I Will Never Submit to Miss Grim Reaper - Chapter 49
Ai Luodi, the venomous editor of Yae-Do.
It is said that before I joined Yae-Do, Ai Luodi was already a legend on the website. She was one of the earliest editors at Yae-Do, and her profile picture on the corporate QQ showed a smug-looking mature lady, similar to Kurumi Tokisaki‘s yandere smile. In the eyes of the authors, she was always the strict and unwavering image of the editorial department’s boss.
Ai Luodi never admitted her gender, and no author dared to ask. Besides, the gender of an editor wasn’t something most authors cared about. Ai Luodi’s image was that of a formidable boss, and authors were always careful when dealing with her.
“Editor, could you please check my new book and let me know if there are any changes needed?”
“Editor, can I humbly ask if my book will be recommended this month?”
“Sister Ai Luodi, I’m relying on you for the bookshelf this month…”
Even during the years I wrote under Ai Luodi’s guidance, her remarks in the group were legendary:
?Stop writing erotic content and focus on the plot. If you write a pile of trash, especially adult content, it will get banned later, and you will be finished.?
?There’s no market for tragedy these days. Those of you who are ruthlessly tormenting the main character, especially involving Minotaurs, one is enough, but I’m canceling the recommendations for the next six months.?
?Some of you have no creativity, fragmented storytelling, pacing issues, almost no writing skills, and yet you have the audacity to approach me for a contract??
?Those of you writing transformation novels, it’s all about getting the protagonist laid from the beginning. Do you think that kind of pornographic content will pass??
After three years of interacting with Ai Luodi, I always thought of her as a mature big sister who was at least in her thirties. But now, you’re telling me she’s like this…
As I stood in front of the booth, I carefully sized up the young girl before me. She looked about 17 years old, although I knew that she must be at least more than 20 given her years of experience as an editor. In appearance, she seemed very youthful, almost childlike.
The girl was about 1.6 meters tall with a round face and clear skin, complete with dimples. She wore glasses and was dressed in loose casual clothing while cradling a succubus body pillow. I would describe her as resembling the grown-up version of Laffey, the famous ‘destroyer’ character from the mobile game “Azur Lane.”
Most importantly, her voice was soft and cute, devoid of any “mature woman” qualities.
“Ahh…”
Staring at the booth for several seconds, I finally snapped back to reality. I took a chair from the side and jumped up, my hands resting on the back as I gingerly spoke, “You’re… Editor Ai Luodi?”
“Yes,” the girl replied, looking somewhat bashful and avoiding eye contact. “Are you the older brother, or maybe his daughter?”
She’s actually feeling shy! The expression on the young girl’s face truly surprised me. Is this the same Ai Luodi, the legendary venomous editor at Yae-Do, who’s fearless, straight-talking, and known to be a terror among authors?
“I am ‘Uncle Loves Loli’,” I said, clearing my throat. “I’m here because the editor for Honeydew asked me to come and sign the contract for a new book. She mentioned the contract is at the booth for this convention.”
“Are you really Uncle Loves Loli?” Ai Luodi had a puzzled expression. “But I remember when you signed the contract before, the name on the ID was a man’s.”
“That was my… my brother’s ID,” I had to continue weaving my story. “I was young back then.”
“So you lied to us at the time, and you didn’t have your brother sign the guardian consent form?” Ai Luodi lowered her head, rummaged through a drawer in front of her, and retrieved a bag of documents. “Well, the website has been acquired, so I’ll pretend I didn’t see it.”
Great! I took the documents. “Is there only one editor here today?”
“No, today it’s just me, the head editor for Honeydew, and Editor Tuzi on duty. The head editor and Tuzi, along with the boss from Yae-Do, went out for breakfast earlier. They said they would discuss the distribution of editors.”
Speaking, Ai Luodi looked at me. “What are your plans for the future? Will you continue writing?”
“Yes, I plan to keep writing. I haven’t found a suitable job yet.”
“You’re still so young, why do you need a job already?”
“I…”
I hesitated for a while before saying, “I turned 18 this year.”
“Really? I couldn’t tell at all. How tall are you?”
Ai Luodi peeked out from the shop and assessed me, “Are you 1.4 meters tall?”
Oh, my dear editor, if you discuss my damn height again, I swear, I will use Uncle Pillow from the next door’s boots to kick your butt hard. I mean it…
“I am! I am!”
Although I felt very frustrated, facing the editor, even if it was the beautiful young editor, I ultimately suppressed my inner discontent and said, “Editor, I really am of legal age!”
“Then, were you the type of child who often kicked blankets while sleeping or picked up things from the ground to eat…”
Huh!? What’s wrong with these people? Is the first thing people think after seeing me is that I’m someone who picks up things from the ground to eat.
Ai Luodi still found it hard to believe, “If you’re 18, you should be from the 2000s generation, right? Though it might be a bit impolite to say, I’ve never seen… seen an adult girl this young before.”
Indeed.
Not to mention you, these past few days at home, every time I passed by the floor mirror in the living room and saw the little girl in it, I couldn’t believe it was me.
I’ve been to the convention center a few times during my college years, but when I arrived here again just now with this young girl’s body, I actually felt that the surroundings were much larger than I remembered.
I’ve shrunk in height, my body has become smaller, and everything looks bigger.
Including the editor Ai Luodi in front of me. If it were the old me coming over, with the height difference, I would have definitely seen her as a petite young girl. But now… facing the standing editor, I subconsciously felt she was an older sister.
“But I really am of legal age.”
Thinking about the editor’s job that includes verifying author information, it’s normal for her to have concerns now that I don’t look like an “adult.” So, I took out the ID card that the Miss Grim Reaper handed me in the apartment and presented it: “Here.”
“Yin Nuo’er…”
She read my name on the ID, then compared it with the birthdate on the left side of my photo. Ai Luodi showed a hint of apology, “I’m sorry for doubting you earlier.”
“It’s okay.”
I shook my head, “Can we sign the contract now?”
“Yes, we can.”
Ai Luodi took my ID and walked over to a printer behind her, saying, “Yin Nuo’er… a very cute name. I’m Ai Luodi, you should already know me.”
Huh? Ai Luodi… Isn’t that the editor’s name?
I didn’t catch on immediately, “Editor, is your last name Ai?”
The young editor who was printing the ID card didn’t turn back and said, “Yes, that’s my real name, Ai Luodi.”
Well, I always thought it was a hairstyle name.
I can’t remember if it was last year or the year before, but at that time, in the author’s group, there was a discussion about what Ai Luodi meant. Then, a well-known author said the following:
“Ai Luodi is a hairstyle in the game ‘MapleStory.’ It’s a Royal Hair, and it costs ten dollars per random draw. It’s really a rip-off. Some people spend thousands and still can’t get this hairstyle. I remember the editor also played this game, so it’s probably what it means.”
Since then, readers have accepted “Ai Luodi” as the name of a hairstyle, and the editor herself hasn’t come out to explain anything.
But it turns out it’s not a hairstyle at all, it’s Ai Luodi’s actual name?
“Buzz buzz buzz…”
“Hey, Little Ai, you’ve got a visitor?”
I picked up the pen, ready to sign the contract. During the time Ai Luodi, the editor, was printing my ID, three people approached us, two men and one woman, all looking like they were associated with Honeydew.
But it was these three individuals that made me pause while signing the contract.
Because I realized that among them, there was someone I knew…
The man in the middle and the lady on the right, who was wearing a work badge, were unfamiliar to me. However, the man on the far left, dressed in a suit and leather shoes, wearing a tie… was the same person I had encountered at the nearby market a few days ago.
At the time, he was sitting in a corner of the market, suddenly crying loudly for some reason. I foolishly spent money to buy cotton candy to console this man.
So this man’s work is also related to the novel? The Yae-Do owner?
What kind of twisted fate is this!
“……”
……