Chapter 82: Isn't This a Bit Too Harsh on a Comic Character?

Not having to spend a lot of energy on practice was, of course, a good thing for Luo Chen—it would save him a great deal of time. Perhaps, he thought, he might even start his livestreams earlier than planned.

“Luo Chen, time to eat!” Yanhe’s voice floated in from the living room. After glancing at the clock and seeing it was almost mealtime, Luo Chen rose and shut down his computer. Although he hadn’t finished the game yet, he’d already spent the entire morning on it.

Since there was nothing more to prepare, Luo Chen felt at ease as he turned away and headed for the living room.

On the dining table, a variety of delicious dishes had already been set out. To be honest, it was all thanks to having Yanhe at home; otherwise, if it were left to Luo Chen and his sister, even having a proper meal would be a challenge.

“Yanhe, did Dai Xinhua come by this morning?” Luo Chen glanced around the living room. Though he’d half expected it, he couldn’t help feeling a bit disappointed. It was no easy feat to find a skilled artist willing to work for free, and replacing her would not be simple.

It seemed the manga project would be postponed indefinitely once again.

“No, I haven’t seen Xinhua at all today,” Yanhe replied coolly, her tone carrying a hint of discontent that Luo Chen couldn’t quite place. Was he imagining it? Surely it was just his imagination—Yanhe, the little angel, couldn’t possibly be upset over something like this.

With a light cough, Luo Chen shifted the subject. “How’s Bilibili doing lately? I’ve been promoting it on my homepage and at the end of my videos these past few days. Have there been any new registrations?”

Though Luo Chen hadn’t checked the site himself for a while, he hadn’t neglected the promotion. By now, most of his fans should be aware of it. Since he didn’t have a Weibo account, Bilibili, which functioned as his personal site, was practically the only way for his fans to reach him.

“The number of registered users has already surpassed a million these past few days, and the traffic keeps increasing. But for now, the fans are mostly using it as a place to chat—after all, aside from your videos and Tianyi’s, there’s not much content yet,” Yanhe said, her mood visibly brightening as she spoke of Bilibili. Watching the website she had built herself grow more lively and well-known brought her a great sense of accomplishment.

“That’s true. I’ll make a few short videos to upload when I get a chance.” For now, Luo Chen had to keep the site afloat single-handedly, but once traffic increased and people started submitting content, things would be much easier.

“When are we going to eat?” At the table, Luo Tianyi rested her chin in her hands, gazing at the delectable spread that was surely getting cold. Ever since her stash of pocket money had been confiscated, she’d had to rely on three meals a day to get by.

Maybe she should compose a new song and save up for some snacks? But writing lyrics always took so much time and effort…

…

After lunch, Luo Chen was about to head back to his room to check Bilibili’s status. Though Yanhe had already filled him in, as the site’s creator, he felt it was his duty to keep informed.

Ding-dong, ding-dong…

The doorbell rang again. Luo Chen, still in the living room, walked over curiously to open the door. Usually, their home went weeks without visitors, but lately it seemed there were guests every day.

“Xinhua? What are you doing here? No, wait—did your mother really let you come?” Seeing the two girls standing outside, Luo Chen paused, surprised. Judging by Han Yinglan’s stern expression the day before, he’d assumed Dai Xinhua would be confined at home under strict supervision—his unpaid labor lost just like that.

“What, aren’t you happy to see us? Maybe we should just leave, then.” Before Dai Xinhua could answer, Le Zhengling fixed Luo Chen with a sly, half-smiling gaze. Her vibrant red outfit perfectly suited her lively, mischievous air. The sight reminded Luo Chen of her adorable flustered expression when she’d scrambled off his lap not long ago.

“Hmph…” Le Zhengling noticed the change in Luo Chen’s gaze and, blushing faintly, shot him a fierce glare.

“Ling…” Dai Xinhua glanced at Luo Chen apologetically and tugged at Le Zhengling’s sleeve. With a gentle sigh, she said, “Sorry, Luo Chen, there were a lot of things to take care of this morning, so we’re a bit late.”

Le Zhengling pressed a hand to her forehead at her friend’s apologetic tone. Was this really necessary? If anyone should be apologizing, it was Luo Chen for exploiting free labor.

“It’s fine. I’m just glad you could come.” Luo Chen breathed a sigh of relief, ignoring the red-clad girl’s glare. If Dai Xinhua had really cut ties with him under Han Yinglan’s pressure, it would have been a real problem—finding a reliable artist was no easy task, especially one whose character he could trust.

Once the three of them were seated in the living room, Dai Xinhua eagerly took out her drawing supplies, ready to start sketching the storyboards—only for Luo Chen to gently stop her.

“What’s wrong?” Dai Xinhua tilted her head in confusion. Wasn’t she supposed to start now?

“Before you begin, let me tell you the overall plot so you have an idea of what’s coming.” Luo Chen thought it would be better to give her a broad outline instead of dictating every detail for each chapter. That way, she could fill in the specifics herself.

Usually, manga artists have a clear vision of the story before they start drawing—after all, it’s their own creation. Expressions, gestures, and details are all adapted to the characters’ personalities and needs. But Dai Xinhua was different; with Luo Chen by her side, she might feel constrained, and making constant tweaks to the details would only waste time.

It would be better to explain the plot, setting, and characters, letting her handle the rest while he simply guided the overall direction and reviewed the final work.

Could she reach the level of those great artists from his previous life? Luo Chen believed that with Dai Xinhua’s skill and his guidance, there would be no problem.

After Luo Chen finished outlining the Matou family’s story in the early chapters of Fate/Zero, Dai Xinhua hesitated, biting her lip before asking, “If I draw it like this, isn’t it… a bit too cruel? With all those bugs and the branding…”

The image of Sakura Tohsaka covered in wriggling insects made her shudder. Wouldn’t the audience be upset by such scenes? Was it necessary to be so harsh to these characters?

(P.S. Thanks to reader Xiao Ge for the reward of 2,000 Qidian coins, and to Si Si Nai Hao Meng Hao Ke Ai and Mei Ying Zixue for 1,000 coins each. Thanks as well to Shi Yi Ben Shu, Wu Yan 10086, The Stone Bridge Waiting a Thousand Years, Song of the Blue Moon, and Strongest ⑨ of Misty Lake for rewards of 500 coins, and to Reader Passerby for 200 coins. Heartfelt thanks to everyone supporting this book. The author has had a tough day and is feeling quite low, so if the next chapter isn’t finished by midnight, there will only be one update today. Sorry about that—there will still be two updates tomorrow.)