Chapter 173: Insulted and Damaged
Chapter 173: Insulted and Damaged
Ning Chunyan took off her clothes, lay down in the soft vacuum cotton quilt, turned on the bedside night light, and planned to browse her mobile phone for a few minutes before falling asleep.
Half an hour later, the phone screen suddenly turned black, reflecting Ning Chunyan's silly face, and the screen showed that Wang Zixu was calling.
She was quite surprised.
"Hey?"
"Let me tell you something."
The voice on the other end of the phone sounded mysterious. Ning Chunyan propped himself up on the bed and sat up straight, causing the mattress to creak.
"what's up?"
"Is there no one next to you?"
"How can anyone be here in the middle of the night?"
Wang Zixu swallowed his saliva on the phone and said, "I have logged in."
"Really?!" Ning Chunyan was so excited that the mattress springs creaked.
"confirmed."
"Published" was nothing but the manuscript being published. The place where it was published was naturally "Get". The two of them knew it well and there was no need to say more. The word "published" was enough to drive Ning Chunyan crazy.
"That's 'Get'. You actually made it to the magazine. It's unbelievable!" Ning Chunyan suppressed her voice and screamed like a little girl meeting her idol.
In fact, when he called her, she had anticipated the news, but she was still too excited to learn that she was on Get. Ning Chunyan pressed her fingers on her temples and told herself to stay calm.
"I feel like I'm dreaming, too," Wang Zixu said. "Yesterday I met with the editor of Get and talked a lot with their editor-in-chief Li Minyang."
"No way, Editor-in-Chief Li came to see you in person?!" Ning Chunyan was even more surprised, "What a high-level treatment!"
After a pause, Ning Chunyan asked again: "Are you going to publish the entire article? All 60 words, all published?"
"Yes, it is expected to be published in three installments, with 20 words per installment."
"Wow!"
Ning Chunyan blurted out a very tacky catchphrase, but she couldn't care less. She held her breath and said, "20 words per issue, this is going to be incredible!"
"I was also surprised. And they said that the front page of the second issue was for me, and the front page of the first issue was for Gu Zao, and mine was placed at the end. But the title of the table of contents was mine."
Magazine catalogs are not necessarily arranged in page order. Generally, the most important works are placed at the top of the catalog. Fire in the Stone is treated in this way.
Hearing this, Ning Chunyan was stunned. He kept talking non-stop, talking about the same things and praising them endlessly.
Wang Zixu originally wanted to talk about the seminar, but considering that there was no progress on the matter, and seeing that she had fainted, he did not share it with her.
Ning Chunyan said: "Wang Zixu, once the next issue of "Get" is published, you will really have a chance to compete for the Feishi Literature Award, even if your opponent is Shi Tonghe's son!"
After listening to this, Wang Zixu had no expression on his face and nodded slightly: "Yes."
Ning Chunyan clenched her fists and punched the air hard.
Winning the first prize of the Feishi Literature Award is certainly a great honor, but isn’t it also an honor to be featured in "Get"?
So far, Xiao Mengyin has not been able to publish a single article in "Delivery".
The fact that the 60-word work was fully published in "Get" has established his position in the literary world once and for all, like a wedge firmly driven into the soil of Chinese culture. After many years, people may forget the first prize of the Fei Shi Literature Award, but they will definitely remember this work of his.
What if the Feishi first prize is not given to him? Not giving it to him would be blind. Shi Tonghe can influence many judges with his prestige and connections, but sooner or later people will find out that Shi Shuqiu is his son. If the jury has face, they will carefully consider the selection of the first prize.
Therefore, as long as Wang Zixu can appear on "Obtain", this battle that Xiao Mengyin predicted to be a lost battle will have changed.
Thinking of this, Ning Chunyan shuddered and frowned.
"Wang Zixu, I suddenly thought that it's best not to tell anyone about this."
"I didn't intend to tell anyone." Wang Zixu said.
"You shouldn't have told us." Ning Chunyan said, "You told Lu Qingxuan and the others the day before yesterday, and we even had a special meal to celebrate in private. Even though I told them not to let the news leak out, I'm afraid they might let it slip."
Wang Zixu thought about it and felt that he couldn't be blamed for not keeping his mouth shut. He felt dizzy and depressed that day, and if he didn't vent, he would really collapse.
Ning Chunyan asked: "Besides calling me, you didn't tell anyone else, right?"
"No, the first call I made to you."
"Okay, that's fine. Don't tell anyone that your manuscript has been accepted." Ning Chunyan said, "Don't tell anyone. Just hold it in. Don't say anything, even if you kill me."
"Yeah." Wang Zixu nodded on the other end of the phone, and after a while he said, "Even Chen Qing... Editor-in-Chief Chen won't tell you?"
"No." Ning Chunyan said, "I'm telling you, Wang Zixu, don't tell anyone about this news until your manuscript is printed in Obtain, bound into a book, officially released, and seen by people all over the country."
"Yes." Wang Zixu said firmly.
Things that have been decided can be regretted, and printed materials can be taken back and destroyed. Every failure is a lesson learned, and both of them are still frightened.
After hanging up the phone, he sat on the camp bed in the workshop without turning on the lights. The bright moon also understood the feeling of loneliness, and it came in softly through the window and imprinted on his chest.
He fiddled with his phone, and the screen was still on Chen Qingluo's contact interface. The call history was blank, which meant that they had not called each other since adding this number.
Ning Chunyan said not to tell anyone about this news - he thought so too, but he couldn't hold it in any longer after tossing and turning in the middle of the night. He wanted to tell Chen Qingluo the news, but he didn't dare.
As a second best option, he called Ning Chunyan, wanting to make a sample call and then tell Chen Qingluo, but he was stopped by Ning Chunyan's words "Don't tell anyone".
It's not that he didn't trust Chen Qingluo. If he became a fugitive in the world and could only find one person, he would find Chen Qingluo, even if he was reported, he would die in her hands. But he still didn't dare to tell her. He found that he couldn't share his happiness with her like an ordinary friend.
Ning Chunyan's words gave him an excuse to back off, so he simply backed off, threw away his phone, and went to bed.
……
After the written test was over and the manuscript had been sent out, life suddenly became easier. Wang Zixu felt as if he had been released from prison - although he had never been to jail, he must have felt similarly - he suddenly went from strictly dividing his time into small chunks to having nothing to do, and this gave rise to a sudden sense of emptiness and confusion.
Wang Zixu returned to work at the magazine.
Halfway through October, the temperature dropped sharply, and it was no longer possible to wear long-sleeved single clothes all day. He put on the coat he had worn in Xihe before, which was warm when he put it on and cold when he took it off.
When they entered the publishing house, Chen Qingluo was not there as usual. Lu Qingxuan and Diao Yiwen only looked up at him and then lowered their heads to work. Ning Chunyan made eye contact with him for a few seconds. After a while, he was called over and told that he would be assigned to review the manuscript.
Using the pile of manuscripts on the table as a cover, Ning Chunyan came over and whispered, "You called me yesterday, right? I wasn't dreaming, was I?"
"It's not a dream."
"Remember, don't tell anyone."
"Ah."
"I forgot to tell you yesterday," Ning Chunyan said, "Shi Tonghe doesn't take you seriously now, but if he thinks you can threaten his son's first prize, he will not treat you as harshly as he does now."
Wang Zixu nodded: "I know."
He returned to his seat with the manuscript and reviewed it for a while, his mind still undecided. Suddenly, he glanced and saw Diao Yiwen constantly stealing glances at him. After making eye contact with him, the other party simply walked over and sat down next to him.
"How's it going?"
The prince pretended to be confused and asked, "What's going on?"
Diao Yiwen asked: "Didn't you say the day before yesterday that there was great hope?"
"There is indeed a good chance of passing the written test." Wang Zixu said, "I have reviewed those questions."
Diao Yiwen was anxious: "I'm not talking about this, I'm talking about "Get"." Lu Qingxuan suddenly stopped the work in his hands and turned his ear over.
Wang Zixu shook his head: "It's hard to say."
"Did it fail?" Diao Yiwen asked.
"There's no reply yet."
Diao Yiwen curled her lips: "What about what you said before that there is hope?"
Wang Zixu said: "Can't I have a little confidence in myself?"
Diao Yiwen wondered: "Whether the manuscript was rejected or not, there must be an explanation, right?"
Wang Zixu deliberately remained vague: "They probably still have to continue reviewing the manuscript."
Seeing that Diao Yiwen didn't believe it, Wang Zixu added, "My manuscript is nearly 600,000 words long. It will take more than a day or two to review it. It may take until next month. There's no rush."
Diao Yiwen glared and asked, "What about your Feishi essay contest?"
"If I can't get published, I'll just give up. For me now, as long as the manuscript can be published, it's fine."
Diao Yiwen left with a disappointed look on her face, then turned around and said, "I thought you would really stick to yourself and go to participate in Fei Shi at all costs. It seems that you are not as pure as I thought."
Lu Qingxuan cleared her throat and said, "Sister Yiwen, I have a question for you. Can you come over?"
Diao Yiwen went over, but Lu Qingxuan pulled her out.
"what happened?"
Lu Qingxuan whispered: "Why do you provoke him so much?"
"What's irritating him? He just has no motivation. He should have continued to submit after his paper was rejected by Get. Why is he using the excuse of needing to be reviewed? He has lost his courage and it will only hurt himself."
Lu Qingxuan asked: "How do you know that his manuscript was rejected by Get?"
"It must have been rejected," Diao Yiwen said. "He looked at his phone earlier and it was obvious that the editor of Obtain had contacted him. If the editor contacted him, it means that his manuscript was either approved or rejected, or someone had some revision suggestions and asked him to revise it. How could it be still under review?"
Lu Qingxuan said cautiously, "Actually, even if his manuscript was rejected, I don't think it's a big deal. After all, it's Get. He couldn't submit it to other magazines because he was forced to do so by Shi Tonghe. You can't blame him for not being strong enough."
Diao Yiwen said: "No one blames him! He is the one who is always so arrogant. He said too much before, and now he feels embarrassed and keeps it secret."
Lu Qingxuan said: "Forget it, forget it, let's not talk about him, he must be feeling bad right now."
Diao Yiwen snorted coldly and didn't say anything else. Suddenly, she saw Shi Shuqiu walking towards her in the corridor, looking high-spirited and in high spirits.
"Mr. Shi, what brings you here in person?" Diao Yiwen asked immediately.
Shi Shuqiu had a faint smile on his face: "Are Editor-in-Chief Chen and Editor-in-Chief Ning here?"
"Editor-in-Chief Ning is inside, but Editor-in-Chief Chen is not here. What's going on?"
Shi Shuqiu's smile remained unchanged: "My latest work, Yesterday's Star, has just been featured on the front page of the Feishi Suihan Literature Award. This institute will hold a seminar around this work."
Diao Yiwen waved her hand and said, "I know, I know. It has been spread all over the courtyard a long time ago. Everyone says that Master Shi is very talented."
"I came here this time to invite Chen and Ning to attend the seminar."
Diao Yiwen's eyes moved, showing a hint of weirdness. Chen and Ning didn't have a good impression of Shi Shuqiu, so inviting them to the meeting was a direct provocation. What's more, Wang Zixu was also there.
There was a good show to watch.
Diao Yiwen said: "Editor-in-Chief Ning is inside, please come in."
He pushed the door open and brought Shi Shuqiu in. When Shi Shuqiu saw Wang Zixu, he was slightly stunned, then ignored him, walked slowly to Ning Chunyan, and repeated his purpose of visit.
Ning Chunyan took the invitation letter with a businesslike attitude, glanced at it, and said, "The dean has helped me a lot, and this is a seminar held by my alma mater. It is reasonable for me to attend."
Shi Shuqiu was delighted: "So you agree?"
"But I'm afraid I can't make any comments. Our magazine has been quite busy lately and we haven't had time to look at your work."
Shi Shuqiu thought that my work only had tens of thousands of words, and I could finish it in dozens of minutes. Ning Chunyan's words clearly showed that he didn't like me. But he didn't show it, and continued to smile. After all, who would speak at the meeting had already been decided, and it wasn't Ning Chunyan's turn to speak.
"Editor-in-Chief Chen, when will she come? I'll give her the invitation in person."
"No, just leave it here. I'll help you talk to her when the time comes."
"Okay, thank you Editor-in-Chief Ning."
"fine."
"Then I will wait for Editor-in-Chief Ning to criticize and correct my work that day."
After saying this, Shi Shuqiu turned around and walked out. Then, he changed his steps and turned around with a little bit of theatricality, walking towards Wang Zixu.
"This...Brother Wang." Shi Shuqiu said while standing beside Wang Zixu.
"Not Brother Chang?" Wang Zixu lowered his head and didn't look at him.
"Brother Wang," Shi Shuqiu said, "I think you are a member of the Xihe Literary Association?"
Diao Yiwen said nearby: "He is the vice chairman."
"Oh, my apologies." Shi Shuqiu said, "Look, why don't you also come to our seminar?"
The prince paused and looked up at him.
Shi Shuqiu said, "You can sit in the audience. I didn't bring the invitation letter with me, I will mail it to you when the time comes."
Prince Xu thought about it and said, "Okay."
Shi Shuqiu laughed and nodded, "Okay, then I also welcome you to come when the time comes."
After Shi Shuqiu left, Diao Yiwen couldn't help but ran to Wang Zixu and said, "He's a bit too much, isn't he? You agreed to this?"
"What's wrong?" Wang Zixu asked.
"Isn't he humiliating you in person? Are you so willing to attend his seminar and listen to others bragging about him?"
"It's okay. It's interesting to go and listen to how they play." Wang Zixu looked nonchalant, which made Diao Yiwen grit her teeth.
She turned to Ning Chunyan and said, "Editor-in-chief, what do you think of him?"
Ning Chunyan pretended that it had nothing to do with him: "If he wants to go, then go. It's nothing."
Diao Yiwen said, "But it's Wang Zixu's fault that he couldn't publish his manuscript. You guys couldn't stand it, right? If it were me, I definitely wouldn't be able to stand it. Qingxuan, don't you think so?"
"Hmm...hmm." Lu Qingxuan nodded.
While they were making noise, Wang Zixu walked over, grabbed the invitation on Ning Chunyan's table, secretly glanced at the date of the seminar, then quickly closed it and raised his head mysteriously.
Good guy.
Isn’t this the same day as the next issue of Get?
(End of this chapter)