"You're truly a great white lotus."
Little Buding gave Jiang Lai an objective evaluation for today.
Jiang Lai didn't care much about it; she had lots to do. She intended to make good use of the comic convention but unexpectedly ran into something unpleasant.
Back in the room, Jiang Lai opened her computer to start working, as the previously submitted Wasteland Queen was only a rough character image, and the related character's actions and expressions needed her design.
After all, Ophina is a strong figure on the wasteland who uses mecha to seize power, so the animation's preliminary scenes need to include plenty of fighting scenes, especially the character's ultimate move, Desert Sea No Desire, requiring significant creative effort to design.
Shen Liao returned home, and Jiang Lai's figure was absent from the bedroom again.
Walking to her bedroom door, he didn't expect the door to be open; through the gap, he could see warm yellow light pouring over the dressing table by the window.
As Jiang Lai lay on the desk, she was seriously sketching with a pen in her hand.
This was a Jiang Lai he had never seen before.
She seemed to be drawing something, her back focused and attentive.
Quiet, focused, elegant.
A goose yellow long dress pajama, showing two slender white arms, her thin back slightly bent, her usually unkempt long hair now casually tied at the back of her head, with strands gently moving in the outdoor wind, glistening warmly under the lamp light, causing a delicate stir in Shen Liao's heart.
The hair seemed to brush against his heart.
Shen Liao did not disturb her, turned around back to the study, opened his computer, and began handling the remaining work of the day.
Just after he turned to leave, Jiang Lai heard Little Buding's voice.
"Heartbeat Value has risen to fifty-five; task progress has reached thirty-three percent."
Jiang Lai lowered her eyes and continued her work, seemingly unfazed by the sudden rise in Heartbeat Value.
Apart from submitting drafts to the Light Sensing Game Company, Jiang Lai also tried to find opportunities on different brand websites.
Soon she noticed a Valentine's submission recently posted under a niche perfume brand.
Brands like these often release limited joint editions during fixed occasions or seasons, creating brand novelty to attract customers' attention.
After browsing all the products under this perfume brand, Jiang Lai, recalling the original owner's intense and fervent feelings toward Shen Liao, gradually formulated an idea.
With time nearing eleven-thirty, Jiang Lai still took out her tablet.
At five-thirty the next morning, Jiang Lai updated a Weibo post.
[Loving you, clumsy and intense, having nothing yet giving all]
Below is an image of a fervent sea of roses, filling the whole picture, amidst which is a girl's back, looking upwards toward a flower-composed planet.
By the afternoon of the next day, Jiang Lai received an email.
[Hello Teacher Jiang, we were very satisfied with the digital illustration you sent and sincerely extend a collaboration invitation to you. MISS SIXTY looks forward to working with you.]
Replying to the email, Jiang Lai stretched lazily and rolled back to take a nap, sleeping until after two in the afternoon. Upon waking, Jiang Lai felt a bit dazed.
Downstairs, the cleaners had changed to a young girl, and before Jiang Lai asked, the other party greeted her proactively.
"Hello Miss Jiang, I'm the new employee Zhou Min."
Yawning, Jiang Lai walked down, glanced at her nonchalantly, and instructed the kitchen to prepare lunch.
Having money is good, waking up whenever you want and having someone specifically preparing meals for you anytime.
Though today's dishes were a bit salty, Jiang Lai frowned and tasted two bites before spitting them out, calling the chef to ask what's going on.
The chef stuttered for quite a while before explaining that Zhou Min, the new girl, was her daughter, helping with cooking without much experience, thus putting too much salt.
Jiang Lai set down her chopsticks and didn't comment much, standing up with just a remark.
"Put it away; I'm not eating."
Finishing, she went upstairs to change clothes, planning to dine out.
Watching Jiang Lai's back, Zhou Min looked at the table full of dishes in disbelief, speaking discontentedly.
"This is such a waste, not eating with so many dishes?"
The chef, Aunt Liu, had been here preparing meals before Jiang Lai moved in, though Shen Liao seldom returned, allowing her to earn wages without serving anyone.
Since Jiang Lai moved in, her workload significantly increased, three meals a day, none skimped, yet Jiang Lai was picky, refusing certain foods, so Aunt Liu had long been dissatisfied with her.
Finally having her daughter involved, having someone to share complaints, she naturally wouldn't waste this chance.
"She's not paying, of course, she's not distressed."
"Such fortune, finding such a good partner."
"Ha, what partner! Just a mistress that can't see the light of day, as Mr. Shen never takes her out. I heard from Mr. Shen's brother; the conditions of Jiang Lai's family were particularly poor, her parents are street vendors, and she clings to a rich man merely with her looks."
Listening, Zhou Min felt contemptuous yet inexplicably envious.
"Her luck really is good, clinging to someone young and handsome; Mr. Shen looks not a day over thirty."
"Twenty-eight, really young."
"Only twenty-eight..."
Zhou Min mused, looking at Jiang Lai dressed and made-up coming downstairs, eyes devoid of past timidity and reverence, instead bearing some scrutiny.
Indeed pretty, but what's the use of beauty? Everyone ages; she's already over twenty, and I'm only twenty.
Jiang Lai ignored that gaze, went to the garage, picked a petite BMW Mini, and headed straight to one of Jiang City's famous spots, Ming Pearl Tower.
Xu Guang told her today was the finals of the Absolute Survival offline autumn competition, couriering a VIP ticket to her, advising she check it out if possible.
Competitive gaming is exceptionally popular nowadays, with some professional players' fame rivaling that of celebrity stars, making tickets for this autumn tournament's finals scarce.
Jiang Lai used the VIP ticket to enter through a special channel, sat based on the seat number marking, as regular ticket holders gradually entered.
Jiang Lai hadn't played Absolute Survival, but to design Ophina's character, she viewed many cgs of the game's other characters, roughly understanding the game rules.
She didn't recognize any of the two teams playing today, only knowing one called OPK was extremely impressive, winning both the spring and summer tournaments in less than a year since their formation, identified as a dark horse for this event's world tournament.
Sitting close, Jiang Lai could clearly see each player's face when they took the stage.