Chapter 11

Since everyone had their own plans, the gathering didn’t last very long. A few of the women naturally ended up exchanging flirtatious glances with men in the bar, but Song Jianan wasn’t surprised in the least. After joking around with Zeng Shuyi and the others and mentioning that she’d be handing over her work the next day, she left early.

Late autumn was approaching, and the nights had grown much colder. The bare branches of the London plane trees lining the street cast mottled, lonely shadows. Yet this entire street was packed with restaurants and entertainment venues, its brilliant neon lights washing away any sense of desolation.

The only problem was that taxis were hard to find at night.

She walked toward the intersection ahead, but after only a few steps, someone called her name.

Turning around, she saw Fang Yanyan walking toward her from the direction of Baqi Restaurant.

She smiled and waved.

“Fang Yanyan! What a coincidence. Having dinner around here?”

He smiled obediently.

“Yeah, it’s a family gathering. Oh, Jianan, what’s your phone number? I was so busy today that I forgot to ask. I’m planning to take Professor Huang Hanzhong’s graduate entrance exam. The department head said you were one of his students, so I’d like to ask you for some advice.”

Song Jianan suddenly understood.

“So that’s it.”

She gave him her number before continuing,

“We can chat online tonight if you have time. You’re taking the exam next year, right? How’s your preparation going?”

He answered honestly.

“I’m not very confident. The journalism department doesn’t even provide a reading list for the entrance exam, so I really don’t know where to start.”

Song Jianan smiled.

“That’s true. Their journalism department has never released a reference reading list. It’s okay. I’ll send you the titles of the books I studied back then. I think I still have some study materials too, although I’m not sure whether I can still find them.”

Fang Yanyan’s eyes immediately lit up.

“Jianan, that’s wonderful! Thank you so much.”

She was just about to brush it off modestly when his phone rang.

After glancing at the screen, he smiled apologetically.

“Jianan, my cousin is calling me back. He’s waiting in the car.”

Song Jianan waved.

“It’s fine. Go ahead. We’ll talk later.”

On the opposite side of the intersection, a car was parked by the roadside.

She could vaguely tell it was a BMW.

A tall man was standing beside it.

When Fang Yanyan walked over, the man opened the driver’s door and got in. He was probably the cousin Fang Yanyan had mentioned.

Sure enough, people in the media industry usually needed at least some connections.

Even she herself had benefited from having an excellent mentor, along with the fact that her father was the principal of No. 2 High School and happened to know the son of the newspaper group’s president.

Otherwise, how could she have possibly landed a job at such a major newspaper—or earned so much favor from the department head?

Thinking about it, she hailed a taxi at the intersection and headed home.

The moment she walked through her front door, a text message arrived.

It was from Fang Yanyan.

“Jianan, what’s your QQ or MSN account? I’d like to add you.”

She smiled.

His efficiency really was impressive.

She immediately replied before turning on her computer and logging into MSN.

As soon as she signed in, a chat window popped up with a huge smiling emoji.

She sent one back.

After thinking for a while, she compiled a long list of recommended books.

Fang Yanyan was astonished.

“Jianan, you’ve read so many books! Pick out a few key ones for me. There are way too many.”

She thought for a moment before deleting quite a few titles.

Then she told him,

“I can’t cut the list down any further. Otherwise, you might as well forget about taking the exam.”

There was no reply for a long time.

Then Fang Yanyan finally sent a crying emoji.

“Jianan, I’ve realized you talk exactly like my cousin. You’re both so serious. You know what? Everything you said to me at the newspaper today was almost word-for-word what he said. Are people from your generation all like this?”

She immediately joked,

“Your cousin? How old is he? Does he have a girlfriend? Introduce him to me.”

He quickly replied,

“He’s about your age—maybe a little older. But unfortunately, he already has a girlfriend. Such bad timing. Still, Jianan, you’ve still got a chance. Want me to introduce you anyway?”

Song Jianan burst into laughter.

“Forget it. I refuse to be the other woman.”

They chatted for a while longer, mostly about university life.

Eventually, Fang Yanyan complained,

“Jianan, do you have QQ? I’d rather chat there. I’m really not used to MSN.”

“You need to get used to MSN. QQ isn’t allowed in the newspaper office. I used to have a QQ account, but after it got hacked, I never logged in again. I’ll just register a new one someday.”

“I’ve got an extra account I hardly ever use. You can have it.”

He sent her the account number and password.

“Go ahead and try it. You can change the password if you want. Oh, and it’s a QQ VIP account, so it comes with lots of special features.”

Song Jianan couldn’t help laughing.

Those VIP memberships were nothing more than a way to make money.

Still, she didn’t want to reject his kindness.

She logged in.

The account number was short and easy to remember, obviously one of those highly sought-after vanity numbers.

As expected, it had plenty of paid services activated.

Fang Yanyan’s profile picture flashed on her screen.

“Don’t worry about those paid services. They’re all linked to my phone anyway. There are still a few friends on the account—my classmates and family members. Just delete them.”

She opened the VIP animated emojis and sent him one.

He quickly replied with another, which made her laugh.

Then she remembered what the department head had asked her to tell him.

“Oh, by the way. Tomorrow you’ll be writing your own articles. Keep an eye on the hotline. Teacher Fu will pass any worthwhile leads to you. You can handle the interviews over the phone—you won’t need to go out to the scene. Write carefully and do your best to get your article published.”

Fang Yanyan was delighted.

He sent several exclamation marks in a row before typing,

“Jianan, isn’t this way too fast? On the first day you took me into the field, and on the second day you’re already having me publish articles. Is this really how reporters are trained?”

After thinking about it, she simply replied,

“When an opportunity comes along, you should seize it. Besides, let me warn you—Teacher Zhou Yu is very strict. Once he comes back, if you haven’t accomplished anything, he might leave you on hotline duty every single day.”

Fang Yanyan sighed dramatically.

“Then I’ll prepare myself mentally. Tomorrow I’ll definitely work hard and get my article published—to live up to the efforts of Teacher Song, Director Hu, Chief Editor Zhang, the glorious Party, and our beloved people.”

After chatting for a while, Fang Yanyan logged off to continue studying.

Song Jianan began deleting the contacts from the QQ account he had given her.

When she reached someone whose username was “Seven Li Fields,” she noticed the personal signature:

“Walking lightly into the distant woods, the fragrance grows richer as it drifts across the fields seven li away.”

There was something strangely poetic about it.

The rest of the profile was completely blank.

For some reason, instead of deleting it, she left the contact untouched.

That username reminded her of Su Li’s old online nickname.

Song Jianan couldn’t help thinking she was becoming overly sentimental.

Too many unexpected things had happened that day.

Shaking off the thought, she turned off the computer, washed up, and went to bed.

The next day at work, after explaining to Fang Yanyan the important points about answering the hotline, writing articles, and submitting them, she headed over to the entertainment section to familiarize herself with her new workplace.

Several interns were busy writing articles, while the other reporters had apparently gone out on interviews.

Across from them sat Xiao Zhao from the city’s Legal Frontline section.

The moment he saw her, he laughed.

“Song Jianan, when are you officially remarrying into our department? Have the betrothal gifts been exchanged yet? Don’t forget to treat us to wedding candy.”

Everyone burst into laughter.

Song Jianan joined in.

“These days, second marriages aren’t exactly popular. The department head kicked me over here without even asking. I have no status at all. I’ll be relying on all of you seniors to take care of me.”

One of the interns helped move her belongings.

She didn’t have much.

The only thing that caught everyone’s attention was a beautifully bound scrapbook.

Without teasing them, Song Jianan simply opened it.

Inside were dozens of newspaper clippings of articles she had published.

It was impressively thick.

She flipped through them while reading the headlines aloud.

“‘Suspicious Van Stops Repeatedly to Steal Car Batteries.'”

“‘Overloaded Truck Crashes into Police While Forcing Through Checkpoint.'”

“‘Merchant Plays Word Games—Refund Policy Leaves Customers Empty-Handed.'”

“‘Pawned Cellphone Stolen Back Again—Suspect Arrested After Third Offense.'”

One of the interns couldn’t help exclaiming,

“Wow… the social news section really covers the strangest stories. Jianan, your headlines are incredible.”

She laughed.

“You get used to writing sensational headlines after a while. If you ever work in social news, you’ll discover reality is often far stranger than fiction.”

“The entertainment section is just full of gossip. All those glamorous celebrities are mostly appearances without substance. Last time I interviewed Jolin Tsai with the editor-in-chief… wow. The difference was unbelievable. Thick makeup, poor complexion—she looked completely different from the posters.”

Song Jianan sighed.

“So I’ll end up becoming immune to beauty, huh? By the way, Xin, what’s that magazine you’re holding?”

“Oh, this? Legal Report: One Case a Week. It’s excellent, especially the guest lawyer’s case analyses. Every article is brilliantly written—clear, logical, and full of insight. Honestly… I’m completely in love with Xi Luoyu.”

Song Jianan burst into laughter.

She reached over.

“Let me see. Let’s find out whether he’s really worth fangirling over.”

“It’s the photo! The photo is what makes everyone fall for him!”

The married female editor in her thirties looked unusually excited.

“I’ve met him in person. He’s a hundred times more handsome than the picture. Well? Pretty good-looking, isn’t he? Speechless already? Want to flirt with him? Next time we interview him, come with us. You can help carry the camera equipment and pick up lunch boxes.”

The moment Song Jianan saw the photograph, her face immediately fell.

She repeatedly nodded exaggeratedly.

“Absolutely irresistible. Totally irresistible.”

Then she turned her head aside and muttered under her breath,

“I’ve really overturned my boat in the gutter this time.”

After fully cooperating with the entertainment and legal reporters’ fangirling session, she returned to the social news department.

Fang Yanyan was revising his article.

Song Jianan leaned over, offering suggestions from time to time.

After they finished editing, he submitted it through the newsroom system.

Noticing the magazine in her hand, Fang Yanyan leaned over.

“Oh? A handsome guy with glasses. Jianan, is this your type?”

“Of course not.”

Song Jianan tossed the magazine aside.

“I don’t like this type at all. Just looking at him gives me a headache.”

Fang Yanyan picked up the magazine and glanced at it.

“He looks fine to me. Then what kind of man do you like?”

Without warning, a figure she thought had long been buried in memory flashed through her mind.

It was as though she had just seen him standing in the school corridor yesterday.

Quiet.

Distant.

Head slightly raised.

Song Jianan smiled.

“I like the type who feels… different from everyone else. Someone who’s a little unsociable, cold on the outside but warm on the inside. Weird, isn’t it?”

“Oh.”

Fang Yanyan burst into laughter.

“So you like the brooding type. I always thought you’d prefer cheerful, sunny guys.”

The afternoon sunlight slanted through the floor-to-ceiling windows, filling every corner of the newsroom with a soft golden glow, like a thin veil draped over the office.

Everything was peaceful, almost poetic.

Sitting at her desk, Song Jianan’s thoughts drifted far away.

She thought of that melancholy boy from long ago.

She wondered where he was now…

What kind of person he had become…

A few short years were enough to completely change someone.

Back then, she had clearly had the chance to get closer to him.

Yet she had chosen to run away instead.

A quiet laugh escaped her lips.

Just then, her phone vibrated.

A text message appeared.

“So you’re Miss Song Jianan from the City Evening News. Meeting you in person truly lives up to your reputation. I have to say, Miss Song, you left quite an unforgettable impression on me that night.”

It took her a long moment to understand.

Only then did she realize Xi Luoyu was settling the score.

The media circle in the city wasn’t very large.

Finding out someone’s identity wasn’t difficult for someone like him.

Her nostalgic mood was instantly ruined by the unexpected message.

Too lazy to respond, she tossed her phone aside and ignored it.

Not until she got off work did it ring again.

She glanced at the screen.

As expected.

Xi Luoyu.

She answered.

Before she had time to prepare herself, his calm voice came through.

“I believe you’ve misunderstood my intentions, Miss Song. But have you forgotten that we seemed to have arranged to meet at Youxian Pavilion this evening?”

“What?”

Song Jianan was utterly bewildered.

“No, you’ve got the wrong person. Wrong number. Try calling directory assistance.”

Even Xi Luoyu seemed surprised.

After a brief silence, he spoke again.

“Since we’ve already made the appointment, I’d appreciate it if you’d join me for dinner. I’m downstairs outside your newspaper office right now. Once you come out, you should be able to see me.”

Instinctively, Song Jianan walked to the lobby window and looked down.

From the forty-sixth floor…

She couldn’t see a thing.

She suddenly felt incredibly foolish.

As though the whole world were playing tricks on her.

Everything had become so absurd that she hardly knew how to deal with it anymore.

Perhaps…

It was simply one of God’s little jokes.

She remembered Zeng Shuyi’s favorite saying:

“Take it easy, baby.”

She smiled.

That’s right.

What was there to be afraid of?

She had already survived the hardest years of her life.

What else could possibly scare her now?

Thinking that, she began walking downstairs one step at a time.

Someone passing by looked at her in surprise.

“Song Jianan, the elevator’s here.”

She waved her hand with a bright smile.

“I’m exercising.”

“Life is movement!”