“Sister Zou!”
Xiao Ning’s eyes reddened, tears welling up and swirling in her sockets, on the verge of falling.
Zou Weijun smiled at her: “You are all grown up now. Do not tell me you want to cry? Upon hearing I am leaving, are you worried you cannot continue supporting Wen Ying like I did?”
Xiao Ning hurriedly defended herself: “Sister Zou, rest assured. I definitely will not let Wen Ying suffer any losses. And the projects you left behind, I will watch over them for you and ensure they proceed smoothly!”
Xiao Ning had matured a great deal, yet seemed unchanged in some ways. She was still that young editor who arrived in Rongcheng full of passion. Zou Weijun’s casual use of reverse psychology had her falling for it hook, line, and sinker.
Wen Ying, who had been full of worry, was amused by Xiao Ning’s reaction. She played along with Zou Weijun’s words, seeking support from Xiao Ning: “Once Aunt Zou leaves, I can only rely on you!”
Xiao Ning rubbed the corner of her eye, forcing the tears back: “Put your mind at ease. I will definitely fight for the treatment you deserve.”
Zou Weijun wanted to laugh too.
Ah, though Wen Ying was younger than Xiao Ning, and Wen Ying was the author while Xiao Ning was the editor, when push came to shove, who helped whom was anyone’s guess!
Zou Weijun was reluctant to leave the publishing career she loved, and she worried about the newcomer Xiao Ning she had personally mentored.
Without her holding things down from above, would Xiao Ning get bullied?
Rongcheng Publishing Group was a large company, and the bigger the group, the more complex the relationships. Zou Weijun feared Xiao Ning could not handle them. Without Zou Weijun, Xiao Ning needed to unite all possible forces, such as Song Fotxiang and Editor Wan, who seemed oily in daily dealings but might prove more reliable than others in key moments…
Xiao Ning listened in stunned silence.
After working together for so long, Xiao Ning had thought Zou Weijun was straightforward and unconcerned with the internal politics of the publishing group. It turned out Zou Weijun understood everything perfectly; she had simply not mentioned it before!
“Solid professional skills are the most important. They ensure you always have food on the table, no matter where you go. But beyond professional skills, how you handle people determines the quality of that food. Xiao Ning, you are still young. Do not set limits on your career. It is right to love publishing and strive to excel in it, but I want to tell you we must learn until we die. An industry’s development is closely tied to the era’s backdrop. You need to learn new knowledge and strive not to be left behind by the times!”
Being an editor now did not mean being one forever.
There were many ways to love the publishing industry. Zou Weijun hoped Xiao Ning could have greater space to shine. Temporarily leaving publishing filled Zou Weijun with personal regret, but she transformed that regret into hopeful expectations, projecting it onto Xiao Ning.
Zou Weijun’s heartfelt words not only sank in for Xiao Ning, the person involved, but also surprised Wen Ying greatly.
“Do you think the publishing industry will be left behind by the times?”
Zou Weijun thought seriously for a moment before nodding cautiously: “I am not certain. I just feel the pace of change is so fast. In our youth, reading was the top choice for young people to gain knowledge and pass time. The power of words struck straight to the heart, and literature drove us mad with passion. Now look at the young people today. Technology has advanced greatly, and choices for passing time have multiplied. I know many still love reading, but some young people have shifted their gaze to films and TV. They would rather go to internet cafes to game online than read books… Wen Ying, you should have noticed this writing blogs on portal sites. Writers can write blogs, celebrities can, even ordinary people can. The threshold for creation has lowered. I think it is a good thing, yet I feel a faint unease.”
Wen Ying’s mouth fell slightly open. From sheer shock, it stayed that way for quite a while.
Of course Wen Ying knew print media would decline.
After these two or three peak years, the domestic publishing industry would grow harder year by year. Educational materials and supplementary texts posed no issue, of course, with such a vast student base and no lack of market there. Beyond that major category, producing blockbuster literary books would become increasingly difficult.
It was not that young people stopped reading; it was that how they read had changed!
Wen Ying knowing this was no surprise at all. She had lived through such era shifts once before.
Some changes were thunderous and dramatic; others were like boiling a frog in warm water.
By the time most people realised, the change had already completed. Those with keen senses switched tracks and seized new opportunities in the shift, while the dull ones were trapped in fading industries, struggling helplessly.
But for Zou Weijun to foresee the future trajectory of publishing, that was truly impressive!
How had Zou Weijun seen it?
Wen Ying opened her mouth to ask, yet knew not where to begin.
Like father, like daughter; like mother, like son. With Xie Qian so clever, how could Zou Weijun be dim?
Being a full-time housewife for so many years had truly limited Zou Weijun’s personal growth.
Wen Ying had initially worried about the reason for Zou Weijun’s hasty resignation, but in an instant, she felt enlightened: Zou Weijun did not need her concern at all. Once adapted to the workplace rhythm and free from depression’s grip, Zou Weijun was meant to become someone others feared!
Wen Ying’s worried words reached her lips but shifted direction: “Aunt Zou, after leaving the publishing house, do you have a new position in mind?”
As she asked, Wen Ying already had a guess; she just needed confirmation from Zou Weijun.
Zou Weijun smiled gently, her gaze firm: “Of course. I plan to return to the capital and work at ‘Jinhu’.”
Back to the capital!
Working at Jinhu!
Alright, nothing more needed asking. Wen Ying understood it all.
Zou Weijun, who had been bullied into depression, after two years of recuperation, was finally standing tall again!
Wen Ying belatedly came to her senses.
No wonder after the capital signings, there had been no further moves from Xie Jinghu’s side. Wen Ying had thought subduing Zhang Nan had foiled his plans. Now thinking back, Xie Jinghu must have had no time for her because Zou Weijun was going to work at “Jinhu”, and he was preoccupied preparing countermeasures!
“Then what about Xie Qian? Is he returning to the capital too?”
Wen Ying’s surprise was no overreaction; Zou Weijun’s decision to return to the capital perfectly matched Xie Qian’s life path from her previous life.
In her previous life, Xie Qian had vanished after the summer break of 2006. Rongcheng’s provincial key school lost his presence. To Wen Ying, he was a beautiful fleeting illusion, dreamlike and illusory. After their brief intersection, their lives never overlapped again!
Of course, even if Xie Qian still transferred away after this summer like in her previous life, Wen Ying was confident they would not lose touch. But ultimately, it meant leaving her line of sight, leaving Wen Ying unsettled.
Seeing Wen Ying’s anxiety, Zou Weijun felt a touch of mischief and pretended to hesitate:
“Of course I want to take Xie Qian with me, but he has not decided yet. I know he is reluctant to leave you all, his good friends. But you know too, he does not truly belong to Rongcheng. He will return to the place of his birth sooner or later. How about you help Auntie persuade him?”
Help persuade Xie Qian to return to the capital?
A slight pang pierced Wen Ying’s little heart.
She could not refute Zou Weijun’s words. Xie Qian indeed did not belong to Rongcheng.
The thought of Xie Qian leaving now filled Wen Ying with deep loss. Before Zou Weijun, she tried hard to maintain composure: “…Alright, I will try persuading him.”
Xiao Ning had just digested Zou Weijun’s earlier words when she looked up and saw Wen Ying on the verge of tears.
What happened?
Was Wen Ying this sentimental?
Xiao Ning felt she should cry too, but the sorrow she had brewed earlier was dispersed by Zou Weijun. Now she could not cry at all!
