“To ask President Ji for advice on some literary issues? It is the Literature Research Society, after all,” Jiang Ling smiled, tapping her chin with a finger.
“I told you, you don’t need to call me President Ji…”
“Business is business,” Jiang Ling winked.
Ji Qingyan remained expressionless, but a faint rosy tint slowly crept onto her face.
She felt as though Jiang Ling was teasing her.
Fine, she wouldn’t ask further.
Ji Qingyan put away the pen and paper, taking back the club application form she had just produced as well.
“Hey, I haven’t filled it out yet.”
Ji Qingyan shook her head and let out a lonely sigh.
“There is no need to fill it out. The club only has the two of us anyway.”
That sounded like there was quite a story behind it.
However, Ji Qingyan did not offer any details, perhaps because she did not want Jiang Ling to know.
Jiang Ling decided not to pry.
Her purpose for joining the club was very clear: she needed a place to stay while writing.
After all, Ji Qingyan was the only person who knew her secret.
In front of Ji Qingyan, she didn’t have to hide.
Thinking of this, Jiang Ling began to report her progress over the past two days to Ji Qingyan.
According to Ji Qingyan, Jiang Ling couldn’t just study books without ever putting pen to paper.
She needed to write and summarize simultaneously.
Writing a webnovel was a long-term job that required constant accumulation.
Thus, Jiang Ling had already registered an account and started writing.
When Ji Qingyan looked over the outline and ideas for her book, Jiang Ling felt extremely guilty.
She had claimed she wouldn’t be a plagiarist, but in the end, she still ended up copying.
She was even copying the very book right in front of her.
Ji Qingyan’s beautiful brows furrowed slightly.
She asked about Jiang Ling’s creative process from time to time and finally nodded.
Her evaluation was that it was okay.
Based on the current webnovel market, this theme was profitable.
The outline was also well-developed, but the specific control over pacing and writing style would depend on Jiang Ling herself.
One big advantage of joining the club was that after Jiang Ling finished writing, she could let Ji Qingyan review it and offer suggestions for revisions.
After all, she only had the general plot of the original book in her head.
As for the finer details, she had to figure them out herself.
Jiang Ling was currently writing on her phone.
Although the device was quite battered, the typing was still smooth.
She had wondered if she should buy a second-hand computer or simply borrow Lu Yuyao’s, but both methods carried too high a risk of being exposed.
Jiang Ling eventually abandoned those ideas.
After chatting with Ji Qingyan for a while, Jiang Ling prepared to leave.
It was already getting late. Jiang Ling looked out the window; the sky had turned dim.
She still had to tidy up the house and cook for Lu Yuyao when she got back.
Including what she had written at home yesterday, she now had about 10,000 words saved.
She planned to reach 50,000 words before officially publishing.
“Let’s leave together.”
Ji Qingyan stood up as well.
The two walked side by side.
The school streetlights had turned on at some point, casting a bright white light that made them glow as if draped in a layer of snow.
The September weather was getting colder, and Jiang Ling wondered if she should bring a jacket tomorrow.
They parted at the school gate. It was visible that Ji Qingyan was in a good mood; even the lilt of her voice was higher when she said “bye-bye” to Jiang Ling.
Perhaps even the coldest person would eventually get lonely if they stayed by themselves for too long.
Jiang Ling sighed and headed toward home.
Dinner was still two dishes and a soup; any more and they wouldn’t be able to finish.
“Time to eat!”
“Coming.”
Lu Yuyao walked slowly to the dining table in her pink rabbit slippers.
Just as she sat down and picked up her chopsticks, Jiang Ling’s voice rang out.
“Eldest Young Lady, wash your hands first!”
“Blegh.”
Lu Yuyao stuck out her tongue and ran to the kitchen.
Jiang Ling could sense that Lu Yuyao was in a bad mood today.
Jiang Ling had made her favorite braised shrimp, but she had only eaten two so far.
Usually, she would even mix the sauce with her rice!
“Are you in a bad mood, Eldest Young Lady?”
Lu Yuyao was mindlessly poking her rice with her chopsticks.
Jiang Ling frowned at the sight and asked the question.
“Huh? No… no.”
Lu Yuyao shook her head, but Jiang Ling could tell it was a lie at a glance.
“Really? You can tell me if you’re having any trouble. I might not be able to help much, but I can be a good listener.”
Jiang Ling cracked a joke, but Lu Yuyao’s spirits remained low.
She smiled but shook her head again.
“Don’t worry, I’ll tell you if anything really happens. My little maid is meant to help relieve my worries, after all.”
“…”
Even in a bad mood, she didn’t forget to tease her.
Jiang Ling rolled her eyes.
After living together for two months, she knew Lu Yuyao well enough.
Since she said that, it probably wasn’t anything major.
After cleaning up the dining table, the two took turns bathing.
Before bed, Jiang Ling was drying Lu Yuyao’s hair.
Lu Yuyao loved it when Jiang Ling dried her hair.
Every time the warm air blew over her head and those warm hands gently stroked her hair, she felt a strong sense of security.
Furthermore, Jiang Ling was very professional and never caused her pain.
It was so comfortable she even squinted her eyes.
Even the troubles in her heart were suppressed quite a bit.
“Eldest Young Lady? Did you fall asleep?”
Vaguely, Lu Yuyao seemed to hear Jiang Ling’s voice by her ear.
It was very soft.
Then, she felt her body being lifted.
After some slight bumping, she returned to a familiar, soft place.
Lu Yuyao was actually awake.
The moment Jiang Ling placed her on the bed, she realized she had fallen asleep comfortably while her hair was being dried.
How embarrassing.
A rosy blush bloomed on the girl’s face.
Her eyes were closed, but her eyelashes trembled incessantly.
Fortunately, Jiang Ling didn’t notice.
She simply placed her on the bed, muttered, “The Eldest Young Lady seems heavier than I thought,” and then the sound of the door closing followed.
Lu Yuyao’s fist clenched.
She bit her lip and turned over angrily.
‘You’re the heavy one!’
***
Fang Chenxi’s behavior of maintaining distance made Jiang Ling feel very relaxed.
Ever since the bet was made, Fang Chenxi stopped fooling around or touching her during class.
She listened attentively to every lecture and took notes, acting as if she absolutely had to win.
Jiang Ling just smiled.
‘Little girl, you don’t really think you can win against someone who has lived two lives, do you? No way, no way.’
Serving her in a maid outfit or whatever—that would have to wait until the next life!
So, Jiang Ling continued to read novels nonchalantly.
Now that she had actually started writing, her mind was full of questions about how to write the plot well and how to make readers want to read.
These were the things Ji Qingyan had told her.
To make money, she had to understand these principles.
Last night, while chatting with Ji Qingyan, she had curiously asked how she knew so much.
She always saw her reading, but most of it was prose, masterpieces, and books that seemed far removed from webnovels.
In response, Ji Qingyan showed her a series of award certificates: the Prose Award, the Journalism Award, and the Best Novel Award.
It made Jiang Ling’s head spin, and she sent several admiring cat emojis in a row.
Ji Qingyan only replied faintly, “It’s all right.”
[If you don’t mind, President Ji, I would like to take you as my master.]
[?]
Jiang Ling smiled, feeling like she had discovered a truly extraordinary, genius beauty.