Chapter 15#
008 keenly noticed that recently, the advertisements placed by Xingchen Web on the internet had nearly doubled compared to before.
Open Weibo, it’s there on the splash screen; open a forum, it’s in the recommendations; open Baidu, the small ads are still it.
Among them, Sa’en’s new book, “Legend of the Qilin,” appeared with a frequency of over 50%.
“What do they want to do?” 008 asked somewhat irritably. “I clearly clicked the ‘X’ to close them, yet they push them to me every day. They’re practically forcing me to go into the backend and change the code. This is simply viral marketing!”
Qiao Jing said, “Xingchen Web isn’t short on money, and our country’s ‘sinking market’ (lower-tier users) is broad. Their boss once said that as long as fans and water armies are mixed together to blow smoke across the entire network for ten days or a half-month, even a lump of dog shit can be carved into a flower for you.”
As a former entertainment industry PR professional who switched careers to start a business, CEO Yao’s classic quotes were far more than just these.
008 snorted and said incisively, “Dog shit is dog shit; even if you carve it into a flower, it’s still dog shit!”
The little black cat wagged its tail disdainfully, lay down next to the mouse pad, and blinked its eyes while waiting for Qiao Jing to change his clothes and prepare to go out.
Qiao Jing’s reading speed was very fast. The books he bought from the secondhand bookstore earlier had long been finished, but a series of recent events had left him with no time to replenish his “spiritual food.” Although there were still undercurrents moving internationally, at least the online storms had temporarily subsided, and Qiao Jing intended to pick out a couple of books to relieve his boredom.
“What type are you planning to buy this time?” 008 asked.
“Aerospace,” Qiao Jing said. “I’ve been quite interested in this field recently.”
It was also his fault for reading too intensely in previous years; he had basically flipped through all the classic literary books, to the point where he now had nothing to read and could only go through STEM encyclopedias.
What a pity, 008 thought as it perched on his shoulder.
A person like Qiao Jing, if placed a hundred years ago, would definitely be a literary master capable of writing classics that would be passed down through generations. Although his current novels were also very popular, one focused on practical innovation while the other focused on intellectual enlightenment; they ultimately belonged to different categories.
But… perhaps there was still a chance?
Thinking of the proposal initiated at the headquarters meeting before coming here, 008’s mind began to become active.
“Qiao Jing?”
Just as the person and the cat turned a corner, they heard a deep male voice coming from ahead: “Didn’t they say you weren’t coming?”
Qiao Jing looked up and saw Jing Xinglan leaning lazily against the entrance of a restaurant, a cigarette between his fingertips, squinting his eyes as he stared at him.
He blinked and glanced at the restaurant’s sign, finally remembering that after he had refused to attend the class reunion, the class monitor had still sent him an address, and the location pinned was this restaurant.
“Just passing by,” he replied.
“Passing by? Which means you didn’t lack the time, you just didn’t want to come, right?” Jing Xinglan stood up straight, one hand in the pocket of his suit pants, and gave a laugh. “As expected, you’re still the same as ever.”
“You too,” Qiao Jing said calmly.
Still as eye-catching as ever.
Jing Xinglan casually stubbed out the cigarette butt and threw it into the trash bin, tilting his head to size up this old classmate he hadn’t seen in a long time.
The words he just said weren’t polite small talk; because Qiao Jing stayed at home for long periods, he looked no different from when he graduated high school, except the school uniform had been replaced by a black coat.
At the same time, Qiao Jing was also observing him.
Compared to when they were still in school, the current Jing Xinglan was obviously much more mature. The originally long “shamate” bangs had been trimmed to just the right length. As he aged, his facial features had become deeper and more three-dimensional than in his youth. Even his cuffs were adorned with blue cufflinks, bringing a touch of eye-catching color to the somber formal wear.
This outfit was clearly something someone had carefully designed for him.
“Congratulations,” Qiao Jing said sincerely.
He really didn’t expect that Jing Xinglan actually had a partner already.
“Uh… thanks?” Jing Xinglan answered instinctively.
But he really didn’t understand what Qiao Jing wanted to congratulate him for. Could it be congratulating him on his current success?
To be honest, Jing Xinglan had already heard enough of such complimentary words at the dinner table just now. It was precisely because of this that he had run outside to get some air; he hadn’t expected to run into Qiao Jing.
But according to Jing Xinglan’s knowledge of him, Qiao Jing shouldn’t be the type of person who would care about a classmate’s current situation, right?
Meeting after nearly ten years, the two were momentarily lost for words.
After a while, Jing Xinglan sighed and smiled.
“Want to go for a drink?” he invited.
In any case, Jing Xinglan didn’t want to go back into that private room and be toasted one by one by his former classmates.
Let the beautiful memories of youth stay there forever.
Qiao Jing originally wanted to refuse, but hearing the faint sound of the class monitor’s drunken, thick-tongued voice from inside the restaurant, he still nodded very reluctantly: “Fine.”
If he stayed here any longer, he feared he wouldn’t be able to leave tonight.
This whole street was full of bars. The two crossed the street, found a quiet bar at random, and walked in.
“What do you want?” Jing Xinglan asked, flipping through the menu. “My treat.”
Qiao Jing wasn’t polite with him either: “Anything. I don’t usually drink.”
“Then let’s have this.” Jing Xinglan ordered two fruit cocktails and placed one in front of Qiao Jing. The young man lowered his head and took a sip, then put it down with an expressionless face; clearly, it wasn’t to his taste.
Jing Xinglan didn’t care much either. He didn’t really want to invite Qiao Jing out for a drink; he just wanted to find an excuse to leave the class reunion.
“It’s been so many years. What have you been doing since graduation?” he asked casually.
“At home,” Qiao Jing said flatly. “Working as a web novel editor.”
He said this to everyone. Aside from his family, no one around him knew that Qiao Jing wrote stories online.
“Working at home? No wonder you look like a student who hasn’t graduated yet.” Jing Xinglan swirled his glass. The light from the wine cabinet reflected off the glass, and the colorful glow caught Qiao Jing’s attention.
He was momentarily entranced. Jing Xinglan called him several times before he came to his senses and barely responded: “What is it?”
“Nothing, just didn’t expect you really haven’t changed a bit,” Jing Xinglan shook his head. “Still getting fascinated by these strange little phenomena.”
Just like a child, still full of curiosity about the world.
Qiao Jing always felt this wasn’t a compliment, but he couldn’t find anything wrong with it either, so he could only lower his head and take another sip of the cocktail in the glass.
…So spicy.
Seeing the way the young man pursed his lips and slightly frowned, Jing Xinglan propped up his chin and revealed the first sincere smile of the day.
It seemed that participating in the class reunion on a whim this time wasn’t completely without reward.
“I’ve been wanting to ask,” his gaze moved to 008, who was lying on Qiao Jing’s shoulder, curiosity flickering in his eyes. “Why is your cat so well-behaved? It’s been such a long time, and it hasn’t moved at all.”
008 yawned and glanced at this stupid human with a look of disdain.
Even if Jing Xinglan was supposed to be its real host, 008 proudly raised its cat face—the one it was currently bound to was a true “big shot” whose identity could make people’s jaws drop!
Jing Xinglan: “…”
Was he just disdained by a cat?
“It’s not an ordinary cat,” Qiao Jing said.
Jing Xinglan looked at him, waiting for the subsequent explanation, but Qiao Jing only lowered his head again and silently took another sip of the drink.
“…That’s it?” Jing Xinglan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
“Hmm?” Qiao Jing looked up and asked back, “What else?”
“Forget it,” Jing Xinglan rubbed his forehead. “Thanks to you, I’ve just relived the feeling of being your desk mate in high school again.”
That kind of suffocating feeling where you can’t catch your breath and can only hold it in—don’t even mention how frustrating it is.
“Oh.” Qiao Jing put down the glass. “Can I go now?”
Jing Xinglan’s mouth twitched: “You can. I’ll have the driver take you back. Where do you live now?”
“No need,” Qiao Jing was finally able to answer his question properly this time, though it was still a blunt refusal. “It’s nearby. I can walk back myself.”
“Alright then.”
The two said a plain and ordinary goodbye, agreeing to meet again when there was an opportunity.
At the moment they turned around, both Jing Xinglan and Qiao Jing simultaneously let out a sigh of relief—
Great, after today, I’ll never have to meet this silent blockhead / overly familiar person again!
However, a few days later, when Qiao Jing found that the apartment next door, which had been quiet for a long time, began to echo with the sounds of renovation, and happened to run into Jing Xinglan stepping out of a car when he went downstairs to take out the trash…
“What a coincidence.” Jing Xinglan’s face stiffened for a split second, but he soon flashed a polite smile at him.
“…It really is a coincidence.”
Qiao Jing said dryly.
They both comforted themselves in their hearts: this residential area is so large, even if they met, they surely wouldn’t be living in the same building.
Inside the elevator.
Silence spread between the two standing side-by-side.
“Which floor do you live on?” Finally, it was Jing Xinglan who broke the silence first. He sighed, turned his head to look at the stiff, black-haired young man beside him who was staring straight ahead, and suddenly felt an urge to laugh.
It felt like… it might not be that bad?
“Seventh floor.”
“Well, it seems we’re neighbors then.” Jing Xinglan took the initiative to reach out his hand, curling his lips. “Old classmate, I’ll be in your care from now on.”
Qiao Jing wished he could pry open the elevator door and jump out right then and there.
But in the confined space, he could only grit his teeth and quickly shake hands with Jing Xinglan in a fleeting, superficial touch.
Jing Xinglan didn’t mind. When the elevator doors opened, he indeed took a key out of his pocket and opened the door to the apartment next to Qiao Jing’s right in front of him.
“Want to come in and take a look?” he asked, looking back.
Qiao Jing shook his head rapidly.
“Well then, never mind,” Jing Xinglan shrugged regretfully, though who knew what he was thinking in his heart. “By the way, there might be a moving company bringing furniture over these next two days. It’ll be a bit noisy then; please bear with me.”
“…It’s fine.”
Qiao Jing had already made up his mind: from now on, unless it’s the end of the world, he will absolutely not go out easily again!
—Though if it really were the end of the world, then it seemed even less necessary for him to go out.
But that very night, Jing Xinglan knocked on Qiao Jing’s door once again.
“What is it?” Qiao Jing very reluctantly opened a crack in the door, using his body to block the man’s inquisitive gaze.
Jing Xinglan withdrew his gaze as if nothing were wrong; he would never admit that he truly harbored a strong curiosity about Qiao Jing’s home. The man smiled and handed him several books: “I suddenly remembered that back in high school, I caused you to have several novels confiscated by the teacher, so I want to return them to you now.”
“No need,” Qiao Jing said coldly. “Besides, you already topped up my meal card back then.”
“That’s different,” Jing Xinglan said. “I’ve forgotten the titles of those books, so I found a few similar ones from the bookshelf at home. I think they’re very well-written. Do you want to take a look?”
Qiao Jing looked down.
The titles and author were clearly written on the covers:
—“Great Physician of the Common People” by Jing Hua Shui Yue.
Qiao Jing: “…”
Facing the man’s sincere gaze, a strong sense of shame stabbed him in the back.
He really was naturally incompatible with Jing Xinglan!