Wang Qiqi sat in the passenger seat next to Fatty, waiting for someone to drive, and realized he was completely still. "Hey, hurry up and drive! I still need to go back and cook," she urged. With two more women now in the house—Wang Qiqi and Lu Qiaowei—they had divided the household chores: since Qiqi’s job wasn't too demanding, cooking fell to her, while Lu Qiaowei handled the cleaning. "After dinner, we still need to go out and exercise."

"What?" Fatty, shedding his earlier lethargy, stared at Wang Qiqi in utter disbelief. "Didn't you agree with me that we’d start tomorrow?" How could someone already be reneging on a promise before 'tomorrow' even arrived? This was too much.

"Tomorrow is for running to work; today is for exercising after dinner. You don't have to join me, I can run alone." Wang Qiqi knew Fatty would never leave her to go alone.

"Fine, fine, I'll run," Fatty conceded. He couldn't possibly let Qiqi run by herself; what if something happened? Setting aside how furious Han Tao would be, Fatty knew he wouldn't be able to forgive himself either.

Wang Qiqi knew Fatty would agree to run, and she commanded with a touch of haughtiness, "Aren't you driving yet?"

Fatty fumbled with the keys and started the car. After driving for a while, he asked in a low voice, "Qiqi, do you know what Han Tao and John went out for?" He was constantly curious about their excursion, and Fatty knew Han Tao was a bit unhappy, feeling somewhat abandoned by the sudden departure.

"The issues between them must eventually be resolved. Otherwise, do you think, given their current dynamic, they can cooperate for long, even if they restrain themselves?" Wang Qiqi was surprised that the usually open-minded Fatty was showing a flicker of jealousy.

Fatty grunted an acknowledgment, realizing the conversation was about that. "Will they fight?" Fatty sounded genuinely worried. Han Tao had more than a few grievances against John, and if their discussion went poorly, wouldn't that prematurely signal the end of their collaboration? "Won't it just make things more awkward?"

Would it? Wang Qiqi hadn't considered that possibility. "Their goals are the same: to make the company succeed. It’s just that they stand at different points and approach things differently." As for the other possibility Fatty mentioned, "If they really fall out, at worst, we can just buy out John’s shares." It felt far more appropriate for them to absorb John’s stake than for John to buy theirs. "Then you two would be in charge."

Fatty hadn't expected Wang Qiqi to actually entertain the possibility of a complete split, where John would be the one to leave, based on her tone. "That's true; we are the majority shareholders. Letting him go is the simplest option." Thinking this over, the tension in Fatty’s chest eased considerably.

Although Fatty usually displayed a great interest in computers, he didn't seem overly concerned with external affairs. However, that didn't mean he didn't care deeply about these matters. "That’s the worst-case scenario. Honestly, when I think about it, neither Han Tao nor I are the ones who deal with external management. You can trust us with the technology, but when it comes to external facing roles, we truly can't do without John." If John left, they might manage the project execution well, but for operational steering, the three of them relied heavily on John.

"Then you three should communicate more often and nurture your relationship. While you could start a new venture, rebuilding from scratch is certainly not as good as nurturing the success you already have," Wang Qiqi stated. She had spent the last few days thinking deeply, and this was her conclusion after careful consideration.

Fatty murmured an agreement. "That’s what I think too. I just hope their discussion goes smoothly."

Although Wang Qiqi had told John they could discuss things all night, she felt deeply uneasy. After finishing the task at hand, she aimlessly picked up a book and sat on the floor of her room, flipping pages without truly reading. She stared at the book for a long time, yet not a single page had turned.

Wang Qiqi desperately wanted to call Han Tao to ask when he’d be back, but she worried that if they were in the middle of a productive discussion, her call might interrupt their crucial reconciliation. Helpless, Wang Qiqi didn't know what to do but wait.

When Fatty came out to get coffee, he noticed the light on in Wang Qiqi’s room. He knocked lightly, then pushed the door open. "You’re still awake?"

Hearing the door open, Wang Qiqi turned hopefully, thinking it was Han Tao returning. Her face immediately fell when she saw Fatty. "Oh, it’s you."

"Go to sleep; it’s late, nearly one o'clock." Judging by Qiqi's appearance, Han Tao hadn't called to update her yet, and since she had to work tomorrow, Fatty reminded her. "I'll wait for Han Tao to get back. We can start work a bit later tomorrow, but you absolutely cannot be late."

While Wang Qiqi didn't earn much at her job, and the requirements for her were relatively lax, her colleagues didn't know that. If they saw her arriving late the day after their discussion, what would they think? Especially with Anne lurking nearby, if rumors spread that Qiqi was abusing her status as Han Tao’s girlfriend by being late or leaving early, how would the other colleagues view her?

"It’s fine. I often sleep only three hours when I’m in the studio," Wang Qiqi insisted on waiting for Han Tao to return to hear how their discussion went before she could sleep peacefully. "I won't be late, trust me. At worst, we'll just grab fast food tomorrow."

Seeing Wang Qiqi so adamant, Fatty stopped persuading her. "Don't bring lunch tomorrow. You have no idea how many eyes were on you when we ate today." Han Tao and Wang Qiqi had eaten lunch in Han Tao’s office, oblivious to the stir outside, but Fatty was different; he ate alone, and people frequently came in under the pretense of asking for technical help. At first, Fatty thought they genuinely had problems, but he noticed they’d stare at his lunchbox once inside. Fatty understood they weren't particularly fond of Chinese food; it was just that they ate from the same few places repeatedly, and people eventually grew tired of it, especially since they didn't have the option to improve their diet at home like he and Han Tao did.

"They could go out to eat too. I scouted the area when I accompanied them to and from work today; the surroundings are really nice. If they just took time during their breaks to look around, they could definitely find good food," Qiqi countered. "There's also Indian, Mexican, and a Japanese place." Wang Qiqi felt the environment was excellent; the main issue was their laziness. "By the way, do those places not deliver? Or do they just not eat takeout?" Wang Qiqi noticed that aside from the places selling pizza and sandwiches, these other restaurants lacked contact information, which struck her as very odd. While takeout could be a hassle, it represented extra income; surely the owners wouldn't turn down walk-in business? But it was impossible that none of them ate it.

"It’s not that they don’t eat it; it’s that Anne won’t eat it," Fatty replied helplessly. "As you know, once we get into work mode, having any food is sufficient; we don't pay attention to such things. Every time I bring it up with Anne, she always says this isn't good or that isn't appropriate. It’s not that no one has asked for phone numbers or that delivery hasn't been tried, but Anne usually ends up placing the order for the majority."

Wang Qiqi understood. It wasn't that these people were picky eaters; it was that they had no means to be picky, at least when Anne was around. "She’s set a trap for me too," Wang Qiqi mused. She felt slightly petty thinking this about Anne, but it wasn't without reason, judging by Fatty’s reaction. He stared at her, stunned. "Now I'm the one ordering. If I keep ordering from only those few places whose numbers Anne gave me, over time, they’ll think I'm not dedicated to my work—especially when they see me taking frequent leave later. They’ll surely assume something’s up, and won’t Anne badmouth me then?" Wang Qiqi, working as a translator, was always extremely cautious. Besides, the company only had three non-technical staff: one for finance, one for reception, and herself. Their workspaces were separate, so as long as she wasn't overly engrossed in something, she wouldn't be caught. However, taking leave was unavoidable.

"She would, she definitely would," Fatty confirmed with certainty. "After all, you two are rivals for his affection." When it came to romantic rivalry, even the most rational woman could do irrational things, unless, of course, she no longer cared for the man. "In that case, you really need to be careful."

Wang Qiqi felt a wave of relief mixed with lingering fear. It was a good thing she had Fatty, and a good thing she’d asked about it; she could have easily fallen into that trap. "Maybe she did it unintentionally, but I definitely need to be careful now."

"That’s true. By the way, how is the arrangement for the beauty salon coming along?" Fatty leaned against the wall and asked.

"We found a location and they’ve started renovating. I went to see John today to discuss my leave arrangements and, while I was there, to ask about my salary and benefits." Wang Qiqi found it rather amusing; most people sort out their compensation before starting a job, but she was asking for hers after already being employed. "The salary is quite low, just the minimum wage cap. Sigh, why did I bother going to the UK for a master's degree?" This meager amount was hard to accept. "Will it get better after I work here for a few years?"

"Actually, you could just marry Han Tao and stay in the US; you wouldn't need to work at all," Fatty said, looking at Wang Qiqi with an expression that suggested she was slow. He explained, "Han Tao worked in the US before, and now he's doing his postgraduate studies here, buying property, and investing..."

Ahhh! Wang Qiqi cried out, though she kept the volume down, considering the late hour. "That's infuriating! I have investments too!" Meaning, she didn't need a salary at all and could have stayed in the US entirely. "Never mind. Consider it protecting Han Tao's chastity." Otherwise, she wouldn't feel secure leaving him alone at home, constantly worried about whether the man might do something inappropriate.