Chapter 20 - Story 60-62

【60.]

“But isn’t it unfair for you to bear all my negative emotions?” Xu Chi said with a teasing tone.

“That’s okay, no biggie…” Tang Yanzhi said. “Friend should be supportive at the critical moment. By the way, are there any food you don’t eat? I’ll buy us some sour & spicy rice noodles. Is that ok?”

“I’ll pass, thank you.” Xu Chi said, smelling the spicy taste in the air. “I don’t eat spicy food.”

“If you don’t eat it, neither do I.” Tang Yanzhi said, “Let’s go find another stall which you prefer to.”

“Never mind. You can eat as you like. I can watch you eating.”

“I’m bringing you here for fun!” Tang Yanzhi turned around and reached to Xu Chi, grinning, “I bring You, here, for fun! What matters is You, not me! You! You! Got it?!”

These words made Xu Chi amused, who pushed away Tang Yanzhi’s handsome face near him and compromised, “All right. All right. I got it!”

【61.]

Finally, they ordered two bowls of red bean soup and sat down at an empty table on one side of the road.

“Did you eat something before you came here?”

“Yep…” Xu Chi was squinting, satisfied with the sweet and soft soup, “I cooked some noodles…”

Tang Yanzhi pretended to be surprised, “Really? I don’t know that.”

“It’s yummy.” Xu Chi said seriously. “Don’t look down on me.”

“Okay. Okay…” Tang Yanzhi nodded. “Do you mind telling me how to cook it? I want to try it out when I am back home.”

“It’s quite simple. First of all…” Xu Chi was thinking about the specific recipe. “Wash the ingredients you like to eat and cut them into small pieces.”

“Why small pieces?” Tang Yanzhi asked. “May I just cut them into big pieces? Isn’t it easier?”

“Of course… But I prefer to small pieces, which could add a sense of ritual…”

“A sense of ritual? I don’t understand.”

“The sense of ritual for cooking.” Xu Chi continued. “Then pour the oil in the pan. Next are the ingredients. After they are cooked, add some water in the pan. At last put the noodles in. That’s it.”

“So, that’s more like one pot dish.” Tang Yanzhi struggled to hold back his laughter.

“No…” Xu Chi finally figured the real meaning of Tang’s words and became angry from embarrassment. “Are you trying to pick a quarrel with me?”

Finally, Tang Yanzhi didn’t hold it. Looking at the way Tang Yanzhi laughed, Xu Chi was also laughing.

“This is not funny at all…”

“Well, let’s talk about something funny.” Tang Yanzhi stopped laughing and asked while eating. “How about telling me what makes you unhappy?”

Xu Chi looked up and saw some couples or friends passing by with street kebabs, milk tea, octopus balls in their hands. Then he said in a daze, “You have already known it, haven’t you?”

“Known what?”

Xu Chi turned his head and looked at Tang Yanzhi, “You know I’m writing stories.”

“Hmm?” What Xu Chi said made Tang Yanzhi so stunned that he thought his alt account was exposed. Tang Yanzhi pretended to be calm, “What if I don’t know that?”

“That doesn’t matter…” Xu Chi slowly stirred the soup, “Now I have told you, so you know it.”

Tang Yanzhi did not deny, “Well, I do know it. I thought you are dorky. But now you surprise me.”

“Come on…” Xu Chi said seriously. “I’m just slow in reacting. But I am not stupid.”

Following the words of Xu Chi, Tang Yanzhi asked, “When did you know I know that?”

“Yesterday, when you took me home, I asked you a question about writing. You are smart, so I feel like you must have guessed it, right?”

“So why are you unhappy?”

“Since you’re so smart, you can guess it again.”

“Well…” Tang Yanzhi seriously analyzed, “Generally, there are two things bothering writers—their works and readers. So is it the works that bother you? What’s up? Lack of inspiration?”

Xu Chi looked at him, pulling a long face.

“Alright… I am wrong.” Tang Yanzhi said. “Then that’s because of the readers. What’s the matter? Someone posted bad comments?”

Xu Chi put down the spoon, which made a crisp sound when it crashed the bowl. Then he sighed and said, “Actually, I don’t want to talk about this matter, because I don’t want to be regard as fragile or melodramatic. I can understand what you told me yesterday, but it’s hard for me to ignore those negative comments. Do you understand? My emotions came as subconsciously as Knee-jerk Reflex. I felt frustrated before my brain received any signals, which I have no way to control.”

Tang Yanzhi asked while knowing the answer, “What’s the type of your stories?”

“The opposite of yours — heartbreaking stories.”

“Is it popular?”

“No. There haven’t been some more readers until recently.”

Tang Yanzhi concluded, “So while there are more readers, some negative comments also came, which made you unhappy.”

Xu Chi stared at Tang Yanzhi in silence, saying nothing.

“Well, then.” Tang Yanzhi meditated for a moment and said, “Let’s make an analysis.”

“About what?”

“About writing stories. At first, there was no one reading your stories. Every day you browsed the website but found no comments, which made you frustrated. Then what you wanted was to have a reader who could post a comment to show he/she had read your stories.”

“And then?”

“Gradually, more and more people read your stories, post comments, send gifts, push you to update, which made you happy. But at the same time, some negative comments came, which made you upset.”

“Right…”

“But think about it: hasn’t you reached your original goal? What you want is just one person to read your stories. But later, you get hundreds or thousands of readers, some of which even become your fans. Come on! You have made it.”

“So…” Xu Chi was astonished by Tang Yanzhi’s words. “What you said is so absurd.”

“How come?” Tang Yanzhi said, “Think about it. It’s quite reasonable.”

Tang Yanzhi continued, “People are always greedy. When they reach a certain height, they will want more. Meanwhile, they want themselves to be more perfect. At this moment, if someone says any bad words, it’s doubtless a heavy blow for them. And they will be upset. However, they will feel better if they just think about what they want in the beginning.”

“Wait, wait, wait.” Tang Yanzhi thought for a while and said. “Those comments… How about thinking like this: getting a bad comment is no loss; a good comment a great deal?”

“Getting a bad comment is no loss; a good comment a great deal?” slowly repeated Xu Chi.

“As for those negative comments, no matter the reader read the whole story or just the beginning of it, even if he only read one word, but he posted a comment, you have reached your original goal, right? You want a reader and now you make it! It’s no loss, isn’t it? Besides, for those good comments, your works are praised while you get some readers. Isn’t it a great deal?”

“You are…” Xu Chi smiled awkwardly. “You are so eloquent.”

“No matter I am eloquent or not.” Tang Yanzhi smiled. “Just tell me whether you feel better now.”

The soup had become lukewarm now. Xu Chi rubbed his hair and said with slight distress, “It seems you have magic. I figure that I’m brainwashed by your words, and I am gonna agree with your ideas.”

“Every coin has two sides. As for me, I just prefer to see things in a new perspective. Take the commercialization I have mentioned before as an example. You have to admit that only commercialization could help this circle live longer…” Tang Yanzhi suddenly changed the topic. “Do you have a fan base?”

Thinking for a while, Xu Chi said, “I am not sure about it. But I know that there are two fans who seem to like me very much.”

“What kind of fans are they?”

“Two young girls…” Xu Chi continued. “One is emotional, while the other is rational. While, both of them are interesting girls. So it’s very lucky of me to know them.”

Tang Yanzhi hesitated, “I…”

“Tang Yanzhi…” Xu Chi looked at him, as if he had suddenly come around. He breathed a sigh of relief and said slowly, “I think you’re right.”

Xu Chi said with a smile. “According to your thoughts, I was always making a great deal, huh?”

Tang Yanzhi nodded. “Yes. Every day, you are making a great deal.”

They looked at each other and finally laughed.

“Tang Yanzhi, I think we seem to be… destined to know each other. I mean there are so many coincidences.”

“Yeah…”

After all, no matter what I do in secret for you, I’m overjoyed to hear you say, “What a coincidence.”

【62.]

Poor Guy: [picture]

Tingting: My dear writer, did you have some fun tonight?! What is this?!

In the picture Xu Chi posted was an empty cup of yogurt ice cream. He replied to Tingting: I went out with my friend. This is yogurt ice cream.

Tingting replied to Poor Guy: Wow!! I like it very much!!

Sweet Boy: Did you have a good time?!

Poor Guy replied to Sweet Boy: “Yes. I did.”

Sweet Boy replied to Poor Guy: “Go to sleep earlier, my dear writer.”

Poor Guy replied to Sweet Boy: “Okay.”

On the other side.

Tang Yanzhi: Has you gotten home now?

Xu Chi: Already.

Tang Yanzhi: Don’t write stories too late at night. Go to bed early.

Tang Yanzhi: [Good night.jpg]

Xu Chi: OK.

Tang Yanzhi put down his phone. Tonight he nearly told Xu Chi the fact that he was Tangtang. However, he changed his mind. Because in this way, Xu Chi could hear “good night” twice and get two persons liking him.