"Time for cake." Wang Qiqi arrived forty minutes early. Pushing open the door, she found several people already gathered around the dining table, eating. Knowing what she knew from yesterday, Qiqi understood this was the meeting table, which doubled as the dining table when no meetings were in session. Yesterday, she had seen a group gathered here, eating and discussing matters intensely, their voices rising sharply during heated debates. Qiqi’s only thought then was how fortunate they were to be in a villa; the neighbors were far enough away that if the noise carried, it might sound like a disturbance, possibly leading to a police call.

Mark noticed Qiqi enter and greeted her. He was about to introduce her to the others present—he hadn't managed introductions yesterday due to work, and Angel didn't know them—but before he could speak, he saw the pastries in Qiqi’s hands. "These are for us."

Qiqi hummed in acknowledgement, setting the pastries on the meeting table. "Thank you so much for yesterday."

Mark hadn't expected the pastries were a thank-you gift, which made him feel rather awkward. He really wanted to say he had only arrived five minutes early himself; if Qiqi had arrived ten minutes earlier, she likely would have seen him rushing into the professor’s office. "Oh, that’s too kind; it wasn't your fault."

"I should have asked more clearly," Wang Qiqi observed the faint blush rising on Mark’s face. She thought this guy was truly shy, blushing so easily at his age. How innocent, Qiqi mused. "I wasn't sure about your tastes; I didn't make them too sweet." She'd heard foreigners generally preferred sweeter things, so she had added a bit more sugar, wondering how they would find the texture.

Mark and the others thanked Qiqi profusely and started taking pastries, reaching for one mainly out of courtesy at first. They secretly doubted how a girl from a poor background could bake. However, the moment they took a bite, their expressions shifted, and the speed at which they ate increased.

Qiqi didn't notice their change because, after setting the pastries down, she immediately began cleaning. She gathered food packaging into a trash bag, watered some plants, and dusted the window sills. She deliberately avoided touching anyone's desk. As for the papers scattered on the floor, Qiqi left them untouched, maintaining their current state, unsure if they contained anything important that needed to be claimed by its owner. Furthermore, all documents were supposed to be shredded. Although MAY hadn't explicitly assigned this task, Qiqi assumed it would eventually fall to her, and it was normal they hadn't started assigning it yet.

After circling the room and finishing her cleaning duties, Wang Qiqi finally breathed a sigh of relief. She walked to the break room to pour herself a cup of coffee, and also picked up the kettle to boil some water. Compared to coffee, Qiqi preferred tea. Wasn't drinking too much coffee said to be bad for one's health? So, she limited herself to three cups of coffee daily, drinking tea otherwise. She had brought some tea leaves with her today.

"Angel, did you make these pastries yourself?" Mark called her over after she finished tidying up.

Qiqi looked at Mark’s expression, thinking he looked like a certain animal with a tail wagging behind it. "I did. How do they taste?"

Qiqi paused. "Since I don't have a big sweet tooth, I wasn't sure about this batch's flavor."

Mark’s critique was precisely about the taste. "They’re just a little bit under-sweetened; you could add more sugar." He wasn't overthinking it; since Qiqi had asked for his opinion, he naturally gave an honest one.

Hearing Mark’s comment, Wang Qiqi wasn't sure how to respond. Should she say she would improve them next time, implying she would continue baking? Qiqi wasn't opposed to baking, but there were about twenty people in the team; one bun each would mean over twenty items—a significant quantity. If she didn't commit, it might seem distant.

Qiqi suddenly remembered that foreigners didn't speak with the implicit meanings common among Chinese people. Perhaps Mark was genuinely just offering a quick comment on the pastry he just ate. Realizing this, Qiqi felt she was overthinking things again. "Still not sweet enough? I thought they were quite sweet. You all have a huge sweet tooth." Qiqi internally wondered if they weren't worried about getting diabetes.

Mark shrugged, indicating he didn't find them sweet, and then remembered the introductions he hadn't made. He began introducing the people around the table.

Wang Qiqi tried hard to memorize names, matching them with faces, though she found the task anything but easy. Fortunately, several people present had distinct features; otherwise, Qiqi felt she would cry.

Soon, more people started trickling in, yawning. Mark introduced them one by one. As more faces appeared, Qiqi had only one thought: If only they didn't mind me taking a photo, she could label it with names and stare at the pictures all day; she doubted she wouldn't memorize everyone then. But that was just her daydreaming; there was no way those people would agree to it.

Upon entering, everyone unceremoniously grabbed a pastry from the table, then headed to the break room for coffee while eating. "Who bought today's cake? It's not sweet enough."

"Besides being under-sweetened, they’re acceptable, but the presentation is a bit lacking."

Mark and the few others who knew the truth couldn't stop the blunt remarks. "Angel made them herself," Mark replied irritably. He thought he was direct, but these newcomers were even more so. It was true the pastries weren't visually appealing, but they weren't for sale; taste was what mattered. "I think, apart from the sweetness, they’re as good as anything you can buy."

Upon hearing the new assistant had made them, everyone was surprised. They hadn't expected this young woman to be capable of baking. They recalled the stereotype that Eastern women were very virtuous and excellent cooks—did this signify something...? Of course, they knew that was a matter for the future; they weren't familiar with her yet, and bringing up such topics now would surely scare her off. Still, the pastry was quite good.

Mark watched their eyes darting around, knowing they were thinking ill-advised thoughts. It had been a while since MAY’s pregnancy, and they rarely enjoyed good, self-made pastries. Though there were a few women on the team, they were all high-achievers; asking them to bake wasn't impossible, but they simply lacked the time. They were too busy studying, completing assignments, or enjoying a rare moment of rest or perhaps a date. That was why they had specifically requested a female assistant—not necessarily a beauty, but someone more domestic. They were slightly disappointed when the Professor ended up hiring someone from a developing country, only to find she was capable in that regard. Mark himself had entertained the thought earlier but dared not show it, wanting to make a good impression on the Boss. However, Angel seemed like a nice person; she had brought pastries as an apology for him taking the blame yesterday.

Wang Qiqi had tasted one at home and thought it was quite sweet. She felt that eating this daily would surely lead to diabetes. Yet, these people were saying it wasn't sweet—and they were mostly men! In Qiqi’s experience, sweet-eaters were predominantly women, so why were there more men here? The few women hadn't eaten much; Qiqi guessed they might be dieting, even though she thought their weight was fine.

Professor Steven then entered the office. "Let's begin," he announced before heading to the break room for coffee.

Everyone efficiently cleared the dining table. Wang Qiqi was about to gather the remaining pastries to keep them in the break room for when they felt hungry, but the others moved faster, dividing the leftovers among themselves. Qiqi then noticed one piece of pastry left on an empty spot.

"For the Boss," Mark whispered conspiratorially to Qiqi, who hadn't understood the situation. "Or else the Boss will be unhappy." In professional matters, the Professor was truly serious, perfectly fitting the image of an elite. But outside work, he could be rather childish, especially if everyone had something to eat except him. He wouldn't dwell on it, but if Qiqi, assuming he disliked her contribution, resigned, then not only the Boss but also MAY would be in tears.

Wang Qiqi acknowledged this with an "Oh," and turned to enter her office. MAY hadn't specified whether the assistant needed to be on duty during meetings. She decided to return to her room to read; she had brought several books to pass the time and could catch up on her schoolwork.

MAY came and went several times, noticing Angel engrossed in her reading. She tapped her forehead, wondering if the girl treated the office like a library. Didn't she have any curiosity at all?

MAY walked over to Wang Qiqi’s desk and tapped it. "Angel, here are the lunch orders."

Wang Qiqi suddenly remembered this task was hers. She had been so absorbed in her book that she forgot. "MAY, I am so sorry, I..." Any excuse was just that—an excuse. This was her duty, and she hadn't performed it. She was grateful MAY had covered for her this time; otherwise, the Boss would likely have exploded, and his temper was rumored to be unbearable.

"Pay attention next time, or you can prepare to go home," MAY cautioned kindly. "Oh, and in the future, I’ll have them email their lunch requests to you; you just need to compile the list."

After giving MAY her email address, Wang Qiqi found the contact information on the computer and started calling in the orders one by one. Once she hung up the phone, a critical issue struck Wang Qiqi: the money for lunch. While she didn't know the total cost, looking at the food items, she had one feeling—it wouldn't be cheap. She wondered if they could use a card. If not, Wang Qiqi was truly close to tears. Abroad, most transactions were electronic; cash was rarely used. Her purse only held a few dozen pounds in physical currency. Even if a card was accepted, she didn't know who she was supposed to settle the bill with. Paying once or twice was manageable, but doing it repeatedly might mean her entire salary wouldn't cover what the group consumed.

Wang Qiqi wanted to ask about the payment method but looked up to find MAY gone. She had no choice but to go look outside. The ground-floor hall was empty. The box for her pastries sat lonely on the table, and a few stray papers still littered the floor. Wang Qiqi picked up the papers, unsure if they were important, and placed them on the dining table, weighting them down with an object.

Wang Qiqi then picked up the pastry box and headed to the break room, planning to clean it after lunch. Upon entering, she noticed the coffee levels in all three machines were quite low. She lightly cleaned two of the nearly empty machines, added coffee grounds and purified water, and started them brewing. Since she didn't know their preferences, Qiqi used the same proportions she used for herself. Honestly, Qiqi admired their capacity for coffee; these weren't domestic machines, yet three of them were nearly drained.

Qiqi checked the remaining coffee powder and saw it was almost gone. "Ugh, I distinctly remember seeing a bag of pre-ground coffee yesterday." Qiqi sighed. Did this group drink so much coffee that they risked osteoporosis later?

Qiqi pulled out the grinder and coffee beans from the cabinet to grind a fresh batch. Previously, she wondered why they didn't have an automatic grinder, but MAY explained that manually ground coffee powder tasted better. Thus, they always used the manual method here. "Looks like I'll need to grind a whole bag every day from now on." She had initially thought one bag would last two or three days. It was a good thing she checked now; otherwise, she would have caused a major embarrassment. Being an assistant meant managing logistics, and she had nearly failed in her logistical role.

While grinding the beans and monitoring the coffee machines, Mark rushed into the break room. Seeing Qiqi grinding beans, he asked, "Did you order lunch? We’re starving."

Mark’s question stunned Wang Qiqi. Even if someone hadn't eaten breakfast, she recalled Mark consuming three pieces of cake and a bun. While not huge, that amount should have sustained him for over four hours. How could he look so hungry so soon?

"We have a heavy workload today; a lot of brainpower expended," Mark said after filling his cup. He hurried upstairs, fearing the Boss might call him out for being absent soon. In the entire house, Angel was probably the most leisurely. Earlier, the Boss had asked MAY what Angel was doing, and MAY replied she was reading, which astonished everyone. Surrounded by future elites, she was still engrossed in a book. While it bordered on freeloading, the Boss hadn't commented, so no one else spoke up. Furthermore, when Mark came down earlier for water, he noticed the scattered papers in the living room were gone, replaced by a stack on the meeting table—clearly the papers he’d seen on the floor. He wanted to point out that even if those papers had writing on them, it wouldn't be vital information; any important documents were instantly shredded out of habit. But they wouldn't share such customs with a newcomer. The already low coffee supply was brewing, and beans were being ground—this girl, though a bit dense, was serviceable.

"Don't just focus on reading in the future. While you can't go to the second floor, the Boss seeing you reading constantly might give a bad impression." Although reading made her a good child, she was working now and needed to be constantly aware of her surroundings. "You need to check the break room more often." A good assistant must always ensure the break room supplies, like beverages, are stocked. Handling these tasks first before other duties is fine.

Wang Qiqi said "Oh," and mentally gave a thumbs-up. Her morning cake offering seemed to have paid off after all. Why else would Mark give her such a specific warning? These foreigners looked easygoing, but they were actually quite detached; offering even a small piece of advice was noteworthy. His focus on the break room suggested that someone had come down for coffee and was dissatisfied with the low supply, perhaps mentioning it casually. "Thank you, I will pay more attention." She realized her assumption that these high-achievers wouldn't need caffeine so early was wrong; they were clearly different from grassroots people like herself.

Hearing her thanks, Mark paused. "I like making cream cakes. Can you make them?" He glanced cautiously toward the doorway before slipping back close to Wang Qiqi. If anyone saw them, they might mistake their proximity for something else entirely.

Wang Qiqi was startled by Mark's sudden return. She mentally grumbled, Didn't he just say he was going back upstairs? How could getting coffee take so long? "I can make them. How about caterpillar bread?" Wang Qiqi worried he was about to ask for a birthday cake, which would be disastrous. But Qiqi was also reflecting: was bringing pastries to work today a mistake? She had noticed the glances from her new colleagues; although their expressions seemed composed, it made her uneasy. She worried they were calculating something against her, and the only thing she could offer them was baking.

Thinking this, Wang Qiqi felt doomed. She could already predict her 'Queen Card'—her limited free time—slipping away, destined to become a cook. If that happened, she would have to consider resigning. While the side job was good and could foster a relationship with the Professor, she truly couldn't handle baking this much.

Mark didn't care about Angel's internal turmoil; he just needed to know she'd bake him bread. "Just a few are enough. I'll come to your office tomorrow to pick them up." Hahaha, if he had to work late tomorrow, he wouldn't go without food. Even if they could order takeout, sometimes they only got burgers, which were fine, but they needed variety.

Upon hearing it was just for Mark, Wang Qiqi became instantly excited. As for why he phrased it that way, Qiqi didn't care. She only needed to thank Mark. Hmph, it wasn't just him who ate the morning pastries, but only Mark had kindly offered her a heads-up. In her current proud mood, Wang Qiqi completely forgot that she had been secluded in her room earlier, making it impossible for anyone to offer advice even if they wanted to.

Wang Qiqi had just finished sealing the ground coffee beans in a food bag when she heard the doorbell ring. She immediately dashed into her room, grabbed the compiled lunch order list, and headed to the door. "Hello, this is your delivery." The middle-aged man at the door blinked when he saw a strange young girl answering, but he quickly composed himself and spoke.

Wang Qiqi took the delivery slip and checked the items delivered. Then, the issue of payment resurfaced. She considered using her own card when MAY walked down from upstairs. MAY swiftly pulled out a card and completed the payment.

After seeing the fast-food delivery person off, MAY handed the credit card back to Wang Qiqi, giving her the PIN along with it. "From now on, use this card for all lunch expenses, office supply purchases, and coffee and beverage costs."

Wang Qiqi froze. What? This card is for me to use? She felt the responsibility was a bit too heavy, and perhaps they trusted her too much. "This... this..."

"Don't worry; you're still a student," MAY made her meaning clear: if she didn't care about getting her diploma, she was free to swipe recklessly. "You need to organize the transaction slips and receipts every Friday and give them to the Boss. I’ve already settled the previous expenses with the Boss." Honestly, MAY was also surprised; she expected the Boss would have Mark or someone else handle the payments, not hand the card over to ANGEL.

Wang Qiqi understood then that they weren't worried about her overspending at all, and since payday was Friday, she would have to send the expense report to the BOSS, who would then review every single transaction listed. However, Qiqi suddenly remembered something: "If I'm not here, how will they order food?" She couldn't just hand them the card; if something went wrong, Qiqi felt she wouldn't even have a place to cry.

"They will handle the payment themselves. They’ll give you the detailed list Thursday evening, you calculate and compile it for the BOSS, and after the BOSS reviews and approves it Friday, you transfer the funds to them," MAY explained Qiqi's concerns seriously. "And when it comes to the transfer, I will show you how."

Hearing this, Wang Qiqi realized there was a bank card in addition to the credit card—a card that wasn't in her possession. She was curious if she was also responsible for distributing the salaries of the rest of them, but MAY didn't elaborate, and Qiqi wouldn't press the issue; she would know by Friday anyway. This gave her a deeper understanding of her assistant role. Still, she found it very strange that a task not mentioned yesterday was being assigned today. According to yesterday's understanding, this shouldn't have been her responsibility. MAY must have assumed someone on the second floor would handle it, especially since it involved money. In Qiqi's view, managing funds like this should be entrusted to someone familiar with the process. Now that it fell to her, Qiqi suspected it was the BOSS's direct instruction; otherwise, MAY wouldn't have told her this way. Though she couldn't fathom why the BOSS would make such a decision, it genuinely left Wang Qiqi feeling quite uneasy. RS