I'm not a literary giant

Chapter 245 Lover
"Prince Xu?"

A voice rang out from behind the noisy crowd. Prince Xu turned around, his gaze settling on one person amidst the throng of people.

“Xie Cong?” Prince Xu recognized him quickly.

Xie Cong was Wang Zixu's classmate in high school.

His infatuation with Chen Qingluo during high school was common knowledge, and his jealousy of Wang Zixu was also an open secret among his classmates.

Ironically, after graduation, Wang Zixu lost contact with most of his classmates, but over the past ten years, the person he saw most often was Xie Cong—the last time the two met was at the Xihe Literary Gathering a year ago. It's truly a case of enemies meeting again.

"It really is Prince Xu?" Xie Cong recognized him and a smile bloomed on his face, a smile mixed with an indescribable sense of superiority, as if he were one step ahead in some aspect of life. "What are you doing at the train station during the New Year holiday instead of staying at home?"

This question was a bit complicated for Wang Zixu. He instinctively wanted to explain An Younan's existence, so he turned his body slightly to the side and looked back to find his companion.

However, all that could be seen were bulging backpacks and a group of unfamiliar heads. The young woman had already slipped away unnoticed, disappearing like a drop of water into the sea.

Having been through countless paparazzi tests, An Younan was always on high alert when out in public. The moment Xie Cong called out Wang Zixu's name, she had already slipped into the crowd like a gazelle, disappearing eighteen meters away in the blink of an eye.

Wang Zixu was somewhat surprised, then found it rather amusing. He returned Xie Cong's greeting and replied:
"It's a long story. And you? Didn't you also arrive at this train station on the first day of the Lunar New Year? And you were dressed so... uniquely."

Wang Zixu's gaze lingered on Xie Cong for a long time. Xie Cong was wearing a slightly tight-fitting velvet suit jacket, his hair was styled into a standard slicked-back look with hair wax, and he had carefully kept a circle of artistic stubble on his chin.

Against a backdrop of a group of drab, bulky down jackets, this outfit seems a bit overdone, like a peacock trying too hard to spread its tail feathers.

However, Peacock himself was completely oblivious and quite pleased with Prince Xu's description. He smiled and said, "After all, it's the first time I'm taking my fiancée back to my hometown to meet my parents, so I have to put on a good show."

"Fiancée? You're getting married?" Prince Xu was somewhat surprised.

"You're not getting any younger, why aren't you married yet?" Xie Cong dusted off non-existent dust from his clothes. "I've been established in my career for many years, it's time to settle down and start a family, it's a natural progression."

Xie Cong spoke so matter-of-factly that Wang Zixu felt as if he had unexpectedly redefined the character's image.

"But I remember you said... you were keeping two female college students as mistresses, taking turns with them on an 'odd-even' schedule, and you were very happy, so there was no need to get married..."

Xie Cong's smile vanished instantly, and he nervously stopped him from continuing.

"Hey, hey, stop it. That's all in the past. I've already put my mind at ease."

"That's it."

Xie Cong rubbed his hands together and lowered his voice:
"Old Wang, if you see my fiancée later, don't mention the female college student."

Looking at his menacing expression, Wang Zixu thought to himself, "Does this mean I have to meet his fiancée?"

To be honest, he had little interest in learning about Xie Cong's personal life, romantic relationships, or even his fiancée.

He went out today purely to help An Younan retrieve her luggage; he was completely unprepared for social situations and hadn't even washed his hair.

"Did you hear that? I started dating her as a reformed prodigal son. Don't bring up things that are hard to swallow," Xie Cong continued to instruct.

“…Okay.” Prince Xu nodded reluctantly.

Xie Cong failed to notice his subtle resistance, quickly adjusted his emotions as if his earlier panic had never occurred, and resumed his artistic demeanor, speaking in a tone that was both probing and scrutinizing:
"I heard you quit your job and are now focusing on creative work full-time?"

Wang Zixu shook his head: "It's not exactly full-time writing. I also have a part-time job as an editor at a magazine."

"Magazine editor??" Xie Cong found it absurd and laughed out loud. "The entire print media industry is a red ocean now, is there any way for magazines to survive?"

Kind-hearted as Prince Xu was, he naturally didn't want Xiao Ning's hard-earned career to be easily slandered, and spoke up in her defense out of loyalty:

"Actually...we're doing quite well. Our...magazine's been pretty popular lately, if you follow literary news..."

He stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence. He suddenly realized that if Xie Cong paid attention to the literary world, he would definitely have heard about the earth-shattering move he had made.

He had only recently become a viral sensation and hadn't yet developed the awareness to be a reliable source of online traffic, which almost led to his own downfall.

Xie Cong, completely unaware of this, casually asked, "Oh, what's the name of your magazine?"

"New Appreciation".

"never heard of that."

"..."

Wang Zixu felt slightly humiliated but couldn't say anything—compared to the current entertainment scene, the "explosive popularity" in the literary world was more like a self-indulgent hobby.

Xie Cong said, "What I mean is that you lost out by quitting your job! When I heard you quit, I thought your novel was a huge hit and you had earned enough money to live comfortably for the rest of your life. But it turns out... you went to work in a sunset industry. Isn't that worse than having a stable job before?"

As Wang Zixu listened to this line of reasoning, a familiar sense of weariness washed over him—Old Wang had used the same logic at home to wear him down to the bone.

Old Wang is a conservative who values ​​job security above all else, while Xie Cong is a hedonistic young man who pursues fame and fortune. Despite their vastly different values, the two men surprisingly reached a high degree of consensus on the issue of Wang Zixu, thus forming a pincer movement against him.

Wang Zixu didn't expect Xie Cong to understand his stubbornness about "self" and "passion," as talking to him about it would be like casting pearls before swine. He carefully chose his words to explain:
"It's not that it's 'worse' or 'worse'. Anyway, we're all just working to make a living. Rather than wasting our time in a field we're not good at, we might as well choose a lifestyle that we like."

Xie Cong was momentarily stunned: "The lifestyle you like? It's... writing novels carefree and then being poor?"

Wang Zixu was not offended. He broadened his gaze slightly, piercing through the crowds at the station. In that moment, he suddenly felt enlightened and no longer sought the understanding of others.
"Of course, I aspire to more than just that. I also want to live in a sunny place where, with a single call, cats, dogs, and children come rushing out in a lively stream... I write novels surrounded by this vibrant air, yeah, that's about it."

Xie Cong's expression froze, then a strange look of pity appeared on his face, and he sighed deeply.

“I always thought that you were... to put it nicely, you didn’t care about personal honor or loss…” He reached out and, without any restraint, picked up Wang Zixu’s clothes and tugged at them gently. “To put it bluntly, once you put on this long robe, you can’t take it off.”

Prince Xu disliked this feeling of intrusion and subconsciously took a step back. Just then, a soft touch carrying a cool fragrance gently brushed against his left arm—

He glanced to the side and saw that An Younan had somehow snuggled up to him like an elf, her slender arms naturally slipping into his crook and holding him tightly.

"Hello, hello!" An Younan raised her small face, which was slightly red from the cold wind, and her voice was as sweet as honey as she gave Xie Cong a bright smile.

Half of her face was hidden in a fluffy scarf, but the glimpses of her bright, sparkling eyes were enough to captivate anyone.

Xie Cong was completely stunned by the sudden intimate scene and the stunning beauty before him. His mouth was slightly open, and he remained silent for a long time. His gaze swept back and forth between Wang Zixu and An Younan, filled with disbelief.

"You...she...who is this?"

Wang Zixu said, "My relatives."

"I'm his girlfriend," An Younan answered crisply, tightening her grip on Wang Zixu's arm.

Xie Cong's gaze lingered between the two for a moment before he asked, puzzled, "Is she a relative or a girlfriend?"

An Younan tilted her head and blinked her innocent big eyes: "Relatives can be girlfriends too, that's called keeping the good stuff in the family."

Xie Cong was convinced by this theory. He looked at Wang Zixu again, his gaze instantly becoming extremely complicated, flashing with a kind of shock that said, "I didn't expect that you, Wang Zixu with your thick eyebrows and big eyes, would be so cunning," and... a faint envy.

An Younan playfully stuck out half of her pink tongue, her tone suddenly changing as she said:
"I was just kidding! He just doesn't want to be honest about our relationship in front of outsiders. After all, I'm just his mistress."

"Lover?" Xie Cong was completely confused, his finger trembling as he pointed at her: "You, me... him? You are his lover?" "To be precise, he is my lover, because I'm the one who keeps him."

With a tender, affectionate gaze that would be quite challenging even for a seasoned actor, and in a tone that was both indulgent and slightly reproachful, An Younan softly said to Wang Zixu:

"You should have said earlier that your ideal life was to buy a house with a small yard, and I would have given you a car for free..."

Before she finished speaking, to Xie Cong's astonishment, she magically produced a heavy car key with the double-R logo and slapped it crisply onto Wang Zixu's chest.

Wang Zixu, both amused and exasperated, said to Xie Cong, who was completely bewildered:
"Don't listen to her. She's just a relative's child, and she's just messing around with you."

Xie Cong's expression clearly conveyed five words: "Do you think I believe you?"

Wang Zixu didn't care whether he believed it or not, and quickly grabbed An Younan's wrist: "We have something urgent to attend to here, so we can't chat any longer. Excuse me, let's get together again next time!"

Having said that, he practically dragged An Younan away quickly. Xie Cong was left standing on the platform for a long time, like a lonely tear on an eternal face.

After walking far enough away to make sure Xie Cong couldn't hear him, he slapped the heavy Cullinan car key back into An Younan's hand and asked in a low voice, "What are you doing?"

An Younan rolled her eyes: "I helped you fight back against that pretentious guy, why are you yelling at me? You really don't appreciate my kindness."

Wang Zixu was both annoyed and amused: "Is Xie Cong a pretentious guy?"

An Younan said, "Of course, his sense of superiority is practically overflowing. Can't you see that? I'm getting so annoyed listening to you guys chat, and it's amazing you can stay calm."

Wang Zixu said, "He's just a bit sharp-tongued and likes to brag, but he's not inherently bad... Well, when he says he keeps female college students as mistresses, he's probably just bragging."

An Younan's beautiful eyes narrowed dangerously, like a cat locking onto its prey:

"I don't care about his true nature. What I hate most in this life is this kind of arrogant guy. If I run into him, I'll definitely slap him in the face!"

Having said that, her face switched to a sinister and cunning villainous expression, a wicked smile curling at the corner of her lips:

"Did you see that? His last look—lost, resentful, envious. He probably won't be able to sleep tonight, right? These negative emotions... hehe, how delicious..."

"Where did you come from, a demon that feeds on the negative emotions of humans?"

"I am an elf, the kind that is supposedly invincible in beauty."

The two chatted idly as they walked to the designated location at the train station, amidst the chilly winter afternoon air and the city's characteristic hustle and bustle. Wang Zixu quickly contacted the train conductor in charge and successfully retrieved An Younan's lost items.

Soon, Wang Zixu was carrying several heavy gift bags (which were indeed filled with beautifully packaged cigarettes, alcohol, tea, and snacks) and walking side by side with An Younan on the way back.

"Wow!" An Younan's eyes sparkled with excitement, her voice filled with genuine surprise. "I thought you were just trying to comfort your dad, but I didn't expect you to actually bring the luggage back!"

Wang Zixu weighed the substantial gifts in his hand and said, "I also thought you were just trying to appease my dad, but I didn't expect you to actually bring so many gifts."

“Of course,” An Younan said proudly, swinging her arms and taking light steps like a little pony. “It’s never a bad thing to be polite! The first visit is the best opportunity to make a good first impression and build rapport, so how can I not prepare a generous gift?”

She spoke as if it were an irrefutable golden rule in social situations.

Wang Zixu never imagined that after working for so many years, he would still be taught how to give gifts by a younger woman so much younger than him. If she had given him guidance back then, and he had made more trips and given more gifts, he probably wouldn't have failed to be recognized as an outstanding employee for nine years.

“Hey,” An Younan called softly to him, “When that person said those things to you just now, did you really not feel a ripple in your heart at all? Did you really not think about lifting your veil and living as the Little Prince?”

Prince Xu did not stop walking. His gaze calmly fell on the distant, hazy horizon, and he shook his head.
"That's the standard reaction he would have for someone like me under mainstream values, as normal as using an umbrella in the rain."

After saying that, he turned to look at her and asked, "Isn't it strange to you that I'm unwilling to reveal my identity?"

“Strange.” An Younan nodded without hesitation, but immediately changed the subject, her eyes becoming clear and sharp. “But not the kind of strange that doesn’t conform to mainstream values. That kind of strangeness is too low-level.”

She stopped and turned to face Prince Xu. The winter wind ruffled the stray hairs on her forehead as she spoke in a prophetic tone:
"Mainstream values ​​are merely something that the vast machine of society uses to guide those 'primitive people' who cannot integrate into the complexities of modern life. Strong individuals like you and me do not need them."

Prince Xu chuckled softly: "I've actually become a powerful being..."

“Of course you are strong,” An Younan said very seriously. “Being able to make clear choices and having the courage to insist on living your life the way you want, and to bear all the consequences of those choices—good or bad. That in itself makes you an absolute strong person.”

……

After bringing the gifts home, Old Wang's regard for An Younan increased even further. He warmly invited An Younan to stay, while urging Wang Zixu to quickly pack his bedding and get on the sofa.

Prince Xu did not object to this.

The sofa, in this forgotten corner of the living room, that small and soft space, gave him a strange, enveloping sense of security, like a small refuge.

Moreover, in the eyes of the world, sleeping on the sofa always carries a sense of "sacrifice and dedication," and others (especially Old Wang) will unconsciously soften their tone of voice when speaking to someone curled up on the sofa.

In the end, even his bedding was made up for him by An Younan. In short, he had nothing to complain about.

What really gives him a headache is tomorrow.

Tomorrow there will be a Spring Festival gathering of the Writers' Association. The entire association will be visiting Ms. Li Tingfang's home to extend New Year's greetings. The event may last for a morning or even a whole day.

It's impossible to take An Younan with him. He wouldn't feel comfortable leaving her alone at home, staring at each other blankly at Old Wang.

After much thought, he felt the only solution was to find Old Wang some work to do and send him away for a day. Letting An Younan watch the house alone was perhaps the safest option. But what excuse could he use…? His mind raced.

Lost in thought, he drifted off to sleep in the soft embrace of the sofa.

After an unknown amount of time, in a half-dream, half-awake state, Prince Xu suddenly felt a heavy pressure pressing down firmly on his lower abdomen! It felt like being hit by a warm boulder, and he could hardly breathe.

He woke up with a start, his heart pounding.

The room was pitch black, with only the dim yellow light from the streetlights outside casting swaying spots of light on the floor through the gaps in the loosely drawn curtains.

In the blurry light and shadow, he suddenly saw a figure in pajamas straddling him arrogantly, as if riding a horse!

It is An Younan.

She leaned forward, her long hair falling down, outlining a blurry silhouette in the dim light. In the darkness, her eyes shone with an astonishing brightness, like two cold stars, carrying an air of interrogation.

"Are you going to the New Year's gathering tomorrow?" she asked in a low voice, her deliberately fierce demeanor crumbling the moment she asked the next question, turning her into a completely curious child. "...What's a New Year's gathering?"

"How did you know I was going to the New Year's gathering?" Prince Xu was sweating profusely and extremely shocked. He really suspected that An Younan was a demon who could read minds.

"I peeked at your phone," An Younan replied without a hint of guilt, her tone even more natural than when she said, "I poured you a glass of water."

"You looked at my phone?!" Wang Zixu was both shocked and angry. He subconsciously tried to struggle to get up, but the woman was pressing down on his lower abdomen, pinning him to the sofa and making him unable to move.

“Isn’t it normal for a sister to look at her brother’s phone?” An Younan tilted her head, her innocent and matter-of-fact expression seemingly visible even in the darkness. “I’ve seen a lot of jokes like this online.”

"You have to copy everything that's said in online jokes? Aren't mainstream values ​​tools meant to guide primitive people?" Prince Xu was almost laughing at her robber logic.

"Shh—! Don't make a sound!" An Younan leaned closer and announced decisively, "I don't want to argue with you right now, so as not to wake your dad. Anyway, I'm going with you tomorrow."

(End of this chapter)