Wen Ying asked Xie Qian if Zou Weijun had any thoughts of divorce.
Zou Weijun herself hadn’t considered it.
She’s swamped with work!
Zou Weijun is bustling every day, chasing new career heights, too busy to even think about her deadbeat husband.
Work is a great distraction, giving her a fresh lease on life.
It’s also a safe haven from her failed marriage.
After parting with Wen Ying, Xie Qian didn’t go straight home but visited a psychologist alone. Hearing that Zou Weijun never mentions her husband, the psychologist, based on her past symptoms, made a serious diagnosis:
“Ms. Zou’s condition hasn’t healed. Her mental state seems stable and optimistic now, but it’s avoidance and displacement. She’s sealed off the pain of her unhappy marriage, refusing to touch the wound.”
On the surface, the wound appears healed, but the root cause of her illness still festers.
Only when Zou Weijun willingly brings up Xie Jinghu and discusses future plans with those close to her will she truly be renewed.
Divorce isn’t necessarily immediate. Everyone handles marital crises differently—some divorce instantly upon discovering infidelity, others seek revenge, unable to shake their resentment even after splitting.
Xie Qian wasn’t surprised by the psychologist’s conclusion.
Since Zou Weijun’s illness, he’d studied many related books, and the doctor’s assessment aligned with his own.
When Xie Qian got home, he and Zou Weijun arrived almost simultaneously.
Zou Weijun’s been incredibly busy!
Busy with reprints of *Teen Idol*, busy with the launch of a new magazine.
“Xiao Ni’s back from Shandong, we’ve secured the magazine’s publication license, the office is set up, and we’re recruiting now.”
Xiao Ni can’t handle everything alone; the new magazine needs editors and other staff, and they’ve started soliciting submissions.
Zou Weijun’s eyes sparkled talking about work. Housekeeper Aunt Liu, clueless about publishing, nodded along enthusiastically.
Aunt Liu asked the magazine’s name, and Zou Weijun said excitedly, “We’ve decided on *Spark*.”
A single spark can start a prairie fire?
Ambitious name.
The idea was Xie Qian’s, but Zou Weijun brought it to life. When he asked about the magazine’s specific positioning, she had a clear vision: “A more inclusive youth magazine.”
Youth is vibrant and varied, not limited to one style.
Magazines like *Aige* have a loyal readership, but Zou Weijun wants to compete with top youth magazines while carving out her own niche, balancing market appeal with originality.
“Like *Teen Idol*, it’s different from mainstream youth literature but still a hit, proving great works can break through. Success isn’t tied to style or theme. One flower blooming alone isn’t spring—I want a hundred flowers in full bloom.”
Readers’ tastes are diverse and can be shaped. Zou Weijun aims to promote mainstream themes while supporting niche ones, broadening *Spark*’s audience.
Xie Qian got it, “More literary than *Aige* and youth magazines, but more engaging than literary ones like *Sprout*?”
“Exactly, you nailed it!”
Zou Weijun looked at Xie Qian with pride. Her brainy son’s sharp understanding made communication effortless.
On her ambitions, Xie Qian commented frankly, “Great idea, but tough to pull off.”
If done well, it’s diverse; if not, it’s mediocre across the board, better to stick to mainstream themes.
Since it concerns Wen Ying’s writing platform for years to come, Xie Qian cares deeply about *Spark*’s success.
Zou Weijun didn’t argue with her son. Until *Spark* proves itself, she’ll face more than just his skepticism.
Whether *Spark* can follow her vision depends on its future performance.
Xiao Ni’s aggressively poaching talent, mainly from her former employer.
Her bold invitation to Liang He spread through the author circle—every industry has its network, and authors have their chat groups. They don’t submit to just one magazine, so a new one like *Spark* is welcome, offering more options.
High pay attracts submissions.
High acceptance rates are even better.
Xiao Ni accepts all submissions but judges them purely on quality, not past ties.
Pay’s no issue—Rongcheng Publishing Group backs the magazine with ample funding, happy to top competitors’ rates by 10 or 20 yuan. *Spark* needs those fees to draw submissions… but Xiao Ni won’t tolerate authors sending their best to established magazines and dumping subpar work on *Spark*.
Pay’s generous, but quality standards are strict.
The license is secured, but *Spark* won’t launch until enough top-notch submissions are collected.
While Xie Qian and Zou Weijun discussed *Spark*’s direction, Wen Ying got a call from Xiao Ni.
“Time to write a new story, short or long, I want your draft.”
Wen Ying’s scalp tingled under Xiao Ni’s roar.
Gentle Xiao Ni turned fierce when chasing drafts.
“I’ll write, I’ll write, I’ll submit next week!”
Wen Ying’s trembling amused Xiao Ni, who promised a fair price: “You’re not a newbie anymore. We’re close, I won’t lowball you with friendship.”
Regular authors are paid by quality, but for someone like Wen Ying, with a bestselling book and rising fame, her name adds value beyond quality.
If Wen Ying wrote exclusively for *Spark*, they’d owe her a signing bonus on top of per-word rates.
Wen Ying didn’t bring it up, but Xiao Ni and Zou Weijun knew it was due.
So far, their collaboration’s been smooth, and fees aren’t the urgent issue. Wen Ying agreed to the commission but couldn’t stop thinking about Zhao Dong.
—Will Xie Qian’s ambush on Zhao Dong succeed?
…
“Ah—”
Zhao Dong felt a sneeze coming, quickly covering his nose with a tissue.
While Wen Ying thought of him, Zhao Dong was browsing her blog.
Several attempts to harm Wen Ying failed, and now she’s thriving as a popular author?
Zhao Dong refused to admit his jealousy.
His book was self-funded, unlike Wen Ying’s, which publishers fought over.
So what? He didn’t publish for royalties, but for the bidding!
His secretary knocked softly:
“Mr. Zhao, it’s time, you should head to the venue.”
