Manuscript Fees and Doubts

By July 10, Wei Jin's novel had been serialized in ten issues.

That morning, Zeng Li received a call from Lin Xue, who would meet Wei Jin at two that afternoon with the Capital Evening News's latest offer and a show of sincerity.

After lunch, Wei Jin lounged against his hospital bed, enjoying the fruit Sister Li fed him.

After spending nearly half a month together, the two had not revealed their feelings to each other, but in practice, they were no different from an ordinary couple.

That day, Zeng Li wore a sleeveless, off-white long dress, her long, beautiful hair loosely swept back. With her light makeup, striking features, and fair skin, it would not have been a stretch to call her a college student.

Wei Jin smiled at the beauty before him, sucking on Sister Li's fingers from time to time as she fed him, drawing a round of laughing scolds.

"Looks like I came at the wrong time?"

A teasing voice came from outside the door.

Wei Jin looked up and saw a petite young woman in a business suit, with a neat, shoulder-length bob and the face of the girl next door.

"No, you came at just the right time."

As a veteran internet user, Wei Jin was lightning-fast at playing along with a joke, while people of this era had yet to be bombarded with short videos of Li Xunhuan with a woman in each arm.

The woman froze at his reply, then looked back and forth between Wei Jin and Zeng Li.

Her gaze finally settled on the half-eaten apple in Zeng Li's hand, and an inscrutable smile spread across her face.

A trace of panic appeared on Zeng Li's face, as though she had been caught dating too young.

"Wei Jin, this is Lin Xue. Your novel owes a lot to her help."

She unobtrusively put down the apple, smoothed the hair at her forehead, and turned to Lin Xue.

"Xue, this is the author of Snowstrider, Wei Jin."

"Hello, Sister Lin. I'm Wei Jin. I've heard Sister Li mention you many times, and I have to thank you for your help."

Wei Jin spoke with a sincere expression.

In fact, Wei Jin really did have her to thank. Not every author's submission made it onto the chief editor's desk.

Hadn't countless flop authors in the later era of webnovels toiled away at hundreds of thousands of characters without landing a contract?

"Hello, Wei Jin. I'm Lin Xue. There's no need to thank me. I only made the introduction; it was your own good writing that counted."

Lin Xue changed the subject. "Anyway, I came mainly to talk to you about working together going forward."

"Mm, go ahead."

"Well, Snowstrider has been well received so far. Our chief editor wants to increase the amount serialized. Would that be a problem for you?"

"At the moment, I can manage at most about ten thousand characters a day. Once I'm discharged and get a computer, I should be much faster."

"That works. There's no need to be any faster. The newspaper has limited space, after all. We plan to serialize eight thousand characters per issue, so that pace is fine. Also, how about a rate of 200 yuan per thousand characters?"

"Glad to be working with you!"

Wei Jin readily agreed to the newspaper's proposal.

Once business was settled, Lin Xue seemed to become a different person. Curious about Wei Jin and Zeng Li, she chattered away with questions.

How could Zeng Li bring herself to tell her best friend that a boy seven years younger had won her over? She kept laughing it off, hoping to steer around the subject.

But Lin Xue did not fall for it. She leaned close and quietly asked Zeng Li:

"Lizi, come clean. Has your heart been fluttering with love?"

"Of course not. He's only a freshman. What are you thinking?"

"No? When I came in just now..."

"Oh, come on. I caused the accident, didn't I? Shouldn't I take care of him?"

"Is that so? I can't shake the feeling something's off."

Lin Xue did not press further. She took an envelope from her handbag and handed it to Wei Jin.

"This is your payment for the earlier installments. I'll head back to the newspaper office now."

Zeng Li saw Lin Xue into the corridor. After another intimate chat, she sauntered back to the ward and picked up the envelope by the bed to count the money.

"Why is it only a little over two thousand? I see you write so much every day."

Zeng Li felt bad for Wei Jin. She had watched him write it all out one character at a time.

"Sister Li, you don't understand this line of work. For a nobody like me, getting a submission published at all is already pretty good. Besides, the serialization's doing well now, so didn't they just raise my rate?"

Wei Jin could feel Zeng Li's concern.

"At the current rate, I can earn about ten thousand a week. That's already pretty good."

"I see. That's not bad. Now that you're earning money, what are you planning to do with it?"

Zeng Li was concerned about Wei Jin's plans and might not let him spend the money recklessly.

"After I'm discharged, I plan to buy a cell phone first, then rent an apartment and get a computer. You know I write every day, and my wrist really can't take much more."

Wei Jin laid out his plans in full.

"Do you have enough money to buy all that? And why are you renting an apartment?"

"I should have just about enough by the time I'm discharged. As for renting, it's mainly for convenience. Besides, school hasn't started yet, has it? If I don't rent a place, what am I supposed to do, move in with you? Sister Li, you're not planning to eat me up, are you?"

Wei Jin teased Zeng Li almost out of habit.

"That's right. You're so tender and fair-skinned, how could I not eat you up?"

Zeng Li spoke with a grin. After spending nearly half a month with Wei Jin, she had learned to tease the little brother too, as those who kept company with ink were bound to turn black.

"Sister Li, I'll wash myself nice and clean tonight. However you want to eat me, I'll go along with it."

Wei Jin looked eager. When it came to shamelessness, he considered himself undefeated.

"Pah, you really are..."

Zeng Li was left speechless by Wei Jin's wolfish words. At a loss for what to say, she could only change the subject.

"If you're renting, it would be best to find somewhere close to school. I'll look for an agent in a couple of days and get the housing sorted out."

Wei Jin wanted to slap himself. Why had he brought up renting? Wouldn't living under the same roof as Sister Li have been wonderful?

Just as he was about to say something so he could start living with the great beauty sooner, Wei Xingbang called. He told Wei Jin that his eldest uncle's affairs had been taken care of and that he planned to fly over the next day to look after him.

Unfortunately, Wei Jin could not bear to give up the days when Sister warmed his bed, so he had no choice but to turn away his father's arrival with tears in his eyes.

After much persuasion, he finally talked Comrade Old Wei out of it. Wei Jin let out a long breath, then turned to see Zeng Li looking at him with the hint of a smile. He could not help explaining:

"Ahem, you don't know how loud my dad snores. I wouldn't sleep well at night."

"Do you think I believe you? Sleep by yourself tonight."

Zeng Li had seen right through Wei Jin. They agreed every night to just cuddle, but every day he found new ways to push past her limits. If this went on, wouldn't the little rascal devour her whole?

"Really, Sister Li, you have to believe me. I've been sleeping much better lately, and my whole body is recovering faster. Didn't the doctor say so too?"

At that, Wei Jin himself froze. Ever since Sister Li had begun staying by his bedside, he really had been sleeping better, and he felt full of strength.

Most importantly, the memories in his mind were growing clearer and clearer. When he wrote, it was as though he had divine assistance.

Seeing Wei Jin freeze and fall silent, Zeng Li thought her request to sleep separately had upset him.

"Then you're not allowed to try anything tonight."

"Mm, Sister Li, don't you trust me? In the jianghu, they call me the honest and trustworthy young gentleman."

"Oh, give me a break. I'd lose if I believed a single word you said. By the way, why is your pen name Eighteen Scholars?"

"Didn't you feel it at night?"

Over the following week, the doubts in Wei Jin's heart grew heavier.

He had been told he would need a month in the hospital, but an examination showed that in just over half a month, he had recovered as much as an ordinary person would in more than a month.

Besides, not only was his memory getting better and better, but his physical strength was also increasing. After pondering it from every angle without finding an answer, Wei Jin could only hope to "tear a hundred times and ride Sister."

On July 18, Wei Jin was officially discharged, bringing his wonderful hospital cohabitation to an end.

Even the doctor marveled at the young man's powerful recovery and told him to come back for regular checkups.

After calling his father, Wei Jin carried his luggage and his 13,000 yuan in manuscript fees into Zeng Li's car.

With Wei Jin reminding her to drive carefully all the way, the two laughed and chatted as they went to view the three properties the agent had found.