People in Tokyo, the world is clear

"nothing."

Looking straight ahead again, the young man picked up the coffee cup and took a sip.

The same unfamiliar female voice sounded again:

"Maybe... try it. Mori-kun, I like you."

"."

"This time, he was silent, as if he didn't hear it."

"..."

Lin Sen glared at the woman who still kept her mouth shut, sighed and shook his head.

Just change your voice and pretend to reveal your true feelings, right?

All the bells and whistles.

Although it could be exposed on the spot, given this woman's stubbornness and her playful nature at the moment, it was impossible for her to admit it even with a simple calculation.

Just let it go. At most, let her entertain herself for a while, it's not that big of a deal.

He no longer bothered about the voice, leaned back on his chair, took the report handed to him by the woman, glanced at the contents casually, and started to interrupt:

"The combined sales of the two works in May were 63,000 copies."

"..."

How many?

Lin Sen sat up straight with his eyes wide open:

"what?"

Chapter 76 The Life I Want

Sometimes, numbers alone cannot accurately convey the extent of the exaggeration.

Just like the number one million, if it appears on the manuscript paper of a failed writer instead of on a check in his hand, even if it is multiplied tenfold, it will not have any impact at all.

Therefore, the so-called sales of 63,000 copies of the two books in January are still just ordinary data to those who are not aware of the inside story.

Only those who know the business know the value of this data.

Therefore, the rhetorical devices of contrast and the expression of side description are very important:

Linsen's sales in April were barely in the thousands.

This month, his book was reprinted twice, with each edition increasing from the original 5,000 copies to 20,000, and then to 40,000.

It was only natural that it became the publisher's top seller last month.

"At the monthly meeting a few days ago, the editor-in-chief mentioned it and then borrowed your private photos from me to open the eyes of other attendees." Flamingo said this with a slightly raised tone.

"No wonder they all greeted me when they came in. I was so surprised... But, I have a question." Lin Sen narrowed his eyes. "Where did you get my photo? Did you subscribe to the magazine 'Future Wenjie' that interviewed me before?"

"I didn't waste that money. The last time you came to my house, Ito gave me two ugly photos of you when he showed me his travel photos. Although I was reluctant, I could only play the role of trash can."

"Wow."

At this point, I really can’t imagine that scene.

However, this is not the focus of our attention right now.

"So, what happened? Why did it suddenly take off?" Lin Sen expressed an urgent question.

"I don't know." Sasakawa said honestly.

"What an excellent answer. So helpful! You're truly my most responsible editor."

"There's nothing we can do about it. This world is just like that sometimes. Some random guy out there can suddenly jump up and twist the gears of fate, making it impossible for us to find out the cause in time."

"Good good."

It was clear that there was no clear answer at the moment, but Lin Sen still tried to secretly trace the source.

Did Yukiko, a special book fan, make a big splash? Perhaps she secretly bought some and put them on the market? But it certainly wasn't this much.

Did the propaganda of those book ruffians finally work? It had a tiny bit of truth to it, but it was still clearly outrageous.

The exposure from Future Wenjie magazine? This might be the closest explanation to the truth, but it's obviously not the whole story.

There must be an undetected X factor.

As I was trying to think, someone's "Heart Voice Performance" rang in my ears again:

"All in all, I'm very happy. This is the first time I've heard the editor-in-chief say, 'Everyone should emulate Editor Kobayashi and try to develop new themes instead of just chasing trendy topics.'"

"Maybe my luck changed after I changed my last name? I think we got married in early May."

This woman. Could this also be connected?

Lin Sen glared at him unhappily.

After a while, he shook his head and didn't care anymore.

Anyway, the good grades in the book probably did help her.

After only being here for a short while, I could clearly feel that her presence in the editorial department had increased compared to before.

Occasionally, when someone passed by, handling a fax or pouring water, they would always glance at her, smile friendly or nod.

Before, I probably thought she was just a relative who was forced in, looked down on her, and ignored her.

There's always a touch of snobbery deep down in human nature. Before she achieved anything, it was obvious she was on the margins of her career.

Lin Sen therefore recalled some scenes.

When we first met, she was the only one who was clearly isolated from the group in the busy editorial office, reading the newspaper alone. The initial saying was that she was just someone with connections and was slacking off, but when we thought about it carefully, the fact that she didn't get any easy job that she could pretend to have was actually proof that she was being ostracized by her colleagues.

And even someone who rarely visited the editorial office could detect the underlying criticism—the sarcastic mockery of her authors as favorites, the unwarranted assumption that she favored the authors over the works, and the malicious attempt to belittle her abilities and attitude. As someone involved, she should have been vaguely aware of this.

At first, just like the life of a caged bird, she was also quite uncomfortable at work.

So, now that everything has changed, Sasagawa Rio is probably speaking her mind through her inner voice.

She is a smart woman.

I know that a dry thank you might not be of much use. So, I invite myself to come and see the changes with my own eyes.

Then, we can share this joy together.

Having come to this conclusion, I suddenly felt a little emotional.

In fact, he is a very delicate, gentle and reserved person.

Well, occasionally there are some surprising operations.

For example, running into the rain, or suddenly confessing love and declaring war.

I couldn't help but think of the dinner she made yesterday.

It was obvious he'd studied hard. While his handling of the ingredients was still rather clumsy, the flavor was perfectly spot-on. His tongue could sense it, and he must have mastered the optimal seasoning range through repeated trial and error.

A vivid image suddenly played out in my mind: In the kitchen, a woman with loose hair was tasting the half-cooked dish with a disapproving frown on her face.

Then, shaking his head, he tried again and again—

Although my foundation is not good, I am working hard to cultivate wifely skills that represent womanly power.

For whom?

Then I suddenly felt strange and even regretful.

If I hadn't met Xiguo, maybe slowly entering into a real marriage with this woman would be a good choice?

Then, Lin Sen, who was secretly frightened by his own sudden whim, shook his head violently.

Put away those weird thoughts immediately.

——Sure enough, people’s bottom line is collapsing step by step.

Like a blonde vampire who can't turn back into a human after donning a stone mask. After finally ending his single status, he's actually starting to get used to thinking in the realm of a couple.

It's really not possible.

What we should do now is to calm down.

No matter what, after the agreed 104 days, the marriage will end and this farce will be over.

But having said that, normal contact may still be necessary.

There's no need to avoid this flamingo. At the very least, communication regarding business cooperation should proceed normally. Even more attentive and enthusiastic.

Perhaps it is also a kind of early return and repayment - now he is considering dissolving his marriage with the woman who once helped him in his time of need.

She seemed to understand this too—at work, they were very separate. Even when she wanted to say something strange, she resorted to the awkward method of "voice from the heart."

It's a different kind of tacit understanding. Why not just keep it this way?

Thinking of this, my heart gradually calmed down.

I also couldn't help but get used to Ms. Ri Ya's other voice.

"No matter what, no matter what, I don't regret having this kind of marriage with you, Mori-kun." This is how her "Heart" expresses it.

Lin Sen was completely unable to respond.

Pretending not to hear might be the best option. Letting her talk is probably the best way to deal with it.

But people always have certain natures. For example, when they receive praise, recognition, or similar positive comments, they will always feel good.

This made us feel more relaxed and we took the initiative to discuss the urgent needs from the perspective of writers:

"There's a saying: strike while the iron is hot. Since the performance has been so good recently, shouldn't we also put the signing process for the other titles lined up on the agenda?"

Then Lin Sen was given a cold look:

"Mr. Itsuki might be quite suitable to be in charge of the French Republic forty-six years ago."

"what?"

"It's all the same anyway. When it's Slow-witted's turn to react, all you have to do is sign the agreement. The only difference is probably the difference between a surrender agreement and a publishing profit-sharing agreement."

"Wow."

Then, under Lin Sen's gaze, Sasakawa Riya opened the drawer and took out several stacks of bound papers:

"I've already arranged the printing process in advance. Basically, I'm just waiting for you to sign this and the edition number to be in place."

"..."

In the end, this guy just did the thing silently again.

Lin Sen took the agreements and signed his name quickly.

"Foolish Blind Man, don't you want to read the details of the contract? Don't worry, I've left some insidious clauses."

"The main thing is trust. Besides, aren't our incomes 50-50? We have a vested interest. If you cheat me, you're cheating yourself."

"Indeed."

Then after this sentence, there followed a voice of additional explanation:

"Even if we eventually separate, life will return to a mess. A qualified temporary wife would never want to harm her husband."

Is it a mess?

It may be an exaggeration, but the rhetoric still reflects the literary effect.

A complicated look flashed in the young man's eyes.

"Is there anything else?"

He changed the subject, disrupting the atmosphere.

Perhaps she had anticipated such behavior. At this moment, Sasagawa Rimei's expression remained calm.

"Not yet. If you have a special request, please write more. Take advantage of the amazing rise in used book prices and try to get more opportunities," she said.

"I'll try my best." Lin Sen replied.

"Actually, I hope you'll stay with me now and start writing." Flamingo switched to his inner voice.

But Lin Sen chose not to pay attention or obey.