Chapter 207: In the Shadows
Caibi Company was an up-and-coming animation studio with no major representative works to its name. Having received an inside tip that Shion-Sensei was in Shanghai and that someone was already trying to buy her copyrights, the company grew restless, unwilling to let such a big fish get away. And so, they promptly booked a flight to Shanghai.
Shion-Sensei had never shown her face, and no one knew what she looked like. The people from Caibi Company made a point of calling Wenqing to express their sincerity. Unlike Li Jing, who preferred to act first and report later, they approached Wenqing directly, giving the publisher due respect.
In return, Wenqing agreed to arrange a face-to-face meeting. Caibi Company sent two representatives over, hoping to meet with Shion-Sensei to discuss the matter. They didn’t expect to seal the deal in one go, but at the very least, they hoped to build a good relationship during their first meeting.
Regardless of how it turned out, this was the work of a top-tier author. The IP was an absolute gold mine. The first step, before even considering the quality of the adaptation, was to acquire it.
They got Shion-Sensei’s contact information from Wenqing and called her to arrange a meeting at a coffee shop in Shanghai. It just so happened that Li Jing was in no mood to discuss work and was cooped up at home. Thinking that it wouldn’t hurt to see what they had to say if they were truly sincere, Yu Linna went out alone.
The two representatives from Caibi Company were men in suits, one tall and one portly. The tall one’s surname was Xie, the portly one’s Xu. They had come specifically for the copyright deal. When they first saw Yu Linna in person, both were momentarily stunned. The legendary Shion-Sensei was known for being reclusive; they had assumed she’d be a brooding old man, not such a young, delicate-looking girl.
“Shion-Sensei, hello. My name is Xie Xu, a representative from Caibi Company. We’ve come today to discuss acquiring the rights to your work.”
Having their share of experience, they quickly composed themselves. No matter what, this was the renowned Shion-Sensei, and she deserved their basic respect. The name “Shion” was now famous in the industry; it was an IP in itself. Any book she released was guaranteed to be a bestseller.
Even though certain plot points in her novels went against the grain of mainstream commercial trends, they still managed to capture the readers’ appetites.
Ballad of the Enchantress had fulfilled the romantic fantasies of countless young people, while Zixuan and the Paper Airplane had struck a chord with sensitive readers who cherished family bonds.
Without a doubt, Shion-Sensei was a successful commercial author.
“I’m Shion. A pleasure to meet you.”
Yu Linna simply nodded and sat down, waiting for them to begin.
She had already gone through countless rounds of negotiations with Li Jing, but she was never satisfied with the proposed changes to her work. She was unwilling to see her creation carelessly altered, let alone butchered completely. This was the reason for her stalemate with Li Jing.
She wasn’t sure what Caibi Company had in mind this time, but she wouldn’t give in so easily.
“Shion-Sensei, we may not be a very well-known company in the industry, but we have come with the utmost sincerity. If we adapt your work into an animation, we guarantee it will be on air by January of next year at the latest.”
“…”
Her brow twitched.
For an author, that was a tempting offer indeed. After all, every writer hoped to see their adapted work released as soon as possible, reaching a wider audience.
This was especially true for a complete newcomer like Yu Linna.
“But if the production schedule is that tight, can you guarantee the quality?” she asked, remaining calm and not letting herself get carried away.
“We will leave that for the audience to judge. I believe that audiences will always pay for a good story. Shion-Sensei, your name alone is a brand. With that, shouldn’t you feel at ease?” Xie Xu continued.
Yu Linna was still not convinced. She didn’t want her work to suffer in quality due to a rushed schedule. She wanted her story to be presented in its best possible form, preferably identical to the original novel.
She even hoped to be involved in the process, to have a say in its direction.
“How about this, Shion-Sensei? If you’re willing, we won’t change a single thing about your original work. We will create a completely faithful adaptation.”
This was another temptation. Yu Linna’s heart wavered for a moment, but she stubbornly refused.
The two men from Caibi Company cursed inwardly. This girl was so much trouble, impossibly stubborn—even more so than the average author.
Yu Linna cherished her work dearly. Each story was a piece of her soul, especially Ballad of the Enchantress, which she had poured her heart into during a seven-day, six-night writing marathon. It was the fruit of her blood, sweat, and tears, and she would not allow anyone to defile it.
The negotiation ultimately reached a stalemate. Neither side gained an advantage, but for the two men from Caibi, this was a decent outcome. At least the talks hadn’t completely broken down. Moreover, Shion-Sensei seemed to be hesitating, which meant they still had a chance. They just needed to push a little harder.
When the meeting ended, Yu Linna left, feeling displeased. Her trip to Shanghai was drawing to a close. She had been staying with Ye Zhiyun for nearly a week, and it was time to go back. Drawing manuscripts in her own little apartment suited her better. Besides, with the summer holidays starting, she had so much she wanted to do, so many places she wanted to go. All the places she had longed to visit but never could—she wanted to see them all.
“Where did you go?”
The moment Yu Linna stepped out of the coffee shop, she ran right into Ye Zhiyun, who looked very unhappy. Yu Linna wondered if she had offended her again.
“Nowhere… just a work meeting,” she answered, her voice unnatural.
“With whom? Who were those two men?”
“Representatives from Caibi Company. They want to buy my copyrights.”
“…Let’s go home.”
Ye Zhiyun’s expression slowly softened, and she said nothing more. Yu Linna let out a sigh of relief.
Ye Zhiyun was truly terrifying. What had gotten into her these past two days? Why was she always treating her like this? Could it really be because of Li Muqing?
Her attitude was completely different from when Yu Linna had first arrived in Shanghai. Although she still brought her delicious food, her gaze had become much more frightening, and it made Yu Linna inexplicably nervous.
“What is it? Am I that scary?”
No, no, you’re not just scary, you’re genuinely terrifying, Yu Linna thought, daring only to say the words in her heart.
“Nana, do you think I’m being unreasonable?”
“No, how could I possibly think that?”
“Stop lying to me. You’ve definitely thought it. You thought so when you first met me.”
“…”
Could she please not make things so awkward? Yu Linna scratched her head, at a loss.
“Why aren’t you talking?”
“…Yes, you’re right. I have thought that before,” Yu Linna said with a sigh. Ye Zhiyun’s eyes dimmed.
“But I don’t hate you for it,” Yu Linna quickly added. “I might get a little angry, but it’s not enough to make me hate you. You saved my life and took me in. How could I possibly resent you for that, right?”
Of those words, which were true and which were false, only she herself knew.
But hearing them, Ye Zhiyun’s mood did indeed improve significantly.
Of course, Ye Zhiyun knew that this desire to possess someone entirely was wrong, that she shouldn’t have such thoughts. But she just couldn’t control herself. She wanted to be closer to her, to have more of her. She couldn’t stop this version of herself.
As for Yu Linna, she herself didn’t know which of her words were true and which were false. Sometimes, she felt like she had forgotten the person she used to be.
“I’m going to buy something to drink. What do you want?”
“I don’t want anything. Just get something for yourself.”
“Okay.”
Yu Linna walked into the convenience store alone to pick out a drink.
To be perfectly honest, she was still deeply grateful to Ye Zhiyun. No matter what, back then at the train station, when she was all alone and saddled with a massive debt, she might have thrown herself onto the tracks if Ye Zhiyun hadn’t intervened. Even if she hadn’t died, she would have been forced to live a miserable life under the weight of that debt, or worse, face being dragged to court.
If that had happened, the author Shion would never have existed. There would be no new star author at Wenqing.
Her feelings for Ye Zhiyun were, more than anything else, rooted in gratitude. Even though Ye Zhiyun’s attitude toward her had changed, she still wasn’t angry, simply because she owed her a great debt.
As for any feelings beyond that, it was friendship at most. Yu Linna truly had no other thoughts at the moment.
She chose her drink and was about to go pay when a cold, hard piece of metal was pressed against her side. She was about to react when a low, masculine voice came from behind her.
“I’d advise you not to move. One move, and it’s all over for both of us.”
The man’s voice was low and menacing, audible only to the two of them. Yu Linna could feel that the object at her side was no ordinary piece of metal; she could even hear something turning within it.
“If my hand slips with this thing, I can’t guarantee your safety.”
Cold sweat broke out on her skin, and her body began to tremble. A tremor she had never felt before spread through her entire being.
Could this… be a gun?
She swallowed hard, her back drenched in sweat. She felt as if her life were a tiny, insignificant ant, easily crushed.
She didn’t dare move. She was unarmed, just a young girl. This was the first time she had ever encountered something like this, and she had no idea what to do. She just stood there, frozen and helpless, not even daring to turn her head.
“Be a good girl and come with me. I promise I won’t make things difficult for you.”
What else could she do? Yu Linna obediently put the drink back on the shelf. The man quietly put his weapon away. As she turned, she got a clear look at him. Despite the sweltering heat, he was wearing a heavy black coat and a black mask. He had a gaunt face, heavy dark circles under his eyes, and a puffy, bloated complexion.
One look told her this was not a good person.
The man placed a hand on her shoulder, a silent warning not to make a sound.
“Give me your phone.”
“What for?”
“If you want to live, don’t ask so many questions. I’m not a nice guy, and I’d rather not see blood in front of all these people.”
“…”
Yu Linna obediently handed over her phone and walked out of the convenience store. The street was bustling with people, but no one passing by noticed the expression on the girl’s face. As she stepped through the door and looked toward the intersection, she took a step forward. The man behind her was like a demon from hell, and she was stepping into its gates.
And Ye Zhiyun, standing on the other side of the door, waited for a long time, but there was no sign of Yu Linna.
