Friday afternoon brought Moxiang Literature's quarterly project-selection meeting.
It was the most important meeting of the quarter. Senior management, editorial-team leads, heads of marketing, and the director of rights all filled the conference room, and the air was tight with anticipation.
As the author representative, Shen Miaomiao had been asked to attend. She sat in a corner in a pale blouse, her hair in a ponytail, gripping a pen so hard that her palm was damp.
It was the first meeting of this caliber she had ever attended. When she wrote historical fiction and BL, editors submitted projects directly; authors did not need to appear. But this was a key transformation project. Lu Chen had specifically asked her to come, saying that management should see “the author herself.”
“Don't be nervous,” Lin Xiaotong whispered beside her. “Your manuscript is so good. It will definitely pass.”
“Mm...” Shen Miaomiao nodded, though her stomach still churned.
She glanced toward the front. Lu Chen stood there in a dark gray suit with a laser pointer in hand, his face composed and impossible to read.
Perhaps sensing her gaze, he turned slightly. Across half the conference room, their eyes met for a second.
There was no overt encouragement in his expression, no consolation. He only looked at her calmly before turning back to prepare his presentation.
For some reason, that single glance settled her nerves.
The meeting began.
The first few project reports went smoothly. Two historical-fiction projects passed outright; a mystery project was sent back for revisions. Finally, it was Shen Miaomiao's turn.
“Next is this quarter's key project—Ms. Shen Miaomiao's new contemporary-romance title,” Lu Chen said, his steady, resonant voice carrying through the room.
He brought up a cover mockup and the book's basic information.
“As you can see, this is Ms. Shen's first two volumes after moving into contemporary romance. Marketing initially worried that it lacked the explosive hook of a traditional domineering-CEO novel. But the latest internal preview data shows a reader-retention rate of ninety-two percent.”
A small stir ran through the room.
Ninety-two percent was exceptional for the contemporary-romance channel, especially for a new title from an author changing genres.
Lu Chen continued. “The feedback clusters around three points. First, the emotional arc feels real and delicate, not like manufactured sweetness. Second, the workplace scenes are solid and immersive. Third, the two leads are dimensional rather than a flat CEO and a naïve heroine.”
As he spoke, staff distributed preview reports to every attendee.
Manager Zhang from operations flipped through his copy and could not help praising her. “Ms. Shen, your emotional line is incredible. The testing at work, sharing an umbrella on a rainy night, and that ‘privilege of breaking habits’ in Chapter Eleven—you've pushed the sweetness of modern-day ambiguity to the limit. It feels as if you're genuinely in a very good relationship yourself!”
Shen Miaomiao blushed and hurriedly waved both hands. “No, no. I just... observe life closely, that's all.”
She would never admit that all the supposedly authentic, delicate details had been acted out online with L.
The head of the rights department smiled as well. “Exactly. None of the greasiness of standard contemporary romance, and such a strong sense of life. Our department has already begun contacting production companies about an adaptation.”
“A screen adaptation?” Shen Miaomiao's eyes widened.
Her historical books had sold well too, but she had never had contact with a screen adaptation. This contemporary romance had only reached two volumes, and rights was already speaking to production companies?
“Yes.” The director nodded. “Urban sweet romances are popular right now, and your characters and plot are highly adaptable. We have already received preliminary price inquiries from two production companies.”
Applause broke out around the room.
Sitting there with warm cheeks, Shen Miaomiao felt a pride unlike anything she had known.
She looked toward the front again. Lu Chen had turned to look at her too, and behind his gold-rimmed glasses his eyes held open approval and encouragement. He gave her a small nod.
That look, that nod, made her heart move more than any compliment.
Then came the vote.
“Those in favor of listing Never Dated, Now Writing Romance as the company's top-tier flagship release for the second half of this year, please raise your hands.”
Hands rose one after another around the conference room.
The motion passed unanimously.
The project-selection meeting had approved it by a landslide. Never Dated, Now Writing Romance was officially the company's number-one special-priority release for the second half of the year.
When the meeting ended, colleagues crowded around Shen Miaomiao with congratulations.
“Congratulations, Miaomiao! A number-one priority project—you're amazing!”
“You'll be our company's star author from now on!”
“When the book blows up, you have to treat us!”
She answered each of them with a smile she could not hide.
At the conference-room door, Lu Chen happened to be coming out from inside. They met head-on.
“Mr. Lu,” Shen Miaomiao greeted, unable to keep the excitement out of her voice.
Lu Chen looked at her. The corner of his mouth lifted by the smallest degree. “Congratulations, Ms. Shen.”
“Thank you, Mr. Lu!” Her eyes curved with her smile. “This is all thanks to you. If you hadn't guided me all this time, I could never have written so smoothly.”
“I only gave you a direction. You wrote the manuscript yourself.” His tone remained even, but the gentleness in his eyes gave him away. “Keep it up. I look forward to more surprises in the chapters to come.”
With that, he walked away on long strides.
Shen Miaomiao stayed where she was, watching his back and feeling something she could not name rise inside her.
That man... sometimes he was truly impossible to read.
He could be strict enough to tear her manuscript to shreds, yet gentle enough to silently hand her a hot latte while she worked late. He could discuss a manuscript with pure professionalism, yet stand in front of her without hesitation when someone made things difficult for her.
What kind of person was he, really?
Shen Miaomiao shook her head, tossing away the jumble of thoughts.
That night, overflowing with excitement, she went home and opened a can of beer.
Sitting on the sofa, she drank and replayed the project meeting in her mind, unable to stop smiling.
A month earlier, Lu Chen had ordered her to switch to contemporary romance, and she had sat in the office close to tears. Now her new book had been named the top project of the season and congratulated by a room full of people. The past month felt like a dream.
And none of it would have happened without L, who accompanied her in their “fake online romance” every night at midnight.
At exactly twelve, she opened WeChat and shared the tremendous news with him.
[Anonymous User 9527]: [L], my longtime fan! The project meeting passed! Every executive voted yes! Everyone said my relationship arc feels so real and sweet! I got the contract for the number-one priority project! (Celebration GIF)
Less than three seconds after she sent it, L's reply appeared.
[L]: Congratulations, great writer Shen. I told you that you are not useless. You are talented.
Warmth spread through Shen Miaomiao's chest as she read the line.
She remembered the first night she had spoken with L. Lu Chen had rejected her manuscript, and she had been so low that she called herself useless. In a tone that had been calm but unshakably certain, L had told her: “You are not useless. Anyone who can write a million-character hit must have talent.”
At the time, she thought he was only comforting her. Now she knew L had truly believed in her.
[Anonymous User 9527]: This is all your credit! Without you doing these “romance experiments” with me every night, how could I have written those details? The first volume has wrapped up perfectly. Thank you so much!
[L]: No need to thank me. Just... keep going. Our experiment has only just begun.
[Anonymous User 9527]: Mm-hm! I'll write Volume Two even better!
After sending the message, Shen Miaomiao pressed her phone to her chest and curled up on the sofa.
The night outside was gentle, moonlight filtering through the curtains into the living room. She looked at L's black-and-white avatar, then remembered the way Lu Chen had looked at her during the meeting.
Without her realizing it, a thought that frightened even her began quietly taking root.
Once, midnight had meant the misery of opening another exam paper. It had been a writing exercise she had to face, homework she had to do if she wanted to write contemporary romance well.
But at some point...
She had begun looking forward to midnight.
She had begun looking forward to what L would say, how he would tease her, what advice he would offer.
At eleven-thirty, she found herself checking her phone. When the midnight notification sounded, her heart would speed up for no reason at all.
Shen Miaomiao looked at the phone, a small smile rising of its own accord.
“I think... I might be looking forward to midnight every day.”
She said it so softly it was almost a dream.
The screen went dark, reflecting her own face—flushed cheeks, gentle eyes, and a smile she had not even noticed.
At that moment, Shen Miaomiao still did not know that the “writing experiment” she believed she was conducting had long since gone off course.
And L, whom she thought of as only a helpful tool, had already entered her heart.
Volume One: End.