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Archorn The free premium system is just a test at the moment as far as i can see. It's a test to see if they can reach their profit goal. It's not even a sure thing. If they can't reach their goal, the system may even turn into full on premium in the future like the chinese site. So untill this test of theirs conclude and their customer base is set, i doubt there will be any changes. Especially if the change reduces the profit. What you are proposing would be really good for the readers, but would effectively cut the profit in half or even more, so i doubt it can happen. Ofc you can argue that this will bring in more profit by effectively doubling the customer base, but i doubt such a thing can double the premium users number. Tho even if it somehow could, i doubt they would change the system and take a risk if the system is already working as intended. You know the saying 'if it ain't broken, don't fix it'. If the system is working as they want and they are profiting from it within their profit margin, they wouldn't care about improving user experience if it may reduce profit. They will only do so if they are losing on more money unless they implement the said improvement. Just like how EA won't stop their microtransactions. They earn more than what they do from the game itself just from dlc, so many complain about it, but do they stop or change? Even with so much controversy going around they only ease it up a little on surface. Because it makes them tons of money and it works. So they have no reason to stop, since people are still paying even while complaining.

N0xiety That might be the case but if we don't give suggestions on how they could improve things then there is even less of a chance for a change.
The profit reduction you mentioned would happen if a reader uses SS to keep up with only one or two premium Novels (and would be even smaller if the "Buffer" version of my suggestion was used since nothing changes cost wise those who want to read the latest chapters as they release (though it does make it easier to take a break or switch novels for a time)).
Apart from more people being willing to spend SS on premium chapters however, the people that already do spend SS on chapters will probably start doing so for more than just the one or two novels as it is now.
With more and more novels turning premium they should probably try to minimize the drawbacks of spending SS to unlock premium chapters.

Another possibility if using the Buffer version would be a novel specific subscription model (kinda like how patreon works) so for a specific fee you get the buffer chapters and all new chapters unlocked for a duration of time (these chapters then stay unlocked even after the subscription ends). Not sure if any "Soft-Locked" chapters should be affected by the subscription, maybe you could get 2 or 3 unlocked with every "Time Unlock"?

That would also mean more translators and editors per project because the paying readers would catch up. Say INEBM have 40 premium chapters. I Don't need 2 pay more SS on that book because I already caught up and the daily unlocked chapter would be enough 2 let me follow the novel unless more chapters are released. (Per day)

Would also like 2 add that QI is still testing a lot of functions and the whole system could change in the future :)