Chapter 56

As winter deepened, the crew wrapped up filming. Ke Yixuan’s company sent their PR team to the wrap party. Overall, the entire shoot had gone smoothly. Tang Qin’s PR team arrived quickly too, and that day, Wen Zhixu finally saw An Ran.

It had been a while since Wen Zhixu last saw An Ran. Ever since that internal promo event, both of them had been busy with their own things.

A fog rolled in at noon, making it the perfect time for hotpot and catching up. Toward the end of the meal, An Ran blanched a few stalks of aizoon.

“If you ask me, Xiao Xu, you should at least show up at the wrap party. The reporters are all there—they’re definitely gonna ask about your new book. You could promote it on the side.” An Ran picked the blanched aizoon into Wen Zhixu’s bowl.

A layer of mist clung to the glass window. Wen Zhixu set down her chopsticks first and said thanks, then replied, “Nah, I don’t really wanna go.”

“Your contract’s up. Planning to sign with a publisher or a literary agency?” An Ran shook the empty soda can on the table.

She grabbed a new one from the corner, popped the tab with her thumb, and the fizz sprayed tiny water beads.

Wen Zhixu swallowed her food and answered, “No plans yet. My old editor went solo and started a literary website. If I sign anywhere, it’ll be there.”

Because of the distance, Wen Zhixu couldn’t become a partner, but signing was an option. Han Ye had brought it up on WeChat yesterday.

“Then why not be a partner? Just signing with a brand-new literary site—have you thought it through?” An Ran stuck the used straw into the new can.

“I’m pretty close with him,” Wen Zhixu said.

An Ran said, “He quits Ruyi Publishing, sets up a new literary site, and signs you right away. Won’t that give people something to talk about? If Ruyi wants to stir things up, they could make a huge fuss out of it.”

Wen Zhixu had thought about this before, so she hadn’t rushed to reply to Han Ye. If his site was just starting, all this drama would be a headache.

“My contract’s just expiring, not breaking it,” Wen Zhixu said. She’d eaten her fill and set down her chopsticks.

“True, but still, be careful. The literary market’s super competitive now. Ruyi might drag this out to hype a new book and step on you for it. Han Ye was one of their pillars—him going solo makes him a rival. Who’s gonna be happy about that?”

An Ran had hit the nail on the head. Ruyi was promoting a newly signed book lately. Wen Zhixu couldn’t guess if they’d pull something like this. Aside from Han Ye, she wasn’t close to anyone else there.

Wen Zhixu slipped to the front desk during a bathroom break and paid the bill. An Ran grumbled about it several times, saying Wen Zhixu had footed it last time too and there’d be no next time if she pulled this again.

Truth be told, it was only now that Wen Zhixu realized she could have friends. An Ran felt like one—no years-long history, but they were starting to chat about personal stuff.

Wen Zhixu saw An Ran off at the roadside first, then checked the address Han Ye had sent. He was at Jiefangbei.

Han Ye and Gao Xin had both quit. They’d gone their separate ways—Gao Xin to Beijing, Han Ye to Chengdu. He understood Wen Zhixu’s refusal might be due to the location.

Chongqing had never been on the table. It was close to Chengdu though, just forty minutes by high-speed rail. A couple days ago, Han Ye had come to Chongqing, saying it was for fun and to unwind.

In reality, he also wanted to persuade Wen Zhixu in person again.

At seven in the evening, thick fog had plunged Chongqing into darkness. Jiefangbei’s golden cross street was packed with people.

Wen Zhixu was standing in front of a bridal shop window when she got a message from Jian Shichu. She looked down to reply, her side bathed in the soft glow spilling from the window.

[Jian Shichu: You done eating? I’ll be home late tonight.]

[Wen Zhixu: No worries. Get some rest.]

With the crew gone, the restaurant would reopen soon. There was a full booking for an event at month’s end. Jian Shichu had been swamped lately, busy in waves.

After replying, Wen Zhixu noticed the wedding dress in the window. For a split second, it was like glimpsing an epiphyllum in bloom, its train flowing like celestial music.

The light made the gown look dignified and elegant. It was hard to pass by without stopping for a longer look.

Wen Zhixu snapped a photo with her phone. In that frozen moment on camera, her mind wandered.

Love was such a strange thing. Even without her partner by her side, seeing something beautiful made her think of her instinctively.

“Hello.”

While Wen Zhixu was lost in thought, someone lightly patted her shoulder. She glanced back and met the eyes of a long-haired guy with a camera around his neck.

“I’m a photographer. Sorry, I just took a photo of you. I thought it was beautiful, so I couldn’t resist.” The man held out his camera with both hands to show her the shot.

Wen Zhixu leaned in for a look. It was her profile, phone half-raised, the wedding dress reflected on the screen.

The composition was great. Overall, she thought it was fantastic.

Seeing her friendly reaction, the man asked, “Can I post this on my personal Weibo? Let me show you my account.”

His Weibo was full of street portraits. Not a huge following, but it looked well-maintained for a while.

Wen Zhixu said, “Sure, go ahead.”

She didn’t mind. The photo really was excellent.

“Want me to send it to you?” The man beamed, unable to hide his delight at her approval.

“No need.” Wen Zhixu smiled and stepped aside.

When she met Han Ye, he was in his usual pose at a coffee shop, waiting with a young assistant by his side.

Wen Zhixu watched as Han Ye raised a hand, pocketed his phone, leaned to let a server pass, and finally sat across from him.

“Whew, you’re here at last.” Han Ye introduced the guy next to him with a quick “My nephew, just out of college.”

Wen Zhixu nodded lightly at the young man in greeting, then turned to Han Ye. “I’m not late.”

She and Han Ye had set seven-thirty. It was just past seven-twenty now. He was heading back to Suzhou tomorrow to be with his wife and kids.

Han Ye said, “Yeah, yeah, I’m just impatient.”

“Down to business, Xiao Xu. What’ve you decided? I’ve thought it through—Gao Xin’s on board too. We’ll set up in Chengdu. It’s so close to Chongqing.”

“Chengdu… In that literary market survey you did, the Chengdu analysis wasn’t as detailed as Beijing’s,” Wen Zhixu said.

Han Ye waved her off. “We focused on Beijing and Shanghai before. Gao Xin and I changed our minds this time. Cities rich in cultural heritage are a fresh direction. Down the line, I plan to tap into intangible cultural heritage themes.”

Wen Zhixu looked at him. “Sounds good. Regional innovation and heritage preservation are both trends.”

Han Ye said, “If you sign with me, we’ll hammer out the details later. After the New Year, we’ll lock it all in with a profit-sharing setup. What do you think?”

“Mm.” Wen Zhixu agreed. “Brother Han, Ruyi’s got a new handler calling me about renewing.”

No need to spell it out—Han Ye got it. He was straightforward, no beating around the bush.

Han Ye set down his cup. “Knew it. Soon as you sign, they’ll cry poaching, hype the drama, and ride it to push a new book. Don’t worry, I’ll prioritize protecting you on this. Your contract ends mid-December. There’s a radio gig before that—want to take it and host a live session? Time it around New Year, get ahead by announcing the contract expiry yourself.”

Wen Zhixu couldn’t dodge it. She had options without Han Ye, but she wanted someone reliable. Strangers? No thanks.

Getting to know someone was a hassle, and she hated hassle.

“Fine, I’ll go with whatever you say,” Wen Zhixu replied.

Just like that, it was settled. She needed to finish her draft for Ruyi ASAP. Han Ye liked the new book’s concept too—the rights were still with them.

“Finish your book quick. I’ve got work lined up already.” Han Ye let out a long sigh, leaning back and slumping in defeat.

“Xiao Xu, you dating someone?” Han Ye suddenly asked. Wen Zhixu froze. She didn’t even post on Moments—how’d he know?

“Otherwise why come all this way? Boyfriend in Chongqing?” Han Ye shot up and eyed her.

Wen Zhixu stayed calm, giving him a slight side-eye. His nephew sat silent but was listening intently.

Wen Zhixu replied, “Yeah. Girlfriend.”

“A girl?” Han Ye blinked, eyes widening. “What’s the story?”

He wasn’t shocked by anything else—just that the old rumors about Wen Zhixu and same-sex stuff turned out true.

Wen Zhixu tilted her chin at him. “Mm. Problem?”

“Nope.” Han Ye composed himself. “Good for you. Dating sparks inspiration. Go for it.”

Wen Zhixu listened and laughed. It was as if what Han Ye said was spot on—inspiration really was plentiful. Jian Shichu had some kind of magnetic field that could spark inspiration.

She and Han Ye had chatted very pleasantly today. Before parting, Han Ye said that when she returned to Suzhou before the New Year for the interview, everyone could get together for a meal.

He didn’t specify who, but they were probably mostly the partners from this collaboration.

Wen Zhixu took a cab straight to Jian Shichu’s restaurant.

At that moment, Jian Shichu had just sat down to catch her breath. Her neatly tied hair had come loose, the hair tie sliding down. The young girl in the shop poured her a cup of hot water.

“Doudou-jie, go eat. I’ll take care of it.”

Jian Shichu took the cup and tossed back a mouthful, holding it in her mouth as she swallowed it down slowly. Her wrist rested on her knee as she lifted her eyes to look ahead.

She said, “How many chairs got damaged? Check one more time for any bumps or scrapes—don’t miss anything. I’ll get the crew to compensate.”

“Got it, I’ll check again.” The young girl responded, just happening to glance behind Jian Shichu. “Xiao Xu-jie!”

Hearing that, Jian Shichu turned to look. Wen Zhixu was walking over carrying food, lips curved in a smile as she nodded in greeting to the girl first before turning her attention to Jian Shichu.

“You cold? Why’d you come over?” Jian Shichu stood up.

Wen Zhixu walked toward her. “I was worried you wouldn’t eat again.” She set the food on the table, then touched Jian Shichu’s arm.

Jian Shichu stepped back. “Don’t touch me—I’m filthy.”

The people nearby turned their way, everyone directing their gazes over in an orderly fashion. It was then that Jian Shichu realized the words had come out wrong.

“I mean, I’m covered in dust.”

Wen Zhixu laughed and tugged her closer, then bent her head to pat the dust off her arm.

“Got all the people hired?” Wen Zhixu didn’t pat too hard. Jian Shichu had a mild case of mysophobia, and there wasn’t much dust on her black clothes anyway.

“All hired. Tomorrow, I can finally rest.” Jian Shichu’s hand lifted halfway, tempted to fix Wen Zhixu’s hair, but she thought better of it since she hadn’t washed her hands.

“Alright, time to eat.”

“My mom wants me to bring you home for dinner in a few days.” Jian Shichu grabbed two wet wipes to clean her palms.

“Mm.” Wen Zhixu agreed without even looking at her.