With the sound of electronic firecrackers, Song Ziwen’s real estate agency officially opened. Wang Qiqi looked at Song Ziwen, dressed in a suit with his hair specially styled, “Did my brother get all dolled up today?” Wang Qiqi figured this was going to be Song Ziwen’s second-handsomest day; the first, of course, was his wedding day.

Although Song Yao wasn't in the best mood, thinking about how entangled her family would become with the Gong family made her furious. “My little brother is truly blessed.” Among the three siblings, Song Yao felt her family had far too many eccentric relatives.

“My sister is blessed too.” Wang Qiqi looked around stealthily, making sure no one was paying attention. “Even though this loss sounds pretty big—potentially losing a whole house—Brother-in-law won’t be sending money home anymore, and he’ll keep his distance from his family. Sis, do the math on how much money that saves.”

Yesterday on the way back, Han Tao had confidently stated that, barring any surprises, one of Song Yao’s houses would end up with Gong Peixing’s younger brother. Although Song Yao was the registered owner, if they had nowhere else to go, she couldn't just kick them out.

“Exactly, thousands a year. Do you know how much my house is worth?” Song Yao felt that was the only way to look at it; what else was there to do? “In the future, if I’m in a bad mood when I go back, I’ll go over there and stir things up, telling them this is my property, and if any of you bother me, you need to scram immediately.” The thought of that scene actually amused Song Yao; a wife like that would certainly be imposing enough.

“More than that. You could show up empty-handed. If you were renting, you’d have to pay rent. If you don't charge them rent, you can demand your mother-in-law and the others do this and that for you.” Wang Qiqi watched Song Yao regulate her mood and thought she truly had a thick skin; three minutes ago, she was miserable, and now she was cheerful again.

“Oh, please, I wouldn’t dare. I’d only tell them every time I visit, urging them to buy a place and move out sooner.” Actually making her in-laws do chores felt like shortening her own life; besides, there were lines one shouldn’t cross.

After presiding over a brief opening ceremony, Song Ziwen finally said something everyone present appreciated: “I’ve prepared a simple banquet. Everyone, please eat well and enjoy yourselves.”

As soon as the words were out, Wang Qiqi whispered, “Honestly, no matter how grand the opening ceremony is, it’s not as practical as a good meal.” Wang Qiqi hadn't expected that for a real estate agency opening, Song Ziwen would have flower baskets, silk banners, and a floral archway. She felt it was too wasteful; think of the money spent—they could have added two more dishes, which would have been far more practical.

Song Yao nodded. “Right. I was woken up by Song Ziwen’s phone call early this morning. I didn’t even sleep well last night. I sat here stupidly for half the morning, and then I had to listen to my brother drone on with all that bureaucratic nonsense. Thank goodness my brother quit his job when he did; if he’d waited another two years, I really worry his opening speech would have lasted two hours.”

Song Yao could understand her younger brother’s excitement on his first opening day, but she recalled that when she first became a boss, although she was equally excited—so much so that she barely slept for several nights, constantly worried about mishaps on opening day—her own opening ceremony was incredibly simple. How could this kid be so grand, or rather, so elaborate?

“Once my brother’s company grows bigger, that might actually happen.” Wang Qiqi didn’t know if Song Ziwen was still fond of gambling, but seeing how Gong Peixing’s brother had turned into a shadow of a man because of gambling, he probably wouldn't think about gambling again. “By then, my brother will likely be using a secretary’s prepared speech.”

“Ah, then we’ll be sitting here from morning till afternoon?” Song Yao looked aghast. “I’m already sleepy. Ugh, I just set off a few firecrackers for my opening; it was definitely simple.” In Song Yao’s mind, the grandeur of the opening ceremony wasn't an absolute factor in business success. “I’m going to eat and then head back for a nap.”

Wang Qiqi also let out a yawn. She’d been running around yesterday and hadn't rested well at all. She’d been hoping to sleep in today, but she was dragged out of bed early, especially for this ‘conscripted labor’ which mostly involved just sitting around blankly. Wang Qiqi felt annoyed just thinking about it. “Okay, Sis, I’ll see you at the station tonight.” Running back and forth was tiring. “Oh, right, didn't you say your girlfriends knew you were back and planned a reunion dinner?”

“Reunion? It’s just them coming to borrow money from me.” Song Yao had been looking forward to having afternoon tea with her old friends this afternoon to catch up, but another friend had called warning her not to go, saying she’d inevitably be asked for money. Song Yao was now strictly avoiding anyone who wanted to borrow cash.

Song Ziwen felt his performance had been quite good. Didn't he see the admiration in his wife’s eyes? Of course, he was hoping for praise from Wang Qiqi or Song Yao. As he quietly approached, he overheard them saying all that display was less useful than just treating everyone to a good meal. He almost wanted to shout, Sis! Sis-in-law! This is my first venture! Give me a little face and focus on the important parts! And they were already planning to go home and sleep after eating? How irritating! They even called the opening ceremony tedious. Hmph, they just didn't get it. How could an opening ceremony not be grand? If it wasn't grand, was it even an opening? However, he did like their last comment: using a secretary’s script for future openings. Didn't that imply he would eventually hire hundreds of employees? In Song Ziwen’s view, hiring so-called secretaries was something you only did once a business reached a certain scale. How could his small company, with only two employees right now, afford to keep a non-profit-making subordinate?

“Brother, why are you standing back there?” Wang Qiqi felt a heavy breath behind her. She turned around to find Song Ziwen and nearly shrieked. That was too creepy! “Brother, you’re going to scare people to death like that.”

Song Ziwen looked at the startled Wang Qiqi and let out a cold snort. “Have you been up to something you shouldn’t have?”

“Brother, what do you mean by that?” Wang Qiqi bristled. “That’s too much.”

“Exactly.” Song Yao rolled her eyes at Song Ziwen. Even as a boss, he was still this childish. “Don’t worry, little brother, you looked incredibly handsome today. The last time I saw you this handsome was your wedding day.”

No matter how much Song Yao had criticized Song Ziwen earlier, he was still her brother, and she was the only one allowed to tease him. “Ziwen, leave the house matter to you. We’ve handled all the paperwork, and Brother-in-law has already negotiated with the village. You will be our representative for this, so please take this seriously.” Song Yao had initially thought Wang Qiqi’s suggestion about getting some kind of power of attorney from a lawyer was a waste of money, but now she disagreed. This money was well spent; otherwise, if Gong Peixing’s father stepped in using his status as an elder to handle things, it would truly be a headache.

Song Ziwen knew the score even without Song Yao bringing it up. “Sis, don’t worry, I’ll keep it in mind. I promise I’ll handle this perfectly for you.” Hmph, if the Gong family didn’t interfere, fine. But if they did, Song Ziwen wouldn't mind digging up the Gong family’s ugly secrets again. Let’s see if the Gong elders could still hold their heads up in front of relatives after that. After all, the respect they commanded among relatives was earned by her brother-in-law and his family; relying on their younger son, he’d probably jump in the river. One son was successful, the other was so useless he’d resort to leveraging his parents' coffins and houses, yet still try to scheme against his older brother’s property. It gave him the feeling of never wanting to step out the door.

“Brother, even if it costs a bit of money, I want to secure more houses.” Wang Qiqi thought that even if the money wasn't enough and they had to borrow, she needed to secure her fair share. “I’ll take seven or eight-square-meter properties.” Houses of that size were easy to rent out. Taking a large house would require partitioning it, which she disliked. Besides, any house near the development zone, if nicely renovated, wouldn't rent for a bad price.

“Don't worry. I’ll coordinate the renovation contractors; we can even get a discount on the price…” Song Ziwen had overseen several renovations and knew how to handle this. But then a thought struck him. “Qiqi, I think I could actually start a renovation company.” Once he had money, he planned to buy houses and shops, and he had his sister’s properties, plus Qiqi’s houses. Even if they never bought property in their hometown again, he could use the houses they received as practice runs. If the renovations were good, he wouldn't lack clients. Slowly, he could establish himself, and since he was already in the brokerage business, where would he ever lack customers?

Wang Qiqi naturally had no objection. “Brother, that’s a great idea. As long as the craftsmanship is good and the pricing is fair and reasonable, you won’t have to worry.” Although there were many interior design companies now, most weren't very large-scale. Entering the market now would definitely present an opportunity to grow big. “Brother, we’ll use our houses as display models. As for the costs…”

Song Ziwen looked at the money-minded Wang Qiqi, thinking she was the type who got more calculating the richer she became. “Don’t worry, I’ll only charge you the cost price.” Song Ziwen couldn't imagine charging Wang Qiqi for his work; he needed to maintain a good relationship with her. “Qiqi, why don’t you and Sis invest a bit of money together?”

“Are you short on cash?” Wang Qiqi wondered if a renovation company required a large startup fund; surely Song Ziwen had that much money?

“It’s not about being short on cash.” Song Ziwen hadn't researched renovation companies, but he figured the tools wouldn't cost that much. The difficult part would be finding skilled workers. But that wasn't urgent. “I just feel like the three of us siblings don't have a joint project.” No matter how deep the blood ties, they weren’t as strong as having shared economic interests. For instance, his sister and Qiqi got along well because they collaborated first. Although Yang Jing and Qiqi were friendly, their relationship wasn't as solid as Song Yao’s.

Wang Qiqi hesitated slightly about partnering with Song Ziwen, but with Song Yao involved, she trusted Song Ziwen’s character; as long as she was doing well in the US, he wouldn't do anything to betray her. However, investment was a serious matter. “Brother, I need to ask Han Tao about this before I can give you an answer.”

“I know, I know.” Song Ziwen paused, surprised that Han Tao needed to be consulted. They weren't even married yet. “Sis, it’s not that I’m speaking ill of him, but you need to be careful about some things. You’re not married yet.” There were too many temptations outside. What if Han Tao started getting fickle? Wouldn’t his own sister suffer a loss? Although Han Tao wouldn't go too far, Song Ziwen felt some reservations were necessary.

“Brother, I know.” Wang Qiqi appreciated Song Ziwen’s concern, but she had absolute faith in Han Tao.

“Start a renovation company?” Han Tao, feeling a bit dizzy from having poured a few drinks down Song Ziwen and Gong Peixing at lunch, lay in bed listening to Wang Qiqi explain Song Ziwen’s plan. He found it strange. “Didn’t he just open a brokerage firm? Does he have that much energy?”

Han Tao wondered if his brother-in-law was moving too fast. He just opened a real estate agency, and they didn't even know the revenue yet, and now he was planning a renovation company. While the two businesses had some overlap, the real question was whether he had the capacity to manage both well.

But that wasn’t the main point. The main point was, “Didn’t you say before that you shouldn’t go into business partnerships with friends?” Han Tao remembered Wang Qiqi mentioning that partnering with friends was risky; if things went wrong, you could end up losing both your friend and the business. Partnering with Shi Man and the others in their previous venture was simple: everyone put in money, and everyone shared the profits, straightforward accounting. But the renovation business was different. Song Ziwen would handle all income and expenditures alone. What if someone disagreed with how he managed things, or felt he was cheating them? How would the business continue then? Han Tao wasn't optimistic about it.

“I feel there are issues with partnering with friends, and I never considered partnering with relatives,” Wang Qiqi said, meeting Han Tao’s surprised gaze with her own view.

Han Tao was inwardly stunned. “They’re relatives, though. Is there a need to make it so complicated?” Shouldn't the quality of their relationship be independent of business collaborations?

“We feel our relationship is good right now, but Song Ziwen thinks my relationship with Song Yao is better,” Wang Qiqi explained. She felt Song Ziwen was overthinking things, but she couldn't very well tell him he was being too anxious.

“So he wants to collaborate to maintain the relationship?” Han Tao was speechless. “I’m going to sleep for a bit. Oh, and what about our dinner?”

“We’ll just find a random place to eat later.” Wang Qiqi rubbed her eyes and climbed into bed next to Han Tao. “So, should I tell my brother this afternoon that I agree?”

“Okay.” Han Tao never got deeply involved in investment decisions. He had only offered an opinion now because of what Qiqi had said earlier. He recalled that when Song Yao opened her purchasing agency, she had asked Qiqi to join, perhaps even as an unlisted silent partner with a clear agreement. But Qiqi had refused. Han Tao had initially assumed Wang Qiqi was worried about making Shi Man and the others feel awkward if they found out, but it turned out her refusal was rooted in the fear of severing ties with relatives later on.

Lying next to Han Tao and listening to his steady breathing, Wang Qiqi turned to look at her man. In reality, another reason Wang Qiqi agreed to the partnership was her feeling that a renovation company would bring her significant financial luck. In the early stages, it was a highly profitable sector, and once established, the potential for future maneuvering was huge, depending entirely on Song Ziwen’s ambition. From the current outlook, Song Ziwen did have ambition, and Yang Jing, being finance-trained, viewed matters with cool objectivity—she would be the best partner.

“I hope to expand my net worth again and again.” While finance and IT were profitable, they felt too abstract; wealth could come quickly and leave just as fast. Wang Qiqi’s vision for her future business landscape combined industry with finance; that felt like the most sound approach.

Song Ziwen had expected Wang Qiqi to take a few days to reply, so he was surprised she gave an answer the same day. “Qiqi, you really agreed?” His own sister had wanted to partner with Wang Qiqi before, but she’d refused. Don’t let his confident demeanor at lunch fool you—the one where he acted like Qiqi would agree as long as her brother-in-law didn’t object—he actually had no confidence at all. He knew how stubborn Qiqi could be when she put her mind to something.

Wang Qiqi nodded. “Yes, but Brother, I don't have a lot of liquid cash right now. If you plan for a huge investment, I don't have much capital.” Wang Qiqi voiced her difficulty; the venture seemed too large in scope.

The issue of funding wasn't just making Wang Qiqi nervous; Song Ziwen was also quite anxious. “Don’t worry, the earliest we can launch is the end of the year. I need to find skilled craftsmen; they are one of the key factors in whether the company operates successfully.” Song Ziwen knew he could handle securing clients well enough, but when it came to the actual work, he was completely incapable. He could talk the talk, but renovating a house required high-quality craftsmen, and he had zero contacts in that field—the only one he knew was the crew that worked on his family’s house, and frankly, he wasn't satisfied with their skill level. Looking at it from an objective standpoint, Song Ziwen was determined to find excellent craftsmen and charge reasonable prices so his renovation company could quickly gain traction.

“We also need to hire a few designers, the ones with real talent,” Wang Qiqi added. Although Wang Qiqi felt many current designers were essentially selling snake oil—producing blueprints that bore no resemblance to the client’s situation or wishes—it was still a selling point. “We can print the drawings on the computer then; that should impress them.” Wang Qiqi remembered that very few people used computers for design drawings back then. If they debuted with that tactic, they would likely attract a lot of white-collar clients.

Song Ziwen found Wang Qiqi’s suggestion completely novel. “Design drawings using a computer? Can you actually design a house renovation on a computer?” Song Ziwen’s understanding of computers was limited to checking emails, chatting, tracking the stock market, and maybe playing a few games. He never imagined they had this capability.

“There’s software for that.” Wang Qiqi didn't understand computer hardware or software. She subtly signaled Han Tao with her eyes, indicating he could step in. “Brother, designing this shouldn’t be too hard. I can find you some beginner books when I get back?” Although she knew the software existed, Han Tao wasn’t an expert either, but he figured that with his aptitude, mastering the basics wouldn't take long.

Self-study with books? Song Ziwen’s interest was piqued. If it was genuinely easy to learn, maybe he could teach himself and save some money, while also gaining a new skill. But self-study? Song Ziwen doubted his own discipline. “Is self-study mandatory?”

“Brother, you could also sign up for a class,” Han Tao suggested when he saw Song Ziwen looking troubled. He forgot that Song Ziwen wasn’t him; Song Ziwen hadn't been in a classroom setting since high school graduation. Making him pick up a textbook again would be difficult. Moreover, Han Tao wasn’t convinced that a hired instructor would necessarily be highly competent.

“Okay.” Song Ziwen wrote down the name of the software Han Tao mentioned and decided he would look into where he could take a course in a few days. It was just tuition fees. “Maybe I can become a designer too.” That would count as a professional skill, Song Ziwen thought. At least then his parents couldn't say he was useless anymore.

Song Yao arrived, pulling her luggage, while Gong Peixing held the still soundly sleeping Taotao. Hearing Song Ziwen mention designers, she looked confused. “Ziwen, are you changing careers?” He was doing great as a boss; why would he suddenly think about becoming an employee?

Song Ziwen turned to see his sister finally arriving and retorted irritably, “Sis, you took too long! If you hadn’t come soon, you would have missed the appointment.” Ever since his sister started her business, she had to put on makeup just to go out—so much trouble. “Making all of us wait for you, have you no shame?”

Song Yao shot back, “Your nephew had too much fun playing and refused to sleep when we got home. He finally crashed around four in the morning and hasn't woken up since.” Song Yao worried the little rascal would be up all night now. “By the way, you still haven’t answered my question.” Song Yao knew her brother well; neither of them were keen students. How could he suddenly decide to pick up a book and study again?

Song Ziwen had been eager to show off. Hearing his sister ask, he couldn't hold back his excitement. He swaggered slightly, swaying his body. “Sis, did you know? Qiqi and I are about to partner up and start a renovation company.” He felt incredibly smug and happy that he had easily accomplished the task his sister hadn't.

Ah, Song Yao was utterly dumbfounded. She had fully expected Wang Qiqi to reject her younger brother's proposal. After all, Qiqi had turned down the partnership venture she herself had invested in with minimal commitment. There was no logical reason for Qiqi to agree to this interior design company, let alone agree so quickly. Song Yao’s lips instinctively curled into a pout. "Qiqi, you always claimed we had the best relationship. Hmph, only now do I realize the truth—it turns out you and Song Ziwen are the closest." Even as Song Yao spoke with an air of disdain and dissatisfaction, a thrill of genuine happiness ran through her; this meant Qiqi had immense faith in Song Ziwen’s new company, which in turn meant she could expand her own sources of income.

"Hmph, when exactly was our relationship 'the best'?" Wang Qiqi knew Song Yao was just putting on an act. "Look at you, you haven't even treated me to a handful of proper meals. After I got back, my brother treated me to two dinners already." Wang Qiqi adopted the expression of someone who favors whoever offers the most perks.

"Tch," Song Yao thought, How little food have I treated you to over the years? She was about to launch into a full-blown argument with Wang Qiqi, the atmosphere already crackling with animated energy. "Alright, alright! The train is about to pull in." Although Song Ziwen had already resigned, his years of experience still allowed him to use the employee passage to see them off at the platform. RS