Birthday
Happy Birthday @Zhenqiu.
Lu Zhenqiu suppressed the strange misperception and lowered her head to sign her name. After she signed her name, Jin Shuilan asked: “Can you write a date?”
“Date?” Lu Zhenqiu looked at the bottom right corner of the computer: “Today?”
Jin Shuilan said: “No.”
She hesitated for a few seconds and said: “September 21st.”
September 21st?
What day is that?
Lu Zhenqiu curiously asked Jin Shuilan. Jin Shuilan smiled and said: “It’s considered a special day for me.”
Lu Zhenqiu nodded, and after signing the date, she handed the postcard to Jin Shuilan, watching her clip it inside a notebook. There were many notebooks in Jin Shuilan’s drawer, with various red and blue labels stuck to the edges, organized very neatly. Just looking at the notebooks was pleasing to the eye.
She asked Jin Shuilan: “Teacher Jin, are these all reading notes?”
Jin Shuilan lowered her head and smiled: “No.”
“These are all notes for writing novels. Generally, one notebook for one book.”
Lu Zhenqiu was astonished, that was too many. Usually, Jin Shuilan would praise her for being serious and rigorous in her work, but compared to Jin Shuilan, it was like a small shaman meeting a great shaman1. She looked at the notebooks, suddenly curious about what might be written inside.
However, she did not randomly flip through them. Seeing an open notebook next to the computer desk with neat, grand, and beautiful handwriting that penetrated the paper, she said: “Are these notes for a new novel?”
Jin Shuilan nodded. Lu Zhenqiu looked a couple more times, her curiosity hooked. Seeing this, Jin Shuilan said: “You can look.”
Lu Zhenqiu smiled embarrassedly and said: “I’d better not. I’ll go out and wait for Teacher Jin first.”
After she finished speaking, she picked up the other postcards.
Jin Shuilan nodded: “Okay.”
After Lu Zhenqiu left, Jin Shuilan took out the notebook where she had just placed the postcard. On the title page, a name was written: Lu Zhenqiu.
Opening it, there were some promotional posters and printed pictures inside. At the very bottom of the pictures was Lu Zhenqiu’s Weibo watermark. Besides this, there were also some diary-style entries, the earliest starting from September 21st, three years ago. In her diary, she wrote—
【I ran into a girl at the company entrance, very beautiful, the perfume on her body smelled very nice. She almost fell, and I supported her. She said thank you, her voice was very pleasant to listen to.】
【The room next door is holding auditions, I saw her again.】
【Her name is Lu Zhenqiu.】
【I think, I kind of like her.】
Lu Zhenqiu was in the living room comforting Maomao when Jin Shuilan came out. She had changed into a sweatshirt and jeans, a very casual outfit. The sweatshirt was fleece-lined and looked very warm. The two of them had put on light makeup, and the lipstick shades they wore were similar. When they arrived at the restaurant, Xiao Yu asked her: “Are you and Teacher Jin that close?”
Lu Zhenqiu frowned: “What’s wrong?”
“You two are even using the same lipstick?”
Lu Zhenqiu glanced at Jin Shuilan’s thin lips. That person was currently talking to Bai Mao next to her, her lips red and teeth white, the corners of her mouth lifting into an arc when she smiled, looking quite different from her usual indifferent expression. She said: “No.”
Xiao Yu said: “I thought they were the same. But Teacher Jin is really beautiful.”
Lu Zhenqiu agreed with her on this point.
Only Xiao Yu had arrived so far. Hua Luo still needed a while, and Ji Zibo also had not come. Bai Mao was not good at interacting with others, so after arriving, she pulled Jin Shuilan to sit beside her for a casual chat. Lu Zhenqiu kept Xiao Yu company.
Xiao Yu poured a glass of water and asked her: “The streamer annual meeting, have you been invited to be a host?”
Lu Zhenqiu shook her head: “No.”
Xiao Yu said: “Haven’t received the notice yet?”
Lu Zhenqiu asked her: “What notice?”
Xiao Yu took a sip of water and said: “I heard this year’s hosts are newcomers from the entertainment section.”
Wouldn’t that be Lu Zhenqiu? Among the newcomers in the second half of this year, she was the one with the most momentum. Having only started broadcasting for a month, her fans were already approaching four hundred thousand. She was the new streamer Sanshui was currently heavily promoting.
She sings well, has talent, and is also a money-maker. How long has she been broadcasting, yet her tips have already suppressed Lu Yan. Lu Yan used to be the streamer with the most tips in the entertainment section.
However, this was internal news and had not been made public yet. She had also heard it from an administrator.
Xiao Yu said: “Get ready to wear an evening gown.”
Lu Zhenqiu was a little nervous: “But I’ve never hosted before.”
“It’s similar to hosting in college, just with more people, nothing to be afraid of.” After speaking, Xiao Yu patted her shoulder: “I’ll be going too at that time.”
Xiao Yu was the representative for game streamers and had to make an appearance to receive a bonus. Lu Zhenqiu let out a light breath. Xiao Yu smiled: “I’m just giving you a heads-up in advance, not to make you nervous. Besides, there are still two months. If you really have to go, rehearsals alone will take half a month, so don’t panic.”
Lu Zhenqiu nodded.
Xiao Yu said: “Look how well you’re doing now. I told you to come to Sanshui a long time ago, but you wouldn’t listen. Now you know the benefits of a big platform, right? I feel refreshed just entering the entertainment section now.”
Lu Zhenqiu lowered her head and smiled.
With her giving this heads-up, Lu Zhenqiu was truly made nervous. While Xiao Yu went to the restroom, she took out her phone to search for recent news about Sanshui. The official Weibo had released some news about the streamer annual meeting two days ago, but there was no mention of the hosts. In the comments, however, many fans mentioned it.
【Will it be Lu Yan this year?】
【Lu Yan is not bad, she can liven things up, her hosting last year was okay.】
【I’ll vote for one Zhenqiu, a new seedling I just discovered, she’s good-looking and sings beautifully!】
【It’s our fairy Qiuqiu! I also want her to host.】
She scrolled down and saw a system-pushed notification: Lu Yan’s Weibo. She had reposted Tang Yingxia’s radio drama promotion. Looking at the time, it was yesterday, but the number of reposts was not even half as many as the video they had just released today.
One had already passed twenty-four hours.
One had not yet reached six hours.
For the first time, Lu Zhenqiu truly felt Jin Shuilan’s fame and traffic. Although in her heart she knew she should be indifferent, there was still an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.
She exited Weibo and sent a message to Hua Luo: 【Where are you?】
Hua Luo replied while walking: 【Arrived, arrived.】
Lifting her head, she saw a familiar face. Hua Luo smiled: “Teacher Ji!”
Ji Zibo turned around. Hua Luo jogged over, wearing a dress and black leggings that looked thin. She asked: “Aren’t you cold?”
Hua Luo closed her bag and stomped her feet, saying: “Cold, but for the sake of looking good, it’s worth it!”
Ji Zibo was amused by her. The two entered the shop. Hua Luo could not suppress her happiness, the sparks in her eyes flaring: “Is Teacher Bai here too?”
“You still like Bai Mao?”
Hua Luo nodded: “I used to like her a lot. She has written less in the past two years, who knows how many readers are waiting.”
Bai Mao started writing before Jin Shuilan and became famous a bit earlier than her. However, Jin Shuilan’s fame was a case of heaven’s timing, earth’s geography, and human harmony2; at that time, Baihe was at the peak of its development. Later, with film and television adaptations expanding, in a sense, Jin Shuilan could be considered the first person to advance the film and television adaptation of Baihe, so her fame was greater. But in the readers’ hearts, Bai Mao was also an irreplaceable Dashen3 author. Hua Luo used to be a fangirl of Bai Mao.
Now that she was about to see her idol, how could she not be excited? She was so excited that she forgot all about the recent troubles.
Ji Zibo said: “She’s inside, let’s go in.”
Hua Luo saw Lu Zhenqiu from a distance. She walked over in three or two steps. Lu Zhenqiu stood up: “You’re here, Teacher Ji is here too.”
Ji Zibo smiled: “If I didn’t come, someone was going to block me.”
Jin Shuilan gave her a cool glance. Ji Zibo sat down beside her: “What are you talking about, have you ordered yet?”
Lu Zhenqiu said: “Not yet, we don’t know Teacher Ji’s and Teacher Bai’s tastes.”
“I’m fine with anything.” Ji Zibo said as she passed the menu to Bai Mao: “You order.”
Hua Luo was opposite Bai Mao. After sitting down, she looked at Bai Mao a bit shyly, then nudged Lu Zhenqiu with her arm. Lu Zhenqiu smiled and introduced: “Teacher Bai, this is my friend, she also writes…”
“I know.” Bai Mao said: “It’s Hua Luo, I’ve read her novel.”
Hearing this, Hua Luo couldn’t help but pinch the back of her hand. The pain made her eyes water, but in her heart, she was ecstatic. Bai Mao had actually read her novel? She beamed a smile: “I’ve also read Teacher Bai’s novels. That book you wrote, 【Falling in Love】, I’ve reread it several times, it’s written so well!”
Bai Mao coughed from her praise and said: “What you write is also very good, I’ve been reading it these past two days.”
“No, no, no, Teacher Bai writes better.”
“You…”
“You two, stop being modest. How about we get a separate table for you two.” Ji Zibo teased with a smile, saying: “A kindred spirit meets a kindred spirit, ah!”
Hua Luo was uncharacteristically embarrassed. Always a social butterfly, her face was now slightly red. She said: “Let’s order.”
Xiao Yu also returned from the restroom. Seeing Hua Luo, she said: “You’re here?”
Hua Luo made some space for her. After Xiao Yu sat down, she said: “This environment is quite nice. I’ll come here for my birthday next time too.”
Lu Zhenqiu nodded: “It is quite nice.”
Ji Zibo said: “The dishes here are also very famous. I heard the chefs were all poached from various places.”
She lowered her head: “Then I’ll order some specialty dishes, how about that?”
The others had no objections. Xiao Yu was very interested in drunken crab4 and asked Ji Zibo to help order a portion. Hua Luo looked at Bai Mao opposite her and asked in a low voice: “Is Teacher Bai writing a new novel recently?”
Bai Mao took a sip of tea and said: “I am.”
After she spoke, she looked at Hua Luo: “I’ve read your new novel. My new novel is also that genre.”
Hua Luo asked happily: “I researched a lot of materials to write this genre. If Teacher Bai wants them, I can send them to you.”
Bai Mao nodded: “Sure.”
Hua Luo had already taken out her eager-to-move phone: “Then can I add you on WeChat? Or Q5 is fine too.”
Lu Zhenqiu watched Hua Luo’s actions and exclaimed inwardly at how amazing she was. Truly a social expert, getting her goddess’s WeChat in just a few sentences. Bai Mao took out her phone and scanned the code. The two added each other as friends. Hua Luo’s face was slightly red with excitement. She asked: “Teacher Bai, can I post on Weibo to show off a bit?”
Her expression, eager to share her happiness, amused Bai Mao. Bai Mao was also not so reserved anymore. Just as she was about to nod, Jin Shuilan’s gaze shifted, and she said: “Why don’t we all take a group photo together?”
Ji Zibo chimed in: “A group photo is good, I agree.”
The others had no objections. When taking the photo, Ji Zibo pushed Jin Shuilan, telling her to sit a bit closer to Lu Zhenqiu. A waiter was asked to take the picture, and several candid shots were taken. In the end, Hua Luo chose the one she was most satisfied with to post on Weibo. Perhaps she was too excited, she wrote a sentence “Happy birthday to my good sister” and posted it, completely forgetting to @ Lu Zhenqiu.
But Lu Zhenqiu still received a Weibo at.
From Jin Shuilan.
The person who doesn’t even post on Weibo for her own birthday, posted a message: Happy Birthday @Zhenqiu.
The author has something to say:
Thirty red envelopes, me me da. Happy birthday ah Qiuqiu.
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