The Night is Called Gentle - Chapter 18

Lin Zhixia wanted to be a little mushroom, the kind that hides beneath the sand. But as luck would have it, Yan Huaiqing discovered her and dug her up to take home.

“When did you find out? Was it when we signed the contract? Did Editor Sun tell you everything?” Lin Zhixia wrinkled her nose as she asked, no longer appearing as composed and restrained as before.

Yan Huaiqing hesitated, falling silent for a moment before stepping closer and confessing, “The day after the publishing house informed the institute that you had agreed to collaborate, Professor Zhao called me. She didn’t know you had asked the publishing house to conceal the author’s information, so I found out.”

Wow!

What a surprise.

After all that hiding, it turned out she had never been wearing a disguise in front of Yan Huaiqing.

So what did her silent observations over the past month and a half amount to?

And what about her feigned composure throughout the day?

Was she just a clownfish wiggling its tail and making a spectacle of itself?

For the first time in her life, Lin Zhixia felt such intense embarrassment.

But in Yan Huaiqing’s eyes, Lin Zhixia’s pretense was rather amusing.

Every year, the institute planned new productions, and stories of various genres were repeatedly discussed in meetings.

Just like last year, Several Layers of Mountains remained the most popular choice this year, but the outcome was the same the author still showed no interest in collaboration.

One and a half months ago, on the morning after Yan Huaiqing had run into Lin Zhixia, the publishing house suddenly notified the institute that the author had agreed to collaborate after all, though they were unwilling to make a public appearance and had entrusted all matters to the publishing house.

Yan Huaiqing had considered the possibility of it being Lin Zhixia but dismissed it as mere coincidence.

She had even called Editor Sun personally to inquire, but the other party had indeed revealed nothing.

What was even more surprising was that, the following afternoon, Zhao Jinchu suddenly called to ask about the institute’s level of commitment to adapting Several Layers of Mountains and the general direction of the adaptation.

When Yan Huaiqing asked how she knew about it, Zhao Jinchu casually told her and even mentioned that the author herself her new fan, Lin Xiaoman was absolutely thrilled, practically floating on air.

This piqued Yan Huaiqing’s curiosity, and she observed Lin Zhixia closely for a long time.

Yet, every time they met, Lin Zhixia remained refined and humble, her amber eyes betraying no hint of pride. Even when deliberately teased, only a faint blush would appear on her fair cheeks.

Yan Huaiqing could detect no trace of the author’s supposed smugness.

Even on this day, when she cautiously probed Lin Zhixia’s attitude and repeatedly tried to coax her into revealing her identity, Lin Zhixia kept herself well-hidden neither taking the initiative nor yielding to pressure.

Had Zhao Jinchu not tipped her off in advance, Lin Zhixia could have easily pulled off the deception.

And now, after being exposed, Lin Zhixia appeared both irritated and flustered, like a character straight out of an animated film, her expressions and demeanor laid bare without any attempt at concealment.

Or perhaps she simply had no intention of hiding anymore.

Because of this, Yan Huaiqing found her even more intriguing.

To ease her embarrassment, Yan Huaiqing attempted to explain, “Your Aunt Zhao called me to ask about the institute’s commitment to the adaptation. Since you’ve turned down many film and television rights offers before, this being your first agreement to collaborate, she didn’t want you to be treated carelessly and end up with regrets.”

“What else did she say about me?” Lin Zhixia knew just how talkative Zhao Jinchu could be, so she was eager to find out exactly how much Yan Huaiqing knew about her.

“I asked Professor Zhao if it would be possible to invite you to participate in the adaptation. She said you’ve been working on a book since graduation sharp and intense and she was worried you might get too absorbed in it, so she hoped you’d spend more time at the theater. But she also said she’d respect your decision.”

“Anything else?”

“She also mentioned that you like me a lot, and that you felt a little proud when you found out our troupe was adapting your book.” Yan Huaiqing thoughtfully adjusted the wording from the original.

Lin Zhixia seemed to have lost her composure, her tone flustered: “So, every time we met, you were deliberately playing along, pretending not to know?”

“Pretty much.”

“You added me on WeChat because you knew I was the author?”

“Not entirely.”

“You invited me to dinner was that also about the adaptation?”

“No.”

“Really? You knew all along, yet you pretended to invite me to dinner, observing and testing me.” Lin Zhixia frowned at her.

“Weren’t you observing me too?” Yan Huaiqing met her gaze, tracing the patterns in her eyes.

Lin Zhixia blinked, momentarily speechless.

“You write ghost stories. I have this book at home go back and take a good look. You lied to me.” Yan Huaiqing’s tone was light and airy.

Lin Zhixia brushed the tip of her nose, stammering, “It didn’t succeed.”

Yan Huaiqing smiled, her lashes lowering slowly, a faint curve forming under her eyes both beautiful and infuriating.

Lin Zhixia stared at her, even more at a loss for words.

Yan Huaiqing took a soft breath and looked at her again, explaining with sincerity: “I pretended not to know because I’ve been busy and didn’t have the right moment. I also didn’t know how you felt, so I didn’t want to bring it up abruptly.”

That made some sense.

“Inviting you to dinner was simply to thank you for the suggestions you wrote and for agreeing to collaborate.”

That also sounded reasonable.

“After all, Professor Zhao also said you probably agreed to the adaptation because of me. So, it’s only right that I thank you in person, isn’t it?”

Lin Zhixia bristled.

Her expression twisted dramatically, her inner turmoil even more intense.

If she had to describe it, it was like an awkward secret admirer, quietly nurturing feelings at her own pace, only to have an outsider abruptly tear down the veil. All the emotions and expectations she hadn’t fully processed instantly turned into embarrassment and awkwardness.

She was angry angry that Zhao Jinchu was so perceptive, sharp-witted, and talkative.

She felt defeated because Yan Huaiqing had added her on WeChat and invited her to dinner mostly because of her identity as the author, not because of who she was as a person.

She was embarrassed she really had agreed to the adaptation because of Yan Huaiqing. Before, only she knew; now, it seemed the whole world knew.

So much for this dinner she ate in complete silence.

Yan Huaiqing didn’t grasp the twists and turns of her emotions, but there was a calico cat in the courtyard that puffed up just like this. She wanted to reach out and smooth her ruffled feathers but was afraid of upsetting her further, so she quietly promised, “If you feel uncomfortable, I can keep pretending not to know.”

“Yan Huaiqing!”

A silent scream, not a sound uttered.

Lin Zhixia was truly annoyed she felt this woman was provoking her.

“Let me treat you to dinner,” Yan Huaiqing suddenly invited.

No one knew how Lin Zhixia managed to talk herself into it. Frowning, she slowly lifted her head and looked at her in confusion.

“Where?”

“My place.”

Wow

How could someone make the words “my home” so ordinary and plain sound so enchanting and bewitching?

“Go to your place? Wouldn’t that be too much trouble? Actually.”

“Not at all. I want to get closer to you, Author Madam,” Yan Huaiqing said softly.

It was true Yan Huaiqing genuinely wanted to help Lin Zhixia quickly move past this awkward, half-familiar stage.

Among the students she mentored every year, there were always a few who were introverted and slow to warm up. No matter what, they refused to get close to her and took a long time to trust her. But after bringing them home for a meal or two, they’d all become clingy and well-behaved.

Lin Zhixia’s nature was already quite pleasant, so this method should be even more effective.

And indeed, it proved effective.

Before they even had dinner, Lin Zhixia was already lost in the sound of “Author Madam,” obediently following her home.

On the way, Lin Zhixia sat quietly in the passenger seat like a little puppet.

Before getting in the car, she had sent a message to Zhao Jinchu, asking what she had told Yan Huaiqing about her.

“Guess,” Zhao Jinchu replied, making Lin Zhixia fume internally.

Yan Huaiqing occasionally glanced at her posture, her expression, her intertwined fingers. With each glance, the smile at the corner of her lips grew a little more pronounced.

When they stopped at a red light, she stepped firmly on the brake and looked at Lin Zhixia’s stubborn profile. “What’s wrong, Teacher Lin? Carrying a heavy idol baggage?”

Teacher Lin? Lin Zhixia’s heart skipped a beat, turning her gaze from the car window to Yan Huaiqing. “Teacher Yan, please don’t call me that. I’m not a teacher, and I’m not an idol. I don’t have any idol baggage.”

No baggage? Then why did she react so strongly when her identity was exposed?

Watching the red light countdown, Yan Huaiqing tried to shift the mood with a new topic. “Why wouldn’t you be an idol? Your fan group has 1,999 people it’s really hard to get in. You even have to pass a test.”

This,

This woman is toxic.

How does she manage to step so precisely on the tail of an already bristling kitten?

Lin Zhixia did have a fan group. Li Meng had added her alternate account once, but the very first time she spoke, the group admin kicked her out.

So now, she felt even more embarrassed, and a little incredulous. Could it be

“Teacher Yan, you’re not in that group, are you?”

“Of course I am. After expressing interest in adapting your work, I pulled some strings to get in. Everyone says the author is in the group too, but no one knows which one is you. I couldn’t figure it out either.”

Yan Huaiqing pulled strings to join her own fan group? The world must have gone mad.

Lin Zhixia smiled bitterly.

“The group is very lively. There are new fan creations every day. I check them out occasionally they’re quite good,” Yan Huaiqing said in a tone one might use to coax a child, then started the car and drove through the intersection.

This self-disciplined, etiquette-abiding leader actually reads fan creations? How improper!

Lin Zhixia’s expression at that moment could have been turned into a meme.

“Have you seen them?” Yan Huaiqing glanced at her.

Lin Zhixia rested her forehead against the car window, letting the exaggerated and complicated emotions clamor inside her for a few seconds. Giving up on pretending, she answered irritably, “I was kicked out of the group a long time ago.”

The air went quiet for a second, then was broken by a light laugh. The car slowed down a bit.

Yan Huaiqing didn’t bother hiding her smile and said in a soft, infuriatingly gentle tone, “So it was you.”

“It’s me. I heard they’ve been criticizing me in the group for three years, dragging my name through the mud every time a new member joins. I’m used to it by now.” Lin Zhixia let her head sway with the motion of the car.

When Yan Huaiqing first joined the group, her assistant had specifically warned her: no matter how strange the fan-created pairings seemed, she shouldn’t question them.

Because there had been a rebel before someone with barely any activity in the group who wrote a lengthy essay arguing that the popular pairings everyone shipped couldn’t possibly involve romantic feelings. It caused an uproar, and that person was kicked out of the group.

To this day, they remain the only member ever removed, a legend that lives on.

Who would have thought? The one who got kicked out was the author herself. How ironic.

Seeing the faint look of despair on the other’s fair face, Yan Huaiqing realized she had indeed underestimated her.

She had mentored many students and usually handled them with ease, but with Lin Zhixia, she kept hitting walls.

At lunch, Lin Zhixia had taken a sip of the tea she chose, then pressed her lips together, as if she didn’t like it.

During their afternoon conversation, not only had she failed to guide Lin Zhixia into revealing her identity, but she had also made her feel awkward and embarrassed.

And now, this new topic had accidentally stumbled upon one of her sore spots.

Could she still salvage the situation?

Her fingers tapped lightly on the steering wheel as she flicked the turn signal. After a few clicks, she tried to mend things: “Do you know why there are only 1,999 people in the group?”

Lin Zhixia snorted softly. “Don’t want to know.”

Yan Huaiqing shook her head with a light laugh, her tone tinged with affection. “Everyone says that as long as the author never shows up, the last spot will always be reserved for her.”

Lin Zhixia, spoiled by that tone, grew defiant and didn’t hold back, muttering, “I don’t care. They’ve already lost me for good.”

Her elegant fingers tapped the steering wheel again. Was she included in “them” now?

Hmm, not bad. Quite good.

This new screenwriter was hard to please and held grudges.

Yan Huaiqing had no choice but to take her seriously.