Tom grabbed Jerry by the tail, pulled it taut, and suddenly let go. Propelled by the momentum, Jerry shot forward headfirst. Just as he thought he was about to make a clean getaway, he saw Tom up ahead, smiling with his mouth wide open, waiting for Jerry to charge right in.

After sketching Jerry’s terrified expression, Jiang Xia finally put down his pen, pulling himself out of his deeply focused state. He picked up his glass for a sip, only to find the hot water he had poured earlier was now cold.

"May I see?" Li Weiya asked softly.

The sudden voice made Jiang Xia jump. He turned to see Li Weiya standing behind him.

"Did I scare you? Sorry. I had some free time and came in to have a look, but you seemed so focused on your drawing that I didn’t want to disturb you," she said with a smile.

Jiang Xia scratched his head and quickly handed her all the keyframes he had drawn.

"Teacher Li, please have a look."

Li Weiya looked slightly exasperated. "Jiang Xia, you don’t have to be so formal with me."

As she spoke, she took the drawings and flipped through them, page by page. As a professional in the animation industry, her mind automatically connected the images seamlessly. She even mentally filled in the in-between frames, making the animation flow even more smoothly in her head.

"Earlier, Wang Ming told me you were making an animation, and I didn’t believe him. But it’s actually true." Her voice was tinged with amazement.

From her brief observation, Li Weiya could tell that Jiang Xia’s fundamentals were even more solid than some professional key animators. The characters’ emotions were portrayed perfectly, making it easy to understand what was happening between the cat and the mouse without any dialogue. His drawing speed was incredible, too; many of the lines were single, confident strokes.

People with this level of skill were usually seasoned veterans who had been immersed in the industry for over a decade. Yet here it was, all embodied in a high school student who had been learning to draw from her just a short while ago.

"This is very well drawn," Li Weiya said, flipping through the keyframes in her hands once more. She didn’t hold back her praise.

Jiang Xia scratched his neck, a little embarrassed. "I’m just messing around for fun, Teacher Li."

"You’ve already put together a proposal. This doesn’t look like you’re ’just messing around.’"

Li Weiya kept smiling and asked, "May I see the proposal?"

"Of course."

He handed her the proposal and waited patiently for Teacher Li to finish. He was eager to know what a professional art director would think of *Cat and Mouse*.

Holding the storyboard, Li Weiya found a chair and sat down. She gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and began to study it, page by page.

Out of professional habit, she instinctively began to analyze the intended theme of *Cat and Mouse*, as well as the animation’s hidden commercial potential. In her preliminary assessment, it earned a surprisingly high score in her mind.

’Does this mean this animated work has the potential to be a hit?’

After a long moment, Li Weiya slowly looked up. "The title of this animation is *Cat and Mouse*, right? The idea is excellent. Using the natural enmity between the animals to create a fun animation about their love-hate dynamic. I imagine you’re not focusing on a specific main plot, but rather on the process of the cat chasing the mouse?"

"Amazing. You really are a pro, Teacher Li," Jiang Xia said admiringly.

After all, from a professional standpoint, the proposal wasn’t comprehensive. Aside from the detailed character designs, the other sections were described with just a few vague keywords.

If any other animation director had gotten this proposal, they might have created a show with a central plotline.

Being praised by her own student felt a bit strange to Li Weiya, but deep down, she also felt a sense of joy at being recognized.

"So tell me, what’s your specific vision for it?" she asked.

"Actually, *Cat and Mouse* has no main plot. It’s a long-running, episodic animated series. There’s no connection between episodes; it’s just the cat and mouse getting into all sorts of shenanigans. For instance, Tom will try every trick in the book to catch Jerry, and Jerry will likewise rack his brain to fight back."

"I see..." Li Weiya’s brow furrowed. "Have you considered that without a central plot, every episode is essentially a new story? In many cases, that can actually slow down production. After all, you’ll eventually run out of ideas."

Jiang Xia smiled. "That’s true for traditional animation. A good story needs a plot to drive it, and that plot is usually born from conflict between characters. But a cat and a mouse are natural enemies; their conflict is innate. They have a million reasons to fight. All I have to do is present those million scenarios in an exaggerated way. As for who wins or loses? That’s not important."

Hearing this, Li Weiya’s eyes lit up.

"So, just like in the storyboard for the first episode, the mouse deliberately smashes the owner’s dishes, and the cat ends up getting thrown out. The next episode, they might get into another scuffle over a piece of cheese. They can be enemies, but they can also be friends."

"Exactly."

Jiang Xia shrugged. "In fact, I don’t even plan on having the owner appear on-screen. Their conflict with each other is what’s most important. I haven’t even thought about voice acting; a lot of the time, body language is far more effective than any eloquent dialogue."

Listening to his unique insights, Li Weiya marveled. "To be honest, I still find it hard to believe a high school student who’s only been learning to draw for a few years could come up with this. I’m already looking forward to seeing the finished first episode. You’ll probably win over a legion of *Cat and Mouse* fans in no time. I’m already one of them, at least."

Jiang Xia was a little surprised. ’I didn’t expect Li Weiya to rate *Cat and Mouse* so highly. I guess a classic is a classic, no matter the era.’

"Speaking of which, how long will it take you to produce a seven-minute episode?"

"About... a month, I guess," Jiang Xia said, giving a conservative estimate. He was worried he’d scare Teacher Li if he gave a shorter timeframe.

"A month? That’s a little on the slow side. Have you contacted any other animation teams? If not, how about considering my company? We’re a fairly well-known animation outsourcing firm in the industry, so quality is guaranteed." Li Weiya began to plug her company with a grin.

Jiang Xia was at a loss. "Teacher Li, you’ve misunderstood. I can’t afford to outsource anything. My plan is to make *Cat and Mouse* entirely by myself, from start to finish."

At his words, Li Weiya’s eyes widened again. ’Single-handedly create a high-quality, long-running animated series? Could a high school student really do that? One episode a month, no less?’

"Jiang Xia, you might not realize this, but animation production probably isn’t as simple as you think. It’s not just about making the drawings move; there’s also all sorts of complicated post-production work."

"I know, Teacher Li. I can do all of that. It’s a bit of a hassle, but it’s manageable. The technical side isn’t that difficult," he said with a nod.

’The technical side isn’t that difficult...’

Li Weiya’s expression twitched. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but ultimately held her tongue.

She sighed, patted Jiang Xia on the shoulder, and slowly walked out of the room.

"Keep up the great work. I believe in you. And remember, dreams are meant to be achieved."