"We're off," Wang Qiqi said, and after bidding farewell to Lu Qiaowei, who insisted on seeing Qiqi off on her first day despite half-closing her eyes, the three of them ambled downstairs.

As soon as Fatty was out of Lu Qiaowei's sight, he muttered in a low voice, "Hmph, she’s my wife, yet she's never once gotten up early to see me off to work, but she’s up for Qiqi’s first day? How unfair." Fatty felt incredibly wronged; he’d never enjoyed such treatment, and it left him feeling utterly stifled.

Wang Qiqi hadn't realized that Lu Qiaowei had never sent a man off to work before. She had assumed she was the lucky one getting the special treatment. To learn that Qiaowei had never seen Fatty off made Qiqi a little anxious. "Isn't sending me off also a convenient way to send you off, Weiwei? Don’t be too demanding. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't get this courtesy at all." Wang Qiqi didn't hold back, delivering another jab to Fatty. "Oh, and don't forget tomorrow—we're running to work. Make sure you prepare an extra set of clothes."

Fatty had assumed that since the morning meal ended without mentioning it, Qiqi must have forgotten, or perhaps he’d dreamt it all. He hadn't expected Qiqi to bring it up at this moment. "Ah, ah, it wasn't a dream? I thought it was a dream." Fatty paused, deciding it was best not to take that bet with Wang Qiqi. While he certainly liked the stakes, he considered that he might not be able to keep up with Qiqi, and he had a sneaking suspicion that if he started running, his own wife would easily let him quit. Besides, wasn't Han Tao right there beside him?

"A dream," Wang Qiqi scoffed when she heard Fatty's evasion, knowing he was trying to weasel out of it. But would Wang Qiqi let him get away with it? "You're not going to admit it, are you? Be a man and don't go back on your word." Saying that, Wang Qiqi puffed up her cheeks, picked up her lunch box, and walked over to Han Tao’s car. She wanted to see exactly how thick-skinned Fatty could be. Of course, Wang Qiqi felt somewhat confident: with three of them against him, if Fatty reneged, Wang Qiqi could easily predict how miserable his future days would be.

Han Tao’s perplexed gaze shifted back and forth between the two of them. He was immensely curious about when these two had struck a running deal, and that Fatty actually wanted to renege—what was going on? He decided he’d better ask once they were in the car.

Fatty desperately wanted to backpedal and claim he was sleepwalking, that he hadn't been in his right mind back then. But looking at Wang Qiqi’s displeased expression, he calculated that if he actually broke his promise, he probably wouldn't have an easy time afterward. The three of them would surely team up against him, and he’d end up having to exercise anyway. Fatty finally decided running was the way to go; he could just run slower, couldn't he? The slower idea seemed brilliant to Fatty. This way, if Qiqi thought his speed wasn't good enough, would she force him to run even more?

Wang Qiqi had no idea Fatty was hatching that side plan. She was already sitting next to Han Tao, explaining why Fatty was acting the way he was.

Han Tao was surprised that Fatty had fallen for such a trick. "He must not have been fully awake. You were cooking at the time, and he was hungry, too. Otherwise, he wouldn't have made such a mistake." Han Tao stated with certainty. "But this is a good idea anyway; running is great exercise." Although the company building had exercise equipment they occasionally used, the truth was that between being busy, or Fatty being busy, they rarely found time to work out. But Qiqi’s plan would ensure Fatty ran at least once a day.

Wow, Han Tao had guessed exactly right. He truly was the housemate he’d lived with for so many years. Wang Qiqi was impressed. "I knew that saying you’d 'pressure him into exercising' was unreliable." Before she was here, Han Tao often stayed overnight at the company. As another bachelor, Fatty naturally stayed over too. Now that she was here, and Lu Qiaowei was here, even if they had to work late, they wouldn’t be staying out all night. At least with that morning run, Wang Qiqi was sure she had a chance.

Now that he understood the whole story, Han Tao lost interest in that topic and moved on to another matter. "You plan to run to work?" Han Tao finally understood why Qiqi had pulled him aside yesterday to ask how far it was from home to the office, specifically inquiring about running time—she had been plotting this. "It's summer now; running for an hour is fine for you?" While there were trees along the route, the shade wasn't continuous, and the weather was hot. If something happened, it would be a huge problem.

"No problem, I can run slowly." Wang Qiqi certainly knew that running in the summer placed a higher physical load on the body. "Isn't Fatty coming too? Do you think he can run faster than me?" Not to boast, but she had maintained her exercise routine for a long time. Fatty, with all his fat, used to be the one dragging everyone down when running. This time, Qiqi was confident she could boost his speed. "If we weren't carrying lunch and laptops, I'd drag you running too. Look at your abs," Wang Qiqi glared at Han Tao with disdain. "You're also exercising for an hour this afternoon. Don't let Fatty get a good physique while yours stays garbage."

Han Tao hadn't expected to be dragged into this. "M-my physique is fine?" Han Tao looked down at his body, feeling everything was quite good, except perhaps for a slight bit of a paunch. "I think it’s perfectly fine."

"Compared to Fatty, yes, but you had a visible four-pack until last year, and now you only have two, and they aren't even very defined." Wang Qiqi thought to herself—they had seen it in person, did he really think he could deny it? "I’ll be at the office every day, and I'll supervise you." Compared to Fatty, Han Tao’s exercise quota was much lighter, and Wang Qiqi wouldn't push him too hard. But he shouldn't think that just because Fatty was taking charge of his own fitness, he could neglect his own.

Hearing this, Han Tao felt life was bitter. He had initially thought that since Fatty wouldn't need his supervision anymore, he could focus on his work, strive to finish his tasks before clocking out, and go home with his wife, perhaps even occasionally accompanying her shopping or catching a movie. Now, adding an extra hour of exercise daily, Han Tao felt it was moving further away from the ideal life he had envisioned.

"You must go! Being glued to your desk all day, day in and day out, isn't good for your health in the long run." Wang Qiqi reasoned that since Han Tao wasn't showing any immediate health issues, it was only because he wasn't overweight and had a history of working out. But prolonged inactivity would surely degrade his physical condition. "You can either do that, or you get up an hour early every morning at seven to exercise." Wang Qiqi gave Han Tao a choice. She knew there was an artificial lake not far from their community where people ran and cycled every morning. If Wang Qiqi had her way, she would definitely choose that early morning hour to run there.

Aghhh, getting up an hour early—how could Han Tao possibly agree to that? "How about we exercise together tonight?" A thought suddenly struck Han Tao: after dinner, he could pull Qiqi out for a workout—biking, running, or even brisk walking—enjoying that private time with her.

Tonight? "You're willing to exercise at night?"

"I am, I am, as long as I’m with you." Seeing Wang Qiqi waver, Han Tao immediately nodded and guaranteed his sincerity.

"It’s a deal, then." Wang Qiqi just wanted someone to exercise. With running in the morning and exercising at night, Wang Qiqi wasn't worried about her own figure becoming sluggish from sitting still for too long.

Wang Qiqi tugged Han Tao's sleeve. "Is my outfit okay for today?" Wang Qiqi was just wearing a T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. Han Tao had said everyone dressed similarly there, nothing too flashy, but Wang Qiqi worried if dressing like this on her first day would give her new colleagues a bad impression.

Fatty stopped and glanced over Wang Qiqi. "Your outfit is fine, Qiqi. However, if you show up looking like this, people might think you’re a summer intern or someone who just graduated high school." Considering Easterners generally look younger than Westerners, combined with Qiqi’s baby face and that casual attire, "They might even think you’re underage."

"Isn't that perfect?" Wang Qiqi wanted to project an air of invincible youth. A woman should always strive for youthfulness; no cosmetic could ever replace that.

Seeing Wang Qiqi so pleased with herself, Fatty swallowed the rest of his thoughts—that she might also appear unprofessional. At this moment, Fatty knew he needed to speak only kind words to Qiqi; those unpleasant comments were best left unsaid.

Han Tao and Fatty walked ahead, and Wang Qiqi quietly followed them into the office. Qiqi took a moment to survey the company layout from outside—hmm, quite simple. Turning past the reception desk's dividing wall, except for a few offices on either side, the rest of the interior was completely visible, filled with people of every description.

John walked out of the break room holding a cup of coffee. Upon seeing Wang Qiqi, he casually placed the coffee on a nearby desk, gave her a quick hug, then clapped his hands to signal everyone—those resting, discussing things, or working—to pause their activities.

"Everyone, this is our new assistant, Angel," John introduced briefly. "She will be handling logistics alongside Anne from now on."

Wang Qiqi knew Anne was the young woman sitting at the reception desk, but she wouldn't be stuck with her all day; she would have her own desk, tucked away in a corner—a spot Han Tao had helped secure. In Han Tao’s opinion, it would make it easier for Wang Qiqi to handle personal matters during work hours.

After John’s brief introduction, everyone realized the newcomer was handling support roles. They greeted Wang Qiqi with casual nods before returning to their tasks. Of course, Han Tao’s subsequent actions drew some attention, as they watched him personally escort the new assistant to her designated desk, which surprised many of them.