Chapter 170 - 168: Classmate’s Mother

Chapter 170: Chapter 168: Classmate’s Mother

Li Weiya paused for a few seconds before she understood what Jiang Xia meant.

She typed with a smile, "Isn’t this great? Your status in the family just shot up, and you’re not happy about it?"

Jiang Xia sighed softly. That wasn’t the issue. The key was that his father-in-law had punched him a couple of times. Although he didn’t mind, if the truth came out, his father-in-law would be too ashamed to face him.

Anyone with a shred of dignity wouldn’t be able to hit someone and then calmly accept favors from them.

But he was too embarrassed to say it out loud.

"Aunt Li, my father-in-law is a very proud man. I’m afraid he’ll take it badly if I’m too direct."

"So you want to hide it from him for now? You can keep it a secret for a while, but not forever. The truth always comes out, you know," Li Weiya replied.

Jiang Xia typed hesitantly, "I’m not planning to hide it forever. I just don’t think the time is right. I’ll come clean to him myself in the future."

"Fine. Since you have your own plan, we’ll do it your way. So, you want me to step in and sign the merchandise licensing contract with your father-in-law for you?"

"Hehehe, I knew I couldn’t hide anything from you, Aunt Li."

Li Weiya sighed. ’This kid is always finding new ways to squeeze me for all I’m worth, but he’s so endearing I can never refuse. Anyone who didn’t know better would think Jiang Xia was my actual son.’

"Fine, Aunt Li will play along with you on this."

"Hooray! You’re the best, Aunt Li!"

"You smooth talker." Li Weiya smiled faintly. "I’m a bit busy now. Let’s figure out the specifics this afternoon."

"Got it!"

Closing the chat window, Li Weiya’s thoughts drifted as she considered her increasingly close relationship with Qitian Animation.

A moment later, she snapped out of it, took a few deep breaths, and picked up the drafts the key animator had just handed her to review them carefully.

* * *

’Having handled the most critical part of the plan, I can finally relax.’ Jiang Xia stretched comfortably. ’When it comes to signing the contract with my father-in-law, Li Weiya is the person I trust most. If I get the chance in the future, I have to poach her for my own team.’

The morning passed in a flurry of work. Jiang Xia had just finished the storyboards for the sixteenth episode of Cat and Mouse when he got a call from Li Weiya.

"Still busy?" Li Weiya’s voice sounded a little languid.

"Just taking a break," Jiang Xia couldn’t help but laugh. "Are you free now, Aunt Li?"

"Yeah, come on down. I’m right outside your building complex."

"Oh, okay! One moment, Aunt Li."

After hanging up, Jiang Xia scrambled to get dressed, let Xia Shanshan know he was heading out, and rushed out the door.

As soon as he reached the complex gate, he saw Li Weiya’s car parked by the curb. She was wearing sunglasses and watching him through the window, the corners of her lips turned up in a slight smile.

"Whew, the sun is intense today. The AC feels so much better," Jiang Xia said as he pulled open the car door, slid in expertly, and fanned himself with his hand.

"What summer day isn’t?" Li Weiya chuckled, turning up the AC.

The car pulled away from the curb. She casually handed him a file folder. "Take a look. I managed to find some time to draft the contract today. See if it’s what you had in mind."

Jiang Xia’s eyes lit up. ’I always knew Aunt Li was reliable, and here’s the proof!’

He skimmed through it. All the main points seemed to be covered. They could hash out the details later.

"Aunt Li, where are we headed?"

"It’s too hot out. Let’s find somewhere we can talk things over first."

A few minutes later, the car pulled up in front of a very classy-looking coffee shop.

Jiang Xia felt inexplicably awkward. There was just something strange about going to a coffee shop with his classmate’s mother, even if it was just for business.

They sat at a table by the window, but out of the direct sunlight. Li Weiya looked at Jiang Xia. "Ah Xia, what would you like to drink?"

"I’ll just have a latte," Jiang Xia said.

She nodded and called out to the counter, "Two lattes, please!"

"I always get sleepy in the afternoons. I need tea or coffee to feel more awake, but I don’t like tea," Li Weiya said with a laugh. "They say that’s what happens when a woman gets older."

Jiang Xia felt a little awkward. He knew better than to touch that topic.

"It’s just that you work too hard, Aunt Li. You should make sure to get more rest."

She chuckled softly. "I could have taken today off, you know."

Jiang Xia’s breath caught in his throat. An awkward expression crossed his face, and he pursed his lips, unsure how to respond.

"Haha, I’m just kidding." Li Weiya leaned back in her chair, watching him with an amused expression. "So, tell me, how’s your company doing lately? I asked Ah Ming, but he’s just a damn artist. He doesn’t know a thing."

Jiang Xia didn’t hide anything from Li Weiya.

"The first broadcast run of Cat and Mouse was a huge success, and we’ve already sold the second-round broadcast rights to several TV stations," he said with a smile. "Cat and Mouse is bound to be the hottest cartoon this summer."

Hearing this, Li Weiya was deeply gratified. ’My student has a real knack for marketing. Every move he makes is a carefully considered decision.’

"Not bad, little millionaire."

Jiang Xia gave a bashful smile. "I’m not there yet, Aunt Li."

’The payments from the other TV stations haven’t come in yet, and even when they do, it’ll only be a few hundred thousand. Besides, my wife is the one managing the money.’

"Well, you’re close."

After she said that, Li Weiya felt a wave of emotion. ’In this economy, it would take an ordinary person most of their life to earn a million.’

’But Jiang Xia built this from scratch in just a few months.’

’And as his company continues to grow, the speed at which he makes money from animation will only increase. A million might not even be a drop in the bucket.’

"So what’s your next move?" she asked, then added with a smile, "Is that a strategic question I’m allowed to ask?"

Jiang Xia nodded. "I’ve never considered you an outsider, Aunt Li."

He continued, "The TV stations are just a springboard to take my animation nationwide. What I’m really after is name recognition. If I can cultivate a major IP, its value will be more than the broadcast fees from thousands of TV stations combined."

’As time goes on, things like animated feature films, game licenses, and even revenue from derivative works and merchandise... each of those could be worth hundreds of millions.’

’To put it bluntly, in a few years, my daily income could be in the hundreds of millions.’

"That’s incredible," Li Weiya said in admiration. "Having a student like you gives me bragging rights for life."

Suddenly, Jiang Xia’s gaze grew intense as he looked at her.

"Aunt Li, come work for me. I really need you."