Shi Man packed plenty of food first thing in the morning, called Zhang Yan who had just woken up, and the two of them arrived at the studio before nine in the morning. They knocked for a while before someone groggily opened the door.

Wang Qiqi felt like she had just fallen asleep when she heard the knocking. She burrowed back into her sleeping bag, pretending not to hear, not wanting to get up. Did they knock on the wrong door so early? she thought. But after waiting for a long time and still hearing the knocking, she could only reluctantly crawl out of the sleeping bag. She tidied her hair slightly, opened the door, and exclaimed, "Oh, what are you two doing here?" Wang Qiqi was quite surprised. Didn't they both have classes today? Especially Zhang Yan; her professor was out of town, so her classes were adjusted. She should have received an email, so why was she here so early?

Seeing Wang Qiqi still yawning, Shi Man was about to comment on how late she was up when Wang Qiqi sighed, "Ugh, I'm exhausted. I only got to sleep after four this morning." Wang Qiqi glanced at the clock on the wall; it was barely past 8:30. Wang Qiqi calculated that she hadn't slept for a full four hours, though this was the longest stretch of sleep she’d had recently.

"Four in the morning?" Zhang Yan wondered, "Were you rushing a report?" She hoped Qiqi hadn't stayed up working on a report yesterday. She remembered Qiqi saying she’d go to bed early. Besides, Zhang Yan only needed to finalize the summary; she didn't have to monitor the data screens, so she couldn't have stayed up reading again, could she? Zhang Yan felt Qiqi was under immense pressure.

Wang Qiqi, still yawning, led them into her office. "The report hasn't even been touched. The BOSS was in meetings from past eleven until past three, then he quickly cleaned up and went to sleep." Thank goodness it was winter; if it were summer, with so many people queuing for the shower, who knows when he would have gotten to bed.

A midnight meeting? Shi Man was about to suggest the boss had gone mad but caught herself. This isn't home; I can't be so unrestrained, she thought, swallowing the words. "How is the report progressing?" Shi Man figured it must be passable; otherwise, Qiqi wouldn't still be asleep at this hour. "And you all are having meetings in the middle of the night now? Isn't your BOSS busy?" Good heavens, they’re syncing up with domestic time zones—meetings at dawn! If it’s once or twice, fine, but if this keeps up, how long can anyone last, having to work and study during the day?

Wang Qiqi yawned again and rubbed her eyes. "The BOSS has several meetings to attend these few days, so we had an impromptu one. Yan Yan, didn't you check your email?" Logically, the BOSS's assistant should have sent out a notification.

Zhang Yan shook her head. "When I got back yesterday, I was busy studying for the report and completely missed my inbox. No wonder the professor assigned such a difficult topic." So, the professor was counting on their absence to give them time to prepare properly. This made Zhang Yan breathe a sigh of relief. "I can prepare thoroughly now; otherwise, I was really worried I'd get a C on this report." That would have been too embarrassing.

Shi Man looked at Wang Qiqi still rubbing her eyes, then noticed how quiet it was, wondering if everyone else was still asleep. "Qiqi, we should go. Remember to eat what I brought. You should sleep more." Poor girl, she seemed more exhausted than when she was at home. Thank goodness the BOSS had some decency and hired an auntie to help clean up; otherwise, Shi Man worried Wang Qiqi might collapse.

Wang Qiqi mumbled an acknowledgment. It wasn't that she wanted to keep sleeping, but the auntie would arrive soon, and the others upstairs should be waking up. Seeing Shi Man and Zhang Yan there wouldn't look good. Normally it wouldn't matter, but the current situation was a bit sensitive. If any details about her living arrangements leaked out, it might bring up issues that wouldn't be easy to resolve. Previously, they had only sat briefly under the eaves by the door to chat before leaving. "Go back and work slowly. And remember to get your car serviced; I’ll give you the money later." Wang Qiqi suddenly remembered her car needed maintenance, and since she had no time, she'd have Shi Man handle it.

"By the time you remember, the service coupons will have expired. Don't worry, I already took the car for maintenance the day before yesterday. I’ll send you the bill," Shi Man said, watching Wang Qiqi continue to yawn. "Alright, get some more sleep. If you have time later, I'll come pick you up, no matter how late it is."

Shi Man had assumed Wang Qiqi was living in the studio. While the environment might not be as good as home, it should still be decent. She hadn't expected to see just a single sleeping bag spread out on the office floor—such a tiny bag. She couldn't imagine sleeping comfortably in it, let alone on a hard floor. It was tough on Wang Qiqi to endure that.

Wang Qiqi smiled without committing to going back to sleep or staying. At first, she really couldn't get used to it; the space was smaller than her university dorm bed. But after sleeping in it for a few days, she slowly adapted. Compared to Mark and the others, Wang Qiqi felt her situation was much better. At least it was a private room; once she turned off the light, there was silence. Mark and the others shared an open-plan room where the lights stayed on from evening till morning, accompanied by incessant keyboard clacking and the sound of people walking and chairs scraping—it was as lively as it could get. Yet, they all managed to persist in that environment.

After seeing Shi Man and Zhang Yan off, Wang Qiqi packed up the sleeping bag and went to the washroom to freshen up. Just then, Claire pushed the door open. "Morning."

Claire greeted Wang Qiqi back and put down the large bag she was carrying. "Huh, why is everyone else absent today?" Usually, at this time, the downstairs area would be bustling, with at least three or five people around. She found it strange that only one person was present today.

"They should be sleeping," Wang Qiqi replied, casually taking a piece of bread. This was baked by Claire herself, and it tasted great—though quite sweet. "Still delicious as always."

Wang Qiqi returned to her office, opened her computer, and pulled up the summary she had compiled yesterday. Although the BOSS said the report was acceptable, Wang Qiqi could tell from his slightly furrowed brow that he wasn't entirely satisfied. Wang Qiqi felt helpless about it; what could she do? MAY’s baby was sick at this time, and naturally, the parent prioritized their child over work matters. Although MAY would review it, it wouldn't be meticulous. While the BOSS might be slightly displeased, in the long run, this was quite beneficial for Wang Qiqi herself—for instance, handling things independently meant her rate of improvement was accelerating.

Wang Qiqi typed on the keyboard for a while, adjusted data, and occasionally picked up materials beside her to read. "Ahhh, finally done!" Wang Qiqi typed the last character and was about to cheer loudly when the door was pushed open from outside.

Wang Qiqi turned to see Claire. She found it odd; Claire wouldn't normally enter without a specific reason. "What are you having for lunch?"

Wang Qiqi was surprised to realize it was already lunchtime. She glanced at the time on the computer—it was true. "I’ll have curry rice today." Nick had discovered a newly opened restaurant nearby recently and tried it; the taste was good. Plus, everyone was a bit tired of the previous takeout spots. Since this one was genuinely good, Wang Qiqi and the others had been ordering from there lately.

Claire heard the predictable answer and was about to turn away but finally asked, "Angel, don't you ever get tired of eating that every day?" For foreigners, rice was fine occasionally, but eating it daily was truly hard to bear.

"It's alright," Wang Qiqi knew foreigners were accustomed to bread and similar items. If they had to eat sandwiches and burgers every day, they would certainly tolerate it, but for Wang Qiqi, eating that daily would make her break down. "Besides, my friend brought me food." Shi Man's braised beef tasted better and better, which indicated she wasn't bad at cooking; she just lacked practice before. Since she temporarily stepped down from the chef's position, her initial skill level wasn't great or stable, but after a few days of practice, Wang Qiqi felt she wasn't far behind. Wang Qiqi was even considering having Shi Man practice more even after she returned to her regular duties.

Claire smiled upon hearing Wang Qiqi’s friend brought food. "Do you want to heat it up first?" Otherwise, a group of people wouldn't be polite later on.

Wang Qiqi shook her head. "My friend heated it and sent it over." Perhaps Shi Man had heard Wang Qiqi complaining last time. Today, the young woman had wrapped the food in insulation. Wang Qiqi had already sampled a few pieces of meat; although not piping hot, it was certainly warm enough to eat.

Claire understood—Wang Qiqi planned to eat in the office today. Honestly, she thought the girl was eating too little. Since she arrived, Claire had clearly noticed Angel getting thinner. Sometimes, when she helped clean, she saw that besides work materials, the desk was covered with school-related items. "Then I won't disturb you."

After saving her work, Wang Qiqi picked up a book she had borrowed yesterday and began reading seriously. Now that her immediate task was finished, she had some free time and wanted to finish the book quickly so she could finalize the report sooner. Don't assume that just because the BOSS was away attending an academic conference, he wouldn't have new insights during discussions that might require her to rework everything. Or perhaps the BOSS would remain static, but external circumstances could change, demanding her attention then too.

Wang Qiqi felt that although financial professionals looked like elites who earned vast sums, they actually earned hard money, consuming countless brain cells daily. Wang Qiqi had already noticed several strands of white hair—alas, a depressing realization.

Wang Qiqi continuously juggled coursework and work until she finally saw a glimmer of light. Although Wang Qiqi wasn't sure how successful this effort would be, judging by Mark and the others' expressions, the reward shouldn't be small. More importantly, during a previous meeting, they had specifically reminded the BOSS at the end to treat everyone to a lavish meal after this task was complete. Though the BOSS’s expression seemed unchanged, Wang Qiqi felt his eyes were somehow smiling. All signs suggested their hard work might actually be recognized.

Although everyone’s nerves were still tightly strung, and a last-minute turnaround was not impossible, for Wang Qiqi, who served as logistical support, the most stressful period had passed. Now it was up to Mark and the others to hold the line. Wang Qiqi had also slowly reconnected with Han Tao, but she knew her current appearance was quite alarming and didn't want to scare her man. Occasionally, when Wang Qiqi checked Han Tao's emails, he would only advise her to eat well. Every time Shi Man saw her, she constantly mentioned Han Tao's name. When Shi Man looked at her, Wang Qiqi felt immense pressure, sensing Shi Man’s look conveyed a sense of "you are done for." This led Wang Qiqi to make a resolution: once this was over, she would sleep for three days straight, and eat to her heart's content. Hmph, I bet I can’t gain three kilograms like that.

Wang Qiqi was confident about gaining three kilograms in a short time for another reason: around nine o'clock every busy day, she would have Shi Man pick her up. "Is the project almost done?" Shi Man asked Wang Qiqi, who was resting in the back seat. Initially, she thought picking Qiqi up for sleep was an occasional thing, but since she had been doing it daily for the past few days, Shi Man deduced the task must be going very well; otherwise, why would Qiqi be going home every night?

Lying in the back, Wang Qiqi wasn't actually asleep; she was just letting her mind rest. Although her workload had eased slightly, there were still unexpected issues to handle. However, through the tempering of this period, Wang Qiqi no longer felt helpless when facing such situations, needing to ask MAY for direction or occasionally consulting Mark. Now, she could confront these matters with a more relaxed attitude.

"It should be about done," Wang Qiqi replied while lying down. She wasn't thinking about schoolwork or business, but where she and Han Tao would vacation. He had emailed today saying he might have about ten days free between Christmas and New Year's, which made Wang Qiqi very excited. She had worried about finishing before the holidays, but now it seemed certain they would wrap up on time. Even Mark had sighed in relief, saying they could go to a tropical paradise for a comfortable vacation. "At the very least, I’ll be vacationing with Han Tao in Southeast Asia for Christmas." Phuket or Bali would be nice—the cost wouldn't be too high, the scenery was great, and most importantly, she would be on vacation with Han Tao, which was what made Wang Qiqi happiest.

What? Bali or Phuket? Shi Man almost drove the car to the side of the road when she heard Wang Qiqi mention those places. After steadying herself, she asked, "Why those places? Didn't you always say you wanted to go to the Maldives? Or Hawaii, at the very least?" Both had lovely scenery.

The Maldives was nice, but it mostly involved lying lazily on the beach or the balcony of a water bungalow, sunbathing, or diving. It might seem great initially, but after a while, it could become quite boring, especially since each island wasn't very large, and the scenery became repetitive. More importantly, compared to Phuket or Bali, the cost to travel there wasn't cheap. As for Hawaii, Wang Qiqi didn't consider it because the flight was too time-consuming.

After hearing why Wang Qiqi dismissed the other two suggestions, Shi Man agreed that for the limited time, flying back and forth was tiresome, and Qiqi’s health wasn't great after being so busy lately; such a long flight would be a real test for her body. But the issue was that the Maldives was a place someone used to talk about constantly. Now that such a good opportunity existed, she found it uninteresting. "Sigh, the Maldives was someone's dream honeymoon spot, but now..." Shi Man shook her head. "I see one thing from you: a woman's heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea. Someone who used to love a place so much now dislikes it. Good thing you haven't rejected your Han Tao; otherwise, I'd feel sorry for him."

"Tch, you connect everything back to Han Tao," Wang Qiqi retorted. "I need to have a serious talk with Han Tao. How much has he bribed you to keep thinking about him all the time?" That's too much! You’re my friend!

"I side with whoever has a point," Shi Man wasn't worried. Someone else might ask if that implied a secret between them, but nothing like that existed between Shi Man and Wang Qiqi. "If this job finishes well, your cut won't be small. How do you plan to spend it?"

"If it were me, I’d definitely go stock up on some good things," Shi Man and Shi Hongrui had been to London several times, and it was impossible not to be tempted by the fine goods in department stores, but her purse was thin—she simply didn't have the money to buy them.

Wang Qiqi looked at Shi Man, who had developed a taste for designer brands but was restraining herself. "You actually can buy some things. We don't need to invest much money right now." Shi Man’s profit share was much higher than the cut for the others; after all, she often had to go out to find interesting items to mail back home for sale, and sales were quite good. She could be considered quite wealthy.

Shi Man certainly knew she could afford to buy some luxury items. "I plan to buy during Christmas." That's when the discounts and promotions would be most substantial. "Right, Qiqi, are you flush with cash? I plan to hoard a bit more inventory." Some things, if stockpiled there, wouldn't need to worry about sales. "Yao Yao Jie and I have already discussed it; we’ll check what they want to buy. Chinese New Year is not long after Christmas, and they will definitely have money. They'll want to reward themselves after a hard year of work, so hoarding inventory is the best path. The more money, the better."

"Deal," Wang Qiqi readily agreed when there was a chance to earn money. "While you're at it, grab me some samples." Don't let Wang Qiqi's frequent use of high-end skincare fool you; she actually didn't spend money on it. The products were all gifts from counter staff when the BOSS went on purchasing trips—they were much more generous than the domestic sales staff. It wasn't that foreigners became stingy domestically; it was that the sales assistants often kept the items for themselves or sold them to people running Taobao shops.

"No problem." Shi Man often went on big shopping trips to London now, and some counter staff recognized her. Even if she didn't buy much, she received many samples. Besides mailing some back to China to earn extra money, it covered the cost of skincare and some makeup for both of them.

Wang Qiqi pushed the door open and immediately felt a wave of heat. "Oh, they started using the fireplace today." December temperatures were indeed cold. Before, everyone had huddled in their beds wrapped in electric blankets. Who would have thought that after just one day, they decided to use the fireplace? It was true that once the fireplace was lit, even though the house would get dustier, it was wonderfully warm. As for the wood, it was the dead branches they had gathered from the nearby mountains on the weekend. It was impressive they had the strength to split the logs into smaller pieces.

Zhang Yan turned when she saw Wang Qiqi and pointed to the wire mesh above the fireplace. "You came back at the perfect time; we can eat sweet potatoes soon." Using the fireplace conveniently solved the late-night snack problem too.

Sweet potatoes, with sleeping bags spread on the floor nearby—Wang Qiqi suddenly felt the scene wasn't quite right. Ugh, I’ve been sleeping in a sleeping bag for over a month now. My posture has improved a lot, but it's truly uncomfortable. Having just enjoyed sleeping in a soft bed for two days, she had to return to sleeping bags. Wang Qiqi looked up, signaling her misery. "Are you all planning to sleep here tonight?" Even if they didn't use sleeping bags, taking out the heavy duvets would be a hassle. More importantly, Wang Qiqi worried someone would snore, which was impossible to tolerate.

Zhang Yan hummed in response. Noticing Wang Qiqi staring at the sleeping bags, she knew she was struggling with something and covered her mouth, chuckling. "Don't worry, only Rong Rong and the others are using sleeping bags; we'll just lay out ground mats." Zhang Yan had long heard Qiqi complain about how awful sleeping bags were. Finally, when the poor girl could sleep comfortably for a couple of days, she came in today and was scared off.

Ground mats sounded better to Wang Qiqi, but she considered it for a moment. "I think I’ll sleep in my room instead."

Shi Man hadn't expected Wang Qiqi to still be thinking about sleeping upstairs. "Give it up. Running up and down just to use the restroom? Aren't you worried about catching a cold? Just sleep downstairs. None of us snore." Hmph, this girl was clearly trying to get out of sleeping near someone who might snore. "Fine, just grab a blanket downstairs. Use my sleeping pad. It got so much colder today—I wonder if the wood we gathered will be enough." Although they had heating, burning fuel cost money, and after two days, they found it was just too much to bear. Thank goodness for the fireplace; if not for the considerable amount of wood they had painstakingly collected before, well...

Shi Hongrui walked over to the fireplace, picked up the kettle, and poured some hot water into a mug. "If things get really tight, we can always go back to being do-gooders and collect the dead branches from the neighborhood streets." Even if it was harder work, it was better than spending money, right?

"Deal. Anyway, we need to exercise every day, and it’s good that Qiqi is back now," Shi Man said with easy nonchalance. RS

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