It was about three o'clock in the afternoon when we came out of the cinema, so we wandered around to make time for dinner. However, when Li and Jiang Yucheng were already discussing whether to have barbecue or Japanese food in the evening, Zhaochuan was clamoring to go home.
"There is a golden brick under your bed, so you have to go home every day to guard it." Jiang Yucheng looked at Zhaochuan with disdain, "You only have one more skill than a otaku, which is writing."
"No, nowadays, otakus start with a basic SLR camera, they can edit photos, edit videos, make cheering items, and those with nice voices can even sing..." Chu Li counted on her fingers, "Because they have to go to comic conventions to take beautiful photos of the girls, they often carry a full set of equipment in the wind and rain, so they have unlimited strength--"
Chu Li put down his hand and looked at Zhuchuan silently.
Zhuo Chuan also looked at her, his eyes sparkling: "I can also lift a SLR camera and even a SLR stand with one hand."
Chu Li: "..."
The implication is: But this doesn't prevent me from holding you, Fatty, since you just ate such a big piece of chocolate.
As Chu Li and Zhu Chuan stared at each other in silence, Jiang Yucheng brought back the topic that was about to fade away. He reached out and patted Zhu Chuan: "Why are you in such a hurry to go home? Today, Xiao Houhou and I went out to watch a movie and discuss the publishing contract of "The Lost Amusement Park"... Considering what Xiao Houhou swore in the cinema just now, I am really looking forward to this event, don't mess around."
Zhuo Chuan glanced at the little girl beside him and said, "I want to go home because there is someone at home who cooks for me."
“…”
Chu Li's hand holding the bag suddenly shrank, her pupils slightly shrank, and at the same time as Chu Chuan's double eyelids stared at her, she heard Jiang Yucheng beside her say curiously: "You hired a cook? Not ordering takeout anymore? That's great, I told you a long time ago that eating takeout every day is not good, it's not good for your health..."
"Blah blah blah." Zhuo Chuan said expressionlessly, "Can you please not turn on parent mode so easily? You and I are of the same generation - I not only hired an aunt to cook for me, but she also accompanies me in writing, walking the dog, and watching TV..."
"Writing? Walking the dog? Watching TV?" Jiang Yucheng was stunned, looking up and down at Zhuchuan like an alien, "Have you really found a girlfriend?"
Chu Li silently took a step back behind Jiang Yucheng, and then began to frantically gesture to Zhuchuan to shut up and stop talking nonsense, but the man just ignored her and turned his face away calmly.
Chu Li was so angry that he stomped his feet on the spot!
Meanwhile, Jiang Yucheng, who had no idea what was happening behind him, was still in shock: "No wonder she was wearing such shabby clothes at home yesterday, are you really in love?!"
Zhuochuan paused and said, "I only wear that because I want to wear that. Can't I dress better at home? Who made that rule? What's wrong with being responsible for every minute and every second of your life?"
Jiang Yucheng didn't listen to his excuses at all: "At least forty-eight hours ago, I thought you wouldn't like humans..."
Chu Chuan: "If all humans are as annoying as you, then isn't it normal to hate humans?"
Jiang Yucheng continued to ignore his ridicule: "So who is your girlfriend? Do I know her? A writer? An artist?... People on Weibo said that the artist who painted the cover of "Luohe Divine Book" was chasing you, but I still didn't believe it. So when I think about it, you probably have a girlfriend recently... Tsk, is it really a cocoon?"
Zhuchuan sneered: "A cocoon? Can that thing be called a human being?"
Jiang Yucheng: "Then who do you think it is?"
Zhaochuan moved his lips, as if he didn't notice that he had been led astray by Jiang Yucheng - in fact, the main thing he denied was "the existence of a girlfriend" rather than "whether a girlfriend is a human or a cocoon"... Seeing the man pretending to want to answer seriously, Chu Li blushed and took out her phone and typed -
A second later, he raised his head suddenly. The phone in Zhuchuan's hand rang with a text message. The man took out his phone and took a look. The note was "A message from a banana man": [Don't talk nonsense!!! Be careful with your words!! Be careful not to ruin someone's innocence!!!]
Zhuchuan: “…”
...Look at what he's saying, with so many exclamation marks, who is he trying to scare?
Zhuochuan picked up the phone, maintained a proper paralyzed expression, and replied at the speed of a qualified coder: [Why, ten minutes ago you were still holding my hand and refused to let go, almost crying and asking me to believe you, and swearing to do amazing things - it turns out that it was just a product of the emotion you felt after watching the movie, and the short-lived passion disappeared as soon as you walked out of the theater. You were so cold that you didn't even give me a meal or let me go... Fortunately, I didn't agree to you immediately, otherwise my heart would be broken now.]
Chu Li: “………………”
Your heart will break!!!
Do you have a heart???!!
Jiang Yucheng: "Why did you suddenly start texting while we were talking? Is it your girlfriend who is looking for you?"
Zhu Chuan said without hesitation: "It's a betrayer."
First Li: “………………………………………………”
Jiang Yucheng: “?”
Zhuochuan looked at Chuli, who looked a little empty because of the despair on his face... Quietly raising the corners of his lips, the man typed the last four words on his phone, put the phone in his pocket, and said in a slightly cold voice: "I went out to watch a movie. Now that the movie is over, I'm going home."
Chu Li picked up the phone and took a look. The new message on the screen only had four words: [Come home with me.]
Imperative sentence.
There was no tone of negotiation in it.
Chu Li held the phone and thought for a while, thinking reflexively, "What should we cook tonight? Why didn't you tell me that we didn't buy any vegetables for dinner at home? What else is in the refrigerator?" She was trying hard to remember how many potatoes were left - suddenly she remembered that the canvas bag she was holding tightly in her arms contained the publishing contract for "The Vanishing Zoo" waiting for Jiang Yucheng to sign!
…So Chu Li paused for a moment and said what was probably the most audacious thing he had said since he started working.
She raised her head and waved to Zhuchuan: "Goodbye, teacher. Be careful on your way."
Zhuo Chuan paused in taking out the key, raised his head, and looked at Chu Li deeply.
It was like his heart was literally broken.
………………No.
Because three minutes later Chu Li received two new text messages:
One: [Take your broken contract and go to a bridge tonight to squeeze in with the beggars, because I won’t open the door for you.]
Two: [Don’t try to climb over the wall. There’s a vicious dog inside. I’ll call the police.]
…
After seeing off the elementary school students who were clamoring to go home to guard the golden bricks, Chu Li and Jiang Yucheng found a restaurant and sat down.
Jiang Yucheng ordered a cup of coffee, and Chu Li took out the contract for "The Disappearing Amusement Park" and handed it to Jiang Yucheng. When the latter took it and opened it, Chu Li was actually a little nervous - the first print run was the same as that of Zhuo Chuan's "The Divine Book of Luo River", but according to what Mr. L mentioned by chance that day, Xindun Society had once given Jiang Yucheng a first print run of more than 100,000.
Sure enough, after quickly scanning some important numbers in the contract, Jiang Yucheng closed the contract, picked up the coffee in front of him and took a sip, raised the corners of his lips, and said in a gentle voice: "I think you have guessed what I want to say."
Chu Li moved his lips, but Jiang Yucheng interrupted him: "I think you want to say something, and I guessed it too - Yuanyue Society is a big company, and it doesn't matter if the first print run is not high. The key is that you can sell it. As long as you can sell it, you can always continue to print and give me the royalties I deserve, right? Zhuochuan was also convinced by this."
Chu Li: "..."
It seems that the actor has complained to others many times about how reluctant he was to sign the contract.
"This is the perfect thing to say to someone like Zhuchuan. He has the pride of a scholar combined with his middle school syndrome, and his confidence is overflowing," Jiang Yucheng sneered. "If you ask him how much he can sell, he might tell you that if you give him an order for 300,000 copies, he can sell them all for you. The reason he signed the Luo River Divine Book to you is that he has confidence in himself rather than in you as a new editor."
"But I am different. Starting from my first book, The Vanishing Zoo, which created a miracle sales volume for a newcomer in the publishing industry, my second and third books were all popular works in people's eyes and were placed on the best-seller list in bookstores... But the reality is that each book has been going downhill."
Jiang Yucheng looked into Chu Li's eyes. "The last time I published a book was two years ago. The first print run was 200,000. It seems that they haven't sold out yet. They are piled up in the warehouse. Publishers sell at rock-bottom prices every year on Double Eleven to clear out their stocks. It makes me sad to see that..."
After thinking about it, Chu Li realized that Jiang Yucheng was indeed helping to forward booksellers' promotional advertisements every Double Eleven. He couldn't say a word.
"Every time they ask me to help spread the word and reduce inventory pressure, I always smile and say yes, just like... someone wants to hit you in the face, and you have to stick your face out unwillingly - there is no other way, it's easy to get something for nothing, publishing a book is just a job for money, how much more valuable is it than moving bricks on a construction site?"
Jiang Yucheng spoke calmly, with a smile on his lips the whole time. He even chuckled when he mentioned "clearing out warehouses on Double Eleven". He raised his hands and wiped his face with one hand.
That smile did not reach his eyes.
The expression on his face was as if it was him, not his books, who were being sold off on November 11.
——It seems that only he himself knows what he has experienced, what he has shouldered, and what he has endured in all these years with the reputation of "best-selling author".
"But I said I'd give you a chance, Chu Li." The mature and handsome man put down his hand. He looked at the little girl sitting opposite him. "Creatures forced into a corner will always be attracted to creatures in the sun. Zhu Chuan is like that, and so am I—"
He bent down slightly and pushed the contract in front of him back to Chu Li: "So although I will not sign this contract now, I am willing to give you a chance - fifteen days later, Zhu Chuan's "Luohe Divine Book" will be on the market. Give me a reason to be convinced with a satisfactory number."
Chu Li lowered his head and stared at the contract that was pushed in front of him - above the contract, the hand lightly placed had distinct joints and slender fingers.
"Half an hour ago, you swore that you would never let authors become victims of your own popularity again..." Jiang Yucheng said calmly, "Then, show me how you can be valuable as an editor. If you can't even handle a popular author like Chu Chuan, you can't save me from rotting in my coffin."