"Hahahaha!"
The group of wealthy women were initially stunned, then burst into uncontrollable laughter.
Their relationship was very good, and there was no intention of ridicule.
They were laughing at the fact that Xia Shuyi, with all her wealth and status, still resorted to such childish things.
"You really don't know how to spend your money!"
"Ah! Mengmeng, you!"
Xia Shuyi was flustered, her face reddening as she rushed over to snatch the toy from her daughter, then hurried back to the bedroom to hide it, shooing all the children out.
Returning to the mahjong table, Xia Shuyi, still blushing, looked at her friends and said, "What's so funny? Are we playing or not?"
"Shuyi, I know you don't want other men to interfere with your and Mengmeng's lives."
Hongjie laughed, "But life is life. You can't rely on those things forever. You're only in your thirties!"
"That's right, Shuyi. With your conditions, you can get any man you want. Why bother with such toys?"
One of the sisters advised, "Look at me. My husband is always out partying. I can't just stay home alone, can I? Shuyi, you should live in the moment."
"Yes, Shuyi. We women need to learn to treat ourselves well."
Another wealthy woman chimed in, "We've made so much money in this life. You can't take it with you when you die, so why not spend it? Finding a man to have fun with isn't shameful."
"Hey, don't talk about this in front of the kids."
Xia Shuyi glanced at Mengmeng, who was playing on the sofa with the other kids, feeling even more melancholic after her friends' advice. "Alright, that's enough for today. I have to take Mengmeng to her tutoring class."
The elegant ladies, seeing that Xia Shuyi didn't want to discuss this any further, exchanged glances, sighed silently, and packed up their things, taking their children with them as they left.
After her friends left, Xia Shuyi looked at the messy mahjong table and the now-empty room, feeling a wave of loneliness.
Mengmeng, sitting on the sofa, looked curiously at her daydreaming mother. "Mom, I don't have tutoring this afternoon, do I?"
Xia Shuyi sat beside her daughter, pinching her cheek with a mix of affection and helplessness. "You little rascal, always embarrassing me!"
"Mom isn't embarrassing!"
Mengmeng, not understanding what 'embarrassing' meant, proudly hugged her mother's arm. "The teacher says you're much prettier than other moms!"
"Sweet talker!"
Her daughter's compliment lifted Xia Shuyi's spirits considerably. She was grateful to have such a sensible and adorable daughter.
"Mom, why hasn't Brother Shen been coming over to play lately?"
Mengmeng, holding the rubber duck Shen Lang had given her, asked curiously, "I miss Brother Shen. What's he been doing? Is he also in school?"
"Mom doesn't know either."
Xia Shuyi sighed, recalling the events of that day. Their interaction had been abruptly cut off since then.
Whenever she thought about what nearly happened in the bedroom, her heart would race, and an indescribable sense of shame would spread within her.
She pulled out her phone and opened her chat history with Shen Lang, savoring their past conversations with a smile.
...
The next noon, Shen Lang was at home, typing furiously on his computer, intending to finish his serialized novel.
His million-word martial arts novel had been in the works for nearly a year.
Despite its lack of success, its substantial word count earned him a steady income, bringing in five to six thousand yuan a month.
With a system backing him and nearly a million in savings, Shen Lang felt he wouldn't need to rely on writing novels for a living anymore.
However, he felt reluctant to abandon the story he had spent so much time on, especially when it had garnered a few hundred loyal fans.
Determined to give the protagonist a perfect ending, albeit risking a rushed conclusion, Shen Lang wrote from morning until late afternoon, finally wrapping up the novel and posting a special thank-you chapter.
The feedback in the comments section wasn't great.
"Is this it? You're heartless!"
"Well, at least there's an ending. Flowers for the conclusion!"
"Please, don't write romance in your next book. It's so awkward. Just let the protagonist focus on leveling up and fighting."
While reviewing these comments, Shen Lang received a new message on WeChat.
[Who told you not to coax me]: "Flowers for the ending. Good luck with your next book. I believe in you!"
This was one of Shen Lang's loyal readers.
He had managed to write a million words largely thanks to this reader's encouragement.
Back when he started the book, his poor writing and mundane plot had attracted a lot of criticism.
But this reader not only cheered him on in the comments but also used witty and cultured language to defend him against the haters.
They urged Shen Lang to ignore the negativity and keep writing, promising that success would come.
Although the book never became a hit, Shen Lang was deeply grateful to this reader.
They had exchanged WeChat contacts and occasionally played games together.
However, this reader never used voice chat, only text, leaving Shen Lang unsure of their gender.
Shen Lang suspected they were male, considering their deep grasp of internet slang and insults.
"I might stop writing books."
Shen Lang replied, "I'm thinking of finding another job to make a living."
[Who told you not to coax me]: "Really? What do you plan to do?"
[Sleep until dawn]: "I don't know, just taking it one step at a time."
After a brief chat, the reader said they were going to eat.
As Shen Lang was about to head out for food himself, his WeChat notification pinged again.
Expecting it to be Su Lexuan looking to hang out, he was surprised to see it was his sister, Linlin.
[Vampire No. 1]: "Old Bi, I saw your crappy book. Heard you finished it?"
[Sleep until dawn]: "Yep, and I'm not planning to write anymore. I might need to rely on you and our sister for support soon."
After a long pause, Linlin replied with a transfer of 2,000 yuan: "I don't need much money lately. Take this to tide you over. Ask for more if you need it."
Staring at the transfer, Shen Lang couldn't believe it. He typed back: "Who the hell are you? Give her phone back!"
[Vampire No. 1]: "Who else? I'm your sister!"