My dear wife, I still love you more.

"Um, Sister Yuanzi, I, I didn't mean that—"

"Then tell me, what did you mean by what you just said?"

"Hey, Sister Yuanzi, wait a minute—"

……

After changing trains twice, Hasegawa finally arrived at the Shinazugawa Bookstore. He simply told the receptionist his name and went upstairs.

Bang bang bang!

I knocked on the door of Machida Sonoko's office.

"Come in!" Machida Sonoko's cheerful voice came from the office, and Hasegawa pushed the door open and entered.

When Hasegawa went in, he found Kasumigaoka Utaha sitting in front of Machida Sonoko, seemingly tidying her clothes.

"Oh, Kasumigaoka-senpai is here too. Sorry to bother you. How about I come back after I've sorted things out with Kasumigaoka-senpai?" Hasegawa said, standing at the door, as he was about to leave.

“No need, Ms. Kasumi’s matter has been resolved. It’s just that Ms. Kasumi heard that you were coming, so she stayed a little longer,” Machida Sonoko quickly said.

"Hasegawa-kun, we agreed that you would let me see your novel first after you finished writing it. If I hadn't been here with Editor Machida, I wouldn't have known that your novel was already finished," Kasumigaoka Utaha complained slightly.

"Sorry, I just wanted to wait until Editor Machida confirmed the content before sending it to you."

"I see. Then I'll forgive you, Hasegawa-kun."

“Hey, hey, hey, this is my office. Shouldn’t you talk to me about business first before you talk? Hasegawa-sensei, now that you’ve finished writing, please hand over the manuscript so I can read it.” Machida Sonoko said, tapping the table.

“Okay, Editor Machida, please take a look.” Hasegawa said, immediately handing over the novel manuscript.

Machida Sonoko took the manuscript and began reading. Hasegawa then sat down next to Kasumigaoka Utaha.

"Hasegawa-kun, how many words are in this novel?"

"Approximately 150,000 words."

"That's amazing! You actually managed to write a long traditional novel. I could never do something like that," Kasumigaoka Utaha exclaimed.

"Actually, it's nothing. Kasumigaoka-senpai is also very talented. If she tries to write something, she should be able to do it too."

"I know my own limitations. Writing light novels is already very difficult, let alone traditional novels."

"Actually, Kasumigaoka-senpai is also very amazing."

"Alright, alright, stop flattering me. Although it's nice to hear, I'm aware of my limitations. By the way, Hasegawa-senpai, now that the novel is finished, are you planning to visit Eriri's house? Eriri has complained to me many times about how you promised to do things but never did, and that you haven't visited her in so long," Kasumigaoka Utaha said with a smile.

"Well, I was busy writing my novel before, but now that it's finished, I have time to visit Eriri. Tell her not to worry, I'll definitely bring Aki Tomoya with me," Hasegawa assured her with a smile.

"Aki Tomoya? That person—Hasegawa-senpai, why do you keep emphasizing that you'll be taking him?" Kasumigaoka Utaha's eyes sparkled with curiosity and a hint of excitement.

"You might not know this, Kasumigaoka-senpai, but Aki Tomoya is actually Eriri's childhood friend. In fact, Eriri quite likes Aki Tomoya, but he has some personality issues and is always engrossed in anime, so she hasn't noticed. Eriri also likes Aki Tomoya a lot. Last time, I was the one who took Aki Tomoya to Eriri's house," Hasegawa explained to Kasumigaoka Utaha with a smile.

Kasumigaoka Utaha: "..."

"Hasegawa-kun, are you sure Eriri really likes that bespectacled guy, Aki Tomoya?"

"Yes, of course I'm sure. They're childhood friends. Although Eriri seems to dislike Aki Tomoya, it's actually just because of her tsundere personality," Hasegawa said confidently.

Chapter Twenty-Six: Machida Sonoko's Praise

For some reason, Kasumigaoka Utaha suddenly felt like laughing. However, she didn't actually laugh out loud; she held it in.

However, Kasumigaoka Utaha suddenly wondered what Eriri's expression would be if she knew that Hasegawa viewed her and Aki Tomoya in this way.

It must be incredibly interesting, absolutely fascinating.

Utaha Kasumigaoka didn't really care about Eriri, because in Utaha's eyes, Eriri was just a blonde loser. Yes, a blonde loser. Although she hadn't known Eriri for very long, Utaha had completely seen through her nature. Utaha felt that Eriri posed absolutely no threat to her.

The only thing Kasumigaoka Utaha didn't understand was what Hasegawa was thinking.

I learned quite a bit about Hasegawa from Eriri, though not much. But Kasumigaoka Utaha also learned that Hasegawa had mentioned having someone he liked named Yui Yuigahama, and that he decided not to date because he wanted to wait for Yui.

According to Eriri, Hasegawa doesn't actually like Yui Yuigahama at all, and their relationship isn't what Hasegawa claims. Kasumigaoka Utaha thinks that Yui Yuigahama entered the entertainment industry likely because Hasegawa rejected her confession, which is why she temporarily left. However, after she left, Hasegawa used her as a shield.

So, what is Hasegawa thinking? Does Hasegawa even have someone he likes? Kasumigaoka Utaha doesn't know any of these things. All she knows is that besides her, there are quite a few other outstanding girls who like Hasegawa, but Hasegawa doesn't seem to want to accept any of them.

If Hasegawa hadn't explicitly rejected her beforehand, she would have suspected that he was a scumbag, someone who deliberately deceived girls. After all, only a scumbag would drag several girls along.

However, Kasumigaoka Utaha had no idea what kind of person Hasegawa was or what he was thinking.

Having interacted with Hasegawa several times before, Kasumigaoka Utaha knew what kind of person he was, so she didn't ask him anything about it, especially since she had already told him that they would just be friends. Naturally, it was even less appropriate for her to ask further questions.

Thinking about her own progress, Kasumigaoka Utaha suddenly lost the will to laugh at Eriri.

"Hasegawa-sensei!"

Just as Hasegawa and Kasumigaoka Utaha were chatting casually, Machida Sonoko put down her manuscript and looked at Hasegawa intently.

"Has Machida finished reading it? What do you think?" Hasegawa asked with some anticipation.

"It's very well written by Hasegawa-sensei. I really didn't expect that Hasegawa-sensei's traditional novels could be so, so interesting. Yes, interesting, very interesting. If I hadn't read Hasegawa-sensei's work, I wouldn't have known that women in China are so, so happy? They must be happy," Machida Sonoko exclaimed.

Sonoko Machida could be considered a modern Japanese woman. Unlike many women of the past, she didn't want to marry young and become a housewife, caring for her husband and children. She chose to work, even working hard to advance to the position of deputy editor-in-chief and eventually editor-in-chief. Because of this, she devoted most of her energy to studying and working, leaving no time for dating, nor even considering it. Yes, although she's not young anymore, she truly doesn't want to quit her job to become a housewife.

However, she knew she was getting on in years and should get married, and she wanted to get married. But she didn't want to give up her job. So she kept putting it off, and as she got older, she felt increasingly awkward.

Machida Sonoko is currently thinking about wanting to get married but also not wanting to get married.

However, after reading Hasegawa's novel, she discovered that the situation in China was almost exactly the life she had always dreamed of, an idealized version of life.

She could get married and have children, and she could also work a normal job. In fact, she could work while placing most of the financial burden on her husband. That kind of life would be perfect.

However, if what Hasegawa wrote is true, then the person who desires that kind of life happens to be Japanese, while Chinese women, ironically, dislike and are extremely dissatisfied with that kind of life. It's true that the lifestyle she pursues is something others look down upon, which truly makes Machida Sonoko feel envious and resentful.

"Happiness? Happiness is relative. In Japan, women's status is far from that high. But in China, aside from work, their status in the family is indeed very high," Hasegawa said with a smile.

"Ms. Hasegawa, is this true? I mean, do women in China really have such a high status?" Machida Sonoko asked again, her expression very serious.

“It’s true. A Chinese tourist once told me a lot about things related to China after visiting Tottori Prefecture. These were all real cases. The actual situation might even be a bit more exaggerated than what I’ve described,” Hasegawa nodded and said.

"Is that really true? I'm so envious. I wish I could marry someone from China. If it were true, that would be my ideal life." Machida Sonoko sighed, "After marriage, I can still go out to work, and even have my husband cook at home. Ah, compared to that, Japanese men are all hopeless."

Hasegawa smiled, a little embarrassed, but also a little proud. Embarrassed because he was now Japanese, and proud because he used to be from China.

"Um, can I take a look? After listening to what Editor Machida said, I suddenly became very curious about it," Kasumigaoka Utaha asked curiously.

"Mr. Hasegawa?" Machida Sonoko looked at Hasegawa.

"Of course." Hasegawa smiled nonchalantly. He wrote it precisely so that others would see it.

Furthermore, Hasegawa discovered that Machida Sonoko actually preferred reading content about China. She didn't seem to enjoy reading the content about Japanese families that he had painstakingly researched and wrote recently. This was probably because she was Japanese herself and knew the situation in Japan very well, so she didn't feel much connection to it.

However, Hasegawa didn't mind, because writing about the situations in both countries together made the contrast more obvious and the reading experience more profound.

"Mr. Hasegawa, your book, 'A Long Yet Short Life,' is really good. Especially the part about China, it's very appealing. I think if it were published, it might actually become a best-selling traditional novel, and it might even have a chance to win an award." Machida Sonoko said to Hasegawa with great enthusiasm, getting into work mode.

"Really?" Hasegawa was a little surprised. How to put it? Hasegawa felt that his traditional novel was like an art film—it might be well-received, but it probably wouldn't be a box office hit. In other words, it might get critical acclaim, but it probably wouldn't sell many copies. But Machida Sonoko said it was a bestseller? Hasegawa wasn't quite convinced.

"That's right, it has the potential to be a bestseller. In fact, many Japanese people want to understand China. It's just that there aren't many channels available. Even with the internet being so developed now, it's still difficult to learn due to differences in language and culture. Hasegawa-sensei's book is a very suitable channel for understanding China. In addition, its quality is very high, so it has a very high chance of becoming a bestseller. Maybe it can sell a million copies, no, maybe two million or even more." This was Machida Sonoko's comment based on her professional analysis.

"Sales, a million? Or even more? How is that possible?" Hasegawa was full of surprise.

In China, perhaps due to piracy, or perhaps because of the decline of literature and physical books, a book that sells hundreds of thousands of copies is already considered a bestseller. If it reaches a million, it's considered an extremely high sales volume. And the population of China is many times that of Japan.

Therefore, Hasegawa believed that the sales of traditional novels were relatively low. Hasegawa initially thought that if his novel sold 100,000 or 200,000 copies, it would be very good.

It's fair to say that Hasegawa doesn't quite understand the situation in Japan. While excellent light novels certainly sell very well in Japan, traditional novels and literary works also sell remarkably well. Even in this day and age, it's normal for some excellent works to sell over a million copies.

Some excellent traditional novels may even outsell or profit more than excellent light novels.

"Mr. Hasegawa, your book is truly excellent, and its sales figures are quite normal. However, Mr. Hasegawa, I feel that the title of your book... well, it doesn't quite feel right." Machida Sonoko smiled and then offered another suggestion.

"name?"

“That’s right. Hasegawa-sensei writes about family situations in both China and Japan, especially the contrast between women. A title like ‘A Long Yet Short Life’ isn’t quite appropriate,” Machida Sonoko said earnestly.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Never Satisfied

“Indeed, Hasegawa Gakuen, that name isn’t quite right. It doesn’t hold much appeal for readers.” Kasumigaoka Utaha nodded, completely agreeing with Machida Sonoko’s words.

"Is that so? But what kind of name should we choose?" Hasegawa frowned slightly.

"What do you think of the name 'A Woman Who Doesn't Know She's Blessed'?" Kasumigaoka Utaha smiled and offered her opinion on a suitable name.

"Hmm, 'A Woman Who Doesn't Know She's Blessed'? That's not a good name. It feels too aggressive, like it's mocking women in China." Hasegawa shook his head, rejecting the name.

“To be honest, I think this name is quite fitting, but as Hasegawa-sensei said, it is indeed very offensive to women in China. Although we are in Japan, literary novels can generally be published in China, so this name is not good,” Machida Sonoko said, expressing her understanding.

"Is that so? Okay then, let's change the name. However, I still think this name is more suitable." Kasumigaoka Utaha shrugged and started flipping through the manuscript in her hands again.

"How about the title 'Never Satisfied' or 'Never Content'?" Machida Sonoko said after thinking for a moment.

"Never satisfied, never content... Hmm, that's a good name, and it fits the content of this book quite well." Kasumigaoka Utaha nodded, although she still preferred the name she had just mentioned, but this name was also good.

Seeing that both of them thought the same way, Hasegawa thought about it and felt that the name was indeed quite fitting.

"If that's the case, then let's call it 'Never Satisfied'."

“Okay, the name is settled then. But, Mr. Hasegawa, are you sure you want to go straight to the publishing process and publish it directly?” Machida Sonoko asked again.

"Hmm, what's wrong? Is there a problem?" Hasegawa wasn't very familiar with this kind of procedure, so he asked.

“Mr. Hasegawa, I think your book is very suitable for the Naoki Prize. Perhaps you could even win it and become the best new author of the second half of the year. If you do win, it will be extremely beneficial to both the book's sales and your reputation. Therefore, I suggest you submit it for the Naoki Prize first, and then consider publishing it.” Machida Sonoko gave Hasegawa this advice.

"The Naoki Prize? What's that?" Hasegawa wasn't very familiar with Japanese awards for artwork. If there was one Japanese award he vaguely remembered, it was probably the Edogawa Ranpo Prize, which seemed to be a very famous one. As for the Naoki Prize? Hasegawa didn't seem to recall it either.

"Mr. Hasegawa, you don't know?" Machida Sonoko looked at Hasegawa with some surprise.

"Um, I'm sorry, I don't know anything about these things."

"Hasegawa-kun, the Naoki Prize and the Akutagawa Prize are the two most prestigious literary awards in Japan. The Akutagawa Prize is for works of pure literature, while the Naoki Prize is for popular literature. They are the most influential awards in Japan," Kasumigaoka Utaha said with a smile.

"Is it that amazing? Then what about the Edogawa Ranpo Prize? I think I've heard of it."

"The Edogawa Ranpo Award you mentioned is an award for mystery novels. While it's quite good, it's still somewhat inferior to the Naoki Prize and the Akutagawa Ryunosuke Prize."

"I see." Hasegawa nodded in realization. He hadn't expected the Naoki Prize to be so prestigious. But could his book, "Never Satisfied," really win such a prestigious award? Although he was quite confident in his writing abilities, Hasegawa was still a little apprehensive.

"So, what are your thoughts, Mr. Hasegawa?" Machida Sonoko asked.

"Well, then, let's give it a try. Winning would be great, but if we don't, it won't really matter." Hasegawa thought for a moment and finally decided to give it a shot.

"Okay, Mr. Hasegawa, don't worry. I think your work is excellent and will definitely win the Naoki Prize. The Naoki Prize is held twice a year. The first half of the year's Naoki Prize has just ended, and the application process for the second half has already begun. The final results will probably be announced around February next year. Mr. Hasegawa, how about I submit the application for you directly?"