I am not a literary giant

Chapter 197 The Dark Forest

Wang Zixu, who was initially a little angry, instantly calmed down after hearing the suggestion. He even began to feel that being treated as a "privilege dog" was nothing.

"Go find Shi Tonghe," Prince Xu repeated. "I thought you were very brave, but I didn't expect you to be this brave."

Chen Qingluo stared at him, her eyes seemingly blaming him for not standing on the same side as her.

"Faced with tyrannical power and arrogant domineering behavior, each of us should bravely stand up and resist."

Wang Zixu gestured wildly and said, "No, I admire your sincerity and courage, but this is a grudge between me and Shi Shuqiu. Going to the level of finding my parents is a bit too much, isn't it?"

He also wanted to say that it was just like Xiao Xu being beaten up in kindergarten, and Chen Qingluo's mother taking him to confront the other parent. Of course, he was too embarrassed to say it.

"We should have talked to him last time," Chen Qingluo said. "He is a highly accomplished senior figure in the literary world. For the sake of a literary award, he is willing to damage the overall environment and make things difficult for a junior. It is simply disgraceful."

Chen Qingluo added, "If you let this go, he might come up with another dirty trick next time. Once he crosses your line, it will be too late. You can't pretend you don't see it; you have to talk to him."

Wang Zixu realized that Chen Qingluo was more rational than he had imagined. She wasn't going to argue with the other party's parents; she said she was going to "talk."

Wang Zixu recalled that spicy hot pot meal. Chen Qingluo said she wanted to "have a talk," and Xiao Mengyin had also asked him to talk to Shi Tonghe last time.

We really should talk about it.

If he doesn't go to talk to him and instead they continue to suspect each other, the same history will only continue to repeat itself; if this tug-of-war continues, it will definitely get worse and worse until it's a fight to the death.

The only way to illuminate the dark forest is through sound communication.

Wang Zixu lowered his head and thought for a moment, then said, "But what right do I have to talk to him? We're not related, we're not even close, and we have no connection whatsoever. Why would he listen to me?"

Chen Qingluo said, "As a leader of the Writers' Association, supporting younger generations and developing literature is his bounden duty. Why must we have connections to even discuss this?"

Wang Zixu knew she was right. She had the reasons, purpose, and necessity to see Shi Tonghe. He just lacked a little courage.

"Besides, he used to be a highly respected senior in my mind," Chen Qingluo added. "He did such a terrible job this time, and I wanted to ask him what he thought in person."

"You want to come with me?" The prince looked up in fear.

"I'll go with you," Chen Qingluo nodded.

Okay, now I have the courage.

……

Wang Zixu dialed Xiao Mengyin's number, hoping she could act as an intermediary and help him meet with Shi Tonghe.

Xiao Mengyin was initially delighted. She thought that Wang Zixu had finally accepted her suggestion and was going to surrender to Shi Tonghe. "Let's not fight over the Fei Shi Literary Award anymore; let's shake hands and make peace, and create a new friendship."

Wang Zixu asked her why she was happy. She said that when a rising star in the literary world clashes with a veteran, it always creates a dramatic scene, but the outcome is often similar. She also didn't want to see a promising young writer fall by the wayside in such a situation, and it was a kind of shared sorrow for the fallen.

Prince Xu didn't want to trick her, so he revealed his intentions.

He told her that he didn't actually want to give up the Fiesta Literary Prize, and he also hinted that, depending on the situation, the conversation might end up turning into a confrontation.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Mengyin's voice on the other end of the phone changed completely: "Are you crazy?"

"If I were crazy, I would have gone and blocked the Shitong River."

"It would be better if you went directly to Shi Tonghe, since that wouldn't implicate anyone else," Xiao Mengyin said. "In this kind of situation, whoever gets involved is doomed. And you actually want me to be the messenger?"

Wang Zixu said, "Actually, we might not necessarily end up arguing. Perhaps Shi Tonghe is very magnanimous, and we'll hit it off immediately, clear up the misunderstanding, join hands, and write a beautiful new chapter?"

"Go to sleep early, you can dream about anything. Bye."

Okay. Goodbye.

"Why don't you beg a little more?"

"It was a request I was reluctant to make. It's perfectly normal that you're unwilling to help. I'll think of another way."

On the other end of the phone, Xiao Mengyin said earnestly, "I'm asking you, are you going to go find him no matter what?"

"Yes."

"Alright then," Xiao Mengyin sighed. "I'll think of something. After all, I owe you a meal of spicy hot pot, right?"

A short while later, Xiao Mengyin sent him a message saying that Shi Tonghe was at Yunchi Manor and welcomed him anytime. The old man was actually quite kind. He didn't know that Wang Zixu was there to demand an explanation, so he should be polite when they met and avoid making things too awkward. It would be best to just surrender immediately.

Of course, she was only responsible for the introduction; the rest was none of her business. As for the favor owed, she would make a note of it for now and come back to collect it if he wasn't driven to despair by Shi Tonghe.

Despite her sharp tongue, Wang Zixu thought she was a good person.

After hanging up the phone, Wang Zixu looked at Chen Qingluo and said, "Let's go."

She stared at him: "You two have a very good relationship."

"Okay, is it okay? It's alright."

"So-so." Chen Qingluo moved her lips and repeated.

Her gaze made Prince Xu feel extremely guilty.

"By the way," Chen Qingluo suddenly asked, "what did you want to tell me before?"

"When?"

"Just before those students interrupted me."

The prince thought for a moment, then suddenly realized he couldn't bring himself to say anything sentimental. He said, "Next time. I'll tell you next time I have the chance."

……

Although Yunchi Mountain Villa is named a mountain villa, it is not actually built on a mountain.

The East China Sea is a flat area, with the highest mountain only a hundred meters high, while the tallest building is a full six hundred meters high, and there are countless other buildings that are several hundred meters tall.

Compared to man-made terrain, natural terrain pales in comparison. However, rarity increases value, and amidst the bustling city of skyscrapers, the secluded hillside villa stands out remarkably.

It is said that when surveying the land, the developer specially invited a feng shui master to divine good and bad fortune and find this auspicious site. The master calculated that if a house were built here, it would bring wealth, official promotion, prosperity, and success for the descendants.

This was originally a natural village. After the demolition, the village leaders started driving Mercedes-Benz cars, while other villagers received several resettlement houses on the east side of the hill. The high-rise resettlement houses have sharp, angular corners, resembling knife edges. A feng shui master said this was a "steel knife evil" formation, which could counteract the evil energy coming from the east for Yunchi Mountain Villa. However, he also said that those living in the buildings might have shorter lifespans.

Whether the villagers suffered shortened lifespans is unknown. The "Steel Knife Building" has 55 floors in total, with the family of the former village leader, who later became the general contractor, occupying 20 floors. After he went to prison, one of his sons was hit by a car in the street and another jumped off the building. Only his daughter married overseas and never returned to China. It is unknown whether this is related to feng shui.

Prince Xu was not from the East Sea and knew nothing about these stories; Chen Qingluo had told him about them.

She came to Donghai to make her way in the world when she was 17, and her knowledge was as extensive as that of the locals. She told these stories to Wang Zixu as if she were telling him about writers he had never heard of before when they were in high school.

"When I first came to Donghai, the house prices here were only 20,000 yuan per square meter. Now they are astronomical," Chen Qingluo said.

"Why didn't you buy a house here back then?" Prince asked humbly.

"I don't believe in feng shui," Chen Qingluo shrugged.

"But those important figures all seem to believe it."

"I don't believe in it. I don't believe in fate. I believe in ability," Chen Qingluo said. "Think about it carefully, isn't it terrifying? Those important figures should be the backbone of the country, but they don't believe in science, they believe in metaphysics instead."

"Maybe as you get older, you'll start to believe in these things."

"So how did they become such important figures in their youth? Was it some kind of magic?"

Prince Xu didn't know, so he couldn't answer. He hadn't encountered anything mystical in his life so far, but science hadn't helped him become a great man either.

The security guard at the gate was 1.8 meters tall and had a respectable appearance; he must have been carefully selected. Seeing Wang Zixu and Chen Qingluo approach, he interrogated them as if they were criminals, meticulously questioning them about their purpose. Only after confirming with Shi Tonghe's family via internal phone call did he let them in. The nanny answered the phone.

As they entered the villa, the greenery grew denser, layer upon layer, with winding paths. The temperature dropped sharply, and the sunlight was dispersed. The two unconsciously slowed their pace, like hunters with guns.

It's like a dark forest.

The original text can be found at 6#9@book/bar!

Wang Zixu said, "I'm getting a little nervous."

Chen Qingluo said, "Don't be nervous."

"I suddenly realized that I wasn't mentally prepared."

"It's not like we're getting married, why do we need to prepare ourselves mentally?"

"What are these bushes for? They obstruct the view, making it harder to spot a thief if they break in, right?"

"It's probably used to block the view. It's more likely to attract attention from people outside the wall than to let thieves in. Nobody wants to be spied on."

"Or perhaps they don't want to be disturbed by the scenery outside the wall," Wang Zixu said. "They're all gods; they can't bear to see human suffering."

"You're being a bit harsh," Chen Qingluo said. "Maybe they never even thought that way. Maybe they see the suffering of people every day. Maybe your thinking is more because of your own inferiority complex."

"Yes. I am a bit harsh."

"Perhaps Shi Tonghe isn't as uncommunicative as you think. Perhaps you're more important to him than you realize."

"Perhaps Shi Shuqiu didn't intend to target me, and perhaps this matter can be resolved peacefully."

"Yes. That's a positive way of thinking."

"No one wants to be passive; they just don't want to be disappointed."

"If disappointment is inevitable, what difference does it make whether you're positive or negative?"

They finally arrived at Shi Tonghe's house, and the nanny opened the door for them.

Wang Zixu tried to discern Shi Tonghe's attitude from the aunt's face, but the aunt's face was as cold as water, like a stone Buddha, without any expression. She only told them to put on their shoe covers properly and not to bring in any mud.

When Wang Zixu walked into the living room, he bumped into Shi Shuqiu face to face.

Shi Shuqiu wore a new Chinese-style shirt made of cotton and linen, with her hair loose and medium-length, giving her a very artistic air.

He glanced at Wang Zixu and Chen Qingluo, who had empty hands, and pointed to the sofa, indicating that they should sit down.

After the two were seated, he said:

"My father is busy writing, and it's best not to disturb him during this time. Please wait a moment."

Wang Zixu's eyebrows twitched, and he turned to look at Chen Qingluo, but Chen Qingluo sat upright and did not exchange glances with him.

As far as he knew, Shi Tonghe had stopped writing for nearly 10 years. Although he had not explicitly stated that he would stop writing, a writer who has been away from writing for such a long time has generally passed the golden age of writing and it is difficult to return to his peak state.

Getting a writer to pick up a pen again is incredibly difficult. Wang Zixu found it hard to imagine what reason might have motivated Shi Tonghe to write once more.

Or is this just an excuse from Shi Tonghe to leave the two of them hanging here?

Shi Shuqiu did not wait with them. The two sat there for more than an hour.

Outside the French windows is a bamboo grove, and the sun casts bamboo shadows into the room, with the bamboo tips sweeping across the coffee table from one end to the other.

Chen Qingluo sat upright the whole time, neither playing on her phone nor speaking. The only time she said "thank you" was when the nanny came to pour them some tea.

Shi Tonghe finally emerged from quarantine. He slowly walked down the stairs, holding a coffee cup in one hand, his reading glasses still on, his son following behind him.

"Sorry, sorry to have kept you waiting," Shi Tonghe said with a sincere apology when he saw the two of them. "I knew you were coming, but I suddenly had an inspiration and I had to write it."

Wang Zixu, also a writer, understood this reason perfectly and nodded, saying it was nothing.

Shi Tonghe ignored him and looked at Chen Qingluo, saying sincerely, "I've taken up the time of the talented Qingluo."

"It's no trouble at all; it's me who has taken up your time," Chen Qingluo said calmly.

"Shuqiu, come here."

Shi Shuqiu walked over and sat down next to his father. Shi Tonghe said, "My son was supposed to be at school today, but when I heard you were coming, I made sure he came back."

"I'm so sorry for interrupting your son's studies."

"It was my son who was rude first; I've already reprimanded him." Shi Tonghe leaned back on the sofa, turned to Shi Shuqiu, and said, "You don't know this talented woman, Chen Qingluo, do you?"

"I know. A writer on the list of genius, beautiful, and rich, a figure who has caused a sensation throughout the country, how could I not know her?" Shi Shuqiu said sullenly.

"That's nothing," Shi Tonghe said. "This talented woman won the New Talent Award at the age of 17, breaking the record for the youngest winner of the New Talent Award; her recent works are generally regarded in literary circles as the most promising works to win the Mao Dun Literature Prize. If she wins the prize, she will probably break the record for the youngest winner of the Mao Dun Literature Prize."

"Ms. Chen, I heard your new work will be finished soon?"

"Yes, it took about ten or twenty days," Chen Qingluo said.

Shi Tonghe turned to look at Shi Shuqiu: "That's talent."

Shi Shuqiu extended his hand to Chen Qingluo: "Please give me your guidance."

Chen Qingluo did not respond, but only said, "I came here mainly to talk about you and Wang Zixu."

Shi Tonghe took off his reading glasses and slowly placed them on the table: "Hmm, I know what I'm doing. Young people these days are a bit too direct; I'm not used to it yet."

Wang Zixu silently placed the note he had unexpectedly received that day on the coffee table.

Shi Shuqiu merely glanced at it and said, "What is this? A prank? Whatever it is, let me say this first: it has nothing to do with me."

(End of this chapter)