A Mess

Afternoon.

Wenxin Hall.

The big comic Editorial Department.

Li Xue stood at the door, her gaze sweeping around the messy workstations before landing on a familiar back. A soft smile touched her lips as she walked over to a particular desk in her high heels and pulled out a chair to sit down.

She then looked at Tang Yao, who was hunched over her desk, radiating an aura of dejection from head to toe, and smiled brightly, "What's wrong?"

"..."

Tang Yao, still hunched over, pressed her forehead against the desk. She picked up the original manuscript that had just come from the fax machine. "This one, Teacher Ou, insists on killing the protagonist."

Then.

She put down the manuscript and picked up another thin sheet of A4 paper with the words 'Sorry' written in large letters. "This one, Teacher Shao, flaked again."

Finally.

She put down the A4 paper and mumbled, "Also, there's something even bigger... Teacher Tang, who promised to submit to the manga award, also flaked."

"..."

Li Xue's expression froze, feeling a sense of suffocation. She felt suffocated just hearing about it, let alone experiencing it firsthand.

So, she looked at Tang Yao, who was still slumped over the desk, with a hint of sympathy. "It must be really tough."

"Wuwu..."

Tang Yao stretched her arms out like a cat, her fists clenched on the desk as she let out a muffled cry, utterly defeated.

"Why don't you come over to our department?"

Li Xue gently patted Tang Yao's thin back, comforting her as she surveyed the empty editorial department. "It's too difficult for a girl like you to survive in a shounen manga editorial department dominated by men.

Your editor-in-chief, to put it nicely, has strong administrative skills, but to put it bluntly, he's excellent at muddling through. This puts a lot of pressure on the editors below him. In such a situation, no one will give you special treatment just because you're beautiful, especially since you're not the type to wear 'relying on men' on your face.

You know, those alluring temptresses in our department wouldn't dare come to the shounen manga editorial team.

Look, aren't those authors troublesome and difficult to deal with?"

"..."

Tang Yao slowly raised her head and turned to look at the mature woman sitting beside her. She was indeed very mature. If Tang Yao's attire could be described as perfunctory, then the woman beside her was the epitome of a modern urban beauty.

A light and soft white shirt accentuated her graceful curves, while her lower half was clad in a well-made, form-fitting skirt suit. The hem of the shirt was tucked into the waistband, creating a straight silhouette. Her slender, elegant legs, encased in smooth black stockings, were crossed slightly, showcasing her feminine curves to perfection.

Her style of dress was the complete opposite of Tang Yao's.

But she was equally beautiful.

"Miss Li, I don't understand shoujo manga. If I can't even handle things here, how could I possibly go to your department?"

Tang Yao looked at the mature woman beside her with a hint of helplessness. A faint red mark, left from her earlier position, was visible on her fair, smooth forehead. "Otherwise, I'd really like to."

"How could you not understand?"

Li Xue looked Tang Yao up and down, who had straightened her back, her proud curves fully displayed. She reached out and gently rubbed the red mark on Tang Yao's forehead, smiling, "You look like you understand. You have the look of a shoujo manga protagonist."

"..."

Tang Yao stared at her.

Li Xue blinked and smiled gently, "What, you don't like being complimented?"

"If possible, I'd prefer if you complimented me on being cool or something."

Tang Yao looked away, her gaze falling on her own reflection in the computer screen, her expression somewhat subtle.

"Don't even think about it. That word will never be associated with you in this lifetime."

Li Xue shook her head without hesitation, then raised her slender finger and waved it gently. "However, I can consider words like cute or beautiful. Oh... and natural. Can you do that again?"

As she spoke.

She seemed to recall something amusing and couldn't help but lean on the edge of the desk, turning to face the front of the workstation. She leaned forward, bringing her full chest close to the desk, as if about to press down on the keyboard, and feigned surprise, acting coyly, "Oh, Miss Li, my keyboard's space bar just moved on its own."

"..."

Tang Yao snapped her head around, staring at Li Xue with a hint of embarrassment. "You're not going to let this go, are you?"

"Because it's genuinely hilarious."

Seeing Tang Yao's expression, Li Xue laughed even harder and turned back around. "This is the first time I've seen someone reenact a manga scene in real life."

"I just wasn't familiar with it... Never mind."

Tang Yao couldn't be bothered to explain anymore. It was impossible to explain anyway; getting used to a new identity wasn't easy.

She had made quite a few blunders in her first week. Most of them were at home, but there were one or two at the company, and coincidentally, Li Xue had been present for both.

This could even be considered the serendipitous beginning of their acquaintance.

"So, are you really not considering it?"

After her laughter subsided.

Li Xue looked at the dejected Tang Yao and didn't tease her further. After nearly a week of interaction, she had come to understand that while her junior colleague was excellent in every way, for some reason, she was particularly sensitive about her body and reacted strongly to related jokes.

This is only because things have been better recently.

So she wisely chose to get down to business.

Tang Yao shook her head gently, "Miss Li... I really don't understand Shoujo Manga. I can't even handle Male-oriented ones, let alone Female-oriented ones."

Judging by Li Xue's expression, she clearly didn't believe her. "Impossible. Even if you haven't read Shoujo Manga regularly, you must have encountered it growing up, right? Even if you haven't, your identity speaks for itself. For you, Female-oriented manga should be easier to understand than Male-oriented manga..."

"I'm an exception."

"An exception..."

Li Xue looked troubled. "I can't understand."

"Then just think of me as a freak. Besides, I don't plan on staying long; I'm definitely going to resign."

Tang Yao didn't explain further, instead politely declining from a different angle. "I'm very grateful for your care, but in my opinion, Traditional Print Media is about to face decline."

Li Xue frowned slightly. "That can't be right. YOUNG comic is rumored to have set new records again this quarter."

YOUNG comic.

The leader in manga magazines in this world.

Similar to Shueisha's JUMP in Tang Yao's previous life.

"The mobile internet is about to rise."

Tang Yao looked at the still ink-scented manuscripts on the desk. "Although in this world... although I don't know what will happen next in the world, Traditional Print Media will definitely be impacted. It won't necessarily die out, but its development prospects won't be very good. Especially for Wenxin Hall, which is in an awkward position, I personally predict the next few years will be tough."

"Then what are your plans..."

"I plan to work in a field related to the Internet."

A hopeful expression appeared on Tang Yao's beautiful face. "If the trend is good and I choose the right direction, I could probably make a lot of money, like with Games..."

"It seems you're really short on cash."

Although Li Xue didn't quite believe her, seeing the hopeful expression on Tang Yao's face, she couldn't bring herself to discourage her. "Your sister is still studying, right?"

"Yes, or rather, the reason I haven't resigned yet is to ensure I have no worries about the future."

Tang Yao gave a wry smile. "Otherwise, I would have left long ago."

Li Xue fell silent for a moment, then said softly, "Actually, if you're really in urgent need of money..."

"No need. I'm not so short on cash that I need to borrow. I have enough to cover my living expenses. I'm just short on money for taking risks, like that Year-end Bonus..."

Tang Yao knew what she was going to say and gently shook her head, smiling at the kind older sister before her. "But that's hard to ask you for, especially since we've only known each other for a week. It's too abrupt."

Hearing this, Li Xue didn't insist. She just looked at the girl with the lovely smile and joked, "I actually feel quite at ease. It's just a hunch, but I think lending you money would be completely worry-free."

Tang Yao's eyes lit up. "Really? Then you should still lend it to me, and I won't have to pay it back."

Li Xue couldn't help but chuckle and reached out to pinch Tang Yao's cheek. "Alright, then you absolutely must not let me find you."

"..."

Tang Yao immediately backed down, shyly dodging her hand and giving her a slight glare.

She was no match at all.

Li Xue was smiling happily, but she quickly put away her smile and looked at the manuscripts on Tang Yao's desk, saying seriously, "Quitting just for money is too risky. Don't rush into a decision... If all else fails, you can come find me. I'll do my best to help you with money. The main problem now is... what about this?"

She pointed to the items on Tang Yao's desk, reminding her, "Even though your editor-in-chief is slacking off, if his vested interests are involved, he'll turn into a demon."

"..."

Tang Yao followed her gaze, fell silent for a moment, then made up her mind. "I'll find a way to handle it."

"Everything else is fine. Whether it's Teacher Ou or Teacher Shao, they're relatively easy to deal with, but the manga award..."

Li Xue looked at Tang Yao with some concern. "The person you're responsible for is quite famous, aren't they? How are you going to ask your editor-in-chief?"

"..."

Tang Yao fell silent and looked at the pen on the desk. "I'll try."

"Then..."

Li Xue subconsciously thought Tang Yao meant she would try harder and was about to continue speaking.

But suddenly.

Her phone on the desk vibrated.

Li Xue picked it up and looked at it, then hesitated for a moment before saying, "I'm sorry, Tang Yao, I have to go... We'll talk later."

"Okay, you go ahead and handle your business."

Tang Yao turned her head. "Don't worry about me."

"Don't push yourself too hard. If you really can't manage, contact me. The Editorial Department welcomes you no matter what."

Li Xue stood up and gently patted Tang Yao's shoulder. "If you need any help, feel free to ask me."

"Thank you."

Tang Yao thanked her and watched the beautiful older sister in high heels leave, secretly sighing—what a good person.

At least in her past life, Tang Yao had never met a friend who could do this much after only a week of knowing each other.

However... the problem she was facing now couldn't be solved by relying on others.

She couldn't possibly be responsible for Shoujo Manga.

Because she truly didn't understand it...

"..."

Thinking this.

Tang Yao gently shook her head, then turned her chair back to face the desk, let out a long sigh, and leaned back to look at the ceiling.

It's really a mess.

So, what should she do next