Wang Qiqi poured herself a coffee from the breakroom, preparing to dive back into work. Getting things done sooner meant getting to sleep earlier; otherwise, her body just wouldn't hold up. Qiqi couldn't recall the last time she managed to get a full four hours of sleep. On top of her grueling work schedule, she was also worried sick about whether her graduation thesis would pass.

"Angel, come here for a moment." The boss pushed open the door from the outside, spotted Wang Qiqi, and immediately waved her over.

The boss wanted to see her? Wang Qiqi jumped, wondering if it was about work or perhaps her thesis.

As she walked over, Qiqi mentally sifted through her recent work issues, but couldn't recall anything major. Even May had smiled broadly when she submitted her work—if even the perpetually critical May had no complaints, it probably wasn't about work.

"I read the thesis. It's acceptable, but not great," the boss said directly as Wang Qiqi reached his side. "It doesn't meet my requirements. Of course, you can choose not to rewrite it, but your grade won't be very good."

So it was about the thesis. Wang Qiqi let out a breath of relief. Now, the boss was giving her two choices: take it back and redo it, or stick with the version she submitted? This was a serious dilemma. Should she push forward, or just let it go? The latter was easier; at least she'd secure the diploma. The former meant better grades, but extreme exhaustion.

Wang Qiqi considered it. She hadn't been entirely satisfied with the report she submitted last time either. "I'll write a new report," she stated. It was just going to be more tiring; she was young now, and she didn't want any regrets.

Hearing Wang Qiqi choose to redo the thesis, the boss’s expression visibly softened. "Then keep up the good work. I won't extend the submission deadline just for you." He had actually expected Angel to settle for the existing draft. If there were no urgent projects, perhaps she would have agreed to rewrite it, but now that the project had kicked off, overtime was mandatory. Redoing the thesis meant even less time for rest. "Consider the previous thesis voided."

Wang Qiqi watched the boss stroll upstairs leisurely. She took a deep breath. The professor’s meaning had been crystal clear earlier: the current thesis wouldn't be her safety net. If she failed to submit a revised version on time, she shouldn't even think about graduating.

Qiqi suddenly felt like her boss had set a massive trap for her. He could have easily said that the new thesis would just replace the old one if submitted, but he didn't. It felt like a huge loss, yet what choice did she have but to rally her own spirits?

Carrying her coffee, Wang Qiqi returned to her office to wrap up the remaining work. Then, she emailed Shi Man, asking her to borrow some books. Although she had read some previously and could reuse some arguments from her earlier report, the boss required an entirely new paper. While minor citations were acceptable, this meant the books she had already gone through were largely useless now. She needed to borrow new materials for reference.

Wang Qiqi stifled a yawn, washed up, and returned to the office, preparing to unroll her sleeping bag. Out of habit before sleeping, she checked her email one last time and saw Shi Man had replied. Qiqi instinctively looked at the computer clock—it was past three in the morning. Hadn't Shi Man slept? Still, this wasn't a good time for chatting. Knowing Shi Man would help her borrow the books, Wang Qiqi finally went to sleep. At the latest, Manman would have the books by tomorrow afternoon. She might actually end up sleeping at four or five in the morning.

While Wang Qiqi agonized over her diminishing sleep, Shi Man sat at her computer, staring at the email Qiqi had sent, long after she should have turned off the monitor. She didn't understand why Qiqi needed so many books—hadn't her thesis already been finished? Could it be that her thesis hadn't passed? Thinking this, Shi Man’s face turned pale again. Surely not. If that were the case, could Qiqi’s frail body handle it? Based on the time she sent the email, Shi Man knew Qiqi must have been working overtime until now, or perhaps wasn't finished yet. And now, if she had to redo the entire thesis?

Shi Man felt a throbbing headache. Why were there so many complications? If she had known this would happen, she shouldn't have rushed the initial draft; maybe then she wouldn't be this exhausted.

"Qiqi, you've gotten thinner again." Shi Man stood at the doorway, looking at Wang Qiqi as she pushed the door open. Her first thought was that the slight weight she had managed to gain back was gone, and she looked even thinner now, almost like a paper cutout.

Wang Qiqi let out a long sigh. While caffeine was great for alertness, drinking too much wasn't good for her health. So, apart from two cups of coffee at night, Qiqi stuck to green tea the rest of the day. Shi Man looked at the thick layer of tea leaves floating in the cup Qiqi held and imagined how bitter it must taste—only a weirdo like Qiqi could drink that. "Drinking such strong tea at noon? How are you going to sleep tonight?"

"I'm about to ascend to immortality," Wang Qiqi said with a wry smile, ushering Shi Man into her office. After placing the books down, Shi Man quickly retreated to the living room. Qiqi’s office was piled high with documents, and Shi Man naturally wanted to avoid appearing intrusive. If the books hadn't been so numerous and heavy, Shi Man would never have stepped inside.

"You need to eat more too. Even if it means five or six meals a day, you have to keep it down, or your man will be heartbroken." When Qiqi had video-chatted with Han Tao last time, he had already expressed dissatisfaction with how thin she was. Now that she was even skinnier, Shi Man felt the weight of responsibility heavily on her shoulders.

"Everyone else is trying to lose weight, and I'm trying to gain it," Wang Qiqi joked bitterly. In her past life, she had tormented herself trying to achieve a model-thin physique. In this life, she never intended to diet, yet one thing after another kept happening, and she couldn't seem to gain weight no matter how much she ate.

"You shouldn't be talking about losing weight; your man will be unhappy. Oh, right, John is flying back tonight and will be here tomorrow," Shi Man mentioned as she brought Qiqi up to date on recent events concerning them.

Back so soon? Wang Qiqi was startled by the news Shi Man delivered. "Was the deal settled?" Qiqi internally scolded Han Tao—a grown man, yet he couldn't even send a message to relay such major news.

"It was settled, but not successfully," Shi Man replied, sounding equally cheerful. If they diluted their shares now, and the potential benefits weren't substantial, it was better to wait. "But the more it’s like this, the more he wants to buy in. Don't blame your Han Tao, either. He's been swamped with his coursework and programming lately. He's about to reach your level of exhaustion, I think." In the past, Qiqi used to manage him, telling him not to stay up late or skip meals. But now that Qiqi herself was utterly swamped, if she tried to lecture him, Han Tao would surely retort that she hadn't even managed her own health properly.

Han Tao is as busy as she is? Wang Qiqi almost rushed to the office to verbally scold her husband for not taking care of his health, but she immediately dismissed the thought. If she called him now, Qiqi could already guess he would ask if she had followed his advice. "Once I sort this out, I'll give him a serious talking-to. He’s infuriating." Wang Qiqi never considered spending the money Han Tao earned to go after other men. She had painstakingly cultivated such a good man; naturally, she wanted to maximize his potential and virtues.

"I doubt you'll be able to lecture him later; you two are the same—when work piles up, nothing else matters." Shi Man felt that Qiqi wasn't like this before, which is why she didn't make comparisons. But these past six months abroad had made Shi Man deeply appreciate the concept of being a dormant powerhouse—a true sleeper agent, absolutely a powerhouse. If she had a larger family fortune, she could rival someone like Juliana. Speaking of Juliana, Shi Man suddenly remembered something: how were things progressing between her and that certain someone? "I won't talk anymore; I need to go back. I still have to write my thesis. You know, after finishing one paper, you still didn't pass; if you knew this, why rush? It would have been better to take it slower and produce something meticulous." Writing a thesis that satisfies a professor is never an easy task.

"The professor didn't say it failed; he just said he wasn't satisfied and gave me the choice to redo it or keep it as is, only the grade wouldn't be great." Her paper clearly passed; how could Shi Man say it didn't pass?

What? The paper passed, but the grade was merely unsatisfactory, and this simpleton decided to rewrite the entire thing... Shi Man felt she didn't need to sympathize with the other woman at all; she was actively seeking self-inflicted suffering. "I was planning to bring you something nutritious to replenish your strength, but never mind now." Although she said that, she thought stewing some white fungus soup or red dates would be a good idea.

Replenish her strength? Wang Qiqi could only decline Shi Man's kind offer. "Your intention is kind, but there are so many people here. Bringing something once or twice is fine, but if you do it too often, others will notice, and they will start talking. Besides, that person at home will start making a fuss again. Next time you have time, just make me some red date and goji berry tea to drink." She had to consider the bigger picture. It wasn't worth causing trouble right before she left over a little bit of food.

"You just overthink everything," Shi Man said, staring at Wang Qiqi for a moment before reluctantly agreeing. While tea was helpful, it wasn't as effective as a good stewed soup. "Oh, speaking of which, she hasn't been staying home much lately, and she’s shopping less often. She claims she’s busy writing her thesis. Do you think she might have found a new partner already?" Even when busy writing her thesis, Shi Man still managed to source materials. Shi Hongrui, who was even more money-driven than Shi Man, suddenly abandoning her post—while it could be attributed to pique, it was also possible she had found a new collaborator. "Rongrong mentioned she might go procurement shopping in a few days, bringing her along. It looks like those two have really fallen out." They had only been cooperating for a short while before splitting up like this. While Shi Man and the others had played a part in stirring things up, the other person had to be cooperating, too.