novelraw Chapter 11: You Draw?
Chapter 11: You Draw?
“Huh?”
Tang Yao was momentarily stunned when she heard Li Xue say she actually knew someone from a venture capital firm. Then she suddenly snapped back to her senses, twisted her body toward her, and leaned in close, her perky curves leaving the seat and pressing forward. Most of her upper body was practically on top of Li Xue. “Really? Miss Li, seriously?!”
“Calm down first.”
Li Xue reached out to steady Tang Yao’s slender waist, keeping her from tumbling onto her. She started trying to soothe her.
At the same time, she subtly lowered her eyes to glance at the waist she was holding.
She’d mentally prepared herself, but Tang Yao’s figure was still beyond what she expected.
She was finally experiencing what “a perfect handful” meant. And judging from how eagerly Tang Yao ate earlier, she clearly didn’t hold back on food… So where did it all go?
Hmm...
Li Xue’s gaze drifted upward, staring at the soft fullness trembling inches from her. She didn’t dare keep thinking.
Because now she knew the answer. She slowly let go of Tang Yao’s waist and gently pulled her into a half-embrace to calm her down again. “Just relax. Yes, I do know someone from a VC firm, and he’s even a manager. But are you sure you can convince him to invest?”
“……”
Tang Yao instantly sobered up.
Right.
She didn’t know much about this field, but she had read a few motivational books by wannabe entrepreneurs. And from what she remembered, ideas alone didn’t carry much weight in the investment world. VC folks saw fresh ideas every day—what they really cared about was the person behind the idea.
And with her current looks, presence, and circumstances...
Probably not happening.
It felt way too shaky.
That realization helped Tang Yao settle down. She quietly sat back in her seat.
Seeing her calm down, Li Xue let out a breath of relief and gently moved her chair a bit closer. She explained, “Honestly, I’m not that close to him. Technically, he’s a relative, but we’re not familiar—just met a few times during New Year visits.”
“Also, the guy who once told me mobile was the future? That was him. But to be fair, he also mentioned he chooses his investments mostly based on the person. According to him, he’s got a real eye for people—can spot the scammers and the dead weight at a glance.
To be honest, what you said just now didn’t sound all that solid to me. So I think even if I introduce you, you might not get the investment…
I don’t know how persuasive you are, but you don’t exactly have any impressive credentials, right?”
“I see…”
Tang Yao had mentally prepared herself, but she still felt a bit down.
Meanwhile—
Watching the bright, spirited girl beside her suddenly droop, her long lashes quivering like she’d just been hit hard, Li Xue couldn’t help feeling a little bad.
After hesitating for a moment, she gently wrapped an arm around Tang Yao’s waist and gave her a little shake. “If you really want to try, I can lend you the money. A hundred... no, I could give you about one-point-one million. Even though I don’t recommend taking such a big risk.”
“……”
Tang Yao slowly looked up at the mature, elegant woman in front of her, blinking. “Miss Li, are you… some kind of rich lady?”
Honestly?
Never mind how long they’d known each other.
Just tossing out 1.1 million like that—it really shocked her.
She suddenly felt like she was swindling some poor lonely elder.
“Don’t let my looks fool you. I’m a deputy editor, you know. I’ve worked longer than you have, come from a decent family, and I’ve got good saving habits.”
To be honest—
Li Xue didn’t exactly regret her offer, but she did think she must be losing her mind. She couldn’t find a man worth spending on all these years, and now she was throwing money at a woman?
But when Tang Yao seriously asked if she was a rich lady…
It weirdly made sense. She even felt like—hey, maybe letting her spend all her money wouldn’t be that bad.
This wasn’t just about vibes or compatibility anymore.
Li Xue started to suspect she was just really, really lonely…
After all, she was an only child, and she’d never had any true close friends.
“Let’s forget it. I don’t want our relationship tainted by dirty money.”
Tang Yao was tempted for a moment, but she quickly shook her head, half-joking. “And if I lost your money, even selling myself wouldn’t make up for it… But it’s different with venture capital. Just introduce me to that manager. I’ve got a rough plan now. I’ll lay it all out—no, I mean, I’ll pitch it properly and try to convince him.”
When it came to money—it was just too risky.
Tang Yao really didn’t want to ruin this rare, pure friendship.
After all, Li Xue was the first friend she made after coming to this world.
“I see…”
Strangely, Li Xue felt a little disappointed—especially when Tang Yao joked about selling herself.
But the feeling passed quickly.
She got back to business. “You really want to try? Honestly, if you need the money, I can lend it to you. But betting your whole life on this—it’s just too risky. And honestly, I couldn’t even follow half of what you were saying…”
“Then how about this? It’s hard to explain everything just by talking. I’ll spend this week putting together some bishoujo-style illustrations and a presentation. I’ll outline everything—how to run it, how to drive traffic using manga, what kind of manga it is, the whole thing, on paper.”
Tang Yao paused to think, then said seriously, “Then I’ll walk you through it all. If you think it’s promising, introduce me to the VC manager. If not, just turn me down—how’s that?”
“Are you sure you want to do this?”
Li Xue still wanted to talk her out of it, but when she saw the determined look on Tang Yao’s face, she knew the answer.
So instead of arguing, she gave a solemn nod. “Alright.”
“Thanks.”
Tang Yao let out a breath of relief and beamed brightly.
A benefactor?
This must be what they call a benefactor, right?
“But before that, what about the manga award? You still need to find someone to draw for it, don’t you?”
Li Xue smiled gently at the sight of Tang Yao’s cheerful face, but she still had to throw in a dose of reality. “In your current situation, do you really think you can find someone to draw all those cute girls?”
“The manga award? Already taken care of.”
Tang Yao answered casually, “I drew one last night. I was just about to show you and get your feedback. As for the bishoujo stuff—no need to find anyone. No one understands cute girls better than me.”
“Huh?”
Li Xue blinked.
“Hm?”
Tang Yao turned her head, blinked right back, and met her eyes.
“You can draw?”
“Mm-hmm. I didn’t tell you? I guess I didn’t. I actually wanted to be a manga artist.”
“What?! Seriously?!”
Li Xue let go of Tang Yao’s waist and stared, eyes wide with shock. She was completely floored by this sudden twist.
My colleague, a manga editor… can actually draw manga?! What kind of meta plot twist is this?!
“…You’ll see for yourself.”
Tang Yao picked up a document folder from the side and handed it to Li Xue with a grin. “You’re the first reader, Miss Li.”
“……”
Li Xue’s red lips parted slightly, revealing her pearly white teeth. She dazedly took the folder from Tang Yao’s hands like she was in a dream, then stammered, “You, I… you really drew this?”
“Yeah, I really did. Go ahead and look.”
Tang Yao watched her with anticipation.
Li Xue looked at Tang Yao, then down at the folder in her hands. She finally snapped out of it.
She drew it herself?
Is that even a thing?
No, wait—that can’t be right! Maybe it’s just a hobby or something, and she forced herself to draw? But then…
Looking at the expectant girl in front of her, Li Xue suddenly got a bad feeling. Tang Yao seemed way too into this.
“……”
That thought sent a chill through her.
Li Xue took a deep breath and slowly opened the folder, mentally preparing herself to gently bring Tang Yao back to reality—without hurting her too much.
Yep.
With that mindset, she opened the folder and pulled out the manuscript inside.