Chapter 220 : If I Released My Sealed Power
“Business is unusually slow today…”
Ling Ning lay bored on the counter, looking out at the near-empty café. Even though it was a rare day off, she found herself with nothing much to do.
Her daughter had spent the previous day out with friends and was now at home working on her writing. Xia You was busy studying for her college entrance exams, which were less than fifty days away. Even though Xia You consistently ranked among the top students in her class, she was studying extra hard on her day off, knowing it would determine whether she could attend the same school as Ling Ning.
Seeing Xia You so focused, Ling Ning wondered if she should settle down to study, too. But she couldn’t bring herself to waste her precious day off on schoolwork. She already had enough stress during the week and didn’t want to spend her rest time on academics as well.
At a loss, Ling Ning had decided to come to the café to make a bit of pocket money. But she hadn’t expected the place to be so unusually quiet on a weekend.
“This must be the work of ‘Paradise’s’ minions! If it weren’t for the seal on my powers… If I unleashed my true power, muhahaha… ouch!”
Luo Xiaoning, who had been lazing around just like Ling Ning, suddenly slipped into a dramatic pose as she proclaimed a series of cringeworthy lines. But, caught up in the awkward pose, she lost her balance, stubbed her foot on a nearby rack, and ended up sitting on the couch clutching her toe with a pained expression. It was her own doing.
“This is just strange. How could there be so few people on a weekend?” Even Chu Mengyao was baffled. No new café had opened nearby, so why was business so slow? She couldn’t figure it out.
Just then, the door to the café opened, and everyone’s gaze shifted expectantly as Jiang Xue walked in with a young woman.
“Xiao Xiao?!” Ling Ning gasped, recognizing the girl following behind Jiang Xue.
She couldn’t mistake that familiar face—Xiao Xiao had been her college friend, editor, and close companion in her previous life. The way she moved, her subtle expressions… it was definitely Xiao Xiao.
Why was Xiao Xiao here? Had she also reincarnated, or was she simply a native of this world? Ling Ning’s mind buzzed with questions.
Xiao Xiao, just as she entered, heard someone call her name. She looked around and locked eyes with Ling Ning, recognizing her from the ID photo attached to her contract. So, this was “Zero,” her author. She was stunned to see that “Zero” was a maid in real life—and looked much more beautiful than her ID photo had suggested.
Though she’d known “Zero” was young and beautiful, seeing her in person was a shock. It was hard to believe that someone so young could write such intricate, layered stories with mature themes.
However, she was puzzled—she’d never met “Zero” in person before, so why had she been recognized so quickly?
“Hello! Are you the author of Put On Your Daughter’s Panties and Become a Magical Girl, Teacher ‘Zero’?” Xiao Xiao asked excitedly, walking over to Ling Ning.
Ling Ning nodded. “Just call me Ling Ning.”
She noticed that Xiao Xiao didn’t seem to recognize her, which made sense. She looked completely different now, even her gender was different. Xiao Xiao had no way of knowing who she really was. Given this reaction, it seemed unlikely that this Xiao Xiao was a reincarnated version of her old friend.
If this were the Xiao Xiao from her previous life, she would have recognized Ling Ning’s writing style and unique habits in her novels. As her editor, the original Xiao Xiao would have picked up on those nuances immediately. So, this Xiao Xiao probably wasn’t a reincarnated version.
“Finally found you! I’m your editor, Xiao Xiao. I’d been trying to reach you by phone, but the number was disconnected, and you weren’t replying to messages on QQ or email. So, my boss sent me from headquarters to find you personally. I’m glad I managed to track you down.”
Ling Ning realized that ever since her phone had been lost in the incident with the traffickers, she hadn’t updated her contact info with Wuke Comics. Plus, with her school workload, she’d barely checked QQ. Since her email was linked to QQ, she hadn’t seen her messages there, either.
Truth be told, she rarely logged into QQ. Every time she did, her readers’ group flooded her with demands for new chapters and photos of her in women’s clothing, so she avoided it.
“Sorry about that! I’m in my senior year of high school, so I’ve been really focused on school and haven’t checked QQ or email much. Let’s sit down and talk, shall we?” Ling Ning motioned for Xiao Xiao to take a seat, then went to the counter to get her a hot cocoa, one of Xiao Xiao’s favorite drinks.
Xiao Xiao’s mood brightened instantly at the sight of the hot cocoa. She didn’t know why, but even though it was her first time meeting Ling Ning, it felt as if she were reconnecting with an old friend. It was a strange but pleasant feeling.
“Oh! Ling Ning, have we met before?” Xiao Xiao asked, recalling how Ling Ning had called her name the moment she walked in.
Ling Ning shook her head. “This is our first meeting. It’s just that I had a friend who looked a lot like you, and her name was also Xiao Xiao, so I blurted it out without thinking. Sorry about that.”
“Oh~” Xiao Xiao nodded thoughtfully. For a moment, she wondered if she might have some long-lost twin, but quickly dismissed the thought.
“So, what brings my editor all the way here? Is there something important?” Ling Ning asked, curious. It wasn’t common for an editor to travel so far to find an author, so it had to be a big deal.
Xiao Xiao nodded, then explained, “I came here to discuss something important with you—it’s about the possibility of publishing your novel in print.”
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Author’s Note:
By the way, anyone have any complaints about King Hassan in an open-back sweater? (Just kidding~)