I'm not a literary giant

Chapter 255 No Soul Resides in the Tail
An Younan's gaze passed over Ning Chunyan's shoulder and landed on Wang Zixu's face, silently asking with her eyes: How is it?
Prince Xu shook his head very slightly. This was definitely not the right time or place to discuss this matter.

Ning Chunyan hugged herself tightly, her fingers digging into her arms: "Hey, Wang Zixu, what do you think? Should our magazine issue a statement?"

The prince asked tentatively, "What statement?"

“We support the Little Prince’s statement,” Ning Chunyan said unconsciously, biting her nails. “As the only magazine that has published the Little Prince’s works, we cannot remain silent when he is being condemned by everyone.”

Wang Zixu was taken aback: "We're just an ordinary magazine, not an official mouthpiece. What's the point of issuing a statement?"

An Younan also said, "I advise you to calm down. Going against the TV station's stance will never end well."

Ning Chunyan stamped her foot in frustration: "The Little Prince is being criticized and stigmatized like this. Am I supposed to just sit idly by? I... I can't do that."

The prince softened his tone: "I understand how you feel, but if we intervene rashly now, it will only make things more chaotic. Believe me, the little prince would never want you to do that either."

Ning Chunyan paced anxiously for a couple of steps, then suddenly stopped: "I'm going to go and discuss this with Qingluo!"

After saying that, she rushed out the door like a gust of wind.

Once An Younan was sure Ning Chunyan's footsteps had faded into the distance, she turned around and looked at Wang Zixu with a complicated expression, her eyes filled with a light that was hard to tell whether it was admiration or mockery: "You're really brilliant."

Wang Zixu was completely bewildered: "What's so brilliant about it?"

An Younan said, "Now I understand why you were so adamant about not revealing your identity back then. Did you foresee this day would come?"

Wang Zixu smiled wryly: "How could that be? I'm not Zhuge Liang who can predict the future, how could I be so good at it? I just... simply want to take the proper path of literature, not the path of 'literary flirtation'."

An Younan retorted, "But the literary acclaim and influence you've gained as the 'Little Prince' far surpasses the serious literary works you've painstakingly written. Look, even CCTV has taken notice."

Upon hearing this, Prince Xu felt as if he had been punched hard, and his heart was filled with mixed emotions.

An Younan's tone turned serious: "You are in danger right now."

Prince Xu said in a low voice, "I know."

She said, "Although you haven't revealed your identity, if we really trace the clues, your little disguise is nothing but self-deception."

Prince Xu: "I know."

She added, "This news report is a clear signal. Next, specific companies will be named and shamed, local authorities will focus on rectification, typical cases will be identified, and finally... you will be brought to justice."

Prince Xu remained silent.

An Younan finally asked, "What do you plan to do?"

Prince Xu took a deep breath: "I've decided not to do it anymore. To cut ties completely."

An Younan tilted her head to look at him: "You think you can just cut it cleanly over there?"

Wang Zixu said, "Zuo Ziliang also has a family, he wouldn't take such a risk. Besides, I haven't touched the script for two months, so quitting completely now won't have any impact."

An Younan shook her head: "That's not what I'm asking. I'm asking you, are you really willing to completely sever your identity as the 'Little Prince'?"

Prince Xu retorted, "Do you think I would be attached to this identity?"

An Younan stared into his eyes and said clearly, word by word, "A gecko can detach its tail to survive because its tail absolutely does not harbor a soul. But the 'Little Prince' is your other half. Can you really give him up without hesitation?"

Prince Xu stared at her with his mouth slightly agape for a long time before saying, puzzled, "You've confused me. Do you want me to withdraw, or do you not want me to withdraw?"

An Younan said, "I only hope that you won't regret this in the future."

This answer is impeccable. But life is such a helpless thing; when can it ever allow one to live without regrets?
Prince Xu sighed and said slowly, "You just said that a gecko's tail has no soul. My soul is not in the identity of 'The Little Prince' either. It only exists in my writing, and it always is."

……

After their conversation, the two had urgent business matters to attend to and each made a phone call.

Wang Zixu contacted Ye Lan and Zuo Ziliang separately.

Ye Lan was enjoying the warmth of a family reunion during the Spring Festival when she heard the news, which felt like a bucket of ice water had been poured over her head; Zuo Ziliang had just finished watching the news and was also looking for him. The three agreed to meet the next day to discuss the matter in detail.

The situation with An Younan was clearly much more complicated; the phone kept ringing, and after more than a dozen calls, there was no sign of it stopping. Wang Zixu was in a state of utter confusion, so he decided to leave the main building alone, hoping to get some fresh air and clear his head.

Pushing open the door and stepping into the still chilly spring air, Wang Zixu exhaled a puff of white breath and tucked his neck into his coat.

The sky at the end of winter is like an unloved child, pale and bloodless. Even when the sun is high in the sky, the light is weak and bleak.

To the left and right of the main building stand two silent trees, said to be imported from the south at a price of 100,000 yuan each. It takes four people to encircle them. In this season when all the vegetation is withered, it is impossible to tell whether they are alive or dead. Only their bare branches point to the sky, as if cursing.

As a tree without legs, it probably never imagined that it would be gloriously relocated to such a cold place.

In short, there was nothing to see outside, and it was cold. My already bleak mood was amplified by this desolate scenery, making me even more heartbroken.

He thought that perhaps he shouldn't have come here. He should have listened to a song with an extremely long intro, buried himself in the covers, and thought of nothing, "letting the festive air of the New Year embrace him and sweep away all his troubles," immersing himself in the universal celebration, which might have lessened his embarrassment.

But that was just wishful thinking. The loneliness he felt at that moment couldn't be healed by a blanket.

He walked, his shoes making a lonely, soft sound as they touched the cold ground. In this stillness devoid of color, he saw her.

Chen Qingluo.

Chen Qingluo was wrapped in a thick, dark coat, the ill-fitting size making her look petite and clumsy.

She tilted her head slightly, letting the thin sunlight stream onto her cheeks, revealing clear and precise lines from her jawline to her ears.

In Wang Zixu's vision, she seemed to radiate a faint light, like a star that had accidentally fallen into a winter night. The desolation around her did not engulf her; instead, it became a bleak backdrop that highlighted her existence.

Prince Xu hesitated for a moment, then finally walked toward her.

"What...are you looking at?" he asked softly.

Chen Qing turned her face to him, looking at him with an expression that seemed to say, "Isn't it obvious?" and replied, "Look at the clouds."

Prince Xu looked up at the sky and said, "This sky is all white, where are the clouds?"

She gave me another look that seemed to say, "Does this even need explaining?" and calmly said, "These are all clouds."

"Oh."

Seemingly worried that he still didn't understand, she added, "It's high-level cloud."

"……I see."

Prince Xu also put his hands in his pockets and watched the clouds with her.

Silence fell between them, and Wang Zixu finally mustered the courage to speak again:
"Did Ning Chunyan... talk to you about the Little Prince?" "Yes, he did." Chen Qingluo nodded.

Did you try to persuade her?

"I support her."

"Huh?" Prince Xu suddenly turned his head to look at her.

Chen Qingluo's tone remained calm: "Our magazine can take this opportunity to do some in-depth literary reviews, so I support her."

She paused, then said softly, "But even though I support her, she's worried that making comments rashly might affect you."

Prince Xu interjected, "Actually, I think I'm not afraid..."

He had just begun to speak when he abruptly stopped mid-sentence. His pupils contracted slightly, and a cold sweat broke out on his back.

He then suddenly realized that Chen Qingluo hadn't said "affect the Little Prince," but rather "affect you."

A wave of immense panic instantly gripped him: She found out? When did she find out?

Prince Xu's heart pounded, but he suppressed his turbulent emotions, striving to keep his tone steady. He forced a stiff smile and said:
"It affects me? It affects the Little Prince, right? What does that have to do with me?"

Chen Qingluo turned her face, tilted her head slightly, and a hint of confusion appeared in her dark eyes.

"It's going to affect you. You're competing for the Fei Shi Literary Award, and Ning Chunyan is worried that our magazine's interference will give you an excuse to be blacklisted by the literary circle, making it even harder for you to win the award."

Wang Zixu felt a great weight lifted off his shoulders, and then a warm feeling quietly rose from the bottom of his heart: "I didn't expect that she still remembered me."

“She’s always been thinking about you,” Chen Qingluo said.

For some reason, Wang Zixu vaguely felt—or perhaps it was just his imagination—that there was a hint of bitterness in Chen Qingluo's tone.

She cleared her throat gently, adjusted her tone, and said, "So I suggested that she publish a comment in her own name on other platforms to support the Little Prince."

Wang Zixu was moved again and said, "Actually, I'm not afraid of being affected at all. The literary circle has long regarded me as an oddball, so a few more lice won't bother me."

Chen Qingluo shook her head: "No. The literary circle hasn't been able to do anything to you yet, not because they don't dislike you enough, but because they haven't found any solid evidence against you. If they did, they might have something to hold against you."

Feeling utterly exhausted, Prince Xu decided to stop thinking about it and asked, "Why isn't she with you?"

“She felt that speaking out in her own name wasn’t powerful enough, and she kept agonizing over it,” Chen Qingluo said calmly. “I found her annoying, so I came out on my own first.”

Wang Zixu couldn't help but worry about their fake sisterhood.

Chen Qingluo seemed to see through his thoughts and added lightly, "It's not that I find her troublesome, it's just that the saccharine, lovey-dovey vibe she exudes is a bit unbearable for me."

"Love?" Prince Xu was taken aback.

“Only women in love would be so anxious and hesitant,” Chen Qingluo said softly, gazing into the distance. “Especially when I think about how her beloved is so elusive, and she has never even met him, I find it even harder to understand.”

She paused, her tone suddenly lowering, tinged with self-mockery: "But then I thought, how much better can I be myself?"

Prince Xu's heart skipped a beat.

What did Chen Qingluo mean by that? Did she also like the Little Prince? Or did she harbor feelings for someone as persistent yet unattainable as Ning Chunyan?
Wang Zixu's mind was in turmoil, but Chen Qingluo showed no intention of explaining. She seemed to have seen enough of the clouds, turned around, and walked steadily and resolutely toward the main building.

The prince stood there, stunned, unable to recover for a long time. By the time he finally came to his senses, his legs were already numb with cold.

……

The following day, An Younan bid farewell to Comrade Lao Wang, citing her parents' urging.

Wang Zixu knew that she was in a hurry to return to the company to hold an emergency meeting to handle the aftermath of the project.

In just two days, Comrade Lao Wang had already grown very fond of his adopted daughter. After repeatedly trying to persuade her to stay, he insisted on taking her to the train station with Wang Zixu, leaving An Younan no chance to even whisper a few words to Wang Zixu.

After seeing An Younan off, Wang Zixu also took the opportunity to say goodbye to Old Wang. Old Wang, who was living alone, immediately started complaining, but Wang Zixu pretended not to hear him.

The meeting place arranged with Zuo Ziliang and Ye Lan was a private room in a KTV. Since the company moved its headquarters to Donghai, all the original office space had been cleared out, not even a warehouse remained. Choosing this KTV to meet was Zuo Ziliang's usual style.

As soon as he arrived at the door, Wang Zixu saw Ye Lan.

Ye Lan, whom I hadn't seen for a long time, seemed unchanged, except that she had changed into a slightly thicker winter outfit and swapped her stockings for leggings, which still accentuated her long, slender legs and tall figure. Upon seeing Wang Zixu, she raised her hand and waved from afar.

Ye Lan jogged forward, exhaling a puff of white breath, her hands in her trench coat pockets, and said, "Long time no see, Happy New Year."

"Happy New Year." Prince Xu gestured towards the shop entrance. "Has he arrived yet?"

"Don't go in yet, we need to reach a consensus first." Ye Lan's cheeks were slightly red from the cold, and her dark eyes looked at him earnestly. "What do you think?"

“I think…” Prince Xu looked around and lowered his voice, “I want to quit.”

“Yes,” Ye Lan nodded vigorously, “That’s what I mean too. Then we agree that no matter what he says later, we have to stick to our principles and not let him lead us astray.”

Wang Zixu felt a sense of déjà vu about this scene: "You mean... Zuo Ziliang still wants to continue? No way, he shouldn't be that irrational?"

Ye Lan scoffed: "Rationality? When did you get the misconception that 'he has rationality'?"

Wang Zixu thought for a moment, then said somewhat hesitantly, "I think... he's always been quite rational..."

Ye held up one finger and said solemnly, "Listen carefully, when you meet him later, you must be firm in your attitude. No matter how he tries to fool us, we can't continue. This time we've been specifically named, it's not a joke, we might really end up in jail."

Prince Xu nodded: "I understand."

After a moment of silence, he couldn't help but ask out of curiosity, "Is Zuo Ziliang really planning to grit his teeth and go through with it?"

Ye Lan sighed: "Who knows? But with your current fame, you haven't earned the company a corresponding amount of money. Given his personality, he probably won't give up easily."

After a while, she patted her chest and said, "Luckily, I came over and reminded you. If you hadn't been prepared, you might have been fooled by him and ended up being led astray again."

Wang Zixu said, "No, I know what I'm doing. This time is different from before; I've really been put on the blacklist. If I don't stop now, I'm afraid I'll lose everything. I still want to make a name for myself by writing novels."

Ye Lan asked curiously, "By the way, how's your novel coming along? Do you have a chance of winning an award?"

Prince Xu gave a vague reply: "It's hard to say."

After saying that, he urged Ye Lan to go into the store together.

In the private room, he saw Zuo Ziliang again.

(End of this chapter)