The casual chats and visits to his own website gave Chu Ge a strange sense of satisfaction. It was similar to the "annual meeting" he had always longed for; it made him feel like he was part of the website's elite, able to chat and drink with editors and other top authors.
Although it seemed to have no real practical significance, in any industry, there's always some expectation of being "upstream," rather than hiding alone in a dark room, just hoping his words would sell for a little money.
Joining various online writers' associations, besides having a title like "I'm from the XX Writers' Association" for self-introduction, was also largely due to the feeling of being part of a "group." It made him feel like he wasn't a ghost drifting online, but rather that there was a collective, a "base."
It made him feel alive, that society still had expectations of him.
Unfortunately, in reality, writers' associations only held empty meetings, and online writers' associations were utterly useless, ultimately becoming just an excuse for gatherings. Chu Ge hadn't participated in any for a year or two.
The visit to his own website finally gave Chu Ge a somewhat satisfying feeling; he recognized the editors and the editor-in-chief, and that was enough.
As for the big boss… he might meet him at dinner later, but that was a different story altogether, and Chu Ge felt it had absolutely nothing to do with writing.
Chu Ge didn't even plan to hitch a ride with the boss. After leaving his own website, he took a taxi to the banquet hall Xie Wenyuan had arranged. His gaze swept around the room, then, as if pinpointing a spot, landed on Qiu Wuji.
It was a buffet banquet hall. Men and women were holding drinks and juices, chatting and talking with acquaintances in small groups, creating an elegant atmosphere. While not as extravagant as formal attire, most people were dressed formally, with suits and long skirts being the mainstay.
Qiu Wuji's casual white shirt and blue jeans stood out.
Including Chu Ge's T-shirt and jeans… not only were the styles out of place, but the obviously cheap clothes were also very noticeable, making them seem like two people who shouldn't belong here at all.
Even so, Qiu Wuji remained the most beautiful sight in the room.
Almost everyone was looking at her, men and women alike—a natural human attraction to beauty.
Qiu Wuji strolled among the various self-service counters, curiously watching others take things, then she grabbed a glass of orange juice herself, sipping it while watching.
That curious, naive charm combined perfectly with her elegant, languid demeanor, creating a unique allure. You couldn't immediately tell if she was a country bumpkin or a worldly woman with a story to tell.
The banquet hall was large, and before Chu Ge even reached Qiu Wuji, someone else arrived first.
"This young lady looks unfamiliar. She seems to have come with Mr. Zhu?" A handsome young man in a suit stood beside Qiu Wuji, smiling, and asked, "May I ask how you address Mr. Zhu?"
Qiu Wuji blinked, even feeling a little touched!
This was the standard treatment a female protagonist gets when she goes out and is approached—this was the first time she'd experienced this in almost half a year since she transmigrated! She thought she'd lost her charm, but it turns out she still had some! "Huh, is Chu Ge here? I can smell the sour scent wafting over, hehe."
Chu Ge stopped, hands on his hips, looking at her with annoyance.
"Uh, this young lady..."
To others, Qiu Wuji was simply twirling her orange juice glass, looking at him with a half-smile, her expression unreadable—whether mockery or something else—it just sent chills down their spines.
Qiu Wuji smiled slightly: "Yes, I came with my grandfather."
Old Zhu: "?"
"Mr. Zhu is your grandfather?" the young man asked, quite pleased. "Then Miss Zhu is now helping Mr. Zhu manage the family business?"
"Yes, my grandfather and I grow tea in the countryside..."
Before he could finish, the young man's expression changed drastically, and he fled in panic.
Old Zhu: "..." This is the next line: "Grandpa's dead, damn it!" Qiu Wuji pursed his lips, as if speaking to thin air, "Others can use this line for several sentences, why do they run away as soon as I say it?"
Chu Ge appeared beside him: "You've seen these kinds of jokes, so of course others have seen them too. Do you think they don't go online?"
"Oh..."
"You're a storyteller, can't you make one up yourself?"
"Why should I make one up? He knows my grandfather isn't dead, he just needs to hear it and know I'm refusing."
"That makes sense." Chu Ge stroked his chin, looking at the young man: "So, it's still..." "A well-mannered young man doesn't pester you." Qiu Wuji smiled slightly: "It's hard to pester someone in public, you're not some nobody." Chu Ge said sourly: "Aren't you happy that you still have charm?" Qiu Wuji laughed: "You should be happy. No one's competing with you for your girlfriend, how do you know how precious yours is?"
"I don't need anyone competing with me, I know I've got the greatest treasure in the world."
"Hmph, met the female editor?"
"Met him." Chu Ge pointed to the door.
Qiu Wuji turned her head and saw a middle-aged man in a suit walking into the banquet hall. He went straight to Xie Wenyuan, seemingly very familiar with him.
"Is he your boss?"
"Yes." Qiu Wuji's expression changed, as if she could imagine the scene of Chu Ge's meeting... So what was she doing at noon?
She tightened her grip on the juice, gritting her teeth, as if she wanted to crush it.
Chu Ge then added, "Actually, how could you possibly squeeze him dry like that? We still need to..."
"Get lost!" Qiu Wuji nearly splashed the juice all over Chu Ge's face.
The glass had barely touched the surface when Chu Ge sipped, as if she were deliberately feeding him the juice.
Qiu Wuji paused, her eyes crinkling into crescents with laughter: "Is this what you're used for? Aren't you ashamed?"
Chu Ge mumbled as he drank his juice, "Not only is it not ashamed, look how much people are staring at me, their eyes are practically red."
Qiu Wuji glanced around, her face slightly flushed.
Many people around them were secretly observing them; some were smiling like doting aunts, others were looking rather resentful.
They clearly thought Chu Ge was also trying to pick her up, and were expecting him to be rejected, but the two of them chatted away oblivious to everyone else, even feeding each other juice affectionately, treating the huge banquet hall like a private romantic getaway.
These are clearly a couple deeply in love, completely devoted to each other, the kind of couple so inseparable even a meteorite couldn't break them apart!
Such a beautiful flower, but it turns out it was already stuck in a cow…wait, this cow dung isn't bad-looking either.
Some people looked at Old Zhu and Xie Wenyuan, speculating about their relationship with this young couple. Actually, Old Zhu's strength here is only average; some people might not need to worry about his reputation. But Xie Wenyuan is no ordinary person; not someone to be trifled with.
Chu Ge and Qiu Wuji's divine senses captured the surrounding reactions. A hint of coldness crept into Chu Ge's smile: "Some people..."
Qiu Wuji chuckled: "Are you trying to say 'beauty is a curse'?"
"No, to be honest, taking a beauty like you out, I'm only now experiencing how difficult it is to be coveted, hahaha. I don't know if it's because of our social circle, but we rarely go out and only see ordinary passersby. Today, we've seen a whole host of distinguished guests." Hearing the sarcasm in Chu Ge's "a whole host of distinguished guests," Qiu Wuji shook his head, a touch of regret in his voice. He sighed, "It's alright, really. In ancient times, they'd be much more overt, not so restrained—judging by their wariness of President Xie, it's unlikely they'll find anyone looking to cause trouble..."
"Looks like you're actually hoping someone's causing trouble," Chu Ge said irritably. "It's better if no one is. Even if someone were to cause trouble, it shouldn't be this kind of low-level nonsense. There are much more sophisticated things for you to do... Look..." Qiu Wuji followed Chu Ge's gaze and saw Du Lianfeng's former secretary, smiling and raising a glass to Xie Wenyuan, seemingly about to discuss something.
Her gaze also seemed to casually glance at Chu Ge and Xie Wenyuan, a hint of alluring smile on her face.
Qiu Wuji's gaze quickly turned cold.
Sure enough, coming to Shanghai meant inevitable encounters.
The world is small.