Hah!
Xie Qian spoke casually, but even with one mouth and two eyes, the attractiveness of mouths and eyes varies greatly between people.
In fact, Wen Ying noticed Xie Qian didn’t resemble Zou Weijun much and guessed he likely took after Xie Jinghu, which sparked her curiosity about Xie Jinghu. To hurt Zou Weijun so deeply, she must have loved Xie Jinghu intensely.
Wen Ying wanted to see him, and despite her pestering, Xie Qian couldn’t resist.
“He’s coming tomorrow morning. If you finish your homework and the test paper early tomorrow, I’ll let you catch a glimpse from afar.”
No need for close-up; Xie Qian feared the scumbag’s vile aura might choke Wen Ying.
Though his scumbag father wouldn’t openly harm him, Xie Qian couldn’t guarantee he wouldn’t hurt those around him. After all, he was cozy with Zhao Dong, so he might approve of Zhao Dong’s tactics, right?
Zhao Dong, the creep who’d target young girls!
Luckily, Wen Ying’s family was solid, or Zhao Dong would’ve broken through long ago.
But recently, Wen Ying’s family had some conflicts… they needed to reconcile soon.
No matter how pitifully Wen Ying pleaded, Xie Qian stood firm, insisting she finish the test paper.
If her grades didn’t improve, the cold war with her mother wouldn’t ease.
Internal disunity invites outsiders to set traps!
With Xie Jinghu coming, Xie Qian had to keep Wen Ying in check to prevent her from stirring trouble and arrange things for his mother, Zou Weijun.
The next morning, guessing Xie Jinghu was on the plane, Xie Qian distracted Zou Weijun before heading to school, using *Teen Idol*:
“Mom, have you decided what publishing terms to offer Wen Ying?”
Zou Weijun had been waiting for *Aige*’s May issue to hit the shelves.
After reading this issue’s *Teen Idol* serial, her resolve to publish the book strengthened.
“No need to remind me. I’ve already contacted *Aige* magazine. As expected, they’ve noticed the potential in Wen Ying’s book and want to publish a standalone edition themselves.”
In *Aige*’s April issue, Wen Ying’s editor, Xiao Ni, allocated only 20,000 words for *Teen Idol*, which frustrated readers, who flooded the magazine with complaints.
The magazine wanted to keep readers hooked, not alienate them, mastering the art of balance. April’s issue had 20,000 words, May’s jumped to 30,000.
If readers thought the magazine had turned over a new leaf, they’d be mistaken. June’s issue might drop to 18,000 words… Zou Weijun reached out directly to Xiao Ni.
Xiao Ni, a new editor, was quite naive. After talking with Zou Weijun, she revealed the magazine’s plan to publish a standalone *Teen Idol*.
No surprise there. If Zou Weijun could see the book’s potential, *Aige*, with direct reader feedback, wouldn’t let *Teen Idol* slip away.
Zou Weijun didn’t say much. Wen Ying serialized in *Aige*, but held the book’s copyright. Whether Zou Weijun or the magazine wanted to publish it, they’d need to offer Wen Ying satisfactory terms.
Zou Weijun generously advised her competitors not to be too stingy, saying whoever secured the copyright would depend on their ability.
Poor Xiao Ni, accidentally showing her hand, was mortified.
What now? Raise Wen Ying’s pay again?
Initially, Xiao Ni aimed for 150 yuan per 1,000 words for Wen Ying, but the chief editor approved only 130 yuan.
As *Teen Idol* gained traction, Xiao Ni pushed for a raise to 200 yuan per 1,000 words, but the chief editor cut it to 180 yuan.
180 yuan per 1,000 words was decent for a new author!
But with youth magazines booming and *Aige* among the top sellers, it could offer more.
Wen Ying’s disadvantage was her lack of fame.
Otherwise, for a popular long serial like *Teen Idol*, even a moderately known author wouldn’t get less than 300 yuan per 1,000 words from *Aige*.
For a star author nurtured by the magazine, a 1,000 yuan per 1,000 words standard wouldn’t be surprising!
Spooked by Zou Weijun, Xiao Ni rushed to apply for another pay raise for Wen Ying, arguing that a publisher wanted to release *Teen Idol* as a standalone, and without a raise, they might lose her.
The chief editor was skeptical.
A rookie author wouldn’t get better terms elsewhere.
If *Aige* couldn’t keep Wen Ying, where could she go?
*Teen Idol* was popular, but the platform was the magazine’s. Every year, *Aige* launched hit serials. With 120,000 words published and Wen Ying submitting 180,000, most of the book was already with the magazine. She couldn’t jump ship mid-serial.
Wen Ying had to finish *Teen Idol* regardless.
Zou Weijun, sharing her findings, was thrilled, “The magazine’s so complacent, how can they compete with me? The terms they’ll offer Wen Ying can’t match what I’ll secure for her.”
Today, Zou Weijun was heading to work with the first 120,000 words of *Teen Idol* and her publishing plan, ready to discuss with her boss.
Since reporting Song Foxiang and Editor Wan during the May Day holiday, Zou Weijun spoke more boldly in front of her boss.
Now, she wasn’t afraid of the boss; the boss was a bit wary of her.
Being assertive had its perks!
Seeing her happy, Xie Qian smiled too.
“Alright, wishing you success!”
Zou Weijun waved at Xie Qian.
Xie Qian left for school early, while Zou Weijun went later.
Song Foxiang’s pursuit hadn’t cast a shadow over Zou Weijun. Editor Wan, once a nitpicker, now behaved himself, even deferring to her in front of the boss.
Colleagues vying for the *Hush, Little Secret* series had also become docile.
Zou Weijun was thriving at work these days.
Unaware Xie Jinghu was coming today, Xie Qian went to school, and Zou Weijun ate breakfast made by Aunt Liu before leisurely driving to work.
Rongcheng’s pace was slow. Arriving at 8:30 a.m., Zou Weijun was considered an early, diligent employee.
At 8:30 a.m., Xie Jinghu’s flight hadn’t landed.
A flight attendant crouched to ask what he wanted for breakfast, but Xie Jinghu had no appetite.
Zhong Yong, riding Xie Jinghu’s coattails, sat in first class too. The seats were comfy, the service top-notch, and even the breakfast was leagues above economy class!
Xie Jinghu’s dark mood didn’t stop Zhong Yong from enjoying his meal heartily.
Zhong Yong knew the score.
This trip was different from following Zou Weijun to Shanghai last time.
The wedding gift Zou Weijun gave him last time thrilled his wife. This time, without orders, he knew what to do!
—How could he stop Mr. Xie without a full stomach?!
