Song Yao turned and hugged Wang Qiqi. "Take good care of yourself. Don't get so caught up in work that you forget to eat on time. Since you're living alone, be careful around the house, check things twice before going in every time." Because Shi Man and the others had decided to wander around, Wang Qiqi was the only one left at the house, which made Song Yao uneasy. It was a small comfort that Qiqi usually spent most of her time at the studio.

Wang Qiqi nodded. Really, she was just waiting for the final tasks to be completed. After all, she had persevered this far; if she asked to leave now, she wouldn't get paid, which was an unforgivable prospect for her. "Sister Yao, don't worry. When the beauty salon opens, I will definitely fly back to attend the opening ceremony." In truth, they weren't planning a grand ceremony for the salon's opening; it would just be a gathering for everyone to have some fun.

"Alright. Once things are mostly 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. She had thought the money earned was sufficient for a comfortable break, but that notion was swiftly crushed. Furthermore, hearing Wang Qiqi mention their investment in some internet company reignited her sense of urgency.

"Okay. Regarding the property, just discuss it with Nana and proceed." She had no intention of being online constantly, listening to Song Yao report about which location was better.

"But Sister, you should try to find a place with nearby parking. As more people start driving, they’ll come to the salon in their cars. No parking would be a **hassle." Wang Qiqi suddenly recalled a crucial point. It would be terrible to secure a great location only to find the nearest parking lot is a ten-minute walk away. Considering how cold the Beijing winters and how hot the summers are, would wealthy clients be willing to endure that inconvenience? It should be something resolved within a few steps if possible. "If necessary, it’s fine if the shop space is a bit larger; areas we don't immediately need can be rented out. If the business thrives later, we can reclaim them for renovations, that's fine too." After all, buying more property wasn't a problem; even if the business didn't utilize it, rental income was a good fallback, and they could recoup their initial investment by selling the commercial space later.

"Don't worry, your sister knows this." Song Yao had already made a mistake 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. She wouldn't make the same mistake organizing the beauty salon. Since bank loans weren't difficult now, she might as well spread things out a bit wider.

Song Yao chatted with Wang Qiqi for a while, then 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 she had also cautioned Qiqi about being careful, she only spoke a few sentences to her before latching onto Han Tao and talking nonstop—it was undeniably biased.

Wang Qiqi wasn't as agitated by Luo Hongjuan talking endlessly to Han Tao as Song Yao was; after all, they were mother and son. "I don't have high expectations for my future mother-in-law. Just don't be as partial as your mother-in-law was, and certainly don't be as nagging as your aunt. She's not my real mother; how high can my demands be?"

Song Yao had intended to offer Qiqi some kind advice, but she hadn't expected the girl to steer the conversation toward her own situation. Song Yao felt like she had just shot herself in the foot. "Do you even know how to speak, girl? But your brother-in-law is busy making money now, and he’s given up on his parents. Let them fuss if they want to; we’ve already sold all the houses back home except for that one—they can live there as long as they like. If they complain outside that we're unfilial, let them. We don't care."

Song Yao had learned her lesson. The money she sent for filial piety each year was always routed through the post office, never via bank transfer. During festivals, she had Song Ziwen deliver it around ten in the morning on a weekend, making sure to greet people and mention the gift delivery. While it had a touch of performance art, it at least let people know they were showing filial respect regularly, preventing the old situation where they’d give meager daily support and huge festival bonuses. The elders would accept the money and then complain outside that their son was rich but only gave them so little all year.

Before, Song Yao would get angry when mentioning her in-laws, but now she spoke of them as if discussing irrelevant matters, indicating that beyond finding it slightly amusing, she genuinely didn't care anymore. This was for the best, saving her brother-in-law from being caught uncomfortably in the middle. "Sister, listen closely to what Manman says, and try out the products yourself. Don't just do what they tell you, especially since it’s going on their faces." The worst thing in the beauty business is encountering bad products that cause adverse reactions in clients—that would be a disaster.

Song Yao looked at Wang Qiqi, who was still speaking incessantly with that worried expression. Song Yao felt a shadow cross her face. She thought back—had she ever done anything unreliable? Everything she did was usually quite sound. Why was Qiqi still so unconvinced? "Relax. Your sister also uses cosmetics and skincare; I know how important this is." I'm not some clueless country girl. Besides not knowing foreign languages, I know everything else. If my foreign language skills were up to par, Song Yao was confident she could converse directly with foreigners.

Seeing Luo Hongjuan still holding Han Tao and nagging him about this and that, Song Yao frowned. Although she hadn't seen Han Tao in a long time, Han Tao also hadn't seen Qiqi in a while. Song Yao felt the couple was somewhat pitiable, having spent years mostly apart. If they weren't both workaholics, even with deep affection, they might have broken up by now. It was better to let them communicate and nurture their feelings while they had the chance. "Aunt Luo, let’s go inside."

Luo Hongjuan made a soft sound, finally wrapping up her last few instructions to Han Tao before walking 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. And be safe. If you hear anything that sounds wrong, don't try to be a hero; remember to call the police."

Wang Qiqi nodded and kissed the side of Luo Hongjuan's 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 foot the bill. You’re on a business trip; the boss should be generous this time." Wang Qiqi and Song Yao had already agreed: whatever Luo Hongjuan liked, Song Yao would buy. Qiqi would settle the bill with Song Yao later. "If Sister Yao refuses to pay, I will."

"Forget it, it's not easy for you girls to earn money." Luo Hongjuan understood perfectly that if Song Yao paid, it would ultimately be Qiqi paying in the end. If they were economically comfortable, it would be fine, but Luo Hongjuan knew their finances must be tight after learning her son started an internet company. Regarding the money Qiqi brought back in February to handle the property, Luo Hongjuan finally understood. She had worried they picked up some bad habits to require selling houses. Her son started a company, and she, as his mother, couldn't help; she certainly shouldn't be spending their money. "Mom has money here. You two are doing well; I don't need to save much. Don't worry."

Luo Hongjuan patted Wang Qiqi’s hand and then bid them farewell as she headed toward customs for boarding. "Let's go, we'll find a place to sit for a while." Han Tao walked up beside Wang Qiqi, draped an arm over her shoulder, and started looking for a spot to grab coffee. His flight was in another four hours.

Wang Qiqi obediently followed Han Tao, planning to sit down somewhere. Standing for so long had become unbearable in her high heels. She hadn't walked more than a few steps before she inwardly cursed her bad luck for running into them. One was already enough to put her in a terrible mood, and she never expected to run into both of them at once, face-to-face no less. Wang Qiqi couldn't even turn around and pretend not to see them, let alone the trouble it would cause if she did, perhaps earning accusations of being arrogant and rude.

Wang Qiqi forced a smile. "Ruirui, Yingying, hello. What are you two up to...?" Indeed, Wang Qiqi had bumped into Shi Hongrui and Gong Yinying. They had suitcases in tow, clearly ready to board a flight. What surprised Qiqi the most wasn't that they were traveling, but that they were together, and not just as casual friends. They were chatting animatedly, their smiles radiant. Especially when they saw Wang Qiqi, their expressions mirrored her surprise. Wang Qiqi felt a strange dissonance seeing the two of them side by side.

"Hi, Qiqi. Hi, Han Tao." Gong Yinying hadn't expected to run into Wang Qiqi at the airport. Hadn't she been finishing up work at the studio? Why was she at the airport? Didn't they just have their graduation ceremony yesterday? Why was he leaving today? What was the schedule? Wasn't it summer vacation? Han Tao’s work was programming; as long as he had a computer and internet, he could work. There was no need to rush back so urgently. If Gong Yinying had known she’d run into them at the airport, she absolutely would have chosen a different flight time.

"Hi, Qiqi. Hi, Qiqi's man," Shi Hongrui greeted them curtly. "We're rushing for a flight, gotta go. Bye." Shi Hongrui thought today was terrible luck running into them. But what was with Wang Qiqi's man? Hadn't he just graduated? Why the rush to leave? Could it be he found a lover in the States and was hurrying back?

"Goodbye." Wang Qiqi was happy to avoid interacting with them for long; dealing with them required constant vigilance, lest she say the wrong thing and cause trouble.

Wang Qiqi watched Shi Hongrui and Gong Yinying speed toward customs with their luggage. A sudden thought struck her: were they also going 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 pulled out her phone and called Shi Man. She silently prayed the phone wasn't off yet. Thankfully, she got through. She rapidly explained running into Shi Hongrui and Gong Yinying, urged her friends to be a bit cautious, and then hung up.