Because she had everything, Orange Quiet Forest instead lost the motivation to pursue anything.
She was like a prized cat, lazily lying in the sun, watching others struggle to make a living.
Girls with clear goals like Jing He Xuanyiang instead made her a little envious.
Jing He Xuanyiang rested her hand on her cheek, looking at her with a lazy smile.
Watching Orange Quiet Forest’s slightly absent-minded expression, Xuanxiang lightly tapped her own soft cheek with her fingertip.
She narrowed her beautiful fox-like eyes and asked lazily.
“Jinglin, you’re from a well-off family, right?”
“Mm, not bad.”
The Orange family is indeed big.
But then again, the surname Orange is actually quite common.
When ordinary people hear this surname, they don’t immediately associate it with that big conglomerate.
Of course, Orange Quiet Forest wouldn’t deliberately show off her family background.
“No need to be modest.”
The little fox tapped her fingers twice on the table.
“It’s obvious from your words and actions. I guess you could call it temperament. For example, just now when we were walking in sync at the same pace and rhythm, even our hand waves and steps were naturally synchronized, but you, Jinglin, still have an elegant aura. It feels like a long-accumulated upbringing and attention to detail.”
“I see…”
However, Orange Quiet Forest had attended an all-girls school for young ladies from elementary through high school.
Since everyone around her was similar, she really hadn’t noticed.
Orange Quiet Forest nodded.
“My family does have some money, so I’ve always been at an all-girls school.”
Jing He Xuanyiang lightly tapped her fingertip on the rim of her glass.
“As I thought.”
Orange Quiet Forest brought up a new topic.
“Tonight is Sheyue Jingzhi’s debut.”
Jing He Xuanyiang narrowed her small fox eyes.
“Are you concerned about her?”
“After all, she’s a teammate. It would be a lie to say I’m not concerned. She also trains very seriously, but I feel like she has a bit of a solitary personality.”
Jing He Xuanyiang didn’t reply immediately.
She lowered her head, bit the straw in her glass, and habitually took a big gulp of lemonade.
However, the next second—
“Mmph—!”
Because too much crushed lime pulp and sour juice had settled at the bottom of the glass, the defenseless Xuanxiang was instantly ambushed by extreme sourness.
The perfect mask of maturity and composure she had maintained instantly shattered.
Her beautiful brows furrowed tightly, one eye squeezed shut from the sourness, and her whole face twisted into a vivid “>_<” expression.
Watching the previously composed fox’s expression crumble, Orange Quiet Forest almost couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Xuanxiang quickly picked up the glass of water beside her and took a sip.
After taking a while to recover, she pushed the dangerous lemonade away with lingering fear.
She cleared her throat, which had become a bit hoarse from the sourness, and regained her tone.
“Hoshisuna… she always feels like burning ice.”
Orange Quiet Forest blinked, not quite understanding.
“Burning ice?”
“Yes, I once had a friend who was very similar. It’s that kind of hysterical feeling, as if being chased by something, always striving with all their might, hysterically working hard, as if everything would end if they stopped.”
“Indeed, during training she works the hardest. The second is—”
“Umimi, right?”
“Yes.”
Xuanxiang took a spoonful.
“But Umimi is still lacking, I think. Her effort feels more like an obligation. She feels she should do something, she feels she ought to work hard. Hoshisuna works for a goal, even if it means burning herself out, she doesn’t mind.”
“Xuanxiang, you observe carefully. I only vaguely felt it, but didn’t think much about it.”
Xuanxiang smiled slightly.
It should have been a smile belonging to a sixteen-year-old girl.
But combined with her slightly upturned fox-like eyes, it always gave the illusion that she was secretly plotting some earth-shattering scheme.
But Orange Quiet Forest understood that it was just her temperament.
This time she had no ill intentions—just this time, meow meow.
It was strange.
Her own Fujiriria was also a fox-type character, but compared to her, it was far inferior.
Fujiriria was a very innocent and lovely child, you know.
“Because I want to become a manga artist, I always subconsciously observe things and environments around me. Whether it’s my own conversations, the reactions of people on the streets in daily life, or the various incidents that happen at school, I subconsciously observe, think, and absorb.”
“Have you submitted any works?”
Xuanxiang nodded.
Her gaze passed through the glass window and fixed on the distant skyline dyed red by the setting sun.
“Currently, I’m mainly working as an assistant for a serialized manga artist I know, gathering experience. Occasionally I also submit some short stories to the editorial department. But most of them are just things used to barely fill the gaps when some big-name mangaka suddenly can’t turn in their manuscript and the magazine has a last-minute hole.”
Orange Quiet Forest opened her eyes wide.
She liked reading manga, but for her, this was the first time she had seen a real-life manga artist.
“Even if it’s just filler, being able to get published in a magazine is already super impressive.”
“But it’s still far from enough, so I’m thinking about what I lack besides drawing skills. Since for school I only need to maintain minimum attendance and pass final exams, I’m thinking about what I should do during my free time.”
“So you thought of becoming an idol?”
“Sort of. But initially, I was attracted by the virtual streamer aspect. Because a manga artist I like also does something similar and has quite a lot of fans. But idols are also interesting. After discussing with c eternal, I thought it was a good idea.”
“But this project eventually requires showing your real face and holding offline live performances. After all, it’s not a pure virtual streamer.”
Orange Quiet Forest kindly reminded her.
“I know. Faces are on people’s bodies. If people want to see, they can see. I don’t mind at all.”
Jing He Xuanyiang shrugged casually.
“In the end, the decision was made because of the multimedia project. c eternal said a mobile game is already in development, the animation’s production committee is already looking for investment, and there are also character manga. These are all things I’m interested in, so I want to watch from the closest place. They’ll all be material for future reference.”
Orange Quiet Forest seemed laid-back, but only on the internet.
She looked lazy at home, only because she could be lazy at home.
She envied this fox-like girl who did as she pleased.
If she wanted to do something, she did it.
But Orange Quiet Forest had self-awareness.
She enjoyed a wealthy life and inherited her parents’ good looks.
There was nothing to complain about.
Just a small complaint about daily life.
Everyone has their own worries.
She rested her hand on her face.
“If you have to do so much, what about being a manga artist?”
“I’m still working as an assistant, and at home I also draw my own works. But c eternal told me to be prepared. It might get very busy later, and I won’t be able to attend as a manga assistant as frequently as before.”
“Isn’t that putting the cart before the horse?”
“Not really. I’ll just treat it as an experience in life. I have a feeling this will definitely be an unforgettable journey.”