Noble Person

"In short, I'm very sorry."

Shang Tao left the last sentence, bowed slightly, and then walked away.

...Leaving Tang Yao standing there, completely confused.

Sorry for what?

Tang Yao watched Shang Tao leave, frowning slightly, feeling a bit suspicious.

This Director Shang had been acting very strangely when he returned with the storyboards... First, he told her to appease the Manga Artist who drew Fate/Zero, saying there would definitely be serialization opportunities, and then he apologized to her.

What is all this, am I comforting myself? What serialization? Is there some misunderstanding?

And you should at least explain what you're apologizing for.

Really...

However, Tang Yao quickly stopped thinking about it, as it didn't seem very important... In any case, the most important thing to her was already done.

Fate/Zero is hitching a ride on the manga award promotion! Done!

And two manga! Both are hitching a ride!

The point she was most worried about, regarding Fate/Zero being a serialized work, seemed to have become a non-issue. According to Shang Tao, Vice President Zhao had agreed directly, without even needing her to explain.

This saved her quite a bit of effort.

After all, Tang Yao didn't consider herself good at persuading people. How to get new media to promote a serialized work... she didn't even know how to answer the question.

In short, even though she didn't know what Shang Tao was apologizing for, the outcome was good, so that's all that mattered~

"Yes!"

After Shang Tao had completely left the reception room, Tang Yao jumped lightly in place, her proud chest heaving, looking very happy.

This was indeed worth celebrating.

Because all the preliminary steps were completed.

And the next step...

Tang Yao stopped jumping and happily took out her phone, finding Li Xue's contact information.

It was almost time to get off work, and now all that was missing was her benefactor!

The eleventh floor.

The same lounge area.

However, since it was after work hours, besides Li Xue, there was no one else there.

And today's "big sister"... she was as beautiful as ever, her makeup still exquisite, still in the classic black and white outfit. Beneath the hem of her skirt, two straight, shapely legs were still clad in smooth black stockings, without a trace of fat, their form supremely elegant.

This was also the first time Tang Yao had seen Li Xue after work hours.

To maintain such an elegant and composed demeanor after a full day of work, with eyes still bright and clear, possessing that unique gentle aura of a "big sister"... one had to admit, it was truly remarkable.

What's more.

This "big sister" was not only beautiful, but also carried Tang Yao's hopes.

So, upon seeing Li Xue, Tang Yao became completely tongue-tied: "Benefactor... no, esteemed guest, no, Miss Li."

"Tang Yao, let's not talk about other things first."

Hearing Tang Yao's nonsensical ramblings, Li Xue, unexpectedly, didn't tease her. Instead, she reached out and placed her hands on Tang Yao's shoulders, took a deep breath, and said heavily, "You owe me."

"Huh? Me? Why do I owe you?"

Tang Yao looked confused.

Li Xue continued, "No matter what, you owe me."

"Miss Li... did something happen?"

Hearing this, Tang Yao looked at Li Xue with concern, immediately losing the thought of discussing investment.

She reached out and gently grasped Li Xue's fair wrist, frowning slightly, but said gently, "It's okay, it's okay, I'll be with you, so what happened, and what exactly do I owe you?"

Li Xue: "Come home with me."

Tang Yao: "?????"

"Then, you can just sit by the side and eat. Eat enough for two bento boxes!"

A look of dejection appeared on Li Xue's delicate and beautiful face, as if recalling some unpleasant memory. She pouted, "Why didn't you come today? Why didn't you come for lunch! Do you know the pressure of opening two lunch boxes by myself? Do you know the pressure of eating two bento boxes alone? Do you know how many calories that is? All my weight loss efforts this week... were in vain! You owe me!"

"..."

A faint blush lingered on Tang Yao's face. Hearing this, she immediately let go of Li Xue's wrist and glared at her, "You did that on purpose, didn't you!?"

Li Xue blinked slightly, then blinked again, "Did what on purpose?"

Tang Yao: "..."

"Wait."

Li Xue looked at the shy girl before her and suddenly understood. She then chuckled, shook Tang Yao's shoulders gently, and asked, "You didn't think coming home with me meant keeping me company, did you? 'Company' by your left ear?"

Is it because she's shy? Her ears are even red? This is too cute!

"..."

Tang Yao couldn't hold back. She leaned forward slightly, bringing their proud peaks close, then reached out and gently gripped Li Xue's neck, shaking her. "You're definitely doing this on purpose!"

"I really ate two bento boxes."

Li Xue didn't mind at all. Instead, she reached out and gently touched Tang Yao's bright red ear, her body trembling with laughter as she said, "And my diet this week was completely in vain. Do you know what that means for a woman nearing twenty-seven?"

"Touch your own stomach before you say that!"

Tang Yao let go of her neck and retorted, "I was worried about you... I don't even want to talk business anymore. Why are you dieting! Isn't a little bit of meat better? I think it's great!"

"Is that so?"

Hearing Tang Yao's words, Li Xue stood on tiptoe slightly, turned sideways, and then looked down at her own figure. She seemed a little happy. "You're off the hook this time... But you absolutely have to come for dinner tomorrow. I'll make you a lunchbox full of high-calorie food! We'll get fat together."

"Okay."

Tang Yao agreed, then looked at the happy older sister before her... Honestly, she was reluctant to leave.

But reluctance aside, life sometimes just works out that way.

"However..."

Tang Yao paused, composed herself, and then continued, "I don't think I can keep you company for much longer, Miss Li."

"Hm?"

Li Xue blinked in surprise and looked at Tang Yao's beautiful face.

"That game plan, I've already completed all the preliminary steps... I brought the proposal, too."

Tang Yao handed the file bag she had set aside on the table to Li Xue. "I hope you'll take a look and decide if you'll help me introduce that investor."

"..."

Li Xue looked at Tang Yao, then at the file bag in her hand. After a moment of silence, she reached out and took it, smiling gently. "Aren't you afraid I'll deliberately say no just to keep you here?"

"No."

Tang Yao shook her head and said earnestly, "You're not that kind of person, or I wouldn't have told you about this."

"...It seems you're serious."

Li Xue saw the expression on Tang Yao's face, sighed softly, then lowered her gaze to the file bag in her hand and murmured, "It's rare to make a friend at work..."

"Miss Li."

Tang Yao could tell Li Xue was very disappointed.

So she immediately pulled her over to a chair and sat down next to her, comforting her, "Just because I'm not here doesn't mean we can't be friends, right?"

"We can, but I'm used to making bentos for two..."

"Uh... then I'll sneak in every day to eat!"

"You'll work yourself to death... I'm not that demanding."

Li Xue looked up, gave Tang Yao a gentle glare, and then chuckled, "Alright, I was just feeling a bit sentimental, not genuinely sad. You don't need to keep comforting me. Like you said, not working together doesn't mean we can't be friends. Don't worry."

"...So cool."

Tang Yao looked at Li Xue's fair and lovely profile and sighed.

Actually... she had considered asking Miss Li to resign with her.

But the thought was immediately dismissed.

She was just an ordinary editor, but Li Xue wasn't... She had already become an associate editor at such a young age, with a boundless future.

And for a future that Tang Yao herself wasn't sure of, it would be too selfish and arrogant to ask someone else to gamble their career and future.

"I'm not like you, getting overjoyed by compliments."

Li Xue heard this and lightly waved the file bag in her hand, teasing, "I won't go easy on you. If I think it's not feasible, I won't contact the investor just because you praised me."

"Of course, please take a look."

Tang Yao nodded, indicating for her to open the file bag.

Li Xue stopped talking and lowered her head to open the file bag, took out the proposal, and began to read it carefully.

The proposal was extensive.

But Li Xue read it with great seriousness, as if she had regained the drive she had when she first became an editor.

Yet, even so, there were many parts she didn't understand.

Combat system, enhancement system, gacha resource allocation, gacha pool design...

Under these main categories were detailed sub-sections and long expansion notes, often followed by a bunch of numbers. Some parts even had descriptions for illustrations.

This made Li Xue read very slowly.

But no matter how slow, she eventually finished... nearly forty minutes later.

Li Xue finally looked up and met Tang Yao's gaze, as she sat beside her.

Tang Yao asked softly, "How was it?"

"...Actually, I didn't understand many parts, or rather, I only had a vague understanding."

Li Xue looked at Tang Yao, who was close by, organized her thoughts, and then said gently, "But there were quite a few parts I did understand, and from them, I confirmed one thing: you are indeed serious, very serious... So, I will contact that relative and set up a meeting time. I'll let you know then."