WP 3

By 6:30 PM, the private room at the Guanlan restaurant was already filled with people.

The room was spacious, complete with a bathroom and a lounge. In the lounge, there was a mahjong table, a computer, and a television. Another TV was mounted in the dining area, currently playing entertainment news.

The news happened to be reporting on the official launch of the TV adaptation of Si Ye’s long novel. On the screen, the cast and crew were unveiling the red cloth and offering incense. Meanwhile, the guests in the private room were whispering among themselves.

“Is Si Ye really coming?” someone asked. “He barely shows up at Writers’ Association meetings. He didn’t even attend the year-end gathering last year. Would he really show up to something this casual? Could someone be messing with us?”

S City had plenty of well-known online authors, and nearly half were present tonight. A few younger ones, dressed stylishly, were watching TV while cracking sunflower seeds and laughing. “Sister Zhen arranged it herself. The master will definitely come.”

Since Si Shaorong rarely made public appearances, most of his obligations were handled by Zhen Zhen. Her connection with the group was much stronger than his.

“What? There’s gossip?” a newcomer asked, still unclear on the situation. “Who’s Sister Zhen? Is she the master’s girlfriend?”

“You can’t joke like that,” someone replied with a grin. “Sister Zhen said that even if the master were the last man alive, she still wouldn’t date him. She’s his assistant.”

“He needs an assistant?” The newcomer looked surprised, clearly thinking this industry was more serious than expected.

“The master is different. He has a lot on his plate and doesn’t enjoy socializing,” someone explained. “Sister Zhen is experienced. She’s worked as both a secretary and a manager. And more than anything, she can really hold her liquor.”

“She was a secretary and a manager?” the newcomer asked, confused. “So why become his assistant? Is the pay that good?”

“He pays well, that’s true. But more importantly, Sister Zhen is a hardcore fan,” someone who knew the backstory said with a smile. “At first, she probably thought being close to him might give her a chance. But in the end… well, things didn’t quite turn out that way.”

Everyone knew the master was famously impervious to flattery, had a strange temper, and disliked dealing with people. There was no need to guess how things turned out in the end.

The newcomer murmured, “So it’s true that beauty only exists from a distance.”

“If you love him, stay away from him.”

“Look, but don’t touch…”

Just as they were speaking, the door opened. A man with soft brown curls and a baby face walked in. His outfit was simple but stylish.

Beside him was a young woman with sweet features, dressed in a light blue dress with a hint of an anime-inspired look. Her slightly curled hair and princess-like appearance made her stand out. Her makeup was bright and fresh, with sparkly decals on her cheeks.

“Jiang Luanyu and Nian Gou,” someone outside the door announced their names.

Everyone attending this gathering had received formal invitations, and someone at the entrance was responsible for checking names and introducing each guest.

The room fell briefly silent as dozens of eyes turned to look.

“Xiao Jiang!” The person who invited Jiang Yibai stood up and came forward to shake his hand. “It’s been a while!”

“Long time no see, Zhao-ge!” Jiang Yibai grinned brightly. His face looked especially cute, and his dark eyes quickly scanned the room. He lowered his voice and asked, “Where’s the dreamboat?”

The man known by the pen name Zhao Daxiao instantly felt a wave of secondhand embarrassment. He squeezed Jiang Yibai’s hand tightly and muttered through clenched teeth, “Wipe that flirty look off your face.”

Jiang Yibai rolled his eyes but held back from saying more.

“Nian Gao!” a female author recognized the woman’s pen name and quickly came over to greet her. “This is your first time joining one of these, right? Oh my god, you’re so cute!”

“Thank you, you’re very pretty too.” Nian Gao was the same woman who had cursed Jiang Yibai out over the phone earlier. She mainly wrote romance and had published quite a few books in recent years, specializing in palace intrigue and domestic drama. Although she had negotiated film rights before, nothing had ever been finalized due to various issues.

Normally, neither she nor Jiang Yibai attended these in-person gatherings. One reason was that they didn’t feel high-profile enough, and the other was that neither of them enjoyed socializing. Besides, they weren’t full-time writers. Both had jobs in the real world that kept them busy.

Nian Gao worked in an office as an accountant, while Jiang Yibai was a music tutor. He didn’t work for any formal institution, so his schedule was relatively flexible.

If not for Jiang Yibai’s good relationship with Zhao Daxiao, who helped organize the event, he wouldn’t have been invited in the first place.

Jiang Yibai came this time mainly to recruit someone. He had gotten inside information earlier, and once he made up his mind, he dragged Nian Gao along to help. At first, Nian Gao wanted to refuse, but the moment Jiang Yibai told her they were eating at “Guanlan,” her attitude changed completely. She grinned and said she’d do anything for her bestie, even if it meant taking a knife to the ribs. Guanlan was an expensive restaurant known for its delicious food and hard-to-book seats.

The private room was a little cold, and Nian Gao’s dress was too thin. She was starting to feel chilly.

As they walked farther in, Nian Gao said to Jiang Yibai, “Bestie, I’m cold.”

Jiang Yibai rolled his eyes. “That’s what you get for being extra.”

Nian Gao fell silent. Fair enough. Her bestie clearly had no sense of pity for delicate flowers.

These gatherings sometimes welcomed newcomers, and the regular authors were already used to it.

Still, the name Jiang Luanyu carried a certain weight. He was famously fond of writing smut, bold enough to do it even under scrutiny. Not committing a crime, of course, just writing.

He stirred up trouble online just for fun, and many authors had at least heard of him. Seeing the man in person now, a few people were stunned. That baby face? With those soft lips and bright teeth, he looked like a college student who hadn’t even graduated yet. And yet his writing was that dirty?

“Truly, you can’t judge a book by its cover,” someone murmured.

But Jiang Luanyu wasn’t exactly a top-tier name. Plenty of people didn’t recognize him, especially those who didn’t follow the BL scene.

Several male web fiction authors had no idea who Jiang Yibai was and naturally struck up a conversation with him.

By the time the clock hit seven, the dishes started arriving. Because there were so many people, the lounge had been turned into a second dining area. Right then, Si Shaorong arrived, almost to the minute. Just as someone outside began to announce “Si—”, Jiang Yibai, who had been waiting all this time, charged out from the inner room like a dog catching the scent of meat bones, tail practically wagging.

Nian Gao could only stare.

The moment Si Shaorong appeared, people swarmed around him.

“Master, can I get your autograph?”

“Congratulations on the new drama starting production!”

There were people in the room older and more established than Si Shaorong, considered seniors in the field. One of them smiled and said, “Si Ye, you should drop by gatherings like this once in a while. It’s a good chance for everyone to connect.”

Si Shaorong gave a quick nod, his brows slightly furrowed. He already seemed to regret agreeing to come.

A curly-haired head suddenly poked out from the crowd. A face beaming with a grin so wide the eyes nearly disappeared followed right after. Completely ignoring everyone around him, he said, “Hello, Master. I’m Jiang Luanyu. Let’s be friends.”

Everyone froze.

Nian Gao, who had been slowly following behind, stopped in her tracks.

Si Shaorong blinked at the cheerful face in front of him, caught off guard. Before he could react, a young woman grabbed Jiang Yibai and pulled him out of the crowd. Si Shaorong’s gaze paused briefly on those striking curls before he looked away.

Jiang Yibai huffed. “What are you doing?”

“What are you doing?” Nian Gao hissed, lowering her voice. “It’s broad daylight and a room full of people. Are you trying to come out right here?”

“Haven’t I already done that ages ago?”

Nian Gao was speechless. That made too much sense. She had no comeback.

Jiang Yibai grinned like a lovesick fool. “He’s so handsome. Did you see him? People online say he’s balding and has a beer belly. Total lies.”

Nian Gao smiled through clenched teeth. “If I didn’t already know what you’re really after, I might’ve believed you just wanted to be friends.”

“I do want to be friends with him,” Jiang Yibai looked genuinely wronged. “What’s so bad about that? But…”

He glanced toward Si Shaorong, his eyes full of suggestion. “I mean friends who cook dinner together. After dinner, we follow the plan. When that happens, I expect you to praise me.”

Nian Gao was dead inside. What kind of bad karma led her to befriend someone like this?

“Let’s just be dinner friends,” she muttered in defeat. “After dinner, we go our separate ways. Deal?”