Lu Nian spent this period of time working on her manuscripts while casually starting a new serialized comic online.

The comic featured a light-hearted style, mainly documenting their recent cohabitation life.

The content had no specific theme, just sharing funny incidents and recording daily life.

It wasn’t for profit; it was the same original purpose as when she started the account years ago, and even the protagonists remained the same, still them.

To her surprise, quite a few people loved reading it.

There were many comments every day, even more than when she posted commercial manuscripts.

“Ah, more PDA, I’m full.”

“I’m so tired from classes lately, I rely on my wife’s comics for healing.”

“Wow, since the wife started dating, the atmosphere is just like this. Now every comic seems to mention her boyfriend.”

When Lu Nian came across this comment, her fingers paused.

Was it true? She rarely posted original text herself.

Most of the time, she just shared images directly or reposted advertisements and such.

She moved her fingers and scrolled through the recent posts she made.

Upon checking, it turned out to be true.

Here and there, she posted random thoughts or updates, like a few days ago:

“Didn’t eat again today, went to the company to deliver food x3.”

“Seems like someone’s in a bad mood.” with a cat emoji.

“Just kidding.” after lunch.

Lu Nian thought to herself…

Was it really that easy to pacify him?

She couldn’t help but reply to that comment, “Do I really mention him frequently?”

“Definitely! You and your boyfriend seem to have a great relationship.”

“Oh, may I ask, are you guys living together now? Are the comics all about real life?”

Lu Nian replied, “Most of it is true, but there’s some adjustment here and there.”

She couldn’t say it was to prevent Qin Si from recognizing himself in the comics if everything was too similar.

She was somewhat embarrassed, afraid he might mock her or say something surprising about her drawings.

Sea Rabbit had a question box where people could ask anonymously.

Lu Nian had never opened one before, but seeing the recent interest from fans in her new comic, and the enthusiasm tonight, she decided to open one.

When Lu Nian returned after washing up, there were already dozens of questions in the box.

She finished her skincare routine, crossed her legs, and casually opened the box.

But she nearly dropped the moisturizer when she saw the questions.

At first, they seemed normal.

“Where did you find your boyfriend?”

“Is cohabitation life really as sweet as depicted in the comic?”

The third one, however…

“Wife, wife, wife, if you live together regularly, how many times a week do you…?”

Lu Nian: “???”

However, cuddling and kissing are quite frequent.

She didn’t reply to this one, but unexpectedly, another lengthy question popped up below.

“Wife, my boyfriend and I have been living together since our junior year, it’s been two to three years. At first, we were intimate every day, but now, I don’t know if he’s gotten tired of it. His response is particularly slow, and he doesn’t seem very interested. The frequency has dropped to about once a month. Do you and your boyfriend experience this too?”

Lu Nian found it amusing.

She was just an artist, why had she suddenly turned into a late-night relationship advice columnist?

However, Lu Nian thought for a moment.

Getting tired… that’s hard to say.

But from the current situation, the intimacy between her and Qin Si should still be quite frequent.

He had the habit of being reserved due to his thin-skinned nature, but he was always very enthusiastic in his actual responses.

She could feel that there didn’t seem to be any signs of him getting bored for now.

However, she wasn’t sure if all men were like this…

After all, she didn’t have any intimate experiences with anyone else.

After casually answering a few of these questions, Lu Nian prepared to rest.

Her phone suddenly vibrated on the bedside table.

Lu Nian checked, and it was a call from her editor.

Confirming the final details over the phone, “Nian Nian, the manuscript has been approved. We’re ready to send it for printing now. Have you decided about the signing event? If you’re sure you don’t want to do it, we’ll stick to the original plan. But if you do, we need to start preparations soon, it’s getting late.”

Lu Nian was still hesitating.

She lacked confidence in herself, feeling she was just average.

Walking the path of a commercial artist was something she hadn’t imagined.

The “Black and White” series had been successful, so many magazines approached her, hoping she could serialize a new comic in their publication.

Lu Nian began to experiment with various new techniques, learning and exploring.

She enjoyed doing it, and her days were fulfilling.

However, she had complex feelings about “Black and White.” It was created during her ignorant youth, during the most oppressive and gray days of her life, to record her feelings and memories with him.

The comics she casually drew then carried the most complicated emotions of her teenage years.

But then, Qin Si left for a few years, causing her art style to change drastically, and the later part of the comic became darker and darker.

In fact, many fans had complained online, feeling “Black and White” was unfinished.

This time, the publishing house only included the first part.

Lu Nian didn’t know what emotions to have when facing “Black and White.”

Although she had moved on to a new phase now, she still wondered what happened during those missing years.

To be honest, she felt very conflicted.

So even now, she was undecided about whether to hold a signing event for the release of “Black and White.”

She suddenly felt a bit suffocated and decided to step out onto the balcony for some fresh air.

This was a villa area, with beautiful scenery.

It was quiet outside, and the balcony was windy.

The summer breeze was cool, and she could faintly see a few stars in the night sky.

Leaning against the door frame, Lu Nian finally said, “Let’s not do it for now. We can arrange it next time.”

The editor seemed disappointed.

They had persuaded her for a long time, but Lu Nian didn’t budge.

After hanging up the phone, Lu Nian closed the door and took a deep breath.

When she turned on the light, she was startled.

There, quietly standing on the balcony, was the man.

His figure was tall and slender, and it seemed he had also come out for some fresh air.

Lu Nian wondered how long he had been standing there.

Walking up beside him, she casually asked, “Just overheard?”

“More or less.”

Lu Nian shrugged. “How do you feel about it?”

He remained silent for a moment before asking, “Why not do it?”

He remembered that Lu Nian loved drawing.

Since she was young until now, her first comic being published should have been something worth celebrating.

Lu Nian replied nonchalantly, “Decided to be honest about my feelings. It’s not the right time for a signing event yet.”

His response was a bit baffling.

…

“Have you seen my drawings?” Lu Nian suddenly turned her head and asked him.

In the night sky, her almond-shaped eyes shone brightly, reflecting the stars.

For some reason, she felt a bit nervous.

“I have.”

Lu Nian paused. “…”

“The one you drew for Ming Ge.”

He said lightly, “And the gifts you gave to Xiao Qu and the others before.”

It seemed like everyone had received her drawings except him.

Lu Nian couldn’t decide whether she felt relieved or secretly disappointed.

She had never told anyone her pen name for drawing comics, but with Qin Si’s abilities, he could easily find out.

It seemed that he truly had no interest in this aspect.

“They all stayed in Ancheng, easy to send. But how can I give one to you?” Her words carried a hint of resentment.

Qin Si remained silent.

After saying this, seeing him silent and unable to respond, Lu Nian couldn’t quite figure out whether she should feel relieved or frustrated.

“I’m going to bed,” she said abruptly.

…

As the release of the comic approached, even if there wasn’t a signing event, she still had to write some special signatures at home to send out with the books.

The schedule was set, but then there was a mishap.

The chief editor saw the recent popular web comic she had been serializing and, for some reason, came up with the idea of including them in the release as a “Black and White” extra, to be given to readers as a bonus.

So, during this period, Lu Nian was working frantically on revising the manuscript.

With two huge dark circles under her eyes, she felt dizzy and floaty when she went to school.

Qin Si didn’t allow her to stay up late anymore, and they almost quarreled over this matter again.

Lu Nian went to class, then, after class, she carried her board and prepared to draw in the library.

She didn’t want to go home, fearing he might see her, which would lead to another argument between them.

Fang Deng happened to come out of the library just as he reached the entrance.

Fang Deng cautiously glanced at her and noticed the prominent dark circles. “Haven’t been sleeping well lately?”

Lu Nian absentmindedly replied, “Haven’t been sleeping well for many days, always waking up in the middle of the night, it’s driving me crazy.”

Fang Deng looked at her sympathetically.

Men who don’t cherish girls enough?

It seemed true, as Ming Hong had secretly told them last time.

If men hold back for too long, they’ll become weird.

Judging by this, it was indeed true.

“You’re here in the library, too, Senior Brother?”

Lu Nian found it surprising, given that Fang Deng was a complete homebody and heavily reliant on coffee.

Usually, when he handled affairs, he often went to cafes, and since the library didn’t allow food and drinks, it didn’t seem like a good place for coffee.

“I’ve been in the café recently. The seat I usually sit in got taken by a girl,” Fang Deng said. “I switched to another spot, but the next day, she took that one, too. She always sits next to me.”

Lu Nian: “…”

Fang Deng continued obliviously, “I found it quite uncomfortable, so I decided to come to the library instead.”

Are all you guys who are single by nature growing in packs?

To be fair, Fang Deng was quite handsome.

Although he usually dressed like a pure IT straight guy, his face was fair and cute, making him look much younger than his actual age.

He was quite famous in the computer science department as a little genius.

It was normal for a girl to like him.

Lu Nian decided to remind him to avoid the fate of being forever single. “Senior Brother, is there any chance that the girl might like you and is deliberately sitting closer to you?”

Fang Deng was taken aback for a moment, then quickly recovered. “Even if she does, it’s fine.”

“I don’t need a girlfriend.” He said proudly, patting his backpack. “Coding is my girlfriend.”

Lu Nian: “?”

Goodbye.

Didn’t she hear something like this before?

Exiting the library, Fang Deng planned to go to the company; there was an internal meeting in the afternoon.

He was now the leader of the development team, although it was just a title and he didn’t manage people, he was responsible for solving technical problems.

After wandering around the development department for a while, he went to the meeting room.

Ming Hong and Qiu Fan were already there.

Qin Si was also there. Fang Deng remembered what had happened when he met Lu Nian just now, seeing her looking listless and then looking at Qin Si.

He didn’t seem to be acting strangely; his expression was indifferent, not very pleasant.

Fang Deng thought, the boss was indeed formidable, making girls so miserable. He himself, however, was free from any troubles.

They discussed the next steps in their investment plan, and the afternoon passed by unnoticed.

They thought Qin Si would leave to accompany his girlfriend for dinner, but unexpectedly he didn’t.

So after having dinner at the company, they continued the meeting.

Qiu Fan said, “Boss, we’ve got some progress on the investigation you asked us to do.”

“Zhao Tingyuan and Su Qingyou have registered companies under their own names.” He pushed a stack of documents lightly across the table.

“It’s not a subsidiary of Zhao.” He continued, “But we can track the flow of funds.”

“Does Zhao Yayuan know?”

Qiu Fan replied, “As you said before, he probably doesn’t.”

He couldn’t help but add, “He hasn’t been feeling well recently. He underwent a minor surgery. It doesn’t seem necessary to exhaust himself like this, right?”

Ever since the boss asked him to investigate the Zhao family, Qiu Fan had felt an eerie vibe about it.

“There’s another piece of information. In early February, Zhao Tingyuan invested in a new company.” Qiu Fan said, “The legal representative is named Su Xiaoqin, Su Qingyou’s cousin.”

“Cousin?” The man lowered his eyes, his slender fingertips tracing the name. “I remember, she just started her sophomore year this year.”

“That’s right,” Qiu Fan confirmed.

He had previously looked into the Su family’s situation.

He had a good memory, basically never forgetting a name he had seen once.

“Su Xiaoqin lost her father at an early age and has always been supported by Su Kangcheng. If Su Kangcheng wants to find someone to take the fall…” He spoke lightly, “she is the most suitable candidate.”

Ming Hong agreed, “It’s actually a slow process of emptying the Zhao family. Transfer the money bit by bit.

Zhao Quan is confused now, Zhao Yayuan has been lying in the hospital, his mother is anxious, and Zhao Rulan isn’t handling things either.

Now, their entire family is being manipulated by those two.”

Their plan was proceeding smoothly.

In fact, there was no right or wrong in such matters, just a matter of perspective.

Ming Hong thought, if the roles were reversed, and Su Qingyou and Zhao Tingyuan had a way to destroy them, he didn’t believe they would hesitate.

“Boss, I remember you know Zhao Yayuan, right?” After finishing the discussion, Ming Hong asked.

He hadn’t been in Ancheng before, staying at the headquarters of Ningcheng in the Imperial Capital, so he wasn’t too familiar with the situation here.

Qin Si’s expression remained unchanged as he coldly responded, “Yeah.”

Fang Deng desperately gestured, how could he not know? He’s the love rival who almost stole his wife!

Seeing Ming Hong seemed to be just chatting, he felt that it wasn’t a wise decision to discuss Zhao Yayuan with Qin Si. So he quickly said, “Boss, I ran into Lu Nian at the library today. When can I attend your wedding?”

Ming Hong’s attention was indeed diverted, smiling broadly he asked, “Right, right, when is the big day?”

His voice was very indifferent, “In a while.”