Professional

"Miss Li, stop shaking me! I'm falling apart, I really am."

Tang Yao couldn't calm Li Xue down, and was still being shaken back and forth. She hadn't experienced such drastic movements since arriving in this world; it was exhausting, and her center of gravity was completely off.

Besides, she wasn't joking when she said she needed a larger size this morning.

So, she quickly gripped Li Xue's arm tightly and, almost pleadingly, reminded her again.

"...You're going to draw manga for me."

Li Xue finally calmed down. Looking at the tall girl whose eyes were level with hers, she said earnestly, "Really, stop thinking about starting a business."

"Let me speak first."

Tang Yao shifted uncomfortably, feeling a little better. Gripping Li Xue's arm, she replied just as seriously, "Miss Li, I can draw for you occasionally, but I really can't do it long-term because I've already drawn enough… Most importantly, you're a Manga Editor, you should know that participating in a manga award is one thing, but a formal serialization is another.

Manga awards, serialization preparation, formal serialization, and the brutal elimination system after five chapters – I'm really not sure I can go through with it.

More importantly, it's too slow."

Actually, the last reason was the most important one: it was too slow, too slow to make money.

If she had to draw, Tang Yao wasn't opposed to shamelessly drawing some of her past life's works.

After all, she had read quite a few manga.

But even so, even if she could win an award immediately and embark on the path of a serialized Manga Artist, it would still take time to earn enough money. By then, it would be too late.

Xun would probably have already graduated.

So, she couldn't rely on this to earn her first pot of gold.

Because if it was like her past life…

The mobile internet would rise and develop extremely quickly.

On the other hand, she genuinely wanted to try a path she hadn't taken in her previous life.

"Then are you guaranteed to succeed if you start a business? Isn't that an even more unfamiliar field for you?"

Hearing this, Li Xue completely calmed down.

She knew very well how difficult it was to make a living from manga. There were countless Manga Artists who won awards only to quickly fall into obscurity.

But because she liked Tang Yao so much, she had subconsciously overlooked these points.

It wasn't until Tang Yao reminded her now.

Even so, she still felt that manga was more suitable for Tang Yao compared to starting a business.

After all, she was a Manga Editor.

"Of course, there's no guarantee of success, but I think the success rate isn't low, and I'm more willing to try the path of entrepreneurship. After all, the speed of making money is different, and opportunities are fleeting…"

Tang Yao thought for a moment and replied slowly, "Just consider it my personal obsession to live a good life. If it really doesn't work out and I fail, I'll come back to drawing manga. It's all drawing beautiful girls anyway, so it's not that different."

Obsession.

Hearing this, Li Xue realized something and glanced at Tang Yao in front of her.

Tang Yao smiled at her.

Li Xue sighed. Thinking about Tang Yao's promise to return to drawing manga if she failed, she felt somewhat persuaded.

However, she was still unwilling to give up. "Beautiful girls, beautiful girls. Is this 'beautiful girl collecting game' you're talking about really that good? It's strange to always be talking about drawing beautiful girls, especially since you yourself are a beautiful girl…"

"It's different, Miss Li."

Tang Yao heard this and put on an expression of 'you're too naive.' She took Tang Yao's hand, letting her release her shoulders, then puffed out her proud chest and said righteously, "We are real people. Real people have a lot of troubles… like needing to use the restroom, but the beautiful girls I draw don't necessarily!"

"..."

Li Xue's beautiful eyes widened slightly. She was shocked… or more accurately, speechless. In any case, her expression was complicated as she gave Tang Yao a sidelong glance. "What nonsense are you talking about? How would they digest anything? Evaporate through their skin? And… is that important?"

"Don't worry about the specific principles. As for whether it's important, I'm just explaining the difference."

Tang Yao continued to hold her posture, her curves trembling as her ample chest rose and fell. She said righteously again, "Compared to troublesome real people, the beautiful girls drawn on paper are a different matter. Recognizing this is what makes one professional!"

"..."

Li Xue gave Tang Yao another sidelong glance, then gently tapped her head with her fair finger.

Then.

Tang Yao couldn't hold back either. She broke into a radiant smile, seemingly amused by her own words.

Li Xue looked at the captivating smile on Tang Yao's fair face, shook her head, and then asked, "Are you sure you want to try?"

Tang Yao nodded and said seriously, "Yes, I'll start tonight… I'll draw some base sketches of beautiful girls, figure out how to make a proposal, and then show it to you."

"Alright…"

Li Xue let out a soft sigh. She glanced at the stunning short manga on the table and then said, "But you have to promise me, if you ultimately fail, don't give up and come back to drawing manga… I'll help you with whatever I can then."

Tang Yao readily agreed, "Of course. I'll draw whatever you ask me to then, even Shoujo Manga, I'll draw it for you!"

Li Xue was satisfied. "Then get ready. If it's feasible, I'll help you contact the manager of that venture capital fund."

"Okay, thank you so much, Miss Li."

Tang Yao looked gratefully at the older sister type in front of her and thanked her sincerely.

This friend she met by chance.

It was really too good.

"Don't thank me yet, honestly, I value your talent in manga more."

Li Xue shook her head and turned her gaze back to the manuscript on the table: "I'm not optimistic about your entrepreneurial venture, nor about the beautiful girl mobile game you mentioned, because I still don't have a clear concept."

Tang Yao smiled like a blooming flower and said: "Then just wait until I present my plan... no, my PTT and proposal, I won't disappoint you."

"Mhm."

"But..."

Tang Yao's tone suddenly shifted. She looked up and down the tall, beautiful older sister type in front of her with a mischievous expression and said, "To help me draw beautiful girls better, can I ask you for a favor?"

Li Xue looked a little confused: "Hm?"

Tang Yao blinked her eyes: "Could you trouble yourself to wear black stockings tomorrow? I need to use them as a reference."

If possible.

She still wanted to sneak in a few of her own XP characters...

As for the girls, she just needed to use Xun as a reference.

For the older sister type, the Li Xue in front of her was a good candidate.

It's not that I want to look, you know.

"Black stockings... If you need a reference, why don't you wear them yourself?"

Li Xue looked down at her own straight, snow-white legs pressed together, then looked up and asked back.

Because she found it troublesome, and didn't want to wear high heels, she was wearing ankle socks today.

"I don't have any!"

"Then I'll buy you some."

"I'm not wearing them!"

"..."

Li Xue reached out and gently pinched Tang Yao's cheek, playfully scolding, "You're making me wear them, aren't you?"

Tang Yao used her ultimate sincerity skill: "Miss Li, you'll look even better in them."

"..."

Li Xue paused for a moment, then gave Tang Yao a soft, exasperated glance before bursting into laughter.

Honestly.

The first time she wore black stockings was just to follow the trend, to make herself appear more mature.

After all, she had gone through the messy things Tang Yao was experiencing now, but because she was responsible for female-oriented manga, the intensity wasn't as great.

Of course, it would be a lie to say she didn't have the thought of letting those men see how long and beautiful her legs were.

In the beginning, she definitely did.

But as time went by, that feeling faded.

Because she was completely disappointed in the men around her, it changed from 'Look at me, see how long my legs are' to 'What are you looking at? Is there something wrong with staring at someone else's legs?'

And now, she had no other thoughts. Occasionally wearing them was just out of habit, to make herself look better. Most of the time, she found it too troublesome and simply didn't wear them... As for compliments, honestly, if a man said that, she would probably just roll her eyes internally, let alone ask her to wear them.

But the person in front of her was Tang Yao.

Honestly.

Li Xue was quite happy to be praised by her... happier than she had ever been with compliments from several men.

So... she should indulge her.

"Okay, I'll wear them tomorrow."

"That's great, that's great."

"..."

Li Xue looked at the delighted Tang Yao in front of her and shook her head helplessly.

So easily pleased.

She sighed inwardly, then brought the conversation back. They had been in the lounge for a bit too long. Although it wasn't a big problem, it wasn't good to linger here when it was almost two o'clock: "So, are you submitting this short story for the manga award?"

Tang Yao: "Mhm."

"Has your Editor Ding seen it?"

"I told you, you're the first reader. How could he have seen it? Besides, do you think he'd care about the substitute I found? Something drawn by a third-rate manga artist?"

"Third-rate manga artist... Where does he get the nerve?"

"How should I know?"

"..."

Li Xue frowned, suddenly developing an intense dislike for the editor-in-chief, with whom she was only acquainted, saying, "You don't need to mind him."

"When would I have the time to care about him?"

Tang Yao replied casually, then looked at Li Xue, who had furrowed her brows and now had a bit of an ice queen aura. Suddenly thinking of something, she teased, "Miss Li, did you just say you were going to marry me?"

"..."

Li Xue was slightly taken aback, then her beautiful face slowly flushed. "You misheard."

"As I thought."

Seeing her expression, Tang Yao knew she hadn't misheard and teased, "Miss Li is getting anxious, wanting to get married already. Looks like I need to make money faster..."

"Shut up."

Li Xue's dignified and beautiful face was flushed as she reached out and pinched Tang Yao's soft cheek, not allowing her to continue. "It's not decided who's marrying whom yet! If anyone's marrying, it'll be you marrying me..."

"Do you think that's possible?"

"I'll wear black stockings for you every day."

"Uh... that's not entirely out of the question."

"..."

Li Xue was somewhat embarrassed and annoyed, continuously rubbing Tang Yao's soft cheek. "You're too indecisive!"

Tang Yao put on a 'you're too naive' expression again. "What are you talking about? This is called a flexible bottom line!"

"That's way too flexible!"

Li Xue immediately retorted, then the two looked at each other and couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Besides each other, neither of them actually had anyone they could joke around with like this.

And for this first time, they both found it quite fun.

"Okay, let's not talk about this anymore, it feels a bit weird."

Li Xue released Tang Yao's cheek. "...So, are you going to submit the comic under your real name?"

"Still thinking about it, I'll tell you later."

"Alright... So what's the comic called? I'll write it down."

"It's called... Uzumaki."