Wang Qiqi pushed her luggage out just as she was struck by a tiny cannonball. She hadn't expected the little boy, Tao Tao, to be there to meet her, though she knew he wasn't there just for her. "Auntie, did you bring the Transformers my uncle bought me?"

Well, Wang Qiqi had prepared herself mentally for various scenarios, knowing the boy was only there for the toys, but hearing him say that genuinely soured her mood. After a long flight, shouldn't he at least ask if Auntie was tired, thirsty, or hungry? How could his first question be about the toy? Even though they’d exchanged greetings, this was a bit much.

Gong Hongshu, otherwise known as little Tao Tao, waited a long time for Wang Qiqi’s reply and grew puzzled. He carefully looked up at his aunt and saw her face had darkened. He then cautiously glanced at his mother and Aunt Shi Man standing behind her, realizing neither of them intended to rescue him.

Left with no choice, little Tao Tao had to save himself. "Auntie, are you tired? Tao Tao can push the cart for you."

Alright, regardless, the little guy at least asked if she was tired. "I'm fine. Then Tao Tao can push it," Wang Qiqi said crisply, letting go of the handle. Since he asked, she certainly wouldn't be polite about it.

Gong Hongshu was stunned. He hadn't expected his aunt to actually let him push the luggage cart. He looked at the high handle of the cart, then at the large and small bags inside, and sighed. "Mom, help me push it. I need to have a good chat with Auntie and ask how Uncle has been lately."

What? Chatting with her just to ask about Uncle? Wang Qiqi immediately felt a pang of annoyance. Even though buying the toys was Han Tao's idea, she had run around several malls to get them. How could this little brat value Han Tao so much higher than her? This made Wang Qiqi quite jealous. Naughty boy. If only you knew that Auntie exists before Uncle does.

Wang Qiqi hooked her arm around Song Yao and headed toward the parking lot. The helpless Tao Tao could only grab Shi Man, who was giggling on the sidelines but following anyway. "Auntie Manman, you are the best." The little gentleman looked pitifully at Shi Man, gripping her clothes tightly as if worried she might flee.

How could Shi Man leave? With all these bags, what use was it to leave just one child? "Say something nice."

"Auntie, you are the prettiest! Tao Tao likes you so much." Tao Tao made a heart shape with his hands toward Shi Man while sweetly speaking.

Wang Qiqi happened to turn around to check if anyone was following the luggage cart—there were quite a few things on top—and she worried Tao Tao might wander off and the luggage could be snatched. Wang Qiqi was about to cry, but when she turned, she saw Tao Tao making a heart gesture toward Shi Man. This made Wang Qiqi freeze. "When did Tao Tao learn that move?" He placed his hands above his head to form the heart. Wang Qiqi couldn't figure out where he learned it.

Song Yao glanced at Wang Qiqi and replied irritably, "Who else but from watching you?" With so many people at home, who else would make that gesture besides Qi Qi?

"Me?" Wang Qiqi knew she had done the gesture, but she didn't recall doing it in front of Tao Tao. She thought back carefully and confirmed to Song Yao, "I definitely never did that gesture in front of Tao Tao." Wang Qiqi remembered clearly; she had only ever done that move for Han Tao.

Of course, Song Yao knew Wang Qiqi hadn't done it in front of Tao Tao. "Shi Man saw you when you did it. She mimicked it once and Tao Tao saw her. Then Tao Tao pestered her about what the gesture meant. Once he knew it was a heart, he started doing it frequently. He does it to anyone he thinks is nice among the people he knows." As far as Song Yao knew, the gesture had already started circulating within a certain circle.

Wang Qiqi hadn't realized that Tao Tao was so clever. "We should have charged royalties." Of course, this was just a joke from Wang Qiqi. "Will the beauty salon be open by National Day?" Wang Qiqi was actually quite worried about whether they could open by October 1st. It was less than forty days away, and the renovation was still leaving behind a strong smell. "We can't have customers walking in and smelling that immediately." The weather in October would be getting colder, and if the doors and windows were closed, the air inside would be even more stagnant. How could customers be willing to stay?

"I know we're rushing, but if we don't open by National Day, when do you think is a good time to start?" Song Yao knew time was tight and the task was heavy. She also wanted it to be perfect to leave a good impression on the customers. But the problem was that after October 1st, the weather in Beijing would get colder day by day. Would some people be willing to brave the cold winds just for a facial treatment? If they didn't attract customers in October and November, business wouldn't pick up until perhaps March or April. The losses in between couldn't be solved with just a little effort.

Hearing Song Yao say that, Wang Qiqi didn't argue. "Add overtime pay to have the workers rush, don't be stingy with materials. Sister, remember to ventilate frequently, and buy more orchids sometimes." Wang Qiqi could only advise that much.

"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on them." Recently, Song Yao had even neglected her main base, constantly running between the renovation site with Shi Man or rushing to the market to buy supplies. "I originally wanted to have some cabinets custom-made, but now I think I'll just buy ready-made ones, so they can be aired out more while they're being finished."

"Simple renovations are better; don't install anything fixed," Wang Qiqi instructed. "In three to five years, we'll definitely need to renovate again. Those built-in cabinets will just be a waste then. It’s better to use more flowers and plants; they look pleasant and can absorb the residual odors from the renovation."

"Deal." Song Yao wrote everything down. "You'll be staying longer this time, right? We can talk with the designer again then?"

"Okay." Song Yao had scanned and sent the design sketches of the beauty salon to Wang Qiqi for review. Wang Qiqi thought the design was quite good, just a bit too luxurious. Although their salon catered to the upper class and a bit of luxury was fine, Wang Qiqi preferred a simpler renovation style, putting more effort into the soft furnishings. This way, changing the look later would be easier. The designer’s current plan involved many fixed elements, which slightly displeased Wang Qiqi. "Also, don't use tiles; use flooring. Tiles easily become slippery when wet." If a guest had an accident at the salon, they'd be crying buckets. Besides, wood always felt more grand to Wang Qiqi.

"Oh, solid wood flooring? That’s a bit troublesome to clean," Song Yao exclaimed. "We’d have to wax it and everything."

"It’s better than someone slipping," Wang Qiqi argued. She knew tiles were best for maintenance, but the risk of accidents was too high. "If a guest gets hurt at the salon, it’ll be too late for regrets."

Song Yao considered it. Qi Qi’s concern was valid. "Fine, we'll use flooring."

After Song Yao loaded all the luggage into the car, she said, "We originally planned to eat out for dinner, but Aunt Luo insisted we eat at home, saying it would be livelier. What do you think?" After all, she was Qi Qi’s mother-in-law; Song Yao couldn't just ignore her suggestion.

"Let's eat at home then. Just drop me off so I can rest properly." Honestly, Wang Qiqi didn't care where they ate. "I didn't rest well on the plane." If she hadn't been a bit excited to see Song Yao, Wang Qiqi would have already wanted to sleep.

Didn't rest well on the plane? Shi Man found that strange. She had taken so many flights with Qi Qi and knew about her sleeping prowess. "How could you not sleep well?" Even in economy class, this woman could always get good rest.

"There was a pig-faced guy next to me, bragging nonstop about his English, bragging about some university in the States he attended, bragging about his position and salary back in China." If it weren't for etiquette, and the fact they were sharing the flight for over ten hours, Wang Qiqi really wanted to ask the man why he was flying economy if his salary was so high. "You have no idea, he looked quite awful, but he kept putting on this suave look." Wang Qiqi felt sick just thinking about it. In reality, the man was reasonably attractive, but Wang Qiqi just wanted to sleep, and anyone who disturbed her sleep was automatically a pig-face to her.

Shi Man was surprised Wang Qiqi had a potential romantic encounter on the flight. "Wow, you have quite the luck. By the way, Qi Qi, you should have bought first class." She heard those seats were more comfortable, and the passengers were of a higher caliber too. "What if you had a little fling, wouldn't that be..."

Wang Qiqi reached out and playfully hit Shi Man's head a few times. "Why would I want a fling? You read too many romance novels. A fling on a plane? I think men like that are only thinking with their lower halves, they're scoundrels. If he tried to romance me, who knows who he'd try next?" Wang Qiqi never believed in love at first sight; that kind of feeling came fast and left fast, which wasn't suitable for her. "I still think my Han Tao is the best. He’s a typical tech nerd. When he flies, he just rests. No matter how you look at it, he's the ideal boyfriend, and he'll be the ideal husband." Wang Qiqi praised him silently, attributing it to her good 'tutoring.'

Song Yao looked at the smug Wang Qiqi and wanted to tell her that while such men were good, they could easily change once they encountered the temptations of the outside world. Even the honest Old Gong had developed some wandering thoughts after a few trips to bars with clients. If Song Yao hadn't noticed things going wrong and had a serious talk with him to analyze the situation, who knows where they would be now. Thinking of this, Song Yao decided she needed to discuss this issue with Qi Qi later.

Wang Qiqi’s eyes began to look hazy, and she failed to notice the subtle change in Song Yao’s expression for a moment. She casually picked up someone’s coat and draped it over herself. "Sister, I’m going to sleep for a bit. Wake me when we arrive."

Seeing Wang Qiqi close her eyes, Song Yao turned off the music in the car and instructed the nearby Tao Tao to be quiet, then slowly increased the speed as she drove toward home.