Chapter 890

After sending off Sana Akita, Aoi Fujiwara, and Reisa Kaga.

Chikage Natsume returned to the living room.

The night outside the window was thick and silent.

He glanced at the clock on the wall, felt it was long past bedtime, and was preparing to sleep.

Suddenly.

The phone in his pocket vibrated, the ringtone appearing exceptionally clear in the quiet room.

Chikage Natsume glanced at the screen; it was a call from Atsushi Takahashi.

He pressed the answer button.

【Atsushi Takahashi: Moshi moshi, is this Natsume-sensei?】

Atsushi Takahashi's slightly excited voice came from the receiver.

【Chikage Natsume: It's me. Is there anything urgent about contacting me so late?】

Chikage Natsume's voice was steady.

【Atsushi Takahashi: Natsume-sensei, the reviews for your "The Devotion of Suspect X" on the internet have completely exploded! Today, many readers specifically called the office, and there is only one core demand—urging us to reprint and republish as soon as possible!】

Atsushi Takahashi spoke very fast, revealing excitement that could not be suppressed.

【Chikage Natsume: Is the response... that good?】

【Atsushi Takahashi: It's more than good! The bookstore side also fed back that there were more customers asking about this book today than on the first day of release! Whether it's offline pre-orders or online reservations, the numbers are growing rapidly!】

【Chikage Natsume: That's really... great.】

【Atsushi Takahashi: In addition, Natsume-sensei, there is one more important thing to contact you about this time. The manuscript of "Snow Country" you submitted is of extremely excellent quality, and even the editor-in-chief praised it after reading it!】

【Atsushi Takahashi: Therefore, the editor-in-chief specifically instructed me to contact you and ask when you are free, as he wants to schedule a senior editor from the headquarters for you to have a detailed follow-up discussion.】

【Chikage Natsume: My schedule is quite full these few days... I'm afraid I won't have free time until the day of the competition on the 26th. Is that day okay?】

【Atsushi Takahashi: Let me confirm... the 26th is Friday, that's perfectly fine! What time are you free that day?】

【Chikage Natsume: Is around three o'clock in the afternoon okay?】

【Atsushi Takahashi: That's perfectly fine! I will schedule it for three o'clock for you. When the time comes, you can go directly to the headquarters front desk and report your name, and someone will guide you by phone.】

【Atsushi Takahashi: Your original manuscript is currently with me, and I will personally accompany you there at that time, and return the original manuscript to you in full by the way.】

【Chikage Natsume: Mm, then I'll trouble you to arrange it.】

【Atsushi Takahashi: That's great! Then, it's late, I won't disturb your rest anymore, sensei, good night.】

【Chikage Natsume: Mm, good night.】

The call ended.

Ruri Natsume, who had been quietly leaning against her brother and eavesdropping with her ears pricked up, couldn't hold back anymore, her little face flushed with excitement.

"Brother, your 'The Devotion of Suspect X' is too amazing!"

She grabbed Chikage Natsume's arm, her eyes shining.

"Actually, so many people are scrambling to buy it!"

"Could it be that brother can really achieve wealth freedom directly with this one book this time?"

Chikage Natsume reached out, gently rubbed her soft hair, his eyes carrying a smile.

"Of course."

"According to this trend, the batches of reprints will only increase."

"If the income is rich enough... maybe, we can buy back the house we lived in before."

Hearing this sentence.

Ruri Natsume was stunned at first.

Subsequently, those pictures buried deep in her memory—that spacious mansion full of family atmosphere, the courtyard bathed in sunshine, every familiar corner—instantly surged into her heart.

A strong sense of nostalgia and emotion seized her.

She suddenly turned around, hugged Chikage Natsume tightly, buried her face in his arms, her voice carrying imperceptible choking.

"Brother... if we can really buy back the house from before..."

"That would be too great..."

Chikage Natsume didn't say anything more.

He just hugged his younger sister as well, his palm gently patting her back, giving the most stable comfort with a silent embrace.

Ruri Natsume's sobbing sound continued for a while before it gradually calmed down.

However, after the excitement, realistic considerations quietly surfaced in her heart.

She remembered the location of that mansion and its astonishing market price.

Without at least five hundred million yen... it's simply wishful thinking.

Although brother's book is indeed exploding right now.

Breaking one hundred million yen in royalties doesn't seem difficult now.

But five hundred million...

This number is really too huge.

She dared not be sure whether brother's book could eventually reach that height.

After all, book sales have objective laws: after reaching a certain peak, sales often gradually slow down, decreasing day by day.

The current popularity cannot fully predict the future continuity.

But she didn't say these worries out loud.

Because brother is holding a clear hope right now, she didn't want to pour cold water on it.

Regardless.

Even if they couldn't buy back the mansion that carried countless memories in the end, Ruri Natsume was already satisfied.

Because the current brother is really, really amazing.

In the predicament where the family situation plummeted, he only used about a month to write a bestseller.

It is even enough to change the trajectory of their lives.

So, after the manuscript fee arrives, even if they don't redeem the old house, the two siblings can completely rely on this income to live a stable and affluent life for a long time.

For her, this is already a great happiness.

However...

Ruri Natsume's competitive spirit that doesn't want to be outdone was also quietly ignited.

Brother wrote such an outstanding novel, she must also create an amazing manga!

From now on, the two siblings will live relying on their respective royalties.