After seeing Song Ziwen and his party off, Wang Qiqi finally felt like she could breathe again. She had been utterly exhausted these past few days. Yang Jing genuinely preferred spending time alone with Song Ziwen over taking Niu Niu, which baffled Wang Qiqi no end. Qiqi also noticed that Wang Damei harbored clear dissatisfaction with Yang Jing, but surprisingly, Wang Damei refrained from voicing her complaints bluntly.

Zhu Lina patted Wang Qiqi’s shoulder. “Come on, we need to start boarding soon too.” Zhu Lina and her group had to return to New York; Shi Man had informed them earlier that there were pressing matters to discuss, which was why Zhu Lina had postponed her trip back home.

Wang Qiqi completely dropping her duties again sent John into a tirade that lasted quite a while. Previously, Xiao Rourou had handled most of the assistant work, so John hadn't minded much when she took leave. But now, he was relying on Wang Qiqi as a formal employee. When Wang Qiqi suddenly went on strike, John couldn’t handle the fallout. Unfortunately, John couldn't use the threat of firing Wang Qiqi to pressure someone else. Helpless, he could only lament how much he was suffering, hoping Wang Qiqi would settle down and return to work soon. Wang Qiqi countered that while business was important, personal matters were too. The fact that Shi Man specifically instructed her to stay meant something major was afoot. Regrettably, Song Yao had also intended to stay, but out of consideration for Yang Jing’s feelings, Song Yao had to board the plane despite her reluctance, lest Yang Jing stir up more trouble.

Wang Qiqi hoisted her luggage, ready for boarding. Thankfully, their flight was scheduled later; otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to slip past Yang Jing. Earlier, Wang Qiqi had told Yang Jing she was taking Zhu Lina to see her place—though Yang Jing likely felt suspicious, what did it matter? At least outwardly, everyone was maintaining a façade of cordiality.

Zhu Lina recalled Yang Jing’s interactions with Wang Qiqi; despite their seemingly cheerful conversation, Zhu Lina sensed an underlying disharmony. “Are you still mad at your sister-in-law?” Zhu Lina assumed Wang Qiqi was upset about Song Ziwen and his wife growing closer to Wang Rui recently. In Zhu Lina’s view, there was no reason to be angry; such family dynamics were common.

“How would I dare be angry with her? I’m upset because she’s becoming increasingly unreasonable, even suggesting I transfer my shares in the IT company.” Wang Qiqi knew Zhu Lina intended to advise her against anger. Honestly, Wang Qiqi had been constantly self-soothing lately, reasoning that health was more important than money. But the issue was that what she considered a step back was seen by Yang Jing as her being ungenerous as the younger sister. Yang Jing constantly brought up how much money Song Ziwen’s cabinet factory was making and how much Wang Qiqi had supposedly profited from it—words that made Wang Qiqi want to vomit blood.

Transfer the IT company shares? Zhu Lina stopped walking. She knew exactly what those shares symbolized to Wang Qiqi and the others. “She certainly knows how to calculate. They say people educated in economics are sharp, but you lag far behind your sister-in-law. Your stocks would fetch a premium even if they only appreciated by ten percent. You offered to sell them at the company’s financing price, and they’re still unsatisfied? I’m speechless. They don't realize how much money they’d make in the long run!” Sharpness was fine. A truly shrewd person wasn't frightening; what was terrifying was applying that shrewdness to family. “That woman is completely blinded by money; just ignore her.” Couldn't she understand the principle that one must spend small wealth to gain greater wealth?

“She’ll be settling in New York eventually anyway, so what am I rushing for?” Although Yang Jing failed to buy a house this time, given her personality and her earlier proclamations, Wang Qiqi was certain she would eventually purchase a residence in New York. This fact put Wang Qiqi’s mind at ease. “Besides, I’ll earn my money, and their family will earn theirs. I don't want people saying later that my success was all thanks to Song Ziwen.”

“Oh, she actually said that?” Zhu Lina was stunned. She knew exactly how Song Ziwen’s cabinet factory had started—it was Qiqi’s suggestion, wasn't it? And to expand the business, and out of consideration for Qiqi, Zhu Lina had agreed to place Song Ziwen’s factory goods in her residential developments. Wasn’t that significant enough? “I see. You don’t have shares in that business anymore, right? I know how to handle things now. There are so many cabinet factories across the country; his isn’t the only one. Truthfully, although the quality of the items your brother sent over these past two years has been decent, his service attitude hasn’t been great—perhaps he assumes they’re repeat clients, and you and I are close.” Zhu Lina had hesitated to say this, as it involved Qiqi’s business, but she hadn't expected someone to be so brazen. “Your brother’s scale has grown too, so he probably thinks dealing directly with clients yields higher profit margins. I don’t need to hold your brother back anymore.”

In the past, Wang Qiqi would have tried to persuade Zhu Lina, arguing that even if she pulled out her investment, it was still Song Ziwen’s enterprise. But this time, given the underlying meaning in Yang Jing’s words, and the fact that Song Ziwen stood silently beside her without uttering a word, Wang Qiqi felt truly hurt. “It is your company’s business, after all. I truly put you in a difficult position before.”

Before boarding, Zhu Lina pulled out her phone and made several calls back home, conveying the necessary instructions. In any case, several new housing projects hadn’t yet signed contracts with Song Ziwen’s cabinet factory. Since that was the case, they would simply find a new supplier. Cabinets were needed later in the construction process anyway, so selecting a new vendor now wouldn't cause delays.

Watching Zhu Lina appear so relaxed, Wang Qiqi felt a pang of guilt. She had initially assumed that after running the business for so long, even with Zhu Lina’s partnership, Song Ziwen’s profits might be modest but substantial due to volume. She hadn't expected Song Ziwen to fail to deliver quality service on Zhu Lina’s projects. Wang Qiqi sighed in resignation, but she was relieved that this accidental conversation had pulled the topic into the open; otherwise, over time, Zhu Lina’s staff would inevitably become disgruntled. “Let’s go.”

On the plane, Song Ziwen and his wife were far from aware of the complications brewing below. They spent the flight excitedly discussing how they would collaborate with Gao Kai upon their return. “I told you real estate was a good business. If Wang Qiqi hadn't been an obstacle, we’d be rich by now,” Yang Jing said, continuously spritzing her face with facial mist. “If we had entered this market two years earlier, wouldn’t we have earned even more?”

Although Song Ziwen was displeased with Yang Jing’s comments about Wang Qiqi, he offered no rebuttal. “Regardless, Qiqi acted for our own good.”

“For our good?” Yang Jing was highly displeased that Song Ziwen was still speaking well of Wang Qiqi. “If she truly had our best interests at heart, she wouldn’t have stopped us from getting close to Wang Rui. I think she just has a bad relationship with Wang Rui and is stopping us out of spite. I used to dislike Wang Rui, but after getting to know her, I find she’s quite decent. Even if she’s a bit unconventional now, if we support her, she could very well become Madam Gao. Isn’t Gao Kai’s current wife unable to bear children? What’s the point of a woman occupying that position if she can’t have children? It would be much better if Wang Rui married Gao Kai; then our cooperation would be more reliable.”

If forced to choose between his two sisters-in-law, Song Ziwen would naturally choose Wang Qiqi. After so many years together, he understood her well; without her, he would still be drifting through life. Yet, precisely because Qiqi had helped him so much, Song Ziwen often felt unable to stand tall in front of her, leading to his complex feelings towards her. Wang Rui was different; Song Ziwen always felt superior in her presence. “Yes, when we get back, you drop some hints to Wang Rui, and then the three of us can discuss it thoroughly. I’ll talk to Gao Kai then.”

Song Ziwen had been quite frustrated that they hadn't secured the house, but now he felt it was for the best. “Let’s hold off on buying a house for a few years; let’s focus on supporting the real estate company first. While building houses can utilize bank loans, we still have to inject a significant amount of our own capital.”

“I know. Oh, right, didn’t you say we were going to buy a villa? Are we still getting it?” Yang Jing remembered a crucial detail. She had boasted among her peers that they would be living in a villa this year. If they didn’t buy one, wouldn’t she lose face among her relatives?

Still buying a villa? Song Ziwen was already worried about finances. “Do you think our family has the money for a villa now?” Song Ziwen paused. “If I had known, we shouldn’t have taken shares; now our capital is so tight.” Although they could take out bank loans, they couldn't borrow indefinitely. After this trip, especially after seeing the neighborhood where Xiao Rourou lived, Song Ziwen deeply felt that the houses built back home were truly unattractive. It would be better to wait a couple of years, or at worst, buy a plot of land and build his own villa complex. That way, he could choose a good location and design the layout to his exact specifications.

Yang Jing immediately protested upon hearing the villa was off the table, pouting and tugging on Song Ziwen’s arm, demanding they buy it. What could the helpless Song Ziwen do? “We’ll buy it, we’ll buy it! How could we not buy it?” If necessary, he could just buy several properties. Sigh. While rental income was nice, his wife had a point; he was a major boss now. He couldn't keep living in an apartment; that would be unbecoming of a boss. Moreover, the cabinet factory business was booming, and with Zhu Lina’s family opening new developments soon, he stood to secure several million-dollar contracts. Song Ziwen considered it, realizing that buying the villa was indeed not an issue, and he readily agreed.

Seeing Song Ziwen concede, Yang Jing was overjoyed. However, worried he might divert household funds into investments, she resolved to immediately purchase the villa she had admired earlier, order materials, and hire a construction company to start renovations. Her goal was to move in before the end of the year so they could host New Year's Eve dinner at home with a hired chef, showing off her prosperous life to her siblings.