You Have the Right to Keep a Secret Love

Chapter 5: "You were pretty good at scolding me during the graduation ceremony"

As the court where Zhao Yiran worked was close to the law firm, they decided to have lunch together at a noodle shop below the firm.

During their lunch break, Qi Xi vented her frustrations to Zhao Yiran about her unsuccessful job search. However, Zhao Yiran was completely absorbed in a novel she had recently finished and began recommending it.

"The reality of work life is already tough. During lunch breaks, I read novels or watch dramas to shift my focus, relax, and take a break. Everything will fall into place in due time," Zhao Yiran said, continuing to recommend the novel she was hooked on. "You really must read 'Encountering Immortals.' It's Ai Xiang's breakthrough work, and it's no wonder it became a surprise hit. Although the writing style is a bit lacking, the plot twists are astonishing, and the character development is very solid. What's most impressive is the grand conceptual framework and the author's profound insights. It's remarkable how they managed to write such an epic fantasy story. And most importantly, even though it's written by a male author, the female characters are well-rounded and not subject to the typical male gaze."

Clearly, Zhao Yiran had become a fan of Ai Xiang. "The best part is the love story between Ai Xiang and his wife. He was a poor boy with only a high school education, while his wife came from an educated and wealthy family. Despite that, Ai Xiang fell in love with her at first sight and wrote love letters to her every day for five years, persistently pursuing her. Eventually, his persistence paid off, and now they have a son and a daughter together."

Qi Xi wasn't particularly interested in the entertainment industry, but she knew about the popularity of "Encountering Immortals." The TV drama adaptation was currently airing and, as a result, the novel of the same name was being heavily promoted and trending every day.

Zhao Yiran couldn't stop praising Ai Xiang. "One admirable thing about Ai Xiang is his perseverance. Whether it's in love or his career, he never gives up. He has been writing novels for five or six years, even during the early days when he had almost no money. Then suddenly, 'Encountering Immortals' became a huge success, and now his career is thriving. He recently sold the film and television rights to his new serialized book for a high price, rumored to be two million yuan!"

With a tinge of regret, Zhao Yiran added, "Why didn't I write novels in college? Who knows, if I had persevered for a few years, I might have become rich and financially independent. It seems studying law doesn't have much future prospects..."

Qi Xi remained unfazed and responded, "Well, you have to have a wife like his, with a good family background who loves and accepts him, willing to let her husband go without a stable income for five or six years just to pursue writing. Otherwise, if you were to write for several years like that, were you planning to live on air?"

Zhao Yiran glared at Qi Xi and retorted, "Why don't you have a romantic bone in your body? Love and marriage require mutual dedication and effort. Even though Ai Xiang is now living a blissful life with his own efforts and his wife, even after being married for so many years, he still maintains the habit of writing love letters to his wife every day on Weibo."

Qi Xi rolled her eyes and said, "I'm more concerned about whether he shared those two million with his wife. What's so touching about writing love letters? If Gu Yan is willing to forgive me, I'll not only write love letters but also confession letters to him every day! If he shares one million with me, I'll marry him on the spot!"

Qi Xi's words were just her venting frustrations, but she didn't expect that right after she finished speaking, before Zhao Yiran had a chance to mock her, they heard someone coughing and choking from the adjacent booth.

The nearby waitstaff were alerted by the severe coughing. "Sir, are you okay?"

After a moment of intense coughing, the man in the booth replied in a slightly cold voice, "I'm fine. Thank you."