Chapter 221 : The Versatile Witch
“Oh! So that’s why the great editor traveled all the way to S City just to find me!”
After Xiao Xiao’s explanation, Ling Ning finally understood the situation, though she hadn’t expected her novel to be considered for a print edition. The news came as quite a surprise.
“But… you know the kind of content I write in my novels. Are you sure there won’t be any issues with publishing it in print?” Ling Ning asked, her tone cautious.
Xiao Xiao waved her hand dismissively. “Don’t worry. The suggestive themes in your novel aren’t a big deal—there are plenty of print novels that go much further than yours. At most, there might be some minor edits.”
“Oh~” Ling Ning nodded thoughtfully. Then, with some curiosity, she continued, “While my book has done well, there are definitely others that have done even better. So… why was my book chosen?”
“I’ll be honest. We’re planning to expand into print publishing, and your book’s unique theme and strong performance made it an ideal choice. After a series of meetings, we decided your novel would be among the first batch for print release. This is confidential, so please keep it to yourself.”
“Ah, so it’s a test run. I get it.” Ling Ning nodded in understanding. Having worked in the publishing industry in her past life, she could appreciate the reasoning behind this.
Xiao Xiao gave a sheepish laugh. “Ling Ning, you haven’t lost your edge, have you?”
“Truly, this is worthy of my fifth apostle, the ‘Versatile Witch’! Your Codex of Chaos shall soon become reality!” Luo Xiaoning interrupted, striking a highly embarrassing pose as she strode over with an air of exaggerated drama.
She’d been eavesdropping on their conversation from nearby. Upon hearing that Ling Ning’s novel would be published, she couldn’t contain her excitement any longer.
As it happened, Luo Xiaoning was a dedicated fan of Ling Ning’s work. Originally, she’d only intended to support her employee by reading a few chapters, but before long, she’d become completely hooked. When the print edition came out, she planned to buy six copies—three for herself and three for Chu Mengyao: one set for collection, one for reading, and one to lend out to others.
“Oh, please! Don’t embarrass me in front of the editor,” Ling Ning exclaimed. “And the title is Put On Your Daughter’s Panties and Become a Magical Girl, not Codex of Chaos! I’d never name my book something that cringey!”
Her reaction was particularly strong because, back in her “chūnibyō” (edgy) days, she’d actually written a book called Codex of Chaos. It was now a cringe-inducing piece of blackmail material, locked away under an ID she’d abandoned. Few people knew she’d written it, and as for the content… well, the less said, the better.
No wonder she connected so easily with Luo Xiaoning.
“Uh… who’s this?” Xiao Xiao asked, surprised by the dramatic entrance of the clearly over-the-top Luo Xiaoning.
Ling Ning gave a wry smile. “Don’t mind her; she’s just a bit of a fool. She’s the owner of this café… and yes, she’s a legal loli, so don’t mistake her for an elementary or middle schooler.”
Xiao Xiao was even more astonished. A legal loli? She hadn’t realized such a thing actually existed!
Just as Luo Xiaoning was about to say something else, a pale hand reached out from behind her, grabbing her by the collar. The hand’s owner was, unsurprisingly, Chu Mengyao.
“Sorry for the disturbance. I’ll take this fool back inside so you can continue your conversation,” Chu Mengyao said, dragging Luo Xiaoning back into a room, where they fell silent.
After that brief interruption, Xiao Xiao pulled a thick stack of A4 papers from her bag, covered in densely printed text. Just looking at it would make anyone lose the will to read.
“What’s this?” Ling Ning asked, eyeing the contract in front of her.
“It’s your updated contract. Since your novel is about to go to print, we needed to update the terms,” Xiao Xiao explained.
After listening, Ling Ning began reading through the contract carefully. No matter what, contracts were something to be approached with caution—she was determined to understand every detail.
As she reviewed the terms, Ling Ning noted that the offer was quite generous, even by the standards of her previous life.
After a long while, she finished reading and, having confirmed everything was in order, signed the contract.
“Thank you for your support! We’ll keep you updated via phone, QQ, or email. Please check them regularly,” Xiao Xiao said, feeling relieved now that Ling Ning had signed. With her task complete, she could use the remaining time in S City to do a bit of sightseeing. Her boss had given her three days, and she’d completed her work in less than one.
“Oh, by the way!” Xiao Xiao suddenly remembered something. “I wanted to ask—are you the author behind Everyday Life with Mom, who writes under the pen name ‘Mom, I Love You’?”
“Huh?! Why would you think that?” Ling Ning asked, caught off guard.
“Well, the contract for that novel used your name and ID, plus the writing style is really similar…” Xiao Xiao replied, as if it were obvious.
Ling Ning finally understood why her daughter, who was underage, had been able to sign a contract. So, she’d been using her mother’s ID all along.
“Actually, it’s not me. My… younger sister wrote it. But since she’s underage, we used my ID for her contract,” Ling Ning explained.
“Amazing! Writing something that good at such a young age—she’s really talented!”
“Of course! She is my younger sister, after all!”
Ling Ning beamed, taking in every bit of praise about her daughter with pride. If Xiao Xiao knew her “younger sister” was still in elementary school, she’d probably be even more impressed.
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Author’s Note:
Got writer’s block all day. Feels like I’m dying here!