Wang Qiqi woke up to find it was already past nine. After tossing and turning for a while, she had no choice but to drag herself out of the warm duvet. It wasn't that she wanted to sleep in; it was just that the state of her home upon returning yesterday had nearly made her faint. Thankfully, the sink wasn't filled with a mountain of dishes, and there was a pile of unwashed clothes in the bathroom, but the bedsheets hadn't been changed, newspapers and magazines were strewn carelessly on the sofa, the dining table hadn't been wiped clean, and the bathtub was coated in grime. Yesterday, Wang Qiqi simply lacked the energy to clean, but if she didn't tackle it today, she wouldn't be able to live there anymore.

When Wang Qiqi stepped out of her room and saw the milk cup and breakfast plate still sitting on the dining table, she let out a deep breath. "How can anyone manage without a woman in the house? Han Tao is really something, letting Fatty lead him astray." Han Tao wasn't exactly meticulous, but he certainly wouldn't let the place get this messy. The current state of the apartment was undoubtedly Fatty's fault for corrupting her man.

Wang Qiqi didn't bother with those things right away. Instead, she first cooked a delicious meal and then ate her fill. No matter what task lay ahead, one shouldn't work on an empty stomach. Moreover, looking at the situation, Wang Qiqi seriously doubted if she could even make it to work the next day, as she discovered Fatty had placed his own bedsheets in the washing machine too. Wang Qiqi almost choked on her anger. The items were already in the machine; couldn't he just press a few buttons to get it going?

No matter how exasperated she felt, Wang Qiqi could only start with Fatty's sheets. As she did so, she noticed a piece of paper tucked under the washing machine. It read: Qiqi, I've organized all my personal belongings in my room. Please help clean up. Thanks, Fatty.

"This guy," Wang Qiqi had initially planned to only clean her and Han Tao's rooms, the common areas, and the study. She certainly wasn't going to clean Fatty's room. Yet, here was Fatty using a note to rope her into the work. As for why he placed the note on the washing machine, it was clearly so she couldn't claim she hadn't seen it. "So cunning."

JOHN yawned as he emerged from his office. Just as he was heading to the pantry for a coffee refill to continue working, he spotted Han Tao also walking out of his office. "You're heading out?"

Han Tao nodded and closed his office door. "I'm going home. You keep working overtime." Han Tao knew JOHN had been non-stop negotiating and calculating figures in the office these past few days; it wasn't any easier for him. At that moment, Han Tao was grateful to have JOHN as a partner; otherwise, handling all these matters would surely kill him. He much preferred the monotonous work of computer programming to endless negotiations.

JOHN found it very strange. Wasn't TAO supposed to be pulling late nights at the company these past few days? How come he was leaving so early today? He then noticed TOM also exiting his office. If both of them were leaving, something definite was up. "Angel is back?" John thought, figuring that was the only possible reason; otherwise, neither of them would leave, as staying in the office was better than eating fast food outside.

Han Tao didn't want to hide it from Qiqi. She had planned to start work tomorrow, and today she was using her time at home to shake off the jet lag while also cleaning the house. Given how dirty the place was, Han Tao feared Qiqi might just spend the entire next day sleeping in bed. "Yeah, she got back yesterday. She has a lot to sort out this time and will probably need a couple of days to rest."

What? Two more days off? JOHN immediately bristled. "Tell her to clock in tomorrow! I'm the boss, and she's a shareholder too. Can't she let this poor soul look at these data alone? And aren't you two worried I'll sell you out?" They had all put up the capital and then just waited around for dividends, which JOHN had initially liked—no one breathing down his neck with unsolicited advice. A knowledgeable person offering guidance was one thing, but JOHN despised dealing with people who knew nothing yet insisted on dictating terms. But now, he regretted it; his partners were simply too irresponsible. He finally managed to pin down a non-technical shareholder, but even she was slippery, and the salary he paid was so low that JOHN felt too awkward to exploit Angel any further. But this time, JOHN was genuinely swamped.

If JOHN had said those words to Han Tao when he first arrived in the States, Han Tao might have worried. But now? "What are the lawyers and accountants for?" Even if Han Tao couldn't decipher everything, hadn't they taken his money? Weren't they supposed to safeguard his interests?

Fatty had been walking over, but upon seeing JOHN intercept Han Tao, he knew instantly the blockade was for Han Tao, probably to get Qiqi to pitch in some effort. This was something Fatty felt awkward getting involved in. As a shareholder himself, Fatty felt it was Qiqi's time to step up. Wasn't she an economics major? They shouldn't let all that tuition money go to waste! But Fatty dared not say it aloud. Not only did he shudder to think how Qiqi would deal with him, but Han Tao, who seemed to forget his buddies the moment he got a woman, wouldn't let him off the hook either.

Han Tao had expected Fatty to come find him as soon as he left the office, allowing him a chance to slip away. He hadn't expected the bothersome fatty to just loiter by his office door. "TOM, are you done? Let's go home." Forget it; even if it was slightly rude, he truly didn't want to get entangled in this business. "You can tell Angel that in person."

With that, Han Tao promptly bolted. JOHN stood there, momentarily stunned. Tell Angel in person? It wasn't like he hadn't talked to her before, but she always acted as if she had zero involvement in these matters, leaving JOHN helpless. Fine, he would ask Angel tomorrow.

The moment Han Tao and Fatty stepped into the apartment, Fatty's nose started twitching. "Hey, why isn't there a smell of food?" It was almost seven o'clock. Qiqi had been home all day; how come she hadn't cooked? This was very strange. He was starving!

Han Tao also sensed something was off, but he worried something might have happened to Qiqi—perhaps she wasn't feeling well. Otherwise, Qiqi would never neglect cooking. Han Tao changed his shoes and walked in, finding no Qiqi in the living room. He checked the study next—still no Qiqi. Was she sleeping? Han Tao found this odd. Qiqi rarely napped, and even if she did, she should have been awake by now.

Han Tao walked to the bedroom door, gently pushed it open, and found Wang Qiqi asleep in bed, even snoring. Han Tao knew Qiqi must have been exhausted today; otherwise, she would never snore.

Fatty, unconvinced, searched the kitchen for a long time. He discovered that besides neatly washed and cut vegetables and meat, there wasn't a single cooked dish. He immediately realized coming home for dinner today was a huge mistake. Could it be that asking Qiqi to help clean the rooms earlier had upset her?

Fatty considered this a very real possibility and instantly felt a bit embarrassed. Before Qiqi arrived, Weiwei had never helped Han Tao clean his room either; Han Tao always handled his own space. How could he have been so foolish as to ask Qiqi for help? Thinking of his stomach, Fatty decided he needed to apologize to Qiqi.

After putting down his bag, Fatty noticed Han Tao standing motionless by his bedroom door. He thought, Could it be that Qiqi is genuinely angry, and Han Tao is trying to placate her? "Qiqi, I know I was wrong. I shouldn't have asked you to clean the rooms..." Fatty shoved Han Tao aside without even glancing into Han Tao's room and immediately started apologizing. After delivering a lengthy apology, Fatty finally opened his eyes. Seeing the scene, he realized he had done something incredibly stupid. Qiqi was sitting up in bed, rubbing her eyes, looking utterly bewildered.

Crap, Qiqi was actually asleep in the room! Fatty instantly regretted not checking inside first. Now, not only had he effectively confessed to Qiqi, but he had also sold himself out. And with a gaze fixed on him from behind, Fatty knew Han Tao must be furious.

Han Tao had initially assumed Wang Qiqi was tired from jet lag and household chores, but he hadn't realized Fatty had made her do so much work. He then glanced at the living room and dining area and saw floors so clean they could reflect an image—Qiqi must have polished them more than once to achieve that shine. "Fatty, I get that you let Qiqi wash your clothes, but you even had her clean your room?" Although Fatty and Qiqi were good friends, shouldn't he know where to draw the line? He wouldn't be so demanding if she weren't his wife.

Fatty immediately lowered his head, admitting his fault, remaining silent, adopting the posture of someone ready to receive Han Tao's lecture.

Han Tao looked at his pathetic display, feeling both annoyed and amused. "You, you... Don't tell me you saw Qiqi gained a bit of weight and thought you could just make her do more housework? Qiqi, she worked hard for a year in England; her foundation must be shaky." Han Tao knew things others didn't. Sometimes, Qiqi suffered from splitting headaches at night, a lingering effect of overworking her brain. Otherwise, why would Qiqi settle for being a clerk at the company? One reason was that when stress mounted, especially during busy periods, her head would hurt terribly.

Wang Qiqi was now awake. She had intended to lecture Fatty sternly, but seeing her own man disciplining Fatty, she decided to stay quiet. She figured Han Tao had probably lectured enough. "We're having hot pot today. About the dishes and chopsticks..."

"I'll clean them," Fatty interjected immediately. He finally understood why Qiqi hadn't cooked; it was all for the hot pot. Having a pot on a chilly day sounded perfect. "Qiqi, I'm sorry."

"It's fine." After a good sleep, most of her resentment towards Fatty had dissipated. "Oh, tell JOHN tomorrow that I'll be taking an extra day off." Wang Qiqi realized she still felt exhausted even after sleeping, truly noting that recovery wasn't what it used to be with age.

Han Tao certainly wouldn't mention to JOHN that he was waiting for Qiqi to return to help out. With his wife this worn out, even if Qiqi hadn't said anything, he wouldn't let her go into the office.