I am not a literary giant

Wang Zixu was in a bad mood and extremely aggressive. He glared at Shen Qingfeng with murderous intent and said, "If you want to hear the names of the dishes, go home and ask your mother. I meant the book titles, not the dishes. Oh, sorry, I forgot. You haven't read many books."

That was what he had prepared to say. He hadn't actually had a chance to speak yet. Lin Feng stepped forward first:

"Shen Qingfeng, if you have a problem with me, there's no need to belittle Brother Wang Zixu. He'll be a prominent figure in the literary world sooner or later, so don't look down on him."

Shen Qingfeng chuckled: "Do you own the literary world? Where do you sit, Lin Feng? I can't see you here. But whether you come or not is none of my business. I'm here to see the talented Ning."

Lin Feng was so angry his nose was crooked. He clenched his fists, but he restrained himself and pulled Wang Zixu back, whispering, "Don't be impulsive. Actually, he's targeting me."

Prince Xu: "..."

Wang Zixu wasn't impulsive at all; he was just a little annoyed. He thought it would have been better if Lin Feng hadn't said anything; he could have done better too.

Ning Chunyan, with a sullen face (she was still pretty even with a sullen face), turned her head away, not wanting to talk to Shen Qingfeng. Shen Qingfeng, however, came closer like a teddy bear, and said in a low, humble voice:

"Miss Ning, I heard at the meeting that you're thinking of starting a literary magazine?"

Ning Chunyan said, "Yes, what's wrong?"

Lin Feng and Wang Zixu both turned to look at her.

Such a big matter, and Ning Chunyan has been here for so long, yet she hasn't mentioned it once.

Shen Qingfeng said, "What's wrong? Are you out of your mind? These days, physical books are practically dying out, and you're still rushing in. What are you thinking?"

Ning Chunyan sat with her hands flat on her lap, her posture elegant, as if she were being interviewed: "I just want to give those authors who are hovering on the edge of serious literature a chance to speak out."

Shen Qingfeng raised an eyebrow: "You're not thinking about that 'Little Prince' thing that's recently become popular, are you?"

Upon hearing this, Prince Xu's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Ning Chunyan didn't answer, but Shen Qingfeng lowered his head and said, "Did I guess right?"

Ning Chunyan's expression remained unchanged, her features exquisite: "The current literary environment in our country is either too lofty and out of touch with reality, or too commercially driven. Some unconventional souls have nowhere to rest. I just want to provide a platform to accommodate these voices."

Shen Qingfeng shook his head: "If you were moved by the story of The Little Prince, then I have very little faith in the future of your magazine. The Little Prince only became popular by accident; it's very dramatic, which has triggered a temporary online frenzy. Once this wave passes, nobody will remember who he is."

Ning Chunyan smoothed the hair at her temples: "You're not a prophet either, are you?"

Shen Qingfeng turned around, adjusted his belt, and said, "How about I invest 70 in you?"

Ning Chunyan's eyes lit up: "Didn't you say you didn't think it would succeed?"

Shen Qingfeng said with a grin, "Whether I'm optimistic or not, I still want to support Ning Cai Nu. I only have two conditions."

Ning Chunyan asked, "Which two conditions?"

Shen Qingfeng held up his finger: "First, I'll be the editor-in-chief of your magazine. Your ideas are a bit too ambitious; you might not even break even on the selection and publication of articles, and I can't bear to see you lose money. Second, I'd like to upgrade your title; how about 'Spring Banquet'?"

Ning Chunyan's expression turned cold, but her tone remained polite: "Then forget it. I already have someone in mind for the editor-in-chief."

Shen Qingfeng wasn't annoyed by the direct rejection; instead, he smiled and said, "Then how about I increase it to 80?"

Ning Chunyan shook his head: "This isn't about money."

"There's nothing in this world that doesn't involve money." Shen Qingfeng counted on his fingers for her. "Are you going to do nationwide distribution? If you do nationwide distribution, no amount of money will be enough. Rent, utilities, labor—everything costs money. You have money, but can your family's finances support it?"

Ning Chunyan hesitated slightly: "I'm not considering nationwide distribution for now, let's start with the province."

Shen Qingfeng shook his head and said, "National literary magazines don't have much influence anymore. You're only working within the province; how can you expect to expand beyond?"

Ning Chunyan said, "I'm not in a hurry to think about this now. Anyway, I don't plan to start the magazine right now."

Although that's what she said, Wang Zixu noticed that her small fists, resting on her lap, clenched slightly. She was clearly a little nervous.

Shen Qingfeng said, "Come find me when you change your mind. I have nothing else to offer but money!"

Shen Qingfeng left. Ning Chunyan, looking worried, also left soon after.

Since Wang Zixu's novel was already scheduled to be published in "Xihe Literature" next month, he and Lin Feng had no reason to stay. The two left the Writers' Association one after the other.

As he stepped outside and the setting sun bathed him in its light, he realized it was his first time at the Writers' Association. Perhaps this was something to remember. Coming to the Writers' Association had been a long-held dream; he longed to be there as a writer, to be looked at with respect and courtesy. But this first experience wasn't exactly pleasant.

He glanced back at the somewhat dilapidated building; the aura that had initially shone through in his eyes had vanished. It was as if the magic had failed him. Much later, he realized that the reason the magic had failed was money. This place, too, was sustained by money, just like marriage.

Money is the "Imagine Killer" that can disable all magic.

He and Lin Feng walked side by side in silence. Suddenly, Lin Feng said, "I didn't expect Shen Qingfeng to also want to pursue Ning Cai Nu."

Prince Xu suddenly turned around: "What? Is he chasing after Ning Chunyan?"

"Yeah, didn't you notice?"

Raymond Lam glanced back at him, his eyes seeming to say, "Brother, you're a little slow on the uptake."

Prince Xu remained silent. No wonder he felt so uncomfortable, as if he had swallowed a fly. So that's the root of the problem.

Lin Feng sighed: "To be honest, I don't really have the right to comment on other people's love affairs, but let me just say this: Shen Qingfeng and Ning Cai Nu are really not a good match."

Wang Zixu kicked away a pebble: "They won't end up together. Ning Cai Nu wouldn't even look at Shen Qingfeng; he's too greasy."

Lin Feng shook his head: "That's not necessarily true. Shen Qingfeng's behavior seems rather slick to us, but to the girls he's trying to please, it's incredibly generous. If they really manage to get this magazine up and running, they'll most likely end up together. We don't know how long it will last, but they'll definitely get together."

Prince Xu shook his head: "No, that won't happen."

Both of them sighed, recalling many poems of lamentation from women in their boudoirs. But then they thought, flowers wither and water flows on, what does it have to do with them? They were both married. It was just a kind of sentimental lament unique to pedantic scholars.

"Let's go grab some late-night snacks later to celebrate your first step into the Xihe literary scene," Lin Feng said with a smile. "Should we go straight there or go home first?"

Wang Zixu said, "I'll go home first."

Raymond Lam said, "Yeah, I need to go home and calm my wife down too."

The two parted ways at the crossroads. Prince Xu turned a corner and walked along the road lined with camphor trees outside the government office when a voice came from behind him:

"Hey, that Prince Xu who's married!"

Wang Zixu turned around and saw a Porsche Cayenne slowly driving up. He smiled and said, "You don't have to tease me about this every time, do you?"

Ning Chunyan said, "Why not? I plan to hold this grudge for the rest of my life. If you want me to let go of this grudge, either I get married, or you get a divorce."

After saying that, she considerately added, "Of course, I'm not cursing you to get divorced. Don't get divorced, and live a good life with your wife."