Five

Editor Number Five is here~

Standing at the north exit of the train station, Zhu Anfu craned his neck to look inside. The last time he’d seen his editor was at the writers’ conference a year ago, in K City where the website was based. Their host then had been Chief Editor Jin She. At first glance, one would assume Jin She was a man—her name suggested as much—but in fact, she was an out-and-out young woman who simply had a habit of treating herself as one of the guys. Even her chat profile listed her gender as male, and she insisted everyone refer to her as “he” rather than “she” during conversations.

When Zhu Anfu first met Jin She, he had been deeply shocked. He’d expected a calm, steady big brother, but in reality, she was a petite, gentle girl, lacking even the faintest trace of a queen’s imposing air. That was when Zhu Anfu truly understood the meaning of disillusionment, and as a result, he was in a slump for quite some time after the writers’ conference. His updates faltered, his new projects stagnated, and readers kept asking if he was ill or if something had happened in real life. How could Zhu Anfu not be dispirited? Seeing Jin She’s charismatic online persona, then thinking of her actual self, he could only borrow a saying: “Idealism is plump; reality is skeletal.” In Zhu Anfu’s eyes, reality was nothing but bones.

Of course, this didn’t diminish his trust in Jin She. She was an editor with remarkable foresight, able to predict the trends of the genre. Any work she mentored would inevitably fill the author’s coffers. Many writers would rush to hand her their latest drafts, hoping for her attention. Unfortunately, Jin She had several rules: she didn’t guide the works of top authors, nor genres she didn’t personally read, nor those who started seven or eight projects at once, nor those who left projects unfinished for long periods, nor whatever was currently popular. That said, not guiding didn’t mean not reading. Her favorites list was immense, and she was known for prodding authors in group chats to update. Everyone knew that once Jin She started urging, she was doing so for her own reading pleasure.

Since Zhu Anfu began writing, he’d never been “prodded” for updates—not because Jin She didn’t read his work; in fact, all of Bingwu’s novels were in her collection. The reason was simply that he updated daily without needing the extra push.

“Why isn’t she here yet?” Zhu Anfu retreated into the car—the cold outside was unbearable. This winter was harsher than most; it was only early January and already minus thirty degrees Celsius. By the coldest days, even relieving oneself outdoors might freeze the stream, or so it seemed. The mere thought made Zhu Anfu shiver. “Can you turn up the heat? It’s freezing. The weather is just bizarre this year—so much snow, every weekend brings a new storm. What’s with that?”

Yu Chi Ankang turned up the car’s heater. “Isn’t Jin She from the South? Coming to the North like this—she must be out of her mind.” Once again, Yu Chi Ankang questioned Jin She’s sanity. Even if she didn’t go home, why come up north just to suffer the cold?

“Maybe there’s nothing fun to do at home,” Zhu Anfu mused, gazing out at the darkening sky. In the north, winter nights descended early; by four or five it was already dusk, and by six or seven, pitch black. Even with streetlights, everything seemed gloomy. Their car was parked just a dozen steps from the north exit, but it was hard to make out people in the dimness.

Jin She ran all the way out. Most passengers headed for the south exit—only a few trickled toward the north, where the lighting was sparse. Walking through the shadowed underpass felt almost tragic; the mind naturally conjured scenes from horror movies or novels, making the walk increasingly nerve-wracking, until one broke into a run. Emerging from the north exit, Jin She spotted the Range Rover by the curb, checked the license plate, and hurried over. “Bingwu!”

“Heavens, aren’t you afraid of freezing to death?” Zhu Anfu turned to look at Jin She settling into the back seat. She wore a thin cotton jacket and blue pants. “It’s minus thirty out here, and you come in just that? You’re out of your mind.”

Yu Chi Ankang said nothing, just started the car and headed home. Honestly, Jin She ought to have her head examined for damage. What kind of girl travels all this way just to see a guy? If he didn’t know for certain that Jin She felt nothing romantic toward Anfu—indeed, treated him more like a child—he might have suspected she’d come all this way for a long-distance lover.

Zhu Anfu, meanwhile, displayed none of the hospitality owed to a visiting friend. He just played block games on his phone, oblivious to the glares thrown his way from the back seat. Jin She was rather peeved—she was his editor, after all! Bingwu showed no enthusiasm at all, not even the courtesy of making conversation. Catching Bingwu’s blank stare in the rearview mirror, Yu Chi Ankang felt a pang of sympathy for Jin She. Zhu Anfu wasn’t just simple-minded; he was downright obtuse. Seeking entertainment from him was asking for frustration.

They drove to Zhu Anfu’s old-fashioned apartment complex. He hadn’t booked Jin She a hotel, thinking it a waste of money; Yu Chi Ankang, meanwhile, had his own motives. At the sight of the legendary “Six Gates” building, Jin She’s lips twitched—how much must this place cost? A twinge of guilt pricked her heart. Inside, Zhu Anfu’s home was toasty: underfloor heating, triple-insulated exterior walls, and a half-meter-high ring of radiators around the walls. Stepping in felt like entering summer. She was glad she hadn’t overdressed. After tossing her small bag in the guest room, she could tell at a glance it wasn’t where Zhu Anfu usually slept.

“Dou Dou, come greet Editor BB!” Zhu Anfu returned carrying Dou Dou for Jin She to see. “This is our Dou Dou—adorable, right? The legendary teacup dog, always this tiny.” His voice was full of pride. Jin She took a step back, her lips twitching. “Very cute, but... I’m allergic to dog hair.”

“What a pity—I wanted you to sleep with Dou Dou tonight, in case you had trouble sleeping in a new place.” With a note of regret, Zhu Anfu carried Dou Dou back to his room and didn’t reappear.

“There’s a bathroom in your room, fresh towels and toiletries, have you eaten yet?” Yu Chi Ankang emerged in fresh clothes, feeling a bit sorry for Jin She—she clearly had no idea her own star author was mocking her online. “There’s Wi-Fi, the password is 778748.”

“Actually, I haven’t had dinner yet. Is there anything to eat?” Any guilt Jin She had about Bingwu vanished; the man had no concept of hospitality.

“There’s food in the fridge—I’ll heat some up. Just so you know, we’ve never had a woman in the house, so please dress appropriately going to and from your room.” Yu Chi Ankang offered kindly before heading to the kitchen. Jin She glared resentfully at Bingwu’s door, then opened her laptop. No sooner had she logged on than she saw Bingwu mocking her fear of dogs. Jin She replied with a sinister emoji: “Bingwu, you little brat, just you wait!”

TrendyColor: Brat? BB isn’t a guy? When did she switch teams?
Bingwu: You’re out of the loop—BB is a girl. When I found out, I was crushed, utterly crushed!
Solidarity: Thinking back to the writers’ conference still makes me want to cry.
Flower: Absolutely. The perfect BB in my mind was a...
Editor Jin She: Do you all really like being prodded to update?
(Everyone): Oh, no...

Jin She stood up in a huff and left the room, ready to settle scores.

“Just in time—I was about to call you. Do you want shrimp or ribs?” Yu Chi Ankang interrupted her march, pointing to the two dishes on the counter.

“Ribs, thank you!” Jin She narrowed her eyes, studying him. “You like Bingwu, don’t you?”

“Yes,” Yu Chi Ankang answered without hesitation. He had nothing to hide—he could admit to his students that he had a boyfriend, after all. Even if he quit his job and Bingwu stopped writing, his own savings would be enough for them to live out their lives, not even counting Bingwu’s earnings.

“Does Bingwu know? He’s not so dense he hasn’t noticed, is he?” Jin She had always worried about Bingwu—such a blockhead really needed a strong man to look after him.

“Anfu isn’t stupid, just too innocent and inarticulate—he’s a little single-minded. Do you really think a fool could get into X University’s Chinese Department?” Yu Chi Ankang smiled. On the contrary, apart from certain situations, he thought Zhu Anfu was quite clever.

“X University’s Chinese Department...” Jin She was genuinely surprised. She’d known Bingwu was gifted, but hadn’t expected such an impressive background—that department had produced many famous people.

“Come eat. Rest early. Tomorrow we’ll go skiing. There’s not much to do here in winter except hit the slopes.” Yu Chi Ankang set the reheated dishes on the table, serving Jin She a modest portion—eating too much at night wasn’t good for digestion, and women rarely overate in the evening.

When Yu Chi Ankang returned to his room, Dou Dou came sniffing for food. The little dog was still unsteady on his feet but terribly greedy, squatting by Jin She’s chair and gazing longingly at the high table.

Zhu Anfu, after updating his novel, left a note for his readers wishing them a happy New Year and explaining that he’d be out with BB and that updates would be late. After watching a movie, he finally shut his laptop and, turning around, was startled to see someone else in bed. “Ankang, I want steamed milk buns for breakfast tomorrow.”

“I’ll make them for you. Get some sleep.” Yu Chi Ankang set aside his book, pulled back the covers, and motioned Zhu Anfu to bed. “What brought on the craving for milk?”

“I’m not sure, just...” After seeing the cows, maybe. Zhu Anfu thought about the hidden space, but explaining would be too troublesome—and he worried that if Yu Chi Ankang knew how he’d gotten it, he might chase their editor out to a hotel in the middle of the night. Where would a young woman go at this hour?

Yu Chi Ankang raised an eyebrow; Zhu Anfu had never stopped mid-sentence with him before, now ducking into the bathroom, clearly hiding something. When Zhu Anfu came out, Yu Chi Ankang acted as though nothing had happened. “I told Jin She we’d go skiing tomorrow.”

“Oh man, it’ll be packed during the holidays...”