Buyout rights?

Selling the rights to the site meant physical publication, more exposure, higher royalties, maybe even a live-action or anime adaptation!!

No exaggeration, this was one of the biggest signs that you'd made it on Penguin Chinese Web!

Luo Xiaolu was dumbfounded. His brain had completely stopped working.

What had he ever done to deserve this? He was a total newbie, and he was getting treatment like this?!

Even someone as confident as Luo Xiaolu couldn't help feeling like this was unreal.

The cup in his hand hung frozen in midair.

Yes. This had to be Grandpa Lu Xun blessing him from beyond!!!

Luo Xiaolu decided that if he ever managed to transmigrate back one day, though that was basically impossible, he'd definitely go bow properly before Lu Xun's statue.

"Isn't this the kind of treatment only gold prize winners get?"

Only after a long while did Luo Xiaolu force himself to calm down enough to ask.

"This was approved by our chief editor. It doesn't count as part of the essay contest reward," Greenleaf said with a smile.

It was obvious that Greenleaf was pretty happy too.

Even aside from being a loyal fan of Your Lie in July, as an editor, seeing one of her own authors sell the rights was absolutely something worth celebrating.

"But—"

Greenleaf suddenly changed her tone.

"I need to hear the plot of your final volume first. That's crucial."

The book wasn't finished yet. If they were going to buy out the rights, they had to make sure the later plot wouldn't crash and burn.

Especially the final volume. Over the years, there had been plenty of works that soared early on and blew up in popularity, only to self-destruct at the ending because of the author's disastrous plot choices. Their reputation and sales died on the spot.

So on behalf of the editorial department, Greenleaf had to investigate this clearly first.

After a brief moment of thought, Luo Xiaolu nodded.

Then he took out his phone and pulled up the outline he'd written in advance.

As he flipped through it, Luo Xiaolu happened to glance up—

Greenleaf's eyes were wide as bells. The corners of her mouth were rising like crazy. Her whole face was full of longing, like she might pounce at any second.

???

Wasn't she just dying to hear it herself?!!

Luo Xiaolu took a deep breath and began summarizing the rough plot of the final volume.

But when he reached the climax, Greenleaf's expression started looking more and more wrong. It went from sunny to cloudy, then thunder and lightning, and finally she shot to her feet and slammed the table.

Smack!!

Luo Xiaolu was so startled his phone nearly flew out of his hand.

"Lavender died??"

Greenleaf's shout actually came out choked with sobs.

Luo Xiaolu gave an awkward but polite smile.

Only then did Greenleaf realize she'd lost her composure. She hurriedly pulled back the hand she'd slammed on the table and bowed to Luo Xiaolu.

"S-Sorry!!"

Greenleaf sat back down, her face full of guilt.

"Teacher Zhoushuren, I lost my composure."

"It's fine. Seeing you like this, Teacher Greenleaf, you must really love Lavender as a character. That makes me happy more than anything," Luo Xiaolu said with a smile.

Greenleaf's face turned red in an instant.

Really, what reader wouldn't love Lavender?

A forever bright and cheerful girl, she moved Kousei with her passion for music and her beautiful heart, and saved his dream.

A forever beautiful girl. Even after falling ill, she kept bringing sunlight into Kousei's life. Sometimes she was a little petty, often full of lies, and now and then her temper would suddenly flare up... a girl so real and so heartbreaking that anyone would fall for her.

"Teacher Greenleaf, please let me finish first."

"Okay. I'll listen quietly."

Greenleaf drained her teacup in one gulp and straightened her posture, looking like she was all ears.

Who exactly was the senior here?!

Luo Xiaolu continued telling the story.

After the piano competition ended, Kousei received a letter from Lavender.

It was the last thing Lavender left for him. By then, she had already vanished from this world.

Kousei opened the letter, and all the lies were finally revealed.

Ever since childhood, Lavender had already been a fan of the pianist Kousei. Because of him, she resolved to become a violinist. Her dream was to perform with him.

When she learned she was sick and wouldn't remain in this world for long, she chose to run forward.

To get close to Kousei, she pretended to like his best friend, Xiao Du. She called Kousei "Friend A," and used that as a way to become his friend.

Lavender had always, always liked Kousei.

In the last autumn of her life, she finally fulfilled her dream. At the same time, she kept those feelings hidden, leaving behind no strange emotional burden.

On the surface, she saved Kousei's dream. In truth, Kousei saved her life.

"..."

After reading out the outline, Luo Xiaolu looked up again and found Greenleaf already crying her eyes out. Used tissues had piled into a small mountain on the table.

"Uh..."

Luo Xiaolu panicked. He had no idea what to do.

In truth, Editor Greenleaf wasn't even that much older than him. At most, she was just a young woman.

And besides, in his previous life, Luo Xiaolu had been older than Greenleaf. Add both lifetimes together, and he was old enough to be her dad.

What Luo Xiaolu feared most was girls crying!!

"Teacher Greenleaf, a-are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine... I just need a moment."

Greenleaf wiped hard at her tears, but they kept pouring down nonstop.

"Lavender is too pitiful!"

"Teacher Zhoushuren, you're a devil..."

Greenleaf delivered her accusation.

Can I understand that as a devil who writes the most beautiful love stories just to harvest girls' tears? Because if so, that's fair, right?!

Luo Xiaolu felt a little embarrassed by the title.

"Does it really have to end like this?"

Greenleaf looked at Luo Xiaolu with pleading eyes.

"Yes."

"Can't you change it a little?"

"No."

Luo Xiaolu answered without hesitation.

"Alright."

Greenleaf felt she'd already said too much, so she could only let out a soft sigh.

This ending was unbearably sad, but there was no denying it.

It was an ending beautiful to the extreme!

An incredibly, incredibly outstanding work!!

Being able to see Your Lie in July ahead of time had already left Greenleaf more than satisfied.

If a few words from her made Zhoushuren change the ending, then it wouldn't be the novel she loved most anymore.

"From what I've heard so far, there's no problem at all with the final volume," Greenleaf said. "Then next, let's have a preliminary discussion about the buyout fee for the rights."

"Okay!"

Luo Xiaolu's eyes lit up instantly. He looked even more energized than before.

Just then, the doorknob of the room across from them suddenly moved.

The door slowly opened a crack.

A little girl in an oversized T-shirt that hung all the way to her thighs slowly poked her head out. There was still a tiny piece of potato chip by the corner of her mouth.

Luo Xiaotang looked at Luo Xiaolu with pitiful, watery eyes.

Luo Xiaolu's expression instantly froze in embarrassment.

"Xiaotang... Xiaotang needs to use the bathroom," Luo Xiaotang said softly.