Chapter 6 Reunion with Tang Yin Chapter 6 Reunion with Tang Yin
Xia Yan hummed a little tune as she returned home, just in time to run into personnel from relevant agencies who came to investigate. 💘😂 ➅❾𝓼𝐇ย𝕏.ℂㄖ𝕄 🌷💲
After all, Xia Yan's father had committed suicide due to huge debts, and the house Xia Yan was currently living in was mortgaged.
After letting the personnel in to take photos, chatting with them for a while, and signing several documents, Xia Yan's mood immediately turned serious.
He wouldn't have time to relax like this for long. In no more than three months, he would have to move out of the house he had lived in for ten years, and then he would face the pressure of survival
. Although his family's circumstances had suddenly changed when he was only sixteen, he couldn't dwell on the sadness or grief indefinitely. His first priority now was to consider his future path.
After seeing off the relevant personnel, Xia Yan didn't rest. He quickly revised the manuscript of "Journey of Youth" according to the suggestions Tang Yin had given him in the Red Maple Literature editorial department that day.
If you're reading Taiwanese novels, go to Taiwan Novel Network, t̑̈̑̈w̑̈̑̈k̑̈̑̈̑̈ȃ̈̑̈n̑̈̑̈.c̑̈̑̈ȏ̈̑̈m̑̈̑̈.
Although her opinions may not all be useful, if you want to submit your work to her, you definitely need to respect her opinions, since the changes didn't affect the main structure of the work.
That night, Xia Yan worked very late and unknowingly fell asleep at her desk revising her manuscript.
The next afternoon, Xia Yan set off again, taking her revised manuscript to Red Maple Literature, and had called Tang Yin in advance to make an appointment. 🎁☟ 69s𝕙υ𝕏.Ⓒ๏𝐌 ♟😾
This time, Xia Yan received significantly better treatment than yesterday. It was no longer a casual meeting room; the receptionist led Xia Yan into an elegantly decorated office and even proactively offered her a cup of hand-drip coffee, her attitude noticeably warmer.
Not long after, Tang Yin pushed open the office door.
Unlike her formal attire yesterday, she wasn't on duty today, and the editor handling submissions for light novels wasn't hers, so
she didn't need to wear formal attire. The air conditioning in the Red Maple Literature office building was on all day, and although it was cold outside, her attire inside was merely autumn clothing.
She wore a light red jacket and a knee-length black skirt, her hair tied in a single ponytail, revealing her delicate and beautiful features. Her long, slender legs in black stockings moved with a rhythmic thud as she walked, exuding beauty and vitality.
"You're really fast," Tang Yin said with a smile.
Xia Yan paused, quickly regaining his composure. After all, he was a teenager, and Tang Yin was far more beautiful than Su Ling, his girlfriend who had dumped him a little over a month ago. In real life, he rarely encountered such a beauty; he only saw them on television. It was indeed difficult to completely ignore the charm of such a stunning woman.
"Because the parts that needed to be revised weren't too extensive, I worked overtime tonight and it's almost finished. .o0×X×0o. ➅9ŜĦᑌ𝔁.ᑕ𝕠𝐦 .o0×X×0o." Xia Yan said, handing the revised manuscript to Tang Yin.
Tang Yin took the manuscript, looked at Xia Yan, and smiled slightly.
"Would you like to listen to some music?"
"Music?" Xia Yan was taken aback for a moment, then asked.
"No problem."
Upon hearing this, Tang Yin took a record from the cabinet next to her seat and put it into the record player.
Soon, a deep, clear, and melodious piano melody filled the room.
"The piano piece 'Towards the Light!' by the foreign piano master Borg, half a century ago. This record is from that era, and it's also one of my favorite pieces when I'm focused on something."
Tang Yin finished speaking, crossing her long, black-stockinged right leg over her left, relaxing her body, her pale wrist supporting her left cheek, and turning the pages of Xia Yan's novel one by one with her right hand. While
she read the novel, Xia Yan, having nothing to do, could only listen to the music and watch her.
Beautiful as jade, with a voice as melodious as a rainbow, Xia Yan didn't find it boring at all.
After all, Tang Yin had read most of the novel yesterday, and this time she was only looking at some details that she felt had some flaws yesterday to see if they could be revised to perfection.
The result
was quite satisfactory to her. Firstly, the manuscript would definitely be fine for submission to the serialization meeting, and the length was sufficient; three chapters of plot were more than enough. Usually, at serialization meetings, the reviewing editors wouldn't look at that much plot; they would only look at one or two chapters of the novel's plot at most.
But that didn't mean there weren't any problems. There were many details she hadn't asked about yesterday.
"Alright, Xia Yan,"
Tang Yin said, her cherry-red lips slightly parted as she scrutinized Xia Yan.
"How many chapters do you expect your novel to have?"
Xia Yan asked, falling into thought for a moment.
During this period, he had spent roughly half the nights watching fragments of Yuan Qing's soul memories in his dreams.
He had actually learned a lot about that world, and most importantly, after several days of research and exploration, he discovered a crucial point.
Any memories he had of the girl in his dreams could be repeatedly reviewed and revisited in his mind upon waking, through guided recall.
For example, his memory of watching "Ao Haru Ride" for the first time could be directly retrieved in his mind, and he could even drag the progress bar, like watching a video.
Therefore, although the plot of "Ao Haru Ride" hadn't continued yet, through this method, Xia Yan had a basic grasp of the fundamental information about the work that the girl had seen on those video websites when she was watching the anime.
The anime only had twelve episodes, while the original manga had over a hundred chapters.
Xia Yan's novel adaptation is based on the girl's memories. He's certain she watched the entire anime series, because she's not the type to give up halfway through an anime series; once she starts watching something, she'll definitely finish it—it's one of her obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Therefore, the girl's memories definitely include the latter half of the Ao Haru Ride anime.
Whether she'll read the original manga is hard to say.
So, Xia Yan can only answer this question based on the Ao Haru Ride anime, not the manga.
"The complete novel will probably be within fifteen chapters," Xia Yan said.
Generally, the plot of one chapter in Xia Yan's novel is roughly equivalent to or slightly shorter than one episode of the original anime. The twelve episodes of the anime can easily be adapted into fifteen chapters or less of a novel.
"Hmm, this length... that's roughly a short to medium-length story." Tang Yin thought for a moment, then smiled.
"But that makes sense. After all, you're a new author. If you said you were going to write a novel with thirty or forty chapters, serialized in thirty or forty issues of a magazine, I'd have to question your ability to control the plot."
"Well then, let's get to the point." Tang Yin sat up straight, chest out, head held high, looking Xia Yan in the eye.
(End of Chapter)-+Chapter 7 An Editor's Advice Chapter 7 An Editor's Advice
"I don't know how much you know about our publishing house, but I'll give you a general overview. 69Sᕼᑘ᙭.ᑢᓍᘻ Red Maple Literature publishes 103 different periodicals of various sizes, making it one of the top five serialized novel periodicals in Southern Province. These 103 periodicals include tri-weekly, weekly, monthly, and even annual publications."
This was mostly information Xia Yan already knew.
While anime and manga culture is prevalent in China, unlike in the parallel world Xia Yan remembered, most Chinese anime and manga novel periodicals in that parallel world were published bi-monthly or monthly.
In Japan, the island nation where anime and manga culture originated, light novels were published in volumes with no fixed release intervals, while comics and anime were generally updated weekly.
Taiwanese novel websites are great for killing time, and ₮₩₭₳₦.₵Ø₥ are super reliable.
As for light novels in China, they are generally published as serials, a model somewhat similar to how Jin Yong's martial arts novels were initially serialized in daily newspapers in a parallel universe.
However, light novels that become famous in China are often published as standalone volumes; after all, who wouldn't want to make money a second time?
From this perspective, light novels in China are basically similar to the serialization model of domestic comics, the only difference being the medium of distribution.
The more culturally developed a region is, the more stringent the update schedule becomes.
In the Chinese light novel world, some popular light novel magazines even publish an issue every three days.
Each novel in the journal, serialized in each issue, typically contains around 10,000 to 20,000 words. This three-day update speed rivals even online literature in parallel worlds. The only difference is that one is a physical publication, and the other is an online publication.
After all, in a country with over a billion people like China, some people write well, and some write quickly, but to succeed in this cutthroat industry, you must write both well and quickly, keeping up with the publication speed of a three-day journal.
To make a living in this field, you have to withstand this creative speed and quality; otherwise, China has plenty of factories hiring, and those jobs don't have many requirements.
"Given your situation, you definitely have no chance with *Red Maple*, our publishing house's best-selling periodical. After all, the editorial department won't allow a newcomer with no track record to test the waters in the publishing house's flagship periodical," Tang Yin said slowly. *
Red Maple*, Red Maple Literature's best-selling light novel periodical, has a circulation fluctuating around 700,000 copies, a typical thrice-weekly publication. Of course, while it's called a thrice-weekly publication, to cultivate readers' buying habits, it actually only publishes one issue each Wednesday and Sunday, with a three-day, four-day rotation.
Hearing this, Xia Yan knew it was reasonable, but still felt a little disappointed.
"Actually, in my opinion, your 'Journey of Youth' is more interesting than many of the novels serialized in 'Red Maple' magazine. But the problem is your experience. Our company's upper management doesn't have any risk-takers, so young man, keep going, work hard, accumulate some serialization achievements, and serializing your work in 'Red Maple' might not be a problem for you in the future," Tang Yin said softly.
"As for the magazines in the company that are suitable for serializing your 'Journey of Youth' type of novel, and which currently have vacancies due to their serialized novels being nearing completion or being abruptly canceled," Tang Yin continued.
"First, *Seeking Sound*. It has one available serialization slot. Second, *Fleeting Beauty*. It has two available slots. Third, *Orange Heart*. This magazine currently has three available slots." All
three are light novel serializations focusing on romance novels for young women.
*Seeking Sound* has a circulation of around 130,000 per issue and is a very popular novel magazine under Red Maple Literature.
*Orange Heart* has a circulation of only 30,000 per issue and is a niche publication under Red Maple Literature.
As for *Fleeting Beauty*, each issue has a circulation of 250,000, sometimes even exceeding 300,000, making it the third highest-circulation serialized magazine in *Red Maple*. It serializes mostly high-quality submissions that, due to insufficient quality, lose out to higher-quality novels at the serialization conference and miss the opportunity to be serialized in *Red Maple*.
However, the publishing house cannot afford to abandon these submissions. Therefore, it can be understood as a gathering place for novels that have failed to secure a serialization opportunity in *Red Maple*.
Furthermore, *Fleeting Beauty* differs from *Red Maple*. While *Red Maple* absolutely refuses to publish novels by newcomers, *Fleeting Beauty* is different. If everyone at the serialization conference thinks you're capable, then even new works can be published. After Tang Yin's explanation
, Xia Yan gradually understood the approximate status of these three journals.
Undoubtedly, the best choice for serialization was *Fleeting Beauty*, followed by *Seeking Sound*.
Journal sales determine the work's reach; even the best work, serialized in a journal with only 20,000 to 30,000 readers, wouldn't have a significant impact.
Furthermore, the royalties Xia Yan received were also related to the journal platform where the novel was serialized.
"So, I will help your *Journey of Youth* secure serialization opportunities in these three journals at the serialization meeting the day after tomorrow, but I need to inform you beforehand. If you have any opinions or thoughts, you can bring them up." Tang Yin interlaced her fingers, resting her chin on her hands, and looked at Xia Yan.
"I can accept 'Youth Journey' being serialized in the magazines 'Fleeting Beauty' and 'Seeking Sound,' but as for 'Orange Heart,' forget it," Xia Yan said.
A magazine with a circulation of 30,000 copies only pays average royalties, and most importantly, it would be a waste of the work "Youth Journey."
After all, it's a work that, in a parallel world—a cruel island nation's anime industry no less competitive than China's—has broken through from a simple comic book to become an anime, a movie, and a novel. The plot Xia Yan showed Tang Yin didn't even cover the core of the story.
The actual brilliance of this work far surpasses the impression Tang Yin formed from the first three chapters of the "Youth Journey" novel.
Actually, it would have been more than enough to serialize it in "Red Maple," as the quality of the work is extremely high. However, because I am a newcomer to the novel world, the company's senior management did not agree to serialize it, so there was nothing I could do.
However, the basic situation wouldn't change no matter which publishing house Xia Yan submitted his work to. Therefore, Xia Yan could accept serializing his work in magazines like *Fleeting Beauty* and *Seeking Sound*, which have sales of tens or hundreds of thousands of copies per issue
. But if it were to be serialized in that *Orange Heart* magazine, Xia Yan would rather submit *Journey of Youth* to another publishing house. "Okay, I understand. I respect your opinion." Tang Yin paused for a few seconds, then nodded.
"Then our preliminary cooperation agreement is reached." Tang Yin smiled brightly, filling the office with a radiant glow.
Tang Yin extended her fair and delicate hand to Xia Yan.
"I hope we have a pleasant collaboration! If everything goes smoothly, in three days, you will be one of my contracted novelists!"
Xia Yan paused, then reached out and grasped her hand.
Soft, slightly cool, but strong.
"Xia Yan, although your work hasn't been approved at the serialization meeting yet, from my perspective, I have to tell you in advance so you can plan ahead. You'd better take advantage of the time you have now, before the novel officially starts serialization, to clearly conceive the plot of the sequel to 'Youth Journey'." Tang Yin said with a smile on her beautiful face.
"Although the outcome of the serialization meeting is still unknown, you need to prepare your work so that it can be approved for serialization. Both 'Fleeting Beauty' and 'Seeking Sound' are tri-weekly publications, released simultaneously throughout the entire Southern Province every Wednesday and Sunday. A novel of about fifteen chapters can actually be serialized from start to finish in just one or two months. Don't tell me you're experiencing writer's block or lack of inspiration right before the deadline, which prevents you from submitting your manuscript."
"I'll be chasing you to your house, using whatever methods I can, even if it means you don't sleep for three days straight, I'll squeeze every last drop of energy out of you so you can complete the task on time and submit your manuscript smoothly." At this point, Tang Yin probably felt there was something ambiguous in her words and added two more words.
"Also, if the plot of your novel falls apart later on, the publishing house will voluntarily cancel your work. But as a contracted novelist, you absolutely cannot disappear, and you certainly cannot abandon your work during serialization."
Tang Yin's face still held that calm smile, but her tone was somewhat dangerous.
"Otherwise, I definitely won't be so easy to talk to then."
Xia Yan's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this.
He knew very well
that he only knew the first half of the plot of "Youth Journey."
But at this moment, a man cannot show weakness.
"Don't worry, Editor Tang. I, Xia Yan, never imagined I'd encounter something like writer's block when I dared to step into the world of light novels. Until now, my writing career has been a continuous flow, with no blockages in my train of thought. That's how it was before, and it will inevitably be like that in the future. Words like 'discontinued updates,' 'late updates,' 'bad endings,' and 'eunuchs' are simply not meant for me in this lifetime."
Xia Yan's expression was spirited, and his tone was resolute. He himself was infected by the emotions he was putting on.
"That's for the best."
Tang Yin sat down, tilted her head slightly, and carefully examined Xia Yan's face with her clear, spring-like pupils. Finally, she nodded in satisfaction.
"Don't call me Editor Tang next time. I don't like that title; it makes me feel like an old editor, like those older editors. Just call me by my name, Tang Yin."
"Then how about Sister Tang?" Xia Yan still felt it wasn't quite right.
"Many people have called my aunt Sister Tang throughout my life, so I've never liked that title."
Xia Yan saw Tang Yin's slightly narrowed eyes and immediately changed her mind, going along with her wishes.
"Tang Yin."
Tang Yin smiled with satisfaction upon hearing this.
"Alright, I won't take up any more of your time. In three days at most, you'll know the results of the review of 'Youth Journey' at our Red Maple Literature serialization meeting."
Upon hearing this, Xia Yan quickly left Tang Yin's office.
To be honest, Xia Yan felt some pressure during the latter part of their conversation.
Mainly because she used terms like "discontinuing updates," "late updates," and "eunuch," her tone carrying a strong sense of danger.
Xia Yan felt guilty.
Lost in thought, Xia Yan didn't even notice that he brushed past a masked girl as he entered the elevator.
It was the same girl who had come to submit her work with him yesterday.
Song Lingyun curiously turned her head to look at Xia Yan's departing figure until the elevator doors closed.
After standing and pondering for a few seconds, she, too, took her revised manuscript of "Yesterday's Starry Sky" and headed towards Tang Yin's office.
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(End of Chapter)-+Chapter 8 School Opening Chapter 8 School Start
"You're here?"
Tang Yin was surprised by Song Lingyun's arrival. •°¤*(¯`★´¯)*¤° 69𝔰𝓗𝔲𝓧.¢𝐨ᗰ °¤*(¯´★`¯)*¤°•.
Yesterday was the same; she had just finished reviewing Xia Yan's novel manuscript when Song Lingyun came to submit hers.
Today, she had just seen Xia Yan off, and Song Lingyun arrived less than half a minute later.
These two were both students at the Third Middle School and didn't even know each other.
Banishing these useless thoughts from her mind, Tang Yin began a new round of work.
Google search results for TWKAN
show that on-site manuscript review is a daily routine for the editors at Red Maple Literature. They take turns working shifts, but in reality, although dozens of people submit manuscripts a day, very few are truly valuable.
Most new novelists primarily submit by mail, as not everyone lives in Nancheng and has time to visit in person.
Yesterday, however,
Tang Yin received two on-site submissions she considered promising: one was Xia Yan's *Youth Journey*,
and the other was Song Lingyun's *Yesterday's Starlight*.
Although she felt the plot of *Yesterday's Starlight* was somewhat weaker than *Youth Journey*, it was still a very interesting novel.
Therefore, for tomorrow's serialization meeting, "Yesterday's Starlight" is one of the manuscripts Tang Yin is preparing to submit for review.
Yesterday, she also asked Song Lingyun to revise some details of the manuscript and send it over today. ∙∙·▫▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ 6➈s𝔥υ𝕩.Ć𝔬ⓜ ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫▫·∙∙
Therefore, the conversation between Tang Yin and Song Lingyun this time was similar to what she had told Xia Yan before.
Yesterday's Starlight and Youth Journey are similar in genre, and the journals serializing them overlap.
In fact, the two novels are in competition with each other!
The only difference is that Song Lingyun is not as picky as Xia Yan. As long as the novel can pass the serialization meeting, she has no objection even if it is published in Orange Heart, a journal with a circulation of only 30,000 to 40,000.
"So I need to remind you that although the results of the serialization meeting are still unknown, you need to be prepared for both the possibility that your work will be approved and the possibility that it won't. If it's not approved, adjust your mindset and don't be discouraged."
"But if it is approved, the pressure of serialization will be considerable. I don't want you to experience delays, interruptions, bad endings, or unfinished stories due to slow writing speed or other reasons. So, while your school still has two or three days before the start of the semester, try to perfect the plot of the novel as much as possible..." Tang Yin said in a deep voice, her beautiful face full of seriousness.
"I understand, thank you for reminding me, Editor Tang." Song Lingyun's expression also became solemn.
After all, she was just a normal high school sophomore. Although she was pretty, she had almost no social experience. Writing novels was just a hobby and an ideal, something she did secretly, without her family's knowledge.
Faced with Tang Yin's serious and earnest words, she did feel pressured.
Discontinuing updates, ending poorly, running out of inspiration—
Song Lingyun wasn't sure if these problems would arise once she actually became a serialized light novel author. 🐤🍟 ➅➈ⓢнυ𝓧.℃ⓞ๓ 💘💜
Because she had indeed only spent half a month conceiving the plot of Yesterday's Starry Sky novel up to the fourth chapter, then mustered the courage to submit it, but she wasn't sure if the later parts of the novel would suffer from the aforementioned problems.
"Don't call me Editor Tang, and don't call me Sister Tang. Just call me by my name, Tang Yin. I'm not much older than you, don't make me sound old." Tang Yin frowned and quickly corrected her.
You guys?
Song Lingyun paused. "You guys"? Who else could it be but me?
She thought of the boy she had brushed past earlier, who seemed to be a classmate.
She remembered seeing his author's name on the first page of his submission yesterday; it was Xia Yan, right?
School starts in two days. If he really is a classmate, she'll keep an eye on him after school starts.
After all, secretly writing and submitting romance novels behind her family's back, Song Lingyun, as an excellent student in her parents' eyes and a dignified young lady in the eyes of her relatives and friends, actually had very complicated feelings.
Xia Yan
didn't dare reveal her interests, but discovering that someone from her school was doing the same thing made her feel a sense of kinship.
Back home, Xia Yan breathed a sigh of relief. After several days of working on this, she was finally getting off to a good start.
However, Tang Yin's words today reminded Xia Yan that the three chapters of her submitted novel were far from enough. The plot content that followed was crucial.
Xia Yan didn't waste any time; she put down her backpack and went to her room to write.
Two days passed in a flash.
February 5th was the
day of the Red Maple Literature serialization meeting.
Early in the morning, Tang Yin arrived at the company early with the novel manuscript she wanted to submit.
Inside the company, the atmosphere was tense today.
Competition is everywhere. While the editorial staff are usually friendly, the serialization meetings are a battle of wits, with everyone showcasing their skills. Every editor hopes their submissions will be successfully serialized in the company's journal.
At nine o'clock in the morning, all the editors entered the company's largest conference room, sitting around a round table in a serious atmosphere.
Red Maple Literature primarily publishes youth romance novels. Of course, they accept all genres, but among the five major light novel publishing houses in Nancheng, Red Maple Literature has a clear reputation advantage in serialized youth romance novels.
Every day and every week, the number of novel manuscripts submitted to Red Maple Literature is enormous. The editors, upon receiving the submissions, only select a few that they deem promising to submit to the serialization meeting. After all, everyone's time is limited, and they can only choose the best of the best.
The final decision on whether a work will be serialized is made jointly by all the editors present and the editor-in-chief. Of course, the final decision rests with the editor-in-chief; the other editors can only express their opinions, and the decision is entirely up to the editor-in-chief. At
9:10, Han Yun, the editor-in-chief of Red Maple Literature, took her seat. She was in her forties, elegant, and slender, but the shrewdness reflected in her eyes beneath her glasses was evident.
Because Hongfeng Literature receives many submissions of romance novels, and the company's editorial team is predominantly female (around 60-70%), the serialization meeting began.
At each editor's table, there were stacks of neatly arranged and fully photocopied manuscripts.
There were approximately thirty novels selected for review.
"First, the first novel, 'That Summer,' is a new work by Chu Xi, a veteran light novelist with whom we have collaborated for four years. This novel has a delicate plot and novel character settings, showing a breakthrough compared to her previous works."
The editor who submitted the manuscript began a brief introduction to the novel to the colleagues present. During this process, the entire meeting room was filled with the rustling sound of pages turning.
Two minutes later, everyone started speaking up as if they were in a market.
"I don't think the first chapter is very appealing. These days, the market response to this kind of weak female lead is generally lukewarm."
"But nothing is absolute. Newcomers may not be able to write this kind of female lead well, but as for Teacher Chu Xi, everyone knows her strength. Her previous work, 'She in the Clouds!' was serialized in 'Red Maple' for three months and received a very high rating." "
But the first chapter of this novel is clearly not as interesting as the first chapter of 'She in the Clouds!', so it's impossible to connect the two."
Tang Yin didn't interrupt. The editors arguing at the meeting were all focused on securing the only serialization slot for their flagship magazine, *Red Maple*, at the current serialization conference. This was none of her business; she hadn't received any suitable submissions for *Red Maple* at this conference.
She felt the quality of *Youth Journey* was sufficient, but Xia Yan being a new author was a major problem. Editor-in-Chief Han Yun wouldn't risk agreeing to serialize *Youth Journey* in *Red Maple*.
After a minute of arguing, Editor-in-Chief Han Yun spoke.
"To be determined!"
(End of Chapter)-+Chapter 9 Meeting Outcomes Chapter 9 Meeting Outcome
During the meeting, all the editors fell silent and began reading their second novels, making sure not to waste any time.
If a few minutes were spent discussing one novel, and dozens of novels were reviewed, the meeting would still take two or three hours to conclude.
[At this point, I hope readers will remember our domain name: Taiwan Novel Network, ttfj.tw. It's super convenient!]
The "pending" status means that the first chapter of this novel's plot has been approved by the editor-in-chief, Han Yun, and is of sufficient quality for serialization in *Red Maple*. However, if it's not the best submission at this serialization conference, then it has no chance, since there's only one available serialization slot in this journal.
Meanwhile,
at Nancheng Third Middle School, the opening ceremony for the second semester of the second year of high school is being held. Class 3 of the second year is lined up.
Xia Yan, with dark circles under his eyes,
has been working overtime these past few days to adapt the animated content of *Youth Journey*, which he had previously watched, into a novel text of seven chapters.
Then, the memory of the girl watching other anime series resurfaced these past two days. Romance series like *Suzuka*, and isekai anime like *Kyou Kara Maou!* and *Healing Hero*.
*Suzuka* was alright; Xia Yan was quite engrossed in watching it through his soul memories. But *Kyou Kara Maou!*, although he only watched a few episodes through his soul memories—if he wasn't mistaken, it was a BL (Boys' Love) anime—truly made Xia Yan feel uncomfortable after watching it.
Xia Yan was stunned by these anime series, only able to admire the diverse themes and surprisingly heavy tastes of the anime creators in parallel worlds. Most importantly, Yuan Qing, this cute girl, seemed to enjoy them all immensely.
Sure enough, not all works from other worlds are suitable for adaptation in China. None of the works Xia Yan dreamed about these past two days were suitable for publication in China.
But this won't do,
Yuan Qing! You better hurry up and fast-forward to the "Youth Journey" storyline when the soul memories play!
If the serialization meeting approves "Youth Journey" today, I don't want Tang Yin coming to my house with a knife in a few weeks demanding the manuscript!
Xia Yan thought to himself, his dark circles under his eyes becoming even more pronounced. 🍭♟ ➅9ˢ𝐇ยЖ.𝓬𝐎ⓜ 💙ൠ
The opening ceremony quickly ended; it was basically just a formality. Starting tomorrow, the second semester of the second year of high school will officially begin for all the students.
Afterwards, the homeroom teacher, Mr. Huang, gave a passionate speech to the class, emphasizing that there were only 400 days left until the college entrance examination. He urged everyone to work hard, strive, and abandon entertainment products such as novels, anime, and games, focusing solely on studying as the right path.
However, few people paid him any attention.
What did slightly bother Xia Yan was his girlfriend—or rather, his ex-girlfriend, Su Ling, the class's academic representative—who sat in the row next to him, only about a meter away.
Dressed in a white school uniform, she was youthful and beautiful, attracting the attention of many boys in the class.
During the winter break, due to a change in Xia Yan's family situation, Su Ling immediately broke up with him upon learning of it. However, since they were classmates, he couldn't avoid seeing her and could only deliberately ignore her to avoid embarrassment.
Seeing her attitude, Xia Yan completely let go of the last vestige of lingering affection he had for her.
"By the way, Su Ling, didn't you and Xia Yan have a good relationship before? Why aren't you saying a word to him today?"
"What do you mean 'good relationship'? We're just ordinary classmates, don't overthink it." Su Ling glanced at Xia Yan.
Her mother had died early, her father had committed suicide during winter break, and her family had gone bankrupt. The fact that Xia Yan hadn't dropped out of school surprised her.
He probably has some relatives supporting his studies.
Oh well, whatever, he's probably one of the worst off students in the whole school now. Dating him would only make my friends laugh at my bad taste, and there wouldn't be any benefits. He might even come asking me for money.
Various scenarios flashed through Su Ling's mind. It's a real shame she didn't become a novelist.
The two only confirmed their relationship at the end of the semester, and it lasted less than a month before it ended during winter break. The time was too short, so no one in the class knew about their relationship.
A gentle breeze drifted into the classroom, causing the students' hair to flutter slightly.
Xia Yan was lost in thought about her novel's serialization, gradually becoming engrossed .
Su Ling frowned, the more she tried to ignore Xia Yan, the harder it became. Moreover, Xia Yan's indifferent attitude towards her, the school, and everything else made her feel awkward. She had a feeling that the person she had dumped was even more carefree than she was. ★💔 ➅❾ᔕнù᙭.𝕔όⓜ ♙☮
Tomorrow, school starts.
"Next up is the twenty-second novel of this meeting, 'Journey of Youth,' with the target serialization journals 'Fleeting Beauty' and 'Seeking Sound.'"
Tang Yin stood up and introduced the relevant information about 'Journey of Youth' to the editors present.
The other editors were busy flipping through the novel manuscripts.
At this meeting, five novels were vying for the two serialization slots available for *Fleeting Beauty*.
The competition was fierce.
Half a minute later,
the expressions of the editors present subtly changed.
They were all astute, with discerning eyes; in most novels, the first chapter's plot wasn't that different from the first because of the limited space.
But the first chapter of *Journey of Youth* was quite interesting.
First, it established the male and female leads' past mutual crushes. Then,
in the middle of the story, their reunion three years later, just when everyone thought their past feelings had rekindled, the male lead uttered, "We can't go back to the way things were!" directly defining their relationship.
As for the ending, the female lead's inner monologue, expressing her resentment at the end of her relationship with Kou, has generated a strong sense of anticipation for the unfolding of the second chapter.
As for the descriptions of the female protagonist Futaba's interpersonal relationships, emotions, and state of mind, after reading the first chapter, everyone felt a faint sense of sadness and heartbreak.
They had read too many novels, and ordinary quality novels simply couldn't evoke these editors' emotions.
"Hmm, pretty good."
"The quality is indeed good."
"I don't think it's good. The first chapter makes the interpersonal relationships so straightforward. The male lead so calmly tells the female lead, 'Our past is over.' How is the plot supposed to develop? The female lead chasing after the male lead? Many female readers hate this kind of plot. Nobody likes reading stories about female simps."
"That's true."
"Wait a minute, is this author a newbie? And I didn't misread the author information, right? A male? And a student?"
"Really?"
"A male high school student writing a romance novel?"
"That was something a boy could write? Really? High school students these days understand girls' hearts so well?"
"To be honest, it's a bit odd for a guy to want to serialize a shoujo romance novel. Even if the first chapter is well-written, the plot will most likely fall apart later on. I don't believe that those high school students who have never even had a girlfriend can actually write a shoujo romance novel that female readers will like."
The editors were discussing amongst themselves, and the meeting room was in complete chaos.
Compared to previous discussions, the discussion about Aoharu Ride was much more intense.
Editors who were in competition with each other were not polite at the serialization meeting, and they did their best to seize on a point and attack each other.
"The novel I submitted has three chapters. I have read them carefully, and the situation is not as everyone is discussing. In fact, the plot of the novel 'Journey of Youth' gets more and more exciting from the first to the third chapter," Tang Yin said calmly.
"I personally believe that even if 'Journey of Youth' were serialized in 'Red Maple,' it would still achieve a top-three ranking in popularity. I only suggested placing it in 'Fleeting Beauty' because the author, Xia Yan, is a newcomer. I hope that when people question this novel, they should focus on the plot rather than paying too much attention to the author's experience. China is a huge country with plenty of new light novel authors who become famous overnight." "
But that's just your opinion. I think, maybe, probably, if—these wordings all indicate unknown outcomes. And our publishing house doesn't need to take that risk. After all, 'Fleeting Beauty' is our third best-selling magazine. I suggested serializing 'Journey of Youth' in 'Seeking Sound,'" said a female editor who was in competition with Tang Yin at this serialization meeting.
She knew perfectly well that her submitted novel was far less captivating and moving than *Youth Journey*. In terms of quality, her novel, which she had proposed for serialization in *Fleeting Beauty*, was a complete failure. Now, she naturally needed to steer the conversation in the right direction and eliminate a strong competitor.
This is where the editor-in-chief, Han Yun, came in. A chaotic discussion wouldn't yield results, but having a decision-maker made a difference.
She thought for a moment and then had her assistant bring the last two chapters of *Youth Journey*, distributing them to the editors.
After all, serialization meetings valued efficiency; reading two or three chapters, fifty or sixty thousand words of plot from each novel would be too tedious.
However, if everyone is undecided about a novel and there's a lot of discussion, the contributor with subsequent plot drafts can spend a little more time on one or two high-quality novels.
Five minutes later,
the dozens of editors in the entire conference room fell silent.
Indeed, the plot of the first three chapters of "Aoharu Ride" is more and more exciting with each chapter.
The female protagonist, Futaba, is becoming more and more likable, and the development of her relationship with the male protagonist, Kou, as well as the depiction of her daily life with her female best friends and classmates at school,
truly lives up to the novel's title, "Aoharu Ride."
The breath of youth is palpable, evoking the girlish innocence and budding romance of the female editors themselves.
Could this really be a novel written by a sixteen-year-old boy? "
This is really strange!
" Han Yun put down the manuscript in her hand, a smile appearing on her lips, and said softly.
Although she was a woman in her forties, her demeanor and voice were extremely elegant.
But at this moment, not a single editor objected to her decision.
After three consecutive chapters of such brilliant writing, it was pointless to continue attacking with those previous topics.
Han Yun's words weren't pending, but approved, indicating her recognition of the quality of "Journey of Youth."
Hearing this, Tang Yin let out a long sigh.
(End of Chapter)-+Chapter 10 All Parties Chapter 10 All Parties
This serialization meeting lasted until nearly noon, almost three hours, and in the end,
Tang Yin returned home with a bountiful harvest.
According to her expectations, given the quality of Xia Yan's submitted "Youth Journey," there was a considerable probability that it would be serialized in the journal "Fleeting Beauty."
The only thing to be aware of was that other members of the editorial department, due to their concerns about Xia Yan's status as a new student, launched various attacks, which led to the failure of the serialization proposal.
However, in reality, all these criticisms were suppressed at the meeting by the quality of the novel "Youth Journey."
Ultimately, the serialization meeting decides which novel gets published mainly based on its quality. Only when two competing novels are of similar quality do they consider external factors such as the author's past experience, stability, and popularity.
Although Tang Yin had to put in some effort, the successful publication of "Youth Journey" was within her expectations.
What truly surprised Tang Yin was Song Lingyun's submission, "Yesterday's Starlight."
While "Yesterday's Starlight" was of good quality, the plot in the first chapter was a bit slow. The most compelling parts were the second and third chapters. Tang Yin had initially thought that suggesting "Yesterday's Starlight" be serialized in "Fleeting Beauty" would be quite difficult, and the editorial department would most likely relegate it to the journal "Seeking Sound."
Tang Yin hadn't anticipated that at this serialization conference, a total of five novels would compete for the two serialization slots for "Fleeting Beauty." Aside from "Youth Journey," the other four novels, when compared side-by-side, didn't stand out in terms of quality.
Yesterday's Starlight was a bit slow, but the other three novels weren't significantly stronger
either. However, those three novels were written by established novelists who collaborated with the publishing house, which, in theory, gave them a significant advantage over Song Lingyun, who was also a student author. In a real competition, Yesterday's Starlight would be at a disadvantage.
But things are unpredictable; advantages and disadvantages can shift in an instant. An experienced author with serialization experience certainly has an advantage over newcomers when submitting a new work at a serialization conference. But what if this author has a history of poor writing?
One of the authors of those three novels, during her previous serialization at Red Maple Literature, suffered a mental breakdown due to her husband's infidelity. That novel ended poorly, with a nonsensical plot in the later parts, resulting in hundreds of negative reviews from readers. The second author
, who had serialized four novels at Red Maple Literature, saw three of them suffer from disastrous plot developments in the later parts, causing a sharp drop in popularity and leading to their cancellation by the publisher. He was even blacklisted and is known as an author of novels that start strong but end weakly.
There was another person whose novel was temporarily suspended for three issues last year because the editor couldn't find anyone to submit their manuscript. It was later learned that he had lost a lot of money gambling, lost interest in writing, and abandoned his novel to wander the world and live a carefree life.
After these dark histories were revealed by other editors at the serialization meeting, the editor-in-chief, Han Yun, was immediately dismayed and made a decisive decision. She preferred to trust another high school newcomer novelist, rather than consider the works of the other three.
Since Xia Yan, a high school student, had his work approved at this meeting, the acceptance rate for Song Lingyun's work would undoubtedly increase significantly.
Therefore, Tang Yin made a fortune at this serialization meeting.
Two serialization slots became available in *
Fleeting Beauty*, the third best-selling literary magazine in Hongfeng, and she snapped them both up. Her long, black-stockinged legs moved with light steps, her hair tied in a bun, a smile on her face. Her fair, delicate face radiated confidence; she was beautiful, but her aura was even more so. 👺✊ ➅❾ŞHᑌ᙭.ᑕόᝓ� 🎀👌
"Xiao Yin, we haven't eaten yet, let's go eat together."
As lunchtime approached, Han Yun called out to Tang Yin with a smile.
Tang Yin's expression stiffened, but she couldn't refuse the company editor's enthusiastic invitation. After all, her editing job at Hongfeng Literature was arranged by Han Yun, and she was directly under Han Yun's supervision.
The two sat down at a mid-to-high-end restaurant near Hongfeng Literature. Red wine and Western food were served shortly.
"Speaking of which, you've been at Hongfeng Literature for a year now, haven't you?" Han Yun took a sip of red wine and looked at Tang Yin.
"Your father has called several times, telling you not to waste your time in Nancheng, but to go to his company instead."
"No, Aunt Han, I'm only interested in novels and anime. Being a novel editor is already fun enough. I don't want to go back to working under that old fogey and getting scolded," Tang Yin quickly said.
Han Yun looked at Tang Yin carefully for a while, then smiled and said softly,
"
Well, Aunt Han, I respect your choice. However, your father said that if you don't listen, your credit card will be suspended starting tomorrow. He doesn't want to argue with you, so he asked me to pass on this message."
"Huh?" Tang Yin's beautiful face was completely dumbfounded.
"Is he a devil? How awful!"
Tang Yin clenched her fists.
"I'll max out the credit card he gave me this afternoon. Heh, anyway, I get a salary from my editorial job at Red Maple Literature. I won't starve. I won't give in."
Seeing this, Han Yun lightly picked up her wine glass, elegantly sipped her wine, and swallowed it with the seafood.
The morning session ended, and the homeroom teacher, Mr. Huang, finished his long-winded speech. Today was just the opening ceremony; classes would officially begin tomorrow.
After the meeting, everyone prepared to go home and get ready for the new semester.
"Um, Xia Yan."
Just as Xia Yan was about to leave the school, someone tapped him on the shoulder.
"Zhang Yang, what's up?" Xia Yan asked.
Zhang Yang, Xia Yan's classmate, and their relationship was alright.
"Um... do you know Song Lingyun?"
"Of course I know her! She's the top student in our school since we entered. Her grades have been number one in every subject since the beginning of the semester. Not to mention the final exams, she's never missed a single monthly exam, never even dropping to second place. She's beautiful, rich, and a well-known rich girl in school. Who doesn't know her?" Xia Yan paused for a moment before saying.
"Um, I didn't mean that. I meant, have you ever had any contact with her? Like, do you know each other privately, or are you friends?" Zhang Yang's face was full of curiosity at this moment.
"No. Why are you asking? If you have a crush on her and want to give her a love letter but are too shy, I can help you deliver it. But I really don't have any connection with her," Xia Yan said, puzzled.
"It's nothing. I was just asking casually. Don't think I'm just asking out of boredom," Zhang Yang said, quickly laughing it off and walking away with his bag.
Xia Yan looked completely bewildered. Zhang Yang
, who had walked away, also looked somewhat confused.
"That's strange. Xia Yan doesn't even know Song Lingyun, so why is she asking me about Xia Yan?" Zhang Yang muttered to himself.
Song Lingyun and Zhang Yang were classmates in junior high school, but after entering high school, they almost lost contact, only exchanging greetings if they bumped into each other in the school corridor.
But after the opening ceremony today, Song Lingyun mysteriously stopped him, her purpose being to inquire about Xia Yan.
"It can't be that Song Lingyun has a crush on Xia Yan, right?" Zhang Yang's eyes gleamed with gossip, but it vanished in less than half a second.
"Forget it, how could that be? She can't be that picky. Maybe Song Lingyun has a crush on me, but is too shy to say it directly, so she just brought up Xia Yan as a way to get closer to me. Hehe." Zhang Yang's lips curled into a sweet smile.
Around 2 PM,
Xia Yan, who was at home checking the follow-up manuscript of "Youth Journey," and Song Lingyun, who was playing the piano at her villa, waiting for the outcome of something and trying to calm her anxious heart,
both received calls from Tang Yin.
"Youth Journey's serialization in 'Fleeting Beauty' has been approved. Come to Red Maple Literature to complete the serialization contract signing when you have time!"
"Yesterday Starlight's serialization in 'Fleeting Beauty' has been approved. Come to Red Maple Literature to complete the serialization contract signing when you have time." Xia Yan breathed a huge sigh of relief
after hanging up the phone.
He understood that if the contract was successful, he would receive a substantial sum of royalties, which would at least help him avoid a survival crisis in the short term, both in his studies and in his daily life. On the other side,
Song Lingyun's heart pounded after hanging up the phone, her fair face flushed. Just a minute ago, her fingers had been flying across the piano, incredibly steady, but now they were trembling slightly. "I passed the novel serialization contract!" At this moment, she couldn't suppress the sense of accomplishment welling up inside her, even stronger than the past year of repeatedly surpassing her competitors in school exams and firmly holding the top spot among her grade's students since entering the school.
Being number one in her grade—from first grade in elementary school to her current second year of high school—was just routine for her. Falling to second place would be a disaster.
But the fact that her submitted novel was successfully granted serialization rights was a pleasant surprise and unexpected joy in her life. She clenched her fist slightly. (End o