"What's wrong with you?" The man held the phone far away from his ear. "Why are you here so late at night? Are you drunk?"
"I didn't drink, your foot-washing maid did," Chu Li said, holding her phone, barefoot, hanging outside the window and stepping on a tile on the roof, which made a creaking sound. "For four or five days, I couldn't find her. On the fifth day, I prayed to the gods and finally she showed up and told me that I would submit the manuscript tonight. Then she continued to be nowhere to be found. When I remembered to look for her, I found that she was saying goodnight to her fans on Weibo. Finally, she disappeared without a trace, without a trace!"
"And then?" The man on the other end of the phone sneered, "You didn't call me just to hear me say 'I told you so' again."
"Yes, didn't I just say that? I'm here to repay you a favor."
"What favor?"
"Have you forgotten how you boarded the plane smoothly that day? After I rummaged through my boxes and drawers to find my ID card, as the sun was setting, it was someone who stood at the door of his house and swore that he owed me a favor. At that time, there seemed to be light in his eyes, and it seemed as if he was stepping on colorful clouds, wearing the cape of a great hero..."
The man held the phone, and the smile on his lips became clearer... He sat on the window sill with his long legs stretched out, and a low voice that seemed to vibrate from his chest sounded lazy: "Oh, who is it?"
On the other end of the phone, the girl's two white legs were hanging outside the window, swaying. Hearing the man's laughter on the other end of the phone, her fingers paused for a moment, and she felt that the laughter was very close, as if she could feel the man's breath... Is the sound transmission effect of mobile phones now too good? Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she took the phone off her ear. Her cool fingertips carefully pinched her earlobe, which was a little hot. She put the phone on her knees, pressed the hands-free button, and cleared her throat: "Who else could it be? Don't lie, Ergou is an eyewitness dog."
"...Banana Man, you——"
"...Don't talk to me in the same tone as my mother, who was teaching me to wear autumn pants. I'm scared!"
Chu Li lifted up a tile with his big toe and retracted his foot. The tile snapped with a clear sound. Chu Li thought, this is probably what is called climbing up to the roof to remove the tiles?
"Teacher Zhechuan, due to the sweet opposite sex attraction, Queen Xu seems to listen to you. Even if she doesn't listen to you, she won't ignore you. So could you please tag her in the QQ group and ask her what's going on? The agency is pushing me hard for a reason. The Luo River Divine Book will be released in October. It's already mid-to-late July, and our cover artist is still playing the role of a missing person, appearing and disappearing like a ghost, and not afraid of boiling water... We asked for the complete manuscript to be submitted to the printing factory for proofing before mid-August!"
"Change."
The man's tone sounded nonchalant and decisive.
Chu Li was silent for a moment, and said in a desperate tone: "But Lao Miao has already made the official announcement. If you don't believe me, go to Weibo and check it out. It's been forwarded 6,000 times. It's as if the whole world knows that you're going to collaborate with Niangniang to produce "Luohe Divine Book" - the leaders of the company are very happy now. After Xu Jiang and Cheng Xin signed a contract with our company, the official Weibo of "Moonlight" hasn't been so lively for a long time."
Chu Li: “……………………and I haven’t felt so desperate in a long time.”
Chu Li: "Do you know what it means to be in a situation where you can't get off a tiger? That's me now."
As Chu Li was talking, he poked at his phone with his mellow fingertips… absentmindedly, he sent a message to Mr. L on his phone to ask him what he was doing, and at the same time, he continued to persevere in checking whether the Goddess of the Moon was online - of course she was still not online. In fact, Chu Li even suspected that he had been blocked.
At this moment, after hearing Chu Li's request, there was silence on the other end of the phone.
Chu Li picked up the phone curiously and put it close to her ear. She was about to ask where Chu Chuan was and whether he had fallen asleep... After a long time, she finally heard a slight rustling sound from the other end of the phone. Chu Li called out "Teacher", and then felt the phone next to her ear vibrate. She screamed "Ah" and took the phone away from her ear in shock!
After taking a closer look, it turned out that a new message suddenly popped up in the group of four people I had just opened:
【晝川：@破繭How is the draft going? I took a look at the rough draft and it seems very good. I look forward to the final draft! 】
Chu Li picked up the phone, then put it down again. After thinking for a while, he said sincerely, "...Thank you, teacher."
Chu Chuan: "Have you knelt down?"
First ceremony black question mark face.
Zhuochuan: "You have to kneel down to thank me."
Chu Li: "..."
The man was sitting by the window, teasing the girl happily. He hadn't had time to think about how she was speechless when the sound of a car engine rang out from the far distance outside the house. His smile faded slightly, and his brown eyes sank in the night. His eyes flickered darkly for a moment. He paused and then put on the same lazy tone as before: "I'll do it for you. Whether it will succeed depends on luck. Don't make a fuss all day long. I'm your author, not your man. I don't have to clean up your mess every day."
"Just speak properly, where does the 'tiantian' come from?"
Zhao Chuan looked at his phone and thought to himself, it's really "Tiantian". From the time you, a fool, started working until now, how much have I helped you, both known and unknown?... Hmm, when I think about it this way, it seems that I am really as kind-hearted as Guanyin Bodhisattva. Don't worship the gods during the New Year this year, just burn incense and worship me.
Just as he was thinking about this, he heard the sound of conversation and footsteps in the corridor outside. At the same time as the person outside knocked on the door and pushed it open, the man said "hang up" to the girl on the other end of the phone and hung up the phone. He put down the phone and remained sitting on the window sill without moving, looking at the middle-aged man who walked in from outside.
The person who came had a pair of brown eyes exactly like his.
...In fact, his eyes and facial features are surprisingly similar, but the wrinkles on both sides of his nose have deepened due to his age, making his appearance more serious and stable - he wears a fitted shirt and suit pants, and after a day's work, the shirt is still wrinkle-free, and the belt is tied around his waist without any care, just like a standard veteran cadre...
Day Gu Xuan.
Vice Chairman of S Province Writers Association, born in 1966, worked at People's Daily, C City, S Province in 1987, joined the Chinese Writers Association in 1998, and became Vice Chairman of S Province Writers Association in 2001, and a member of the 10th National Committee of the Chinese Writers Association. His representative works include Red Eagle, Sunset on the Battlefield, When the National Anthem Sounds, and Years Like Songs.
——When he stood there, looking at Zhuchuan silently, Zhuchuan always felt like he was looking into a magic mirror of several decades later.
It has always been like this.
It has been like this for nearly twenty-seven years.
"...Every time I see you, I will give up the idea that I might not be your biological child." Leaning against the window, the man tilted his head and raised the corners of his lips slightly, "Dad."
"What are you doing sitting by the window? Be careful not to fall down. Come down." Zhuo Guxuan obviously didn't bother to pay attention to his son's teasing. "Who are you talking to on the phone? It's rare for me to hear you talk seriously."
Zhuo Chuan wanted to say, "I'm not a three-year-old child or a cat that climbs high. How can I fall out of the window?" Helplessly, he could only push up his long legs and put his hands in his trouser pockets to answer his father's question: "The editor of Yuanyue Publishing House called me and said that there was a problem with the cover of "Luohe Divine Book"..."
Zhu Guxuan waved his hand and interrupted Zhu Chuan: "Old Xia called me a few days ago and told me about this. He asked me to find a calligrapher to write a piece of calligraphy for you, which will be the cover of your new book."
Chu Chuan: “…I don’t even know about this.”
Asking a calligrapher to write a title for a novel that is mainly aimed at readers between the ages of 13 and 30! This is an impulse to fuck with the style of the genre, right? Is it okay?
Zhuo Guxuan said in a low and solemn voice: "I found it for you, and I have already written the letter and sent it off - if it is done, there is nothing else to say, but I will come to you if it is not done!"
Zhuchuan Erzhang was confused and a little bewildered: "...Should I say: Thank you, Dad?"
"Forget it," Zhuo Guxuan said as he turned and walked out. "Your mother asked me to ask you to go downstairs to drink some sugar water and to check on you. She also told us not to quarrel. I have completed the above tasks. Come down."
Zhuchuan: “…”
The man stuffed his phone into his trouser pocket and restrained his usual frivolity and arrogance in front of his father. He lowered his eyes and even sneered when his father mentioned "no quarreling"... He followed his father downstairs, and halfway down, the person walking in front suddenly stopped -
Zhuo Guxuan turned around and said to his son behind him, "I thought you still wouldn't come to this Writers Association meeting."
Zhuo Chuan: "Surprised or not? Unexpected or not?"
Zhuo Guxuan seemed too lazy to pay attention to his scolding tone: "I'm curious, what made you change your mind?"
"..." Zhuchuan thought for a moment, "I am the editor."
"You edit?"
"She told me that people can escape for a while, but they can't hide forever - if you don't like it, do it. If you can't do it, die. The winner is the king and the loser is the enemy. There is no such thing as mediocrity."
Upon hearing this, Zhuan Guxuan looked at his son who was standing on a slightly higher step. His brown eyes, which were the same as his, but a little cloudy due to his age, stared at the young man behind him without any hesitation, and he did not hide the slight surprise in his eyes...
But it was only for a moment.
He was silent for a moment, and when he spoke again, his voice was smooth as a rock: "You think you're going to the battlefield just to hold a writers' association meeting? It's your seniors, your teachers, who watched you grow up wearing open-crotch pants—"
"My mom said I've never worn open-crotch pants."
"Shut up - when you sit there among so many people, who will know who you are... and you think you are a piece of cake? The meaning of the doctrine of the mean is profound and complicated, do you understand?"
晝顧宣一邊說着一邊轉身繼續往前走，晝川顯然是猜到了他會是這個反應，完全意料之中，無所謂地抿抿唇——
正當然以為這事兒就揭過了，卻沒想到“噠噠”拖鞋踩在樓梯上聲響之中，走在前面的中年男人卻突然又補充：“但你那編輯說得也對……恭喜你，這麽多年了，好歹是碰上個能教你做人的良師益友為編輯。”
晝川：“……………………………………啊？”
良師益友？
誰？
一根香蕉？
這黑色幽默厲害了，老頭你這是要轉型當魯迅型作家啊？
晝川掏掏耳朵，整個人都是“excuse me”的懵逼狀，懵逼得過于入戲，以至于他幾乎忘記了，這是他十五歲那年之後，頭一回不是和他老爸見面就吵架，并維持了他們晝家十幾年來珍貴且難得的——
一晚上和平。
……
三天後。
G市。
晝川的作協大會正在準備，即将于當晚展開，初禮這邊已經陷入了水深火熱——起因于周三下午，夏總編親自送來一副書法字作為《洛河神書》封面題字，題字的老先生是正兒八經書法家，S省書法界老一派藝術家型大大，初禮展開那題字時手都是抖的，心想這他媽得值多少錢？
後來得知這位老一派藝術家型大大是晝川他老爸的隔行摯友，這字一分錢不要，頓時更加惶恐——
晝川他老爸的面子得值多少錢？！
元月社厚着臉皮子去找晝顧宣求字，看來當初說要做好《洛河神書》真的不只是說說而已：光這一幅字，就能就新文學與舊學派和諧共存的正能量标題發表篇八百字長微博……
而讀者會更加高興，他們和初禮一樣當然不知道這幅字到底具體好在哪，但是他們也即将和初禮一樣。知道這字是可以百度到的正兒八經書法協會承認的書法家的作品，然後沉默地跪下以表敬意，最後乖乖交出自己的錢包……
“我我我馬上去讓美編做掃描文件……”初禮小心翼翼捧着字畫。
“嗯，沒事，”夏總編說，“求來了這麽好的封面題字，那到時候封面設計時，就知道标題一定要大，标題大才直觀才能吸引讀者，你們約的圖反而不是重點……對了，約的封面底圖呢，打開我看看是什麽樣的。”
“………………”
初禮傻眼了。
一下子沒反應過來這話題怎麽跳得這麽快。
将題字小心翼翼放到一旁以免夏老師毆打她時不小心碰壞，初禮深呼吸一口氣，然後再老師質問的目光下瑟瑟發抖道：“畫手就給看了其中一張的其中一個人的草圖，然後，我就聯系不上她了，想換人，但是法務那邊說合同已經走好了定金給了，《月光》雜志官方微博也已經官宣這次合作……”
說到最後初禮都想給夏老師跪下哐哐磕頭。
夏老師陷入了沉默。
然後當天，初禮見識到了有文化的老人家屌人是什麽樣的一個場景，并将之親身體驗，其中擁有隊友三人：阿象，老苗，于姚。
……說起來于姚也是真的可憐，什麽錯都沒犯，就忙着跟着她手底下的人處處趕着場子躺槍艾瑪。
夏老師重點痛批《月光》雜志編輯部工作效率低下，最後留下一句“這一周拿不到成品圖這本書你們就不要做了”這樣不像話的氣話後揚長而去……目送夏老師離開的背影，初禮幽幽地問于姚：“帶着一幫智障手下是一種什麽樣的體驗？”
于姚：“說實話，雖然知道這在所難免，但有時候也确實想拉你們去填海。”
初禮：“……”
初禮默默地抽出椅子坐下，正準備第幾百次日常催促繭娘娘給稿，沒想到一坐下來，她就看見繭娘娘的頭像在搖晃，并發來一個很雞兒巨大的離線畫圖文件。
當時初禮還以為自己被夏老師罵出了幻覺——
晝川的催稿看來是有用的？抱着一顆蛋疼的心，初禮點開了文件……
然後整個人吓得差點直接坐地板上。
——繭娘娘發過來的圖是他媽一張成稿圖，勾好了線，上好了色，做好了背景也調整好了圖片整體色彩結構，完成度滿分，相當漂亮的一張成稿圖。
白衣少年端坐于磐石低頭擦拭長劍；身後，白發紅眸高大魁梧男人立于其身後，攏着袖子，欲語又止；兩人身後落葉飛花，天空碧藍，隐約可見一野獸圖騰與雲間，正是白發紅眸男子在文中被描述的獸首模樣……
整幅畫，意境到位，人物不僅精致俊美，且眼神中有戲……而在初禮印象中，當下國內畫手，能做到“人物眼神中有戲”的屈指可數。
——講真，光看圖來說，三千塊花得物有所值，也足以讓人在一瞬間重新明白這位聚聚的破事兒那麽多她為什麽還能有一大票粉絲。
畫得是真的好。
但是此時此刻初禮也一點都高興不起來，甚至可以說是驚吓大過于驚喜……她叫來了阿象，然後兩個人四只眼睛一起對着這幅畫發呆放空——
首先，這幅畫整體結構是右構圖，标題只能放在圖片的左邊；
其次，因為是偏右構圖，所以跨頁什麽的，是沒有的了，之前想過的各種排版風格都要重來；
第三，重新畫，且不說現在只有一張圖，還有一張草稿都沒看見，而且照繭娘娘這隔三差五人間蒸發的德行，趕得上八月中旬下印十月書展上市才有鬼，趕不上書展夏老師就能把她們腦袋擰下來丢進廢物回收站；
最後，整張圖能留給标題的空間根本不多，這意味着書的标題必須比預計的縮小——
那麽問題來了。
毛筆字，越大才越霸氣大方好看；
并且夏老師大約在五分鐘前才立了個flag，他的原話是這樣的：求來了這麽好的題字，那到時候封面設計時，就知道标題一定要大，标題大才直觀才能吸引讀者，你們約的圖反而不是重點。
初禮沉默了下，道：“……………………………………真的，現在這種情況，我選擇死亡。”
阿象也幽幽開口：“……………………黃泉路上帶上我，別丢我一個人在人間煉獄受苦遭難。”
……
當天晚上。
C市。
S省作協大會順利展開，晝川他老爸晝顧宣老先生在大會上發表了針對現代文學與傳統文學作品區別的重要講話——重點宣傳了時代變遷下，二者相互融合與包容的重要性；強調現代文學不應該只是一味取悅讀者，因為深入考究，本着“以文載道”的寫作基本底線，進行創作……
晝顧宣先生講話期間，他那個聽了他這番話聽了十幾年聽得耳朵起繭的兒子、現代小說當紅作者晝川，就與難兄難弟江與城肩并肩地坐在底下，臨聽教誨——
江與誠用肩膀撞了撞晝川：“真沒想到你會來，不是堅決不來打死不來嗎？”
晝川靠向身後的靠背，神色淡然：“逃避可恥且無用。”
江與誠笑嘻嘻：“這兩天也沒和你老爸吵架。”
晝川：“沒有，大家很有默契地能不産生對話就不産生對話，努力忘記對方是自己的同行這件事後，父子關系還是融洽的。”
江與誠：“……”
看着坐在自己身邊，伸長了腿擡起椅子前面一翹一翹沒個正形的男人，目光淡然，雖偶爾聽見“小說不應以取悅讀者為第一要素”這類話時，偶爾皺眉且眼底浮現抵觸……
但是總體來說，比幾年前他上一次來參加作協會議時不知道好了多少倍。
江與誠動了動唇，正想問晝川磕了什麽神奇的太太口服液這麽彌勒佛似的心平氣和，這時候就看見男人在桌子底下開始擺弄自己的手機——
晝川打開了Q，然後又看見某人的十幾連發炮轟。
【猴子請來的水軍：「圖片」】
【猴子請來的水軍：您勞尊大駕催來的圖，好看不？我覺得是挺好看的，是我心目中的主角。】
【猴子請來的水軍：然而并沒有什麽卵用。】
【猴子請來的水軍：右構圖，水平翻轉不能，标題留空不夠，把作封面的商圖當宣傳海報在畫——我踏馬一共就看見這圖兩次，第一次是這兩個人物中的人物其中一個人的線稿，第二次是完成度百分百的成稿！！！！！！！！！！】
【猴子請來的水軍：我去你瑪德，有不給編輯看稿的畫手？？？！！！！】
【猴子請來的水軍：夏老師前腳才說書名要大要霸氣，後腳就給我發來個寫完标題作者名字都不知道塞哪的圖？！！】
【猴子請來的水軍：要瘋了，真的，發際線直接升高一毫米。】
【猴子請來的水軍：然而圖确實好看，可能是繭娘娘對你是真愛——幾千塊的出版封面稿完成度和用心程度和幾萬塊的影視游戲商用稿一個等級，我踏馬現在感覺冰火兩重天似的。】
[The Monkey’s hired naval forces: I’m so angry. Why are there people in this world who are talented but have no character and make me hate them so much!!!]
The man raised the corners of his lips.
【Zhuchuan: You are complimenting her. 】
[The monkey’s hired navy: Hey, are you here? ]
[The navy hired by the monkey: Isn't it a meeting? ]
[The Monkey’s hired naval officer: I really didn’t exaggerate her. Do you think this kind of person is sick? If she has the ability, why not just draw a picture that everyone will like? What is she doing? 】
[The Monkey’s hired trolls: Ergou canned food is almost sold out. I searched the title on Taobao and found the next one. One can of it is enough for me to eat steamed buns for two months for lunch… I can’t afford it, so go buy it yourself.]
After complaining to the other party, he started to grumble about his daily life... Thinking of her holding her phone and searching for canned food, her eyes widened when she saw the price, and she silently closed the page and hesitated -
The smile on the man's lips widened.
At the same time, he caught a glimpse of a familiar Q avatar out of the corner of his eye. Jiang Yucheng stretched his neck and asked, "Little Monkey is looking for you?"
"Tsk," Zhuchuan suddenly turned his phone to the side, "What are you looking at? What are you looking at? You don't have an editor to talk to you..."
"No, let me see what he said. He was smiling so happily..."
"No."
"Take a look."
"You go."
"oops……"
【The Chinese Writers Network once published a report, Is Internet literature literature? What kind of literature is Internet literature? ——People have different opinions on this. Because some works called "Internet literature" are indeed still a little far from the quality and appearance of "literature", that is, they are not up to the height and precision of "literature" (*Original text excerpted from the Chinese Writers Network)... Mr. Zhao Chuan, seat 2, row 3, and Mr. Jiang Yucheng, seat 3, row 3, remained silent during the meeting, what were you two doing? 】
On the stage, teacher Zhao Guxuan's sudden call of the name made the two young men who were having a great time below freeze in their tracks.
Zhuchuan cleared his throat, snatched his phone from Jiang Yucheng's hand, kicked him under the table, and then stuffed the phone back into his pocket.
In front of all the senior colleagues, the two of them put away the stern look on their faces, sat up straight, lowered their heads, and looked honestly and repentant, like two elementary school students who were called out for making trouble in class.