That afternoon, Wen Ying’s family of three even went out to eat at a restaurant.
Going out to eat together was rare in both of Wen Ying’s lifetimes, so much so that when Chen Ru suddenly asked mid-meal if she wanted the walls painted beige, Wen Ying was momentarily stunned.
“Beige?”
“Yeah, a very light beige, with white furniture and light curtains.”
Compared to pink, beige was a huge improvement, and Wen Ying agreed instantly.
Influenced by future aesthetics, she preferred neutral tones like black, white, and gray for home decor, but suggesting those now would seem too mature for her age. She accepted Chen Ru’s shift from pink to beige.
More precious than the wall color was Chen Ru’s concession, making Wen Ying’s smile visibly more genuine.
The thawing of the mother-daughter relationship thrilled Wen Dongrong the most!
Sadly, it was late May, and the weather was getting hotter, so the new leather jacket was unwearable.
—When would Wen Ying return that 500 yuan of pocket money?
It wasn’t about getting the money back; in that situation, he couldn’t keep it. Had Wen Ying understood his good intentions and kept his money safe?
April’s 500, May’s 500, June’s 500… with 1,500 yuan in his pocket, Wen Dongrong felt he’d be rich again.
Each family member found their satisfaction, and the car ride home was harmonious. Seeing the locked drawer, Wen Ying thought her uncle Deng Shangwei’s advice was spot-on: explaining everything would make Manager Chen explode; selective secrecy was better for everyone.
Wen Ying hadn’t abandoned her plans, just moved them underground.
She had to keep her little secrets tight!
Before bed, she texted Xie Qian: *Thanks, your advice worked great!*
Xie Qian got the message just after arriving home from the airport.
Wen Ying still hadn’t mentioned the publishing contract, but Xie Qian decided to magnanimously forgive her.
Taking advice was a big hamster strength, one he liked!
Compared to that, occasional forgetfulness wasn’t a big flaw.
…
The same Monday, the same study group of underachievers.
Li Mengjiao, yawning, handed her weekend homework to Xie Qian for grading. Only after he took it did she whisper to Wen Ying, “You met Song Chan alone on Friday, did she bully you?”
“Why would she bully me?”
Not only did Song Chan not bully Wen Ying, technically, the Song family was the one bullied by Zhao Dong.
“…Who knows, maybe she’s jealous of your talent!”
Li Mengjiao sneaked a glance at Xie Qian.
Not only was Wen Ying talented, she’d quietly snagged the school’s heartthrob. So calm—Li Mengjiao would’ve bragged by now!
Her mind screamed, *My bestie’s just that awesome*, making her giggle.
—When Wen Ying and Xie Qian go public, she’d do five splits in a row!
Wen Ying couldn’t figure out why Li Mengjiao was laughing, just that her smile seemed oddly knowing.
She must’ve misread it; “knowing” didn’t suit silly Li.
“Yesterday, I signed a publishing contract with Aunt Zou,” Wen Ying said.
Li Mengjiao instantly perked up, and even Xie Qian, grading papers, couldn’t help but listen.
Wen Ying initially planned to sign with a magazine but chose his mom, so something must’ve happened.
Though Zou Weijun told her son she’d signed Wen Ying, she didn’t badmouth the competition, so Xie Qian didn’t know the details.
“Spill, I shouldn’t have gone out of town this weekend, I should’ve been there for your signing,” Li Mengjiao grumbled.
She could only say that—skipping the promotional trip wasn’t an option. The dairy group’s 2.8 million annual endorsement fee wasn’t free money. Not cooperating would ruin her reputation, and Yuan Fenghui wouldn’t let her artist gain a bad name.
Wen Ying briefly recounted her negotiation with *Aige*’s editor-in-chief, Han Qin, concluding, “Except for feeling bad for Editor Xiao Ni, I have no regrets not signing with Han.”
Wen Ying softened the story, but Li Mengjiao was livid: that Han editor had no vision!
“You can negotiate terms, but looking down on you? How’d she even become editor-in-chief?”
Li Mengjiao’s soul-searching question.
Han Qin underestimated Wen Ying, and Li Mengjiao couldn’t stay neutral. Before Wen Ying could reply, she kept slamming Han for her snobbery, “When your book sells a million copies, let’s see if Han regrets it!”
Xie Qian glanced over.
Li Mengjiao was too chatty, like a sparrow outside, stealing his lines… maybe she needed more homework?
“Selling a million copies isn’t shouted into existence; it depends on the book’s quality and promotion,” Xie Qian said coolly.
Li Mengjiao’s eyes lit up, “Exactly, promotion matters. Even the best wine fears a deep alley.”
On promotion, Li Mengjiao had strong feelings.
Was her first album bad?
Supervised by Yuan Fenghui, how could it be?
But Manager Guan bought critics to trash it and cut its supply, tanking even a great album.
Once she landed the endorsement, her popularity soared, and her album sold big.
Not just her album—her dairy endorsement followed the same strategy.
Great products need ads, and Wen Ying’s book was no different.
Hearing Zou Weijun planned to launch *Youth Idol* in early August, Li Mengjiao jumped, “August is perfect! After finals, Wen Ying, don’t go anywhere, finish the manuscript.”
August was ideal.
The Super Girl national finals would be in full swing, and Li Mengjiao would have a packed promo schedule.
Barring surprises, her first TV drama would air too.
Per Teacher Yuan, the 2005 summer would be her peak influence. Wen Ying’s book launch would ride that wave… heh, no need to spell it out!
“I almost forgot, the drama’s post-production is nearly done. Teacher Yuan said once it’s finished, we’ll have an internal screening for feedback,” Li Mengjiao added.
Wen Ying was surprised, “That fast?”
“They’re rushing for the summer slot, gotta finish by July. You’re a screenwriter and investor, you’ll be in the first batch to see the final cut!”
Li Mengjiao was enthusiastic, but Wen Ying didn’t agree right away. She was aiming for the top 300 in her year at finals—where’d she find time to watch?
Her gaze drifted, sneaking a glance at Xie Qian, who kept his cool, expressionless.
—Did the hamster know her thoughts were written all over her face?!
