Wang Qiqi had promised Bai Ge she would help, and naturally, she kept the matter in mind. Of course, she desperately wanted to forget it; drinking led to trouble. How could she have forgotten that she was actively trying to avoid Boss Ye, yet here she was, walking right into his path? But the thing was, she had already given her word to Bai Ge. Wang Qiqi couldn't bring herself to renege on a promise. Besides, he was her boss, after all; she couldn't avoid meeting him forever. After contacting Boss Ye, she appeared before Ye Ruizhi exactly at the agreed time.

To be honest, this was Wang Qiqi’s first time seeing Ye Ruizhi since their last encounter in Lijiang. She truly didn't know if Boss Ye's mood had improved, or if spending time with a beautiful woman had helped him forget the mess she had caused previously.

Ye Ruizhi watched Wang Qiqi enter, her face clearly marked with "I messed up." He chuckled inwardly. This girl was something else. When she was causing trouble and presenting him with difficult situations before, she never seemed to consider this consequence. But now that the time had come, she vanished from his sight. If it weren't for her submitting her manuscripts on time and their phone correspondence, he might have thought she had gone missing. "You've arrived? I wonder what brings Miss Qiqi here this time?" Although she hadn't said much over the phone, Ye Ruizhi knew she must need something from him. As he spoke, he didn't stop preparing the Gongfu tea.

Wang Qiqi knew the certain someone wouldn't let her off easily. She gave a wry smile and sat on the single sofa beside Ye Ruizhi. "Well, I was busy before, you know—working, dealing with visas, graduation defense, and those farewell dinners." Saying this, Wang Qiqi realized she had actually been quite swamped; there was so much for her to handle.

Ye Ruizhi had also gone through university graduation. He snorted a few times. "Whether you were busy or using business as an excuse to avoid me, you know best." Ye Ruizhi slid a teacup towards Wang Qiqi, gesturing for her to sample it.

Seeing a cup of tea prepared for her, Wang Qiqi knew Ye Ruizhi's anger had subsided. Moreover, since this meeting was scheduled, his preparation of Gongfu tea indicated he was in a pretty good mood. If he were upset, he would definitely be sitting in his boss chair, staring at her. "Thank you, Director Ye."

After they had sipped tea for a while, Wang Qiqi could hold back no longer. Sigh, matching wits with an old fox, I’m sure to be the loser. Wang Qiqi coughed and explained the reason for her visit, then looked toward Director Ye with a pitiful expression. She had actually thought about it over the past few days and realized that Old Ye probably knew many people in the translation circle, but might not necessarily know anyone in the field of overseas examination preparation.

Ye Ruizhi hadn't expected Wang Qiqi to harbor such a thought. "Why don't you do it yourself?" It was such a perfect opportunity; Ye Ruizhi was genuinely curious. Wasn't Wang Qiqi tempted even a little?

Wang Qiqi knew Old Comrade Ye would ask that. She pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm leaving the country soon. I have much more important things to sort out; I can't stay in China for this kind of trivial matter." My goal is grander; if I succeed, I can become rich without expending too much effort. Given that, Wang Qiqi naturally preferred an easier task. Furthermore, she knew her social skills were lacking, and this line of work demanded communication with all sorts of people—something Wang Qiqi felt incapable of doing.

"Then you've invested in it?" Ye Ruizhi considered it. If she truly wanted to get into this business, it would require significant time and energy, at least a few years preparing domestically, which would be hard for Wang Qiqi to accept. He didn't believe Wang Qiqi would be such a selfless volunteer.

Wang Qiqi shook her head. Alas, even my boss thinks I’m someone who won't act without personal gain. Wang Qiqi deeply felt, Have I failed so miserably in life that everyone just sees me as money-hungry?

Wang Qiqi hadn't invested? Ye Ruizhi was confused. "Then you're still helping her?"

"It’s a huge favor to owe someone."

"Ah, I drank too much that night. I don't know what came over me to blurt all that out and promise to help introduce a tutor." Wang Qiqi drooped her face. "Boss, just tell me, do you know any tutors? If not, never mind." Wang Qiqi felt quite conflicted. She heard Bai Ge had been busy with this recently, and if Bai Ge found out she hadn't helped secure a tutor, wouldn't she be terribly disappointed?

Ye Ruizhi knew this little fox wouldn't make such a mistake if she were in her right mind. "You’re young, drink less alcohol. And in the future, when you go abroad, be careful if classmates invite you to a bar; things can get much more complicated there." Anything could happen in a bar; it was a good thing Qiqi didn't smoke, or something far worse might have occurred.

Wang Qiqi knew that point, and the fact that Boss Ye could offer her such advice was likely because of Sister Qian. "Uh, Brother-in-law, can you help?"

Brother-in-law? Ye Ruizhi truly hadn't wanted to get involved. If this was Qiqi’s venture, he might help, but she had no stake in this venture of Bai Ge's. Why should he bother? But this silly girl had actually called him Brother-in-law. Just based on that title, it seemed he had to help. "Then what do you two call Li Zhe?" He was rather curious how Wang Qiqi addressed Li Zhe, or how that kid Li Zhe greeted Wang Qiqi.

Doesn't Boss Ye’s mind jump too fast? Why did he suddenly pivot to that kid Li Zhe? "We each address the other according to our own preference." Wang Qiqi thought that calling Sister Qian 'Sister' made Li Qian seem younger, but she definitely didn't want that cocky brat Li Zhe calling her 'Auntie'; she wasn't that old. Of course, Li Zhe wouldn't call her Auntie either.

Each to their own, Ye Ruizhi gave Wang Qiqi a meaningful look. "I can ask around, but the terms and compensation must be negotiated by your friend herself." He would only pull a string and wouldn't exert himself further on this. And if someone wanted to earn this money, they shouldn't offer a low price just because of his recommendation. This was a commodity economy now, and he certainly didn't want to owe a favor over this.

"My friend will negotiate the compensation." Wang Qiqi had never considered manipulating someone’s leverage; besides, that wasn't her concern. If Bai Ge wanted to grow this business, she would know how to operate.

Since leaving Wang Qiqi's place that day, Bai Ge had started her preparatory work. For instance, under the guise of preparing for the TOEFL exam for studying abroad, she visited several TOEFL training centers in Beijing. After hearing their presentations and reviewing the tuition fee schedules they provided, Bai Ge had only one thought: No wonder Qiqi always says it's easy to make money from students, children, and women. She couldn't venture into the latter two, but she couldn't miss out on the former.

Seeing the potential profit, Bai Ge practically floated through life. Honestly, lately she had been dreaming of sleeping on piles of money. She was truly looking forward to Wang Qiqi bringing her good news, but she dared not constantly urge Wang Qiqi; this kind of thing couldn't be rushed, Qiqi also needed to rely on an introduction.

Although Bai Ge kept reassuring herself, "No rush, no rush," she was desperately anxious inside. All she could do was call Wang Qiqi occasionally, unable to directly ask about the progress of her request. But whenever Wang Qiqi received Bai Ge's call, she understood her anxiety. Some things couldn't be rushed just because she wanted them to be; she had to wait for Ye Ruizhi's reply.

Ye Ruizhi hadn't replied to Wang Qiqi yet when Song Yao showed up. "I heard you've been quite busy lately."

Wang Qiqi looked at the unpleasantly arriving Song Yao and ran through everything that had happened recently in her mind. But she couldn't recall doing anything wrong. Wang Qiqi handed Song Yao a glass of juice. "Sister, I don't think I've done anything bad recently, have I?" I haven't cheated on anyone or struck it rich anywhere. Oh, wait, the stock market was still active, but without the memories of her previous life, Wang Qiqi could only rely on her own analysis to trade, supplemented by occasional 'tips' from Juliana. Some were true, some false; it depended on Wang Qiqi's own analysis and, well, fate. Luckily, Wang Qiqi was winning more than losing, which gave her some confidence.

Song Yao looked at the cautiously asking Qiqi and snapped, "You haven't done anything wrong? You had such a great opportunity, and you just told your friend about it! You're infuriating me!" How could Song Yao not be angry? If she hadn't run into Bai Ge by chance today and noticed her poor state, pulling her aside for a chat, she never would have known what she missed. After saying goodbye to Bai Ge, Song Yao rushed straight to Wang Qiqi's house to confront her.

Wang Qiqi knew Song Yao would find out sooner or later, but she hadn't expected it to happen so quickly. To be honest, Wang Qiqi hadn't even figured out how to tell Song Yao about this, let alone having Song Yao discover it first. For a moment, Wang Qiqi froze, unsure how to explain.

Wang Qiqi’s stiff expression only angered Song Yao more. She had explicitly mentioned wanting to start an early education business before, but the complexities involved were too deep, forcing her to give up reluctantly. Was the TOEFL training field less murky than early education? Moreover, Song Yao knew Bai Ge’s capabilities and background perfectly; there was no reason Bai Ge could handle it while she couldn't. And based on what Bai Ge said, her own cousin had even agreed to help—how could this not make Song Yao furious enough to burst? "Qiqi, oh Qiqi, who are you closer to, me or her? I, your sister, though perhaps not overly generous, have never let you down, have I?" Song Yao thought, Where have I ever treated Wang Qiqi unfairly? If Qiqi needed help, Gong Peixing and I would rush to handle it; we gave whatever benefits were due, and we always cooperated perfectly without any unhappiness.

Whatever benefits Bai Ge can offer, I can offer too. "Tell me, how much benefit did Bai Ge promise you?" Song Yao stared at Wang Qiqi with a stern face, arms crossed. She didn't believe her offer wouldn't exceed Bai Ge’s.

Wang Qiqi hadn't expected Song Yao to resort to a financial offensive too. But this indicated someone was getting anxious. "Sister, this isn't about money." Many things couldn't be solved by cash. "Sister, the way you're acting now makes you sound like a nouveau riche."

Nouveau riche? Calling her a nouveau riche! Usually, Song Yao would explode at the person making such a claim. Did she look like an elegant nouveau riche? "I want to be a nouveau riche, but I certainly don't look like one now. I am far from being called that, especially since my dear cousin would rather help an outsider than me." Song Yao looked like she was about to cry as she spoke, but she forced herself to remain strong.

Although Song Yao controlled her tears, the slight quiver in her voice let Wang Qiqi hear the edge of distress, which surprised Wang Qiqi. This person was usually not prone to crying. Wang Qiqi subtly glanced at her—oh, her eyes were a little red. This made Wang Qiqi start to self-reflect: Had she been too absolute when talking to Shi Man previously? Manman had been upset then too, but after Wang Qiqi analyzed the situation and explained why Song Yao shouldn't be involved in this business, Shi Man's expression had seemed strange.

"Sister..." At this moment, Wang Qiqi wasn't thinking about why Shi Man hadn't extended that topic to analyze it for her. If she had listened to Shi Man, she certainly wouldn't have told Bai Ge that this line of business was difficult and shouldn't be pursued; instead, she would have been thinking about how to confess the matter to Song Yao.

As Wang Qiqi explained herself (she certainly omitted the parts about Song Yao that she had discussed with Shi Man), Song Yao's expression showed no sign of improving; if anything, it seemed to worsen. "You think that because I don't know English, I'm unsuitable for this line of work, right?"

Hearing Song Yao say that, Wang Qiqi instinctively wanted to nod but quickly pulled back. She shook her head frantically. "Sister, why would you think that?" Her own sister seemed to be developing more and more presence ever since she occasionally went to Brother-in-law's factory to manage some affairs. Sigh, I can barely handle her presence. Wang Qiqi really wanted to wipe a bead of sweat, but she didn't dare. Moreover, if she did, Song Yao would surely claim she was right. Because of this, Wang Qiqi regretted drinking that day immensely. If she hadn't gone to that roommate party, how would she have brought Bai Ge back? Of course, none of this trouble would have started—first upsetting Shi Man a little, and now Comrade Song Yao was unhappy, and she seemed to owe Boss Ye a favor, all without gaining any benefit herself. In her heart, Wang Qiqi was constantly lamenting how much she was losing on this deal.

Seeing that Wang Qiqi wouldn't admit it, Song Yao snorted a few times. Hmph, shaking her head quite fast, weren't you? "Whether it is or not, you know best. Fine. My English isn't great, but does that mean I can’t open a training institution? Do I, the investor, have to tutor the students myself? If I could do everything, why would I hire teachers? Wouldn't I save money..."

Song Yao's barrage of questions cornered Wang Qiqi onto the edge of the sofa, leaving her with nowhere to retreat. At this moment, Wang Qiqi deeply missed Shi Man. Manman! Wang Qiqi called out internally with yearning. Didn't this girl go into her room for a nap? Why hadn't she woken up yet?

Whether it was Wang Qiqi’s summons or perhaps the other person felt watching the drama from the room was getting boring, Shi Man’s closed door finally opened, and the figure Wang Qiqi had been desperately waiting for appeared. But why was she leaning against the doorframe, smiling faintly as she stared at her? Wang Qiqi was about to raise her hand to signal for help—if she could extinguish the anger in Song Yao, it would be an immeasurable merit.

Wang Qiqi took advantage of Song Yao turning to greet Shi Man to make a gesture of pleading, accompanying it with silent promises. Although she knew Shi Man might demand a high price later, desperate times called for desperate measures.

Shi Man found the pitiful look on Wang Qiqi highly amusing. Even though the girl seemed to be promising Shi Man free rein to exploit her, Shi Man thought, Am I poor? Do I lack such refined taste? Hmph. Now she’s in a hurry and regrets it. That day, the other girl had calmed her down very calmly. Shi Man was quite pleased to see Song Yao successfully suppress Wang Qiqi. "Sister, you're here. What's wrong?" Shi Man raised an eyebrow at Wang Qiqi, signaling that she had received the message, and her opening remark brought a glimmer of hope to Wang Qiqi.

Song Yao knew her cousin would seek help from the savior Shi Man behind her back, but this time Song Yao wasn't afraid because the logic was on her side. Angrily, she repeated the information she got from Bai Ge, along with Wang Qiqi's earlier comments. "Shi Man, tell me, shouldn't I be angry?"

Shi Man had actually heard most of the sisters' conversation earlier. Though not clearly, she understood the whole situation and could quickly align with the facts. "Sister, why are you angry over such a small matter? It’s already happened; will getting angrier change anything?" Shi Man helped the agitated Song Yao back onto the sofa.

Wang Qiqi inwardly cheered seeing Shi Man step in to comfort Song Yao. She wasn't wrong about her friend; she helped when it counted. A happy Wang Qiqi failed to notice Shi Man’s teasing gaze; if she had noticed, she wouldn't have celebrated so soon.

"Actually, I was also very angry when Qiqi first told Bai Ge about this..." Shi Man sat on the sofa as well, recounting her initial feelings. Her comment did more than just open the floodgates; it made Song Yao feel like she had found a soulmate! The two held hands, constantly exchanging their views, naturally including plenty of criticism aimed at that person.

Wang Qiqi hadn't expected that the tiger hadn't left, only for a wolf in fox's clothing to arrive—no, wait, a fox-wolf hybrid born from a fox and a wolf. Wang Qiqi realized she was a fool for trusting that Shi Man would side with her. Now, she was completely ambushed from both sides.

Shi Man secretly found Wang Qiqi’s discomfort amusing. However, she also knew that what Qiqi had said made some sense. After criticizing Wang Qiqi alongside Song Yao for a while, Shi Man stopped. In fact, Shi Man said what she did partly to let Song Yao fully vent, and partly to make Wang Qiqi understand that things weren't simply decided by her own judgment. Some matters should be internally discussed and thoroughly considered before deciding whether or not to release a project. It wasn't okay for Qiqi to dismiss something just because she thought it wouldn't work.

Song Yao had vented some of her initial anger, and after talking with Shi Man for a long time, most of her fury had dissipated. "I’m thirsty. I'll go get another glass of juice." Hmph, she bosses me around mercilessly, yet I’ve raised an ungrateful wretch. Song Yao thought she needed to order this person around today too, lest she be taken for being too easygoing.

Normally, Wang Qiqi would try to pass the chore off if Song Yao said this, but today she didn't dare. Instead, she even asked Shi Man if she wanted juice, more or less as a reflex.

Shi Man knew Wang Qiqi was just being polite, but if she was being polite, Shi Man certainly wouldn't hold back. "Then I'll have a banana smoothie." Such an opportunity was rare; Shi Man didn't want to miss it.

Wang Qiqi had mentally calculated that making an orange juice would suffice. She knew Shi Man wasn't very fond of juice, but she hadn't expected her to ask for a banana smoothie. Seriously? Banana smoothies were quite thick, and now they needed two different kinds of juice? Did they think she ran a juice bar? Wang Qiqi was about to protest that making two different juices was too much trouble and ask if they could settle for one when she caught Song Yao’s half-smiling, scrutinizing gaze. Seeing this, how could Wang Qiqi dare to object? "No problem, I'll be right back." Wang Qiqi, lacking backbone, scurried into the kitchen to start working.

Shi Man burst out laughing at Wang Qiqi’s spineless demeanor. "If my sister were around during the Anti-Japanese War, she would absolutely be a traitor," Song Yao stated firmly.

In the kitchen, Wang Qiqi heard her sister's assessment and felt tears welling up internally. My yielding is seen by them like this? She truly wanted to drop everything and quit, but she genuinely couldn't afford to walk away from this debt, or people might actually die. She obediently focused on her work in the kitchen, while the two women in the living room didn't hear Wang Qiqi’s complaints. However, the considerable noise she made from the kitchen caused them both to smile silently and happily. "She needed a lesson. Actually, I was very angry when I first arrived, but after Qiqi's analysis, I felt much better." Song Yao certainly wouldn't admit to Wang Qiqi, "Sister, I'm not angry anymore." "Qiqi’s analysis was correct. I already have the purchasing agency and need to oversee the factory. I really don't have the energy for this, and I know nothing about English—how would I intimidate those teachers?" Song Yao didn't believe she possessed the charisma to conquer those arrogant instructors, and she certainly didn't want to put in too much effort setting up a training institution only to have it snatched away later.

"That's exactly what I thought, which is why I'm not angry anymore." Hearing Song Yao say that, Shi Man knew she had completely let go of her temper. "Actually, Sis, you could talk to Bai Ge about joining forces. Qiqi isn't joining because she’s going abroad; she doesn't have the energy to get involved in this. But you could, Sis. You have the capital, plus, once Qiqi successfully pulls the Teacher in for Bai Ge, Bai Ge will definitely remember Qiqi's favor. Then, when you propose a partnership, do you really think Bai Ge would object?" Shi Man laid out her perspective. Although she wouldn't profit directly from this venture, she truly didn't want Bai Ge to reap all the rewards alone. There was no reason for Qiqi, who came up with the brilliant idea, to gain absolutely nothing.

Shi Man's idea was actually something Song Yao had already considered. The trick was how to approach Bai Ge—it required careful thought. She couldn't risk making Bai Ge uncomfortable or displeased. The whole point of working together was for everyone to be happy; otherwise, future collaborations would be meaningless. RS