Chapter 224: Xie Wenyuan's Influence

The hotel was already booked.

This meant that Qiu Wuji was spared the decision-making process of choosing between a standard room and a king-sized bed – they just needed to check in.

As the well-known “boyfriend and girlfriend” or “early autumn lovebirds,” it was only natural that they had reserved a (single) king-sized bed for them…

Qiu Wuji stood in the room, carrying a small suitcase, her expression devoid of emotion, glaring at Chu Ge with a puffed-up attitude.

“You’ve been carrying that suitcase for five minutes. Put it down, be good, put it down…” Chu Ge cautiously helped her set the suitcase aside.

“Hmph!” Qiu Wuji was also relieved of her suitcase, and she stomped her way further into the room.

This five-star hotel room was indeed very beautiful, with a balcony outside. The balcony had a table and lounge chairs. Standing by the railing, looking into the distance, there was a feeling of exhilaration and openness, as if you could take in the panoramic view of the city. Afternoon sunlight streams in; lying down lazily, a drink in hand, sunglasses on, it exudes a strong sense of the finer things in life.

Once Qiu Wuji lay down, she didn’t want to get up, thinking she should have something similar by her own mountain cliff…

Oh, going back was another matter, but what to do tonight?

They had to sleep together again…

This guy is like boiling a frog in warm water. They went from a house with two rooms to a room with two beds, then Chu Ge’s mother pulled a pillow move on her, and on that day, pretending to be too tired, he held her and fell asleep directly. She also sympathized with him for not being able to escape. Now, they openly stay in a room with one bed!

Even if they hadn’t done anything at all, in the eyes of outsiders, it would seem like they’ve done everything…

Sigh…

Qiu Wuji hugged a cup of freshly squeezed juice, her expression blank, absentmindedly sipping away, her thoughts drifting elsewhere.

Chu Ge took out his laptop from the suitcase, tested the internet connection, made sure it was working fine, then turned to look at Qiu Wuji with her absentminded look, unable to help but chuckle.

He strolled over, but instead of settling on the other lounge chair, he lowered his head and kissed her on the forehead.

Qiu Wuji didn’t even have the awareness to dodge; she was kissed before she realized it.

Chu Ge playfully pinched her nose, then swayed away.

Qiu Wuji was left feeling sweet and annoyed.

You’re implying we’re an old married couple, aren’t you!

Chu Ge leaned against the railing, gazing into the distance with a sigh. “No wonder there are so many poems about leaning on railings in ancient times. The feeling of looking into the distance is truly broadening, and countless poetic sentiments surge forth.”

Qiu Wuji’s tone was cool, “Alone, do not lean on the railing; the boundless rivers and mountains. Easy to part, difficult to meet.”

Chu Ge: “?”

Qiu Wuji sipped her drink with an amused expression.

“Can you stop dampening the mood?” Chu Ge widened his eyes. “Don’t you see the Huangpu River in the distance, where the river merges with the sky…”

“Setting sun and limitless skies, leaning on the railing, watching the departing birds.” Qiu Wuji continued the poem.

“Whoa… Do you have a built-in search engine?” Chu Ge exclaimed. “You’ve memorized Tang and Song poetry?”

“No,” Qiu Wuji playfully retorted, “I just wanted to tease you a bit. What’s wrong?”

“These verses bring bad luck for us, so don’t randomly quote them in the future.”

“In fact, leaning on railings was a kind of pretentiousness among the ancients. Not many of them truly had an expansive view.”

“Wait until the burning incense fades, standing by the railing but fearing the fierce wind and thunder, the tragic fish and dragons. That’s the spirit we should have!”

“Huh?” Qiu Wuji chuckled. “You actually have quite a bit of culture?”

Chu Ge put his hands on his hips. “Of course! Without culture, how could I have written someone like you, a literary romantic?”

In reality, when it came to this area, Chu Ge was definitely no match for Qiu Wuji. Of course, Qiu Wuji wouldn’t expose him. For a modern person, having the level of poetry and literature knowledge that he possessed was already pretty good. He couldn’t compare to someone from ancient times like her.

However, on the other hand, just as her divine sense could easily memorize Tang and Song poetry, it would also be easy for Chu Ge to memorize more verses and famous lines. This meant that there was still room for growth in his writing skills.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Chu Ge spoke up: “This afternoon, we’ll divide and conquer. You and Old Zhu will handle the investment meeting over here, and I’ll head to the office to have a talk with them.”

“No flirting with the female editor!”

“I don’t even know what she looks like. Why would I flirt?”

“Are you saying you’d flirt if she was good-looking?”

“Where’s that jealousy coming from?” Chu Ge suddenly reached out and effortlessly lifted Qiu Wuji off the ground.

She struggled. “Hey, what are you doing? I haven’t finished my drink; it’s going to spill!”

Chu Ge leaned in and swiftly finished the remaining drink.

Qiu Wuji helplessly tossed the bottle, landing it accurately in the trash bin.

In the next moment, she was tackled onto the king-sized bed, and Chu Ge thoroughly licked away the remnants of the drink from her lips…

“What are you doing!” Qiu Wuji struggled, tilting her head to prevent him from nibbling. “Are you getting excited just mentioning female editors?”

Chu Ge whispered in her ear, “Isn’t the correct approach to first drain me completely?”

Qiu Wuji hesitated for a moment, stopping her struggle. That actually makes sense.

At that time, Mengmeng had said…

“Huh, don’t undress… You’re so skilled at this! Ha… Mmm…”

Chu Ge buried his head in her neck, mumbling indistinctly, “So, you see, there’s no need to fuss about the big bed…”

Qiu Wuji felt embarrassed.

Even more embarrassing was the fact that she was actually considering completely draining him before letting him go.

So, being overly jealous is really a huge flaw…

…………

Qiu Wuji could never have imagined how meaningless her attempt at teasing had been in the middle of the day.

Chu Ge, in a good mood, went to the office. He walked to the floor where the office of the editorial department was located. The spacious hall was packed with editors working at their respective workstations. As soon as someone entered, heads turned to look. It was like a bunch of monkeys observing.

“Who’s that?”

“I heard it’s Chu Ge.”

“Oh, him… Wow, he’s handsome.”

“Tch, am I not handsome?”

“Take a look in the mirror, then.”

Chu Ge just wanted to facepalm. This atmosphere was quite different from the refined literary scene he had imagined!

And with so many people, there were hardly any individual offices; everyone was crammed into the open space. The lofty image he had in mind was shattered.

It was even worse than the previous floor he had passed by, where various bookshelves were lined up, filled with works published by the group. Each book was familiar, and browsing through them had a hint of entering the world of online literature.

The welcoming committee for Chu Ge consisted of the editors from his team, the chief editor, and the other editors. When he entered the office, the general manager was already inside, and they all engaged in conversation together.

Although the female editor was indeed a delicate and pretty young woman, the scene was nowhere near the romantic scenario that Qiu Wuji had imagined of having a private meeting with the beautiful female editor. The reality was worlds apart.

So, in the end, why did she even tease him? She practically made him weak in the knees before entering the room for nothing.

The general manager, however, was quite amiable,: “Mr. Chu, this book of yours is highly regarded by Mr. Xie’s side…”

Chu Ge understood that the respect was directed towards Xie Wenyuan, not himself, and calmly responded, “Mr. Xie is a person with strong ideals.”

The nervousness he used to feel when meeting important figures was completely absent. Whether it was facing these people or Xie Wenyuan… Chu Ge felt no difference compared to interacting with ordinary people.

To a creator god of a world… they truly were just ordinary people.

Seeing Chu Ge’s demeanor, a hint of surprise flashed in the eyes of the general manager, followed by a smile. “The editing team mentioned that Mr. Chu is not willing to extend the contract?”

Chu Ge stuck to his usual explanation, “There might not be another book, so it’s meaningless.”

The general manager was well aware of the real reason but only smiled, “What if it’s just a collaboration?”

“Hmm?” This time, Chu Ge was taken aback, “What collaboration?”

“If there is another book, you can prioritize sending it to us, and there’s no need for an exclusive contract.”

Chu Ge fell silent.

Though the details weren’t explicitly stated, as a seasoned hand, he understood right away. This was a partial platinum partnership model…

This wasn’t something he could achieve by simply selling the rights of a single book. It was a testament to Xie Wenyuan’s immense influence.

The crucial point was clearly the mention of “Mr. Xie’s high regard.” Moreover, Chu Ge had the privilege of first meeting Xie Wenyuan for tea and chatting for an hour, resting through the afternoon according to Xie Wenyuan’s arrangement, and then leisurely coming to the office in the afternoon.

Could that be an ordinary author’s experience of selling the copyright? It seemed to be one of the core strategies of the Great Tang Light and Shadow Company…