When the news came that they could finally eat, Shi Man and the others filed into the kitchen from the living room. "Wow, what's the occasion today? How did you cook so much?" Shi Man exclaimed, looking at the table laden with food. It had been ages since the housewarming celebration that they'd seen such a feast. What auspicious day was it that Wang Qiqi had prepared all this? "Longjing Shrimp, oh, and Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs too! Qiqi, you're being wonderful today! But didn't you always find this dish a hassle and dislike making it?" Shi Man grew increasingly suspicious that this meal meant something. While it wasn't quite a banquet at Hong Gate, it wasn't far off.

Shi Hongrui and the others were stunned by the sheer amount of food as well. Ever since starting school, coupled with busy coursework and part-time jobs, it had been a long time since their dinner table looked this abundant. Oh, wait, there was only one occasion that was slightly more lavish, but that had a clear reason for celebration. What was the reason this time? They exchanged glances, fearing that this elaborate spread might signal some bad news.

"Let's just eat first," Wang Qiqi had intended to disclose the matter, but on second thought, she decided against ruining their mood for eating. If they worried about a drastic drop in the future standard, they wouldn't enjoy the meal now, and that would be a huge sin, especially after she had gone to such lengths to cook all this delicious food. Wouldn't it be a waste if no one appreciated it?

The more Qiqi hesitated to speak, the more hesitant they were to start eating. Especially knowing Qiqi had news to announce but was holding back, they felt uneasy, wondering if the news must be bad to warrant such secrecy.

"Qiqi, what is it?" Shi Man asked first. "Did you run into trouble at work?" If there were issues with their studies, their peer Zhang Yan wouldn't have heard a whisper, right? Judging by Zhang Yan's bewildered expression, she clearly didn't know why Qiqi was acting this way.

"Eat first," Wang Qiqi stubbornly refused to elaborate. "I went to a lot of trouble making this. You won't really refuse to eat, will you?"

The more Qiqi tried to avoid the topic, the less they wanted to touch the food, despite the tempting aroma wafting from the dishes. They adopted a stance of: unless you tell us, we won't eat.

Seeing their lack of cooperation in wanting to know why she was being so industrious in her cooking, Wang Qiqi sighed internally. Since they wouldn't listen to her and eat first, they couldn't blame her for not being considerate. She cleared her throat. "Well, starting tomorrow, I might not be staying here anymore..."

"What? You're not coming back to stay?" Shi Man got agitated instantly, not waiting to hear more, and blurted out, "Oh no, Qiqi is staying out all night? This is a huge problem! If something terrible happens, how am I supposed to explain this to Han Tao?" Shi Man felt like Qiqi was going to be the death of her.

Zhang Yan and the others looked at Wang Qiqi in surprise. They wondered why Qiqi would be staying out. Shi Hongrui, however, felt a flicker of excitement. Could it be that she broke up with him, and a third party quickly entered the picture, leading to...? She speculated that if Qiqi had broken up with her boyfriend, the new man must be quite promising, perhaps even one of her colleagues. Otherwise, why give up such a promising ex-boyfriend? If that were the case, Shi Hongrui felt her own future looked bright, perhaps through Qiqi's new boyfriend, she could meet some quality men. Despite her inner excitement, Shi Hongrui maintained a façade of concern, looking worriedly at Wang Qiqi.

Wang Qiqi hadn't expected Shi Man to jump up so dramatically before she'd finished speaking. All attention was suddenly drawn to Shi Man, so she failed to notice Shi Hongrui. If Wang Qiqi had known Shi Hongrui's thoughts, she would have wanted to kick her.

"Shi Man, you're going to make me furious! What do you mean, 'someone'? Don't you know that once my job gets busy, I have to work overtime constantly?" Wang Qiqi spoke very seriously. If she didn't clarify immediately, she might actually be branded as unfaithful. "So, starting tomorrow, I'm going to be busy."

Shi Man saw Qiqi's face tighten and immediately felt a bit embarrassed. "Huh? Aren't you just an assistant, helping with cleaning, filing documents, and ordering food? What will you be busy with?"

"Yeah, are you going to be making midnight snacks for them?" Although the outcome wasn't what she'd initially hoped for, Shi Hongrui felt a pang of sadness thinking that Qiqi's excellent cooking skills would now be dedicated to others. She felt quite down.

Shi Man immediately stared at Wang Qiqi anxiously. She thought that while Shi Hongrui's comment was a bit over the line, it wasn't impossible. Wasn't Qiqi's job that of an assistant, mainly providing support services? Making midnight snacks could certainly fall under support services.

"I wish I could make midnight snacks; I might be too busy even to eat them," Wang Qiqi thought. She genuinely didn't particularly enjoy cooking, especially cooking for so many people, but thinking about the responsibility ahead, making snacks seemed like just physical labor. What she was about to do involved mental work on top of physical labor—who knew how many times busier it would be? "I'll still be an assistant, but I'll be busy collecting data for the higher-ups to summarize." This was what Wang Qiqi concluded after the meeting. MAY was busy taking care of the baby, and she herself was working from home. Thinking of it that way lessened her pressure slightly. Of course, she needed to perform well, if only to impress the BOSS and at least be worthy of her salary.

Collecting and summarizing data? As soon as Wang Qiqi finished speaking, the four people present looked at her with envy, jealousy, and hatred. If Qiqi had continued as his little assistant, while they might have felt she lacked ambition, the pressure on them wouldn't be so intense. But the reality was that although Qiqi was still an assistant, the work she was doing was entirely different. This naturally made them feel uncomfortable. When they all started at university, their starting points were similar, but when one person suddenly surges ahead, few can quickly accept it or face it calmly. Wang Qiqi saw their expressions and knew her news must have stimulated them greatly, but she couldn't help it. She couldn't possibly pass up such a great opportunity; otherwise, not only would the professor have reservations about her, but Han Tao would also call her foolish.

"Qiqi, I am so jealous of you," Shi Hongrui said bluntly. She recalled how just a few days ago, she’d said Qiqi showed no ambition, and now look—she was advancing so quickly.

After a moment, Shi Man suppressed the faint sourness in her heart. "Hey, for such huge news, you just treated us to a small meal to smooth things over?" Shi Man waved her hand around the dishes dismissively. "Hmph, for such great news, and since you probably won't be cooking for us for a long time, you're not using this meal as an apology, are you?" Regardless, this was something Qiqi had earned through effort. Shi Man knew some things she couldn't envy. As for Qiqi's good fortune, she didn't know what words to use to express it. Feng Xuanxiang always said that luck was heaven's greatest gift to a person, and Qiqi was exactly the kind of child favored by the heavens.

"Exactly! Qiqi, you don't think this one good meal is enough, do you?" Shi Hongrui quickly composed herself. She thought it would be best if Qiqi did well and built good relationships with her colleagues so she could meet many elite people later, allowing Shi Hongrui a chance to hook a rich husband herself. That, in her view, would be the best news. As for other things, she couldn't be envious. "By the way, Qiqi, how long will you be busy?" Shi Hongrui asked with concern.

Regarding this question, the other three looked at Wang Qiqi with eager anticipation. This question was crucial, directly affecting their stomachs. If Qiqi were busy for several months, wouldn't they be miserable? Especially Shi Man, who felt like crying at the thought of becoming a half-housewife chained to the stove.

Qiqi wasn't entirely sure about the return date. "I don't know yet. But you can use my car. Just remember to refuel it." Although attending school might present problems later, having one car was vital for grocery shopping. Luckily, Shi Man and Shi Hongrui had their licenses; otherwise, she wouldn't know what to do. She couldn't possibly sneak away to do major grocery runs herself.

This sounded like good news. Shi Man was thrilled at the prospect of having a car for school runs. "What about you?" Although the studio wasn't far from school, it was still a walk.

"I can ride my bicycle," Wang Qiqi thought. This was a good chance to exercise. Earning money was good, but health was more important. To live long enough to spend the money she and Han Tao earned, she had to work hard on her fitness. "If I can get back that night, I'll have to trouble Manman for a ride." Although they were all used to nodding off at their desks or sleeping in sleeping bags, Wang Qiqi couldn't adapt to that. A sleeping bag was nowhere near as comfortable as her own bed.

Shi Man looked disdainful. "I'm not picking you up. You can just ride your bike back yourself." Even as she said this, she nodded. While the area had good security, robberies did happen. Riding back alone late at night, Qiqi could easily run into trouble. What was the harm in giving her a ride? "Oh, your workload has increased; did your salary go up?"

Wang Qiqi shook her head. Just as Shi Hongrui was about to ask about overtime pay, Wang Qiqi considered for a moment. "If this project finishes well and makes money, I might get a share. Of course, my portion will probably be the smallest." Her tasks were the simplest, and even the smallest share, if done well, wouldn't be insignificant.

Shi Man nodded. Overtime pay was meager; commission was king. Even if the share was small, a successful venture by experts would yield substantial returns, meaning Qiqi would earn a good amount. She heartily slapped Wang Qiqi on the shoulder. "Work hard! When it’s done, treat us to a Michelin-starred meal! I've been dying to go!" Hahaha, Shi Man couldn't wait for the thought of eating at such a high-class place, especially without footing the bill—that feeling was truly indescribable.

Wang Qiqi watched the overly excited Shi Man and the smiling Zhang Yan and the others. She quietly decided not to mention that if the project succeeded, the BOSS would treat the whole team to a good celebratory meal. She worried that if she said that, they might secretly wish ill upon her, and her wallet would shrink significantly on the day of the treat. "Deal, but there's a cap," Wang Qiqi didn't want to haggle over this. It was better to agree outright. Besides, she wouldn't be cooking or cleaning the common areas anymore, which felt a bit like slacking off. This could be compensation for not working. As long as they agreed on a spending limit, it was fine. And since Shi Man had made such a declaration, Wang Qiqi knew she wouldn't stop until she agreed, so it was better to accept graciously to appear generous.

Don't let Shi Man's confident tone fool you; she genuinely didn't expect Wang Qiqi to agree so readily. She had even planned to team up with Shi Hongrui to push Wang Qiqi for concessions. She hadn't thought Qiqi would agree so easily. "Qiqi, we're going to..." She worried Qiqi might go back on her word and choose a restaurant with only a decent reputation, so she needed to confirm the details properly.

Wang Qiqi slapped her forehead. Oh no, she had agreed so quickly, yet this person still didn't trust her. "Don't worry, it will be the Michelin restaurant you picked. Of course, the per-person cost can't exceed sixty pounds." Sigh, Wang Qiqi really wanted to say thirty pounds per person. A meal like that would cost over three thousand RMB, an amount many people at this time couldn't earn in a month's salary. Eating such a lavish meal made her heart ache, but there was no other way. It was a Michelin restaurant, and she’d never been. If the price was too high, that small budget might only cover a few snacks.

As Shi Man was about to agree to sixty pounds per person, she felt someone kicking her foot underneath the table. Looking down, she saw Shi Hongrui shaking her head at her. Shi Man understood that Shi Hongrui was probably unsatisfied with the amount Qiqi proposed. She wanted to tell Shi Hongrui, Girl, this is pretty good! It's rare someone agrees so generously right away. What if she had refused? After considering, a Michelin restaurant wouldn't be cheap. With that in mind, Shi Man started negotiating the spending limit with Wang Qiqi.

The negotiation process was lengthy. Through give-and-take, they finally reached an agreement: no more than eighty pounds. "Hey, you all should thank me! If it weren't for me, would Qiqi have backed down?" Shi Man said happily. She truly felt that in this negotiation, she, the main debater, had been the one constantly attacking, while the other three, Zhang Yan and the others, had only spoken up occasionally, remaining too quiet.

Wang Qiqi covered her mouth, giggling at the one who still hadn't grasped the situation. She was lucky she noticed Zhang Yan and the others' strategy: while Shi Man was talking enthusiastically, they had managed to grab some food from her own bowl. Otherwise, there wouldn't be much delicious food left. Thinking of this, Wang Qiqi suddenly took a fierce bite out of every piece of meat in her bowl quickly, lest Shi Man snatched it. Now that she had taken a bite from each piece, if Shi Man insisted on shamelessly taking one, well, she couldn't stop her, could she? Plus, she would know Shi Man's bottom line.

Shi Man saw Qiqi's way of eating. "Hey, Qiqi, that's not a good habit. How can you..." Shi Man was about to demonstrate an elegant action to Qiqi, intending to say her eating manner was disgusting, as no one was snatching her food. She reached toward a plate but found nothing to take. Her eyes shifted. "Damn, where are the ribs?" It was clearly a large platter of ribs; how could they be gone...?

Shi Man looked again and saw the other three lowering their heads, eating non-stop, avoiding her gaze. Then she looked at the pile of bones next to them. She understood. "Hey, you guys have some nerve! I was busy fighting to maximize our benefits, and look what you've done..." There was truly no sisterly love. What was the point of her being so busy and excited? It was normal for them to eat, and it would have been immoral to forbid them from touching the food. But when they were eating, couldn't they place a few pieces in her bowl?

Shi Man scanned the table and tragically discovered that besides a few already-bitten ribs in Wang Qiqi's bowl, there were only bones left on the table. "Hey, Wang Qiqi, you're too mean! You didn't even warn me," she huffed. Not warning her was one thing, but doing something so disgusting was another.

"Disgusting?" Wang Qiqi looked at her with eyes shining brightly, like a wild animal starved for ages. She deeply felt that what she had done earlier was the correct move. "I was preventing someone!" Hmph, she was doing it to stop that person's behavior. "For food, that person might do something even more disgusting."

Wang Qiqi's words made Shi Man jump up. What? How could she talk about her friend like that? Hmph, just because you bit them doesn't mean I won't eat them. Anyway, you're not a hepatitis patient; what do I have to be afraid of?

While Wang Qiqi was challenging her, Shi Man swiftly darted her chopsticks over Qiqi's rice bowl and popped a rib into her mouth.

Wang Qiqi was stunned. She hadn't expected this person to be so shameless. But she knew now wasn't the time to complain. Wang Qiqi quickly picked up her rice bowl to prevent further attacks and tucked the remaining ribs under the rice. "Bandit! Robber! You've gone too far!" Having secured her food, Wang Qiqi finally had the energy to complain.

Shi Man had intended to snatch a few more pieces, but she didn't expect Wang Qiqi's reaction to be so swift. "Tch, and you dare talk about me? If it weren't for you, would I only get two ribs?" Shi Man felt truly miserable, having only managed to eat two ribs— "No, actually, one and a half."

Zhang Yan and the others understood. While they were keeping their heads down to avoid Shi Man's gaze, that person had already made a move on Wang Qiqi's meat. They had noticed Qiqi biting every piece of meat earlier. They initially thought Shi Man wouldn't stoop to that level, but to think she actually did it! Alas, Qiqi's ribs were too tempting, making Shi Man disregard all pretense of dignity.

Wang Qiqi felt all the heat directed at her and sighed sadly. "Hey, I only had a few pieces of meat. Look how little I ate, then look at the pile of bones in front of them." Hmph, if certain people hadn't lacked sisterly affection, would she be suffering like this? Especially now, when not a single person stepped up to draw some fire away from her—it was too much. Given this, Wang Qiqi felt no guilt in shifting the blame to the low-headed eaters. Hmph, don't think she hadn't noticed their occasional glances upward.

Hearing Wang Qiqi's words, Zhang Yan and the others felt like crying, but more so, they wanted to throw her out. That's too much, Qiqi! Now that Shi Man has targeted you, just take the blast! We'll definitely help you gather the pieces afterward.

Wang Qiqi ignored the aggrieved looks. Hmph, why should she suffer alone? She was the chef! She cooked all this food; was eating this little a problem? She ate quietly, knowing it was now her time to watch the show.

Shi Man knew Wang Qiqi was trying to deflect attention, but the others wouldn't forget their own losses. "You three are too much! You only looked out for yourselves! You know..." Shi Man complained animatedly to them. "Don't tell me there are other dishes, but that dish was my absolute favorite!"

Shi Hongrui looked at the animated and complaining Shi Man. She wanted to say that dish was her favorite too, and if Qiqi cooked it a few more times, she wouldn't have been so ruthless to her sister-friends. But she dared not say it, noticing Wang Qiqi's unfriendly glare directed her way. If she said anything amiss, Wang Qiqi would target her next, and dealing with an angry chef was never pleasant.

Shi Man felt increasingly short-changed. "Forget it. Qiqi, after you get your commission, don't go to some fancy restaurant to celebrate. Just cook a great meal here at home." Of course, privately, Qiqi would still have to treat her to a meal, considering the effort she put into negotiating the terms. After all, per-person costs not exceeding one hundred and fifty pounds would be much better than five people eating out, and the quality would be higher too.

Wang Qiqi never anticipated that deflecting the trouble onto someone else would result in such a wonderful outcome. "Great, great!" To stop the other party from backing out, Wang Qiqi immediately agreed. After all, this saved her quite a bit of money. If they cooked at home, wasn't she the one setting the menu? Furthermore, even if she ordered pricier dishes, she knew how to handle things. Regardless, preparing the ingredients and cooking everything herself would ultimately be much cheaper than eating out. "Don't worry, I promise to make a spread that's even a notch higher in quality than this." Wang Qiqi was absolutely thrilled inside. Perhaps it could all be managed for just over a hundred pounds. She laughed with unreserved joy, a triumphant smile spreading across her face.