Wang Qiqi was completely stunned upon hearing this, never imagining that Li Qian hadn't lost out in her divorce from Li Xiangdong. "Sister Qian, you might be happy, but someone over there certainly isn't." After all, there was a life growing inside the other woman, and seeing so much money just fly away—it was impossible for someone to be happy about that. They might even make a little voodoo doll and stick sewing needles in it.

Li Qian stopped drinking the moment she heard this, placing her glass firmly on the dining table. She narrowed her eyes, "If it weren't for my generosity, for me being such a good person, would she have gotten half the assets? Hmph, I’ve already been generous enough. Besides, no matter how smug she gets, what she’s carrying is just a daughter." Tsk, that fool Li Xiangdong actually thought the second child would be a boy. He didn't even bother to inquire. Still, Li Qian couldn't help but admire the mistress; to achieve her goal, she actually devised this scheme. Didn't she ever worry that once the baby was born, the trouble would only compound?

"A daughter?" Wang Qiqi recalled what Ye Ruizhi had told her a few days ago. Those words shouldn't have been spoken in front of Li Qian, but she slipped up for a moment. "I thought they said it was a son?" Ye Ruizhi had mocked her then, saying that when they already had a son ready to take over, why bother trying for a second son, and whether he even had the good fortune to enjoy that son's blessings. But unexpectedly, Ye Ruizhi had been wrong this time; the mistress was clearly carrying a girl. A daughter is wonderful, a parent's little padded jacket, though perhaps this daughter wouldn't be born into the welcome she expected from her parents.

Li Qian was surprised that Qiqi knew this piece of gossip, which circulated within certain circles. However, she didn't suspect Ye Ruizhi. She figured Qiqi occasionally helped Li Xiangdong with work, and many people at the company knew about the mistress. Perhaps one of them had told Qiqi. "Yes, they kept saying the fortune teller predicted she’d have a son. They even said her pregnancy signs indicated a boy." Li Qian only knew the mistress was carrying a girl because she discovered the person handling the mistress’s prenatal check-ups was someone Li Qian knew. A little probing, and she knew what was in the mistress's belly. Li Qian could have divorced much earlier; the only reason she dragged out the proceedings until after New Year's Day was that the baby’s condition was stable by then. If she had forced an abortion, her chances of conceiving again would be low. Li Qian wanted to see what the other woman planned to do.

If the mistress forced an abortion, then she’d have to rely on fate to be kind and allow her to get pregnant again, and it must be a boy. Otherwise, wouldn't Li Xiangdong's assets ultimately go to his son, Li Zhe? Li Qian was unwilling to see all the effort she put into marrying Li Xiangdong wasted. If she didn't abort the child and gave birth to a daughter, Li Qian could guarantee the former in-laws would be displeased. Those old folks were classic examples of valuing sons over daughters. The only reasons they supported the mistress were that she was sweet-tongued and knew how to please them, and because the fortune teller claimed she was destined to bear sons, a woman blessed with luck that would bring prosperity to her husband and children. In reality, the old couple had no idea that the so-called master fortune teller had lied profusely after receiving a 100,000 yuan bribe, and every word, along with all the information he previously calculated, had been provided by the mistress. In short, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. Even if Li Xiangdong, out of pride, wouldn't divorce her, a man who has cheated once is unlikely to stop; the crying would come later. Even if she decided to divorce, the idea that the second daughter-in-law, who bore a daughter deemed a "money-losing item" by the former in-laws, could enjoy her former status was a pipe dream.

Hearing about all the efforts the mistress made to secure Li Xiangdong's divorce, Wang Qiqi was utterly dumbfounded. She had only one thought: this woman was truly talented; it was a waste to have her as a receptionist. "Don't worry, she climbed up from being a mistress; she’ll be cautious around other mistresses." However, this promotion to official wife might actually be worse for her than remaining the mistress. As a mistress, she only needed to dress up beautifully and keep the sugar daddy happy. But once she became a wife, she’d have countless things to worry about, energy drained by other matters. How could she possibly maintain the meticulous and comfortable care she gave before? The slightest lapse could displease the sugar daddy. Compared to that, there were countless pretty, gentle, and compliant young women outside. "Besides, President Li isn't a generous man; he's a typical capitalist." Having dealt with Li Xiangdong so much, Wang Qiqi knew he appeared refined and generous, but he was actually a penny-pincher. "I plan to discuss this with President Li in a while. I’m quite tired lately, and Han Tao’s work is busy, so I need to take care of him. Therefore, I don’t plan to continue working part-time for him anymore."

Wang Qiqi had been thoroughly annoyed by the assignments from Li Xiangdong's side for a long time. They were always rush jobs, always the difficult ones—if they weren't hard, he wouldn't give them to her. So, although it looked like her income had increased on paper, when she calculated closely, she was actually losing out. She felt awkward bringing it up because of Li Qian, but now that Li Qian was divorced, Wang Qiqi wanted to settle down and do things she enjoyed. Moreover, Wang Qiqi suspected that after the mistress officially took over, she would probably torment her, given how unpleasant things had been before. It was better to just announce her departure now.

Li Qian knew Wang Qiqi had many grievances regarding Li Xiangdong; she hadn't failed to mention these matters to him. But Li Xiangdong insisted that he would manage the business aspects himself. "Qiqi, that..."

"It’s fine. With her stirring things up behind the scenes, and since he was reluctant to grant that raise previously, only giving in because I was forceful—now I’m just quitting to avoid future unhappiness." Wang Qiqi understood why Li Qian felt awkward. Perhaps in the past, Wang Qiqi would have resented Li Qian for not helping her side, but thinking it over later, they were husband and wife. How could she side with an outsider like her? Now she realized that even if Li Qian wanted to help, if someone disliked her, any assistance would only make things worse.

The two women ate until past eleven that night. The dishes were reheated multiple times. After finishing dinner and a late-night snack, they moved to the sofa to sip red wine and chat. As for the dirty dishes, Li Qian said she’d leave them for the cleaning lady, and Wang Qiqi was perfectly happy not lifting a finger.

Now that she had spoken openly with Li Qian, Wang Qiqi didn't want to drag things out with Li Xiangdong any longer. Two days later, she headed over to the company while Li Xiangdong was there.

When Wang Qiqi walked into the company, she noticed the receptionist had been replaced by a middle-aged auntie. She remembered the previous one being a refined, bespectacled recent graduate. How could the position change so quickly, and to a middle-aged woman at that? This must have been the mistress’s idea, perhaps out of fear that the golden goose would be snatched away.

After going through the announcement process, Wang Qiqi entered the office area. It was during working hours, but glancing around, she recognized even fewer people. Wang Qiqi sighed inwardly. This must be what they called a purge. She hadn't even officially taken the position yet, and she was already this arrogant. Who knew what she would do once she officially became Mrs. Li? This realization solidified her decision to leave.

"President Li," Wang Qiqi knocked on the office door. Hearing a voice invite her in, she turned the knob and stepped inside. The first thing she saw was the mistress, heavily pregnant, sitting on the sofa reading a fashion magazine. Wang Qiqi certainly wasn't going to acknowledge the mistress.

The mistress waited for a long time, only to realize Wang Qiqi hadn't greeted her at all, treating her like air. "Oh, who is this? Walking in without a single greeting." Hmph, if it hadn't been for her, Wang Qiqi wouldn't have ended up in such a predicament. She had been planning how to deal with her, never expecting her to deliver herself right to her doorstep.

Wang Qiqi knew the mistress was trying to pick a fight. She desperately wanted to retort, Who are you? I don’t know you. But she decided against it. It wasn't worth arguing with her. What if the woman became enraged and triggered labor pains? Then Wang Qiqi would become a great sinner in the Li family, effectively helping the mistress in the end.

"President Li, I've decided to stop working part-time." Wang Qiqi didn't sit down; she got straight to the point. "Although sending an email or making a call would suffice, I felt it was necessary to tell you in person. Thank you for taking care of me over the past two years."

Li Xiangdong knew Wang Qiqi was dissatisfied with his actions, and he knew Li Qian's divorce would make Wang Qiqi consider leaving. But he hadn't expected her to show up so quickly. He had been nurturing a few promising replacements; if Qiqi left, it wouldn't be an issue, as someone else could step up. But the problem was, he didn't know what bad luck had struck him lately—people were resigning one after another. This had Li Xiangdong pacing anxiously. Before he could formulate a plan, Wang Qiqi was already there. "Qiqi, you're... Is this about salary? That's something we can discuss." Even if the final outcome was Qiqi’s departure, he hoped to stall for a few more months until he found a replacement.

Wang Qiqi shook her head. "It’s not about salary. It's because I’m tired. I used to push myself hard to earn more money because I needed to pay off the mortgage. But now, the company where Han Tao is interning has essentially offered him a permanent position. His monthly income is quite substantial, but he’s much busier than before, so I need to take care of him too."

Li Xiangdong had initially planned to use money, his best ally, to keep Wang Qiqi, but he hadn't expected that even money couldn't hold her back. "Alright, if you ever want to earn some spending money in the future, you can always come back." Since he couldn't keep her, he might as well say something polite. Besides, the so-called contract they signed only stipulated their respective rights and obligations. For a part-time employee like Qiqi, there was essentially no service commitment period. She could just send an email or call to notify him; Li Xiangdong couldn't do anything about it.

"Leave? Why would she come back? Hmph, what kind of respectable company would hire a mere university student..." The mistress chimed in sarcastically from the side. Although she couldn't deal with Wang Qiqi directly, the fact that someone close to Li Qian was resigning was good news for her. She could install her own people in the company now. She wanted to show everyone who had looked down on and mocked her just how capable she was.

【Worth a Thousand Golds to Marry】Author: San Tan. Who says a salted fish can’t flip over, just a double-sided fry? This young lady is determined to 'fight' her way to the top! 【First Arrival as Wife】Author: San Tan. The reborn woman makes a powerful comeback, "A formidable life needs no explanation."