Chapter 8

Tang Yiling froze.

A few seconds later, she finally answered, “W-Why would I be jealous?”

Although her relationship with Li Lan was somewhat unusual, Li Lan was one of the heroines. It was perfectly normal for her to interact with the male lead, wasn’t it?

Tang Yiling simply did not know whether Li Lan had finished her work or had rushed back specifically for Gu Feng.

She did not particularly want her employer to be hopelessly obsessed with romance.

Li Lan did not seem like that kind of person either.

“Um… you like Gu Feng too, don’t you?”

Qian Xueqing hesitated several times before finally saying, “Last semester, I saw you give Senior Gu Feng some cookies.”

“Oh!”

Tang Yiling suddenly understood.

“You meant that kind of jealousy!”

She answered with absolute certainty, “Definitely not.”

Qian Xueqing looked confused.

“Then whose jealousy did you think I meant?”

“No one’s.”

Tang Yiling brushed it off.

“I just didn’t understand you at first.”

“Oh.”

Qian Xueqing did not press further and returned to her own seat.

Tang Yiling remained alone at her desk, staring blankly into space.

In truth, while spending time with Li Lan, she usually forgot that Li Lan was a heroine.

But after what Qian Xueqing had just said, it suddenly felt as though Li Lan had lost her ability to think and act independently.

Did characters become different people whenever they encountered important plot points or key figures?

If so, which version was real?

Tang Yiling secretly glanced at Qian Xueqing.

Surely everyone around her was not an NPC without genuine emotions, right?

She could no longer focus on her book.

Tang Yiling took out her phone and messaged He Wenwei.

Mom, how can you tell NPCs from real people?

He Wenwei replied quickly, and the method was very simple.

Anyone mentioned in the novel counted as an NPC.

Tang Yiling only half understood.

Then do you know who my roommates are?

He Wenwei replied:

You’re only a minor cannon-fodder character. The novel wouldn’t describe your life in that much detail.

Tang Yiling changed her question.

Then do you know who the heroine Chang Yurou’s roommates are?

He Wenwei did not know that either.

Even after Tang Yiling gave her the names Qian Xueqing and Anqi, He Wenwei had absolutely no impression of them.

Tang Yiling breathed a sigh of relief.

It seemed that her other two roommates were real people. Otherwise, being surrounded entirely by NPCs would have felt terrifyingly isolating.

A few minutes later, He Wenwei sent another message.

Wait, that doesn’t sound right, Mianmian. Your university dormitories have four people. Who is Chang Yurou’s other roommate?

Tang Yiling replied helplessly:

Me.

That fully proved how little interaction she had with Chang Yurou at school.

She had not appeared in Chang Yurou’s storyline at all.

Tang Yiling was about to tell He Wenwei something else when a new message appeared.

The empty chat she had checked only a few hours ago had suddenly updated.

Li Lan asked:

Where are you?

Tang Yiling sighed softly.

In the dormitory.

Her boss was not going to ask her to deliver another document in the middle of the night, was she?

Li Lan replied quickly.

The dormitory?

What was there to question?

Tang Yiling casually took a photograph of her desk and sent it over.

Do you need a video?

Li Lan went silent.

Tang Yiling was nearly ready for bed by the time she finally received a reply.

No. Remember to come to work tomorrow.

Because of their agreement, even weekends no longer seemed worth looking forward to.

On Friday, Tang Yiling only had classes in the morning.

She arrived punctually at Li Lan’s company that afternoon.

There was a client in Li Lan’s office.

Yan Zhenzhen pointed toward the workstation behind her, indicating that it had been reserved for Tang Yiling.

The desk was completely empty.

Tang Yiling turned on the computer but still had nothing to do.

She leaned forward and asked Yan Zhenzhen, “Is that an important client? The boss is receiving her personally.”

Yan Zhenzhen shook her head.

“President Li is rather unpredictable about which jobs she handles herself.”

While they were speaking, the door to Li Lan’s office opened.

The slightly older coworker Tang Yiling had met before came out.

Yan Zhenzhen told her that the woman’s name was Xia Xin.

Xia Xin was answering a call, probably dealing with another work arrangement.

Her gaze swept across the office and settled on Tang Yiling.

“You. Come here.”

Xia Xin beckoned to her and handed over the documents she was holding.

“Go inside and take notes for now.”

Yan Zhenzhen looked at Tang Yiling with undisguised sympathy.

There was no helping it.

Tang Yiling was currently the only person in the entire office with nothing to do.

She picked up a notebook and knocked on the office door.

Li Lan’s voice came from inside.

“Come in.”

There were only two people in the office.

The client sitting across from Li Lan’s desk was a young woman.

Li Lan had not expected Tang Yiling to be the one who entered.

She looked up and watched Tang Yiling sit to one side, then gestured for the woman to continue.

Tang Yiling skimmed the earlier notes.

The client’s name was Zheng Lexin. She was only two years older than Tang Yiling and had probably just graduated.

Zheng Lexin smiled at Tang Yiling.

“I was already planning to go back to my hometown for blind dates.”

“But unexpectedly, a few days ago, I received an interview invitation from the Tang Group.”

Li Lan clasped her hands together.

“Large cities still offer more opportunities.”

“Exactly.”

Zheng Lexin agreed.

“If I went back home, I’d be able to see the rest of my life at a glance.”

“I really have to thank the Tang Group for finding their biological daughter!”

“The president was so happy that every department began expanding. That’s how I managed to get hired.”

The Tang family?

Their biological daughter?

Tang Yiling raised her head.

Surely it could not be that much of a coincidence.

After that, Li Lan and Zheng Lexin discussed the details of the renovation.

A few days earlier, the company had promoted a free-renovation event unauthorized copyon the street, hoping to increase its visibility and produce several more outstanding project examples.

Zheng Lexin had received a flyer that day.

She had been skeptical, but decided to give it a try.

She was renting her apartment, and her goal was simply to make the place more comfortable to live in.

There was not much they could physically alter, so they would have to focus primarily on furnishings and decoration.

Zheng Lexin wanted the apartment to use mostly warm tones and feel cozy.

Ideally, she also wanted a space where she could draw and store her comic books.

Tang Yiling recorded every one of those requirements.

The three of them continued talking for more than an hour before finally finishing their discussion.

Li Lan received another phone call.

Tang Yiling took the initiative to escort Zheng Lexin out.

Perhaps because they were close in age, they felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity with one another.

Zheng Lexin was in an excellent mood and began talking more.

“No one else believed that promotion was real that day. I was the only one who signed up.”

“I suppose I needed something like this too badly.”

“I was especially willing to take the gamble, and it actually turned out to be real!”

As she grew more excited, Zheng Lexin linked her arm through Tang Yiling’s.

“I was born in a small town.”

“My best friend from middle school got married and had a baby last year. If I went back, I’d probably end up following the same path very quickly.”

Tang Yiling understood.

Her original city had not been very large either.

Whenever someone failed to live according to the expected schedule, the people around them might even whisper and point behind their back.

That was precisely why Tang Yiling had resolutely stayed in the city where she attended university after graduation.

Work had been exhausting, but to some extent, it had helped her avoid pressure to marry and other people’s gossip.

“That’s why I’m genuinely grateful to Tang Geyun.”

Zheng Lexin paused.

“That was her name, right?”

“Congratulations to her for returning home, and congratulations to me for getting the job.”

The elevator arrived.

Zheng Lexin waved at Tang Yiling.

“Then I’ll leave everything to you.”

Tang Yiling put on a professional smile.

“We’ll contact you again once the design plans are ready.”

The elevator doors closed.

Tang Yiling remained standing there for a while.

So Zheng Lexin really had only been hired by the Tang Group because Tang Geyun had been found.

Tang Yiling suddenly felt as though she had understood something.

A so-called NPC could have such an enormous influence on an ordinary person’s life.

No wonder the Character Management Bureau had to deal with awakened characters.

No wonder people were needed to play these roles, and why the bureau evaluated how completely they followed the plot.

Tang Yiling returned to the office.

It felt as though an additional sense of responsibility and purpose had settled on her shoulders.

However, this newfound enthusiasm for work did not last long.

She saw Li Lan standing in front of her desk, staring at something.

Wait!

She had casually left the key on her desk earlier!

Tang Yiling ran over and stopped in front of Li Lan.

“Um, I can explain.”

“I didn’t do it on purpose. It was just…”

She raised her head slightly and looked at her financial patron.

Li Lan’s expression revealed nothing.

Tang Yiling forced herself to shift the blame.

“That charm was far too easy to break.”

Li Lan’s brows moved almost imperceptibly.

“But it really was beautiful,” Tang Yiling added after catching that tiny reaction. “I’ve already ordered another one online!”

“There’s no need.”

Li Lan glanced at Tang Yiling and turned to leave.

“Come to my office.”

Once the boss had walked away, Yan Zhenzhen looked at Tang Yiling sympathetically again.

She even hid her hand beneath the desk and made an encouraging gesture.

Tang Yiling obediently entered Li Lan’s office.

She lowered her head and stood near the door like a child who had made a mistake.

“Come here. Why are you standing so far away?”

As Li Lan spoke, she opened a drawer.

Like a magician performing a trick, she pulled out a fluffy orange-shaped charm.

“This one is sturdy. Use this.”

“Isn’t that unnecessary?”

Tang Yiling did not move.

“The new rabbit I bought will arrive the day after tomorrow.”

Li Lan looked at her, her hand still suspended in the air with no intention of withdrawing it.

After hesitating for a moment, Tang Yiling finally walked over and accepted the orange.

She did not grip it tightly.

The fluffy material lightly tickled her palm.

Li Lan’s attention had already returned to her computer screen. Tang Yiling had no idea whom she was messaging.

Tang Yiling stood in front of the desk, feeling somewhat awkward.

Li Lan did not speak either.

Surely she had not called Tang Yiling inside merely to give her a charm?

Although their relationship was unusual and Li Lan had no obligation to treat her with deliberate warmth or friendliness, there was no need to be this cold either.

She barely spoke and sometimes seemed to completely ignore Tang Yiling’s existence.

Wasn’t a financial patron supposed to regularly feed and interact with her kept canary?

Sometimes, Tang Yiling could clearly sense that Li Lan treated her more like an inanimate object.

As she thought about it, her lips unconsciously pushed into a slight pout.

Li Lan suddenly looked toward her.

“Why aren’t you sitting?”

Tang Yiling had not managed to hide her displeased expression in time.

She simply asked directly, “President Li, why did you call me in here?”

Li Lan extended a finger and lightly tapped the desk twice.

“I thought the notes you took were quite good.”

“Have you done related work before?”

“You really think I did well?”

Tang Yiling’s expression changed instantly, and the corners of her lips lifted.

The managers in her original world had loved putting people down.

She had always longed to hear a single sentence acknowledging her work.

Unexpectedly, she had finally heard it from Li Lan.

“You did quite well.”

Li Lan nodded.

“So, have you worked a similar part-time job before?”

Only then did Tang Yiling remember that the Tang family’s pampered eldest daughter could not possibly possess work experience.

“I copied the format from the earlier notes.”

A wealthy young lady was allowed to be proud and confident.

“I’m simply too clever. I understand things quickly too.”

Li Lan murmured in acknowledgment.

“Organize the client’s requirements and hand them to someone in the design department.”

Tang Yiling nodded.

“All right. I’ll go out first.”

She had only just turned to leave when Li Lan stopped her again.

“Wait here for a while. I’ll leave once I finish dealing with this.”

Leave work?

Right now?

Tang Yiling checked her phone.

“It’s only four o’clock.”

Li Lan said, “It’s Friday.”

Tang Yiling was confused.

“What’s special about Friday?”

Li Lan watched her without speaking again.

Tang Yiling remained bewildered for several seconds before finally understanding.

Their agreement stated that she had to stay at Li Lan’s home every weekend.

And the only reason Tang Yiling could imagine was that Li Lan wanted to relax on her days off while exercising her rights as Tang Yiling’s financial patron.

Her cheeks began turning red beyond her control.

Tang Yiling looked away, avoiding Li Lan’s gaze.

At the exact moment she was no longer looking, the corner of Li Lan’s lips moved in a faint smile.

“What I meant was that after work, we’ll go to the supermarket together.”

“Then we’ll go home and make dinner.”