Wang Qiqi stumbled out of the bathroom, yawning, and returned to her room only to find Shi Man there. She found this quite strange. "Why aren't you sleeping?" Don't tell me this girl plans to crash in my bed tonight. That would be awkward. Wang Qiqi felt utterly exhausted and anticipated tossing and turning, not wanting someone else stuck beside her.

Wang Qiqi walked to her desk, booted up her computer, and logged into QQ. She had arranged to video chat with Han Tao later. Even though their chats often ended quickly as everyone got busy, they made a conscious effort to keep their faces visible on camera. Whenever fatigue set in, lifting her head to see the person on the other end provided a shared sense of struggle.

Shi Man was rolling around incessantly on Wang Qiqi's **bed. "I can't sleep; I just want to talk to you." Since Qiqi started working as an assistant, Shi Man noticed how little time they had to chat. What worried her more was that Zhang Yan seemed to know more about Qiqi’s situation, and sooner than she did, giving Shi Man a distinct feeling of falling out of favor.

Talk to you? Wang Qiqi turned, surprised, to look at Shi Man. "Did you fight with Old Feng at your place?" Otherwise, why would she say something so sentimental?

What, fight with Old Feng? Shi Man was about to explode. "Haven't I noticed that I haven't talked to you in ages? Look at you, telling Zhang Yan the real story about the party today, but not telling us." Hmph. Clearly, when Qiqi ran into her after class, she only mentioned that she was having a party in the evening and would be back late. That was just too much.

Wang Qiqi was speechless looking at the pouting Shi Man. "I only spoke to you for a few sentences; you were heading to the library, and I needed to go grocery shopping." Was she supposed to stop right there and explain everything slowly? With so many people milling about, discussing such matters on the street—even if it were in their native tongue—what if she ran into another Chinese person? If Shi Man let slip something awkward, and it somehow reached Mark's ears, who knew what kind of narrative would develop? No matter where you were, the art of embellishment was always at play.

Shi Man was silenced by Wang Qiqi's retort and let the topic drop. "Did you ask your professor today why he took you on?" Shi Man noticed that Wang Qiqi hadn't been in a great mood since returning home. Although she masked it well, how could Shi Man, who had known her for so many years, fail to notice?

Wang Qiqi saw Han Tao's icon was gray on QQ. After sending him an emoji, she started talking with Shi Man. Though somewhat prepared, hearing the answer still elicited a reaction.

"You actually guessed it right," Shi Man’s expression was also grim. This was too much. Even though the professors backing out resulted in an advantage for Wang Qiqi and Zhang Yan, making Professor Steven seem like the one at a disadvantage, the pressure on Qiqi and Zhang Yan was immense. If their grades weren't good, how would they manage? Those professors would surely say something like, Good thing we didn't take them.

Seeing Shi Man's heavy expression, Wang Qiqi knew she grasped the gravity of the situation. She sighed. "I don't even know how to tell Zhang Yan." After four years as classmates, Wang Qiqi knew exactly how fiercely competitive Zhang Yan was. Even though she disliked finance, she studied hard. Disliking it didn't mean failing to master it. If Zhang Yan knew what lay ahead, Wang Qiqi couldn't predict her reaction.

Shi Man let out a long sigh and sat up straight. "You can't keep this from Yan Yan forever, can you?" Telling her might make her unhappy for a moment, but it could also provide motivation. But keeping silent—if their grades turned out well, fine. If not, it would play right into those people's hands.

Of course, she had to tell her. The problem was figuring out how to say it. The language needed careful construction, but no matter how she framed the sentences, hurtful words seemed inevitable. "Let me think about how to approach Yan Yan." Relying on Shi Man for this conversation was out; how would Zhang Yan interpret the news if Shi Man relayed it?

"What are you talking about?" Zhang Yan pushed the door open, holding a book, intending to ask Qiqi a question. Hearing the last part of Wang Qiqi's sentence, she set aside her request.

Wang Qiqi hadn't expected to have to face Zhang Yan and deliver this news so quickly. She sighed inwardly.

"What trouble have you run into?" Zhang Yan put down her book and looked at Wang Qiqi with a serious expression. If it weren't a major issue, she knew Qiqi wouldn't look so conflicted.

Wang Qiqi considered it, then decided against formulating polite words. She relayed exactly what Mark had told her. It was only a few sentences anyway. As she spoke, she cautiously watched Zhang Yan, ready to help steady her if she seemed about to collapse. But contrary to her anxiety, Zhang Yan showed absolutely no reaction. "Yan Yan, are you alright?" Wang Qiqi asked carefully.

After a long pause, Zhang Yan seemed to collect herself and shook her head at Wang Qiqi. "I'm fine. I just feel... a bit uncomfortable."

Uncomfortable. Wang Qiqi looked at Zhang Yan. While her complexion wasn't great, it wasn't disastrous. "I feel like they look down on us. Back then, we insisted on proving them wrong, showing them what they missed out on." Wang Qiqi knew that no matter their resentment, the key was to prove they weren't incompetent fools. Even if they missed out on the scholarship, perhaps their grades wouldn't be top-tier, but maintaining above-average results and speaking with facts would be the harshest response.

Zhang Yan hummed in agreement; speaking with facts was indeed the harshest. But, truthfully, "Maintaining my current grades is already quite good. To improve further..." Although she understood much more in class lately, sometimes the professor spoke too fast, and she struggled. Every day, she had to revisit lecture content at home, then dig through materials and draft reports—only barely managing to keep up. "But to show those people up, I need to work hard, harder, and even harder."

Wang Qiqi felt a measure of relief seeing Zhang Yan's reaction wasn't more severe. But her relief was quickly replaced by a new question. "Yan Yan, why aren't you showing any surprise about what I just told you?" It was too abnormal. She herself took a long time to recover after learning the truth. How could Zhang Yan bounce back so fast? It was far beyond her expectation, or perhaps this girl was bottling everything up? "You're not keeping it all inside, are you?" That would make things much worse; suppressing emotions without release was bad for one's health.

Shi Man also looked toward Zhang Yan anxiously. "My professor actually didn't want to take me on either, but he had no choice. We paid the tuition; no matter how dissatisfied he was, he had to teach us. Besides, we aren't completely hopeless." While their grades weren't the absolute best, they weren't garbage either. "We still have a year; I don't believe we can't succeed."

"And the truth is, the reason we lag behind them right now is, besides the language barrier, the reports we're doing. They've been doing them since undergrad. Aside from differences in difficulty and topics, they handle the process much faster than us." Suddenly dropping from being among the top students in the class or department to being part of the lagging group was hard for Shi Man to accept. Besides catching up on the coursework, she was trying to pinpoint why she had suddenly become so much worse. Only by finding the cause could she figure out how to adjust.

Zhang Yan and Wang Qiqi fell silent upon hearing the reason Shi Man gave. "For the first report submission, I thought it was good, but then I saw theirs—sigh." Wang Qiqi remembered almost crying when she got her grade: a C. It was the worst grade she'd received since her rebirth. Fortunately, the professor had written comments below, which Wang Qiqi honestly struggled to fully grasp, or perhaps years of conventional study had somewhat ossified her thinking. Afterwards, Wang Qiqi slowly began shifting her mindset. Though she didn't have existing reports to mimic, she diligently worked based on the professor's critique.

"Exactly. Sigh. I regret not just studying abroad directly." Zhang Yan showed a hint of regret. "I had the chance to study abroad in my sophomore year, but it meant re-applying to university, and my mom felt that would waste three years." Perhaps Zhang Yan had never regretted anything before, but now she felt a pang of regret.

This was the first time Wang Qiqi had heard Zhang Yan mention this. She secretly thought that if she had that opportunity, she might have dropped out immediately to repeat high school abroad and then attend university. Getting a degree later in life was normal overseas. But how could she say this to Zhang Yan now? Wouldn't that just stimulate her? "We're already in graduate school; that time has passed. Later, when we have children, we won't let them face this."

Shi Man let out a sudden laugh, flopping onto the floor and staring at the skylight. "How old are you to be thinking that far ahead? Your children? If your son goes to university, we'll be forty!" Forty! "I can't even imagine what I'll be like at forty. But life passes so quickly. Do you remember when we got into university?" The moment they knew their scores and received their acceptance letters felt like yesterday, yet in the blink of an eye, they had graduated from undergrad. In another nine months, they would finish their master's degrees.

Wang Qiqi lay down too, not caring if Han Tao was online. "Back then, I never imagined I would end up abroad." Although she knew Han Tao would go abroad, she hadn't considered being with him back then. "I just thought about studying hard and finding a good job in Beijing, or maybe heading south for work." Going back to her hometown for work was definitely out, but she never thought that once she left, she would go this far.

"I also thought I’d listen to my mom after graduation and become a civil servant back home," Shi Man said, recounting her family's original plan. "When I got my master's acceptance letter, my mom cried. She said she never thought she’d have overseas connections in her lifetime. When she heard I might take her abroad later, she hugged me and cried nonstop." Perhaps having witnessed her father fall from the peak to the bottom, she truly didn't want to return to the life of a civil servant. Her own success proved to those who thought her family couldn't recover—she hadn't seemed destined for great things before either. Alas, never look down on a young person for being poor. Even though she was a girl who had secretly bought an apartment and a shopfront in Beijing, she couldn't tell anyone about that, not even relatives. Those people would praise her success to her face, then turn around and wonder if the income was illegitimate, spinning tales that could get complicated. Even if they knew she did some purchasing agent business, given how few trips she had made abroad, they assumed her business wasn't thriving. Coupled with the fact that her relatives saw her family only owning that one property after so many years, they felt her family had fallen and stagnated. For her strong-willed parents, these last two years had been suffocating. Once relatives learned she was going abroad for graduate studies and her boyfriend was working in the US, even distant relatives started reappearing. This was one reason, out of necessity, that she had to socialize with them. In a small town, people are closely watched, and they might need favors later. To maintain so-called family ties, she had to entertain them. Sigh, the fact that visiting relatives had become a form of obligation showed how hollow those supposed family bonds were.

Shi Man's words didn't deeply resonate with Zhang Yan, but judging by the expression on Shi Man's face, studying abroad seemed like a matter of great honor. Yet, Zhang Yan found it odd; even without studying abroad, Shi Man's path to permanent residence overseas seemed almost guaranteed. Why such excitement?

Wang Qiqi understood why Shi Man’s mother cried. The change from bustling guests to an empty house happened remarkably quickly, almost overnight. For the proud Mrs. Shi, what a painful experience that must have been. "Our lives will get better and better, just like our grades," Wang Qiqi said, noticing the atmosphere sinking. She realized if this mood persisted, where would their drive go?

Wang Qiqi suddenly jumped up. "I need to focus on studying!" Having time to reminisce about past glories was less valuable than reading more books.

Shi Man had intended to comfort Wang Qiqi, not realize her own spirits had dropped. "Damn it, I’m going down to review my notes. Oh well, tomorrow is the weekend; I'm going to sleep in. Hey, Qiqi, are you going to the library tomorrow?"

"I am," Wang Qiqi answered, connecting the video call with Han Tao and blowing him a kiss before turning back to Shi Man. "I finished the books I borrowed the other day; I need to swap them out." Studying here required not just speed but quality. Wang Qiqi felt she had read quite a bit while in China, but it truly couldn't compare to the foreigners here; the books they read in two years probably exceeded what she read in four years of undergrad. "We leave promptly at nine tomorrow morning," Wang Qiqi told Shi Man the departure time.

"Nine?" Shi Man exclaimed. "That’s way too early!" Tomorrow was the weekend. Although she needed to start studying seriously, rest was essential in her mind. After a tough week, she certainly hoped to enjoy a morning sleeping in, but Qiqi had just shattered her pleasant dream.

Nine is early? Wang Qiqi responded crossly, "Don't assume that just because someone has good grades, they achieved them while you were resting. Very few people get top marks without diligent study." Even geniuses need a solid foundation for such excellent results—that was just wishful thinking. "Borrow good books, then come back and make lunch. It's getting cold, so put more vegetables in, and make plenty of dishes." Fortunately, Shi Hongrui wasn't fussy now. She was busy with club activities and coursework, and Wang Qiqi noticed she had lost weight. Thankfully, her complexion looked fine; otherwise, Wang Qiqi would have worried more about her. In Wang Qiqi's view, with only one year of master's study left, and some students even taking a year of language courses beforehand, she was already under pressure with her academics. Why would she participate in clubs? However, now that Wang Qiqi was an assistant, she definitely couldn't voice that sentiment, or Shi Hongrui might suspect something was wrong with her.

"In the afternoon, I'll be reviewing notes in my room." With the sunlight streaming in and a PVC mat laid on the floor, covered with a throw blanket, reviewing felt perfectly comfortable. The downstairs area was cramped, preventing her from spreading out materials. Wang Qiqi preferred nesting in her room to study, and she could occasionally video chat with her man. Doing that in the living room would only torment Zhang Yan and the others. "If you get tired, lie down for a bit," Wang Qiqi suggested. Her room had an electric kettle for nighttime tea, saving her trips up and down. Qiqi's room was well-equipped, stocked with snacks and homemade pastries, but most notably, various teas. She brought some when she first came to the UK, and her older sister, worried the local teas wouldn't suit Qiqi's taste, sent several boxes over last time.

Shi Man, hearing Wang Qiqi's description, exclaimed, "Tomorrow, I'm coming up to your floor to review too. Rong Rong and the others are going out anyway." While she could lie down in the living room anytime, it wasn't as cozy as Qiqi's space. "Whoa, you got a couple of bolster pillows?" Shi Man suddenly noticed that in the few days she hadn't visited, Qiqi's room had acquired two long, cylindrical bolster pillows, about a meter long.

"Did you make those yourself?" Shi Man initially thought Qiqi had bought them, but grabbing one, she noticed the stitches were crude, unlike store-bought items. "You’re too domestically inclined," she teased. "Why would one person need two long bolster pillows? That’s such a waste; you might as well give me one."

Zhang Yan also noticed the two bolsters at this moment. She snatched the other one. As for Shi Man asking for one, Zhang Yan didn't join in the demand. "That curtain fabric you bought last time?" The pattern matched the fabric Qiqi was using as a makeshift curtain. Looking closer, she realized the pillow colors were identical. Did Qiqi buy that much fabric last time? Zhang Yan wasn't entirely sure.

"I bought more later. That time, I passed by that shop, and I saw the owner was liquidating the store; everything was half off. It was the last day, so I went in to look and found vacuum filler. I bought a huge roll of it, plus a lot of fabric, including some thick woolen cloth." That fabric could be used for coats, though Wang Qiqi lacked the skill for that. She planned to use it as a covering for the PVC mat in winter; since it was black, she wouldn't mind tossing it after winter, as it was inexpensive. "As for you wanting a pillow, no chance." Hmph. If Zhang Yan hadn't been here, I might have given one to Shi Man and claimed we made them together. But since Zhang Yan is present, giving one to Shi Man and not her seems too unfair. Especially since Zhang Yan's eyes had lit up just now; she likely wanted one too. In that case, giving one away was completely out of the question.

"Ah, you managed to buy such cheap things!" Shi Man finally understood why Wang Qiqi had made the bolster pillows. As for her refusal to give one away, well, she could always snatch one! Could Qiqi fight to get it back? "Oh, you could also make some seat cushions. We could use them in winter." While the bolsters were nice, sitting on a cushion would be more comfortable than a hard floor. "Wrap it in that fuzzy woolen cloth we saw outside." It might shed a bit, but it would be thick, and more importantly, it wouldn't cost her money.

Make some cushions? Wang Qiqi was speechless. She walked over, pulled back the curtain, revealing some fabric rolls and vacuum filler. "I don't have enough time to make them. I can provide the materials for free, but sewing is out of the question." Making two or three cushions would be fine. But making five now? Since they all lived under the same roof, only making things for herself wouldn't raise eyebrows. But helping Shi Man and Zhang Yan while ignoring Zhao Rongrong and the others? Shi Hongrui was watching her closely. If that weren't the case, why wouldn't Wang Qiqi have given Shi Man and the others a bolster pillow after making her own?

Just as Wang Qiqi was about to say something, a notification chimed from the computer—a new email. Wang Qiqi scrambled over to check. It was an email from the US. She clicked it open: "I'm busy too. Oh, right, I have new orders. I’ll forward them to your email shortly. Please complete them and send them back tomorrow; it’s an urgent request." Wang Qiqi read the content, found the difficulty level manageable, and while informing Zhang Yan and the others, she proceeded to divide the email attachments.

Shi Man’s face lit up with a smile upon hearing about the new assignments. She had been wondering if she needed to take on a part-time job, but with coursework piling up, the translation fees were enough to cover her living expenses. She found the idea of waiting tables even less appealing now. It wasn't that she didn't want a good job; it was that too many people were competing for the slightly easier ones, and even jobs like washing dishes had four or five people vying for them. Given that, she decided not to compete. So, the more translation orders, the better, as long as she could cover her living costs. As for the urgent requests, Shi Man wasn't worried.

Zhang Yan was far from as composed as Shi Man. When she saw the urgent request, her immediate thought was, "I can't handle this." It had to be difficult, troublesome, and high-demand; otherwise, why would they offer so much money?

"It's not difficult. Just take a look yourself." Wang Qiqi had already separated the job orders for the two of them. Hearing that Zhang Yan was already thinking of pulling out before even looking at the orders, she urged her to come over and see them herself.

Zhang Yan reluctantly left her cushion and walked over to the computer. After a quick estimation, she realized the difficulty wasn't too high; she could manage it. "Thanks, Qiqi. Let's go out for a meal tomorrow—my treat." Since Zhao Rongrong and the others wouldn't be eating at home for lunch tomorrow, it was a good chance to treat themselves. "You're not allowed to refuse! Haven't I burdened you enough already?" With this income, Zhang Yan finally breathed a huge sigh of relief. The money she brought from back home was no longer just dwindling away; instead, it would slowly start to increase. This was definitely a good thing.