The next day is the weekend.
It started raining outside at daybreak. The large room seemed unusually quiet in the drizzling spring rain. A tall and slender man was slumped in the middle of the dark blue bed. When a little light from outside shone into the room through the window, he frowned and covered his face with the pillow.
Last night, Zhuchuan was pissed off by a certain ungrateful person. He ordered a midnight snack but then ate too much. He couldn’t sleep so he had to turn on his computer and write until 3:30 in the morning before he yawned and went to bed…
The above is the normal work and rest schedule of a professional writer.
Sudden death? I'm not afraid of that.
Basically everyone is like this anyway - they say they get inspiration when it's late at night, but in fact, other normal people are awake during the day so these people just play and chat, and only when others go to sleep at night and they are bored do they think of writing...
Chu Chuan and Jiang Yucheng are typical representatives of this type.
Jiang Yucheng would often disappear until 1pm, so if his editor had any urgent business in the morning, unless the geographical advantage allowed him to go to Jiang Yucheng's house and bang on the door, he would basically be so anxious that he would hang himself... In comparison, Zhuo Chuan was much better, because he had an ancestor who followed the old man's schedule, went to bed at 10pm, woke up at 7am and ate canned food -
For example, today, at exactly seven in the morning, it was raining and lazy, but Zhu Chuan was still sleeping happily in the sound of the pattering rain, when he felt that the bed beside him had sunk deeply - a furry head pushed and pushed to lift the quilt, and continued to push and push to force its way under his arm... Zhu Chuan closed his eyes and scratched the dog's head perfunctorily. The big dog persisted in pushing his chin with its wet nose. Zhu Chuan changed the pillow covering his face and pressed it on Er Gouzi's face: "Refuse to be gay, even if it's a male dog."
Ergou started to hit his stomach with his big claws, which were as big as a normal person's fist.
The man hissed, regretting that he should not have slept with the bedroom door open last night. He turned over, holding his stomach, and said drowsily, "No more canned food. Let me sleep a little longer and I'll buy you a roast chicken for lunch."
After Zhuchuan finished speaking, he covered his head with the quilt, and the world became quiet.
Originally, he thought he could continue to sleep peacefully until noon and then get up to see Lao Miao. Unexpectedly, not long after he closed his eyes, the dog that had just been sent away came back again - this time it jumped onto the bed and stomped hard on Zhuchuan's stomach with its two front paws through the quilt - this stomping made Zhuchuan almost lose his soul. He lifted the quilt and was about to speak, but Er Gouzi threw a mobile phone in front of him with a look of disdain...
Zhuchuan: “…”
He got up in a daze, grabbed a tissue and wiped the dog saliva on it. He saw the caller ID clearly: [Mr. Zhou Guxuan].
A hint of gloom and hesitation flashed in those brown eyes that were still full of sleepiness a second ago. However, after much hesitation, Zhuo Chuan still picked up the phone, put it to his ear, whispered "Hello", and then changed to the lazy teasing tone unique to a young master of an aristocratic family, and said, "Dad? It's so early in the morning, why don't you and the dog let me go?"
There was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment, and then the usual sermon began...Zhuchuan listened, nodded dazedly and responded -
"Last night? I went to bed at 10:30...How come you saw me posting on Weibo at 11 o'clock? Do you know how to use Weibo?...Oh, did my brother teach you? Tell him not to ask me for pocket money for three months. No, this is a punishment for meddling in my business."
"What new book? The Book of the Gods of Luo River? Tsk, tsk, the sun has risen in the west, you still care about this? Ah? Yes, I signed it to Yuanyue Publishing House. The editor they sent is too clingy. I'm afraid if I don't sign it, she will hang herself on the tree in my yard and I won't know where to throw her body... Oh, that's right, you said you have cooperated with this shabby publishing house that is about to go bankrupt for most of your life, why don't they give me more royalties for your sake?"
"………………I'm just kidding, stop yelling."
"The Writers Association is holding a meeting? I'm not going."
"Why would I go? I'm just a writer of that? Ah, a third-rate writer of fast food junk literature... Just keep on talking. Don't get high blood pressure when you glance down and see my face in the middle of your speech."
The man's voice was deep and magnetic.
He lay face down in the quilt, letting the soft down quilt slide off the strong muscles of his shoulders... He stroked Er Gouzi's big head while casually making a phone call, and with a few words, he perfunctorily dealt with the roaring old man on the other side. At the end, he did not forget to tell the two elders at home to take care of their health, and ignored the sarcastic words on the other side, "When will you be willing to write something serious, and when will I live a long life?"...
Three minutes later, Chu Chuan hung up the phone.
I couldn't sleep anymore after that.
After getting up, taking a shower, and walking out of the bathroom, his brown eyes no longer looked soft and lazy because of being full of sleepiness... an unknown gloom shrouded his eyes, which meant——
Maybe it's due to lack of sleep, or some other reason.
He was not in a very good mood today.
…
This is a pity for Lao Miao, who thought he had picked up a great bargain.
I arrived at the editorial office early in a sunny mood, brewed my precious expensive coffee, turned on the computer to watch a movie, and when I drank half a cup of coffee leisurely, I heard footsteps outside the door...
When he looked up, he saw a man in a dark blue casual suit standing outside the door. The suit was pure dark blue, with three white horizontal bars on the right sleeve and right trouser leg making his limbs look even more slender... When Lao Miao stood up to greet him, he was holding a pure black long-handled umbrella in his hand, which seemed to have just been put away.
There was a small pool of water on the ground, dripping from the umbrella.
Leaning the umbrella against the door, Zhuochuan walked in, came to Lao Miao's side and looked around - finally his eyes fixed on the seat next to Lao Miao... There was no one sitting there when he came last time, but now it was full of things. The most eye-catching one was a drinking cup with a small lid on it. Standing on the small lid was a cartoon toy figurine of a banana man with its peel lifted up to reveal a big white root and an evil smile on its face.
Zhuchuan: “…”
Having already guessed whose seat this was with his clever toes, the man pulled out her chair and glanced at the monkey seat cushion on the chair… He took a step forward with his long legs and sat down with a swagger. He looked at Lao Miao and got straight to the point without any greetings: “Yu Yao called me yesterday afternoon and said that you guys were fighting over the proofreading rights and the editorial signature for the Luohe Divine Book.”
Lao Miao probably didn't expect him to be so direct. He was stunned for a moment and said "Ah", but didn't react for a moment... After a few seconds, he nodded and said, "Yes, I was actually thinking of talking to you about this today. There were some disputes within our editorial department regarding the proofreading of this book."
The man raised his chin to signal him to continue: "What do you mean?"
Lao Miao smiled, changing his usual surly demeanor when he was arguing with Chu Li: "It's like this, 'The Divine Book of Luo River' is our Yuanyue Society's new attempt in the field of non-traditional literary themes. We are under a lot of pressure from above, and this book must sell well... So we can't relax from the beginning of proofreading, and we must have an experienced editor to start working on it--"
Chu Chuan: “Oh?”
Zhuochuan stretched out his hand and absentmindedly played with the evil banana man ornament on the cup lid.
Lao Miao continued, "I have two editors who can do the first and third proofreading. One is Chu Li, whom you have met before; the other is Xiao Niao... Xiao Niao has experience in publishing proofreading. For safety reasons, I want to hand over the first and third proofreading of this book to Xiao Niao. Chu Li was unhappy when he heard this and insisted on getting the proofreading rights for this book—"
Chu Chuan: “Oh.”
Seeing that Zhaochuan didn't express his opinion and was just playing with the evil-looking banana man, Lao Miao immediately began to sigh and act worried: "Master, please be fair. How can an intern editor who has just been here for less than half a month and hasn't even been hired as a full-time employee be in charge of such an important project?"
"That's true, isn't it?" Zhuo Chuan sneered, looking like he was listening attentively. "Any other reasons?"
"Yes! Moreover, Xiao Niao and I, Lao Miao, have always been your fans. We have admired you since your debut work, "Eastern Charming Records," Lao Miao said, "Sometimes I think about it. When you were 17 years old, your first work showed your brilliance. You were called the most promising young writer. When you were 19 years old, you had already published three works. At such a young age, you joined the Provincial Writers Association. Your family has a long history of scholars... Teacher, you are a genius!!!"
Lao Miao's last words were loud and clear, like words from the bottom of his heart.
To be honest, he was just sincerely trying to flatter Zhuchuan by using his impressive resume...but he never expected that his flattery would backfire!
After hearing his confession, the man's slender fingertips that were fiddling with the small toy suddenly paused - his long and thick eyelashes drooped, covering up the flash of darkness in his brown eyes. He reached out and placed the banana man neatly back on the lid of the teapot.
The man sneered, his words tauntingly: "A family of scholars, will there be a successor?"
As if he had pondered over these words, the man raised his head, and suddenly his smile faded. He changed the subject: "Miao, I have published quite a few books, and I have dealt with many editors of various types from various publishing houses. I have always believed that there is an unwritten rule in your industry, that whoever signs the book should be the editor-in-chief of the book?"
Lao Miao was stunned.
"Then from the establishment of the project, to proofreading, to cover design, to book packaging technology and finally to market promotion, all the procedures should be completed by the editor-in-chief, right?" Zhao Chuan raised the corner of his lips and glanced at Lao Miao who was stunned for a moment. "Are you the editor-in-chief of "Luohe Divine Book"?"
“…”
"Did I say it was you?"
“…”
"Why are you so self-conscious to start assigning people to be responsible for the follow-up work? Have you read what this book says?"
“…”
"Miao, you haven't signed the book contract in half a month. How long did it take your editor to finish it?" Zhuo Chuan stretched out his legs and smiled, "Three days."
Three days? Not just a few days ago... Lao Miao's eyes widened. Zhu Chuan reached out and patted his shoulder: "The girl was afraid that you would lose face, so she called me to ask me not to reveal that the contract was signed so quickly. She was trying to save your face. Why don't you thank her? You even want to snatch her proofreading rights. Isn't that bad?"
I don't understand why the tone of the conversation that was so harmonious and pleasant just now suddenly changed. How could the great god in front of me turn hostile so suddenly...
While Lao Miao was in a state of confusion, Zhechuan stood up and patted the wet water on his sleeves: "Forget about the title of genius. Those old guys got me into the Writers Association because of my old man's face... I, Zhechuan, am just a third-rate fast food trash writer - my old man's original words..."
Zhuochuan paused, thought for a moment and said with a smile: "But as a writer, I still have my dignity. I got to where I am today by writing one word at a time. If anyone expects to sit on my shoulders and cover the sky with one hand by relying on those crooked ideas, that won't work."
The smile on the man's face was more terrifying than Prince Yan's smile.
Lao Miao: “…”
At this moment, hearing Zhu Chuan suddenly sarcastically emphasize something like "third-rate fast food garbage article", Lao Miao suddenly remembered some unconfirmed rumors in the circle... saying that Zhu Chuan and his father, Mr. Zhu Guxuan -
There are different opinions on writing.
Suddenly her face turned pale and blue, and she finally understood why the man in front of her suddenly attacked her. She stood up abruptly and said, "Master, I really didn't mean anything else by what I said just now. I really like your book..."
Zhuochuan waved his hand, signaling him to shut up.
Lao Miao fell back into his chair with a look of dejection on his face, looking like he wanted to slap himself in the face -
Zhuchuan pushed the chair under his butt back into someone's seat.
"My meaning is quite clear. I have no right to interfere with your thoughts of office struggle. Just don't put your ideas on me—" the man said calmly, "Forget about who will be in charge of the first and third proofs of this book. I will also hand over the second proof to someone else. If Lian Yuyao can't make the decision, I will find someone higher up to make the decision."
"..." The man lowered his eyes, "I'm done. Goodbye."
Yan Che never looked at Lao Miao again and walked out without looking back... He opened the door of the editorial department, and the drizzle outside in the morning turned into a downpour. The cool wind blowing in his face slightly extinguished the nameless anger in the man's heart. When he looked up, he saw a banana man standing in the corridor, shaking off the water on his body like a dog.
Zhuchuan: “…”
Zhuochuan: "You go out without an umbrella?"
“I forgot.”
Hearing the question, the little girl lowered her head and answered casually. After a moment, she seemed to realize something was wrong. She froze and turned her head. When she met Zhuchuan's eyes, she was stunned.
Zhuo Chuan raised his lips, showing his sarcasm: "It's the weekend, and all the editors are rushing to work overtime. Did the editor-in-chief of Yuanyue Publishing House drug you?"
Chu Li was confused and pointed to the editorial department behind the man: "Teacher Chu Chuan? Ah, I'm here to get the documents..."
...Are you the one who was caught in the unspoken rule by Lao Miao? His face was as dark as Bao Gong's.
Ignoring Chu Li's inquiring and confused expression, the man glanced at her, took his umbrella and was about to leave - what did he mean by coming to get the documents? It was obvious that he had seen Lao Miao's circle of friends and was worried and came to intercept him halfway...
The man complained mercilessly in his heart and slowed down his pace. Sure enough, just after he walked out of the corridor and went down a few stairs, he was stopped from behind. He turned around and met a pair of eyes flashing with anxiety.
Zhuochuan paused and asked knowingly, "What for?"
“……………………Teacher Zhuchuan, I know what you came here to say to Lao Miao. He posted it on WeChat Moments yesterday.” Chu Li stood at the stairs, leaning against the wall nervously, revealing half of his nervous face. “But can you please consider it a little longer, consider me, give me a chance, and I will definitely work hard to make this book for you…”
Chu Li's voice became quieter and quieter.
In the end it sounded like the hum of a mosquito.
Zhu Chuan accidentally thought of the night when she burst into tears and cursed at the innocent L, looking like a fool...
The man narrowed his eyes slightly, waiting for himself and not feeling very good, so he suddenly got malicious, raised the corner of his lips and sneered: "Consider you? Okay, what do you have in exchange?"
He spoke with his usual suave and scoundrel tone, waiting for Chu Li to jump up and scream and call him a scoundrel. But who knew that the man hiding in the corner suddenly brightened up when he heard his words, and jumped out from the corner: "Use my four years of professional career in Chinese language and literature!"
Zhuchuan: “…”
Outside the publishing house's office building, heavy rain was washing over the ground with a rustling sound.
The man standing on the stairs raised his head slightly and looked at the little girl who was standing at the stairs, bending over and staring at him while talking: the determination on her face seemed to have mustered up all her courage for the rest of her life.
The man's eyes moved.
He stopped joking and teasing, looked at her, and suddenly smiled, his tone became calm: "Okay, I'll consider you then."
…
When Chu Li took the printed copy of "The Divine Book of Luo River" out of the office, he was thinking about how to avoid getting the book wet. As a result, when he arrived at the stairwell, he saw a black long-handled umbrella leaning against the wall with wet stains on it.
Chu Li walked forward, bent down and picked up the umbrella.
…
That night, Yu Yao announced in the work group that Chu Li would be in charge of the first and third editions of Luohe Divine Book, and she would be in charge of the second edition herself;
And the final editing of this book, following the basic default rule of "whoever signs is responsible for editing", will also be undertaken by Chu Li. I hope Chu Li will work hard, take on such an important task, and not let the society down.
The author has something to say:
Male protagonist: The male protagonist is online.