After getting home, the first thing Lu Chen did was sort through everything he had written that day.
He organized his ideas, compiling both handwritten notes and digital drafts into a single document.
And then came his favorite part—the submission phase, something that never failed to please Editor-in-Chief Yae Miko.
Yae Miko held the tablet Lu Chen handed her, completely absorbed, not saying a word.
After a while, she finally looked up, staring at him with a somewhat astonished expression.
"You… finally had a breakthrough, huh?"
"There are a few sections here that even I—the greatest editor who's read thousands of manuscripts—have to admit are impressive! Not bad at all!"
"Looks like my endless days and nights of nagging and mentoring actually paid off!"
Lu Chen rolled his eyes. Greatest editor? You sure know how to praise yourself...
Yae Miko finally reached the last page and frowned. "That's it? Don't tell me this is all you wrote?"
"I was writing as fast as I could, alright?" Lu Chen shot her a massive eye roll and snatched the tablet back.
Clicking her tongue in dissatisfaction, Yae Miko saw the way he stood there, clearly waiting for feedback, and immediately said, "Then get back to it! Go on, go on! I'm waiting for the next chapter!"
Was this... Lu Chen's first real fan?
Forget formal critique—nothing screamed recognition like getting pestered for more. He gave her a silent, knowing smile.
"Editor Yae, is this how you treat your most brilliant writer?"
"Hah?" she replied, perfectly justified. "What else do you expect?"
Lu Chen flopped lazily onto the sofa. "I'm starving. I need the best nutrients—go prepare something tasty for me."
Ignoring her gradually darkening expression, he continued, "Also, I was sweating while writing. You should be standing by to serve me—maybe fan me or something."
Yae Miko had never seen a writer dare to talk to her like this. She snorted.
"A mere little writer, so full of himself! Aren't you afraid I'll hold up your review, make you revise until you're crying?"
"Hehehe!" Lu Chen laughed shamelessly. "Not scared at all!"
Yae Miko narrowed her eyes.
Lu Chen grinned. "Times have changed, my lady!"
This wasn't the age of print anymore. He was planning to publish on a popular online platform—editors there were way more chill.
He even had a pen name ready: Chief Writer of Yae Publishing, Brother Chen!
Kind of like rebuilding the Yae Publishing House in his own way.
Lu Chen had full confidence in his writing. He believed it was only a matter of time before he hit 500,000+ views. At this rate, even Yae Miko's editor-in-chief position might be at risk...
"Farewell, my ruthless Editor Yae~"
"No! Absolutely not!"
Yae Miko suddenly scooted closer, and the sweet fragrance on her hit him.
She cupped his cheeks with both hands, squishing them hard, eyes fierce.
"Editors guide the writers—not the other way around! You're not allowed to fire me! No! Absolutely not!"
"Um... Miko..." Lu Chen looked awkwardly to the side.
"I said no, and I mean it! Don't even think about ditching me!"
"Miko..." Lu Chen tried shifting his gaze again.
"Eye twitching? That's not an excuse! I said no, and it's still no!"
"..." Lu Chen was speechless. How could this dumb fox not notice...?
"Miko? What are you two doing?"
Raiden Ei's cool, pleasant voice rang out from the living room. Only then did Yae Miko snap out of it and turn with Lu Chen.
"Training—uh no, guiding my little writer!" Yae Miko answered naturally.
"Thanks to the devoted mentorship of my dearest Editor Yae..." Lu Chen peeled her small hands off his face, looking innocently at Ei.
They were definitely sitting too close... and worse, the position they were in looked a bit like...
a certain kind of position...
Raiden Ei cleared her throat. Her face flushed slightly, but she kept up her composed air.
Still pouting, Yae Miko reluctantly climbed off Lu Chen.
As she left, Lu Chen sneakily gave one of her ears a quick rub.
Nice! Got it!
Utter satisfaction.
Yae Miko turned and glared at him. Lu Chen glared right back, not backing down.
Raiden Ei sighed inwardly. Why did she always feel like she had zero authority in front of these two...?
"Enough messing around. Lu Chen, didn't you have something to bring up?"
Only then did Lu Chen remember—there was something important he wanted to discuss.
It was time to talk about buying a bigger place.
With five people now in a four-bedroom apartment, space was getting tight. And with another character about to arrive, they couldn't afford to delay this.
No matter who showed up next, there was no way he'd let someone sleep on the floor. That wasn't how the Lu family treated guests.
At dinner, Lu Chen brought it up.
Nobody objected. To them, Lu Chen was already the head of the household—it made sense for him to take the lead on things like this.
No matter how powerful or revered they were in Teyvat, they were here because of Lu Chen.
And they all had some degree of bond with him. After everything they'd been through together, he had become someone they all considered indispensable.
"Why not buy the neighbor's place too?" Venti offered. "Then we'd have the whole floor! You could even knock down the walls when you renovate."
Lu Chen hesitated. "Let's not even get into whether combining two units is legal. The neighbors are still living there—why would they sell it to me...?"
"We could help them move out," Yae Miko said casually, sipping her soup.
"You mean..." For some reason, Lu Chen thought of that percussion teacher who ended up in the hospital.
"You get it," Yae Miko said, locking eyes with him. He saw a hint of something wicked in her gaze.
"Uh... let's keep that one in the 'maybe' pile." Lu Chen cleared his throat and moved on. "I checked online—there are villas in Ling Shan Bay, both townhouses and detached. Lots of space. Should be enough for us for a long while."
"Ling Shan Bay?" Venti perked up. "That name sounds familiar."
"We passed by it when we were scouting," Lu Chen explained. It wasn't far from Gu Cheng's place—a seaside area with ocean views.
"I like that place!" Venti's eyes lit up. The more he thought about it, the more he loved the idea.
He immediately launched into a vivid description of the scenery.
"The sea breeze brushes gently through the air, the ocean and sky stretch endlessly. Sometimes, seagulls land in your yard, and you're lying on a garden bench, relaxed... all you need then is a good bottle of wine..."
Everyone was drawn in by his storytelling. The mood grew lively.
Only Ei remained practical. She looked over at Lu Chen and asked quietly, "Do you have enough money for this?"
Lu Chen blinked. "No problem. I'm a multi-millionaire and an award-winning young talent in this city, remember?"