Observation Chapter 19
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Observation Chapter 19: Ye Li’s Help
“No, seriously. Trust me on this one, it’s not something you’d enjoy. Otherwise, I’d have brought it up.”
Lin Qian shook his head back and forth like his life depended on it.
He was genuinely embarrassed to show his works to others. It had nothing to do with him being pretentious, but rather, people might easily take them as a reflection of his character.
“So what if I wouldn’t enjoy it? We’re friends. I’m not going to think less of you no matter what you wrote.” Oddly enough, Ye Li’s interest in his novels seemed to only grow stronger with his resistance, as she pressed on. “It’s not like reading it is going to kill me, right?”
“…”
“What do you think, An-an? Do you wanna take a look too?” Seeing that he would not budge, she gave An Lan a knowing look.
“Of course I’d love to. But… if Lin Qian doesn’t want to, maybe we should forget about it.”
She said, a hint of disappointment crossing her face.
It was not an act; she was just as intrigued.
After all, meeting a novelist in the flesh was not exactly an everyday occurrence. Writing was a niche profession, and since they mostly worked from home, they were hard to come across.
“See? We’re all curious. It’s two against one, and if we go by majority rule…” Ye Li shot Lin Qian a playful wink, and gave a small deliberate cough.
“…”
Though she was getting to him, he still could not quite bring himself to say yes.
“Which site do you publish on? And what’s your pen name?” Sensing his hesitation, she opted for a softer approach and waited patiently for his answer.
“Well, that’s hardly any different from telling you, is it?” Her tactics earned a small, resigned smile from him. “Fine, fine, I’ll satisfy your curiosity. Though I should mention that my stories can get a little intense, so don’t hold it against me if it gets under your skin. Oh, and one more thing, the content isn’t a reflection of who I am, so don’t go projecting any of it onto me.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t.”
“That’s right! We know how to separate fiction from reality.”
The pair were quick to give their assurance. They pulled out their phones in unison, and waited expectantly for the title.
“Well… I’ve published quite a few works on an app called [SFACG], all under the pen name… That Blooming Prosperity.”
“Clatter…”
At his words, Ye Li’s hand slipped, and her phone fell onto the table.
She stared blankly at Lin Qian, incredulity filling her eyes.
He could sense something nuanced and subtle underneath her shock.
She looked like someone who had waited so long for this moment that, now it was here, she could not believe it was real.
“Lili, are you alright?”
Sensing something was off, her friend asked.
“Y-yeah, I’m fine. Don’t worry about it.”
Ye Li took a deep breath and let her gaze drift elsewhere. The faint blush on her cheeks gradually faded away.
“SFACG? …Huh… I’ve never heard of that before…”
“It’s a pretty niche app. A quick search should bring it up.”
“Okay! I’ll check it out~”
Saying that, An Lan began tapping away at her phone.
Meanwhile, the other girl curled her lips into a smile. Looking at him, she said, “Lin Qian, I know you told us you needed money, but are things really so dire that you have to work at night?
“Yeah… pretty much.”
“You know, my department just so happens to need someone for a… project. Want me to put in a word for you?”
“Oh, really? Okay, what is it?” His interest was immediately piqued.
“Well, there’s an opening for some student teachers at one of our affiliated high schools. I can set you up with them.” She said after a moment’s thought.
“Hang on, Lili.” An Lan stopped scrolling through his novel and looked up. “Isn’t that only for Literature majors? What course are you in, Lin Qian?”
“Public Administration. Don’t worry if that doesn’t work out, though. I don’t think I’d be any good at it.”
“But why? The job itself is pretty straightforward, the pay’s decent, and it’s right near our university. Are you sure you won’t reconsider? I think it would suit you.”
“Well… the truth is, I’m really tempted.” He said without hesitation.
“See? That wasn’t so hard, was it? An-an, will you help him out?” Ye Li teased, turning to her friend.
“I-I would like to, but how, exactly?”
“That’s easy. As the monitor, this matter falls under your duties. We’ll just say… Lin Qian is in our program.” She continued, as if she had already thought it all through. “And your cousin is our class advisor, right? You can talk to her privately and get her to sign off on it.”
An Lan rested her chin on her hand for a moment before nodding. “It’s a good idea… I’ll see what I can do.”
“It was worth telling us about your novel after all, wasn’t it? Look how it’s paying off already. And don’t worry, the position won’t be too demanding — you’ll still have plenty of time to write.”
“Thank you.”
“Come on, there’s no need to be polite~ We’re friends.”
Seeing the cheerful smile on her best friend’s face, she could not help but feel a little baffled.
‘Why do I get the feeling Lili knows something I don’t…?’
……..
2:30am.
Having finished his late night meal, Lin Qian was making his way home alone.
Ye Li had gone to a nearby budget hotel with An Lan.
An instant message suddenly came through just as he was reaching the entrance to his complex mid-yawn.
Liuli: ‘Blooming-sama~ Is today’s update ready yet?’
That Blooming Prosperity: ‘Something came up, so there won’t be a chapter today. I’ll post it in the morning instead.’
Liuli: ‘Okie~ Sleep well.’
That Blooming Prosperity: ‘Night.’
Back at the hotel, An Lan stepped out of the bathroom to find Ye Li lying on the bed, grinning and staring at her phone.
“Lili, the shower’s all yours.”
“Mhm. I’ll head in now.” Despite her words, she remained glued to her device, making no move to get up.
“What’s got you smiling so much?” The other girl leaned over, trying to catch a glimpse of what she was looking at.
“It’s nothing. I just came across something amusing, that’s all.”
Ye Li nimbly rolled over, hiding the screen from view.
“Oh, look at you being all mysterious. Are you chatting with your boyfriend? I knew it. The day has come… Our lovely Lili is taken, and I’m going to be cast aside!”
“Don’t be silly! I’m not dating anyone.”
“Then tell me what you’re looking at, come on!”
An Lan hugged her friend’s waist, refusing to let the topic go.
“I’m reading… a novel. Here, see for yourself.”
”With a couple of quick swipes, the girl minimized the messaging app, opening [SFACG] instead. “This one.”
“That was fast. You’re hooked already?”
“Mm. I’ll go shower now.”
Tossing her phone onto the bed, she headed into the bathroom.
An Lan caught a glimpse of the screen right before it went dark.
The short user name in the corner caught her eye.
Liuli.
………
Meanwhile, Lin Qian was almost home.
He turned into a small alley and headed deeper inside.
“Hm…?”
His steps faltered to a stop.
A single room on the fourth floor had its light on.
It was coming from a nearby building — the very one where he lived.
“That has to be… apartment 403, right?”
Lin Qian frowned. It was almost three in the morning. Why was there still a glow coming from there?
“Wait, isn’t that… Lin Yin’s place?”
He stroked his chin uncertainly. It was only speculation; he had never actually seen her go in or out of that room before.
Just as he was about to keep walking, he suddenly felt a buzz in his pocket.
“…”
He pulled out his phone and noticed a red notification badge on the [Observation of the Abnormal Girls] icon, right next to his SFACG app.
It seemed… he had a new message.