Han Tao glanced at Fatty, then at Wang Qiqi. Although he really wanted to attend the Christmas Eve party, leaving Fatty home alone felt a bit too much. "I'll stay," Han Tao finally decided after some consideration. To be honest, Han Tao wasn't fond of the Christmas Eve party organized by Qiqi's studio; it would be full of strangers, and he wouldn't have anything to say to them—no common ground. The only reason he considered going was to see Mark, the person Shi Man had frequently mentioned as someone to focus on.

In the many days Han Tao had been around, Qiqi had mentioned Mark quite a few times, but always in connection with work. He understood that Qiqi was likely impressed by Mark's abilities and intended to build a good relationship with him for future stock market gains. Because of this, Han Tao’s guard against Mark had lowered somewhat. Given that, he had even less motivation or reason to attend.

Wang Qiqi hadn't expected Han Tao to say no. She stared at him for a long moment, wanting to point out how his sudden refusal would look to their colleagues, but since Han Tao didn't want to go, she couldn't force him. "Fine. I'll cook extra dishes and come back early then." If that was the case, she'd attend the office party briefly and then slip away; everyone would probably be busy cleaning up later anyway.

"It's fine if you come back early?" Han Tao’s first reaction upon hearing Qiqi might return early was happiness, his second was concern that Qiqi might run into trouble.

"What trouble could there be?" Wang Qiqi waved it off. "If I hadn't promised them I'd make Chinese food, I wouldn't even want to attend. At most, I'll cook three dishes; they won't complain." As long as there was food, Wang Qiqi didn't think those people would let her off the hook.

Fatty hadn't expected Han Tao to be so loyal, making him look forward to Christmas Eve dinner even more. "So, now it's just the two of us poor men left at home. Shouldn't you compensate us a little?"

Wang Qiqi was speechless. Well, someone was still thinking about getting good food at a time like this. "Fine, eight dishes. You two can pick them."

Only eight dishes? Fatty looked displeased. "Isn't that a little too few?" Just eight dishes. Although the quantity would be quite substantial, it still felt somehow lacking.

"The main course is hotpot." Wang Qiqi had initially thought eight dishes was quite a lot, and for Fatty to still say it was few was going too far. "Besides, I'll eat some things over there anyway. Don't worry, I won't fight you for food." As for what happened once they sat at the dinner table, Wang Qiqi dared not guarantee anything.

"Ah, honestly, in my opinion, Qiqi shouldn't go at all. We can just have a lively time here at home," Fatty mumbled. How could a woman go out to have fun when male friends were waiting at home?

Wang Qiqi also wished she could stay home. "I already promised," Wang Qiqi thought, having never expected Fatty to show up; otherwise, she might not have agreed.

Sitting in her office, Wang Qiqi was typing on the laptop she had brought. With nothing major happening these few days, she planned to record her thoughts on the books she had been reading. As her coursework deepened, Wang Qiqi understood that although her advisor often mentioned specific books, they were merely the focal points. To truly improve her grades, she needed to enhance her reading and practical skills. Taking advantage of the current lull, Wang Qiqi borrowed several books from the library and began reading them seriously. Though she really wanted to earn money by translating manuscripts, she knew her boss would be displeased if he found out, whereas reading books would only make him think she was diligent.

"Qiqi, do you have a moment?" Nick pushed the door open and spoke to the person who was engrossed in her books.

Wang Qiqi set down the book she was holding. "I'm free." She was the freest person right now; although there were still some tasks, overall, she was the least busy.

"Then come out for a meeting."

A meeting? Wang Qiqi found it strange. Why would anyone call a meeting at this hour? The project was progressing smoothly, and she hadn't heard of any major difficulties. "Good news or bad news?" Wang Qiqi asked first. If it wasn't good news, she definitely needed to reconsider her recent actions—whatever it was, she couldn't walk into the boss's firing line. However, judging by Nick's expression, it didn't seem like bad news, which made Wang Qiqi breathe a sigh of relief.

"Good news." Nick looked at Wang Qiqi's tense expression and wanted to tease her, but he dismissed the thought; otherwise, he wouldn't have an easy time later. "This matter is almost wrapped up. It’s probably about the holiday schedule."

Holiday? Wang Qiqi was very surprised. She had assumed they wouldn't have a result until after the New Year. "Ah, it's over?" Didn't she ask Mark yesterday, and he said it would take a few more days? How could it be over in just one day? Wang Qiqi naturally assumed Mark had said that to avoid revealing information.

"There was a sudden new development, and things progressed very smoothly." Nick couldn't elaborate further. Some things were still confidential, and even he didn't know much; he just felt things had moved along quite nicely these past two days. Regardless, having this matter conclude was reason enough to be happy.

Progressing smoothly. Wang Qiqi thought about how many times she’d heard that phrase—always that things were going well and a result was coming soon. Someone had even said this would be settled before Christmas, but now Wang Qiqi felt it was doubtful. "Don't tell me things are almost finished and we can have a holiday." That would be the good news. Otherwise, Wang Qiqi wouldn't be happy at all. Until the matter was truly concluded, she couldn't relax. She truly admired the psychological resilience of those so-called elites in roles that weren't even high-pressure.

"Maybe," Nick said cryptically. "If we can have an early break, what are your plans?" he asked solicitously. "I plan to go out and relax."

"I’ll stay here. I don't plan on wandering around anywhere." Sighing, ever since Song Yao and the others found out she wouldn't be taking a vacation during this break, they had been incredibly happy. She could tell how delighted they were just from the list of demands they sent her. Fortunately, they were decent enough to send half the deposit, otherwise, Wang Qiqi would have felt quite pressured. Still, she really needed to hurry to London for some serious shopping. She had originally planned to drag Han Tao to London for a couple of days to shop along the way, but now it seemed difficult; he would be busy discussing matters with Fatty.

Not going out. Nick wanted to ask if it was because that man didn't have the money to take her out, but he swallowed the words. If he said that, Angel would certainly not give him a pleasant look. "Staying home is nice too; you can get some good rest. Everyone has been busy for so long."

Wang Qiqi hummed in agreement. She wasn't very familiar with Nick, so there was no need to tell him too much.

"Hurry up, the boss is coming now!" As soon as Wang Qiqi and the others left the studio, someone greeted them.

Wang Qiqi noticed that everyone was present, even May. She thought this meeting must be quite significant. Was the boss really going to announce the start of the holidays? If so, Wang Qiqi would be ecstatic.

Wang Qiqi hurried to sit next to May. "May, hello."

May nodded at Wang Qiqi. "Hello. We're about to have a break soon. Are you happy?"

Although Wang Qiqi had a feeling, hearing May say it confirmed the holiday plans. "Oh, that's great! I can stay home and review my studies properly."

"Not going out?" May asked curiously. Hadn't this girl been lamenting about not being able to travel before? Now that the holiday was here, instead of going to Europe—even Thailand seemed a bit far—she was staying home to study. She must really love learning! The boss had mentioned that her grades weren't bad; she had managed to do well on her exams despite everyone being so busy, which the boss found admirable.

"Yes," Wang Qiqi nodded. "Although my previous exam results were decent, my foundational knowledge isn't strong enough. I want to use the break to catch up on my studies properly." This time, she had passed safely, and combined with her previous good preparation, Wang Qiqi hadn't been confident about doing well. So, staying home this time meant earning some money and studying, so even if another project kicked off next semester, she wouldn't be so swamped that she couldn't manage her time.

Truly a diligent child. "That’s good." May fell silent as she saw the boss and Mark walking down from upstairs.

Wang Qiqi straightened her back and looked intently at the boss. She also scanned her colleagues; many faces showed unconcealed joy. It seemed the early holiday announcement made many people very happy, and perhaps the year-end bonuses wouldn't be small either. However, Wang Qiqi guessed the bonuses would likely be distributed after the festival, as the final wrap-up tasks weren't complete, and individual contributions to this project hadn't been tallied yet, nor could individual shares be known.

The boss walked to his usual spot, smiled at the joyful faces, and said amiably, "I think most of you have a good idea of the theme of today's meeting. We were supposed to have a summary, but due to the holiday, we'll discuss that after the festival. Today, we'll just cover the general situation of this mission and the holiday plan."

Everyone was mentally prepared, greeting the boss’s words with knowing smiles.

The boss knew that anything more he said now wouldn't be well-received, so he let Mark briefly summarize the specifics of the deal. Only then did Wang Qiqi understand some aspects she hadn't known before. She realized the deal had been genuinely dangerous. If certain information hadn't been obtained early, and if the boss’s external connections hadn't been adequate, they might have truly been ruined. This made Wang Qiqi deeply feel how murky the waters of finance really were. Even their boss, who had been navigating this circle for so long, had almost run into disaster. Wang Qiqi felt it was best to stick to translating manuscripts for money. Although it wasn't as much as finance could bring, the crucial point was that she didn't need to put up capital. For Wang Qiqi, this was a much better, stable source of income.

Though Wang Qiqi's mind had long wandered elsewhere, she kept some attention focused, ensuring she clapped and cheered when everyone else did. Since she wasn't a key figure, no one noticed her distraction.

When Wang Qiqi snapped back to attention, she heard the boss say, "...starting tomorrow, except for..." The boss named a few people, "...everyone else will start their holiday, officially returning to work on January 4th. By then, everyone's bonuses can be calculated."

Hearing this, Wang Qiqi understood. The people staying behind were the so-called elites or the boss's confidantes. They would handle the wrap-up and calculate the owed bonuses. Another reason was that having these key trainees manage the conclusion would prevent grievances among others—it set a precedent, like May. Wang Qiqi knew May's standing in the boss's eyes was no lower than Mark's. Considering how many people had come and gone under the boss, apart from May, everyone else had left the team after graduating from university or graduate school. Naturally, they had far better opportunities outside than staying under the boss. But Wang Qiqi refused to believe that over so many years, not a single person had considered staying with this team.

When the boss announced the holiday schedule, everyone cheered with delight. It turned out today was their last day of work. Even though the bonuses wouldn't be distributed until after the festival, they didn't mind, as the matter hadn't been completely finalized yet.

The boss recognized that this news would bring joy and likely prompt people to revive their postponed travel plans, so after delivering the news, he swiftly departed.

As soon as the boss left, everyone became animated. "I need tickets! I'm going skiing in Switzerland! Oh dear, I hope I can still book a room. Please don't tell me only five-star hotels have rooms left!"

"Hahaha, I'm going on vacation to Greece!"

"I'll stick to Thailand. Even if the holiday is shorter, I've had enough of this cold weather."

"Exactly! I heard a massive snowstorm is coming. Ugh, I'm going somewhere warm too; no more skiing," someone quickly changed their mind.

Everyone began listing the places they wanted to go. Even if the destinations they mentioned now weren't their original choices, it was certainly better than being stuck here without a break.

"I won't chat with you all anymore; I'm going to book my tickets and hotel first." Upon hearing this, those who were taking time off quickly returned to their desks to book their travel arrangements.

Wang Qiqi watched as most of the people staying behind left and headed back to their offices to book tickets. "Are we still having that Christmas Eve party?" Wang Qiqi inwardly prayed they wouldn't suggest it.

Mark looked at the sparsely populated meeting table. "No, we won't. Angel, you can come tomorrow and decorate the office. We bought the supplies; we can't let them go to waste, right?" With so few people left, the party wouldn't be lively at all; it was better for everyone to celebrate with their own friends. Besides, with Christmas still a few days away, if things went smoothly, they might finalize the work before Christmas, allowing them to go on vacation or rest at home.

Wang Qiqi hummed. She wasn't unhappy about having to come in tomorrow for overtime. What relieved her was that she wouldn't have to juggle two things anymore. "I'm free later anyway. I can decorate then." Wang Qiqi remembered she had already brought the decorations to the studio. Since that was the case, coming in tomorrow would just mean leaving a bit later; doing it now saved her an extra trip tomorrow.

Mark didn't care whether Qiqi decorated today or tomorrow. "While you’re at it, check if there’s anything else we need to order." He didn't want the people staying behind to discover something missing when everyone else was on holiday; that would be troublesome.

Wang Qiqi acknowledged him and first headed to the pantry to check the coffee and beverage stock, as well as cookies and similar snacks. In short, while she was still working, she made sure the delivery men brought everything quickly. She could then settle the payments and write up the receipts, sending them to the boss for review, so she wouldn't have to deal with these matters after the New Year. Based on current observations, the period after the festival was expected to be quite busy.

By the time all the necessary restocking was done, the accounts reconciled and emailed to the boss, and the office decorated, it was past seven o'clock. There were very few people left in the office; only those handling the final tasks remained, and even they were now picking up their bags to head out.

"Angel, you haven't left yet?" Mark asked in surprise. When he went downstairs for coffee earlier, he noticed the entire floor was empty and assumed she had already gone. He hadn't expected her to still be there.

Wang Qiqi put on her coat, carrying a box containing the books she had been reading recently. "You guys are leaving?" Wow, it was rare for her to see Mark leaving when she was also leaving.

Mark hummed. "Nothing urgent now. We're going to enjoy the benefit of leaving early today." Mark couldn't recall the last time he had clocked out before eight. Since there was nothing to do today, he could have dinner with his girlfriend; they hadn't had quality time in a while, and he was worried she might break up with him.

Wang Qiqi murmured an agreement. With the auntie now present, Wang Qiqi didn't need to worry about hearing that no one was working in the studio, so she rushed home to clean all the coffee machines thoroughly. For Wang Qiqi, she didn't know if this was a perk of her role change.

"Merry Christmas," Mark said to Wang Qiqi before getting into the car.

"Merry Christmas," Wang Qiqi waved goodbye to them, wishing them happiness too.

Wang Qiqi sat in the car until it warmed up before starting the engine and driving toward the supermarket. Since she was on holiday starting tomorrow, she wouldn't go out every day. She thought about stocking up on supplies at home to avoid having to run out every few days. Moreover, there was talk of heavy snow in a few days, and Wang Qiqi worried about driving safely then.

Wang Qiqi unloaded her many bags when she arrived home, and Han Tao was already waiting for her in the garage. "Did you run into trouble on the road?" Didn't Qiqi call him before leaving, saying she was going to the supermarket? He hadn't expected it to take this long. "Have you eaten?"

Wang Qiqi shook her head. "I ran into someone and had a cup of coffee." Wang Qiqi didn't want to elaborate on what happened earlier. "Have you eaten?" The incident earlier had made Wang Qiqi feel disgusted. She felt like she hadn't checked the almanac before going out today; otherwise, why would she encounter such an awful person? Sigh, she'd never met anyone like that before, and who knew when she’d encounter another one.

Had a cup of coffee? Han Tao looked at Wang Qiqi’s expression, which wasn't great, and guessed she had encountered something upsetting, so he didn't press further. "We just had some noodles. We were waiting for you to eat dinner." Honestly, during these past few days of staying in, only dinner had been worth looking forward to.

"You bought so much food?" Han Tao looked at Wang Qiqi’s bags full of groceries, and seeing she was leaving work late today, he wondered if someone was about to get busy again—did she plan to buy lots of food to cook ahead so they wouldn't have to fend for themselves? "You're not going to be busy again, are you?" Han Tao asked cautiously. The holiday was approaching, the stock market was closed, so why would Qiqi become even busier?

Wang Qiqi shook her head. "I'm on holiday starting today." Wang Qiqi hadn't mentioned the holiday on the phone earlier, wanting to give him a big surprise. "Surprise!"

Han Tao was stunned. Qiqi hadn't mentioned having a holiday when she left for work this morning. How could it be vacation time after just one day? "Is everything settled?" It was the whole team involved; how could Qiqi not have received any news? The wrap-up work couldn't possibly be done this fast.

"Not entirely settled, but we don't need this many people anymore," Wang Qiqi said, sharing the other piece of good news. "The Christmas Eve party is also canceled. Everyone is rushing to catch flights for their vacations, so it’ll just be the three of us on Christmas Eve."

It wasn't Christmas Eve with Fatty this year, and Han Tao was delighted. "Ah, what fantastic news! Well, we should go buy a Christmas tree in a few days. Fatty was just complaining today about how we can't have Christmas without a tree." Han Tao was also thinking about finding a gift for Qiqi. Although the funds he could access right now weren't substantial, Fatty had a point: Qiqi had been with him, and he hadn't spent much on her at all. The bulk of their spending had gone into the down payment for the house. Even though Qiqi always insisted they needed to solidify their foundation now for a better future, things couldn't stay like this forever. He knew the caliber of elites surrounding Qiqi these days, and if one of them made a move on her, Han Tao felt genuinely insecure. A woman needed to be pampered.

Buy a Christmas tree? Wang Qiqi found that peculiar. Hadn't the two of them decided against getting one before? How had their minds changed so quickly? "Then shall we go shopping for one tomorrow?" Since they wanted a tree, she might as well make the trip so they wouldn't have regrets later.

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