“We really can’t accept this manuscript,” came a woman’s voice over the phone, “It’s not that we’re declining your work. We’ve been working together for three years; there’s no need to deceive you.”
The young man played some music from his phone’s speaker, leaning against the couch, his eyes cast down, long lashes casting small shadows as he softly asked, “Can you give me a reason? If there’s something that crosses the ‘bottom line,’ I’ll do my best to make the necessary changes.”
“The writing is excellent, to be honest. It’s rare to come across such high-quality work,” she said, pausing for a moment. The woman let out a sigh, “However, Teacher, you know, no one will accept a book written by an author carrying the burden of plagiarism accusations. It’s a loss if we publish it.”
Plagiarism.
The young man pondered over those two words.
He had carried these two words for almost a year now. In an age that values intellectual property, once tainted with even the slightest hint of plagiarism, one would face relentless criticism and never lift their head again.
These two words had weighed on him for so long that he started believing them to be true.
“Thank you then,” the young man said, “I’ll hang up now.”
“Okay,” the woman replied. Just as the young man was about to end the call, she suddenly spoke again, “Teacher Yu.”
“What is it?”
“Our contract is also nearing its end, right?” After hesitating for a moment, the woman stammered, “Um, about that…”
Yu Qiu: “I understand what you mean.”
Person on the phone: “I’ll find another place in advance, no need to worry.”
Outside the window, dark clouds pressed down, not a ray of sunlight could penetrate through. The window was not tightly closed, and the wind forcefully blew it open, bringing in the September wind along with dried leaves.
Yu Qiu hung up the phone, stretched lazily, and got up to close the window.
The clock showed 5:43 in the afternoon.
He had already finished eating most of the food in the kitchen, and ordering takeout was not cost-effective. Recently, he was short of money and felt a bit strapped for cash. Yu Qiu put on his coat, searched but couldn’t find an umbrella, so he had to hope that it wouldn’t rain so soon.
Just as he was about to leave, his eyes caught sight of a thick notebook placed on the table.
On the cover, three words were written in black ink – “Boundless City.”
Below that were two more words – “Yu Qiu.”
Proud and solemn.
Yu Qiu’s footsteps halted, he picked up the notebook and flipped to the end, glancing at it.
“He finally believed that he was trapped in this city, even though he thought that looking up was the universe and bowing his head was the eyes and eyebrows of a lover, which was romantic enough. But he still felt weary—he hadn’t seen freedom for too long, and freedom was only given by a lover.”
He casually tossed the manuscript into the trash can.
Something that no one would read didn’t hold any meaning for him. Selling waste paper would be more practical.
The supermarket was crowded with people, not diminishing at all due to the approaching rain. Yu Qiu looked at the long line in front of him and got a headache. He raised his hand to check his wristwatch.
Twenty minutes later, the cashier finished scanning the celery and placed it into a bag. “Fifty yuan and sixty cents.”
Yu Qiu handed over the cash, and four one-yuan coins jingled in his pocket.
Before leaving the supermarket, he heard the sound of pouring rain. Gushing down mercilessly, the heavy rain fell on the ground. Yu Qiu pushed open the door, looking at the rain curtain in front of him with a headache.
The rain was coming down fast and hard.
These heavy rains usually wouldn’t last too long. Yu Qiu gently placed the purchased vegetables on the ground; there were eggs inside, and it would be a pity if they were broken.
He played with his phone for a while, and when he raised his head, he helplessly looked at the rain, which showed no sign of letting up. It was getting dark, and if he didn’t go back soon, he probably wouldn’t be able to see the road clearly.
Yu Qiu put his phone in his pocket, picked up the groceries, and prepared to try walking.
The pouring rain quickly drenched him, making him want to curse. His vision blurred, and raindrops hitting his body felt cold. Yu Qiu thought to himself – fortunately, the plastic bag was tightly tied. Otherwise, it would be troublesome if it got soaked and he had to control the water that entered.
Suddenly, a car with its high beam lights on blocked his path. The car slowly reversed, forcing Yu Qiu to stop and wait for the car to leave. Rainwater splashed onto his face, sliding down his chin and into his clothes. The black hoodie clung tightly to his body, making him look like a tempting figure soaked in water.
Yu Qiu licked his lips, sensing the ice-cold taste of metal in the rain.
The car slowly and leisurely backed away, the high beam lights suddenly turned over, blinding Yu Qiu. He raised his hand to shield his eyes, frowning.
The rain above his head suddenly stopped.
Yu Qiu opened his eyes and saw a black umbrella, a slender and white hand holding the handle of the umbrella firmly.
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