Chapter 823

Natsume Chikage, you are not only a chess player... but also a writer?!

Takahashi Jun and Niigaki Shoji arrived at the subway station exit early.

The station was crowded with people, and the sound of footsteps, broadcasts, and conversations mixed into a noisy background.

They wanted to contact Natsume Chikage immediately; after all, in such a dense crowd, it was common to pass by each other and miss each other.

However, just as Takahashi Jun had taken out his phone and his fingertip was about to touch the screen—

Niigaki Shoji suddenly pulled his sleeve and whispered:

"Senpai! Look over there!"

Takahashi Jun subconsciously looked in the direction of his finger.

His gaze passed through the moving heads and crossed the hurried travelers.

Then, as if attracted by an invisible magnet, it instantly locked onto a figure.

Natsume Chikage was walking slowly from the direction of the exit gate along with the crowd.

In the somewhat noisy subway station in the afternoon, the surroundings were filled with gray uniforms, hurried expressions, and tired figures.

Only he seemed to carry his own soft-light filter.

Exquisite features, calm temperament, upright posture...

Even if he was just walking quietly in the crowd, it was like a spotlight suddenly hitting the protagonist in the center of the stage.

He was instantly stripped from the background, attracting the faint gazes of those around him.

Even though it wasn't their first time seeing him, Takahashi Jun and Niigaki Shoji couldn't help but feel a brief moment of amazement and distraction at this overly outstanding appearance and temperament.

Immediately, the two came back to their senses, piled enthusiastic smiles on their faces, raised their hands, and were about to call out loudly—

"Natsume-sen—"

The sound hadn't fully rushed out of their throats.

Another clearer, sweeter, and undisguisedly joyful female voice snatched the lead, piercing through the noisy background like a silver bell, and clearly rang out in front of them:

"Natsume-sensei—finally found you!"

And the subsequent novels are one worse than the other.

Takahashi Jun and Niigaki Shoji were stunned at the same time, the smiles on their faces stiffening.

They saw a slender and beautiful figure, with extremely agile steps, almost "sliding" past them, bringing a faint scent of perfume.

Uda Ayaka.

That beautiful editor from Group A who was famous in the editorial department for her appearance and means, and whose performance was equally excellent.

At this moment, her face was filled with a bright and moving smile, and she ran straight to Natsume Chikage, who had just stopped and looked over with some surprise.

She panted slightly, her cheeks flushed with a healthy glow from the running.

Her movements were smooth and natural, as if it were just a "coincidental" encounter here.

Takahashi Jun and Niigaki Shoji looked at each other, both seeing the look of "not good" and "as expected" in each other's eyes.

The scene from last time in the editorial department where Uda Ayaka tried to "intercept" Natsume-sensei was still fresh in their minds!

The alarm bells in their hearts rang loudly, and they dared not delay any longer, quickly following up.

"Natsume-sensei, good afternoon!"

Takahashi Jun took the lead, squeezed to the side in front of Natsume Chikage, bowed slightly, his tone respectful but urgent.

"Natsume-sensei, you've finally arrived, you've worked hard on the way!"

Niigaki Shoji also followed closely, trying to minimize the "unexpected" influence brought by Uda Ayaka.

Natsume Chikage looked at the three editors who had surrounded him almost at the same time, and a clear surprise and doubt appeared on his face.

His gaze swept over the three faces with different expressions, but all filled with "eagerness."

"You... why are you all here?"

Uda Ayaka put her hands behind her back, her body leaning forward slightly, a movement that made her already proud curves even more prominent.

She looked up, her big eyes with exquisite eye makeup blinking, and when she looked at Natsume Chikage, her smile was as sweet as if it had been dipped in honey.

"We knew you were coming today, Natsume-sensei, so we waited here specially for you~"

Her voice was soft and sticky, carrying a natural sense of intimacy.

Niigaki Shoji heard this and the corner of his mouth twitched, unable to help but complain:

"It was Takahashi-senpai and I who agreed in advance to come pick up Natsume-sensei."

He looked at Uda Ayaka, his tone carrying helplessness.

"Editor Uda, you were clearly following behind secretly, right?"

Uda Ayaka heard this, the smile on her face unchanged, but instead became a little brighter.

She tilted her head slightly, making an innocent and cunning expression.

"Niigaki-kun, words can't be spoken randomly~"

"What do you mean by 'secretly' following?"

"It was clearly you two who walked too fast, I followed behind, but I wanted to say hello to you several times."

She blinked, justified.

"It was you who didn't hear, or didn't notice me~"

"Then I had to assume you agreed to let me join~"

Niigaki Shoji: "..."

He knew deeply that once this woman started arguing, there was no reason to talk at all, so he simply rolled his eyes and stopped answering.

Takahashi Jun's mind had long since flown to the new manuscript Natsume Chikage was about to bring and the sales situation at the bookstore.

He quickly interrupted this meaningless "dispute," piled the most sincere smile on his face, and said to Natsume Chikage:

"Natsume-sensei, the car has already been prepared for you."

He turned to the side, making a guiding gesture.

"Shall we go back to the publishing house first?"

Natsume Chikage nodded; he didn't want to stay at the subway station exit for too long either.

"Hmm, okay, sorry to trouble you."

A group of people walked toward the publishing house's official car parked on the side of the road.

Uda Ayaka naturally followed, without the slightest self-awareness of being an "uninvited guest."

The vehicle started smoothly and drove into the somewhat crowded traffic in Shibuya in the afternoon.

Uda Ayaka seemed full of curiosity about Natsume Chikage.

She turned to the side, looked at Natsume Chikage, and asked in a light tone:

"By the way, Natsume-sensei~"

"Did you... go to the bookstore today to see the sales situation of your novel?"

Natsume Chikage shook his head.

"Not yet."

"I plan to go later."

Niigaki Shoji, who was on the side, immediately turned his head, with excitement on his face, and suggested:

"Then how about... we go to the bookstore on the way now?"

"To be honest, I am super curious about how your 'The Devotion of Suspect X', Natsume-sensei, is selling today!"

Natsume Chikage himself was of course also very curious, and nodded:

"Hmm, let's go now."

Immediately, he thought of a question and looked at Takahashi Jun.

"However... shouldn't you editors be able to know the sales data?"

Takahashi Jun heard this, immediately sat up straight, and a look of serious explanation appeared on his face.

"Natsume-sensei, the situation is like this."

"Our publishing house can get detailed sales data, but it is usually not real-time."

"Generally speaking, we have to wait until the business of major bookstores ends for the day."

"The bookstore side will take inventory, and according to the sales situation of various books on that day, that week, and that month, they will make a report."