Starting as a Manga Editor-Chapter 15: Professional

“Miss Li, please stop shaking me. I’m about to fall apart, seriously, about to fall apart.”
Tang Yao didn’t manage to calm Li Xue down. She was still being shaken back and forth like crazy. Ever since arriving in this world, she hadn’t moved this much at once—it was seriously exhausting, and her center of gravity was completely different now.
Also, when she said earlier that she needed a bigger size, she wasn’t joking.
So she quickly grabbed Li Xue’s arm tightly, almost begging as she reminded her again.
“...You should draw manga for me.”
Li Xue finally calmed down. She looked seriously at the tall girl who was eye level with her and said, “Really, stop thinking about starting a business.”
“Just hear me out first.”
Tang Yao shifted around a bit, clearly uncomfortable. After adjusting herself slightly, she held onto Li Xue’s arm and replied seriously, “Miss Li, it’s fine if I draw occasionally, but I can’t keep doing it long-term. I’ve already drawn more than enough… More importantly, you’re a manga editor. You should know that entering a manga award is one thing, but getting a proper serialization is something else entirely.
Award entries, serialization prep, official serialization, then the brutal elimination after five chapters—I honestly don’t know if I can make it through all that.
And more importantly, it’s just too slow.”
Actually, that last reason was the key one—it’s too slow, the money comes in way too slow.
If she had to, Tang Yao could shamelessly keep redrawing some of her past life’s works.
After all, she’d read a ton of manga.
But even then, even if she could instantly win an award and land a serialization, it would still take time to make real money. By then, it’d be too late.
By then, Kaoru would probably have graduated.
So this couldn’t be her first bucket of gold.
Because if the world worked the same as her previous one…
With the rise of mobile internet, things were going to move fast.
And on the flip side, she also really wanted to try the path she never took in her past life.
“Then what makes you think starting a business guarantees success? Isn’t that something you know even less about?”
Li Xue, hearing all this, was finally calm.
She obviously knew how tough the manga industry was—tons of artists win awards only to fade into obscurity shortly after.
But because she liked Tang Yao so much, she’d subconsciously ignored all that.
Until Tang Yao reminded her.
Even knowing that, she still felt that compared to starting a business, manga was a better fit for Tang Yao.
After all, she was a manga editor.
“Of course I can’t guarantee success, but I think the odds aren’t bad. And I want to try the entrepreneurial route. The money comes in faster, and these windows of opportunity disappear in a flash...”
Tang Yao thought for a second, then said slowly, “Let’s just call it my obsession with living a good life. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll come back and draw manga. I mean, I’ll still be drawing cute girls either way.”
Obsession.
Li Xue heard that word and suddenly realized something. She looked at Tang Yao standing in front of her.
Tang Yao smiled at her.
Li Xue sighed. Thinking of what she said about coming back to manga if she failed, she felt a little persuaded.
Still, she was reluctant: “Cute girls, cute girls—this bishoujo collecting game you keep talking about, is it really that good? You talk about drawing cute girls all the time—it’s kind of weird. I mean, you’re a cute girl yourself...”
“It’s not the same, Miss Li.”
Tang Yao put on a “you’re too naive” expression, took Li Xue’s hands off her shoulders, then puffed out her impressive chest and declared righteously, “We’re real people. Real people come with a bunch of annoying stuff… like needing to use the bathroom. But the cute girls I draw? They don’t have to!”
“……”
Li Xue blinked her pretty eyes, stunned—or maybe just speechless. Either way, she gave Tang Yao a very complicated side-eye. “What are you even saying? Then how do they digest food? Evaporate it through their skin? And… is that even important?”
“You don’t need to worry about the specifics. And whether it’s important or not, I’m just pointing out the difference.”
Tang Yao still stood tall, her graceful figure subtly trembling with pride. She righteously added, “Compared to real-life, complicated people, cute girls drawn on paper are something else entirely. Recognizing that—that’s what makes someone professional!”
“……”
Li Xue rolled her eyes again, then gently poked Tang Yao on the forehead with her fair finger.
And then—
Tang Yao couldn’t hold it anymore. She broke into a bright smile, as if even she found her own logic ridiculous.
Li Xue looked at that glowing smile on Tang Yao’s pale face, shook her head, and asked, “So you’re really going to try?”
Tang Yao nodded seriously. “Yeah. I’ll start tonight… sketch a few bishoujo drafts, figure out a proposal, and then show it to you.”
“Alright then…”
Li Xue let out a slow breath, glanced at the stunning short manga on the table, and added, “But promise me, if this doesn’t work out, don’t give up on yourself. Come back and draw manga. I’ll help you with anything you need then.”
Tang Yao agreed without hesitation: “Of course. Whatever you want me to draw, I’ll draw it—even shoujo manga, I’ll draw that for you!”
Li Xue was satisfied. “Then get to it. If this seems viable, I’ll help connect you with that VC manager.”
“Awesome. Thank you so much, Miss Li.”
Tang Yao looked gratefully at the stunning older woman in front of her and sincerely thanked her.
This friend she’d met by chance—
She was really amazing.
“Don’t thank me just yet. Honestly, I still value your talent for manga more.”
Li Xue shook her head and looked back at the manuscript on the table. “As for your business idea, and this bishoujo mobile game you keep talking about—I’m still not very optimistic. I still don’t have a clear picture of it.”
Tang Yao beamed. “Then just wait until I’ve got a concept… I mean, a PTT and full proposal in hand. I won’t let you down.”
“Mhm.”
“But…”
Tang Yao suddenly changed the subject, eyeing the tall and beautiful woman in front of her with a mischievous glint. “Can I ask you a favor? It’ll help me draw cute girls better.”
Li Xue looked confused. “Hm?”
Tang Yao blinked playfully. “Can you wear black stockings tomorrow? I need a reference.”
If she could—
She definitely wanted to sneak in a few characters based on her own preferences…
As for the girls, she could just use Kaoru as reference.
And for the mature woman type, Li Xue in front of her was a perfect model.
Not that she wanted to see them or anything.
“Black stockings… If you need a reference, why don’t you wear them yourself?”
Li Xue looked down at her long, straight, snow-white legs, pressed neatly together, then looked back up at Tang Yao.
She was wearing ankle socks today—she didn’t want the hassle of heels.
“I don’t have any!”
“Then I’ll get you some.”
“I’m not wearing them!”
“……”
Li Xue reached out and gently pinched Tang Yao’s cheek, half-playful, half-flirty. “So I have to wear them just because you won’t?”
Tang Yao used her secret weapon of sincerity: “Miss Li, they look better on you.”
“……”
Li Xue blinked, then rolled her eyes and couldn’t help but laugh.
Honestly—
She’d started wearing black stockings just to follow trends, to seem more mature or whatever.
She’d gone through a lot of those messy experiences that Tang Yao was facing now. But since she worked on female-oriented manga, the pressure was a bit less intense.
Of course, if you said she never wanted to show off her legs and make guys notice—well, that’d be a lie.
She definitely did, back in the day.
But as time passed, that faded.
From “Look at me, check out how long my legs are,” to “What are you staring at? Got a leg fetish or something?”
And now, she had no other thoughts about it. If she wore stockings, it was just out of habit—to look good. Most of the time, though, she didn’t bother because it was a hassle.
As for compliments—honestly, if a guy said it, she’d probably just roll her eyes. Let alone wear them because someone asked her to.
But Tang Yao was different.
Truth be told—
Li Xue actually felt kind of happy being complimented by her… a kind of happy she’d never felt, even from several guys combined.
So… sure. She’d humor her.
“Alright, I’ll wear them tomorrow.”
“Yay! You’re the best.”
“……”
Li Xue looked at the beaming Tang Yao and shook her head with a helpless smile.
So easy to please.
She sighed inwardly, then brought the conversation back on track. They’d been hanging out in the lounge for a while—almost 2 a.m.—and it was getting kind of inappropriate.
“So… are you submitting that short for the manga award?”
Tang Yao: “Yeah.”
“Has your Editor-in-Chief Ding seen it yet?”
“I already told you, you’re the first person to read it. How could he have seen it? And do you think he’d care about the replacement I found? The work of a so-called third-rate manga artist in his eyes?”
“Third-rate manga artist… where does he get the nerve?”
“How would I know?”
“……”
Li Xue frowned deeply. She suddenly felt an intense dislike for the big comic editor she barely even knew. “Don’t worry about him.”
“Like I have time to care.”
Tang Yao replied casually, then looked at Li Xue’s now furrowed brows, making her look a bit like an icy beauty. Suddenly, she grinned mischievously: “Miss Li, did you just say you wanted to marry me earlier?”
“……”
Li Xue froze for a second, then her beautiful face slowly turned red. “You heard wrong.”
“Knew it.”
Seeing her reaction, Tang Yao was sure she hadn’t misheard. She teased, “Miss Li, you’re getting anxious~ already thinking about getting married~ Guess I better start making money fast…”
“Shut up.”
Li Xue’s elegant, blushing face turned stern as she grabbed Tang Yao’s soft cheeks, not letting her finish. “Who’s marrying who isn’t even decided! If anyone’s getting married, you’re the one coming to me...”
“You think that’s possible?”
“I’ll wear black stockings for you every day.”
“Uh… I mean, that’s not a hard sell.”
“……”
Li Xue grew flustered and kept pinching Tang Yao’s soft cheeks. “You’re so unprincipled!”
Tang Yao put on that “you’re too naive” face again. “What are you talking about? It’s called a flexible bottom line!”
“That’s way too flexible!”
Li Xue shot back immediately, and the two of them locked eyes—then burst out laughing.
Honestly, aside from each other, they didn’t have anyone else they could joke around with like this.
And for the first time, both of them thought—
This was pretty fun.
“Alright, enough of that. It’s starting to feel weird.”
Li Xue let go of Tang Yao’s cheeks. “...So, are you submitting the manga under your real name?”
“Still thinking about it. I’ll let you know later.”
“Alright… and what’s the title? I’ll jot it down.”
“It’s called… Human Head Balloon.”