Xiao Ran glared at her. "Are you leaving or not?"
He was actually quite exasperated; it wasn’t that he truly wanted to kick her out.
It was just that he and Yan Li were divorced now. What was it going to look like if her little sister was still living with him?
It was an awkward situation, to say the least.
He really didn’t want to hear any gossip.
The girl shook her head, her expression resolute. "I’m not leaving. If someone’s leaving, it should be you. But I guess you don’t want to leave either..."
With that, she spun around and fled upstairs to her room with a patter of light footsteps.
Xiao Ran was so exasperated he was speechless.
’Whose house is this? Telling me to leave? Why the hell should I leave?’
Just as he was fuming silently, the footsteps on the stairs suddenly stopped, then retreated a few steps. Yan Xici poked half her head out, tilting it to look at him.
"Brother-in-law, don’t be too sad. Life goes on. I’m sure that with your talent and good looks, you’ll definitely find me a new sister-in-law!"
This was followed by the sound of hurried footsteps fading into the distance.
Xiao Ran was now completely and utterly speechless.
Honestly, he really had no idea how to handle Yan Xici.
That girl was cunning as a fox and an absolute master of acting cute and being shameless.
Xiao Ran shook his head. ’I’ll just apply for a dorm room for her at the university later. That should count as sorting things out.’
Back in his bedroom, Xiao Ran lay on his bed and opened his phone.
He had planned to read a book on Qidian, but after a few pages, he suddenly received a message from his editor.
Shi Guang: Bro, your last book did really well. Remember I told you to consider an adaptation? Well, it happened!
Xiao Ran froze.
’Well, I’ll be.’
’It’s true what they say: a watched pot never boils.’
When his editor mentioned a possible adaptation back then, he thought it was just an offhand comment. He never expected it to actually happen!
Xiao Ran: I’m selling. Which company is it?
Shi Guang: That’s what I was about to discuss with you. Two companies are interested in the book. One is Yunya Company, a small company, but they’re offering a higher price of 3 million.
The other is Ai Qi, a major platform, and they’re also planning to adapt it into a web series.
However, their offer is two hundred thousand less. But with a bigger company, the production quality—from props and costumes to the cast—is generally better. This means more exposure. It’s up to you.
As an editor, Shi Guang was a very good one. The authors under him privately called him a "warm guy."
For something like this, he could have just made the decision himself and had Xiao Ran sign the papers.
But he didn’t. He still sought out his opinion.
But when Xiao Ran saw this message, he felt more than just warmth—he felt shock!
’Yunya Company... isn’t that Yan Li’s company?’
It specialized in managing online influencers and producing small-scale web series.
With the market constantly expanding, the audience for web series was also growing rapidly, mainly because web series were short, fast-paced, and released frequently.
They had lots of satisfying moments and jokes, making them relaxing to watch. This characteristic also brought considerable profits to the industry.
Yan Li had caught the wave and reaped the benefits. Otherwise, there was no way she could have achieved a net worth of over a hundred million in just three years.
He just never expected her company would end up choosing his book.
But on second thought, it was strange. After all, Yan Li hadn’t paid him any attention for a long time, and she never got involved in things like selecting books.
To be honest, Xiao Ran wanted to choose Ai Qi.
It wasn’t because of any personal grudge; it was mainly because it was a major platform and more trustworthy.
Although they were both web series, the results would definitely be different coming from different platforms. He didn’t want the book he’d spent over a year painstakingly writing to be turned into garbage.
Besides, people who enjoyed the show might turn around and read the original book.
’Thinking about it that way, Ai Qi is the better choice.’
Xiao Ran replied decisively: Let’s go with Ai Qi then. Thanks for the trouble, Brother Shi.
Shi Guang: It’s no trouble for me. How about this, I’ll try to negotiate a better price. If it really can’t be increased, then we’ll have to stick with this.
’Look at that. What a great editor. Everything he does is for the author’s benefit.’
Xiao Ran: Thanks, Brother Shi~
Shi Guang: By the way, your profile says you’re in Shanghai, right? Perfect. I’ll get them to come over this afternoon, and we can sign the contract directly.
Xiao Ran: No problem. How about 2 PM? We could meet at the Starbucks downstairs from your company building.
Shi Guang: OK~
Putting down his phone, Xiao Ran still found it a bit unbelievable. He picked it up again, opened WeChat, and reread the chat history from the beginning.
He had to confirm that what just happened was real.
Xiao Ran couldn’t help but let out a long sigh, feeling a sense of relief wash over his entire body.
’This must be what they call a godsend!’
He had just been thinking about getting a new place.
He was worried about not having the money, but now?
The money had arrived!!!
With that thought, he eagerly logged onto websites like 58 and Beike and started looking at houses.
A new house, a new life!
The more Xiao Ran thought about it, the more excited he became.
Upstairs, Yan Xici was lying on her soft, pink, full-sized bed. The girl’s bed was very soft, and sunlight streamed in through the window.
It fell upon her, making her already fair skin look as smooth and delicate as a peeled egg.
Her long, shapely legs were casually crossed, and her delicate, pretty feet were propped up naturally.
Half-covered by a blanket, she blinked her big, beautiful eyes, staring blankly at the ceiling.
’They’re divorced...’
To be honest, she didn’t feel sorry for her sister.
She just felt sorry for her brother-in-law.
Over the years, it wasn’t just her; her parents had also grown very fond of their son-in-law.
People say a son-in-law is half a son, and in their family, he really was treated like their own. No matter the issue, big or small, her brother-in-law never hesitated.
The year before last, when their dad had surgery, her sister was too busy with work to spare any time.
It was her brother-in-law who took a month off work on his own initiative. From the moment their dad was hospitalized, he brought him three meals a day without fail.
He kept him company, pushed his wheelchair out into the sun, and stayed with him until he recovered and was discharged.
Later, when she got into university and moved in with them, he wasn’t bothered at all. In fact, he took special care of her, treating her even better than a real older brother would.
In terms of daily life, you could say her brother-in-law took care of their entire family by himself.
But a man as good as him had been abandoned by her sister.
The more Yan Xici thought about it, the more wronged she felt on her brother-in-law’s behalf.
But what could she do? After all, her sister was so stubborn that ten bulls couldn’t drag her back.
At this thought, the girl sighed.
’Even though he doesn’t say anything, he must be heartbroken, right?’
’Breakups are hard enough, let alone a divorce. They say online that even if a divorce doesn’t kill you, it’ll take a piece of you with it.’
She didn’t want her brother-in-law to be in so much pain. She wanted to help him, to help him move on from the shadow of the divorce.
’But how can I help?’
’I’ve never even been in a relationship, let alone gone through a breakup.’ The girl’s small, fair hand fumbled for her phone from under the pillow and checked the time.
It was almost ten o’clock. She didn’t have classes this morning. ’Maybe I should make a meal for him and comfort him?’
’Yes, that’s it!’
’Right now is when he needs someone to take care of him the most!’
At this thought, the girl sat up decisively, her beautiful legs bent slightly.
She took a pair of clean white socks from her nightstand drawer and put them on.
Her feet were very pretty—slender in shape, but small in size.
Her skin was impossibly tender; it was no exaggeration to say it was as smooth as jade. Her ten toes were as delicate as lotus root sprouts, and her toenails were a glossy, healthy pink.
After putting on her socks, she changed into a pair of capri jeans and a casual black short-sleeved shirt, then hurried to the bathroom to wash up.
Her skin was already fair, and the black shirt made it seem even more so.
With her hair tied up in a high ponytail, she looked youthful and full of energy.
After a quick wash-up, the girl headed out.
That’s right, she was going to the supermarket to buy groceries.
Her brother-in-law had always taken care of her. Now, it was her turn to take care of him!
’No, wait. I can’t call him brother-in-law anymore. I have to call him Brother!’
While strolling through the supermarket, she even took a short video to post on her daily account.
Don’t be fooled by the fact that she was only twenty; she was actually a lifestyle content creator on Little Broken Station.
Mhmm, she’d been posting videos for two years and had amassed over a hundred thousand fans.
She also earned a bit of money each month. A few thousand yuan was a very respectable income for a university student.
After wandering around the supermarket for a long time, picking and choosing, she ended up with a piece of lean meat and a bunch of green vegetables.
Carrying her groceries, she headed back the way she came, her head bowed as she browsed recipes.