Chapter 17: "Isn't He a Singer?"

Nine o’clock at night, the darkness had already settled in.

Within a villa district of Magic City.

After a busy day, Li Xi had only just returned home from work at this hour. At the company, she had been tormented by a pile of trash manuscripts, leaving her half dead.

Just as Li Xi was about to take a shower to relax, she heard the sound of a message coming from her phone.

She unlocked her phone to see a message from her elder sister, Li Mi, saying that the manuscript had been sent to her Penguin mailbox and to read it when she had time. If it wasn’t good, she hoped Li Xi could offer some suggestions.

“What? That fast?” Li Xi was surprised by Li Mi’s efficiency. She hadn’t expected much from this, only coming up with a solution out of necessity.

Since the manuscript had already been sent, Li Xi felt obliged to take a look.

“Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone?” Li Xi nodded at the title. At least it sounded normal; better than those bizarre names she had encountered before. She once dealt with an author who titled a fantasy novel “The Overbearing Mage Fell in Love with Me,” a behavior Li Xi found contemptible.

Li Xi planned to order takeout, read the manuscript, and then shower—timing everything perfectly so that she could eat right after bathing.

But plans never keep pace with changes.

Li Xi was instantly absorbed as soon as she began reading.

Ten minutes.

Half an hour.

An hour.

[Beep, beep, beep]

It was only the sound of the delivery that jolted Li Xi awake. She glanced at her phone—it was already ten o’clock. She was amazed at herself, having lost track of time because of a novel. It had been ages since she’d experienced such a thing. Even now, her mind was preoccupied with the story’s ending.

Hurriedly finishing her meal, Li Xi rushed back to her computer to continue reading.

An hour.

Two hours.

Three hours.

Four hours.

“Finally finished.” Li Xi stretched after completing the novel. She hadn’t felt this way in so long. Only one thought filled her mind now: sign this book as soon as possible. She had a strong premonition—it was bound to be a sensation.

This was true fantasy!

Li Xi was captivated by the magic within the story, the strange happenings at the academy, the brave trio of adventurers, the flying broomsticks, the terrifying Voldemort.

Within just two or three hundred thousand words, she felt a complete magical world—a world she herself longed for.

Without hesitation, Li Xi called Li Mi, unable to wait to learn the author’s identity. Who could possess such creativity and such unique writing?

The phone rang for a long time before it was answered.

“Are you crazy, Li Xi? Calling me so late! Give me a convincing reason, or I’ll block you right now!” Li Mi was furious, her voice thick with sleep and irritation.

She had been enjoying a dream, almost biting into the chicken nuggets of a Thursday feast, only to be awakened by Li Xi’s call. No wonder she was angry!

Li Xi glanced at the time and realized it was already two in the morning, feeling a bit embarrassed.

It’s true—time loses meaning inside a book. Li Xi felt as though only ten minutes had passed, yet it was now two in the morning.

But she didn’t care about that now; she was desperate to know the author’s identity: “Sorry, sis! Can you tell me who the author is? Please!”

“Huh? What do you mean?” Li Mi was confused by Li Xi’s words.

“Oh, I mean the author you referred to me for submissions. Please, tell me who it is! The writing is amazing!”

“Oh, you mean Zhou Ran! You know him, right? The one who sings ‘Sunny Day,’ Zhou Ran.” Li Mi suddenly understood.

“What! The author of Harry Potter is Zhou Ran, the singer of ‘Sunny Day’?” Li Xi was incredulous on the other end of the line. “You’re not messing with me, are you?”

“Harry Potter? I don’t know anything about that. I just gave your email to Zhou Ran and let him submit. That’s it.”

“Ah... I see. Thanks, sis.” After learning Zhou Ran’s identity, Li Xi felt her mind was overwhelmed, and she hung up in a daze.

“Seriously? So quick to hang up!” Li Mi was speechless at Li Xi’s abrupt ending.

“How could it be him? Isn’t he a singer?” Li Xi still couldn’t accept that Zhou Ran had written Harry Potter.

She had known Zhou Ran for a year, having met him at Li Mi’s company out of boredom. The moment she walked in, she saw Zhou Ran—her first thought was, “Wow, who’s that handsome guy?” She was struck by his looks and, through Li Mi, exchanged a few words with him, but nothing more.

Was there really such hidden talent among ordinary people? Li Xi never expected that the fantasy work which amazed her would be written by a singer.

At this moment, Li Xi felt a strange sense about the outcome.

It was as if the true genius had always been right beside her. She began to question her judgment—why hadn’t she discovered this talent sooner?

If she had, she wouldn’t have had to suffer through all those trash manuscripts.

Without another word, Li Xi booked the earliest flight to Star City. She was eager to sign Zhou Ran, and maybe see the rest of the story.

On her way to the airport, she found Zhou Ran’s contact information, long neglected in her address book.

She tried calling him several times, but after three or four attempts, Zhou Ran didn’t answer any of them.

Li Xi gave up on calling, deciding to wait until she arrived in Star City.

This time, she was determined to succeed in signing him, and wouldn’t give up until she did.

Li Xi was always so impulsive—acting on a whim, never considering anything else. Straightforward to the core, she always spoke her mind: liking what she liked, hating what she hated.

At this moment, the protagonist of our story lay fast asleep in a hotel bed, snoring gently. Zhou Ran had even put his phone on silent, which meant he hadn’t heard any of Li Xi’s calls.