Wang Qiqi expected Shi Man to contact her immediately after receiving the message from Dai Lijun, but to her surprise, several days passed without Shi Man’s accusation—not a single phone call, and even online, Shi Man acted as if nothing had happened.

Wang Qiqi knew Dai Lijun couldn't lie; he definitely informed Shi Man. This left Wang Qiqi completely baffled. She wondered if Shi Man’s computer had broken down and was being repaired, erasing the chat history, meaning Shi Man hadn't seen Dai Lijun’s message.

After days of internal struggle, Wang Qiqi finally recounted the events of that day. Shi Man’s response infuriated Wang Qiqi to no end. It turned out Shi Man had known since the very next day. Initially, she had intended to bombard Wang Qiqi with calls or online messages, but seeing Han Tao’s final message confirming Qiqi was safely home had quelled that impulse. However, letting Wang Qiqi off easily was impossible. Shi Man thought Dai Lijun would surely notify Qiqi that he had informed her, leading Wang Qiqi to anticipate a confrontation. So, Shi Man pretended ignorance, which, just as she predicted, kept Wang Qiqi deeply unsettled.

Looking at Shi Man’s reply, Wang Qiqi had only one thought: Shi Man had turned bad, educating her in such an indirect way. But she wouldn't be foolish enough to voice her dissatisfaction; that would only invite Shi Man to rally others against her. Wang Qiqi suppressed her feelings and started discussing the part-time jobs she had recently found with Shi Man. At first, unsure of the difficulty of the assignments, she hadn't mentioned it. But after reviewing several drafts, Wang Qiqi realized she could definitely share some work with Manman, as she herself was under significant financial strain.

Initially, Shi Man was reluctant. She knew Qiqi would only assign her the easier tasks. Usually, these translation jobs involved mixing difficult pieces with simpler ones, with the pay averaged out. For the truly difficult assignments, even if Shi Man felt confident, she worried about making mistakes that could jeopardize deadlines, leading to major liability.

After much persuasion, Shi Man finally agreed, bringing a wave of relief to Wang Qiqi. Domestic assignments seemed to be increasing, and the money Manman earned from procurement was shared among everyone. Wang Qiqi couldn't help but feel Shi Man was getting the short end of the stick.

Unbeknownst to Wang Qiqi, after their chat ended, Shi Man stared at her computer for a long time. She knew Qiqi was compensating her in her own way. Truthfully, although she hadn't told Qiqi and the others, she handled much of the procurement herself, yet the profits were split equally. Anyone in that position would feel resentment; surely running errands deserved a small fee, right? But they had been friends for so many years; Shi Man couldn't possibly raise an issue over such a small amount of money. Furthermore, Shi Man wasn't naive; she wouldn't fuss over trifles, and she held a quiet conviction that a restructuring would happen sooner or later.

With Shi Man contributing, the completion rate for tasks sped up considerably. Wang Qiqi had worried that the translation agency was as small as Han Tao suggested—barely functional—but the volume of work was decent. For instance, there were five or six moderately difficult assignments daily. Honestly, Wang Qiqi was quite curious. Logically, that volume should suffice. So why was Mary keeping the agency confined to her home, giving off such an unprofessional vibe? Although Wang Qiqi only stood at the doorway that day and didn't step inside, through the door and windows, she sensed it was purely a residence, completely lacking any office setup.

But these details mattered little to Wang Qiqi. As long as she was paid on time, Mary was a good boss; everything else was irrelevant. Wang Qiqi reasoned that task assignments and submissions were handled via email, and payments were made directly through the bank. She felt there was virtually no chance of meeting in person again.

Wang Qiqi’s thoughts were rather neat, but in Mary’s view, the young woman she had reluctantly taken on—just to ease the intense workload—had provided an enormous surprise. The tasks were completed quickly and expertly. Recalling the young woman’s previous claim of having worked in translation back in China, Mary genuinely believed her. But immediately afterward, the thought of signing a contract with her surfaced. Even though she hadn't started her studies in the US yet, it was only a matter of time. Mary felt the girl was succeeding under her guidance because of her unique circumstances; few others would offer her a chance. However, Mary believed that as long as the terms weren't overly harsh, this girl wasn't the type to jump ship to a new employer. Still, the specifics needed to be ironed out in a face-to-face meeting. It was for this very reason that Mary tracked down the address Wang Qiqi had left.

Hearing someone call from downstairs, Wang Qiqi stirred groggily and peered out the window. Normally, no one sought her out, and Shi Man certainly wouldn't come over. Curiosity piqued, she looked out and saw Mary, one of her bosses, standing below next to a small sedan—clearly there for her.

Wang Qiqi was stunned. Why was she here? Surely her submitted drafts were fine; Mary had praised her quality and speed just yesterday. Work was not the issue, so why the visit? Wang Qiqi didn't believe her boss had made such a long trip just to discuss a raise.

Despite her confusion about Mary’s intentions, Wang Qiqi called down, "Wait for me a moment." Great, finally sleeping in, and now I get caught by someone. Did it have to be this dramatic?

Mary hadn't expected Wang Qiqi to still be waking up at this hour; she had driven for two hours. But that wasn't important; the crucial thing was finding Wang Qiqi. Having driven there and familiarizing herself with the neighborhood, Mary knew that even those renting here must have some means. After all, the residents here were not people lacking in money; renting would never be a necessity driven by poverty.

Wang Qiqi quickly managed her personal hygiene, changed into presentable clothes, and greeted her, "Hello, Mary." She ushered Mary upstairs, offered her a cold drink, and then sat quietly beside her, deciding to wait for Mary to speak before formulating a response.

Mary accepted the drink, took a few sips, placed it on the coffee table, and said, "I came to see you today to discuss a few things. We reached a preliminary understanding

“Eat up. I’m frankly a little sick of it now.” Wang Qiqi wasn’t being coy at all. Although she mostly delivered takeout, just the scent of this food made her stomach turn, let alone actually eating it.

“Really? Then I won't be polite,” Mary replied. Hearing Wang Qiqi say that, she didn't hesitate to spear the last chicken wing. Something this delicious was meant to be consumed as much as possible; who knew when she’d get another chance to eat it.