Chapter 170: Rising Fame
The successful launch put the Wenqing editors at ease. Regardless of the novel’s content, it was a commercial success, especially for a complete newcomer with no prior recognition.
The name “Shion” became known overnight, readers flooding their Weibo with comments, demanding the next volume. However, Shion remained silent, their Weibo account inactive except for the initial promotional posts, not even interacting with fans, much to their frustration.
Yu Linna seemed to be in a better mood, the return to school, though demanding, a welcome distraction from her recent melancholic state. She had been like a zombie, her listlessness worrying Fang Jiangning.
“You seem to be in a better mood. Let’s grab some milk tea after school, at our usual place.”
“Okay.”
Yu Linna knew she couldn’t let other people’s actions affect her; life had to go on. She was no longer the poor, struggling girl she once was; she had money, a career, no need to worry about survival.
But the emotional baggage she had carried for years resurfaced.
Having been too busy surviving to address her emotional wounds, she now realized the depth of her pain, a buried bomb finally detonated, its fragments impossible to clean up.
“I asked Zhiyun to join us.”
“Okay.”
It had been a while since she last saw Ye Zhiyun; she missed her.
She hadn’t seen Ye Zhiyun since moving out of her apartment a few months ago, after a brief period of respite, free from the worries of food and shelter, almost… pampered.
She would never forget Ye Zhiyun’s kindness.
Ye Zhiyun, as always, looked impeccable, though today, she was wearing her school uniform, not her usual business attire. She was a high school student, not the imposing Miss Ye.
“Nana.”
Seeing Yu Linna, she greeted her warmly, her happiness evident.
“It’s been a while. Come, sit down. My treat today. Zhiyun, don’t argue. It’s settled.”
Ye Zhiyun, about to protest, didn’t press the issue.
The three of them sat at their usual milk tea shop, the place where they had first met, a time when Ye Zhiyun and Yu Linna were still rivals, their interactions often hostile. Now, just six months later, their relationship had transformed.
“Zhiyun, Linna, my birthday is coming up. Let’s celebrate at my place! I’ll make a big cake, and we can invite other classmates!”
Fang Jiangning’s nineteenth birthday was approaching, marking her transition from adolescence to adulthood. In a few months, they would be university students, leaving high school behind.
As her friend, Yu Linna wouldn’t miss it, though she wasn’t sure how to celebrate a birthday, having never really celebrated one herself.
“Yes, I’ll be there. It’s your birthday, after all. Want to go somewhere? We could watch a movie.”
Ye Zhiyun, more experienced in such matters, offered suggestions.
“Sure! Let’s go out! Senior year is so stressful; we need to relax! It’s a shame you’re at the Experimental High School, Zhiyun. If we were at the same school, we could hang out every day.”
“Don’t we see each other every weekend?”
“But we only have one day off a week!”
“Be grateful for what you have.”
The three of them had a close bond, despite Ye Zhiyun attending a different school, their rival, the Experimental High School. They often hung out during holidays, though Ye Zhiyun, always busy, could only join them occasionally. It was usually Dai Wenqian who initiated their gatherings, having recently resigned from her club leadership position, eager to attend another anime convention.
“Speaking of which, do you have any universities in mind?”
At the mention of university, Ye Zhiyun and Yu Linna fell silent. Ye Zhiyun had a clear direction, but Yu Linna was still undecided.
Having planned to enter the workforce just six months ago, she wasn’t sure what major or university to choose.
“I’m thinking about economics or photography.”
“I want to stay in the province.”
“Then Guangnan University is your best option.”
Guangnan University was the only prestigious university in Huainan Province, its admission requirements high, not easily attainable. Six months ago, Fang Jiangning wouldn’t have even considered it, but her recent academic improvement had raised her aspirations. If she was staying in the province, she wanted to attend the best university.
“What about you, Linna? Where do you want to go?”
“Me? I haven’t decided yet… but staying in the province… seems like a good idea.”
“What a coincidence! Let’s go to the same university! Haha.”
It was a joke, of course.
Fang Jiangning knew Yu Linna, with her academic excellence, wouldn’t limit herself to a provincial university. She would aim higher, perhaps even study abroad.
If anyone could do it, it was Yu Linna.
“But it would be nice if we could stay together after graduation.”
Ye Zhiyun chuckled, sipping her milk tea, her usually pragmatic mind indulging in a sentimental thought. She longed to be with them, even after graduation.
She didn’t want to be separated from Yu Linna so soon.
“Then let’s all go to the same university!” Fang Jiangning joked.
It was just a joke, of course; the probability was too low. No one took it seriously.
“By the way, Nana, how are things… with her?”
Ye Zhiyun’s question, referring to Huo Ningning, made Yu Linna pause, her hand holding the milk tea cup, her expression unreadable as she considered her response.
“She was my friend. Once.”
“And now?”
“We’re classmates. I’m aware of that.”
Her meaning was clear; she wasn’t ready to reconcile, not because she didn’t want to, but because… it felt unnecessary. The wound was too deep, the pain too real. And after Nangong Ying’s betrayal, she couldn’t trust anyone who had hurt her before.
And Yu Tianchen’s words still echoed in her mind…
After finishing their milk tea, they decided to take a walk, a brief respite from their studies. Senior year was demanding, their days filled with endless practice tests and homework. Even Fang Jiangning, the usually diligent student, had been staying up late, studying, dark circles forming under her eyes.
And Yu Linna, having finally finished her illustrations, had no intention of working any further, wanting to focus on her studies, the upcoming exams looming.
“Linna, people are tagging you on Weibo. Look.”
Fang Jiangning, scrolling through Weibo, showed her several posts about Shion, the new author’s name trending online.
“You’re trending again! You’re a newcomer; why are you so popular? I bet the newspapers will be contacting you soon.”
Ye Zhiyun opened her own Weibo account, seeing countless comments and messages directed at Shion, demanding a response.
Wenqing’s marketing campaign had been incredibly successful. Shion’s debut novel had sold almost seventy thousand copies, an impressive figure for a newcomer.
Even Canwu, Qidian’s superstar newcomer, whose novel Space Castle had sold sixty thousand copies, had been surpassed. Wenqing had finally won a head-to-head battle.
It was a rare victory, even Air’s debut sales figures hadn’t surpassed Qidian’s newcomer at the time. And Shion had achieved this despite the controversy surrounding their novel’s ending.
Shion had brought honor to Wenqing, and their fans were now devoted followers of the mysterious author, their gender and appearance still unknown.
“If they knew the mysterious Shion-sensei was actually a high school girl, they would lose their minds.”
Fang Jiangning chuckled at the thought. Female authors were rare, successful female authors even rarer, and someone like Shion, a true anomaly.
If they knew Shion was a high school girl, they would go crazy.
After all, Yu Linna was just as beautiful as Zhao Yuyan, perhaps even more so.
If she were marketed as an idol author, her sales figures would likely be even higher.
“Jiangning, thank you for promoting my novel on your livestream. Let me treat you to something as a thank you.”
“You don’t have to.”
“It’s fine. My royalties are coming soon. I have money. Come on, let’s eat.”
“Woohoo! You’re becoming a rich woman! Alright, I won’t be polite then.”
Ye Zhiyun, looking at Yu Linna, though she wasn’t smiling, sensed a shift in her demeanor, her heart opening up to them. This girl… she was changing.
