Song Yao turned and hugged Wang Qiqi. “Take good care of yourself. Don’t just immerse yourself in work; remember to eat on time. Since you’re living alone, be mindful of safety in the house; always look around carefully before entering.” Since Shi Man and the others had decided to go sight-seeing, Wang Qiqi was the only one left guarding the house, which made Song Yao uneasy. It was a relief that Qiqi usually stayed at the studio.

Wang Qiqi nodded. Truthfully, she was just waiting for the final pieces of work to wrap up. Having persisted this far, if she were to quit now, she wouldn't get her share of the money—an unforgivable prospect for Wang Qiqi. “Sister, don't worry. Once the beauty salon opens, I will definitely fly back for the inauguration ceremony.” In reality, they weren't planning a grand ceremony for the opening; it would just be a lively gathering of friends.

“Deal. Once things are settled, we’ll hold an online meeting to discuss how to get the beauty salon up and running.” Traveling abroad had certainly broadened Song Yao’s horizons. Her initial thought that the money they’d earned was substantial enough for a breather was instantly shattered. Furthermore, hearing Wang Qiqi mention that they had also invested in some kind of internet company reignited her sense of urgency.

“Okay. As for the property, you and Nana can discuss and decide,” she replied. Qiqi had no intention of spending hours online listening to Song Yao meticulously report on which location was superior.

“But Sister, you should find a place with nearby parking. As more people buy cars later, they’ll drive when they come for treatments. Without parking, it will be a real nuisance.” Wang Qiqi recalled a crucial detail. They shouldn't choose a prime location only to have the nearest parking lot ten minutes away on foot. Considering how cold Beijing winters and hot summers could be, would those wealthy clients be willing to endure such an inconvenience? Naturally, it should ideally be resolved within a few steps. “If necessary, it’s fine if the commercial space we buy is a bit larger. Areas we don't need right now can be leased out. We can always reclaim and renovate them later when business booms.” After all, buying more property wasn't a concern; even if the space wasn't used for the business, rental income was a good backup, and they could recoup their initial investment by selling later.

“Don’t worry, your sister knows that,” Song Yao replied. She had already learned a bitter lesson in this area once. Fortunately, it was early in their venture, and while there were losses, they weren't catastrophic; otherwise, she would have cried her eyes out. For the current salon setup, she wouldn't repeat that mistake. Securing bank loans wasn't difficult now, so she might as well expand the scope of their plans.

Song Yao chatted with Wang Qiqi for a moment and noticed Luo Hongjuan was still clinging to Han Tao, relentlessly giving him instructions. She lowered her voice. “See? No matter how much she likes you, you still can’t compare to Han Tao.” While Luo Hongjuan had offered Qiqi a few words of caution about being careful, she kept talking nonstop to Han Tao, showing blatant favoritism.

Wang Qiqi wasn’t as animated as Song Yao about Luo Hongjuan’s endless instructions to Han Tao; after all, they were mother and son. “I don’t have high demands for my future mother-in-law—just don’t be as biased as your mother-in-law, and certainly not as nagging as your aunt.” She wasn't her biological mother, so how high could her expectations be?

Song Yao had only meant well by sharing her concerns with Qiqi, but she hadn't expected the girl to turn the topic back onto her. Song Yao felt as if she had just shot herself in the foot. “Can you even speak, you little thing? But your brother-in-law is busy making money, and he’s given up on his parents. Let them fuss if they want to fuss. We’ve already sold off all the houses back home except for that one; they can stay as long as they like. If they complain outside that we are unfilial, let them. We don’t care.”

Song Yao had learned her lesson now. The yearly contributions were always sent via postal money order, never through bank transfers. During holidays, she had Song Ziwen deliver the gifts around ten in the morning on a weekend. He would greet everyone and mention the gift-giving, which, while perhaps a bit theatrical, ensured people knew they were still showing filial piety. This was better than the old way, where they’d give a small token amount and save the bulk for holiday bonuses. The elders would receive the money and then boast outside that their son was rich, yet only gave them so little throughout the year.

In the past, Song Yao would express anger when discussing her in-laws, but now she spoke about them as if they were strangers, indicating that she was utterly unconcerned, treating it as mere entertainment. That was for the best, saving her brother-in-law from being caught awkwardly in the middle. “Sister, follow Manman’s lead for a while, and try out the products thoroughly. Don’t just accept whatever they say, especially since these things go directly onto the skin.” The biggest headache in the beauty business was encountering substandard products that could cause adverse reactions in clients—that would be a massive issue.

Song Yao looked at Wang Qiqi, who was still ceaselessly lecturing with a worried expression. Song Yao’s face darkened. She tried to recall if she had ever done anything unreliable. Everything she had done was solid; why was Qiqi still so anxious? “Relax. Your sister uses cosmetics too; I know how important that is.” I’m hardly some clueless village girl. Besides not knowing foreign languages, I understand everything else. If my foreign language skills were up to par, Song Yao was confident she could converse directly with foreigners.

Song Yao noticed Luo Hongjuan still holding onto Han Tao, constantly advising him on this and that, and frowned. Although she hadn't seen Han Tao in a long while, Han Tao hadn't seen Qiqi for a long time either. To Song Yao, this couple had suffered enough, spending years mostly apart. If they weren’t both workaholics, even their deep affection might have frayed by now. It was better to let them focus on communicating their feelings while they were together. “Aunt Luo, let’s go inside.”

Luo Hongjuan murmured an acknowledgement, gave Han Tao a final hurried set of instructions, and walked over to Wang Qiqi, who was waiting quietly nearby. She hugged Qiqi. “Remember to take good care of yourself, don’t push yourself too hard. Health is the foundation of everything. Also, be careful. If you hear anything that doesn't sound right, don't play the hero; remember to call the police.”

Wang Qiqi nodded and kissed Aunt Luo on the cheek. “Auntie, once you get to France, have a wonderful time. Go wherever you want to go, buy whatever you want to buy, and let my sister pay the bill. You’re on a business trip; the boss should be generous for once.” Qiqi and Song Yao had an agreement: whatever Luo Hongjuan fancied, Song Yao would buy. Qiqi would settle the account with Song Yao later. “If my sister refuses to pay, I will.”

“Forget it, you girls earn your money hard enough.” Luo Hongjuan understood perfectly that if Song Yao was paying the bill, Qiqi would end up footing the cost. If they were financially comfortable, it would be fine, but Luo Hongjuan, having learned about the internet company her son started, knew they must be stretched thin. Regarding the money Qiqi brought back in February to handle the property, she finally understood. At first, she worried they had picked up some bad habits to resort to selling houses. Now that her son was starting a company, she couldn't help, but she certainly shouldn't be spending their money either. “Mom has money here. You two are making strides; I don't need to save much. Don’t worry.”

Luo Hongjuan patted Wang Qiqi’s hand on the back and bid them farewell before heading toward security for her flight. “Let’s go. We’ll find a place to sit for a while.” Han Tao walked up to Wang Qiqi, slipped an arm around her shoulder, and prepared to find a coffee spot to relax. His flight wasn't for another four hours.

Wang Qiqi obediently followed Han Tao, ready to find a seat. Standing for so long had been hard on her feet, especially in high heels. She took only a few steps before mentally cursing her luck. How could she run into them? One was already enough to sour her mood, but running into both of them face-to-face was unthinkable. Wang Qiqi couldn't even turn around and pretend not to see them; not to mention, if she did, they would surely accuse her of being arrogant and dismissive.

Wang Qiqi forced a weak smile. “Ruìruì, Yíngyíng, hello. What are you two…?” Indeed, Wang Qiqi had bumped into Shi Hongrui and Gong Yiying. They both had suitcases, clearly preparing to board a flight. What surprised Qiqi most wasn't their presence, but the fact that the two of them were together, and they looked like more than just casual acquaintances. They were chatting animatedly, their smiles radiant. Especially when they saw Wang Qiqi, their faces registered shared surprise. Qiqi felt a strange tension seeing them together.

“Hello, Qiqi. Hello, Han Tao,” Gong Yiying said. She hadn't expected to run into Wang Qiqi at the airport. Wasn't Qiqi supposed to be finishing up the last tasks at the studio? Why was she at the airport? Was she seeing Han Tao off? Didn't they just attend the graduation ceremony yesterday? Why was he leaving today? What was the rush? It was summer vacation. Han Tao’s programming job only required a computer and internet access; there was no need to rush back so soon. If Gong Yiying had known she’d see them at the airport, she definitely wouldn't have chosen this flight time.

“Hello, Qiqi. Hello to Qiqi’s man,” Shi Hongrui greeted them bluntly. “We’re rushing for a flight, gotta run. Bye.” Shi Hongrui inwardly thought the day was cursed running into them. But what was up with Wang Qiqi’s man? Hadn't he just graduated? Why the hasty departure? Was he rushing back because he’d found a lover in the US?

“Goodbye,” Wang Qiqi said, happy to be done interacting with them. Dealing with them required constant vigilance; saying the wrong thing could spell disaster.

Wang Qiqi watched Shi Hongrui and Gong Yiying hurry toward security with their luggage, a sudden thought striking her: what if they were also heading to France? If so, would they be on the same plane? Wang Qiqi wondered what kind of expression Shi Man would have if she saw them. Thinking of this, Wang Qiqi quickly pulled out her phone and called Shi Man. She silently prayed the phone wasn't off yet. Fortunately, she got through. She rapidly relayed running into Shi Hongrui and Gong Yiying, urged Shi Man to be cautious, and hung up.