capital. "Oh well, I can’t be too extravagant," she thought. Wang Qiqi hadn't ruled out buying a *coffee machine back in her hometown so she could have an authentic cup when she visited, but then she considered how little time she actually spent there. If her mother-in-law found out about such wasteful behavior, even if she wouldn't voice her disapproval to her face, she would certainly form a negative opinion. Wang Qiqi ultimately swallowed her desire.

While Wang Qiqi was translating and simultaneously grumbling about the subpar coffee, the doorbell rang. Wang Qiqi looked up distractedly from her computer. She vaguely remembered that Juliana must have gone with her father to inspect and summarize other company branches out of town, and that classmate Shi Man likely had some kind of elementary school reunion. Wang Qiqi scoffed at the thought of an elementary school reunion; if it were her, she wouldn't go at all. She wouldn't even attend her high school reunion. Back then, going meant enduring judgmental or envious stares, but now, if she attended, Wang Qiqi could guarantee she'd only receive looks of admiration mixed with jealousy. Unavoidably, she would be a central figure, and all those high school acquaintances with whom she barely connected would flock around her. Because of these twisted "class reunions," Wang Qiqi never wanted to attend. After Shi Man went to one, the mere mention of such gatherings made her face darken. Perhaps only Shi Man felt any real interest in this particular event. However, Shi Man had attended a public, almost aristocratic elementary school, where many classmates’ parents were business owners or officials. Well, it was a form of networking, Wang Qiqi mused. Could this be Shi Man’s attempt to learn how to socialize so she could eventually assist Feng Xuanxiang?

Wang Qiqi knew that Han Tao was very likely to pursue a purely technical career path. As long as his skills were top-notch, interpersonal skills wouldn't be the most crucial factor, so the expectations for his supportive wife’s social aptitude weren't that high. But Feng Xuanxiang was different; he worked in finance. To succeed in that circle, connections were a huge issue, and connections often depended on one's social skills. Only after building rapport would people gauge his actual abilities. Especially for someone like Feng Xuanxiang, who wasn't American, achieving success required exponentially greater effort. Love truly changes people, Wang Qiqi could only reflect with a sigh.

Song Yao stood waiting at the door for a long time without hearing anyone open it. She found it strange. "Qiqi, Qiqi, are you home?" Song Yao knew her cousin well; in this cold weather, she wouldn’t go out unless absolutely necessary. Besides, when they spoke on the phone this morning, Wang Qiqi had already bought her groceries, meaning she definitely wouldn't leave in the afternoon. How could she be gone now? Song Yao regretted not asking her during their morning call if she planned to stop by early this afternoon.

Hearing Song Yao’s voice, Wang Qiqi jumped up nimbly and opened the main door. A blast of cold air swept in, making Wang Qiqi, clad only in a thick sweater, shiver. "Hurry, come in, hurry in!" It was so cold outside; the wind felt like it could rip her clothes off. "Sis, weren't you supposed to be tending the shop today? Why aren't you minding the business?" Song Yao knew this proprietress was the most dedicated one; unless there was a major family emergency, she insisted on staying from morning until closing. As soon as Song Yao entered, she noticed Wang Qiqi’s thin attire and could only shake her head. People might see that she and Song Ziwen were quite well-off now, but nobody dared to run the air conditioning so high at home. It wasn't that they begrudged the expense, but if their family matriarch, Wang Damei, caught them, she would immediately call it the behavior of prodigal children. If they mentioned that Qiqi did the same, even if Wang Damei remained silent, the old man would immediately chime in, 'Her husband earns in USD but spends in RMB, why don't you compare that?' With a remark like that, they had to drop the idea. They knew their current wealth put them above average among their peers, but compared to Wang Qiqi and Han Tao, they were definitely behind, and catching up in the future would be difficult.

Song Yao had initially intended to drag Wang Qiqi out shopping. Ever since opening her shop, she finally understood why opening a business was easy, but managing it was hard. After running it for so long, she rarely had time for a real stroll; any shopping trips were quick dashes to grab necessities and pay immediately. Having finally seized the chance to meet up with Wang Qiqi today, her feet were itching to go out. But stepping into Wang Qiqi’s warm home made Song Yao instantly sleepy, especially with the scent of *coffee lingering in the air. "Qiqi, make me a cup of *coffee." After tasting the coffee Wang Qiqi and the others brewed in the capital, Song Yao had become quite fond of it, though she mostly settled for instant *coffee, which tasted truly awful.

Wang Qiqi made an "Oh," stood up, heated some water, and quickly brewed a cup for Song Yao, handing it over. Song Yao took a sip, frowned, and asked, "Qiqi, has your skill declined, or..." Compared to the taste she remembered, this seemed far off.

"No *coffee machine." Well, if even Song Yao, who knew little about *coffee, was making such a face, it proved her brewing was subpar. "Sis, how about I get you a *coffee machine tomorrow? Consider it a celebration gift for your shop opening." Wang Qiqi figured Song Yao might be reluctant to buy one herself, perhaps thinking instant *coffee would suffice without the hassle and expense of a machine.

Song Yao was about to ask why Wang Qiqi was gifting her an expensive item when she heard it was for the opening. She was momentarily speechless. "My shop has been open for ages; you're just now remembering to give me a gift?" Since that was the case, Song Yao wouldn't be modest. "Perfect, send me a *coffee machine, and I’ll decorate the second floor, maybe section off a lounge area with some sofas. Then, if some good clients come by, I can have them relax and enjoy a *coffee to deepen our relationship."

After running her business for this long, Song Yao had developed her own insights. For instance, previously, when discussing makeup tips or personal matters with regular clients, they did so right in the sales area, which always felt a bit inconvenient. When it got busy, private conversations were impossible. She had long considered setting up a dedicated lounge area. Moreover, building deeper rapport with clients through such chats would turn them into loyal patrons.

Wang Qiqi hadn't expected Song Yao to have such a shrewd idea. "Then maybe get an oven and bake some cakes?" That would give it a proper afternoon tea feel. But she added a caution, "By the time that happens, your shop might turn into a *coffee house, and many customers might come specifically for the drinks and cakes." Some people might feel awkward taking advantage of small perks, only staying after making a purchase. But if some patrons were bolder, they could visit often, perhaps buying something inexpensive, just to justify staying. However, the slim profit margin from a few cups of *coffee or a couple of cakes would be wiped out quickly.

Song Yao was genuinely unconcerned about Wang Qiqi’s worry. "As long as they have the nerve to put up with it, I have no objection. It’ll just boost the foot traffic. Besides, the customers who frequent our place belong to specific social circles. After seeing them often, people will talk." Moreover, if things got out of hand, she could implement some policy changes. Even if someone objected, Song Yao was confident most people would agree with her new rules.

Seeing Song Yao look so unconcerned and confident, Wang Qiqi dropped the subject. "But where will you store your inventory?" The second floor used to be Song Yao's combined storage, office, and break area. If she followed her new plan, storage would become a major problem.

"I plan to expand the storefront. The shop next door isn't doing very well," Song Yao revealed, though the final decision depended on what the neighboring owner asked for.

Wang Qiqi nodded and continued discussing the second-floor layout with Song Yao—covering scenarios both if the expansion succeeded and if it didn't. As they were deep into planning, Wang Qiqi suddenly recalled something. "Sis, aren't you heading to the capital at the end of the year?" The original plan was early in the year, but with Yang Jing giving birth locally and someone else reliable at Wang Qiqi’s end, delaying the trip was fine. This pushed back the relocation date, meaning the local shop would fall under Wang Qiqi’s responsibility for management going forward. But whether she left at the beginning of the year or the end, Yang Jing would ultimately be taking over the shop here. Now, their current scheming felt like overstepping boundaries.

As soon as Wang Qiqi mentioned it, Song Yao was momentarily stunned. If Wang Qiqi were taking over, she knew Qiqi wouldn't object even if it hadn't been discussed. The issue now was that Yang Jing was the one taking charge.

[Blossom Field Kitchen] Author: Fang Leyuan Synopsis: Using flowers for delicious food, flowers for making a living, and flowers as the medium for connection (To be continued)