After finishing dinner, while Gong Peixing was washing the dishes, Wang Qiqi casually toured Song Yao’s new home. Although Song Yao’s new house wasn't in the prime central district, it was still considered a decent complex for the capital city. "My sister seems to have made it big; it's three stories high."

Wang Qiqi had previously slept in the guest room on the third floor, the attic. Besides a small storage room, a bathroom, a laundry room, and one guest room, the third floor boasted a very large terrace. The first floor contained the living room, kitchen, dining room, study, a bathroom, and another guest room with an attached bath (currently occupied by Luo Hongjuan). The second floor had one master suite, a room for Taotao, and another guest room. Song Yao and her husband’s master suite was quite substantial, featuring its own study, a dressing room, and a main bedroom with a jetted tub. Song Yao had only purchased this place last year, and while it was still under mortgage, it at least spoke volumes about her success. As for the earlier property Song Yao had chosen, it had been simply renovated and entirely rented out.

Shi Man whispered to the side, "If this house were sold now, it would easily fetch a profit of half a million." Shi Man had thoroughly researched Beijing’s property market since returning. When she first heard the housing prices before going abroad last year, she was already astonished, but hearing the quotes again upon her return left her utterly speechless. "I finally understand why you’d rather sell the house back home than let go of one in Beijing." The property values in Beijing had simply skyrocketed. If Shi Man hadn't had such a small amount of money from her injury settlement, she might have tried to buy a place herself, but the current prices made her uneasy.

"That’s one aspect; there’s another: I don't want to associate too much with those relatives back home." Money was one factor, but another was that Wang Qiqi genuinely did not want to constantly see certain annoying faces in the future. "Wang Rui, Han Tao’s cousin." Wang Qiqi glanced cautiously toward where Luo Hongjuan was standing. "My in-laws' relatives seem decent enough for now, but if they ever found out Han Tao has made something of himself, they’d pop up out of nowhere."

"Troublesome relatives," Shi Man sighed. "Although most of the Old Feng family relatives seem fine overall, there are always one or two troublemakers. It’s a good thing his parents keep them in check." Her own family relatives mostly just engaged in petty comparison. "Ever since I graduated and haven't found a job, lingering around Beijing, the snide remarks from my own relatives have started up again." Shi Man truly couldn't comprehend it. She didn't rely on them, nor did she spend their money, yet they acted as if they cared deeply about her, especially upon hearing she was unemployed—that malicious look made Shi Man furious just thinking about it.

Seeing that Wang Qiqi had finished her tour, Shi Man grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the terrace. "Let's go sit on the terrace. It’s quite cool up there. Sometimes Yao Yao Jie and I come up here for a glass of wine to vent."

Song Yao brought a pot of fruit tea up to the terrace and, unsurprisingly, found Wang Qiqi and Shi Man nestled in wicker chairs. "You two are truly lazy; couldn't you go down and grab some fruit and tea?"

Wang Qiqi took a sip of the tea Song Yao brought. "This Tieguanyin is very good. Sister, do you have any more of this tea?" The aroma was excellent; Wang Qiqi was thinking of taking some back to save a certain someone from constantly guzzling coffee. While coffee was fine, too much always had side effects. Wang Qiqi preferred tea to stay alert.

"Yes, I know you love tea; your brother-in-law specifically went out to buy it." Song Yao certainly knew Wang Qiqi's intentions. "Right, keep going with what you were saying earlier—is there something off about that woman?" Otherwise, she wouldn't have trailed off.

After tidying things away, Luo Hongjuan followed Song Yao to the terrace. She desperately wanted to know the background of the woman attempting to seduce her son. "I want to know too," Luo Hongjuan said, plopping down and claiming the last available seat.

Now that they were back in the country and among trusted company, Wang Qiqi held nothing back. Settling into her seat, she briefly laid out the situation regarding the other woman.

As Wang Qiqi described the scenario, Song Yao’s expression remained relatively composed, having heard some version of this before. Luo Hongjuan’s expression, however, soured. While the woman’s background might not have been the most disgusting one she’d heard, the critical issue was that this woman was now targeting her son. If she succeeded... Luo Hongjuan truly dared not imagine the outcome. Don't let Wang Qiqi’s casual demeanor fool you—she usually displayed immense trust in Han Tao and didn't restrict him much—but Luo Hongjuan knew that if her son actually did anything to wrong her, Qiqi would leave Han Tao without a second thought. Thankfully, her son’s stance was firm right now.

"So, I'm not worried about Han Tao. Once Han Tao sees Anne's true face, he will certainly become more guarded against her," Wang Qiqi finished, taking a few more sips of tea. The way she drank tea made Song Yao, who had recently been studying the Gongfu tea ceremony, frown deeply. She really wanted to point out that Qiqi was essentially gulping it down like water, but after thinking it over, she held her tongue. Song Yao knew that Qiqi’s heart might not be as lighthearted as she made it out to be.

"Shameless people are becoming more common. Manman, you should go back with Qiqi this time. Compared to Han Tao, your man encounters far more temptations." Although Song Yao wanted Shi Man to stay in the country to help manage affairs, she worried about Shi Man’s husband. If he were to become emotionally involved with someone, or if he used some tactic that succeeded with a woman who admired him, Song Yao genuinely didn't know how she would face Shi Man.

Shi Man hadn't expected the conversation to pivot to her. She was startled by Song Yao's words. She had been about to declare how upright Old Feng was and that he would never do anything to betray her. "Even if your Old Feng doesn't have those intentions, can you guarantee that the people around him don't?" Wang Qiqi interjected. "Your Old Feng’s mission should be wrapping up soon, right? Once he has more free time..."

Shi Man was startled by Wang Qiqi's remark. "Then I should go back. If something goes wrong on my home front, I’ll be the one crying." In this day and age, a man being honest wasn't a guarantee of safety. But there was also much to handle on the domestic side—could Sister Song Yao manage everything alone?

"I will hold down the fort here. Don't worry; Auntie Luo will help look after the purchasing business," Song Yao said, seeing Shi Man’s conflicted expression of wanting to return yet hesitating, realizing she was worried about Song Yao being overwhelmed. "You must come back for the National Day holiday. And regarding the merchandise—the demand for standard purchasing agents is dwindling. People have more money now; they seek out more specialized items. Although Lu Qiaowei is also sourcing goods, her eye for style isn't as good as yours, Manman."

Song Yao's words brought Shi Man a wave of relief. After all, she had promised to help Song Yao set up the beauty salon. However, hearing Song Yao’s current assessment, she understood that her return would also involve significant tasks, which made her feel better. "That's a matter of talent." Shi Man was quite confident about that. "Yao Yao Jie, what do you think if I go to the US to take some advanced courses in design?" Wang Qiqi and the others had suggested this when Shi Man was still in the UK, but at the time, Shi Man hadn't given it much thought. Back then, she just wanted to graduate quickly. Now she had her diploma and plenty of free time, whereas Feng Xuanxiang would be hopelessly busy with work. She needed something to occupy her time.

Song Yao had actually considered suggesting that Shi Man study design-related subjects to enhance her skills. She was surprised that Shi Man had the same idea. "I support this suggestion. The bulk of the profit now comes from these unbranded items. Although they don't look expensive, the margins are excellent."

While brand-name purchasing had a large base and many people doing it, leading to seemingly substantial profits, the problem was the sheer number of people entering this business now. "In the future, even if the stated commission for purchasing agents remains at ten percent, if you don't offer some sweetener, people might not choose you." Fortunately, they had always heeded Qiqi's advice, keeping the profit margins from getting too high. Being able to maintain the ten percent rate now let previous customers know they weren't a greedy shop; otherwise, they might have lost many clients.

Wang Qiqi wasn't overly concerned about those studying abroad who were also engaging in this business. Everyone was trying to make money; they could offer the same prices as others. "As travel abroad becomes easier, this business will only get tougher." Even though plane tickets to Europe were expensive, eventually, some white-collar workers would travel abroad once a year, sourcing goods directly and earning back their airfare. If they were more ambitious, they could easily make back their entire travel costs by offering a five percent commission for helping others purchase items. These people were Song Yao’s biggest competitors; they would widely advertise their trips abroad, mobilizing direct customers.

"If it becomes too hard, I’ll convert this place into a clubhouse," Song Yao said decisively, though her heart held reluctance. "I'll wait and see for now. At least the mortgage on this house and the family expenses can be covered by the shop's earnings." Although Song Yao always claimed she wasn't making much money, she couldn't say that in front of Wang Qiqi. Based on the volume of goods moved, they could estimate the shop's profit, especially with Auntie Luo watching nearby. "Once the mortgage on this house is paid off, I’ll breathe a sigh of relief. For the other properties, I have no pressure; the rent covers those loans."

"By then, Sister, you’ll probably be buying a villa," Wang Qiqi teased. "When you first came to Beijing to look at houses, you were scared by the prices. You bought a place over a hundred square meters and insisted that it would be enough space forever, vowing not to buy another. But look now, Sister, you’re living in a place over two hundred square meters." And it’s an elevator building, much better than the house Song Ziwen bought back home. Your brother-in-law's factory and the industries Song Yao invested in are all golden geese laying golden eggs. It will soon feel unbalanced to live here."

A villa? "I take your good wishes," Song Yao replied, admitting she did have that in mind. "That’s my five-year plan. In business, sometimes property is just about maintaining appearances."