Shi Yin felt that the Gu Congli described by her elderly friend and the one she knew couldn’t possibly be the same person.

Even though he was standing right next to her, having just called out “Grandma” to the elder sitting across from her mere seconds ago.

Based on the information provided by the elder and Shi Yin’s understanding of her personality over their time together, Shi Yin deduced that this grandson should share a similar temperament with his grandmother—lively, gentle, and approachable, with a good reputation among others. He might not be tall or particularly handsome, which would explain why he hadn’t found a girlfriend yet.

However.

However.

With a completely expressionless face, Shi Yin slowly raised her head.

After months of not seeing him, the man still exuded an icy demeanor, embodying the essence of a cold pond under a frosty moon.

And as always, he was devastatingly handsome, almost breathtakingly beautiful. Just standing there, he drew flirtatious glances from all the gym’s fit and toned women.

Shi Yin couldn’t understand what the elder was so worried about. How could this grandson possibly be someone who couldn’t find a wife?

If he wanted to, he could probably return home with a harem.

Sitting there, unsure how to greet him, Shi Yin was surprised when Gu Congli naturally nodded at her with a calm tone: “Teacher Shi Yi also works out here?”

The moment he called her “Teacher Shi Yi,” Shi Yin felt a chill run down her spine, goosebumps rising on her arms.

That feeling of betraying her mentor returned.

Suppressing the shivers, Shi Yin slightly shrugged her shoulders: “Yes.”

“What a coincidence.”

“What a coincidence indeed.”

Silence.

The grandma sat across from them, looking back and forth between the two, smiling warmly: “So you two know each other?”

Not sure if the elder understood the relationship between a manga artist and an editor, Shi Yin simplified it: “We’re colleagues, connected through work.”

The grandma exclaimed, clapping her hands: “Then you’re friends! Didn’t I tell you? Isn’t my grandson gentle?” The grandma continued, smiling warmly at Shi Yin, “See? What do you think? Isn’t he gentle?”

Gu Congli: “….”

Shi Yin: “….”

Shi Yin nodded sincerely: “He is gentle. I’ve never met anyone as gentle as Editor-in-Chief.”

Gu Congli: “….”

Gu Congli picked up the elder, exchanged a few more words, and then left with her. Grandma seemed eager for Shi Yin to join them for lunch, persistently inviting her multiple times, even showing reluctance when they finally departed.

With her bag on her back, Shi Yin followed them out of the gym and watched as the elder got into the car.

It was the first time she saw Gu Congli’s car—a shield-shaped emblem in red, yellow, and black, with a horse in the center.

The salary of a publishing house editor-in-chief must be quite high if it allowed him to afford a Porsche.

After getting into the car, Grandma rolled down the window and leaned out to look at Shi Yin: “Young lady, where do you live? We’ll give you a ride home.”

Shi Yin smiled: “No need to trouble yourself. I live in the nearby neighborhood. It’s less than a ten-minute walk.”

Grandma sighed regretfully, “Oh,” and reluctantly waved goodbye.

As the car drove off, Shi Yin turned around and started walking toward her neighborhood.

From inside the car, Grandma was still peering through the rearview mirror, watching the figure grow smaller and smaller.

Gu Congli tilted his head slightly and raised the car window a bit: “Grandma, she’s out of sight now.”

Grandma turned her head, still smiling: “I thought something was off when you suddenly decided to buy me a gym membership. I’m already in my seventies or eighties—why force me to exercise like those young people? And you timed your visits perfectly every day. So this was your plan all along?”

Gu Congli calmly replied: “No, I just thought you’d be bored staying at home all day. Getting out and moving around isn’t such a bad thing.”

“You can fool that girl, but you can’t fool me!” Grandma snorted, rolling her eyes. After a moment, she couldn’t resist adding, “She said she lives in the nearby neighborhood. Why don’t you just buy a place close by? ‘The nearest water gets the moonlight.’”

Before he could respond, Grandma continued: “But you’ve always been independent and have your own ideas. Tell me, how do you want me to help you?”

Gu Congli smiled faintly: “You being happy is enough for me. I just bought you a membership without specifying any conditions. If you two get along well, that’s because of your connection, not mine.”

“You sneaky brat,” Grandma scolded with a laugh, unable to suppress her delight. “Your taste is good. That girl is truly likable, with a great personality. She’s young, only twenty-three.”

Gu Congli didn’t respond, turning the steering wheel as they crossed the bridge.

Shi Yin’s earlier social media post, even without location tagging, revealed her proximity to the gym. Knowing how lazy she was, she wouldn’t travel far when there was a gym nearby, so it was likely this one.

Before 10:30 AM was her usual sleeping time, and after waking up, she would lounge around, order takeout, leaving only the afternoon or evening for activities. Her routine was easy to guess.

But this person went to the gym and posted updates on social media, each photo accompanied by her oily, chocolate-like personal trainer.

Gu Congli stared blankly ahead, unconsciously tightening his fingers on the steering wheel. A slow, creeping sense of irritation gradually invaded his nerves, seeping into his brain and stirring a faint destructive urge.

Grandma, sitting in the passenger seat, was still talking, slapping her thigh loudly, pulling his attention back. “She’s twenty-three, and you? You’re almost thirty. Are you really thinking of pursuing a girl in her early twenties?” Grandma turned her head, coolly saying, “You’re dreaming big. She’ll probably think you’re too old.”

Gu Congli: “….”

Mid-September, Shi Yin received the ranking results for ECHO ‘s final chapter.

Fourth place—it was her best ranking since the series began. The top three spots were all taken by full-color manga.

Color manga dominated the market these days. While Crimson Moon didn’t enforce color requirements, readers preferred color manga, which also attracted higher popularity. Many ongoing series opted for color.

Generally, the easiest times for a manga to boost its rankings were during splash pages and the finale. For Shi Yin, combining both elements still only secured fourth place in the popularity vote.

Still, Shi Yin remained optimistic. With over a dozen ongoing series in the magazine, securing fourth place was satisfying enough.

But this also meant her peaceful days were numbered.

Chasing deadlines—the two most beautiful words in life.

Gu Congli requested she finish the storyboard for Chapter Two by next week. However, Shi Yin lacked motivation. The results of the newcomer contest hadn’t been announced yet, and she still didn’t know if her work would secure a top-three serialization opportunity.

Nevertheless, she was deeply interested and excited about this project. The personalities of Hong Ming and Long Que , the large-scale setting, the focus on blades as the main weapon, and the intense battle scenes with clashing metal weapons carried much more impact than ECHO , which relied on sound as a weapon.

Shi Yin couldn’t forget Lin Youhe’s evaluation of her as a mangaka.

Not passionate, like a game of house. The battle scenes were so soft they failed to excite anyone.

If she could excuse the previous series due to its subject matter, this one offered no such leeway. Shi Yin spent countless hours refining the script, experimenting with art styles, and perfecting the storyboards. Even after repeated revisions, she barely completed a few pages within a week.

Shi Yin was still contemplating excuses to delay handing over the draft when Gu Congli asked for it next week.

To her surprise, he didn’t bring it up. Instead, he messaged her, saying he’d visit tomorrow.

As usual, it was 9:30 AM, and Shi Yin was still asleep.

And as usual, the incessant doorbell ringing irritated her to no end. Without needing to ask who it was, Shi Yin groaned lowly into her blanket, sat up abruptly, grabbed her underwear from the couch, put it on, and shuffled to the door. Leaning against the doorframe, she drowsily looked at him.

And this guy even had the audacity to tilt his head innocently: “I told you I’d come yesterday.”

Shi Yin’s eyes were bloodshot: “But you didn’t say you’d come at 9:30 again. Editor-in-Chief, can’t we meet in the afternoon?”

“My working hours are precious.”

“So is my sleep time.”

“I don’t see you valuing your sleep time much.”

Shi Yin felt another visit like this would drive her to a nervous breakdown. Weakly leaning against the wall, she rubbed her teary eyes with her knuckles: “Then give me a key, please. I beg you, stop ringing my doorbell.”

Gu Congli confidently pulled out slippers from the shoe cabinet: “By 9:30, anyone should be awake.”

Her face remained expressionless: “I only slept at 4 AM.”

“Is that so?” he calmly replied, “Then you should adjust your schedule.”

“….”

Shi Yin wanted to curse.

Taking a deep breath, gritting her teeth, and exhaling slowly, she ultimately couldn’t resist. Lowering her head, her lips moved silently, muttering a curse under her breath.

Gu Congli had already entered, placing his laptop on the small bar counter. Turning his back to her, he bent down, the fabric of his shirt pulling taut over his muscles, accentuating his shoulder blades. Suddenly, he spoke: “Don’t swear.”

Shi Yin: “….”

Are you psychic?

Aren’t you supposed to be the gentle, soft-spoken sweetheart?

In front of your grandma, you act so indifferent, unwilling to exchange more than a word with me, but behind her back, you change.

You’re truly impressive.

Before she could retract her complicated expression and eye roll, Gu Congli had already turned around, calmly adding: “And don’t casually give a man a key to your home.”

Shi Yin was at her most combative when she hadn’t fully woken up. Her起床气 (morning grumpiness) doubled her attack power, and her tone grew sharp: “If you didn’t disturb my peace every time, I wouldn’t say things like that. As a girl, of course, I wouldn’t casually give a key to just any man.”

Gu Congli lowered his gaze, suddenly stepping closer.

Startled, Shi Yin instinctively tried to retreat.

Standing next to the sofa, she took a step back, bumping into it with her calves, blocking her path.

This awkward position forced her knees to bend slightly, her upper body tilting backward, struggling to maintain balance, her body trembling.

The man slowly advanced another step, closing the distance. His head slightly lowered, his light brown eyes gazed at her from an extremely close range, his rosy thin lips curving faintly: “You—”

A faint metallic sound interrupted the moment.

It was the sound of a key sliding into the lock, turning slowly.

The source came from the security door.

Gu Congli paused mid-sentence, turning his head.

Shi Yin turned as well.

A click sounded, and the door opened from the outside. Liang Qiushi stood there, holding a key in one hand and several white plastic bags filled to the brim in the other.

He entered with practiced ease, moving quietly as if afraid to disturb something. Gently closing the door behind him, he turned around.

At first glance, he saw the man and woman standing face-to-face.

The woman wore a nightgown, positioned as if she were about to be pushed onto the sofa by the unfamiliar man.

Liang Qiushi’s mind blanked for a few seconds.

His first thought was, ah, so Teacher Shi Yi is also a normal woman who brings men home.

His expression remained calm: “Sorry to interrupt. I’ll leave immediately. Please continue.”