Rebirth: Once Again With You

"Hmm, having Mrs. Mei as our ally is the best. Please take good care of him," Shao Jingfei grinned from ear to ear.

Li Caiyi wondered what relationship he had with Mei Ning because he treated her with a balanced amount of respect and casualty.

But, that was none of her business, so she kept her mouth shut and listened to them talk for a few more minutes before excusing herself to go to the bathroom.

All talk about contracts was always tedious, and Li Caiyi wondered if Dai Shenqiang would eventually agree with that. Not to mention, Dai Shenqiang was still an underage boy.

Li Caiyi made sure her outfit was still neat before leaving the bathroom. The bathroom was located in the opposite direction of the seminar room, which was used for Mei Ning's workshop today. So, Li Caiyi had to walk past the main lobby of the 11th floor if she wanted to return to the room.

However, as she walked past it, she noticed that the hall seemed more crowded. Curiously, she swept her gaze across the lobby and found a man in his late 40s standing in the middle of the crowd and talking with a few other people.

They didn't necessarily mind their volume when talking, so Li Caiyi could hear clearly what they were talking about. She hastened her pace while trying to keep her presence as minimal as possible, but her steps halted when she heard one of them speak.

"Chief Editor, I know you will get that promotion sooner or later. Congratulations!"

"It's a shame you have to end your vacation early because of this good news, though."

"What do you mean by shame? With this promotion, the Chief Editor can go on vacation anytime he wants."

Li Caiyi looked back and immediately realised that the older man among that crowd was the Chief Editor. She wasn't sure if he was the person to whom she was indebted but didn't want to waste the opportunity either. Her body turned stiff with nervousness as she pondered whether she should walk over to thank him or not.

While debating herself, the crowd slowly dispersed, leaving the man with a satisfied grin standing there with her back straightened. His protruding belly became more prominent as he laughed to himself.

Li Caiyi saw her chance and decided to step forward. The man noticed her approaching and looked at her curiously.

"Can I help you with something?"

"Yeah. Are you perhaps the Chief Editor here?"

"Yes, but I might not be Chief Editor anymore soon," the man replied with a proud grin. His face radiated happiness.

"Oh! Nice to meet you, Chief Editor. I'm Li Caiyi, one of the new contracted authors of this company. I saw you just now and thought I should come over and greet you."

The old man's brows raised slightly. He had met and dealt with many contracted writers before, and not everyone had a pleasant attitude. As they said, people of creation could have peculiar minds, and he wasn't a fan of those.

Usually, he would just talk about one or two things with writers before leaving, but his mood was exceptionally good today. And the new writer in front of him looked harmless. He thought he could be generous and spare Li Caiyi some of his time.

"A new writer? That's nice. How is everything going?"

"Everything is good. I wanted to thank you for all your help last time."

Li Caiyi bowed politely at him while flashing her brightest smile. If it weren't for him, her new book wouldn't be able to be pushed forward for promotion, and she probably wouldn't be able to live by herself even now.

Contrary to the enthusiastic Li Caiyi, the Chief Editor was bewildered. He didn't understand what she was talking about but was too embarrassed to ask. Hence, he pretended to let the conversation flow.

"Oh yeah. A first book is essential to gauge the author's capability and standing, so give your all for it."

Li Caiyi noticed something was off with his response but kept a polite smile on her face. "Yes. Uhm, if I may, can I ask you something?"

"Sure. Ask away."

Li Caiyi bashfully asked. "I want to hear your honest thoughts about my book. Is there any particular scene that strikes any impression on you?"

The smile on the Chief Editor's face dimmed hearing that.

Throughout his career, he listened to the same question from numerous writers. Too many to count, and he was honestly sick of it. If it weren't for this promotion, only God knew how long he had to bear answering the same question over and over again.

"Oh well, a new book is a new book. There is no need to be so hopeful and just do your best. If it doesn't work well, you just have to write more to accumulate more experience. Don't fret about it and just keep going."

This was his default answer whenever a newbie author with too much passion and clouds in their head asked him the same question. It was his roundabout way of saying that their writing was mediocre and they shouldn't get too ahead of themselves.

He couldn't understand why people would be so optimistic and thought they could make something out of themselves on the first try? Even he had to work his ass off from the bottom, and only after 12 years did he finally get the promotion he wanted.

His excellent mood immediately dampened with this talk, and he couldn't wait to finish this conversation as soon as possible.

"I have something to do after this, so let's talk again later, alright? Good luck with your book."

Li Caiyi had been listening to his words, but she couldn't understand what was happening. He clearly didn't notice or remember who she was from how he spoke.

Of course, she understood that some readers probably couldn't remember the author's name even though they remembered the book title. But would a Chief Editor who recommended her work possibly make the same mistake?

Spurred by this thought, Li Caiyi unintentionally took a step to the side, preventing the Chief Editor from leaving. The slight frown on his face made Li Caiyi hesitant, but she wanted to confirm something.

"I'm sorry for taking your time, but I wanted to ask if you remember my book, perhaps?"

The Chief Editor sighed in frustration. "Listen here, young lady. I can't possibly remember every book I saw before, wouldn't I?"

"But, didn't you recommend my book to be promoted before?" Li Caiyi refused to give up and probe further.

"What promotion? How can a new book… Wait a minute."

Only then did the Chief Editor's facial expression changed slightly. He studied Li Caiyi up and down closely before a look of realisation struck him.

"Young lady, don't tell me. You are the writer of that book."

"Yes? Did you finally remember?" Li Caiyi's smile bloomed again as she looked at him expectantly.

The older man didn't expect to meet her here. He couldn't care less about this girl who appeared out of nowhere before but now, he couldn't ignore her anymore. Not when this girl was akin to a bag of money or a golden stairway which would lead him to his success.

He immediately wanted to curse himself for acting impatiently before. If he offended this girl, who could guarantee he wouldn't lose that promotion he had been aiming for in the last ten years?