I'm not a literary giant

Chapter 249 Guests

"I'm Choi Hyun! Don't you remember me?"

Wang Zixu's expression was blank.

"No way? You don't remember me at all?" Choi Hyun exclaimed in anguish.

"Hmm..." Prince Xu murmured in thought. This name, like this face, was equally unfamiliar to him.

Cui Xian turned to Chen Qingluo and Ning Chunyan: "You two are judges, you must remember me, right? That day, me, him, Lin Feng... we stood on the podium... do you remember?"

Ning Chunyan clapped her hands: "Oh! You're Cui Xian from the Xihe Literary Gathering!"

Wang Zixu also remembered: "You are the author of that piece called 'Crying at the Grave'."

“That’s right!” Cui Xian slumped onto the opposite sofa, and Wang Zixu smelled alcohol on him.

“You remember even Ning Cai Nu, but you, Prince Xu, have forgotten? It’s true that important people have bad memories.”

The saying "important people have bad memories" is extremely damaging to someone like Wang Zixu. He desperately wanted to recount the plot of "Crying at the Grave" on the spot to prove that he was not an important person.

"I miss that day so much," Choi Hyun said, looking up with emotion.

Choi Hyun is a few years older than Raymond Lam. He is slightly chubby, with receding hairlines on both sides of his forehead. He has a round face and his eyes are always wide open, giving him an innocence that doesn't belong to his age.

Of the five people who received awards that day, Raymond Lam, Lok Lam, and Yi-man Diao all had their own worries, while Wang Zixu was tormented and left battered and bruised. Only Choi Hsien was the biggest winner of the literary gathering.

He experienced an award-winning experience completely different from the other four: he simply wrote an article, submitted it, and then received a string of good news; he went to the party with his wife and daughter, and when his name was called, his daughter screamed and clung tightly to his waist.

After the party, he went with the others to meet Shen Jianqiu and witnessed the entire argument between Zhang Qian and Wang Zixu—only then did he realize that there were so many inside stories behind this award.

As an uninformed bystander, the snippets of conversation he overheard at the scene only made him realize the complexity of society and feel fortunate that his work received fair treatment despite having no connections.

At the same time, he also had a slight suspicion about Wang Zixu, feeling that his winning the first prize might not have been fair—Wang Zixu knew the judges beforehand, so it was hard to be sure there was no foul play involved.

Afterwards, he also joined the Literary Association. Hearing that Wang Zixu was the vice chairman, he thought they would have a lot of interaction. However, Wang Zixu went to Donghai and never participated in the Literary Association's activities. This was the first time the two had met since then.

Speaking of the past, Choi Hyun was filled with emotion: "When I saw the two judges sitting together from afar, my thoughts were immediately drawn back to that day. You two probably don't know, but that day was extremely significant in my life..."

As he spoke, he gestured with his hands, and his tongue gradually became wider. Ning Chunyan tilted his head slightly and asked Chen Qingluo in a low voice that he couldn't hear:

"What was his ranking again?"

She remembered the origin of Cui Xian's name, but only half of it. As for the results of the last literary gathering, she only remembered that Wang Zixu won first place and Diao Yiwen won second place; she couldn't remember anyone else.

Chen Qingluo's expression was not pleasant. She didn't care what number Cui Xian was; she only cared that the interrogation had been interrupted by this person at a crucial moment.

Chen Qingluo interrupted his rambling: "What exactly are you trying to say?"

Choi Hyun rubbed his nose, lowered his voice a few decibels, and said, "I've come to thank you both. Thank you for saving the life of an ordinary man."

Ning Chunyan didn't smell any alcohol and leaned back slightly—this topic had gone too far, crossing the line of normal social distancing and triggering her defense mechanism.

"There's no need to thank me. We just scored the works based on their quality, and we didn't favor anyone."

Cui Xian nodded: "Of course I know, but I was just a low-level clerk in the system, and I was always ostracized. But since I won the award that day, my book has been published, the copyright has been sold, and I've even been promoted..."

Ning Chunyan interrupted him: "What kind of job do you have? You can get promoted just because you won a literary award?"

Choi Hyun said, "It wasn't because of winning the award that I got promoted, but I feel like my luck has turned around, and everything started with winning the award."

An Younan seemed very interested in this topic, leaning closer to him and saying, "Oh? You actually sold the copyright? What place did you get at the Xihe Literary Gathering?"

"No. 4."

"Fourth place? Hey, Sister Ning, your Xihe Literature Association is quite influential! You even managed to sell the copyright for fourth place."

Cui Xian said, "Of course. During the heyday of our Xihe Literary Society, we produced two literary awards in the same year."

An Younan patted Wang Zixu's arm and said, "You're so lucky to have sold the copyright even though you came in fourth place! The first place winner is still struggling to get published!"

Wang Zixu can now ignore her provocations, but it's news to Cui Xian. He immediately turns to Wang Zixu and asks, "Haven't you published it yet?"

"No."

"Don't be impatient. If you blossom, the breeze will come. People came to me on their own and bought my copyright. I'm still a bit dazed." Cui Xian's words of comfort sounded like boasting.

“Congratulations,” Wang Zixu said. “Did you sell the rights to ‘Crying at the Grave’? Are you going to adapt it into a movie?”

“It’s not ‘Crying at the Grave’, ‘Crying at the Grave’ is too small in scale,” Cui Xian said. “It was their boss who took a liking to my work and asked me to write another one for them to adapt into a short drama. So I wrote another one, and they were very satisfied with it, so they bought the copyright.”

"Congratulations," Prince Xu said sincerely once again.

Choi Hyun leaned closer and whispered, "I even asked them why they didn't choose you, the first place winner, but instead chose me, the fourth place winner. They said that adaptations sometimes depend on the style, and although your work is good, the style isn't suitable for adaptation."

"Hmm," Wang Zixu replied noncommittally. He had no particular interest in film or television adaptations. Film and television adaptations weren't a factor in his consideration for the Nobel Prize in Literature; he only needed the written text.

Cui Xian, however, was particularly considerate of him: "Actually, there's nothing to worry about. In the literary rankings, you're ahead of me, but when it comes to copyright, I'm ahead of you. Life is just so unpredictable..."

An Younan, who had just been looking playful, suddenly turned serious:

"Are you misunderstanding something? Selling the copyright doesn't mean you're ahead of the curve."

It's terrifying when a pretty girl suddenly loses her temper, like a cockroach suddenly taking flight. Choi Hyun raised his hands and quickly explained:
“I’m not saying I wrote well. What I mean is that life is like a race. Sometimes you overtake me, sometimes I overtake you, but in the end, everyone reaches the finish line.”

"You mean, you think you're currently in the lead?"

"That's not what I meant..."

Wang Zixu pulled An Younan aside and said, "Stop talking. Cui Xian is right. He did publish before me, and he even sold the copyright."

"It's just selling the rights to a short drama series, what's so great about that?..."

Thank goodness, Lin Feng finally checked in and returned with his ID card, greeting everyone: "Oh, you're having a little meeting already? Cui Xian, you're here too?"

Cui Xian felt as if he had been granted a pardon and stood up, saying, "Chairman Lin! Hehe, I came over to say hello to the two talented ladies and also to meet our Vice Chairman Wang."

Lin Feng said, "I noticed you guys seemed to be having a pretty heated discussion just now. What's up? Did you have any good ideas?"

Choi Hyun said shyly, "No, no, I just chatted with this... uh, lady, about life and society and stuff like that."

Lin Feng pointed at An Younan and said, "This 'lady' is Chairman Wang's sister. What do you think? Don't they look somewhat alike?"

Cui Xian stole a few glances at An Younan, wiped the sweat from his forehead with his fingers, and said with lingering fear, "So that's how it is, no wonder..."

An Younan instantly regained her youthful and adorable expression, stretched out her hand and made a "V" sign, as if the person who had been cold-faced just moments before was someone else entirely.

Lin Feng laughed and said, "I was also shocked when I saw her. I thought to myself, Wang Zixu actually has such a beautiful younger sister... Hey, why do you smell of alcohol? Did you go drinking so early in the morning?"

Cui Xian rubbed his nose and said, "I met some old classmates yesterday and drank all night."

Lin Feng joked, "You must have been bragging to them about your book being published."

"No way...my friends deliberately got me drunk..."

Lin Feng urged everyone to go to their rooms to rest, and then left with Cui Xian and the Wenxie group. Wang Zixu also got up and followed behind the group. An Younan lingered beside Wang Zixu, muttering softly, "If I were you, I definitely wouldn't give that Cui Xian a friendly look. What makes him think he's so superior..."

Wang Zixu smiled wryly: "Don't have such a bad temper. With your personality, won't you always be in conflict with people?"

"You're too nice! That person came over pretending to say hello just to show off, can't you see that?"

Wang Zixu said solemnly, "What he said is true. No matter what the inside story is, I have indeed not published a single book. I have done nothing in this position of vice chairman, so it is inevitable that some people are dissatisfied."

An Younan snorted: "When you were tricked by Shi Tonghe, he didn't even know where he was!"

Prince Xu laughed and said, "Is being trapped in the Shitong River a good thing?"

"Does he deserve to be imprisoned in Shitonghe?"

Ning Chunyan and Chen Qingluo overheard the entire conversation. Ning Chunyan had a strange expression on her face and said to An Younan:

“Miss An, you were the one who started by mocking Wang Zixu, and you're the one who gets upset when others agree with you. I'm really worried about your mental state.”

An Younan raised her face and said, "Of course, I'm the only one who can mock him. Is there anything wrong with that?"

Chen Qingluo, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly said out of the blue, "I published my first book when I was 17."

Everyone turned their attention to her, wondering why she would suddenly say something so abrupt and unrelated.

Chen Qingluo looked at An Younan: "He doesn't read as many books as I do."

"……so what?"

"When I mocked him, you weren't even born yet."

"...Are you in elementary school?"

Wang Zixu said from the side, "If possible, I still hope you won't mock me."

Ning Chunyan poked his ribs hard: "Weren't you just going to confess? Why did you stop halfway through? Don't think you can get away with this."

Wang Zixu looked around and said in a low voice, "I wanted to say it, but there are too many people here and it's noisy, so I can't say it now. Let's find a quiet place later and I'll tell you."

Ning Chunyan grew impatient: "What's so hard to say? What's so shameful about you? Why are you always so hesitant? I'm getting anxious!"

Prince Xu had a bitter pill to swallow but could not express it.

If the fact that he is An Younan's half-brother were to be exposed, anyone with a keen eye would easily discover that Ma Yongrong's wife was also once Wang Jianguo's wife.

This will undoubtedly cause a huge uproar, bringing endless trouble not only to him, An Younan, and Wang Jianguo, but also potentially affecting their entire lives.

A businessman of Ma Yongrong's stature might not care about this level of scandal, but for a small family like Wang Zixu's, it would be a devastating blow.

He should have been more careful; he shouldn't have even agreed to be honest with Ning Chunyan. He had done a lot of mental preparation before deciding to speak up.

Ning Chunyan sighed, pulled Chen Qingluo aside, and said, "Let's deal with this situation for now. Later, after everyone has left, we'll find a secluded place to have a proper chat."

Lin Feng lagged behind the group, quietly moved over, and asked Wang Zixu, "What happened just now?"

Prince Xu asked, "Did you hear that?"

"Even if I hadn't heard it, I could have guessed it. Ever since Cui Xian sold the copyright, he's been telling everyone he meets."

Wang Zixu said, "Perhaps in this day and age, people are becoming more and more materialistic and restless, and people are paying more attention to face and dignity."

"To put it bluntly," Lin Feng said, "everyone is repressed these days and likes to show off."

"Haha." Although Prince Xu laughed, he was not happy.

"I brought two bottles of Xifeng liquor for lunch later, please come and have lunch with me."

The prince asked tentatively, "Can we have a meal now?"

"Don't worry, it's a holiday now. Besides, I'm paying for the meal myself, so it definitely doesn't violate the Eight-Point Regulation."

After saying that, he patted Wang Zixu on the shoulder again: "Later, I will definitely be surrounded by them and won't have the energy to take care of you. Take care of yourself."

At that time, Prince Xu did not understand what he needed to protect.

……

Lunch. The atmosphere gradually became lively as everyone drank and chatted.

Wang Zixu rarely attended such banquets. Back in his previous job, he was always seated at the table to provide service, such as refilling drinks and serving food. This time, with his status suddenly changed, being invited to sit at the head of the table made him feel quite uncomfortable.

At the banquet, people talked loudly, recounting countless anecdotes from the literary world, many of which Wang Zixu had never heard of. However, he just ate his food in silence, raising his glass only when someone offered him a toast, and only saying a word or two when someone tried to talk to him, like a silent gourd.

Compared to him, Ning Chunyan and An Younan seemed much more at ease.

Ningchun Banquet is inherently popular; anyone who comes can have a chat, and regardless of the closeness or distance of the relationship, it leaves a good impression. The attitude is neither humble nor arrogant, making people feel like they are bathed in a spring breeze.
An Younan possessed exceptional political talent; in just three seconds, she memorized the names and identities of everyone at the table. Using only her identity as "Prince Xu's sister," she won the favor of most of the people at the table, and the admiration of some older scholars was palpable.

Chen Qingluo exudes an aura of authority, and everyone at the table seemed to know her temperament, only daring to respectfully toast her and say a few words of congratulations, not daring to engage in in-depth conversation, for fear of disturbing the inspiration brewing in her brilliant mind.

Whenever he sees these thousand different people, Wang Zixu laments his own inadequacy: he can neither thrive in social situations nor be as detached as Chen Qingluo, completely unconcerned about these matters.

However, because he was good at observing, he actually knew what to do, but his knowledge and actions could not be consistent, so he became a half-baked expert who could not reconcile himself, which was very painful.

Another Vice Chairman Liu was talking about several anecdotes from the literary world when he suddenly changed the subject, looked at Wang Zixu, and asked:
"Chairman Wang, I've been seeing you online a lot lately. People say you're a literary assassin and that you've had a falling out with Shi Tonghe. What's going on?"

Prince Xu felt a chill run down his spine, remembering Lin Feng's words.

Another figure from the Xihe literary and artistic circles, Li Zhaolin, also said:

"Yes, a lot of people have been asking me about this lately, saying that Wang Zixu is from our Xihe Literary Association, so I must know something about it. I told them I really didn't know. But they just wouldn't believe me."

Many people chimed in, "Chairman Wang, why don't you tell us about it?"

Wang Zixu took a sip of water: "I really don't know how to explain this."

Chairman Liu said, "Let's start by telling you how you offended Shi Tonghe."

Wang Zixu said, "I already mentioned that at the seminar."

Chairman Liu lowered his voice and said, "We want to hear what it's actually like."

Wang Zixu smiled wryly: "That's actually how it is..."

"Let me put it this way," Chairman Liu said, "I heard from a friend that the recording pen you took out was actually part of a scheme set up for Shi Tonghe."

After saying that, he raised his hands and said, "This is not what I said, it is what my friend said. He said that Shi Tonghe would not target a newcomer for no reason, there must be someone behind him trying to get rid of him."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Book Recommendation: *I Will Become a Notorious Ghost Story*

(End of this chapter)