Zhang Yan watched Wang Qiqi arrive precisely on time for class again and slid a bun toward her from below. "Have a little something." Although the studio provided food, Zhang Yan knew Qiqi might not have eaten much, or perhaps hadn't eaten at all. With Christmas break approaching, the academic pressure was mounting, and Qiqi’s work was equally demanding. The first couple of days, Qiqi could still cycle back slowly around ten o'clock, but after that, she basically just stayed over there and rarely came home. If Zhang Yan hadn't been taking the same classes, she suspected she wouldn't have seen Qiqi much either, unlike Shi Hongrui and the others.

Wang Qiqi thanked Zhang Yan, then pulled out a thermos from her bag, poured a cup of coffee, and quickly devoured the rather large bun with the aid of the coffee. At first, Zhang Yan worried Qiqi might choke with the speed she ate, but now she was used to it. "You didn't have lunch?" Judging by the pace of her consumption, Wang Qiqi must have skipped lunch. It was already two o'clock.

Wang Qiqi swallowed the last bite of the bun with effort and took a few sips of coffee. "The BOSS had meetings all day, which only finished an hour ago. Then I was swamped re-organizing the data." Thinking about all the work she had poured into things from yesterday afternoon until this morning only to have the BOSS reject it made Wang Qiqi quite miserable.

"Rejected again?" Zhang Yan asked, surprised. "Didn't you say last time that you successfully argued your point and knew how to proceed?" How could it be shot down again? This sounded incredibly difficult. Zhang Yan mentally congratulated herself for not taking that assistant job; she would have broken down. Putting aside everything else, just look at how much weight Qiqi had lost lately, not to mention the dark circles under her eyes. Moreover, the only things Wang Qiqi was drinking now were coffee or tea, and the amount of tea kept increasing—a clear sign of how exhausted she was.

Wang Qiqi glanced toward the approaching professor. "It wasn't my fault; the BOSS just had a new idea." When the higher-ups got new ideas, the plans naturally changed. However, Wang Qiqi felt she was still too inexperienced; she hadn't prepared multiple contingencies and only focused on this one plan. She hadn't thought flexibly enough. Mark and the others, however, would immediately follow the BOSS's new train of thought, debate whether that direction was correct, and then the data would end up being reorganized anyway. But the impression left on the BOSS was completely different. Wang Qiqi felt she was only slightly better than an idiot, which saddened her deeply.

Wang Qiqi murmured, although MAY and Mark kept saying she’d improved significantly, and Qiqi herself could sense it. Yet, she still felt profoundly frustrated. There was progress, but it wasn't obvious enough—at least, there wasn't that look of distinct pleasant surprise in the BOSS's eyes. "I feel like working over there is just a constant erosion of your confidence," Wang Qiqi felt that if her own confidence hadn't been strong, and her skin thick enough, she couldn't possibly have held on.

Zhang Yan, seeing Wang Qiqi looking so drained, was about to say something when the professor walked in. She had to swallow her comforting words. She also knew that Qiqi didn't actually need comfort; she just needed a small vent. Still, she was doing remarkably well; someone else might not have persevered. Furthermore, as Qiqi’s responsibilities within the team evolved, not only did the way her classmates looked at her shift, but many unfamiliar finance students started seeking her out just to see who this Wang Qiqi was. Naturally, their commentary on Qiqi varied wildly. Initially, they’d claim she was just lucky, that she wouldn't last long before the BOSS kicked her out of the team, and so on. Only after Qiqi maintained a stable position at the studio did much of that idle gossip subside. Zhang Yan never mentioned these rumors to Wang Qiqi, but she knew Qiqi must have heard some of it.

After the class concluded, the BOSS packed up his books and left, saying that if anyone had questions, they could send an email. Everyone understood that the BOSS was currently handling a massive deal, so they wouldn't bother him with minor issues. They were all intensely jealous of Angel’s incredible luck in getting into the team. While they had previously envied her selection, after seeing the kind of work she did, they increasingly felt fortunate that the BOSS hadn't chosen them, seeing such tasks as beneath them. They had assumed Angel would remain an assistant indefinitely, never expecting such a fortunate turn of events. They firmly believed that if Angel could seize this opportunity, she would surely be promoted and would likely hire new assistants. Even though they only had about six months until graduation, they reasoned that in the finance world, half a year offered chances. Perhaps they, too, could encounter such a great opportunity, marking their graduate studies with a significant highlight that would impress future employers upon graduation. This realization made them regard Wang Qiqi with complex expressions.

As soon as the BOSS left the classroom, Wang Qiqi quickly packed her bag. "Library?" Ugh, despite the heavy workload, the reports the BOSS assigned never lessened. Even if she couldn't avoid them, she had to submit them. The thought of today's required assignment made Wang Qiqi want to cry. This was just a minor report; next semester would be the major project—everyone’s thesis. Mark often said as long as the thesis passed, it was fine, and Qiqi’s current focus was solely on this one task. Successfully completing it meant job prospects wouldn't be an issue after graduation. But for Wang Qiqi, since she chose to study abroad and paid all that tuition, she naturally hoped for top grades. If she had truly come for work experience, she could have just found a less demanding major, finished it in a year, and then applied for a Ph.D. program in the US to be near her man; after all, extending a doctoral program was certainly possible.

Zhang Yan hummed in agreement. "Let's go." It seemed like only a short while ago they finished the last report, and the BOSS had already assigned a new topic. Zhang Yan was truly curious how the BOSS managed to find time for teaching, lesson preparation, and reviewing everyone's submissions. "Are you okay? You could actually talk to the professor..." Zhang Yan looked at Wang Qiqi with deep concern. Knowing how busy Qiqi was—completing reports late at night during her spare moments, which was precisely why she didn't stay overnight on campus, as it saved time for reading and allowed quick responses to emergencies.

Wang Qiqi wearily shook her head. "I'm fine. I'll just power through. Sigh, remember how hard high school was?" Wang Qiqi actually felt her current situation was tougher than high school. Back then, she could guarantee at least five hours of sleep nightly and take a nap at noon. Now, she wasn't sure if her total sleep time added up to four hours. Wang Qiqi knew she slept more than Mark and the others, but for her, this amount of sleep was severely insufficient. "Once this plan is done, I'm going to sleep for three straight days and nights." While the BOSS promised to treat everyone to a lavish meal afterward, Wang Qiqi craved sleep more than food—a deep, uninterrupted slumber where, no matter what monumental event occurred, even the apocalypse, she could die sleeping.

"If you’re hungry, eat some bread and drink some water, then go back to sleep." Even though it felt like living like a pig, which could easily lead to weight gain, Wang Qiqi was determined to gain some weight before the New Year. Otherwise, when she video-chatted with Song Yao and the others, Miss Song would surely start complaining about how hard she worked. Despite the current hardship, she didn't want her family to worry.

Zhang Yan caught the sheer intensity of sleep deprivation in Wang Qiqi's gritted-teeth words. She patted Qiqi's shoulder. "It will get better. I'll bring you food then. As long as it's not class time."

Still having classes, Wang Qiqi genuinely felt like weeping. "Ugh, then I’ll sleep for two days over the weekend. But even with classes, I can manage." She was grateful for her previous dedication to fitness; otherwise, Wang Qiqi was sure she wouldn't survive. "Let's go borrow books, then I need to go back and compile the data." Wang Qiqi hoped to finish this by ten tonight and send it to MAY for a look. Otherwise, she felt completely uneasy. She also prayed her BOSS wouldn't come up with another new idea, though the probability of that was low, given the constantly shifting external landscape requiring continuous plan modifications. "Hope I wrap this up early today, and please, let MAY approve it on the first try." This was, of course, a dream for Qiqi. Compared to the double-digit revisions she used to receive on the compiled results, Wang Qiqi felt a small sense of accomplishment even when it only got sent back two or three times now. And perhaps from doing this so much, the reports the BOSS assigned seemed easier now. The tedious part was the sheer volume of research needed; otherwise, Wang Qiqi would have zero complaints. Of course, she wouldn't share these personal observations with Zhang Yan, as it would upset her.

"Hurry then." Zhang Yan knew Wang Qiqi’s schedule was tight and didn't want to delay her further. Getting the books borrowed quickly meant she could go back sooner and finish work earlier, allowing for earlier rest. "I'll cycle. Qiqi, you can doze off for a bit." The library wasn't far—about twenty minutes by bike—but even in that short time, Qiqi could fall asleep, indicating just how exhausted she was.

Wang Qiqi yawned and didn't stand on ceremony with Zhang Yan. She sat on the back seat, wrapped her arms around Zhang Yan’s waist, rested her head against her back, and slowly drifted into sleep. Being able to fall asleep anywhere, anytime, was what Wang Qiqi considered her greatest recent achievement. It also made her feel less worried about not being able to sleep in uncomfortable environments during her future world travels; what environment could be worse than this current state of mental and physical fatigue?

When Zhang Yan felt Wang Qiqi’s breathing deepen behind her, she slowed her cycling speed. Although she knew Qiqi wasn't sleeping soundly and would wake at the slightest disturbance, Zhang Yan hoped Qiqi could sleep until they reached the library to catch a bit more rest.

"Oh, Qiqi, we're having beef today. I'll bring you some tomorrow," Zhang Yan called out suddenly as Wang Qiqi, who was about to cycle away, paused. Ever since Shi Man saw how Qiqi looked barely better than a refugee, she made sure to send Qiqi some of whatever delicious food she cooked.

Wang Qiqi didn't turn around but flashed an OK sign toward where Zhang Yan stood before accelerating forward. Qiqi actually wanted to say there was no need to send things over, as she wasn't the only one eating what was sent. After Mark and the others tasted Shi Man’s cooking a few times, following several deliveries, they became addicted. Consequently, whatever Shi Man sent became communal food. They would gather during breaks, ask what treats had arrived, and just stare at her expectantly. Qiqi had to offer small portions to placate them. However, food proved to be a useful tool for bribery; given the treats, Qiqi would ask them questions, and they would answer earnestly. If not for this small benefit, Qiqi would have long told Shi Man and the others to stop sending food; it felt like such a waste.

Zhang Yan watched the energetic figure speeding away and shook her head repeatedly. The contrast between this person and the spiritless state half an hour ago was astonishing. Zhang Yan felt that those who envied Qiqi’s supposed luck should witness this scene to understand that success is earned through hard work.

Shi Man noticed Zhang Yan staring intently into the distance, completely unaware of her arrival. She rolled down her car window. "Yanyan, what are you looking at?" There were no handsome men or beautiful women in that direction to warrant such attention.

Zhang Yan hadn't expected Shi Man to arrive so soon. "Oh, if you’d been five minutes earlier, you could have seen Qiqi." Ah, what bad luck to miss her.

Shi Man was surprised she and Qiqi had just missed each other. "Ah, she left?" Damn, why was that girl so fast, gone like the wind? "Did she lose more weight?" Shi Man asked Zhang Yan, who was getting into her car and buckling up.

Since Qiqi started living like a prisoner, Han Tao felt awkward contacting Wang Qiqi, and truthfully, he couldn't reach her; she was far too busy. If not for Zhang Yan seeing her during class, Shi Man figured even being at the same school, she’d need an appointment to see her. In these few limited encounters, Shi Man could see Wang Qiqi had thinned considerably. Shi Man felt too awkward to tell Han Tao that his woman had lost a lot of weight recently, let alone mention Qiqi’s irregular eating habits and skipped meals. Otherwise, Han Tao would surely lecture Wang Qiqi sternly. "Did she eat lunch today?"

Zhang Yan shrugged, indicating no. "Her? Thank goodness she doesn't aspire to be a 'strong woman,' or I think she’d be close to becoming a mummy." Someone who usually prioritized well-being completely neglected it when busy. This made Zhang Yan briefly question whether she should heed her parents’ advice and enter this industry. Although the finance sector back home might not be this hectic, Zhang Yan knew that when a major deal came in, it wouldn't be easy.

Although she knew the chances of Wang Qiqi eating were slim and cautioned herself not to get too angry, Shi Man was still furious when Zhang Yan confirmed she hadn't eaten. "Tell her I’ll bring over some good food tomorrow." It seemed one person’s work overload affected everyone. Shi Man had completely forgotten her earlier thoughts about how Qiqi could "bleed" money now that she had such a great opportunity. All she cared about now was Qiqi’s health.

Zhang Yan nodded, confirming she had mentioned it. "Good. I must have a serious talk with her tomorrow. If she doesn't listen, I'll tell Han Tao." Shi Man declared with spirit. She felt she couldn't indulge Qiqi any longer; her health would inevitably suffer, and Shi Man couldn't bear to imagine how Han Tao would look at her then—perhaps with the urge to strangle her.

Zhang Yan agreed with Shi Man’s suggestion but countered, "Will what we say even matter? Do you think Qiqi, when buried in work, will even remember?" Sigh, Qiqi was just taking advantage of her current good health to abuse her body. Would she be able to handle this in a few years? "Perhaps she just wants to nail this deal, something worth remembering later, especially since she might not stay in this industry." Whether she loved finance or not, four years of undergraduate study plus a year of graduate work created an attachment, particularly with such a prime opportunity right in front of her. Qiqi probably wanted to bring her academic career to a satisfactory conclusion.

Shi Man was speechless. If that was truly Qiqi’s mindset, would telling Han Tao just make Qiqi unhappy? "Ugh, I don't care anymore. I have to say what needs to be said. How Qiqi handles the aftermath or explains it isn't my business." Shi Man decided that whether she spoke or not seemed futile. She resolved that if Qiqi continued this way, she would only be responsible for relaying the facts to Han Tao. How they communicated or how Qiqi explained the reasons was beyond her purview; she would simply do what a friend ought to do.

Wang Qiqi was unaware that Shi Man and the others planned to come over tomorrow for a stern talking-to, or that they intended to report her to Han Tao if she remained disobedient. At that moment, she was riding shotgun in Mark's car, eating the pastries he had bought. "Ah, not bad, just a bit too sweet." Sigh, foreigners have plenty of obese people, so why are their pastries so sugary? Qiqi understood why this group of elites enjoyed sweets without gaining much weight: besides immense pressure, irregular sleep and erratic eating contributed. Qiqi didn't care about others, but she had personally lost at least five kilograms recently, which she found terrifying. While she looked 'bone-beautiful,' seeing her reflection in the restroom mirror often made her want to cry. Therefore, Qiqi stopped resisting the excessively sweet treats Mark and the others bought; she ate as much as they offered, hoping these sweets would help her weight creep up a little.

Mark quickly shoved a pastry into his mouth during a red light, then shot a disdainful look at the person who claimed the food was too sweet but ate astonishingly fast. "If it's too sweet, don't eat it."

"No way," Wang Qiqi shook her finger. "Why wouldn't I eat free food? Besides, I only ate a little this morning and that bun before class. If I don't eat something now, I'll probably have to eat a late-night snack again." Strictly speaking, Wang Qiqi technically had three meals a day, but those meals were chaotic: breakfast might be small, lunch often forgotten or missed due to time constraints, dinner was a certainty, followed by a late-night snack. This routine, however, put considerable strain on her stomach.

Mark watched Wang Qiqi eat cake while closing her eyes, feeling envious. Ah, he wished he could close his eyes and rest too, but he had to drive. And once back at the studio, a pile of work awaited him. "Oh, Angel, you drive." Mark suddenly remembered that she knew how to drive; why was he suffering behind the wheel?

Upon hearing the suggestion to drive, Wang Qiqi immediately played dead. Damn it! Being a passenger was so comfortable for catching a nap. Driving required concentration and mental effort, making it even more tiring than cycling herself.

Mark was displeased watching the person who was just enthusiastically eating moments ago instantly close her eyes as if asleep upon hearing his suggestion, but what could he do? If you won't drive for me, don't expect any rest either. "Have you gathered most of your data for today? When will that summary be ready?"

Since it was a work-related question, Wang Qiqi couldn't pretend anymore. Besides, Mark asking this meant he wouldn't ask her to drive, nor would he let her rest. "I’ll try to finish before ten. I haven't gathered all the material yet."

Mark looked at the person constantly yawning. "Then you need to hurry. The BOSS seemed to be having a meeting in the early hours this morning," Mark said, feigning kindness.

What, Wang Qiqi’s eyes immediately shot wide open, "A midnight meeting?" Damn it, having a meeting first thing in the morning was already pushing it, at least then one had managed to get some sleep and felt somewhat refreshed. But now, the Big Boss was really going too far—holding meetings in the dead of night? Wasn't that practically inviting disaster? After all, one’s energy levels at that hour plummeted to rock bottom, and more importantly, there was the looming question of whether the summary report would even pass MAY’s inspection.

Mark hummed in assent, "The BOSS has a conference to attend the day after tomorrow, so..."

When Wang Qiqi heard it was due to an unforeseen situation, she visibly relaxed. Moreover, if the BOSS was gone for two days, even if he would be giving remote directions over the phone, it meant the workload for Qiqi would significantly decrease. The moment she realized that her section of the work would be much easier with the BOSS absent, Wang Qiqi found herself much less resistant to the midnight meeting. "I will definitely complete the tasks on time." Hahaha! To ensure she could sleep a little more and dedicate time to reading and finishing that report over the next two days, she absolutely had to push herself.

Mark looked at Wang Qiqi, who suddenly offered no objection, and knew exactly why her attitude had shifted. Truthfully, it wasn't just her; even someone like himself, constantly juggling mountains of tasks both big and small, felt a sudden, massive reduction in pressure. RS