Xu Chacha, who was still slurping her milk, exclaimed "Ah!" and spoke up to mediate, "Don't talk about Xixi, so what if she's 158cm? She's small and cute too."
Chen Qianqian couldn't breathe when she heard the number, "It's not 158! It's 160!"
Xu Chacha nodded and replied as if coaxing a child, "Yes, yes, yes, rounding up, our Chen Qianqian is 1.8 meters tall."
Xue Miaomiao burst out laughing, not responding, but her eyes said it all.
"Ah, it's almost two o'clock, I have to go now." Xu Chacha stood up with her bag. "I'll pay for it, you guys enjoy your meal."
"Ugh... why are you leaving so early again?" Chen Qianqian said with a bitter face. "You have to make an appointment in advance to meet up with me, and when we finally manage to get an appointment, you only pamper us for a couple of hours."
Xu Chacha suppressed a laugh, "Next time, take a whole day off and have some fun with Qianfei, okay?"
Xue Miaomiao reached out and turned Chen Qianqian's head back, speaking in a tone that seemed to take it for granted, "No one can compare to 'Aunt Mu Bai' in her eyes. Why are you arguing with her for favor?"
Chen Qianqian stopped talking, and after a while she waved to Xu Chacha, "Let's go, let's go, I won't disturb you and your aunt's overseas call."
"She's really leaving." Xu Chacha took out a few chocolates from her bag and put them on the table. "Don't be sad, okay? I'll play with you next time."
Xue Miaomiao's face was full of disgust. "Take it away. How old are you? You still expect chocolate to appease you?"
Chen Qianqian grabbed it, saying, "That's perfect, I'll eat it."
"Chen Qianqian!" Xue Miaomiao realized she was speaking too loudly, so she lowered her voice and reached out to Chen Qianqian, "Give it to me."
"Can't you live a day without being a little arrogant?" Despite her complaints, Chen Qianqian still shared a piece with her.
Xue Miaomiao didn't retract her hand, but beckoned to her, "Give me one more, I saw she gave you four."
...
Xue Miaomiao was right; Xu Chacha did indeed go home to call Wen Mubai.
It's been almost ten years since she went abroad. At first, Xu Chacha thought she would come back after graduation, and she counted down the days to wait for her return.
As a result, during Wen Mubai's internship, he was spotted by the editor-in-chief of HN magazine in Y country and was forced to stay.
Not many years later, the editor-in-chief retired, and the outstanding Wen Mubai succeeded her, becoming the youngest editor-in-chief in HN's history. At this point, Xu Chacha had even less hope that she would return to China in the near future.
Although the two only see each other a few times a year, Xu Chacha always manages to see Wen Mubai's name listed as the screenwriter for some hit TV series or movie.
While working as an editor-in-chief, he also has the leisure to write scripts. If Xu Chacha didn't know him in person, she would suspect that Wen Mubai is a superman who doesn't need to sleep at all.
Xu Chacha took off her shoes, and before she even sat down on the sofa, Butler Zhang brought up a glass of cold drink.
"Come and have a taste. This is my mother-in-law's latest bird's nest, red date, and oat tea. It's just taken out of the refrigerator, perfect for cooling down in the summer." She held up an enamel mug that was bigger than her face.
"Grandma, are you feeding me like a pig?" Xu Chacha complained, still puffing out her cheeks as she took a big gulp.
I have to say, this stuff is actually... pretty good.
It's a bit like iced oat milk tea with pudding and a little less sweetness, but it's less milky. However, it's perfect for a health-conscious person like her.
At exactly two o'clock, Xu Chacha's phone lit up. She immediately put down her cup, quickly tidied her hair, and then answered the call.
It was around 7 a.m. in Y country at this time, and Wen Mubai had a habit of calling her every time he got up.
The woman on the screen hasn't changed much from ten years ago. The slightly naive girl has grown into a more mature and composed woman, with an even stronger aloof and cold demeanor, making her seem unapproachable.
"Didn't you say you went shopping with Sisi and the others? Why are you at home?"
Wen Mubai was still wearing her nightgown, and her black hair, which had never been permed or dyed, looked beautiful simply by being draped loosely. She was tilting her chin up and raising her hands to tie her hair, her long neck as graceful as a swan's, and her gaze as she glanced down was somewhat nonchalant.
If Wen Mubai were walking down the street now, Xu Chacha definitely wouldn't have the courage to strike up a conversation with him. She suddenly felt a little fortunate that she had met this woman ten years earlier.
"I want to come back for a video call," she answered Wen Mubai's question obediently.
The person on the other end of the screen smiled slightly, a lazy and nonchalant smile, which, combined with a soft nasal tone, had just the right amount of sexiness.
"So well-behaved?"
Her voice sounds more refined than when she was eighteen; it's so beautiful that Xu Chacha would cut out her "Goodnight" as her ringtone.
In the past, when she heard her say the word "well-behaved," Xu Chacha would feel resentful, as if she were being treated like a child, and she still does now.
But she just wrinkled her nose and didn't say anything. Wen Mubai was too familiar with the source of all her little expressions, but he just smiled and didn't say anything, enjoying the occasional little temper she showed.
When will school start?
“September 1st,” Xu Chacha replied.
She chose the Chinese Department at Q University. Although Wen Mubai only stayed at that school for less than a year, he still chose it without hesitation when filling out his college application.
"Why did you suddenly start studying literature?" Wen Mubai had already tied his hair up and started changing his shirt in front of her without any hesitation.
Xu Chacha turned her head away awkwardly, her words tumbling out incoherently, "I just suddenly wanted to learn."
There was no sound from the other side for a long time. After a while, probably after he had changed his clothes, Wen Mubai sat back down on the stool.
"Xu Chacha." She suddenly became serious, her solemn expression quite intimidating.
Xu Chacha instinctively tensed up and sat up straight. "W-what's wrong?"
"Have you been a little too reserved with me lately?"
The word "recently" can actually be extended. It's not that Wen Mubai is sensitive, but as Xu Chacha gets older, she can clearly feel the change in the other person's attitude. She doesn't like to act coquettishly anymore, and she knows how to speak more tactfully.
Knowing boundaries can also be understood as having a greater sense of distance. Perhaps it's because we all become more independent as we grow up, but Wen Mubai always felt that Xu Chacha should be the kind of girl who can be cherished and pampered no matter how old she is.
"ah?"
Seeing Xu Chacha's bewildered expression, Wen Mubai shook his head, telling himself that he was probably overthinking it.
"Forget it, there's no point in arguing with an idiot."
Xu Chacha frowned. "Who's the idiot? I'm almost eighteen. Stop talking to me like you're a child."
"Aren't you just a kid?" Wen Mubai asked softly. "You used to be a cute kid, now you're a bit awkward."
"Something feels off," Xu Chacha muttered softly.
Wen Mubai seemed to hear her words as if he had super hearing. He rested his chin on his hand, leaned lazily towards the camera, and his gaze seemed to penetrate the screen. "If you say there isn't one, then there isn't. Just think of it as me missing that sweet little 'Auntie' bun from before."
Xu Chacha felt uncomfortable after hearing what she said, and poked her finger on the button. "I'm hanging up now. Hurry up and go eat breakfast. You always dawdle. If you don't take care of yourself when you're young, you'll be plagued with all sorts of illnesses when you're old."
After saying that, Xu Chacha hung up before Wen Mubai could speak, then leaned back in her chair, clutching her heart pounding wildly in her chest.
"Why do you always treat me like a child?"
She picked up the Zhang Guanjia brand health tea, which had almost returned to room temperature, took a sip, and her mind finally calmed down a bit.
But my face still feels hot.
Xu Chacha stood up, went into the bathroom, cupped the water from the faucet in her hands, and splashed it on her face. The cool touch finally made her feel more comfortable.
I looked up and saw my face in the mirror.
The only thing that resembles her face from when she was a child is her pair of almond-shaped eyes that are smooth and full of spirit. Below them is a straight, delicate, and upturned nose. Her chubby, round face from childhood has unknowingly transformed into an elegant and classic oval face. Her soft lips always have a faint pinkish hue, even without lipstick.
Xu Chacha forced a smile, trying to mimic her old way of squinting, but it looked incredibly stiff, as if the face wasn't her own.
She raised her hand to rub her cheek and sighed softly, "It's not suitable anymore."
Chapter 37 University Time!
I always feel that once I've shed the shell of a child, it's as if my right to act cute and charming has also been taken away.
Moreover, even disregarding her face, her height of 1.75 meters is far from the "little cutie" Wen Mubai described.
Wen Mubai felt that she was being distant, but actually it was just that Xu Chacha was increasingly unsure of how to get along with her.
Xu Chacha patted her face, sat down at her computer desk, and prepared to get some serious work done.
Wen Mubai wondered why she suddenly started studying literature, but Xu Chacha knew that this was not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but the result of careful consideration.
In the first few years after Wen Mubai went abroad, Xu Chacha always felt like something was missing in her heart, which made her feel uncomfortable. So she started to search for the novels that Wen Mubai had published in magazines or other publications.
She didn't write much; even if you add her short stories of a few thousand words, you can't count more than ten.
Xu Chacha studied and read through all of this, word by word. Wen Mubai's writing, no matter what story it was in, always carried a sharp and incisive satire. It was hard to believe that she was only a teenager when she wrote these.
With nothing else to read, Xu Chacha tried writing her own. She originally thought the writing process would be very difficult, but she unexpectedly wrote over 100,000 words in no time.
She submitted her manuscript to the publisher on a whim, and surprisingly, it was accepted. When it was published, she didn't want to reveal her real name, so she casually chose the pen name "Da Hong Pao" and filled it in.
This happened back in junior high school. She didn't even dare tell her parents. She secretly had Xu Yanshu imitate her handwriting to sign a guardian consent form and send it to the publisher. Surprisingly, it actually got away with it.
It wasn't until she entered high school that she slightly revealed the news, but she didn't expose her pen name. She only said that she was trying her hand at writing. Of course, her parents fully supported her, and Xu Chacha's choice of major was decided without any suspense.
...
Country Y
After having breakfast, Wen Mubai arrived at the office, where her assistant Anna served her a cup of hot coffee.
On her desk sat a book with a completely white cover, titled "Her in My Memory." The pages looked like they had been turned many times and were somewhat wrinkled, with the bookmark in a different place each time she looked at it.
"Editor-in-chief, it seems you really like this author." Anna was quite bold; most people wouldn't dare utter a sound at the sight of Wen Mubai's face, but she could still say a few words.
She had known Wen Mubai for a long time and knew that she wasn't the kind of fearsome female demon who punished her subordinates when she was unhappy, as the legends suggested. She was just an ordinary person who didn't like to talk.
"Hmm." Wen Mubai took a sip of coffee; the temperature was just right, not too hot to burn his mouth.
"It seems she's also serializing it online now, but it's too slow, sometimes only updating once every two months," Anna said.
She had been curious about what kind of author could make Wen Mubai read his work over and over again, so she searched for him online. Who knew that this author had only published one book and then signed a contract with a novel website to be a resident author. He would occasionally post some short stories on the site, but the number of clicks was not high, and the author himself seemed to be very laid-back.
Anna knew that this kind of Buddhist-like mentality usually came from people who were not short of money. It was obvious that the author with the strange pen name "Da Hong Pao" did not make a living by writing. No wonder their editor was so hungry that he kept reading that book.
"Serialized?" Wen Mubai didn't know about this. She turned on her computer to search and actually found an author's column with a dismal word count. She casually added it to her favorites and then told Anna to do something more serious.
"Go out and call Du Fei over for me."
Du Fei joined HN four years ago. Before that, she was a model. When she first joined, she made a lot of mistakes because she had no experience. But among all the people, she was the most enthusiastic about her work and had the stubbornness to fight to the end. Now she is a seasoned veteran who does things in an orderly manner.
Because of her personality, Wen Mubai intended to cultivate her. She wanted to return to China as soon as possible, so the editor-in-chief position needed to be filled quickly.
"Editor-in-chief, you wanted to see me?" A woman in a light gray business suit appeared at the door.
As a former model, Du Fei's figure and temperament are impeccable. Coupled with her superior features bestowed by her mixed heritage, she is a stunning beauty with a head-turning rate of at least 70% when walking in a crowd.
Wen Mubai had no time to look up and admire the beauty. He pointed to a document on the corner of the table and said, "This client is your responsibility. Before you start work next Monday, put the signed contract on my desk."
She always gave instructions concisely and clearly, but Du Fei was not at ease because of her calm expression. Putting aside everything else, the deadline of next Monday alone was enough to keep her busy for a while.