I'm not a literary giant

Chapter 246 Snow Country Bus
In the dead of night, Wang Zixu was jolted awake by an unexpected, overwhelming sensation. His already muddled mind became even more sluggish, and he blinked with difficulty, trying to dispel the dizziness brought on by the heavy sleepiness.

“I’m going to the New Year’s gathering,” An Younan reiterated to him, her voice clear and unquestionable.

Why go to the New Year's gathering?

An Younan's answer was very innocent and pure: "Let's go play."

"Play??"

Prince raised the door eight degrees, but An Younan remained unfazed, sitting upright on his lower abdomen like a cat that had taken over the heater.

He emphasized his words, trying to make the matter seem more serious: "Is a New Year's gathering a place for playing around? Do you even know what a New Year's gathering is for?"

An Younan froze, tilted her head, and began to think seriously. A few seconds later, she gave up decisively and announced without any shame, "I don't know."

"You don't even know what a New Year's gathering is, yet you want to go!" Wang Zixu seized on this, raising her voice again as if she had made an absurd suggestion that could shake the order of the universe.

"Then tell me," she said, suddenly becoming quite assertive.

“A group New Year’s greeting is a collective New Year’s greeting gathering,” Wang Zixu explained patiently. “Every year, the Xihe Writers Association goes to pay New Year’s greetings to Teacher Li Tingfang. Do you know Teacher Li Tingfang? She’s a writer who is written into literary history while she’s still alive!”

"Reporters and all sorts of people will be here, and the press release will be posted on the homepage of the Xihe government website, so all the people of Xihe can see it. Just think about it, how serious is this occasion? And you actually want to go play around!"

After a moment of digestion, An Younan surprisingly displayed an amazing ability to summarize: "Oh, it's just that you all went to her house to make dumplings together, and then took some photos."

He forgot that this woman was the real deal, a true devil incarnate. She wouldn't be intimidated by appearances alone; even if the UN Security Council were to come to her, she would still cause trouble.

Before Wang Zixu could persuade her further, her small hands had already childishly pushed against his chest, the force not strong, but revealing an unyielding stubbornness:

"I don't care, I'm going! Do you want to leave me alone at home? I'm so bored!"

The prince spread his hands helplessly: "Who told you to come to Xihe? This place is boring to begin with. If you're here, you'll have to learn to dance with boredom."

An Younan continued to push him: "If you take me to the New Year's party, I won't be bored! You can dance with me!"

Wang Zixu's pent-up fatigue finally broke down. He irritably pushed her hand away, his voice carrying a sharpness he himself didn't realize:

"Stop messing around! I have my own life to live, and I don't have time to play with you! If you're really bored, you might as well go back!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them. He worried that his tone was too harsh, and if she turned on him and used Old Wang's name to blackmail him, he would eventually have to give in.

However, the expected rebound did not occur, and An Younan froze. Time seemed to stand still for a few seconds. The car headlights shining through the window gently stretched her shadow.

A soft sob broke the silence of the living room.

"Woooo..."

Prince Xu secretly peeked at her under the moonlight and saw that she was biting her lower lip tightly, and her eyes were covered with a thin layer of mist, which reflected tiny specks of light in the dim light.

"Waaah... You scumbag... During the Lunar New Year, I secretly took the train all by myself to see you, without telling my parents... It was my first time taking a train... and you actually want me to leave... "

"...How am I supposed to get there?...I can't even buy a train ticket...Am I supposed to walk back?...Waaah..."

An Younan sobbed softly, her body trembling slightly, like a lost fawn in a dense forest on a cold night, wet with dew, revealing her vulnerability without any defense.

Even an iron man would soften at the sight, let alone Prince Xu, who was made of flesh and blood. His tone softened slightly:

"I'm not kicking you out... but can't you just stay home by yourself for a day tomorrow? I'll send my dad away tomorrow, and you can play on my computer at home."

Unexpectedly, the crying grew louder: "Who still... plays on the computer...? I'm not a little kid..."

He had no choice but to compromise: "Alright, stop crying. Tomorrow I'll ask the chairman if I can bring my companions, and if not..."

Before she could finish speaking, An Younan quickly wiped her eyes with her fingertips, then rolled off the bed with satisfaction, as if nothing had happened.
"If you had said that earlier, it would have been settled."

Prince Xu immediately realized he had been tricked.

Seeing that she was about to leave, he sat up and said, "Wait... Now that you're leaving, how should I introduce you?"

An Younan turned around and said in a light tone, "Just say I'm your sister."

……

That night, Wang Zixu was preoccupied with something and didn't sleep well. An Younan woke him up the next day.

As soon as he opened his eyes, An Younan urged him to call Lin Feng.

Wang Zixu lay on the sofa, his eyes still half-closed, and said, "Who calls someone and wakes them up so early in the morning? That's so impolite."

"Early? It's almost nine o'clock."

"what?!"

Wang Zixu sat up abruptly. The New Year's gathering was at 9:30, leaving him with very little time.

On second thought, Wang Zixu felt that this might not be a bad thing: if he only mentioned bringing people along right before setting off, Lin Feng would definitely not allow it. It would be best if Lin Feng could give him a good scolding, then he would have a good reason to leave this ancestor at home.

Under An Younan's intense and expectant gaze, he steeled himself and dialed Lin Feng's number, stammering out the situation.

Surprisingly, Raymond Lam's answer was surprisingly straightforward: "Sure!"

Wang Zixu subtly hinted, "Look, it's already nine o'clock. If it's inconvenient for you to make arrangements, I don't have to bring it."

Unexpectedly, Lin Feng got even more excited: "Convenient! Convenient! I arranged a Coaster with more than a dozen seats. I was just worried that half of it would be empty. It will be more lively if you bring your own people."

Lin Feng paused, then lowered his voice and said frankly, "Besides, as the vice chairman, if you ask, we have to make arrangements, whether it's difficult or not!"

Wang Zixu was both amused and exasperated: "Chairman! There's really no need to be so polite!"

Raymond Lam said, "No need to be polite! I'm telling you right now, you have to bring them here! I've been wanting to meet my brother and sister-in-law for a long time!"

With that, the phone was abruptly hung up. Wang Zixu listened to the dial tone, while An Younan was already beaming with delight.

"Now you have nothing to say, right?"

Wang Zixu hung up the phone, looking worried: "Oh no, Lin Feng thought I brought my wife. Turns out it's you. How embarrassing!"

"What's so embarrassing about that? I'm so beautiful, you're lucky if people mistake me for your wife." She changed the subject, her tone curious, "By the way, what does your sister-in-law look like?"

The prince dodged the question and said, "Why don't you just not go? If people misunderstand and something gets out of you, it will damage your reputation."

“Little Prince, stop struggling. You promised me yesterday. Breaking your promise will damage your reputation,” An Younan said earnestly.

……

Upon arriving at the entrance of the Xihe Writers Association, Lin Feng was already waiting, accompanied by two vice presidents and several clerks and reporters. The Coaster bus was indeed parked by the roadside.

Wang Zixu got out of the car first, greeted Lin Feng, and said, "Sorry I'm a little late."

Lin Feng raised his wrist to check his watch: "Isn't this perfect? ​​You're not late, there are others who are even later than you."

“Shen Qingfeng?” Wang Zixu asked.

Lin Feng said, "Shen Qingfeng would never bother with these kinds of events, but he was quite generous this time. I'll tell you more about it later..."

Prince Xu nodded, pointing to the heads: "Who are we waiting for?"

“Ning Chunyan and Chen Qingluo…” Lin Feng answered, noticing a strange expression on Wang Zixu’s face. “What’s with that expression?”

Just then, An Younan gracefully emerged from behind the car. Lin Feng's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed in surprise:

"This is..."

An Younan took the initiative to extend her hand and greet him: "Hello, Chairman Lin! I'm Wang Zixu's sister~"

Lin Feng swallowed the rest of his words and changed his tone, saying, "...So it's my sister, welcome, welcome." An Younan walked to the side of the visibly distraught Prince Xu, glanced at him, pointed, and asked Lin Feng, "What's wrong with him?"

Lin Feng shook his head: "I told him Ning Chunyan and Chen Qingluo were coming, and that's how he reacted."

Wang Zixu quickly composed himself and explained, "I was thinking that if the two of them were to come, it would be a major event for the literary world of Xihe."

Lin Feng laughed and said, "Don't you sit in the same office with these two every day?"

Just then, a familiar Porsche sports car drove up and silently came to a stop in front of them.

The car door opened.

Lin Feng went to meet him. Wang Zixu's Adam's apple bobbed with difficulty. Beside him, An Younan narrowed her eyes, secretly observing his expression with great interest, her gaze so bright it seemed to pierce through one's heart.

"I'm so sorry, so sorry!" Ning Chunyan apologized repeatedly as soon as she got out of the car, her voice clear and crisp. "The traffic was terrible!"

Lin Feng nodded: "I understand... Today is indeed the most congested day of the year on the Xihe River."

Ning Chunyan raised her hand and greeted Prince Xu with a bright smile: "Prince Xu! Didn't expect me to come, did you? Are you surprised?"

The prince humbly admitted that there were some surprises, but more shocks than anything else. Before he could reply, An Younan gracefully emerged from behind him, naturally reaching out to take his arm.

The sunshine on Ning Chunyan's face vanished, and his gaze suddenly turned as cold and ruthless as a knife.

"An Younan! You... what are you doing here?!"

The passenger door opened, and Chen Qingluo, dressed in white, gracefully stepped out.

Her eyes were misty, and her steps were unsteady, as if she had a hangover; it was clear at a glance that she hadn't slept well the night before. However, the moment she heard the name "An Younan," her whole body tensed up as if struck by lightning.

Upon seeing the scene before him, he froze, like a startled cat.

An Younan smiled warmly and said in a steady tone, "Sister Ning, what a coincidence, we meet again."

Ning Chunyan's gaze was fixed on the two's linked arms, her mouth agape in an "O" shape. She subconsciously brushed aside the stray hairs on her forehead, her voice filled with disbelief:

"No... you two, when did you... become so close?..."

Prince Xu then seemed to wake from a dream, hurriedly untied An Younan's arm, his throat bobbed a few times, but he couldn't squeeze out a single word of explanation.

Lin Feng, completely baffled by the strange atmosphere, stepped forward and asked, "What, do you all know each other?"

An Younan replied crisply, "Yes, speaking of which, my friendship with Sister Ning has lasted longer than my friendship with my brother. Chairman Lin, if we don't set off soon, we might be too late, right?"

"Right, right." Lin Feng nodded in realization. "Everyone, get in the car first, we'll talk on the car."

Prince Xu seemed to be fleeing as he boarded the carriage first, passing by Chen Qingluo.

She gazed intently at him, but he dared not meet her eyes. They brushed past each other.

An Younan followed closely behind, and as she passed by the two, a barely perceptible glint of a victor's light flashed in her eyes.

Ning Chunyan took Chen Qingluo's arm. Despite her many doubts and resentments, she could only get into the car first.

She intended to ask Prince Xu for clarification as soon as she got in the car, but to her surprise, An Younan sat down next to him with great familiarity.

Ning Chunyan felt a tightness in her chest and had no choice but to sit down heavily in the same row as Wang Zixu across the aisle.

For a moment, the air felt as heavy as a block of freshly frozen butter, making it hard to breathe.

Lin Feng clapped his hands in the aisle, his voice carrying an inappropriate lightness:
"Gentlemen, yesterday, the first day of the lunar new year, the Party Secretary led a team to visit Teacher Li. When we go today, we don't need to go through all that formality. The focus should be on showing camaraderie, harmony, and a relaxed atmosphere among comrades."

"When we arrived at Teacher Li's house, everyone did what they could. Some made dumplings, and others chatted with Teacher Li. It was all very nice."

He paused, then raised his voice slightly: "This is the schedule for the morning. At noon, we'll have lunch at Vice Chairman Shen's 'Qingfengju'; in the afternoon, we'll relax at his newly opened hot spring resort and soak in the hot springs. Vice Chairman Shen will cover all the entrance fees!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a roar of cheers erupted in the carriage.

However, none of the four people in Prince Xu's row took the news to heart.

Ning Chunyan was still seething with resentment; Wang Zixu was struggling to weigh the options between "confessing" and "losing" in his mind.

An Younan, on the other hand, savored the troubles of the others, finding it quite enjoyable.

Chen Qingluo sat by the window, silent like a wandering soul, her eyes staring blankly at the fabric of the seat in front of her, as if trying to see through its warp and weft.

What kept echoing in her ears were An Younan's words that day on the second floor of the Gu Xuan Salon, words that were spoken casually yet pierced her heart like a needle:
“He’s married and you’re still clinging to him; that’s the behavior of a mistress.”

"Then I'll be the mistress."

……

Did she succeed?
Chen Qingluo felt a sharp, piercing pain deep in her heart.

It felt like a cold needle was slowly and deliberately stirring deep inside a vein.

You really... with her...?
The pale, cold morning light outside the car window glided across Chen Qingluo's almost transparent profile like flowing mercury, and two unusual blushes quietly rose on her delicate, white jade-like cheeks.

It wasn't a shy blush, but rather the marks left by restrained anger, morbid stubbornness, and a broken heart.

Like a red-hot iron thrown into the bottom of a frozen pool, the violent boiling is suppressed by the thick ice layer, leaving only fine and stubborn cracks on the surface.

She was angry. Not angry that the prince had fallen in love with someone else.

She had an emotional outburst over the news that "Prince Xu is married," but afterwards she chose to accept it, accepting the insurmountable distance between them.

The distance had been shortened by their shared adventures. She crossed the line and took his hand. But she very tactfully pulled away in time.

Her reason told her that if she continued, neither of them would forgive her.

She considered that transgression as dessert, a reward for her perseverance. She believed the other person felt the same way, because they were on the same wavelength.

However, An Younan ruined everything. She proved that Wang Zixu's morality was just hypocrisy, she made Chen Qingluo's sense of propriety seem naive, and she turned their tacit understanding into a vulgar act of having the desire but not the courage to do it.

So she was in pain. Her pain wasn't that Prince Xu had betrayed his wife; it was that he had betrayed her.

Although she was nobody to him, his betrayal was all the more unacceptable precisely because they had no legal or personal relationship.

Soon, the Coaster arrived at the station, and everyone filed out.

Chen Qingluo trailed at the back of the crowd, her steps unsteady, moving forward mechanically.

Suddenly, a warm hand grabbed her arm.

“That’s not how it is,” Wang Zixu whispered in her ear.

"What is it?" Chen Qingluo didn't dare to turn around, her voice barely audible, struggling to rise from her throat.

“It’s not what you think,” Wang Zixu said. “I’ll explain it to you later.”

The strong hand, with a deliberate and careful sense of proportion, quickly released its grip.

The moment the restraints disappeared, a strange warm current unexpectedly flowed into Chen Qingluo's heart.

The icy needle deep within my heart seemed to melt away suddenly, vanishing without a trace. The taut string relaxed, like a frozen lake gaining the silent freedom of flow under the warm spring sun.

He said it wasn't like that.

That can't be the case.

(End of this chapter)