Chapter 196 Room
Chapter 196 Room
"This is where you're taking me."
"Yes."
"An overseas audio-visual product store that wanted to imitate the punk style but became a weird store due to the "Regulations on the Management of Door Signs" and was suspected of smuggling."
"Yes."
Chen Qingluo turned her head expressionlessly and looked at Wang Zixu, questioning his aesthetic taste with her eyes.
Wang Zixu said: "Don't judge a store by its appearance. It is not what you think it is."
Miss Chen Qingluo just judged the store by its appearance. She crossed her arms and began to carefully examine the door lintel of the store, finally setting her sights on the advertising sign.
"Couples who check in for two days or more can buy a collection of CDs at a 50% discount..." Chen Qingluo read the words without any fluctuations in her tone, and then concluded, "Well, it is indeed a consumerism trap."
“It’s not a trap.”
"Its gentleness is that it doesn't pit single people."
"Did you just say the opposite?"
“Single people are so happy.”
"On behalf of the singles, I thank you for your positive way of thinking."
Chen Qingluo called all induced consumption a consumerism trap. But Wang Zixu was not qualified to criticize her, as he had the same idea as her yesterday.
Later, he found out that the director's signed version of Fight Club, which originally cost 1,600 yuan, could be bought for only 80 yuan after the discount. What kind of trap is this? This is clearly a good man! We cannot generalize about consumerism. This is a good cat that can catch mice!
"Wait a minute," Miss Chen Qingluo said, and suddenly came to her senses after she finished mocking him, "You don't want me to go check in with you, do you?"
"Ah...it seems so."
Chen Qingluo's face slowly turned red from bottom to top like a thermometer, and then she stared at him seriously, which made Wang Zixu suddenly panic.
"Why are you so embarrassed?"
He now wanted to turn around and ask Ning Chunyan, yes Ning Chunyan, how can you be so embarrassed? He had never thought about this question yesterday.
It's a pity that Ning Chunyan is not here. If she were here, she would definitely laugh and point at his nose and say: You have too much self-awareness! You are a married prince!
Couples are just a gimmick. Even if you bring an armed helicopter, the store owner will check you in. Remember, we are just friends! Don't think too much!
She could say that mainly because she really hadn't thought about it that way. But Wang Zixu couldn't say this to Chen Qingluo with a clear conscience. It was like what Zhou Zhiruo said to Zhang Wuji: "What if I feel guilty?"
Prince explained with sweat dripping down his back: "This so-called 'couple' is actually just a gimmick of this store. We don't need to care about it. We just need to walk in with confidence..."
"Will others think we are a couple?"
"Yeah, uh, no. That's not the point. We shouldn't take its request seriously, even if it requires two Tyrannosaurus Rexes for a discount. It's just a consumerist gimmick."
Chen Qingluo hesitated for a moment and said to him, "You may have forgotten, but I remember that many years ago, the day before I transferred to another school, I made an agreement with you..."
"First we should be kind," the prince blurted out, "and second we should be honest."
Chen Qingluo still had no expression on her face. But Wang Zixu could read the joy and happiness in this expressionless face. This emotion was faintly present but could not be found. If you looked carefully, it would disappear without a trace.
"Do you think you are honest?" Chen Qingluo asked.
"...and never forget each other." Wang Zixu added the last half of the sentence.
"I didn't say that."
"From The Brothers Karamazov, which I read later."
"I didn't say that, I didn't say that, I didn't say that."
"I'll always remember it. Dostoyevsky wrote it so well."
"Forget it, let's go in and take a look first."
Chen Qingluo turned around and went into the store. Wang Zixu followed behind her, and was even more unable to guess what she was thinking.
After entering the store, Chen Qingluo was quickly attracted by the shelves.
"Wow, it's Christopher Nolan's signed copy of Memento. Such a low-end overseas store actually has this kind of thing. It's like I was born in Xihe."
Wang Zixu picked up a disc from the shelf and said, "Look, there's also the director's signed version of The Room here. It's like there's another me in Little Xihe."
Chen Qingluo turned her head to look at him without saying anything.
“Uh, isn’t it funny? The funny thing here is that The Room is a terrible movie that is so terrible that it has become a cult classic.”
Chen Qingluo shook her head heavily.
Wang Zixu was deeply shocked and put the most famous bad movie in history back.
After a long while, Chen Qingluo said:
"Not funny. If you didn't add the punchline, it might be a little better."
After that, she added: "Besides, you don't suck at all."
Wang Zixu's mood at this moment was like being thrown into the Flaming Mountain in the hot summer and being scorched from both sides. Suddenly, Chen Qingluo appeared in front of him and handed him a bottle of ice-cold Coca-Cola.
Chen Qingluo continued to search for the disc, muttering to herself:
"After losing its worship value, the Internet has infinitely raised its display value. The art of the mechanical reproduction era, which had long been dethroned, has come to the fore again in the niche field. It's a pity. If Benjamin lived in this era, I wonder what kind of works he would have written..."
Wang Zixu was a little excited. When he first came to this store, he also thought of Benjamin, and he danced with joy, but he didn't know how to express this to Chen Qingluo, which made the other party feel strange.
"I want this Love Letter and this Love at Sunset."
Seeing Chen Qingluo holding both discs in her arms, Wang Zixu raised his eyebrows:
"Do you have a CD player at home?"
"It will grow back after you buy it home."
Wang Zixu smiled, picked up the "Fight Club" that he had been longing for, picked up the "Memento" that Chen Qingluo put down, and chose another "Dead Poets Society".
He wanted to ask Chen Qingluo why she picked all romance movies, but he didn't ask.
"Oh, by the way," Chen Qingluo turned around and took "Room" from the shelf before going to check out, "I want this one."
When they went to the counter to pay, the boss took the slip from Wang Zixu, looked at the bags of discs that were clearly separated for the two people, and asked:
"Separate bills?"
"Pay separately." Chen Qingluo answered first.
The boss looked at the computer, then at Chen Qingluo, then at the computer again, then at Chen Qingluo again:
"But when I came here yesterday..."
Wang Zixu was shocked and stopped the boss from saying the following fatal words: "Of course we should pay together. I'll pay for it."
"I don't want it." said Chen Qingluo.
Wang Zixu pulled her aside and whispered, "You have to check in for two consecutive days to get a discount. I'll pay for it together."
"Two full days?"
"Correct."
"Who did you come with yesterday?"
Miss Chen Qingluo is always very sharp in places where she shouldn't be sharp, which makes Wang Zixu feel quite difficult.
In fact, when some questions are asked, the questioner already has the answer in mind. The three big characters "Ning Chunyan" were written in the sharp eyes of Miss Chen Qingluo, and the font became bolder and bolder.
Before she could react, Wang Zixu interrupted the spell:
"Zhao Peilin! I came here with Zhao Peilin."
"Who is Zhao Peilin?"
"He's a buddy of mine from Nanjing University, a senior. He likes to wear big shorts. He's been single since birth and asks me to introduce him to someone every day."
Chen Qingluo narrowed her eyes: "You and a man..."
"Yes, this is the East China Sea." After giving this reason, Wang Zixu felt that he had integrated a little bit into this city.
This is the East China Sea. Even if two Tyrannosaurus Rex walk hand in hand, it is not strange. Because this is the East China Sea. This reason makes the world less troublesome.
Chen Qingluo tilted her head and thought for a while, then decided to accept Wang Zixu's statement. However, she would never agree to Wang Zixu paying for him, and she insisted on transferring the money to him.
Before walking out of the store, the boss gave Wang Zixu a thumbs up. Wang Zi was sweating and quickly followed Chen Qingluo.
"This one is for you." Chen Qingluo took out "Room" from her bag and handed it to him. "I hope you can become as famous as this cult movie in the future... No, even more famous than it."
"Thank you." Wang Zixu was moved. He finally understood why Chen Qingluo insisted on paying herself.
He picked up the bag, took out "Memory Fragments" from it, and handed it to Chen Qingluo: "I also hope that you can always remember your original intention."
"Thank you."
The two sent each other their best wishes, but then fell silent. Because they found that, considering the content of the movies they sent, it was more like a sarcastic remark than a blessing.
The two walked side by side on the road in silence for a while.
"What did Ning Chunyan teach you next?" Chen Qingluo asked.
“Buy milk tea, eat cake, and watch a movie.”
"Well, go ahead."
"We already know that she arranged this, so is the apology package still useful?"
"It's still early today, and I have nothing to do," Chen Qingluo said, "Although I'm not angry anymore, I still want to experience what it feels like to be carefully served by you."
"Haven't you been carefully waited on?"
"How could a talented girl like me, who earned two houses by her own efforts at the age of 17, not have been carefully served?" Chen Qingluo said softly, "The point I meant was being served by you, stupid thing."
Wang Zixu's feeling at this moment was like being roasted on both sides of the Flaming Mountain, when Chen Qingluo suddenly appeared in front of him and spit on his face. Fortunately, the saliva was icy and cool.
……
The internet-famous cake shop recommended by Ning Chunyan is very good at it. The fermented dough is fluffy and sweet, and even the simple whole wheat bread can be made uniquely.
This shows that there must be a reason for being popular, just like Chen Qingluo, a talented girl who earned two houses in Donghai at the age of 17 with her talent. Many critics are jealous behind her back, believing that Chen Qingluo's popularity is largely due to her beauty.
The scary thing is that appearance is only part of the icing on the cake for Chen Qingluo's popularity.
There are so many bad movies every year, but only "Room" is popular enough to be worshipped, lighting the holy light with a shit-like posture on the altar. Because being different is a necessity for fame, even if it is bad, it must be terrible and shocking, and have topicality.
Wang Zixu reflected on himself and realized that his problem was that he had neither unique innate conditions nor the shamelessness to risk everything; he was powerless to do good, and he had no courage to do bad. In the end, he could only be stuck in the middle and become an ordinary person.
He felt that the only thing that made him different from ordinary people was that he had been obsessed with the Nobel Prize in Literature for many years and that he had been obsessed with Chen Qingluo for many years.
But thinking about it all the time was just "thinking", he was at a loss as to what to do about it.
Just like now, he wanted to sincerely apologize to Chen Qingluo, but he couldn't do it.
If he wants to explain "why he had to hide the fact that he was featured in "Get" from Chen Qingluo", he must first explain why he is always timid when facing Chen Qingluo.
If it was a friend, he could simply explain it as "I just wanted to give you a surprise." But he couldn't do it. It was because the other person was Chen Qingluo. This is also like what Zhou Zhiruo said, "What if I feel guilty?"
While he was queuing at the entrance of the internet celebrity store, Chen Qingluo went shopping somewhere else. Taking this opportunity, he thought of countless opening lines for his apology, and when Chen Qingluo came back, he finally polished the lines.
"Chen Qingluo."
When she sat down opposite him, he suddenly spoke. She looked at him in astonishment, wondering why he suddenly became so serious.
"I mentioned this today, and I agreed with you before," Wang Zixu said, "First, we should be kind, and then we should be sincere."
Chen Qingluo turned her face away: "I said this sentence at the time just to quote The Brothers Karamazov, and I really didn't say the third sentence."
"What I want to say is that I have been trying my best to be a sincere person. Even though there is no sincere person within my family for three generations and five generations." Wang Zixu said seriously, "I shouldn't be such a sincere person. Your words changed me."
"what?"
Just when Chen Qingluo was caught off guard, suddenly a group of young people including two male college students and three female college students came over, patted Wang Zixu on the back, and put a note in front of him.
All of Wang Zixu's thoughts were interrupted. He picked up the note and saw that it read:
[The offline event we promised is here! (laughs)]
[Next comes endless offline arrests! (Little Devil)]
[The contract has already been established. In case you forget, I will repeat it here:
Just shout "Permissions will be damned" three times. 】
【(Different handwriting) Big Brother is watching you! 】
[(Different handwriting) Repent! ]
Wang Zixu put down the note and looked towards the young men and women. They were laughing and then dispersed.
"what's up?"
Chen Qingluo took the note and put it on the table after reading it.
"What do you mean?"
After Wang Zixu thought about it for a moment, he knew the origin of this strange note.
Those young men were either from Nanjing University or from nearby colleges. From the moment he sat here, the other party recognized him. While Wang Zixu was waiting for Chen Qingluo, they had been sitting at the opposite tables, writing furiously, just to write this little note.
The reason why I wrote this strange note is very simple. It was caused by something wrong in the forum:
After Shi Shuqiu’s last seminar was held, all posts in the forum that criticized Wang Zixu were suddenly blocked overnight.
The forum itself would normally block posts with malicious intent, but this time the intensity was unprecedented, and many posts that were just jokes were also affected.
This caused public outrage. Some disgruntled people fabricated a story, saying that Wang Zixu had a backstage background and that he had used his power to ban the app.
Wang Zixu had been offline since his reputation on the forums had been ruined. Later, when Fire in the Stone was featured on Get, he went online again to see what netizens were saying about him.
Seeing that everyone on the forum was denouncing his authority, he made a brief response.
As a result, thanks to the bad reputation he had built up in the forum, this response attracted a lot of ridicule. Netizens originally thought he was a power dog, and now he is even more of a power dog who dares not admit his mistakes.
As the saying goes, when others think you are a power-hungry person, you'd better really be one. But Wang Zixu is not, so he had to shut down the network again.
This incident was just a minor incident for him. He was used to the Internet shutdown and he didn't even have any emotional fluctuations. It was not until he was handed a note that he realized the seriousness of the problem.
After hearing what he said, Chen Qingluo's expression became extremely serious.
"Do you experience this kind of thing often these days?"
"No, this is the first time." Wang Zixu said, "I have received many private messages online, but this is the first time offline."
"Call the police." said Chen Qingluo.
"No need?" Wang Zixu smiled bitterly. "It's not just one or two people who say this. Everyone is cursing. Can we arrest everyone?"
"So are you just going to lie down and let others throw dirty water at you?" Chen Qingluo was even more angry than Wang Zixu himself. "This is affecting your real life!"
The prince shook his head.
"If calling the police doesn't work, then it's better not to call the police. If calling the police does work, then I'm even more of a powerful person with all-powerful hands and eyes."
Chen Qingluo bit her lip and thought for a while: "Who do you think started the trend of slandering you?"
Wang Zixu didn't say anything. He and Chen Qingluo both had candidates in mind, but they tacitly didn't say it out loud.
"It could be him, or it could be him," Wang Zixu said. "If it is him, what can we do? He is the one with the most powerful authority."
"There is a way." Chen Qingluo said, "Go and see the real him."
"Ah?" Wang Zixu sat up. "I'll go find Shi Shuqiu. What if he doesn't admit it? Wouldn't that make me look ridiculous in front of the students?"
"I'm not looking for him, I'm looking for his father." Chen Qingluo said, "If he doesn't know how to educate his son, shouldn't he be in charge?"
(End of this chapter)