stjorthotic Chapter 71 Writer Chen asked me to tell you that he is not familiar with you.
Chapter 71 Writer Chen asked me to tell you that he is not familiar with you.
Although there were many people at the entrance, no one recognized that this casually dressed, sunny and handsome young man was the protagonist of the day.
Led by Zhou Shutang, Chen Zhiyuan walked into the bookstore without any hindrance, passed through the slightly noisy first-floor lobby, and went directly to a spacious and quiet lounge at the back.
The lounge was carpeted and furnished with comfortable sofas; the environment was clean and elegant. Wu Shuhan, Vice President of Jiangnan Publishing Group, along with several heads of the distribution and publicity departments, had already arrived.
Upon seeing Chen Zhiyuan enter, Wu Shuhan immediately stood up warmly to greet him, grasping Chen Zhiyuan's hand tightly: "Teacher Chen! We've been waiting for you! You must have had a long journey!"
The others also stepped forward to exchange pleasantries, their attitudes respectful and warm.
After a warm handshake and greeting, Wu Shuhan pulled Chen Zhiyuan to sit down on the sofa and began to explain in detail the specific procedures, schedule, precautions, and possible media presence for today's event.
Then there's Xiang Wanyu and Wang Xia outside.
The two watched as Chen Zhiyuan and the elegant and beautiful "older sister" walked into the bookstore, chatting and laughing, and were slightly taken aback.
"That lady... is so beautiful and has such a great presence," Wang Xia whispered.
"And... she and Chen Zhiyuan seem to be quite familiar with each other." A subtle emotion, which Xiang Wanyu herself was unaware of, swept through her mind.
After a moment of surprise, the two saw that there were already quite a few people queuing to buy books in the bookstore, so they quickly squeezed in as well.
The first priority, of course, is to buy the book! Only after buying the book will you have a chance to get the author's autograph!
They found that the lines to buy books had grown long, and the cash registers were packed with people.
The two dared not delay and quickly found a relatively short line to join at the end. They were both excited and a little anxious, afraid of missing the chance to get an autograph.
The number of people who came to the event today far exceeded expectations.
Perhaps due to effective pre-release promotion, or perhaps due to the overwhelming positive word-of-mouth surrounding the first volume of "Those Things of the Ming Dynasty," a steady stream of book fans came to see the book, many of whom traveled from surrounding cities.
Meanwhile, on a bus heading towards Jiefang Road.
Zhao Sisi and Luo Manxue sat side by side.
Although they were not in the same university, they had a close relationship and kept in touch after registering.
Today, it was Zhao Sisi who took the initiative to invite Luo Manxue to come together for this autograph session that she had been looking forward to for a long time.
For Zhao Sisi, this was more than just a fan meeting.
She hadn't seen Chen Zhiyuan for more than ten days since that unpleasant meeting during the summer vacation.
Time did not diminish her longing; instead, it fueled her resentment and the obsession with "it originally belonged to me," making it grow ever stronger.
She desperately wanted to see him, to re-establish contact, and to show him a completely new version of herself.
"Manxue, when do you think we'll be able to see Chen Zhiyuan?" Zhao Sisi asked, her voice filled with longing as she gazed at the street scenes rushing past the window.
Luo Manxue sighed inwardly.
As a friend, she could see Zhao Sisi's persistence and was also well aware that Chen Zhiyuan's attitude was no longer the same as before.
She tried several times to persuade Zhao Sisi to give up, but seeing the unwavering expectation in the other's eyes, she swallowed her words and couldn't bear to discourage her.
"The autograph session starts at ten o'clock, and he will definitely be there then," was the only answer she could give.
"Manxue, do you think... Zhiyuan might be even more handsome and cheerful than before? He's really getting more and more amazing; the second book is out so quickly..."
Zhao Sisi continued talking to herself, her face beaming with a sense of pride, as if she shared in Chen Zhiyuan's success.
Luo Manxue could only listen silently, her sigh of helplessness growing heavier.
The bus arrived at the stop, the two got off, and walked quickly toward Xinhua Bookstore.
Before they even got close, they were stunned by what they saw – the long queue that had snaked its way out of the bookstore onto the sidewalk outside was a dense, impressive sight!
"My God... so many people!" Luo Manxue covered her mouth in surprise.
Zhao Sisi was taken aback at first, but then a strange sense of pride appeared on her face, as if the sea of people was an affirmation of her good judgment.
"Of course! This is a book signing event personally conducted by the author! You'll get an autographed copy if you buy the book!"
Her tone was light and cheerful as she tugged at Luo Manxue's hand. "Come on, we don't need to queue! Let's go straight in and find Chen Zhiyuan! What's our relationship with him? Isn't it normal to cut in line?"
As she spoke, she tried to pull Luo Manxue toward the bookstore entrance.
"Ladies, please line up! Come in order!" The staff member guarding the entrance to maintain order immediately reached out to stop them.
Zhao Sisi stopped, raised her chin, and raised her voice, saying, "We are Chen Zhiyuan's best friends! Could you please go in and tell him that Zhao Sisi and Luo Manxue have arrived?"
Her tone was self-righteous, even carrying a hint of arrogant self-importance.
The staff looked at them suspiciously for a few moments, especially at Zhao Sisi's confident demeanor, and were unsure of what to do.
Luo Manxue's face flushed slightly. She quickly tugged at Zhao Sisi's sleeve and whispered, "Sisi, forget it... let's... let's go queue up."
She sensed that many people in line around them were casting disapproving and scrutinizing glances at them.
"Why should we have to queue?"
Zhao Sisi, however, was unconvinced and continued loudly, "It was just cutting in line, it's not a big deal! We know Chen Zhiyuan very well!"
She tried to bypass the staff and force her way in.
"Madam, please maintain order!" The staff member firmly stopped her again, while signaling a colleague to go in and inform the staff.
Not long after, the staff member who had gone in to report returned. His expression was much more serious than before. Looking at Zhao Sisi, he said in a businesslike manner:
"Madam, writer Chen asked me to tell you that he doesn't know you. Please follow the rules and queue at the back. Thank you for your cooperation."
"Not...not familiar with each other?!"
Zhao Sisi's eyes widened instantly, and the color drained from her face in a flash, replaced by disbelief and shame at being publicly humiliated.
She never expected Chen Zhiyuan to give such an answer! So straightforward, so ruthless!
Seeing the serious expressions of the staff and the growing number of onlookers, Luo Manxue felt embarrassed and quickly pulled Zhao Sisi, who was trembling with anger and still trying to argue, back down, repeatedly trying to calm her down:
"Sisi, Sisi! It's okay, it's okay! Let's go to the back of the line, there's still plenty of time, it'll be our turn eventually..."
She practically dragged the unwilling Zhao Sisi away from the entrance.
Zhao Sisi was both angry and resentful, her eyes reddening. Dragged to the back of the line by Luo Manxue, she couldn't help but mutter angrily under her breath:
"Why?! He pursued me for three years in high school! We grew up together! Why does he say we're not close now?! He..."
"Sisi, stop talking... There are so many people watching." Luo Manxue quickly whispered to stop her, feeling extremely embarrassed.