The Reborn Sidekick Rejected The Male Lead

Chapter 20: Chapter 20: Mao Sui Recommends Himself Chapter 20: Chapter 20: Mao Sui Recommends Himself Lu Jingqiu’s chopsticks halted as she was eating. She hadn’t expected Gao Qing to say these things to her, something that hadn’t happened in her previous life. It took her a long while before she looked up at Gao Qing, “So, you regret it too?”

Gao Qing nodded vigorously, “Of course, I couldn’t possibly have more regrets.”

Lu Jingqiu looked silently at Gao Qing’s innocent eyes, her own eyes suddenly feeling a bit sour, yet her lips always carried a gentle and considerate smile, “Qingqing, I don’t have regrets, and you shouldn’t think that way either.”

Gao Qing, “Hmm?”

Lu Jingqiu said, “I made quite a few good friends over there. Although I suffered, I also learned some truths. Look, I’m doing quite well now, aren’t I?”

Gao Qing said, “You are doing well. I was just saying, you’ve become much more serene.”

Lu Jingqiu smiled and didn’t say anything, lowering her head and shoveling food into her mouth. In her previous life, her mental health was not good, and she liked to zone out.

Gao Qing continued, “Speaking of which, a few of our classmates went to the countryside too. Remember the carefree Wu Zhengran? He returned from the countryside. His family spent money to find him a job, but he quit in less than a month, not doing anything proper all day long.”

Wu Zhengran? “He contacted you?”

Gao Qing said, “I ran into him a few days ago, and we exchanged a few words.”

Lu Jingqiu didn’t know when Wu Zhengran and Gao Qing had met, but she hadn’t been involved in what came after for them, truly not knowing the details.

She only knew that Gao Qing had many complaints about her life at the time when they later met.

“If you don’t like him, then just ignore him.”

Gao Qing nodded, “Yeah, with the way he is, I can’t be bothered with him.”

After breakfast, and some sisterly chat, Gao Qing finally took Lu Jingqiu back home.

As soon as she arrived home, she saw her mother holding her stomach, looking uncomfortable.

“Mom, what’s wrong with you? Is your stomach hurting?”

Upon her daughter’s return, Zhou Lanqin quickly masked her pained expression and removed her hand from her stomach, pointing to the medicine on the dining table, “It’s just gastroenteritis, it hurts from time to time. I’ll be fine once I take my medicine. I woke up late today, so I took the medicine late.”

Anxious, Lu Jingqiu helped her mother sit down and checked the water in the cup, “Mom, it comes and goes. Uncle Zhang said it was quite serious. We should go to the hospital.”

Zhou Lanqin waved her hand, “No need, I’ve felt much better since I started taking the medicine yesterday. Usually, I’m fine. Maybe I didn’t cover myself properly with the blanket last night and caught a chill. Don’t worry.”

How could she not worry? Even though her mother’s illness was not as severe as in her previous life, she couldn’t help feeling somewhat apprehensive. She wished her mother could just be healthy without any ailments.

After watching her mother take her medication and helping her lie down in bed, Lu Jingqiu only left the house with a few of her own paintings after making sure her mother had fallen asleep.

The West City Children’s Publishing House was currently located in a dilapidated little Western-style building with a history, according to the previous leadership. It originally belonged to a warlord and later provided to Military Intelligence for intelligence work. All the rooms in there were interconnected with doors, which allowed one to conveniently “escape” from one room to another, reflecting the mysterious characteristics of a spy agency. It even had a basement that, rumor had it, had been used for interrogations and executions. The building was turned over to the public years ago and assigned to the Juvenile Children’s Publishing House.

Due to some unavoidable reasons, the publishing house was shut down for a few years, and it was only two years ago that it started operating again.

Over time due to lack of maintenance, it became a dangerous building, and the Juvenile Children’s Publishing House had to relocate, drifting around for as long as two years.

A sign reading West City Children’s Publishing House hung on the gates of the large courtyard which was filled with various flowers and scenic trees, reportedly remnants of the past that had never been altered. One had to admit, the warlord had taste.

The first-floor lobby served as a reception and resting area, furnished with a sofa set, chairs, and a tea station.

To the right was a large office area, the editorial department. Lu Jingqiu glanced briefly, noting the old desks, chairs, and the clutter of books and manuscripts, with five or six people busily at work.

To the left was a tea-drinking area with a large meeting table. Further inside were the offices of two chief editors. Upon entering, Lu Jingqiu turned directly into the room of a deputy editor, as she was the former director.

Thump thump…

“Come in.”

Lu Jingqiu opened the door halfway and asked politely, “Excuse me, is this Deputy Editor-in-Chief Yang’s office?”

“Yes, who are you looking for?” Yang Ting looked at the unfamiliar face and asked.

Getting a response, Lu Jingqiu boldly walked in and introduced herself, “Hello, my name is Lu Jingqiu. I’m a children’s artist. I came to inquire if you are in need of illustrators?”

Yang Ting, upon hearing the introduction from the unfamiliar girl, touched her glasses and furrowed her brows, expressing surprise, “We don’t need anyone right now.”

Lu Jingqiu had come hoping for a stroke of luck, and upon hearing the response, she wasn’t disappointed. She still carried a polite smile, naturally needing a thick skin when job hunting. She quickly took out her drawings from her bag and handed them over, stating, “These are my works, and below is my address. I specialize in children’s illustration and picture book illustration. If your establishment is in need of an illustrator, I am capable.”

Yang Ting originally didn’t want to deal with this unexpected visitor; if their publishing house had to entertain strangers seeking work every day, they could hardly function normally. Curious about what emboldened her to inquire about a job, Yang Ting looked up at the works in her hand.

The amazement in her eyes was evident but controlled, and she paused for a few seconds, setting aside her previous doubts as she picked up and flipped through the work. There were four pictures in total, all with an animal theme, rich in content, each with its own story. Like the mouse, the content showed a little mouse that had found a big strawberry but was constantly worried that a hungry bear might come and snatch it away. The scene was especially meaningful, the use of colors very beautiful, filled with rich childlike innocence. This was the first time Yang Ting had encountered such a style.

“The structure is simple, the plot engaging, the imagery clear and vivid, and most importantly, the content is rich. Did you really draw this?”

Lu Jingqiu nodded, “Yes.”

Yang Ting didn’t ask further and quickly pulled out a piece of paper from her desk, “Could you draw one for me right now?”

Lu Jingqiu asked, “Deputy Editor-in-Chief Yang, what content would you like?”

Yang Ting pointed to a few of her pictures, “Just like these,” and indicated a chair beside her, saying, “Draw it right now.”

Lu Jingqiu felt hopeful and took the drawing paper with a smile, pulling out her crayons from her bag.

Seeing how well-prepared she was, Yang Ting was taken aback again and chuckled, “How did you know we were hiring?”

Lu Jingqiu, who had just sat down, suddenly paused, “Deputy Editor-in-Chief, are you really hiring?”

Yang Ting said, “You didn’t know?”

Lu Jingqiu said, “I came here today on a whim to try my luck; I wasn’t aware you were actually hiring.”