Translator: Xiaoxi
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Chu Li: “Lao Miao.”
Lao Miao: “What?”
Chu Li: “Did you hear that?”
Lao Miao: “Hear what.”
Chu Li: “The sound of my youthful heart breaking.”
Lao Miao: “…..”
After the lady Cocoon incident, Chu Li’s three views were shaken up once again within a short period of time. Chu Li looked quite dumbfound. This Zhou Chuan wasn’t quite the same as the one in her heart.
Chu Li opened up Zhou Chuan’s Weibo once again, she seriously scrutinised his posts, his style on Weibo:
Reader Q: [Zhou Chuan da da , your personality is so great and your voice sounds so nice. You are probably really good looking, right? Not coming out to do an interview is such a shame. I have heard people say that you’re quite tall!”
Zhou Chuan: [If you guys praise me like this I will feel awkward. I don’t do interviews because I’m afraid that when you see my real appearance, you will feel disappointment. What happens if I break your youthful hearts?]
Reader A: [What books do you usually read? I’m a middle school student.]
Zhou Chuan A: [The books that you read in middle school aren’t usually interesting. Some examples could be the masterpiece Snow Country which would be recommended by your teacher, otherwise I personally think that [Elephant’s tears] and [The Alley Says Hundred Stories] by Kyogoku Natsuhiko’s Kyogiktang series are very good! When I have time, I will make everyone a reading list.]
And not–
Are you bored?
Wanna get blacklisted?
Long Yang 18 moves.
Long Yan whatever! Have you even read it? If you did I’m an oldie pushing a cart! The reader’s young female heart is valuable, what about mine. Mine!
This is not what the rumoured Zhou Chuan is like!
Due to Chu Li being unable to withstand the blow to her three views, she could not control the little horse that galloped around in her heart. From within the mail box she had to select from twenty or so odd messages. On the side she used QQ to discuss with L Jun about writer’s and their appearances.
They initially spoke about their careers. She didn’t talk about anything regarding her private dealings with Zhou Chuan, she only word vomited about a certain great god who acted cutely on Weibo and privately the opposite.
[Disappearing L Jun: You also said that it’s Weibo. Weibo is for you to act like a good person.]
[Disappearing L Jun: That person you saw at the editorial department was probably another fellow who lives live in a very forthright manner.]
[Disappearing L Jun: Don’t worry, you still have your heart’s gentle god Zhou Chuan.]
Chu Li: “…..”
[Monkey Invited Water Army: The little white lotus in my heart has a nice personality as well. I have loved him for ten years!]
[Disappearing L Jun: Your mother! There’s a little white lotus? The one you love most isn’t Zhou Chuan? Why is your heart so indecisive? Who?]
God his mother, who said lao zi’s favourite was Zhou Chuan?
[Monkey Invited Water Army: Not telling you…never mind. Please don’t mention any other writer’s, my head hurts.]
[Disappearing L Jun: Look at your pitiful face, how will you survive in this dog eat dog circle? Come, don’t worry L gege will look after you.]
Chu Li: “……”
[Disappearing L Jun: oh.]
[Disappearing L Jun: With that last phrase what position are you asking as? Man to woman? After three years you finally want to start dating online?]
[Disappearing L Jun: As master to his pet.]
[Disappearing L Jun: Online dating huh, I haven’t heard of this in ten years, what generation did you come from? Really cannot expect much from the old people who read Star Trails.]
Chu Li: …..
Chu Li considered his words while pressing ctrl V (keyboard shortcut for paste) to send: “Hi the manuscripts can be sent to this mail box, thanks (≧ω≦)！！！” that was used to reply to a lost little cutie. Chu Li actually really wanted to tell L Jun she wanted to go to Star Trails, at least the old people who read Star Trails won’t have so many stupid comments and messages.
In fact her day of work was actually drowned by silly cute people. Chu Li’s first day was initially going to end like this, however, just as it was time to leave Lao Miao had some things to say—
Lao Miao: ” Chu Li ah.”
Chu Li’s head full of posts: Ah?
Lao Miao: “Although I am the one responsible for Zhou Chuan, lately our relationship has gotten awkward…”
Chu Li: Ah…..
She didn’t have time to arrange her expression into that of pity as she said ‘really’. At this time Lao Miao clapped his hands as if he had thought of something.
“We spoke about Zhou Chuan, that’s good I have a contract that I need to have signed urgently. Our relationship is also strained as you may understand…”
Chu Li: “……”
I don’t understand.
Lao Miao: “Why don’t you run out station tomorrow midday to give the contract and have him sign it. This is conveniently timed because this month Zhou Chuan is staying in our city to have a break. It will also let you, a newbie, an opportunity to be familiar with writers. And in the future help me out with my job….”
Chu Li watched as Lao Miao took a file from the top of a hug pile, all she could do was receive it; mouth agape.
Chu Li looked at the contract in her hand. On the front page it said [The book of Luohe] Publishing contract written in bold.
Chu Li was dazed for a while, she found her tongue to ask: “Me? Go find Zhou Chuan da da?”
“What da da? That’s what reader’s call writers, be more professional; editors call writers Lao Shi (teacher).”
(TN: Dada was previously ‘great one’ from now I’ll stick to the pinyin for titles like this and Laoshi (used to refer to writers))
While Chu Li was stupefied Lao Miao had quickly written an address on her hand. When he heard her question he laughed.
“Yeah are you happy?”
Chu Li: “……”
She would have been happy, since the distance of getting the autograph from Zhou Chuan had reduced by a step. However, within the whole office there were other people who were all looking at her with the sympathetic eyes of looking at a cold corpse.
At this time the sound for the end of the day came, Chu Li turned the computer off and stood up with her head dipped to look at the hand which had Zhou Chuan’s publishing contract, Chu Li’s resolve wavered for a second. She grabbed the first page and turned it over to have a look, she realised the initial release was 45 thousand copies–only 45 thousand copies?
Chu Li called out to Lao Miao who was preparing to leave.
“Hey Lao Miao, does the contract have a problem? Why is the initial release only 45 thousand copies?”
Lao Miao turned around with a cold laugh: “Then how much do you think it should be then?”
Chu Li: “……I don’t know, forty five thousand though..”
Zhou Chuan is a Great God after all.
Lao Miao’s cold smile relaxed: “Kid, its 2013 this year not 1913, 45 thousand initial copies, did you think Harry Potter is worth asking the boss to mortgage all of his underwear?”
Chu Li: “….”
Wasn’t Harry Potter also 1913 ah? (TN: I don’t know about this one…isn’t it based in 1991 or something???)
Lao Miao put his bag down and looked at her with interest: “Then can you guess how many monthly issues of Moonlight Magazine we print?”
Chu Li: “800 thousand?”
The editorial department became quiet.
Lao Miao: “Ten or so.”
Chu Li: “??”
Lao Miao: “80 thousand.”
Chu Li: “….”
Awkward.
Lao Miao: “This number is synonymous with “Best Selling Magazine” already, so, welcome to the Publishing Industry. Our aim is to make a profit while dying, making sure the setting sun is also red.” (TN: Don’t know what this means…
Chu Li: “…”
…. I don’t know if resigning after the first day will break the historical record in Yuan Yue Publishing?
….
Day 2
After waking up to her alarm, Chu Li slowly opened her eyes. She glimpsed at Zhou Chuan Laoshi’s contract that was placed near her pillow last night. She suddenly thought of the other day in the Editorial department office when she heard the loud shout: 32 thousand initial copies, do you think I’m a beggar!
…It was hard to say which Great God that crazy fox was. According to the current magazine line up, the authors from the editorial department can’t be more powerful than Zhou Chuan. So, Chu Li was worried that when she gave Zhou Chuan the contract he would have a look at the number of copies and immediately throw the contract into her face.
Chu Li: “…”
Chu Li wiped her face, she could only accept that at this time it seemed that she was going to have a nightmare and it was about to start. She wasn’t silly, anyone with a brain could tell that from what Lao Miao said about Zhou Chuan and their poor relationship was just an excuse. If there really was any unpleasantness, it could only be due to the 45 thousand initial copies in the contract.
However, since the editorial department gave her this job then she would do it well.
She crawled out of bed before having a shower and blow drying her hair before proceeding out the door.
Zhou Chuan had bought a property in G City that was situated near the centre of the city, it also seemed to be in one of those high end communities. It even needed visitors to register. According to the address that Lao Miao gave her, she found the corresponding house and raised her head to look at the single family duplex with a yard. While standing at the door she thought back to her own forty metres squared dog house that needed an hour and a half commute. She didn’t know how many lifetimes she needed in order to be able to buy a house like this.
Great Writer ah, has money, has time, life is natural and unrestrained, winner of life.
Who knew that in this lifetime she can even say something more than “Da da, I really like your work” to the great writer, she could say “Lao Shi I love you ah although you are only an actor”?
Feeling excited, Chu Li pressed the door bell with a pious heart.
The door bell sounded for a long time.
Chu Li pressed the door bell while standing on her tippy toes trying to see what was inside past the metal gate. While waiting uncomfortably she noticed that an Alaskan Malamute was standing up ready to open the door. The big dog stood up and leaned on the door with it’s ears perked up and tail wagging, its face pressed against the door. Chu Li extended her hand through the metal gate to pat its head, it’s tail wagged so quickly it looked like it would fall off. At this time, Chu Li quietly spoke to the dog: “Lil Cutie, where’s your daddy” Where’s your daddy, get your daddy to open the door ah!”
The dog woofed twice.
Then Chu Li heard a voice that was low and husky with sleepiness from the intercom: “It’s called Er Gou (second dog), not lil Cutie, I’m not its dad, I’m its brother. Who is it outside?”
Chu Li: “…”
What?
For a moment, Chu Li only realised that the door bell had the intercom connected to it. The husky voice of this man made her face red. No wonder they said that just by listening to his voice you could tell he was a handsome guy.
It’s Zhou Chuan ah!
It’s Zhou Chuan Laoshi ah!
The person who lives here is Zhou Chuan and the person who is talking to her is Zhou Chuan ah!
Chu Li struggled to repress her excitement in her heart, patting the dog called Er Gou’s big doggy head, she cleared her throat while pretending to be calm: “Zhou Chuan Lao shi right? Hello, I am from Yuan Yue Publishing Moonlight Magazine. I’m a new editor, today I am here to give you the contract for the publication of [The Book of Luohe]…”
The person on the other side of the door paused for a bit.
After a while Chu Li suspected that he had fallen asleep while leaning on the door, before long she heard his calm voice say:
“Open up the contract to the first page.”
“Oh”
“Opened it yet?”
“Opened it.”
“Initial number of copies, dictate.”
The strong sound of the mans voice was slightly nasally.
“Lao Shi, do you have a cold?”
“Speak.”
“45 thousand.”
“….”
“….”
“Er Gou, send the guest out.”
“Woof!”
“………………”
Chu Li was dumbfounded and realised that she didn’t even have the opportunity to get slapped in the face with the contract.
Not gonna happen!
Lao Shi, it would be better if you slapped me in the face with the contract!!
With the determination to die, Chu Li rang the door bell unceasingly and Er Gou inside was jumping around wanting Chu Li to come in and fondle is ears. From the person and the dog’s antics the initial tranquillity shattered, after Chu Li’s tenth ring of the door bell and Er Gou’s scratching and hustling, the neighbour was probably ready to call the police.
The gate of the Western Styled apartment complex finally opened!
Just as Chu Li was ready to ring the eleventh time, she watched as a tall man walked from the inner most part of the house towards her with Crayon cartoon pyjamas. His hair was in a birds nest, with dark eye bags and red nose due to his cold, he wore step on slippers. Despite his poor image and pale face, it did not hide his handsomeness.
At this time, the man’s stride was full of killing intent as he walked to the metal gate: “Laozi was writing manuscripts last night until four am this morning. And this morning at half past ten was woken up! After waking up I still have to be humiliated with the initial number of copies only being 45 thousand. 45 thousand! What has Lao Zi done huh? 45 thousand! The difference of 13 thousand from last times 32 thousand was really sincere! You guys at Yuan Yue Publishing really must think that Laozi is a beggar!”
Zhou Chuan was not done yet.
His eyelids lifted up inadvertently, the pair of tea coloured eyes coldly regarded the person outside the metal gate whose face had cracked.
The man wrinkled his nose, revealing a familiar arrogant expression, at this time his husky voice due to his cold was nasally which made him seem less dignified: “What?”
The person on the other side of the metal gate took a step back and took with her the shattered expression and broken three views–
It’s fox.
Fox is Zhou Chuan.
Fox is Zhou Chuan.
That fox who wore Crayon cartoon pyjamas was the gentle and warm as jade Young Master Chuan!
Excuse me!!!!!
Chu Li calmed down the messy thoughts of:
“The gentle and warm as jade Young Master Chuan is really different from his rumours.”
“Apart from being an actor, he is also a fox.”
“Are you kidding me, I have had a spring dream with Zhou Chuan!”.
She used ten seconds to realise what she was here to do. She thickened her face to curry favour once more, with a face full of sincerity she concluded that the person on the other side of the door was throwing a tantrum because they just woke up.
“That’s not it, Lao Shi, listen to me…”
Zhou Chuan hatefully raised his lips: “Not listening.”
“Wait, wait, wait!” Chu Li pressed against metal gate, “You cannot treat a lady like this.”
“A lady does not use 45 thousand initial copies to humiliate me.”
“…..”
Crazy lion, arrogant fox, From Kyogoku Natsuhiko to Long Yang 18 moves.
(TN: Kyogoku Natsuhiko is a Japanese mystery writer)
Chu Li realised that she was really wrong–
Not everyone in this circle is a two faced lunatic.
The only crazy one is this old man Zhou Chuan.
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Translator Comments: I’m so excited!!! Our two leads have met each other…first impressions are not too great though. hehe
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