Ken made a high-profile announcement about breaking up with Bella. Finally, Bella publicly apologized and received a major demerit, claiming he had been deceived by her all along. Some applauded this, some called him a scumbag, while others lamented that Ken and Stella, once considered a perfect couple, had missed their chance due to unfortunate circumstances.
Stella paid little attention to these minor episodes, focusing more on the widespread attention the incident had garnered.
In the days following the event, she received nearly a hundred messages of concern, not just from her university peers but also from high school and even elementary school classmates from other cities. Staring at the double-digit notifications on her app, she was bewildered. A closer inquiry with a high school friend revealed that the scandal had even trended among popular topics related to higher education.
She was taken aback and went online to check, only to find that the topic had been thoroughly scrubbed clean with no trace of her personal information. Old classmates learned about her involvement through class or alumni groups. The swift and strong action to remove the topic and clean the forum was clearly Leo's doing. When she went to thank him with a jar of yam and pork rib soup, he simply pulled her into a deep kiss.
Everything had been resolved, but the daily barrage of dozens of messages asking after her wellbeing was a bit overwhelming. The inquiries about her husband, in-laws, and his business were particularly awkward. Tired of the small talk, she set her social apps to Do Not Disturb. As a result, she missed the good news from her publisher for a whole day.
It was an ordinary weekday morning. She woke up as usual on Leo's pillow, checked the time on her phone, and instinctively opened the app she had muted. At the top of her inbox was a message from her editor.
Best Editor in the World: Ruan Tang, someone is interested in the film rights to your book Imperial Guide to Winning a Husband!
Wait, what?
Her book?
Selling film rights?!
Stella stared at the message, rereading it multiple times, and even mouthing the words to herself thrice. Finally, she was convinced a windfall had come her way.
After a virtual groundhog celebration with her editor, she tumbled around in bed, brimming with an overwhelming joy that refused to settle. Eventually, she pulled the quilt over her head and screamed at the top of her lungs.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhh…"
In the bathroom, Leo was startled, dropping his razor and rushing out.
The bed was a mess, with Stella's legs kicking in the air, her upper body wrapped in the quilt, screaming loudly. Leo, worried she was struggling to breathe, sprinted over in one leap.
When Stella was pulled out of the quilt and saw Leo's face covered in shaving foam, her screams turned into uncontrollable laughter.
"Leo, you look like a grandpa, haha…"
Leo realized his mistake, closed his eyes to calm his rapid breathing, then gave her a light smack on the bottom, "Scaring me like that so early in the morning, and calling me old?"
Leo's smack wasn't painful, nor was his tone harsh, so Stella wasn't scared.
"I wasn't trying to scare you," she rubbed her chin against his face, smearing foam on herself, "See, I'll be an old lady with you."
Leo, soothed by her casual promise, gently placed her back on the bed, "So, what were you shouting about earlier?"
Stella, brimming with excitement, playfully raised her eyebrows and whispered, "Leo, I might be getting rich."
Leo raised an eyebrow, "Am I not rich enough? What kind of wealth are you after?"
"Well, that's true," Stella mused, then shook her head, "No, I mean, I might be making a big sum of money myself!" She showed him the chat record, "Look, my novel is being eyed for film adaptation! It might sell for tens of thousands!"
Leo skipped over the "tens of thousands," and asked, "You write novels?"
Stella nodded, "Yes."
Leo asked, "Is it a hobby?"
"It's a hobby, but mainly it was to earn some living expenses," Stella's excitement was palpable, "But I never dreamed of selling film rights. Wait, actually, I did dream of it, haha… If you have a dream, you're remarkable."
Leo's eyes darkened, "You didn't have enough living expenses?"
Stella was momentarily stunned and quickly explained, "No, it was enough. Just when I first entered university, I thought being an adult meant being self-reliant, so I wanted a part-time job. But with so many classes, an off-campus job wasn't realistic, and writing novels offered flexible hours."
Leo's expression turned grim, not responding immediately.
What's wrong? Stella wondered if he was… feeling sorry for her?
"Actually, my grandfather left me a house and some savings," she quickly added. "My uncle and aunt were also willing to cover my tuition and living expenses, but isn't it better to become independent earlier? I now make more than most average salaried workers. Isn't that great, Leo?"
"Yes, you're very impressive," Leo's expression softened as he stroked her head. After a moment's thought, he asked, "What about your father? Doesn't he support your education?"
He recalled Stella's father, Frank, who owned a real estate company. It wasn't a large company, but it had been doing well in recent years. Leo knew a bit about the Foster family dynamics and that Stella wasn't close to her biological father. But still, she was his daughter. Surely, he wouldn't abandon her completely.
"Oh, he doesn't care about me," Stella's tone was indifferent. "He thinks my major in English Literature is useless, calls me a waste who can't earn big money. Every time we meet, he has to lecture me about it."
She got out of bed, rummaged through a drawer, and handed Leo an A4 paper. "And legally speaking, I have nothing to do with them now."
Leo's frown deepened as he read the notarized document, his disdain evident.
Stella said nonchalantly, "I picked this up the day we got married. That day was like my new birthday, free from the Fosters and gaining you, hehe~"
Remembering the furious phone call he overheard at Nine Creeks, Leo's face darkened further, "Did he force you?"
"No, I volunteered. I couldn't wait to sever ties with them," Stella waved her hand lightly, then warned Leo, "If you ever meet Frank or Lily, stay far away from them. They're like leeches. I know you're not afraid, but they're disgusting enough to look at."
Leo asked, "Do you need me to do anything?"
Stella, laughing, reached to wipe the foam off his face, "No need, Leo. The Fosters are in my past, and Foster Realty is full of holes. You don't need to do anything; they'll run into trouble soon enough. Let's just live our lives well."
"Alright."
Stella jumped back into bed to check her editor's response.
Best Editor in the World: Haha, are you happy?
Mika Sis: Super happy! But who is the buyer?
Best Editor in the World: Leoming Media.
Mika Sis: Oh… are they reliable?
Best Editor in the World: …Honey, don't you know Leoming?
Best Editor in the World: Industry big shot, they have money and power!
Mika Sis: Are they that impressive?
Best Editor in the World: Absolutely, this year's newly crowned Best Actor Quinn Yi and Best Actress Tara Yu both became famous from their movies.
Mika Sis: Editor, if my novel is adapted into a film, I want to be responsible for the script adaptation. Does Leoming agree to this?
Best Editor in the World: They agree, they originally hoped you would be the screenwriter.
That's good, Stella let out a sigh of relief. She couldn't accept her work being completely altered, and having control over the script would give her some assurance. But with such a big company, could a small author and screenwriter like her have a say?
Just then, Leo finished washing up and came out of the bathroom. Stella got up and asked, "Leo, do you know Leoming Media?"
Leo paused his action of drying his face: "Yes, why?"
Stella: "They want to buy the film rights to my novel, and I might be responsible for the script. What do you think of this company? Do you know them well?"
Leo raised an eyebrow: "They're pretty good."
Stella: "Will they engage in shady practices? Like investors forcing actors into roles, actors changing the script at will, or high-level executives engaging in inappropriate behavior?"
Leo's eyes narrowed: "No, Leoming's management is very strict, and… they wouldn't dare mess with you."
"Why…" Stella began to ask but suddenly had a bold guess.
Leoming… Leoming… Leo.
She swallowed: "Leo, Leoming, is it your company?"
Leo: "Yes."
Wow, what are the odds?
Among the countless online authors and the myriad of film companies, the one buying my rights happens to belong to my husband.
What a… coincidence.
Leo bent down, placing his hands on either side of her body, his tone slightly helpless: "Stella, it might be a good idea to get to know our family's business. Your husband is quite capable."