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“What did you say?” Lily Tang didn’t catch what Xiao Qian said.

“Nothing, do you want to continue playing chess?” Xiao Qian pointed at the chessboard.

Both of them were experts, evenly matched. Halfway through the game, Lily Tang asked casually.

“Chen Xiaoqian, about that order you want, I’ll have my dad give it to your big brother.”

“Alright, go ahead. My big brother can do it well, and it’s not a loss for your family to cooperate with him.”

Lily Tang looked up, puzzled, not sure if her eyes were filled with disappointment or surprise.

“Hey, didn’t you say before that you got close to me, not because of my dad?” Xiao Qian shrugged, “I never said it was.”

“Then why agree?!” Lily Tang angrily pushed the chess pieces onto the board, messing up the black and white chess situation instantly.

In her past life, that order was given to a small company because Lily Tang went against her father.

Tang Daye originally thought highly of Yu Mingli and another large-scale company. Lily Tang insisted on going against her father, and whichever company her father thought highly of, she wouldn’t allow them to take the order. Tang Daye compromised for the sake of pleasing his daughter. Giving the order to Yu Mingli would indeed make it better, as their strength is evident.

Now that she had taken Xiao Qian as a friend, she felt disappointed with Xiao Qian for saying this.

“What’s the difference between giving the contract to my big brother and me liking you? Even if you don’t give it to my big brother, you can still sit in my house and play chess with me, wear my pajamas and sleep in my bed. Whether you give it or not, the treatment is the same, girl, your worldview is too pure.”

“Pure?”

“Yes.”

Treating patients with anorexia nervosa involves helping reshape their worldview, correcting their distorted body image beliefs that thin is beautiful. What Xiao Qian is doing now is laying the groundwork, but formal treatment has not yet begun.

“I don’t deny that my getting close to you is related to your father. If it weren’t for your father, how would I have met you? As for the contract between your father and my big brother, that’s their business. If they succeed, it’s their business and has nothing to do with us. If they don’t, it has nothing to do with us either.”

In her past life, Lily Tang would not have gone against her father, and her big brother should have gotten the contract on his own.

Young people always like to see things as either black or white, good or bad, like getting close to Lily Tang. She is a patient, and getting in touch with her early is justifiable. But if in the process, it can also help her big brother with some business, isn’t that a good thing?

“Why can you think of things so simply?” Lily Tang felt that Xiao Qian’s ideas were very different from her own and was still digesting and absorbing them. “When you can accept that the world is not only black and white but also gray you’ll live more comfortably. You can eat and accept emotions, and you grow as well. When you manage your father’s company, you can’t just hire employees based on your preferences, can you?”

“I don’t want to manage the company.”

“There are no fish in clear water. You will be an entrepreneur in the future, not a philanthropist. Don’t confuse these concepts. No matter what you do, if it’s beneficial for you and the people around you, it’s good. The world we are in is like a giant Tai Chi ball. We are balancing various relationships every day.” Lily Tang looked at Xiao Qian strangely, “Why are you so sure that I will be an entrepreneur in the future?”

“Because you care so much about your father. One day, when caring for your father forces you to grow up suddenly in the face of cruel reality, you will experience great pain, and so will he. That’s your path.”

In her past life, after Lily Tang was cured by Xiao Qian, her father was suddenly diagnosed with late-stage stomach cancer. The young girl instantly grew up, taking over the complex family business. At her breaking point, it was Xiao Qian who provided her with psychological counseling all the way, helping her through the difficult times.

After Lily Tang took over the enterprise, her first move was to sign a long-term contract with Xiao Qian’s studio, buying EAP for her factories’ front-line employees all over China. This benefit was rarely seen in domestic enterprises, mostly in foreign ones.

“Chen Xiaoqian, why do I feel like you have something to say? I can’t possibly take over my father’s company. How much did he give you to persuade me? I’ll double it, and you don’t have to worry about it.”

Xiao Qian blinked, “Then I won’t talk about it, and you don’t have to double it. Just promise me that after you take over your dad’s company, you’ll give the EAP of your company to my studio.”

“What is EAP?”

“Employee Assistance Program. 90% of the world’s top 500 companies have this service. Professional psychologists like us provide guidance, training, and consultation to your employees and their families, helping them resolve psychological and behavioral problems, improving performance and company culture. Let’s see, I still have a few years before I can set up my studio. By that time, you should be almost ready to take the stage. As your first order of business, give me the order… I’ll give you a discount, we are friends after all.”

Lily Tang didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

“I’ve already said 1 won’t take over, and you still insist. Besides, it’s so weird that I don’t hate you when you talk to me like this.”

It was rare to see someone openly discussing these interests, but saying it outright seemed more acceptable than hiding and being hypocritical.

“Who said friends couldn’t talk about cooperation? We Chinese people value connections—kinship, geography, and blood ties. Stick to the principle of mutual benefit, why be pretentious? Talking about money is vulgar, but who can live without this vulgar thing, just on air?”

“What’s the principle?”

“To describe this principle in materialist terms, it is called the bottom line, or the maximization of mutual benefits. To explain it in idealist terms, it’s the heart-trading sincerity for sincerity. Your friend may not do the best job for you, but a stranger may not be better than your friend. Chances of being scammed are inevitable, so use this judgment to make your choice.”

Xiao Qian tapped her head.

“I don’t understand…”

“Let me put it more bluntly. You resent your father for only caring about making money and not taking care of you. But have you ever thought about who he’s making money for? Think about his motives for doing this, and maybe you won’t hate him so much. To be even more straightforward, how can you use your dad’s money on one hand and despise his efforts on the other?”

“Chen Xiaoqian, are you trying to break off our friendship?”

“Telling the truth always leads to resentment-Lily, do you dare to try working with me tomorrow and experience life? If you want independence, you should be thorough. If you can achieve what I said, living off your own efforts, I will talk to your dad and ask him to not work for a month and just spend time with you.”

“Is that true?”

“Boss Qian never talks big. I don’t do things that I’m not sure about.”

While Xiao Qian was talking, she had already restored the chessboard disrupted by Lily Tang. Every piece was placed according to the positions they had during their half-finished game.

“This piece is in the wrong position.” Lily Tang noticed at a glance that Xiao Qian had sneakily changed a move..