The Silent World And Him - Chapter 37

As soon as Qin Yu said those words, Pu Chen used several more tissues to wipe her tears.

She didn’t want to cry—her eyes ached from the strain—but today, the tears seemed to flow endlessly, as if they cost nothing.

No matter how Qin Yu explained why he chose to pursue a law degree, she knew it had something to do with her.

Touched as she was, Pu Chen still had her rationality intact. She didn’t want him to alter his original plans for her: 【Qin Yu, why don’t you stop studying law? We agreed—strive for the major you truly love.】

Qin Yu reassured her: 【Chenbao, you might not have realized yet what truly upset my mom. It wasn’t me pursuing law—it was me pursuing law for you. She thinks there’s no hope of us breaking up.】

【If I end up studying at both universities, my mom would only feel proud.】

【Besides, I’m genuinely interested in law now. Even reading books on it feels fascinating. If I can get into this major, the perspective, prestige, and knowledge will all be mine. Tell me, what’s not worth it?】

[« Do you have anything else to say to persuade me? »]

Pu Chen couldn’t win an argument with Qin Yu—she’d been losing to him since high school.

[« If you study law, I’ll cry every day. »]

Qin Yu smiled. Even through the screen, he could vividly picture her at this very moment—dabbing at her tears while delivering that soft, sticky-sweet threat to him.

[« You really know how to cry, huh? »]

Pu Chen was just teasing; how could she use tears as a trump card? [« It’s just the first time we’ve had a disagreement, and I don’t know how to resolve it. »]

Truthfully, she shared the same concern as Qin Mingyi: [« You’re giving up the computer engineering major you love to study law. Are you sure you won’t regret it later? Qin Yu, we need to be rational. »]

Qin Yu countered: [« Who said anything about giving up? Just like the AI project I’m collaborating on with Peng Jingyang—if I don’t have time to participate, I’ll contribute funding instead. Studying this field doesn’t mean you have to handle everything personally, but you do need to understand it. »]

[To put it this way, whether I study computer engineering or law, I’ll only spend the first few years gaining experience in related positions. Ultimately, I’ll still end up in a management and decision-making role.]

[Grandfather is getting older now, and he hopes that my cousin and I can settle down and focus on the family business in the future. So, what major I study doesn’t really matter much to me in the long run. There’s no such thing as regret here.]

There was a pause of a minute or two.

Qin Yu sent another message: [Take Teacher Lu, for example. He’s actually my alumnus, yet he became an English teacher. Can you say his college education was wasted? Back then, it was because he studied computer science that he understood the prospects of the internet industry. So, for over a decade, he’s focused on investing in internet companies, and now he’s delving deep into the field of artificial intelligence.]

[« I hope when I’m as old as Teacher Lu, I’ll have this much wealth too. Then I’ll become a teacher for my daughter. »]

Pu Chen: « …… »

He’s already thinking about having a daughter.

She reached up to touch her ear, feeling it slightly warm.

Qin Yu didn’t want any unpleasantness between them over this matter, so he compromised: « If I lose interest in law in a couple years, I won’t pursue the J.D. degree. Is that okay? Please don’t cry. »

He asked her: « Baby, is there anything else you want to tell me? »

Pu Chen: « No matter what happens in the future, I’ll make sure all your current efforts and sacrifices are worth it. »

Thank you, Morning Baby.

If only he were by her side, he could hold her properly.

Qin Yu was exhausted; he said goodbye and fell asleep quickly.

—

It took Pu Chen several days to gradually adjust her mindset.

This afternoon there were only two classes, and she waited for Zhuo Xuan to go to the teaching building together.

Before heading out, Zhuo Xuan grabbed two fruit hard candies from the table and handed her one. « I was afraid you might not like this kind of candy, but make do with it. Life is too bitter—might as well add some sweetness by hand. »

Pu Chen smiled, unwrapped the candy, and popped the fruit-flavored piece into her mouth.

She told Zhuo Xuan: [I love all kinds of candy. Back in my first year of high school, I couldn’t go a day without it. If I didn’t have any, I’d feel like I had no soul.]

Zhuo Xuan pressed the candy against her cheek and mumbled, « So you avoid it now because you’re afraid of gaining weight? »

Puchen: « No, my boyfriend says my teeth are pretty, and if I eat sweets every day, what if I get cavities? He keeps an eye on me so I don’t eat too many. »

Zhuo Xuan rarely joked, but she said, « Mixing fruit candy with dog food—now that’s a flavor. »

Puchen gave her a playful shove and laughed along.

They arrived at the classroom with ten minutes to spare before class started.

Pu Chen opened her book to see what would be covered next, while her phone on the corner of the desk kept buzzing incessantly—it was an unfamiliar number.

Ever since Qin Mingyi had approached her, she now felt a shadow of unease whenever she saw an unknown Beijing number.

Pu Chen declined the call and sent a text: [Hello, who is this?]

The other party quickly replied—it was a staff member from Yunyue Cultural Company.

Pu Chen logged into her alternate account and added the contact information.

This QQ account was one she had registered specifically for writing purposes and rarely used.

The staff from Yunyue Culture said they were interested in the audio drama rights for her novel and made an offer.

The novel’s performance was truly unimpressive, so the price offered was quite low, but for a freshman like her, it still amounted to a small fortune.

She had even thought about what gifts she would buy for Qin Yu, her father, and her aunt once she received the manuscript payment. The remaining money would be saved for tuition, so her father wouldn’t have to bear the burden of her living expenses anymore.

Staring at the almost unbelievable news, she felt completely dazed, as if hit by a stroke of luck.

Everything progressed far more smoothly than expected—the contract process began as early as Thursday.

Pu Chen shared the good news about selling the copyright with her father and aunt. She wanted to tell Qin Yu too, but felt too embarrassed, afraid he might find out the novel was written by her—especially since it contained some intimate scenes. The thought of him reading them was mortifying.

I’ll tell him later.

That day, her aunt also brought her some good news—she said her project would be finished before Christmas and she’d come to stay in Beijing for a few days.

She hadn’t seen her aunt in almost a year and was especially looking forward to her return.

Yet extreme joy often begets sorrow.

On Saturday at noon, Pu Chen was just about to head to the cafeteria for lunch when she received a call from a woman who claimed to be Qin Yu’s aunt, saying she happened to be at their school for some business and wanted to drop by to see her.

She knew Qin Yu had such an aunt and had seen her photo in the Qin family’s group portrait.

But for her to show up at this critical moment definitely meant no good news.

Having gained some experience dealing with elders, Pu Chen felt much calmer this time compared to her nervousness when she received Qin Mingyi’s call earlier. She mentally prepared herself to face whatever came her way.

She had just stepped out of the dorm when her aunt’s voice message came in: « Morning Treasure, Auntie will have to delay her return by a few days. There’s a minor issue with the project, but it’ll be resolved soon. »

Pu Chen: [It’s fine, Auntie. Is the problem on your end serious?]

Pu Wenxin was already overwhelmed with stress, but she deliberately kept her tone light: « Not serious at all, just a common little oversight by the team below. It’ll just take some time to adjust. »

She changed the subject: « What about you? How are things with Qin Yu lately? I’ve been so busy with overtime work that I haven’t had the chance to ask you. »

Puchen reassured her aunt to let her work in peace, sharing only good news: [« Everything’s the same as before. His aunt came to school to see me today, and I was just about to go out for a meal. »]

After reading this message, Pu Wenxin felt her heart ‘thump’ as if something had been instantly ejected, leaving the empty space quickly filled with panic.

She blurted out, « Is it Qin Minghan? »

The moment she asked, she realized it was a pointless question.

Qin Mingyi only has one elder female cousin and one younger female cousin. Since it’s the younger aunt, who else could it be besides Qin Minghan?

Pu Chen asked: « Auntie, do you know Qin Yu’s younger aunt? »

Pu Wenxin replied: « Mm. »

In her urgency, she instructed her niece: « If Qin Yu’s mother comes to see you, you can get along with her. No matter what, Qin Mingyi still has principles—she wouldn’t do anything excessive to you for Qin Yu’s sake. But you won’t be able to handle Qin Minghan. Be cautious when interacting with her. She’s your aunt’s love rival. »

Puchen: « …… »

Does Qin Minghan, also known as Qin Yu’s aunt, like Lu Bosheng too?

Morning sweetie, Auntie has a meeting soon and doesn’t have time to chat more. Remember what I just told you – call me anytime if anything comes up. Bye bye, darling.

Pu Wenxin’s voice message was accompanied by the hurried clicking of high heels.

Pu Chen: « Don’t worry, Auntie. I know what to do. »

She gripped her phone, took a deep breath, and went to meet Qin Minghan.

Qin Minghan was waiting for her downstairs by the dormitory, hands tucked in the pockets of her overcoat as she paced back and forth along the sidewalk. Despite the freezing weather, she wore a long winter dress with an ink-black overcoat draped over it.

That bold, hard-to-pull-off shade of black looked luxurious and sophisticated on her. She was different from her photos—her real-life presence was sharper, more striking. Even her hair exuded an air of unapproachable elegance.

Qin Minghan seemed to recognize her too and gave her a gentle smile.

Pu Chen smiled back and walked toward her.

Qin Minghan’s scrutinizing gaze swept over her from head to toe. « Qin Yu was right—you really are a little fairy. » She paused deliberately for two seconds. « Just as beautiful as your aunt. »

Pu Chen replied with neither humility nor arrogance: [Thank you. Do you know my aunt?]

Qin Minghan seemed to consider for a moment, « You could say that. »

She gestured toward the cafeteria with her chin, « Let’s go. It’s been years since I’ve eaten at your school cafeteria. We’ll have lunch there today. »

Pu Chen followed her steps, suddenly feeling uncertain about Qin Minghan’s intentions.

The cafeteria was currently at peak lunch hour, bustling with students. Amid the noisy crowd, Qin Minghan’s outfit made her stand out like a sore thumb.

Qin Minghan chatted with her casually, exchanging trivial small talk about everyday life.

It wasn’t until they’d gotten their meals and sat down at a table that Qin Minghan finally got to the point: « I heard my sister hasn’t been very happy lately because of what’s going on between you and Qin Yu. »

Pu Chen ate her meal in silence, having nothing to say.

Normally, as an outsider, I shouldn’t interfere. But one is my cousin who’s always been good to me, and the other is my nephew whom I’ve watched grow up. I really can’t bear to see mother and son become like enemies, ending up in an irreparable situation.

Pu Chen was on high alert, unsure what threat she would use next to force her and Qin Yu to break up.

Qin Minghan took off her coat and draped it over the chair beside her. « When people are angry, they lose all sense of proportion. Even knowing what they shouldn’t do, they’ll still act out recklessly in retaliation. »

Pu Chen understood every word, but she was still lost in the fog, unable to grasp what Qin Minghan was really trying to convey.

[Can you just say it directly? I don’t understand.]

Qin Minghan asked, « You know about your aunt’s project overseas, right? »

Pu Chen’s heart skipped a beat as she nodded.

Qin Minghan continued, « Your aunt originally planned to finish the project and return home before Christmas, but there’s been a major issue with the project. She can’t come back now. »

Pu Chen put down her chopsticks, [What do you mean?]

Her panic was written all over her eyes.

Qin Minghan had precisely wanted this reaction. She spoke deliberately, « It means your aunt exploited her position to steal trade secrets and sell them to a competitor of Party A. Now, Party A is demanding accountability. Also, the project your aunt was responsible for encountered issues at the last minute. If Party A obtains solid evidence, do you know what your aunt will face? »

Pu Chen, having never weathered such storms before, had already turned deathly pale.

She forced herself to stay calm: [My aunt would never do such a thing.]

Qin Minghan smiled, « Haven’t you heard the saying ‘Give a dog a bad name and hang him’? »

This was a blatant threat to her.

Pu Chen, after a brief moment of panic and ringing ears, warned herself not to lose composure.

Qin Minghan fell silent, lowering her head to eat with quiet elegance.

Pu Chen: [« You’d go so far as to frame my aunt just to force me to break up with Qin Yu? »]

Qin Minghan looked up at her, unfazed by Pu Chen’s choice of words, his voice still calm: « That’s not the way to put it. Your aunt simply lacks the crisis management skills to handle such a major project. »

Pu Chen witnessed firsthand the art of shifting blame. At this point, she couldn’t determine whether her aunt’s project had minor issues or if something serious had truly gone wrong.

She couldn’t afford to panic herself. Once again, she gave herself a mental pep talk.

[« My aunt is doing fine, and she’s planning to visit me in Beijing. »]

Qin Minghan gave a silent laugh. « Don’t you know what your aunt is like? How could she ever let you know if she were in trouble? Besides, what could you, a student, do to help even if she told you? »

Pu Chen wasn’t afraid of Qin Minghan’s threats, but she worried that her aunt might actually be in trouble.

Qin Minghan: « You don’t have to believe me. Just wait a few days and see if your aunt can return. To put it bluntly, as long as you’re still dating Qin Yu, your aunt won’t be coming back. »

Her next words cut straight to the heart: « Of course, you could tell Qin Yu that your aunt is in trouble and ask him to call in a huge favor from the He family to help resolve it. But even if your aunt manages to get out of this scrape, what about her future? As long as she keeps working, the troubles won’t stop coming. »

Pu Chen now fully understood why her aunt had warned her to be cautious when dealing with Qin Minghan. Compared to Qin Minghan, Qin Mingyi’s words at the café that day had been downright gentle and polite.

Today, it was me telling you, so you found out what happened to your aunt. In the future, if she suffers at work, she’ll have no choice but to swallow her grievances. If you don’t care whether your aunt gets dragged into your mess, then forget I said anything.

Pu Wenxin was Pu Chen’s Achilles’ heel—a surefire target. Qin Minghan was certain Pu Chen wouldn’t disregard her aunt’s well-being, which was why she had taken the risk to approach her.

Seeing that Pu Chen remained silent, Qin Minghan pressed harder: « The investment in that project is beyond your imagination. It’s not something she can just walk away from. Not only would the client be unhappy, but her own company would certainly hold her accountable. The breach penalties and compensation would be astronomical. »

Knowing when to stop, Qin Minghan wisely cut herself short. She stood up to fetch another pair of chopsticks, occasionally serving dishes to Pu Chen.

By the end of the meal, Pu Chen had been attended to with meticulous care.

Pu Chen barely ate a few bites. Since this was the cafeteria, she couldn’t just drop her chopsticks and leave—otherwise, who knew what rumors her classmates might spread if they saw.

Coming out of the cafeteria, Qin Minghan insisted on walking her back to the dormitory.

The afternoon sunlight was pleasant today, lazily spilling across the entire campus. Beneath their calm exterior, she and Qin Minghan were engaged in a silent storm.

Qin Minghan maintained his leisurely posture from earlier, hands in pockets, strolling at an unhurried pace, thoroughly enjoying campus life.

Actually, even if I don’t tell you what difficulties Pu Wenxin is facing right now, you’ll find out sooner or later.

Pu Chen stared straight ahead, giving no response.

Qin Minghan continued from where he left off: « Because by Spring Festival at the latest, your aunt’s situation definitely can’t be kept hidden. Given your family’s financial circumstances, even bankrupting yourselves wouldn’t cover the compensation owed to Party A. What will you do when you can’t pay? »

Pu Chen, have you thought about it?

Pu Chen still didn’t answer. She was trying to sort through the chaotic thoughts swirling in her mind.

I’m probably going to make myself unwelcome both inside and out by coming here today. I didn’t have to tell you in advance, but I still came. It doesn’t matter—I don’t expect your gratitude. I just don’t want to see your family end up drowning in debt, nor do I want Pu Wenxin to struggle in her industry.

Pu Chen turned her head to look at Qin Minghan, and by coincidence, she turned to face her too.

The two locked eyes for a moment.

Pu Chen typed on her phone as the cold wind sliced across her hands like knives.

Her fingers trembled slightly from the cold as she typed, [« Why pretend to be so innocent? After threatening me, you still want to wash your hands clean, acting as if you’re some kind of good person. »]

Qin Minghan laughed in anger, « At least I genuinely don’t want to see your aunt face massive compensation or even greater consequences. If it comes to that, do you think you and Qin Yu can still stay together? »

Pu Chen tucked her hands, along with her phone, into the sleeves of her down jacket.

Qin Minghan defended himself, « Since you’ll have to break up sooner or later anyway, why let your aunt suffer so much unjustly? And it’s the kind of suffering where she can’t even defend herself. If you don’t break up now, your aunt’s troubles won’t be resolved. By the time things spiral out of control and you finally decide to leave Qin Yu, your aunt will still have to compensate the client for their losses. Losing on both fronts—does that sound like a good deal to you? »

As they neared the dormitory area, Qin Minghan came to a halt.

Pu Chen didn’t exchange another word with her.

Qin Minghan didn’t mind Pu Chen’s aloof attitude. If Pu Chen had been warm and friendly toward her, that would have been truly unusual.

Go back and think carefully about what I’ve said. Consider whether an uncertain love is more important, or the family you care about most. When you calm down, the answer will come to you naturally.

With that, she gave a slight nod and turned to walk in the opposite direction.

Qin Minghan called her driver to pick her up. By the time she reached the end of the road, the driver had arrived.

She always left herself a way out in everything she did. No longer in her twenties, she wasn’t naive enough to believe she could execute things flawlessly.

So as soon as she got in the car, she called Qin Mingyi, believing honesty was the best policy.

Qin Mingyi was in her office, busy reviewing case files. With no one else around, she put the phone on speaker and set it aside. « What’s up? »

Qin Minghan came straight to the point: « I went to see Pu Chen today. »

She blurted out the rest in one breath: « I just left her school. I threatened her—if she doesn’t break up with Qin Yu soon, her aunt’s project won’t go smoothly. In fact, problems have already started cropping up, and whether more issues arise depends entirely on her attitude. »

What’s gotten into you, Minghan? » Qin Mingyi grabbed her phone, turned off speaker mode, and pressed it to her ear. « Who told you to go find Pu Chen?

Qin Minghan had a solid justification: « I couldn’t stand watching you suffer like that. You clearly don’t like Pu Chen, yet you endure everything for Qin Yu’s sake. It’s not that I don’t wish you well—keeping this up will make you sick eventually. Let me be the villain here. If Qin Yu finds out, just blame everything on me. He won’t hold it against you. »

Like a mute tasting bitter herbs—this was exactly how Qin Mingyi felt right now.

Her suffering was her own business. She didn’t need anyone using « for her own good » as an excuse to push her toward an abyss of no return.

What did you do to Pu Wenxin?

Qin Minghan had no intention of hiding it and laid everything out for Qin Mingyi. She had colluded with the client of the project and someone from Pu Wenxin’s team to set a trap for Pu Wenxin, who fell right into it without any warning.

She then reassured Qin Mingyi: « Don’t worry, the client company is registered in the Cayman Islands. Outsiders can’t access the shareholders’ information. »

Qin Mingyi wasn’t clear about which company the client was and was curious: « Who do you know from the client’s side? »

Qin Minghan: « The top boss—no need to say more. You know what I mean. » She didn’t want to elaborate.

For some reason, Qin Mingyi felt an inexplicable unease stirring in her heart.

The situation was far more complicated than she had imagined. For the client’s boss to risk their company’s reputation and interests by doing something that harmed others without benefiting themselves—there must have been an even greater temptation at play.

But what kind of benefit could Qin Minghan possibly offer to make the other party sacrifice so much?

Qin Mingyi questioned, « Minghan, what kind of deal did you actually make with the client’s boss for them to be willing to help you without any bottom line? »

« There’s no benefit involved—what could I possibly offer them? Besides, they wouldn’t even be interested. It’s just an old friend who owed me a favor. He’s reliable. » Qin Minghan brushed it off vaguely.

She deftly changed the subject, « This time, no one can help Pu Wenxin except Pu Chen. Just wait for the good news of Pu Chen breaking up with Qin Yu. »

Even though Qin Mingyi disliked Pu Chen, she wasn’t foolish enough to go that far. « Minghan, you should stop now before you end up losing more than you gain! »

Qin Minghan frowned, « Sis, what are you talking about? »

Qin Mingyi didn’t want to pretend ignorance while fully aware—this matter brought her nothing but harm.

Even if Qin Yu and Pu Chen broke up, walls have ears. If Qin Yu ever found out about this, whether it was done by Qin Minghan or herself, it would make no difference to him. Their mother-son relationship would truly reach its end.

She could privately persuade Pu Chen to leave Qin Yu. At worst, Qin Yu would be angry when he found out. But if she harmed Pu Chen’s family, Qin Yu would never forgive her no matter what.

This is a bottom-line issue.

Qin Mingyi sternly warned: « Qin Minghan, if you want to play with fire, don’t drag me into it. I know you hate Pu Wenxin, believing her appearance ruined your chance to marry Lu Baisheng. How you deal with Pu Wenxin is your business, but you shouldn’t take your anger out on Pu Chen! »

Qin Minghan had anticipated her cousin’s concerns. So even when her cousin bluntly laid out the truth without holding back, she didn’t feel as angry as one might expect.

She could tolerate her cousin’s anger, but the thought of Qin Yu possibly marrying Pu Chen—that was the reality she simply couldn’t accept.

Once the cousin’s family accepts Pu Chen, Lu Baisheng’s mother might also be influenced to gradually change her mind, and simply stop interfering with whether Lu Baisheng remarries Pu Wenxin.

The heart-wrenching pain—she refused to endure it again.

At some point, she developed an obsessive, extreme thought: if she couldn’t have peace, neither would Pu Wenxin; what she couldn’t obtain, Pu Wenxin shouldn’t have either.

Qin Minghan still insisted: « Sis, I know you’re soft-hearted and afraid Qin Yu might blame you later. Didn’t I say it? I’ll play the villain. You go ahead with your work—I won’t disturb you anymore. »

Then she hung up the phone.

Qin Mingyi felt like she had punched a ball of cotton—powerless and frustrated.

—

After parting ways with Qin Minghan, Pu Chen didn’t return to the dormitory. She walked back and forth twice along the path between the dorm and the library, the northeastern wind whipping against her face, keeping her utterly awake.

She was going to be a lawyer in the future—she couldn’t lose her composure at every turn.

But right now, she was powerless to help, and the difficulties her aunt faced were beyond her ability to resolve.

Qin Minghan might not know that Lu Bosheng was teaching in Su City or that she was acquainted with him. Moreover, Qin Minghan was certain her aunt wouldn’t turn to Lu Bosheng for help—that’s why he acted so brazenly.

After careful consideration, Pu Chen decided to message Lu Bosheng in the end. She needed to confirm whether her aunt’s project was truly as dire as Qin Minghan claimed.

[Professor Lu, are you busy right now?]

Lu Baisheng replied almost instantly: [Yes, your aunt’s project has run into issues. She canceled her flight ticket last minute, and I’m trying to figure out what’s going on over there. No leads so far.]

Pu Chen couldn’t wait any longer: [Professor Lu, the problem with Aunt’s project is related to Qin Minghan. She came to school today to see me, demanding that I break up with Qin Yu. She also said Aunt is involved in stealing trade secrets and the client intends to hold her accountable.]

Since it was a text conversation—neither seeing nor hearing the other person—she had no way of knowing Professor Lu’s expression or reaction upon reading this message.

[« Mr. Lu? »]

Lu Baisheng: [« I’m contacting friends to investigate starting from Qin Minghan. Don’t worry, your aunt won’t face any trouble, and I won’t let her face any either. »]

He reassured Pu Chen: [« Wherever she is, I’ll be there. »]

Pu Chen sighed in relief: [« Thank you, Mr. Lu. Is there anything I can do to help? »]

Lu Baisheng: [« You’ve already helped me tremendously by pointing me in the right direction. I’ll give you a big red envelope during Spring Festival—I appreciate you giving me this chance to prove myself at a critical moment. If it were your aunt, she’d shoulder even the heaviest burden alone without asking for help. »]

Pu Chen explained: [« That’s because Auntie doesn’t feel entitled to ask for your assistance now. This isn’t something you could resolve with just a word, and she’d never want to owe favors. In the past, I probably wouldn’t have troubled you either. »]

Had she not gone through the incident with Qin Mingyi, she might have immediately agreed to break up with Qin Yu to ensure her aunt’s safety.

But now, when problems arise, she must face and resolve them.

Lu Baisheng praised her: « Not bad, you’ve grown up. »

Pu Chen: « Yeah, I’ll soon be able to protect Qin Yu (giggles). »

With Auntie’s matter showing progress and Teacher Lu by her side, she felt completely at ease.

That evening, a staff member from Yunyue Cultural Company contacted her, saying one of their shareholders wanted to discuss creative matters with her.

Pu Chen added the shareholder using her alternate account. The other party had a six-digit QQ number—it was the first time she’d seen such a short ID. Their nickname was ‘I’m Richer Than the Male Lead in Novels.’

The request was quickly approved after she sent it.

Pu Chen politely greeted them.

‘I’m Richer Than the Male Lead in Novels’ immediately asked her: [Why did you stop writing?]

Little Ximi: [« No time. »]

‘I’m Richer Than the Novel’s Male Lead’: [« When will you have time, roughly? »]

Little Ximi had no intention of continuing: [« Stopping wasn’t entirely about time—mainly, my writing wasn’t great. I’m still a student, and finals are coming up. I really don’t have time to think about this stuff now. »]

‘I’m Richer Than the Novel’s Male Lead’: [« Average writing isn’t an issue—it just needs adaptation potential. »]

Pucheng never expected that her youthful love story, which didn’t have much plot, still had the potential to be adapted into a radio drama.

He sent another message: [When do you plan to write the next book? Give me a specific date. Once you start, the company will sign the copyright with you for no less than the price of your first book.]

Even though they were chatting through a screen, Pucheng could feel the other party’s assertiveness and pressure.

Little Ximi: [Sorry, it’s not about the money. I can’t come up with ideas for a new novel, and I’ll be very busy in the future.] She had promised Qin Yu that she would make all his efforts worthwhile, so she had to work even harder than him.

There was no extra time left to conceive a novel.

‘I’m richer than the male lead in your novel’: [Don’t rush to reject me—think it over carefully.]

Before Pu Chen could even reply, the other party had already gone offline.

No amount of reconsideration would help—she had neither the time nor energy to write.

[« Baby, where are you? »]

Qin Yu’s message popped up on the screen.

Pu Chen had grown accustomed to Qin Yu’s tenderness toward her. Just moments ago, while chatting with that ‘I’m richer than any novel’s male lead’ guy, her entire body had been tense.

She calculated the time in his location—5:25 in the morning.

[Why are you up so early again today?]

Qin Yu didn’t tell the truth: [Just woke up.]

He had been woken by a phone call from back home—the caller momentarily forgot he was abroad and there was a time difference.

The call came from a staff member at Yunyue Cultural Company, the very company he had invested in. The staff had specifically contacted him to provide Xiaoximi’s contact details.

Before he could add Xiaoximi, Xiaoximi contacted him first.

This Xiaoximi was a bit difficult to deal with, saying she wasn’t considering writing any new novels.

Perhaps the copyright fee he offered wasn’t high enough, and Xiaoximi lacked motivation. He decided to throw money at the problem to get her to start writing during winter break. Otherwise, Chenbao would be bored at home during the holidays—reading books would tire her out, and she’d have no novels to relax with.