Starting as a Manga Editor

Chapter 190: The Emotional Miss Li

Tang Yao found it rather peculiar.

Li Xue's question had caught her completely off guard.

She'd expected Li Xue to ask about the story's continuation or its related settings instead.

After all, it had ended so abruptly.

Yet Li Xue had asked whether she'd added any personal biases into the work.

This question...

"Of course not,"

Tang Yao declared righteously, "I have professional integrity."

"Really?"

Li Xue's arms around Tang Yao's neck tightened slightly, betraying a hint of nervousness? "Naturally."

"......"

Upon receiving this confirmation, Li Xue asked softly, "Then why did the husband in the comic—who initially begged everyone in his family to summon the female lead's afterimage—eventually abandon her over time?"

"...?"

Tang Yao slowly formed a question mark in her mind.

Wait.

Because of this?

Tang Yao didn't know whether to laugh or cry—this was the first time she clearly felt the gap between her thinking and this mature woman's.

Even though she and Li Xue were currently the same gender with identical physical structures...

Frankly... Tang Yao would never have such sentimental thoughts.

She'd only consider how rationally impressive it was that the husband had guarded his deceased fiancée's afterimage for ten whole years without forgetting her.

After all, it wasn't a living person.

But Miss Li clearly disagreed.

Indeed.

Even after getting used to this identity, some inherent traits couldn't be changed.

That said, Tang Yao wouldn't mock Li Xue for it.

Because right now, the older woman needed comfort more.

So she raised her hands to gently cradle Li Xue's delicate, fair face.

Following Tang Yao's movement, Li Xue slightly lifted her snow-white chin to meet her gaze.

"...It's just a story,"

Tang Yao murmured while studying Li Xue's faintly reddened beautiful eyes, unconsciously stroking the corner with her thumb as she tilted her head, "Are you... afraid of being forgotten someday too?"

"......"

Li Xue grew embarrassed, her gaze wavering.

"Don't worry."

Seeing this reaction, Tang Yao knew she'd guessed correctly. Gently kneading those soft cheeks, she couldn't help laughing, "You're a living person—and who could possibly forget someone with such a great figure and wonderful personality like Miss Li? Even if others did, I certainly wouldn't. Though... compared to whoever you might love in the future, a friend's promise probably doesn't mean much.

But remember this—promises are... unreliable. While there are men who honor their word, most men's promises are just empty words. On this, I have authority to speak."

"You have authority?"

Feeling the delicate fingers caressing her eye corners, Li Xue blinked, her long lashes fluttering enchantingly.

Tang Yao stiffened momentarily before explaining, "Uh... I didn't mean I've received many promises myself. I meant I've witnessed plenty."

"Witnessed what."

Li Xue rolled her eyes at this, then pressed her glossy lips together hesitantly, "You don't seem like someone who's ever dated..."

"What about you?"

Tang Yao glared back, "Have you? How many times?"

"Never..."

"Then why judge me? We're both relationship amateurs."

Tang Yao gave a small eye-roll but continued stroking those cheeks—undeniably, Miss Li's face felt heavenly soft... So beautiful, such great personality, yet never had a partner? Incredible.

Come to think of it...

Back at Wenxin Press,

when they'd first met, Li Xue would complain about colleagues making awkward advances.

But at some point,

she stopped mentioning her suitors around Tang Yao.

As if no one pursued her anymore.

But... was that really the case?

This thought

suddenly irritated Tang Yao for reasons she couldn't pinpoint.

Just pure irritation...

So she pinched Li Xue's cheeks slightly harder, adding, "Also, getting so immersed in a comic? You're more embarrassing than me."

Flustered, Li Xue defended, "...I wasn't immersed, just curious."

"Excuses... Are you wearing makeup?"

Tang Yao saw through this but didn't press further. Instead, she cupped that face and changed topics, "Don't ruin your makeup with tears."

"I am... but I didn't cry."

Li Xue argued, "My eyes just got red..."

Tang Yao studied the exquisite face inches away, curious, "Really? I can barely tell."

"Just light makeup... Last time you complained about lipstick stains. If you knew I wore lipstick, how can't you tell now?"

As if to prove something—and likely because sitting in one position grew uncomfortable—Li Xue shifted closer into Tang Yao's embrace while leaning forward slightly.

Their fair faces drew near, warm breaths mingling.

With Tang Yao still holding that face,

the scene resembled two people about to kiss.

"......"

Tang Yao froze mid-caress... mainly because she couldn't continue.

Li Xue was leaning in.

Tang Yao's arms bent awkwardly, trapped between their bodies.

Unaware of the tension, Li Xue insisted, "See?"

"......"

Hearing this, seeing that suddenly proximate lovely face and those glistening, tempting lips... Tang Yao's delicate features flushed crimson.

So close...

Noticing Tang Yao's expression, Li Xue paused before realizing their overly intimate posture.

Her ear tips reddened, but instead of pulling back, she leaned even closer—

determined to prove her point.

Ah.

Too close.

Why so close?

They're about to kiss.

Clutching Li Xue's face, Tang Yao tensed up, face burning, ready to glare.

But then Li Xue advanced further, lips parting slightly to reveal pearly teeth, her beautiful eyes shimmering as she whispered, "...The lipstick marks should be obvious, no?"

"......"

This went too far.

Hearing this, something snapped in Tang Yao. She closed her eyes, leaned in, and let her faint pink lips briefly touch those red ones.

Like a dragonfly skimming water—

contact made, then broken.

The instant she pulled away, regret flooded Tang Yao, who immediately covered, "Okay, seen it seen it! Get up already, you're heavy."

"......"

Li Xue remained stunned until Tang Yao spoke.

Then she sprang up from Tang Yao's lap like electrocuted, her face equally flushed—

clearly unprepared for this outcome.

"......"

"......"

Then.

One seated, one standing—

silence descended abruptly.

Tang Yao's face burned as she avoided eye contact.

Li Xue kept tucking her hair behind ears while looking everywhere else.

"About the lipstick smudging earlier... I was just testing again."

After an eternity,

Tang Yao forced out the words, trying to sound as confident as usual. But with her crimson face and stammering, it came across as a flimsy excuse: "Don't mind it. We've shared cups forever anyway..."

Li Xue stopped fidgeting, equally red-faced, "Mmn, I know..."

Instead of relaxing, Tang Yao kept babbling, "Good, then go work. Since Rumi's mother approved free promotion for that FGO collaboration card pool, let's release the trailer. Can't let that 'Dark Night Decree' team keep mocking us—time to retaliate.

Also... need to check feedback for that short story 'The Long Goodbye'."

"Right, I'll go now."

Li Xue nodded hastily, turning to leave.

She seemed to forget entirely—

it was lunch break.

All staff were eating.

Clearly,

both were flustered.

Face burning, Tang Yao started to relax seeing Li Xue depart—

when suddenly Li Xue spun back halfway.

Shyly approaching seated Tang Yao, she extended a hand.

Though puzzled, Tang Yao instinctively raised her hand to meet it.

"......"

Li Xue pulled firmly, lifting Tang Yao from the chair into an embrace, hands supporting her slender waist to hoist her higher.

Tang Yao's feet left the ground as she clung to Li Xue, her blush intensifying.

Their curves pressed together.

Both bodies tensed...

"I don't mind."

After setting her down, Li Xue dropped this line before fleeing immediately.

Watching Li Xue's retreating figure, Tang Yao turned mechanically slow before collapsing back onto the chair. Burying her face in folded arms with only shy eyes peeking out, one thought dominated her mind—

We're doomed...