Dad, Please Try a Little Harder

The next day, Zhao Chunjia sent someone with a contract to the school for Qian Quan to sign.

After reading the terms, Qian Quan felt that Zhao Chunjia was being very generous.

Because the contract, under the provision regarding remuneration, was not about paying a fixed salary but instead a fifty-fifty split with Qian Quan.

This meant that for every student taught by Qian Quan, half of the basketball class fee they paid would go to Qian Quan.

If calculated at 150 per lesson, as long as Qian Quan had seven or eight students, he would earn tens of thousands of yuan annually.

Distributed over each month, it might not seem like much, but the catch was that he only taught on weekends.

For a college student, this could be considered a substantial income.

Moreover, the more students he had, the higher the earnings.

“This weekend, we’ve scheduled a group of parents to bring their kids for a trial lesson. You might need to conduct a demonstration class then.”

The staff member arranged by Zhao Chunjia told Qian Quan.

“Sure, no problem. I’ll prepare for it,” replied Qian Quan.

When he acquired “professional basketball skills”, countless basketball knowledge and moves flashed through his mind- from basic to advanced, to professional level.

He didn’t see much of a problem with the upcoming demo lesson.

Once the agreement was signed, the staff member dispatched by Zhao Chunjia left.

Qian Quan then took a moment to take stock of his part-time jobs:

He’d joined the video team of Miss Bai Yuanzhi.

He’d become a part of the company founded by Li Zihe and Li Zhiyi.

And now, he was moonlighting as a basketball coach.

Did the saying go- the more abilities you have, the more responsibilities you bear?

Shortly after Qian Quan jokingly reflected on this, he received a response from New Story Monthly:

“Dear Mr. Secret, your submitted story titled ‘A Father’s Mountainous Love: When I Accidentally Killed the Mistress, My Father Took the Blame’ has passed our initial review. It will now proceed to the final review stage. Please add our editor Qing Mo on WeChat (same number as the phone: 131XXXXX) to discuss the next steps.”

Qian Quan promptly added Editor Qing Mo.

The editor quickly accepted and initiated a conversation.

“Hello, Mr. Secret, your story has passed my initial review and is now headed to the final review by our chief editor. Can you confirm that all copyrights of this story belong to you and that it has never been published elsewhere?”

Qian Quan replied, “Yes, that’s correct.”

Qing Mo continued, “Another question- I noticed at the end of your story, the veteran detective realizes something isn’t right. Is this hinting that he’s pieced together the real truth?”

Qian Quan explained, “Exactly. I left it a bit open-ended to accentuate the lingering emotion of a father’s sacrifice for his son. The underlying plot is that the detective eventually uncovers the truth.”

Having often heard Ding Linlang gripe about the review process, Qian Quan naturally grasped what Qing Mo was hinting at.

Qing Mo responded, “Alright, everything seems in order. I’ll message you if there are any updates.”

“Sounds good,” Qian Quan replied.

It seemed the initial review went smoothly. He wondered about the final review, hoping his story could compete in the same issue with his father’s piece.

“Place the story ‘A Father’s Mountainous Love’ next to ‘Porcelain Anniversary’ in the same issue, with ‘Porcelain Anniversary’ preceding it.”

The chief editor, He Jue, instructed in the work group chat of New Story Monthly.

Qing Mo replied, “Understood. I also think these two should be paired. When read together, they offer timeless life lessons.”

He Jue remarked, “Yes, it’s quite the coincidence. Both stories are of high quality, and their themes naturally lead to each other. Almost like a prime-time serial drama.”

Qing Mo laughed, “Exactly. So, boss, shall we set the fee for ‘A Father’s Mountainous Love’ at 650?”

He Jue confirmed, “Sounds good.”

Soon, it was November 15th.

Ding Linlang’s birthday was just a day away.

Qian Quan went to Pretty Beauty to buy a black ladies’ trench coat and also ordered a cake. He then arranged to have dinner and karaoke with Ding Linlang that evening.

That morning, he’d received WeChat messages from both his mother and Mrs. Ding.

His mom reminded him not to forget Linlang’s birthday, while Mrs. Ding sent him a 188 red envelope, asking him to order a cake.

Of course, Qian Quan couldn’t accept the money. He copied the message he’d sent his mom and forwarded it to Mrs. Ding.

“Don’t worry, Mom. I’ve got the cake and gifts sorted. We’ve planned dinner for tomorrow evening.”

After sending it, he realized he’d addressed Mrs. Ding as “Mom.” Hurrying to recall the message, he corrected “Mom” to “Mrs. Ding.”

To his surprise, Mrs. Ding had seen the initial message. She replied, “Rocky, you don’t need to fuss over formalities, sooner or later it’s bound to happen.” Qian Quan replied with a laughing emoji.

Mrs. Ding said, “Rocky, you must promise me to take good care of Linlang. Unless she finds someone more handsome, more outstanding, and treats her better than you, otherwise, chase them all away. Got it?”

Qian Quan responded, “Of course, Mrs. Ding…”

That night, Qian Quan deliberately checked the time, and once it passed midnight, he sent the birthday message he had prepared in advance:

“In the summer of 2012, we made a pact to listen to each other on landline phones. We heard the whispered words of a loving couple, the burning cosmic sea, the golden breeze brushing the jade dew, water buffaloes tumbling in the mortal world, ten thousand magpies flying across the Milky Way, the tender red pomegranates. In the deep night, separated by time and space, we murmured to each other, echoing with the sounds of cicadas and tides. We decided to extend the summer of 2012 into winter…”

“Happy Birthday, Ding Linlang. Welcome to the world of adults.” Five or six minutes after Qian Quan’s message was sent, Ding Linlang replied, “Qian Quan, that was so cheesy…”

She then added, “But I really like it, especially the poem.”

Qian Quan sent a sunglasses emoji.

Ding Linlang wrote, “By the way, my new book was just published.”

Qian Quan encouraged, “Believe in yourself. Publishing is like a coming-of-age ceremony for a book.”

Ding Linlang shared, “Actually, after uploading the first VIP chapter, I felt relieved. There’s no turning back now; let it be.”

Qian Quan replied, “That’s the right attitude.”

After chatting for about ten minutes, Qian Quan suggested, “Go to bed early. See you tomorrow.”

Ding Linlang echoed, “See you tomorrow.”

The next day, November 16th, after their afternoon classes, Qian Quan and Ding Linlang went to Wan’an Plaza near Fudan University for dinner. They chose a charcoal-grilled buffet restaurant.

Upon meeting, Qian Quan first presented a gift to Ding Linlang.

Ding Linlang tried on the coat immediately. It fit her perfectly.

It was black, flattering her figure and complementing her fair skin. It also matched her lean and aloof demeanor.

“You have good taste,” Ding Linlang said, clearly pleased with the gift.

“Of course,” Qian Quan replied modestly.

After trying on the coat, they entered the restaurant.

They chose a good spot and then went to pick their dishes.

“How was the book launch last night?” Qian Quan asked while picking beef. “From now on, we can eat here three times a day,” Ding Linlang bragged. “Forest Gazer is truly amazing! But why eat here three times a day? Isn’t Michelin Star food tempting?” Qian Quan teased.

“You can go and eat it every meal,” she joked back.

The two joked and laughed while choosing their first round of dishes. After returning to their table, they began grilling.

“On a serious note, besides your book’s success, do you have any other wishes for turning 18?” Qian Quan inquired.

Ding Linlang looked at Qian Quan and said with a smile, “I hope you don’t start dating before me. Does that count?”

“Sure, it’s a wish after all. Not all wishes come true,” Qian Quan remarked.

Ding Linlang glared at him, then added, “There’s another one. It’s not a wish, but a pact like the ones friends make in movies and TV shows.”

“If we’re both single at 30, we should just get together. After all…”

“I’m in,” Qian Quan agreed without hesitation.

Ding Linlang continued smiling, “At the same time, we must commit to looking out for each other for twelve unwavering years.”

“No problem.”

The two shared a knowing silence, smiles creeping onto their faces..