The Ladle Chronicles was a well-known novel and its author, Xia An, lived up to her reputation as a literary master. She had turned a food-centric story into a vivid and entertaining read, with descriptions of dishes so mouthwatering that readers couldn’t help but salivate as they read.
When Changqing Media acquired the rights to adapt it into a manhua and even a live-action production, the news immediately drew widespread attention. Fans eagerly speculated about which artist would take on the adaptation, keeping the topic hot. They frequently flooded the Weibo accounts of both Changqing Media and Wanwu Publishing, demanding updates. However, despite their anticipation, there had been no follow-up news, leaving many fans anxious.
Then, today, Wanwu Publishing finally made an announcement:
[We’ve found a suitable artist and are currently in contact with them. If all goes well, you’ll soon get to see the manhua adaptation of The Ladle Chronicles!]
This news instantly reignited excitement among fans. However, the publisher provided no details about the artist – only that Xia An personally approved them. While fans were curious, they trusted Xia An’s judgment.
Not that they trusted Wanwu Publishing, of course – they trusted Xia An. She was famous in the industry for being difficult to please, extremely picky about adaptations and utterly unwilling to let anyone ruin her work.
[I don’t know who the artist is, but knowing that Xia An approved them makes me feel at ease.]
[Xia An would never allow her work to be butchered. That alone makes me excited for this adaptation!]
However, not everyone was convinced.
[According to my sources, the artist Xia An picked is actually a newcomer… Hmm, I trust Xia An’s eye for talent, but to hand over such a big project to a rookie? I’m really not sure about this.]
[What?! A rookie? Are you serious? The Ladle Chronicles shouldn’t be given to a newbie. There’s got to be some hidden reason behind this.]
[Hidden reason? I bet this artist has some kind of personal connection to Xia An. Of course, you’d want to keep the benefits in the family, right?]
Some fans even began listing established artists they believed were better suited for the job.
[I always thought Lemon Yogurt’s style would be perfect for The Ladle Chronicles. I was really hoping she’d get it.]
[Same here! Lemon Yogurt’s art is so gorgeous and detailed – absolutely stunning.]
[Personally, I think Cookie Biscuit would be an amazing choice too. Either of them would be better than a newbie!]
As these names were repeatedly brought up, more and more people started looking them up on Weibo, discovering their works and even gaining new fans. Among them, Cookie Biscuit received the most attention, attracting a surge of followers.
Meanwhile, Editor Zhou frowned as he scrolled through the heated discussions on Weibo.
“How did the fans find out that the artist is a newcomer?”
Seeing how agitated they were, Editor Zhou couldn’t help but sigh.
Big IPs like The Ladle Chronicles came with built-in hype, which was great – but also dangerous. If the adaptation was done well, it would be widely celebrated. But if it failed? The original novel’s fans would tear them apart.
He tapped his fingers against his desk, deep in thought.
“Someone must have deliberately leaked this information. They can’t stand seeing a newcomer get such a big opportunity. Are they trying to stir up trouble? But who’s behind this – Cookie Biscuit? Lemon Yogurt? Or maybe… Sandalwood Chips?”
For now, at least, the fans didn’t know who the artist was. If they did, things could spiral out of control.
–
At that moment, Jiang Yu was also reading the news.
Not because she was interested in The Ladle Chronicles, but because her desk mate, Xu Ruyi, was a huge fan.
Xu Ruyi held up her phone and said slowly, “If only you were the one drawing The Ladle Chronicles, Jiang Yu. You’d make the food look so delicious that people would be able to eat three bowls of rice just from looking at it.”
She scrolled through the heated discussion online, then added, “The fans are freaking out over a new artist getting the job… But honestly, I think someone leaked this info on purpose, to stir up controversy over the manhua adaptation. I mean, The Ladle Chronicles is a pretty big IP – just riding on its hype can bring in a lot of fans.”
Jiang Yu looked at the messages and replied with little interest, “I’m not interested in drawing manhua right now.”
She did know how to draw manhua and had even considered making money from it when she was short on cash. But now that she wasn’t in need of money, she had given up on the idea. She’d rather spend her time improving her painting skills and taking them to the next level.
Xu Ruyi sighed regretfully, popped a raisin into her mouth and chewed as she said, “If that new artist really isn’t reliable, I wonder if I could buy The Ladle Chronicles IP myself. It already has attention and as long as I don’t recklessly alter it, I should be able to make some money.”
The more she thought about it, the more viable it seemed. She was already considering how to profit from the IP once she acquired it.
Jiang Yu didn’t know what The Ladle Chronicles was and since it had nothing to do with her, she didn’t pay much attention to it. She glanced at the message before shifting her focus elsewhere.
*
By noon, Jiang Yu had finished lunch and returned to see Xu Ruyi still in the classroom, with no snacks on her desk. She asked, “Did your butler bring you lunch?”
Xu Ruyi nodded. “He did, but Uncle Li said he got into a minor car accident on the way, so he couldn’t deliver it to me. But I don’t want to eat cafeteria food – the food there isn’t good…”
She sighed deeply, looking pitiful. “Aunt Zhang in the kitchen made old hen soup today and said it’s super nourishing. I was really looking forward to having a bowl.”
Seeing her distressed expression, Jiang Yu said, “If the cafeteria food isn’t good, let’s eat outside. You can’t just stay hungry – you still have four more classes in the afternoon.”
She checked the time and added, “There’s still forty minutes before class. If we leave now, we can make it in time. I’ll treat you today. There’s a place by the school gate that makes great stir-fried pork.”
Xu Ruyi tilted her head in thought. “Alright, but this is the first time you’ve ever treated me.”
The two tidied up their desks and leisurely made their way downstairs.
Halfway down, they saw a boy and a girl walking toward them. Jiang Yu noticed a subtle change in Xu Ruyi’s expression.
The boy was tall and handsome, with bright eyes, but he was a bit too thin. The girl beside him had a youthful, delicate beauty, snow-white skin and a slender figure. Her oversized school uniform had been altered to better fit her body, making her look graceful and charming.
Xu Ruyi’s gaze lingered on them for a moment before she quickly looked away, as if she didn’t recognise them.
The boy soon noticed Xu Ruyi and hesitated briefly before stepping forward. “Ruyi,” he called, “where are you going?”
Xu Ruyi lifted her head to look at him, appearing innocent and well-behaved. “I’m going to eat. Uncle Li got into an accident and couldn’t bring me lunch.”
“Qin Ying, who are they?” The girl beside him walked up and called his name with a tone of familiarity.
Qin Ying…
Only now did Jiang Yu realise that the boy in front of her was the same Qin Ying from the rumours – the one supposedly supported by the Xu family. There had been plenty of gossip about him and Xu Ruyi.
Jiang Yu subtly studied Qin Ying. She had to admit he was good-looking, but his demeanour was cold, like an untouchable mountain covered in snow – someone difficult to approach.
Qin Ying answered the girl beside him, “This is Ruyi. And this is…”
He turned to Jiang Yu, hesitating. Seeing this, Jiang Yu smiled and said, “I’m Jiang Yu, Ruyi’s deskmate.”
“Jiang Yu… So you’re Ruyi’s deskmate. Thank you for looking after her,” Qin Ying said with a knowing expression.
Jiang Yu’s expression turned playful – his words made it sound like Xu Ruyi belonged to him, which was surprising.
Qin Ying quickly turned his attention back to Xu Ruyi. “You don’t like eating out, remember? It always upsets your stomach. I’ll go to West Street and buy you some soup dumplings from the Mu family shop. You love those, right? Just go back to the classroom and wait for me – I’ll be back soon.”
West Street was a half-hour journey from their school. A round trip would take an hour, which meant he’d miss the afternoon classes.
“No need,” Xu Ruyi said cheerfully, holding onto Jiang Yu’s arm. “Jiang Yu is treating me today!”
Jiang Yu, however, frowned slightly. “Qin Ying said you get sick from eating out. Is that true?”
“Ruyi has a weak stomach. A lot of outside food isn’t clean and she always ends up feeling unwell after eating it,” Qin Ying explained naturally, his tone filled with concern.
If the students at school saw this, they might not think Xu Ruyi was clinging to Qin Ying. It was clear he was the one paying more attention to her.
Jiang Yu couldn’t help but be a little surprised.
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