The first rays of dawn crept through the gap in the curtains and fell upon the wooden floor. Jian Yan finally put the last brushstroke on her manuscript.

"Done—" She leaned back in her chair, stretching luxuriously. The loosely worn eye mask on her head fell to the ground with her movement, but she didn't care at all.

Hearing her words, the two assistants looked as if they had been pulled back from the brink of death, a glimmer of vitality returning to their eyes. "Finally done…"

Heaven knows, they had been working overtime for half a month straight. If it had gone on for just one more day, they would have collapsed.

"I'm going to wash my face. You two check everything again. Lin Zhen will bring breakfast over later."

"Yes, Teacher."

After she left the room, the two assistants slumped onto the table, neither wanting to look at the manuscript any longer.

"My goodness, Teacher Tangzhi is practically a workaholic. Why did I follow her?" Assistant A complained softly.

"Me too…" Assistant B replied weakly. "The drafts for two issues of the magazine, all due at once. Did she really need to finish it by this issue?"

"I heard from Chief Lin that she's preparing for a new work."

"Huh??" Assistant B couldn't believe her ears. "Is she a robot? Doesn't she need rest? Why is she working so hard?!"

"For money, what else?"

"Does she not have enough already? She sold the movie, TV, and animation rights for 'Sang Ke' and added to that the royalties and fees she's earned over the years. She must have made tens of millions just from this one work. Isn't that enough?"

"Who would ever think they have too much money..."

When Jian Yan returned, she overheard the assistants complaining about her.

"Teacher doesn't mind not having a boyfriend, but I do have one! I've been living here for half a month, and my boyfriend is threatening to break up with me!"

"Same here, I got into an argument with him yesterday. I'm exhausted from working overtime, and he still finds fault with me."

"Why doesn't Teacher, who's so pretty, get a boyfriend? Maybe she wouldn't work so hard if she had one."

"Who knows, she locks herself away at home every day to paint, but she dresses up so nicely every day. Is it for our benefit??"

"Haha, yes, and those clothes of hers are all super expensive..."

Jian Yan knocked on the door and walked in as she heard this. "What are you chatting about so animatedly?"

The two assistants froze momentarily. Assistant B quickly recovered and laughed nervously. "We were talking about today's headline news—some paparazzi leaked that He Dage, the heir of Starlight Department Store, is Wang Xin Yuan's boyfriend!"

"Wang Xin Yuan? That actress?"

"Yes, her!"

Jian Yan raised her eyebrows slightly. "Last time, I heard that Dai Xiao was also his girlfriend."

As a fan of He Dage, Assistant A had to defend him. "He Dage gets a new boyfriend every other day—it's his ninth now... Paparazzi only target him because he has a good temper. If it were Chief Song Nan Chuan, they'd be bankrupted in seconds."

Jian Yan nodded indifferently, seemingly uninterested in gossip. "You two should go wash your faces too."

The two assistants agreed and quickly left the room. Jian Yan sat back down at her computer and began organizing the comic pages. Ten minutes later, Lin Zhen arrived with steaming hot breakfast. The two assistants pounced on the food like famished wolves. "Chief Lin, you're finally here!"

"Slow down, it's hot." Lin Zhen placed the food on the table and took a box of warm milk and a bowl of lean meat and century egg congee to Jian Yan. "Eat something."

"Mm-hmm." Jian Yan held the congee bowl in one hand and handed the tablet to Lin Zhen. "The drafts are all saved here. Take a look. If there's no problem, send them to the editor. They need it for the next issue."

Lin Zhen sat on the sofa with the tablet, flipping through the pages. A total of fifty-six pages marked the grand finale of the work that had run for three and a half years. "Ah, I don't know what to say first…" Lin Zhen paused and then blurted out, "Every piece of clothing in this issue is freaking gorgeous!"

Jian Yan's works were known for their beautiful characters and fashionable attire, attracting a large female readership. The heartwarming stories and charming male leads kept readers hooked.

After hearing Lin Zhen's comment, Assistant B swallowed the congee in her mouth and exclaimed, ignoring the heat. "Yes! We were stunned when we saw it. Teacher Tangzhi truly lives up to her fashion design degree!"

Although they inevitably grumbled about the intense workload, they admired and respected Jian Yan's work.

Jian Yan calmly said, "Alright, stop flattering me. Finish eating and go home to sleep."

Lin Zhen nodded repeatedly. "Everyone has worked hard during this period. Go home and rest."

The two assistants finished eating and packed up to leave. Lin Zhen remained on the sofa, looking through the drafts Jian Yan had given her. "This color illustration would make a perfect cover for this issue."

Jian Yan yawned. "If you have nothing urgent, you should leave too. I plan to get some sleep."

Lin Zhen said, "For some reason, I'm actually moved to hear you say you're going to sleep."

Jian Yan was silent.

Lin Zhen put down the tablet and walked to Jian Yan's desk. "I read a news report today..."

"He Dage has a new girlfriend?"

"..." Lin Zhen paused and asked, "Where did you hear that?"

Jian Yan blinked and gestured for her to continue. "Go ahead."

Lin Zhen recalled what she wanted to say. "I read a news report today about someone dying from overwork. It's tragic."

"So what?"

"Therefore, you need a break. Now that 'Sang Ke' is finished, you should go on vacation. I'll give you a holiday."

Jian Yan smiled. "How could I find time to travel? I need to prepare for a new work."

Lin Zhen lectured her sternly. "There's no rush for the new work. Readers won't forget you so quickly."

Jian Yan remained silent. Lin Zhen continued. "Since you started working with me five years ago, have you taken a break? You've been like a spinning top, never stopping. Even when you went abroad for Fashion Week, you rushed back to keep painting. Can't you take a moment to enjoy yourself while you're there?"

"I could draw many more pages in the time it takes to play around."

Though Lin Zhen was the boss, she felt exhausted dealing with Jian Yan, the workaholic. "Even if you don't take a break, your assistants need one. Look at how vibrant they were when they started, and see what they've become under your influence."

Jian Yan remembered the assistants' complaints earlier and frowned slightly. "Find me another assistant. They can take turns resting during busy periods."

Lin Zhen was speechless.

Before she could say anything, Jian Yan interrupted her. "You know my situation. I'm going to take a shower."

She stood up and headed to the bathroom. The warm water washed over her body, slightly relieving the accumulated fatigue.

Jian Yan sighed softly, recalling the first time she met Lin Zhen.

It was the year she graduated from university. She posted a short comic on Weibo and gave it a particularly cheesy title, "Magic Eden."

This comic was just a casual doodle, drawing inspiration from her school experiences. Unexpectedly, Lin Zhen noticed it. Back then, Weibo wasn't as popular as it is now, and Jian Yan thought it must have been destiny.

At the time, Lin Zhen was an editor at a comics magazine. She asked Jian Yan to expand the story into a mid-length work and submit it to their magazine. Jian Yan submitted the work with the intention of simply trying her luck, but after its publication, the young girl aiming to become a well-known designer unexpectedly became very popular.

Thus, Jian Yan rose to fame overnight, and the "young girl" didn't become a designer but a manga artist instead.

"Magic Eden" ran in the magazine for over a year. During this period, Lin Zhen left the magazine for various reasons. She opened her own studio and hired a few employees, including Jian Yan.

The studio struggled initially. It was during this time that Jian Yan began drawing "Sang Ke," a work that opened up the market for the studio.

In a blink of an eye, five years had passed. Reflecting on her life over these past five years, Jian Yan realized she had only done one thing.

Make money.

Work tirelessly to make money.

Sometimes she felt tired, but she couldn't stop, nor did she dare to.

After coming out of the bathroom, Jian Yan walked to her large wardrobe. She had a spacious dressing room, and choosing clothes here was always her happiest moment.

...Her gaze swept over the expensive brands, and Jian Yan felt her soul elevated.

Indeed, the only cure for sorrow is great wealth.

Wearing the season's hottest velvet hoodie and wide-leg pants, Jian Yan came downstairs, and Lin Zhen was still there.

Seeing her outfit, Lin Zhen couldn't help but tut. "You don't even go out every day, why dress so nicely? Who are you dressing up for?"

Jian Yan replied, "Can't I dress up for myself? No matter how tough life gets, I want to be the most beautiful."

Lin Zhen was speechless.

"And this is my pajamas. I'm going to bed. Why haven't you left yet?"

Lin Zhen said, "Oh, I was about to leave when I saw the news about He Dage's girlfriend. It's the top entertainment headline today."

Jian Yan shrugged and picked up the now cooling milk to take a sip.

Lin Zhen continued reading the report. "How come every time the paparazzi leak something, it's about He Dage? Don't they get bored? But He Dage is handsome. Want to take a look?"

"No thanks, I'm allergic to men."

Lin Zhen muttered something and brought up the topic again. "By the way, I'm giving you a month off. Please, take a break."

"My two assistants can rest, but I have other things to do."

"What do you have to do?" Lin Zhen furrowed her brows. Was she planning to work alone without assistants?

Jian Yan looked at her and winked mischievously. "I'm going to Starlight Department Store to sell clothes."