Early in the next morning, as usual, Chu Ge meditated with the help of a pearl and then went for a run. Meanwhile, Qiu Wuji was busy washing up. When he finished his run and freshened up, Qiu Wuji prepared breakfast, and then they ate together.

During breakfast, as they exchanged glances, both of them were thinking about the feeling of being subservient from the previous day. Their eyes flickered as they lowered their heads to eat porridge. It seemed as if they had forgotten their own impressive moments and only remembered being “bullied by the other person.”

Then they turned their heads away from each other, both making a “hmph” sound, while secretly pondering how to tease each other when it was their turn to be the master today.

Qiu Wuji thought the previous durian exercise method was particularly effective, but unfortunately, she couldn’t trick him anymore.

Chu Ge’s only thought was to have her massage his shoulder.

After finishing breakfast with ulterior motives, they didn’t speak much. Chu Ge went back to his room to complete the stored drafts from the previous night and published the first chapter of the day, intending to have a productive day with numerous updates.

However, after posting the chapter, he casually glanced at the comment section and was dumbfounded.

“I heard that the male lead in ‘Autumn Love’ is the author himself?”

“I came here out of curiosity.”

“All the readers who came from Kuaishou, gather here!” “All the readers who came from Douyin, build a tower here!” “All the readers who came from Weibo, here, here!”

Chu Ge: “…”

Are you here to read the book or for some other reason?

“I heard that the girl in the photo is the author’s assistant, the one named Qiu Wuji who is the operations manager?”

“I heard she is the prototype of the character Qiu Wuji in the book.”

“I’ve read the book, but I didn’t see any woman named Qiu Wuji in the first few dozen chapters. It’s all about Chu Tiange being bullied. What a trashy book.”

“Hey, the person above… The story has just begun. This kind of novel is about the process of a little character rising up.”

“The comments are getting heated.”

“Trashy book, it’s just for marketing.”

“Wise.”

The book reviews started to argue.

Qiu Wuji walked in holding her phone and exchanged glances with Chu Ge.

“Chu Ge, should we delete comments and ban users?” Qiu Wuji, the operations manager, asked the author.

Seeing her serious expression, Chu Ge almost burst out laughing. “Forget it, the hype should die down after a while. As long as there’s no profanity, just ignore it. Lock some of the threads if necessary.”

“Okay.” Qiu Wuji handled the comments while casually asking, “By the way, why is the author referred to as ‘so-and-so Dada’? Is there any explanation for that?”

“The term originally meant ‘father’ in some dialects. People started using it loosely on the internet, and it gradually became a convention. It lost its original meaning and now signifies a sense of respect. The author also addresses the readers as ‘Dada.’ It has evolved into different variations like ‘Juju,’ ‘Pangpang,’ ‘Pangpang,’ ‘Dun Dun,’ ‘Tai Tai,’ and so on…”

Qiu Wuji chuckled. “Silly netizens.”

Chu Ge smiled. “Actually, ‘Chu Da’ (Brother Chu) isn’t the best. It always reminds me of that Lin Dan’s joke. The best ones are those pen names with ‘Chicken’ or ‘Tricky.’ When someone calls them, it sounds like ‘big chicken’ or ‘big trick.’ It’s so inflated.”

Qiu Wuji kicked him playfully. “Get lost and do your work. Are you addicted to teasing your female assistant while writing?”

Chu Ge dodged with a laugh and changed his clothes before heading out. “I’m going to the police station to collect some money. I’ll be back soon. You can go out and have some fun too. No need to stay home all the time.”

Qiu Wuji responded, “Meng Meng invited me to go for tea. Who wants to stay home!”

“What is that Meng Meng up to?”

“She envies my good skin, so I taught her a bit about wellness.”

“Cultivation?”

“No, sleep.” Qiu Wuji looked puzzled. “Why do so many people treat staying up late as a cultivation practice?”

Chu Ge gazed at the sky. He used to be one of them too, but it’s better now. If he were to mention what’s lacking in his sleep now… maybe it’s the warmth of cuddling with fragrant and soft Qiu Qiu? When that time comes, not even a divine being would make him trade that.

Chu Ge didn’t dare to say such words and quickly left.

At the police station, Lin Wuyang was busy running around, but he managed to spare some time to guide Chu Ge through the procedures. With someone leading the way, the process of signing and receiving the money was simple and swift. It was quickly done without the need for taking photos or any publicity. After all, they needed to protect the privacy of the “vigilant citizens.” Once someone becomes a target for retaliation, it’s no joke.

Feeling happy with the additional 100,000 yuan in his account, Chu Ge casually draped his arm over Lin Wuyang’s shoulder. “Can I treat you to a meal?”

Lin Wuyang sighed helplessly. “I don’t have the spare time for that. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t even have time to guide someone through the procedures. Go find someone else.”

“So busy?”

“Wang’s family is collapsing,” Lin Wuyang explained. “Ignoring all the details, just think about how many people were arrested that day and how long it takes to interrogate them. Do you have any idea…?”

“I… don’t,” Chu Ge admitted. “According to the scale of this case, shouldn’t it be handled by the provincial headquarters?”

“The provincial headquarters is dealing with the matters related to Wang’s family, but we are handling everything else.”

“So, once this case is over, can you get a promotion?”

A glimmer of hope appeared on Lin Wuyang’s tired face. He looked around discreetly to ensure no one was nearby and lowered his voice. “There’s a good chance.”

“That’s great,” Chu Ge expressed his happiness for Lin Wuyang. “It’s rare to see such a young deputy director. You’ve earned it through your hard work.”

“Hush, things aren’t settled yet. Don’t celebrate prematurely,” Lin Wuyang said, clearly in a good mood. “Anyway, don’t expect to use this as an excuse to avoid treating me. We’ll talk about it when I have time.”

Chu Ge laughed heartily. “Then we can treat each other, one meal each.”

Lin Wuyang also laughed. “You’re quite clever. Is that how you win over female fans?”

Chu Ge sighed and smiled wryly. “Can’t get rid of that joke, huh?”

“When should we have a celebratory feast?”

“We haven’t even made any arrangements yet.”

“Hey, if you mess around with someone and it turns out you really get married, don’t say you know me!”

“It’s her who’s messing around with me. I wouldn’t mess with her. You don’t know about my family situation, huh…”

“Heh…” Lin Wuyang chuckled. “Men, before and after achieving their goals, they have two different faces. Do you still think you can deceive this police officer?”

Chu Ge teased, “Are you also writing an autobiography, Chief Lin?”

“Ha, I’m different. I’m a good family man.”

The two of them chatted and joked along the way until they reached the entrance of the municipal bureau. Suddenly, Lin Wuyang remembered something and once again lowered his voice. “Zhang Qiren is processing his paperwork to go abroad for work.”

Chu Ge’s heart skipped a beat, and he narrowed his eyes slightly.

Lin Wuyang continued, “It seems that the Zhang family has some business in Japan and South Korea, probably related to import and export, but it’s meager. By going abroad, he has become a small business owner, but his available funds have greatly diminished. It’s like an exile. His recent moves have been quite impressive, so why did it lead to his exile?”

Chu Ge asked, “Don’t you want to arrest him?”

“I’ve said it before, I’m keeping an eye on what their family is doing, not him personally. Speaking of him personally, no matter what hidden intentions he may have had in recent events, on the surface, he has been cooperating with me, so I don’t have much to say. If he can change his ways, it would be good… But unfortunately, I have a feeling that what he’s doing abroad isn’t something legitimate.”

Chu Ge believed that based on Zhang Qiren’s recent actions, he might indeed be able to expand his influence in a foreign environment. He actually thought it would be better for Zhang Qiren to go abroad.

However, if the foundation was weak, it would be a nerve-racking journey, and there might not even be someone to collect the body if things went wrong.

Looking back, Chu Ge realized that his current “wealthy days” didn’t necessarily bring him the same joy and freedom he had when he was writing and barely making a living. After bidding farewell to Lin Wuyang, he slowly walked back, wanting to say a few words to Zhang Qiren, but not knowing how to start. In the end, he simply sent a WeChat message: “I heard you’re going abroad?”

A quick and simple response came from the other side: “Yes.”

Chu Ge asked, “I heard it’s Japan and South Korea. Which one specifically?”

“It’s currently set for Neon. I’ll invite you to a hostess club when you come.”

“Forget it…”

“Oh, by the way, someone is already experiencing the most beautiful romance of early autumn, too happy to think of anything else. I guess hostess clubs are no longer appealing to you.”

“I suppose you’re enjoying yourself as the owner of a nightclub, reveling in debauchery, right?”

“Heh…” Zhang Qiren slowly typed, “We writers have no interest in those things. In our books, there is beauty that surpasses anyone.”

Zhang Qiren was only using humor to conceal his emotions, but strangely enough, those words struck Chu Ge deeply, leaving him in a daze for quite a while.

In books, there is beauty that surpasses anyone.

To others, it might be a joke, but to himself, it was a reflection. He never expected that this ancient saying about studying could become a real-life example.

In truth, Zhang Qiren wasn’t much different… If only he had continued writing, there might have been some hope with Moon Shadow. Perhaps he still regretted throwing out that remark as a joke.

Chu Ge had so much to say, but he didn’t know how to express it. His fingers hovered over the phone for a while, and in the end, he simply sent four words: “Have a safe journey.”

Zhang Qiren replied simply, “Thanks, brother.”

Chu Ge let out a sigh and felt a sudden sensation in his heart. He turned his head and saw Moon Shadow standing quietly in the shadow of a nearby corner, seemingly wanting to say something.

 

Support The Translation, Read Extra Chapters – wuxiax.com/FanTranslations

Tap the screen to use advanced tools Tip: You can use left and right keyboard keys to browse between chapters.

You'll Also Like