Hu Lei woke up to the insistent ringing of her phone. She was completely tired after a long night with Zhong Feng, who had already left the bed. After leaving the Apothecary, Zhong Feng had taken her to a theme park. It had been perfect. She had eaten too much candy, taken cheesy photos and screamed on the rollercoaster, even though she was not afraid.

And then, when they had returned… Her cheeks reddened a little.

The phone stopped ringing before she had time to look for it. Just as she thought about going back to sleep, the annoying person called again. This time, she located the phone on the floor beside her bed.

"What?" She barked impolitely after seeing that Lan Jie was the one calling.

"Ms Hu, I know that you have powerful backing, but it is still not right to get me demoted for doing my job." The woman's voice was angry and shrill.

The still sleepy Hu Lei withdrew it from her ear. Did this damn woman want to burst her eardrum?

"What do you think I did?" Her tone was cold.

"You complained to your cheap gold master to get me off the greatest project of my career."

"And if I did? What can you do?"

"Do you think that you are immune to the public opinion? You might be an author with some backing and success, but I can still destroy you. Do you think I do not have the resources?" The woman got shriller.

"Then, I will be waiting, Miss Lan Jie. But think carefully before you strike because I do not forgive twice." With that, she hung up the phone.

What a terrible way to wake up… She even lost her will to sleep for a little while longer. Instead, she took a shower and had breakfast before going to her little library-office to work for a while. Her mind felt clearer than it had been for a while so she did not struggle with getting into a good rhythm.

Her phone rang once again not long after she started working. It was Bo Qian.

"Good morning, my dear editor. I am working hard to make you proud." Her mood was great because she could feel the words flowing through her fingers.

"Why didn't you tell me what took place with Lan Jie?" he asked sternly.

"I wanted to take advantage of the disagreement to get a short break." She giggled.

"Hu Lei, you are letting down your fans." Bo Qian declared with heroic righteousness. "Anyway, isn't this what you wanted? You never had a chance to interact with them before."

Hu Lei felt like she was a naughty student being scolded by the principal.

"It is not my fault that that woman is unbearable."

"Don't think too much about it. She has already been taken off the tour. The new manager will call you shortly with the details of the rest of the tour. There are no major changes. But I believe there is a TV interview which has been set up with one of the most high profile entertainment talk shows."

"Alright, I will cooperate." She agreed without further explanations. She was not stupid enough to tell him that Lan Jie had called her about her demotion.

The new tour manager called shortly after with an apology about her predecessor and information about the tour, promising to send the full itinerary.

"You cannot miss tonight's event." The lady on the other side of the line pleaded with Hu Lei. "The show agreed to this promotion because of you. If you do not show up, I think they will have no problem cancelling."

Hu Lei frowned a little in confusion. "What show is it?"

"Next Moment. Do you know anyone there?"

She did not even know the show. "No. Maybe I have a loyal fan." She laughed.

"Alright. Then, I will see you at four. I have already spoken to your assistant. The show is live and begins at six. This will give us enough time to discuss the details and get ready."

Hu Lei smiled a little after the call. This new manager seemed straightforward and efficient. There was nothing to dislike about her. However, she would reserve her final judgement.

She spent the rest of the day working on her book, only taking a short break for lunch. She would have ignored the need for food, but Housekeeper Li had delivered the meal personally, making it impossible to refuse.

When Beatrice showed up, she had already exhausted her creative juices for the day and was ready to leave.