Han Tao rushed a few steps, finally grabbing Wang Qiqi just as she was about to step out of the airport.

Wang Qiqi, thoroughly annoyed, suddenly felt her arm seized. Her first thought was that Han Tao had come to pick her up. Hmph, he was late; she definitely couldn't let him off easy. He needed to understand that she was far more important than any computer at his work. But when she turned around, all she saw was a massive bouquet of red roses, obscuring the figure behind them.

Seeing the man holding the roses, Wang Qiqi immediately ruled out Han Tao. "Who are you?" she tried to shake off the arm holding her, but the grip was tight. Wang Qiqi subtly shifted her suitcase to the side, planning to deliver a swift kick to let him know she wasn't someone to be trifled with. Some random maniac, did he think she was an easy target? Wang Qiqi was already in a foul mood and needed an outlet.

"It's me," Han Tao, hearing the sharpness in Wang Qiqi's voice, immediately moved the flowers away from his face. "A surprise for you."

A surprise? Wang Qiqi felt like grimacing and lecturing Han Tao. Was this truly a 'surprise' or, as she saw it, a 'shock'? Though surprised that Han Tao had actually bought roses, Wang Qiqi happily took the flowers and, in the same motion, kissed his cheek. "Help me with the luggage."

Seeing the smile bloom on Wang Qiqi's face, Han Tao felt immensely relieved; the storm had finally passed. He obediently took the luggage and headed out. "Weiwei has already gone to the supermarket to buy ingredients for a feast to welcome you. Fatty said he definitely wouldn't work overtime tonight to clean the dust off your journey for you. John knows you're back and told you to take a couple of days off, reporting next Monday." Han Tao quickly relayed the updates.

Fatty not working overtime—Wang Qiqi understood that it wasn't because of her influence, but the allure of good food. As for John being so generous, letting her rest for two days before reporting next Monday... Wang Qiqi had actually hoped to take a solid half-month, maybe even a month, to settle in, as this was her last summer break. She hadn't expected him to move so fast. Wang Qiqi sighed inwardly. "I understand. I'll discuss things with John when the time comes."

Wang Qiqi had agreed to work at the same company as Han Tao, partly to look after him, and partly because it was a company she had invested in, giving her a legitimate reason to stay and work in the US. If anything urgent arose back home, she could easily request leave to fly back. But it seemed John was taking her role as an employee seriously, which was a bit troublesome. Fine, she was technically an employee, but if he micromanaged her, Wang Qiqi genuinely felt the urge to bolt.

"Don't worry; I've already spoken to John about you handling your domestic affairs." Han Tao had brought this up with John previously. "Besides, you won't be drawing a salary if you're not working."

Han Tao recalled John’s look of utter helplessness when they discussed it earlier; the memory alone made Han Tao chuckle. To see the usually rather assertive John wear such an expression of resignation filled Han Tao with delight. "He said that when you told him you planned to earn money translating manuscripts after starting work, he was already prepared for you not to be a model employee."

Oh. Han Tao had already discussed this with John? What struck Wang Qiqi as even stranger was John's surprising leniency. It was perfectly normal not to receive a salary if she didn't work, but for a boss to see one of his employees being so unenthusiastic, planning to take leave before even starting, yet maintaining such a good attitude—was this truly the nature of IT people, perhaps adapted to remote work culture? Regardless, Wang Qiqi could only offer John her sincere gratitude. "He's a good person, but I hope no other employee receives such preferential treatment." Otherwise, Wang Qiqi genuinely worried about the company's operational efficiency. While the assistant role wasn't critical, it was necessary to serve the frontline staff.

Han Tao placed all the luggage into the trunk. Hearing Wang Qiqi’s muttered concerns, his hand slipped, and he nearly dropped the suitcase. He managed to snatch it back just in time, narrowly avoiding disaster. If there were fragile, valuable items inside, it would have been awful. He had checked Wang Qiqi’s bags—she hadn't packed those delicate little ornaments she bought—and Han Tao figured she might have carried them with her instead.

Han Tao shut the trunk and moved to the driver's seat, starting the car and pulling onto the road. Only then did he divert some attention to her. "Do you think John is a philanthropist? If you weren't a shareholder and my woman, do you think he would let you stay with the company?" In truth, even if she took unpaid leave, some other employees might notice and form a poor impression.

Wang Qiqi just offered a sheepish, foolish grin to deflect. "Weiwei is here. Doesn't Fatty often work overtime? What about her situation?" Originally, Wang Qiqi and Han Tao had hoped Fatty could rent out his part of the place, but since Fatty had started working excessive overtime, Han Tao felt awkward about asking them to move out. Still, once the company officially relocated, Fatty would definitely buy a house. Wang Qiqi reasoned that six months was temporary; she just needed to endure it.

"She's working part-time right now," Han Tao replied. Although he possessed a driver's license, he rarely drove. Being at the airport with heavy traffic, Han Tao navigated with extreme caution. Wang Qiqi sat beside him, watching his near-catastrophic driving skills. She internally praised the professor who had taught him; how much patience must that person have had to sit in his car? It wasn't unsafe, but rather too safe—driving strictly at the absolute minimum legal speed limit.

Wang Qiqi felt she truly couldn't bear it anymore. "Let me drive," she offered. Although she didn't have a US license, as long as she didn't cause an accident, the police wouldn't bother her.

"No, you don't have a license." Han Tao quickly dismissed Wang Qiqi’s suggestion. "Relax. Even though I drive infrequently, everyone who rides with me says my driving is absolutely safe."

Wang Qiqi had no idea who told Han Tao that, but she was certain those people had spoken against their consciences. Even she, a woman, was starting to feel strained by the agonizingly slow speed. Forget men who liked to drive fast; Wang Qiqi decided the best course of action was to close her eyes and rest. She worried that if she didn't stop observing, she would have the irresistible urge to knock Han Tao unconscious and steal the steering wheel herself.

As Wang Qiqi leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes to rest, she failed to notice the slight smile playing on Han Tao’s lips. He turned off the stereo, turned up the volume slightly, and then marginally increased his speed.

Before getting out of the car, Han Tao nudged Wang Qiqi, telling her not to sleep once they arrived. After moving all the luggage out, he found Wang Qiqi still deeply asleep. He offered a wry smile and shook her again. "Qiqi, Qiqi, we're here." Han Tao had already resolved that if Wang Qiqi didn't wake up, he wouldn't hesitate to carry her upstairs in a bridal style after unloading the bags. She had become quite thin lately, practically all bones, and with the elevator inside, this short distance would be trivial for Han Tao.

Wang Qiqi had originally intended only to rest her eyes to avoid the frustration caused by witnessing his speed, never expecting to fall fast asleep. If Han Tao hadn't shaken her awake, she estimated she would have slept longer.

Wang Qiqi rubbed her eyes and looked at the building before her—an apartment block. This was slightly off-putting for someone who had lived in a detached house for a year; she truly disliked apartments due to the numerous inconveniences. "Is this where you live?" It looked a bit dated, but passable enough.

Han Tao was quite disappointed that Wang Qiqi had woken up, but he quickly composed his expression. "Yes, let's get out of the car."

Wang Qiqi yawned, stretched lazily, and followed Han Tao into the apartment building. Upon entering, only one thought occupied her mind: although the building was old, the cleanliness was surprisingly good, which Wang Qiqi appreciated immensely.

After exiting the elevator, Han Tao quickly walked to a door. Instead of taking out his key, he knocked first. After about two minutes, he finally pulled out the key. "Give them a moment to mentally prepare," Han Tao turned to explain. "Usually, when I get back first, I knock before entering."

Wang Qiqi accepted his explanation, thinking of the possibility of Lu Qiaowei lounging in the living room in light attire. "Mhm, it’s good to maintain propriety between men and women." Wang Qiqi suddenly remembered something critical: she needed to know if her man had been flirting with anyone at the company. His previous workplaces were magnets for young women; she knew of at least two instances. However, back then, her man wasn't that noticeable, and those women eventually shifted their focus when he showed no interest and treated them indifferently. But now it was different. Han Tao was a company shareholder, and since Wang Qiqi had never made an appearance, those with wandering eyes might start speculating. Wang Qiqi wasn't worried about Han Tao himself—Fatty was watching over him—but she worried about those women resorting to underhanded tactics. That would be a major disaster.

Han Tao unlocked the door and greeted Lu Qiaowei, who had poked her head out from the kitchen, before moving the luggage inside. He noticed Wang Qiqi still standing foolishly outside, motionless. "Qiqi, what's wrong?" She was fine just a moment ago; why the sudden change?

"Nothing, nothing. I was just thinking if I need to buy a professional suit for work on Monday." Wang Qiqi quickly fabricated a reason. "I used to wear very casual clothes at the studio." A T-shirt and jeans were perfectly acceptable before; she wondered about the norms here.

Han Tao understood Qiqi wasn't actually thinking about that, but he followed her lead anyway. "It's not that strict. As long as the clothes are appropriate and not revealing." It was an IT company; programmers often worked overtime, and their clothes might even be wrinkled. "It's not like you're going out to negotiate investments." Even John, who handled external affairs, rarely wore a full suit. If the boss dresses casually, the employees have even less need to be formal.

Hearing him say that, Wang Qiqi finally relaxed. In her previous life, having to wear formal business attire every day had already made her sick of work—that was one of the reasons she hated being employed.