WP Chapter 19

It was rare for Si Shaorong to write emotional scenes so smoothly. He kept going all day without interruption. Aside from stepping out a few times to eat, use the bathroom, and pour some tea, he barely left his seat.

Each time he came out, he would see Jiang Yibai in the middle of teaching. Jiang Yibai had a packed schedule today, with students in the morning, afternoon, and evening. Compared to how idle he had been before, it was a complete reversal. These students seemed to have coordinated it somehow. None of them skipped class anymore, and Jiang Yibai was so busy he barely had time to use the bathroom, let alone show up in front of Si Shaorong to make his presence known.

Unlike Jiang Yibai, who played effortlessly, the students varied in skill level, so it was far from peaceful. Si Shaorong ended up wearing headphones, listening to music as he wrote. His focus remained sharp.

There was no writer’s block, no indecision. After going over the material twice, he stretched his neck and arms. His shoulders ached badly, but he felt deeply satisfied. He took out the massager Zhen Zhen had bought him earlier and began pressing it against his shoulder as he removed his headphones to listen to the sounds outside.

It was nine thirty at night. The student would be finishing soon.

Si Shaorong leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes to rest, listening to the sound of Jiang Yibai’s voice. He had heard the way Jiang Yibai spoke with all kinds of people—neighborhood guards, hotpot restaurant owners, parents of students, even Zhen Zhen. But when Jiang Yibai spoke to students, his tone would always change noticeably.

His voice would grow calm and gentle. No matter what the student said, he never rushed, never raised his voice. He sounded incredibly patient.

Si Shaorong recalled the first time he met Jiang Yibai. The man had spoken with no filters, showing no restraint even among unfamiliar authors. He had seemed thoroughly self-centered. That stark contrast in behavior made the corners of Si Shaorong’s mouth curl upward. He found Jiang Yibai more interesting than ever.

There was a line Jiang Yibai never crossed. No matter how shameless he might be in front of others, he always maintained restraint with his students. He would never step over that line.

Listening to his voice, something stirred in Si Shaorong’s chest. He opened his eyes, sat up, and searched for “Jiang Luanyu’s” profile column again. The recently completed novel was still making rounds in various reader circles. TXT versions were everywhere.

Si Shaorong had read a few of Jiang Luanyu’s older works, some of which had ended years ago, but had never looked at his latest story. He had skipped many of the 18+ scenes in the older works, mostly because they were too explicit. Even if he had told himself it was for research, he still felt too awkward to read through them.

What he didn’t know was that the published 18+ content only revealed the tip of the iceberg. Since he didn’t use Weibo, cloud drives, or the common file-sharing channels in fan circles, he had yet to witness the full extent of Jiang Luanyu’s uninhibited writing.

He clicked on the newly finished novel. It was a historical “orthopedic-setting” story. Si Shaorong had no idea what that meant. He thought it was a novel about ancient Chinese medicine.

After wrapping up the chapters he had written that day, Si Shaorong sent the draft to his editor.

His editor was a young woman, still early in her career, but she was passionate and had a sharp eye for pinpointing the strengths of a piece. When his previous editor left, she took over without missing a beat. Even when Si Shaorong had sent her the outline for his new romance story, she had been quick to identify its weaknesses and areas that needed improvement.

They worked well together. As usual, he sent over the first few chapters to let her look them over.

Not long after, she replied. Knowing he didn’t like typing while in writing mode, she sent a voice message.

“Great job, Great Master! Your romantic scenes have improved so much! There are still a few spots that feel a bit stiff or cliché, but overall, it’s really coming together. Maybe tweak the outline just a little more?”

Si Shaorong picked up his phone and replied, “You really think it’s good?”

“Way better than before,” she said. Her voice was bright and lively, like a songbird, with a silvery laugh. “You’ve finally figured out romance, Great Master!”

Si Shaorong couldn’t help but smile. “I had someone guiding me.”

“What? You’ve got a coach now?” she asked, surprised. “Actually, now that you say that… your writing kind of reminds me of someone’s.”

Si Shaorong paused. “Who?”

“I mean no offense, but it sort of feels like Jiang Luanyu,” she said. “He’s really good at writing romance.”

Si Shaorong was momentarily stunned. “You think I write like him?”

“Not like him exactly. Just some of your scenes give off a similar vibe. Like the part where the female lead and male lead grab late-night snacks after studying, or when she teases him and he doesn’t say much in return. Jiang Luanyu loves that kind of grounded, everyday detail, and he’s so observant. His scenes always feel alive.”

She laughed. “You never used to write that kind of stuff, right? You probably thought it was too wordy or boring, huh?”

The editor really did understand Si Shaorong, but he was still a little stunned. He stared at the open document on his screen, his mind full of disbelief.

How could he possibly resemble Jiang Yibai in the way he handled narrative detail? He hadn’t even known this man a week ago. Hadn’t read any of his work. And yet he’d already been influenced this much?

When the editor didn’t get a response, she quickly followed up, thinking she’d upset him. “I didn’t mean anything by it, Great Master, don’t take it the wrong way. I wasn’t saying you’re copying him or anything like that. Not at all.”

Si Shaorong snapped out of it. “Do you like his work?”

She was a full-on fujoshi, and she lit up instantly. “Of course! I mean, the logic’s kind of a mess, and the plots aren’t exactly strong, but they’re juicy and messy and so satisfying.”

“I’ve read some of his stuff too…” Si Shaorong paused. He almost added that he’d consulted Jiang Yibai for help with writing romance scenes, but then thought better of it. He didn’t want to cause trouble for him.

His feelings at the moment were… complicated. The young editor’s praise came from a completely different perspective than Zhen Zhen’s. Zhen Zhen had approached the topic with caution and wariness. She’d heard things in the circles, had her reservations. But this girl was just a pure reader. She didn’t care about drama, only about whether something was good and enjoyable. Her focus was totally different.

And when she heard that Si Shaorong had read Jiang Luanyu’s work, she got even more excited.

“Oh my god, Great Master! You read danmei? You even read Jiang Luanyu? My brain just exploded!”

Si Shaorong silently thought to himself: She really is just a kid, loud and excitable.

But he found talking about Jiang Yibai with someone else unexpectedly refreshing, and even opened up a little more.

“I read it because… someone recommended it. Since I was studying how to write romance, I picked up his stuff.”

“What did you think?” the editor asked, then giggled. “Did you read the smut too? Was it too much?”

“It was fine.” Si Shaorong didn’t mention that reading one of those sex scenes had made him dream about something very inappropriate that night. He cleared his throat to cover the guilt. “Got any recommendations? I’m browsing through his column now.”

“You’re asking the right person!” she said immediately. “I even have a smut compilation. Hang on, I’ll send it to you!”

Si Shaorong wanted to say, that’s not necessary, but when he opened his mouth, he couldn’t bring himself to say it. Just as he was hesitating, a new email notification popped up on his screen.

That little editor was fast. She’d already sent it.

Si Shaorong rubbed the bridge of his nose. In the end, he didn’t say no. Still, something about it all felt strangely off.

The young editor sent him a few more story recommendations and, at the end, added, “People online are always picking fights with him, but I don’t think it matters. Everyone has different tastes. Some people read just to enjoy the ride, others value deeper meaning and think the writing is too blunt or too explicit. There’s no right or wrong. It just personal preference. I read smut, but I also love The Legend of 1900. Everyone else fell asleep during Manchester by the Sea, but I watched the whole thing. Not contradictory at all.”

“If you ask me, Jiang Luanyu’s stories are the kind you either click with or you don’t. His personality really comes through. It’s only natural some people won’t like that. When a writer stays true to themselves, they’re bound to rub some people the wrong way, even if that’s not their intention. Honestly, I think he doesn’t care what other people think. He’s just that cool.”

Si Shaorong chuckled. “You’ve met him?”

“Nope.”

“Then why do you think he doesn’t care?”

“I don’t know. Just a feeling,” she said thoughtfully. “His writing’s so unapologetically honest. If he actually cared about others’ opinions, there’s no way he could write like that.”

Si Shaorong didn’t argue. He chatted with her a little while longer before finally setting down his phone.

He moved his mouse over to the email, downloaded the file, but sat there for a long time, not opening it.

He heard Jiang Yibai’s voice outside, sending a student off at the door. Si Shaorong shut his laptop and stepped out of the bedroom.

At the entryway, Jiang Yibai was changing his shoes. A teenage boy stood outside, tall and lanky, maybe seventeen or eighteen. Standing beside him was a younger girl, probably a few years younger.

“Ge,” Jiang Yibai noticed the door open and turned to look. “You’re done writing? I warmed up some fruit tea. It’s in the kitchen, go ahead and have it.”

Si Shaorong gave a quiet “mm” in response and looked at him. “Where are you going?”

“I’m just walking these two kids out, then heading downstairs to grab some late-night snacks,” Jiang Yibai said with a smile, dimples sweet like honey. “I’m hungry.”

Si Shaorong’s fingers curled slightly. He cleared his throat and said, “I’ll go with you.”

“Huh?”

“I’m hungry too.”

“I can get it for you, what do you want?”

“Let’s just go together. Walk a bit,” Si Shaorong said. “I’ve been home all day.”

Jiang Yibai looked at him in mild surprise, then nodded. “Alright.”

While the two of them talked, the girl standing by the door kept glancing between them, eyes full of curiosity.

Si Shaorong turned to grab his phone, puzzled by the way the girl kept staring. Then he remembered. Just a few days ago, she had seen him and heard Jiang Yibai call him ge, and had assumed they were brothers. But Jiang Yibai had immediately said they were boyfriends. Her face had flushed bright red, though she hadn’t looked the least bit uncomfortable.

But if she already knew about their relationship, why was she still making such a weird face?

Si Shaorong couldn’t help glancing at himself in the mirror, adjusting his clothes and hair with suspicion. Was there something on his face?

The two of them walked the students downstairs. When Si Shaorong saw the boy carrying the girl’s guitar, he more or less figured out who he was.

He was probably the nephew of that parent they’d run into at the hotpot place the other day. The man had mentioned his nephew had gotten into a local high school and asked about adding a class. Jiang Yibai had agreed at the time.

Si Shaorong guessed the boy was mainly there to sit in on a lesson, and if he was interested, he could sign up later. Judging from his height, he looked like a senior, but he was probably only fifteen or sixteen. Just tall for his age.

Jiang Yibai offered to treat the two kids to some late-night snacks. The girl pouted, “It’s so late. If I eat now, I’ll get fat.”

The boy next to her said, “You’re fat even if you don’t eat.”

The girl immediately got angry and punched him. Jiang Yibai chuckled beside them, “Sun Ying’s still growing. She’s not fat at all. You just don’t get it. Girls get prettier and prettier as they grow up.”

Teenage boys always felt the need to assert themselves. He probably didn’t mean any harm, but nothing nice ever came out of his mouth. He teased her a few more times until the girl refused to speak to him altogether.

Jiang Yibai sighed, “I’m telling you, Sun Chen, with EQ like that, you can forget about getting a girlfriend.”

Sun Ying burst out laughing, “Right? When he first transferred here, one of my friends confessed to him because she thought he was cute. Do you know what he said?”

Jiang Yibai smiled. “What did he say?”

Mimicking Sun Chen, the girl stood up straight, furrowed her brows, and said coldly, “What’s your sign? Aries? Sorry, I don’t like Aries.”

Jiang Yibai: “…”

Si Shaorong: “…”

If it had been anyone else, Jiang Yibai would’ve said, “That’s not EQ, that’s an IQ problem.” But since this was his student, he thought for a moment and said, “And she didn’t beat the crap out of you for that?”

Sun Chen: “…”

Sun Ying: “Hahahaha—”