"The situation for our people studying abroad isn’t ideal. Being deported isn’t necessarily her fault," Xie Changning said, defending Qiao Tiantian.

Sheng Jiaojiao sighed. She realized her earlier feelings had been tinged with blame.

But it couldn’t be helped. Studying abroad was no easy feat.

They had all hoped she would complete her studies and return to contribute to the domestic fragrance industry...

At this thought, Sheng Jiaojiao understood. It was probably because Qiao Tiantian was too talented. Seeing they couldn’t convince her to stay, the foreign institution started looking for excuses to expel her.

With this realization, Sheng Jiaojiao gritted her teeth and cursed, "They’re so despicable!"

Xie Changning nodded.

"That’s why we have to work even harder. We need to make money off them, let them look but never get their hands on our formulas." As she spoke, Xie Changning mentioned that foreign companies often failed to list the complete formulas for their toiletries.

The others all felt that sounded just like those foreigners.

After discussing this, Xie Changning turned to Qiao Tiantian. "The Chuncheng Trade Fair is coming up. Can you develop a floral-scented facial soap by then?"

"How did you know I came back with a gardenia fragrance formula?"

Qiao Tiantian didn’t hide it from Xie Changning and shared her formula.

It had to be said, studying abroad wasn’t useless. At the very least, the resources available at foreign schools were far more extensive than those at home.

Xie Changning nodded. "Yes. I want a long-lasting fragrance, but it can’t be too overpowering."

Some soaps add too much fragrance to make the scent last longer, which ends up smelling harsh and unpleasant. Xie Changning didn’t want a product like that.

"Don’t worry, leave it to me!"

Qiao Tiantian’s assurance was a great relief to Xie Changning.

’Looks like my factory will be able to carve out a niche for itself among all the other daily chemical products at the Chuncheng Trade Fair!’

At this thought, her gaze toward Qiao Tiantian and the others grew exceptionally warm. "We’re having a special meal tonight. I’m treating you all... to dinner at my house!"

Originally, Xie Changning had planned to treat them to a meal at the state-run restaurant.

But as the words were on the tip of her tongue, she remembered Qiao Tiantian’s appetite and decided it would be much more cost-effective to eat at her own home.

Hearing this, Qiao Tiantian’s eyes instantly lit up. She turned to Sheng Jiaojiao and the others. "The auntie at the director’s house is an amazing cook! You have no idea..."

Sheng Jiaojiao and the others were speechless. They didn’t know if the auntie was a good cook, but they definitely knew the size of Qiao Tiantian’s appetite!

Sheng Jiaojiao leaned closer to Xie Changning and whispered.

"What, she ate at your place for lunch?"

"Mhm."

"How many bowls?"

"Seven."

Sheng Jiaojiao gave Xie Changning a pitying look. That girl could really pack it away! She was a famous bottomless pit!

’Their director doesn’t mind at all. What a legend!’

But she also understood why Xie Changning didn’t mind: Qiao Tiantian was incredibly talented. Otherwise, any boss with a worker like her would worry about being eaten out of house and home.

Xie Changning led the group back to her house, where the two aunties immediately began preparing dinner.

While they cooked, Xie Changning and the others watched the children.

"You’re really something else!" Sheng Jiaojiao exclaimed. She knew from her last visit that Xie Changning had two children, but seeing them again today, she couldn’t help but be impressed.

"Yeah, these two little ones are just adorable."

Xie Changning smiled and gently pinched her daughter’s and son’s cheeks. The two babies were the apples of her eye, and she was delighted by their praise.

She said to Sheng Jiaojiao, "You all are amazing, too. You’re even helping me babysit."

Most people their age were still in school, but not Sheng Jiaojiao and her friends. They were all geniuses who had skipped grades. Not even twenty-one yet, in Xie Changning’s eyes, they were still kids themselves.

After all, in her previous life, Xie Changning had been pushing forty.

Xie Changning’s praise made them purse their lips in delight. They exchanged glances, and by the time Aunt Wang and Aunt Zhao came out, the two children had already fallen asleep.

The two little ones had a very regular schedule; they were always asleep before nine o’clock.

Aunt Wang and Aunt Zhao put everything in its place, then went into the room and arranged some pillows around the children to keep them from bumping into anything if they rolled over.

Sitting at the dinner table, Sheng Jiaojiao couldn’t help but stare at Qiao Tiantian’s extra-large bowl.

"You really don’t hold back at all, do you?"

"Why should I hold back? A full stomach means good work!"

Qiao Tiantian felt no need to be modest.

Aunt Wang and Aunt Zhao had prepared a total of six dishes. The combined portions eaten by Xie Changning, Sheng Jiaojiao, and the two young men didn’t even match what Qiao Tiantian ate by herself.

Watching Qiao Tiantian start on her third huge bowl of rice, Sheng Jiaojiao quipped, "I have a reasonable suspicion that your school expelled you because you ate too much."

"Of course not!"

Qiao Tiantian defended herself. "It was because a classmate plagiarized my work! I caught them, and they wouldn’t even apologize. My advisor wanted to sign me to a contract, but I refused. So, he sided with the plagiarist and had me expelled!"

Just thinking about it made Qiao Tiantian furious.

Finally, she added, "And their awful food was disgusting. Can’t you see how skinny I got from starvation?" Qiao Tiantian used to be a plump girl with a cherubic face.

Now she was as thin as a rail, without an ounce of meat on her bones.

Sheng Jiaojiao frowned. "That person is despicable! Plagiarizing your work!" ’Copying someone else just because you can’t do it yourself... that’s the absolute worst!’

At this, a thought suddenly struck Sheng Jiaojiao.

"The work they plagiarized... it wasn’t the gardenia fragrance formula, was it?"

"Mhm-hmm."

"Then—"

"Don’t worry. Even with the same scent profile, there will be differences. Besides, they only managed a rough copy. I’ve already refined the formula in my head since then. Mine will be far superior to theirs."

Xie Changning looked at the young woman before her with satisfaction. "That’s excellent."

’A copycat can only mimic the surface. The core remains with the original creator, who is the only one who knows how to amplify its true appeal.’

Xie Changning greatly admired Qiao Tiantian’s fighting spirit.

"Speaking of which, our factory has two Xiang Bi Zi. I’ve sent them to study in Chuncheng. When they come back for the holidays, I’ll need you to mentor them a bit."

"What? I’m qualified to mentor people now?"

Qiao Tiantian was stunned. It was the first time she’d ever felt so accomplished.

However, she knew how rare a Xiang Bi Zi was. She looked at Xie Changning, her expression a mixture of disbelief and envy. "You were born under a lucky star, weren’t you? It’s hard enough to find one Xiang Bi Zi in ten thousand, and you found two in your little factory?"

’The comparison is just infuriating!’

’If my old advisor knew about this, he’d go absolutely mad with jealousy.’

"It just goes to show that our factory is destined to make a name for itself on the international stage, doesn’t it?" Talent meant growth. In the future, they would only get better and better!

"To the future of our factory! A toast with water!"

Sheng Jiaojiao raised her tea mug.