“You are a marketing gem,” Kevin told me happily over the phone. “Young, beautiful, well-spoken and talented. How do you feel about talk shows? You definitely can handle variety. I could turn you into an idol, if you wanted.”

“No, just turning me into a respected author is enough, thanks,” I laughed. 

The main characters in Between the Lines all survived at the end. However, Linn and Yiru were no longer together. He was traveling the world solving cases, and Linn had settled down to be an elementary school teacher after graduation. The novel ended on an uplifting, hopeful note, suggesting she will wait for him and that they do have a future together.

I also decided, much to President Gu’s disappointment, that there would be no third book. I was ready to work with entirely new ideas to produce something fresh and exciting. Being with Lu Han made me so happy on a daily basis, and happy me was always full of ideas, inspiration, and motivation. 

On the eve of my book launch, I sat in the rented apartment with a single glass of red wine. Andi had already gone to sleep, but I stayed curled up next to Lu Han on the couch. The living room was enveloped in darkness because we had left the light off; the only light came from the time flashing on the microwave and from the window. 

“Don’t you need to be up early tomorrow?” Lu Han asked sleepily, voice low. He dug his chin into my neck and inhaled, tightening his arms around me.

“Press conference at the first book signing is at 11AM, but Kevin wants me awake and ready to leave here at 8AM,” I groaned. 

Lu Han picked up one of my hands and carefully laced our fingers together. “Are you nervous? In less than ten hours, everyone is going to know your secret. Everyone will know that Lin Yejing is Lin Ye.”  

I paused for a moment, fingertips brushing over the back of Lu Han’s hand. “I’m terrified,” I finally admitted. “I’m terrified, but I’m ready.”

“I’m so proud of you, Lin Yejing,” Lu Han said quietly. "I wish I could be there to support you, but just know that I will be thinking of you from wherever I am." 

He kissed the side of my face, and then my forehead, before finishing with a soft kiss on the tip of my nose. I let out a quiet whine and chased after his lips with my own as Lu Han chuckled. 

“I guess sleep could wait for another hour,” he mumbled against my lips, breath fanning over my face.

The book that had been on my lap slid off the blankets and fell to the floor. Lu Han and I pulled apart and looked down. A first edition, first printing copy of Between the Lines flopped open to the back cover, revealing a picture of myself and two sentences.
     

My name is Lin Yejing, otherwise known as Lin Ye. I am 21 years old, and finally ready to face the world. 

Interview with Lin Yejing, author of bestsellers Fiction and Fact and Between the Lines

Q: Your second novel, Between the Lines, just surpassed your debut novel in sales as of last week. How do you feel?
A: Excited, ecstatic, it's all very hard to put into words.

Q: We heard that you are a Beijing native? 
A: Yes, I was born and raised here in Beijing. I also graduated from Qinghua