That shock was no small matter.
Although Lu Qing worked at the Xijiang Provincial Writers Association, she herself was also a 4-star writer, very much a literary young woman. As a writer, it was rare for any work to leave a deep impression on her. Even for previously popular authors like Guo Cheng and Han Jin, she would only nod and acknowledge that their works catered to market demand, without giving much evaluation of their literary value.
However, there was one writer she truly admired.
That writer was Fanchen.
'A Chinese Ghost Story' was one thing. Although she had read it and quite liked it, her evaluation of it wasn't particularly high. She only felt that the author's ideas were creative. But when 'The Peony Pavilion Girl' appeared, she was completely stunned.
If 'A Chinese Ghost Story' told a love story between a human and a ghost, then 'The Peony Pavilion Girl' truly depicted a love that transcended life and death, unwavering and eternal. When she first read it, Lu Qing could hardly believe that someone could write emotions with such sincerity. Even now, she could still vividly recall the scene where the male lead, Liu Rumei, awakened the female lead, Du Liniang.
What she never expected was that the author of both works was the young man standing right in front of her.
My god… this completely overturned her understanding of writing.
She repeatedly compared the data on the computer with the documents Huang Yifan had submitted. After a long while, she finally confirmed it.
That's right. The young man before her was indeed Fanchen, the author of 'The Peony Pavilion Girl'.
"Mr. Fanchen… no, I mean… I'm sorry, I didn't realize it was you just now."
Realizing Huang Yifan's identity, Lu Qing's face flushed red.
Thinking back to what she had just said, how reaching 2-star at his age wasn't easy.
Looking at it now, this wasn't a 2-star writer at all. This was a top-tier 5-star author.
Although she herself was 4-star, seemingly only one level below, Lu Qing knew very well that the gap between 4-star and 5-star was sometimes impossible to cross in a lifetime. Moreover, she firmly believed that Fanchen could reach 6-star, even 7-star, in the future.
"It's nothing, really. I've only written two books, nothing special. You work here, so you've probably met not just 5-star writers, but 6-star, 7-star, even 8-star ones, right?"
"I have, but you're completely different from them. How should I put it… Mr. Fanchen, you really shocked me just now. If I were to reveal your identity, the entire literary world would be shaken. An 18-year-old genius being the author of 'The Peony Pavilion Girl' that carries far more weight than Guo Cheng or Han Jin."
"Miss Lu, at 18, I'm technically an adult, not a 'boy' anymore. But I do hope you'll keep my identity confidential."
"Don't worry, I was just saying that. Our Writers Association strictly keeps all registered members' identities confidential, including mine. I won't disclose any of your information. That would violate regulations unless you choose to reveal it yourself."
"That's good, that's good."
After another ten minutes, Lu Qing finished reviewing the materials and handed them back to Huang Yifan. Then she took out a badge shaped like a five-pointed star and said, "Mr. Fanchen, this is the commemorative badge issued by the Xijiang Provincial Writers Association for 5-star authors. It's worn here on the left chest."
"What's this?"
Huang Yifan took the badge. "Do other authors have one too?"
"Yes, all authors above 2-star receive one, but the designs differ. Since you're a 5-star writer, yours is a five-pointed star, representing the Five Elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. A 2-star writer would have a badge with two stars, 3-star writers have a 'heaven, earth, and humanity' symbol, 6-star writers have a six-directional star pattern, and 7-star ones resemble the Big Dipper…"
"I see."
Huang Yifan put the badge away, intending to slip it into his pocket.
"Ah, Mr. Fanchen, you should wear it."
"Why?"
"Besides being commemorative, it's also a symbol of your identity as a writer. Most authors wear their badges when attending events."
"That feels a bit like showing off."
"Haha, you shouldn't think of it that way. It's an honor. Compared to things like showing off wealth, this is on a completely different level. And no one would criticize such an honor. Writers hold a relatively high social status; people admire them."
"How about this, I'll help you put it on."
"Uh… that might not be appropriate. I can do it myself."
"It's fine. To be honest, I'm actually one of your fans. You'll have to give me an autograph later."
Without waiting for his response, Lu Qing stood up and stepped closer, pinning the badge onto his left chest.
As she leaned in, Huang Yifan caught a faint fragrance. It wasn't perfume; it seemed to be her natural scent.
That thought made him feel slightly awkward.
Although he was usually composed, at that moment, his mind wandered a little.
Fortunately, it only took a moment. Once the badge was pinned, Lu Qing stepped back, and Huang Yifan quietly let out a breath of relief.
If that moment had lasted a few minutes longer, he wasn't sure he could have kept his composure.
Taking a few steps back, Lu Qing looked at Huang Yifan.
This time, she truly observed him.
But after only a short while, her face flushed slightly, and she didn't dare look any longer.
Earlier, she had only noticed his bright, lively eyes. Now she realized it wasn't just his eyes. From his eyes to his nose, to his lips, his entire face and even his figure seemed perfectly sculpted, as if crafted by the hand of God.
At that moment, a rather cliché thought popped into her mind.
This guy could clearly make a living off his looks, yet he insists on relying on talent.
Oh my god…
For a brief moment, Lu Qing even felt her heart stir. If only Fanchen were a few years older, then maybe…
"Mm… looks good."
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Lu Qing quickly returned to her seat.
After calming herself, she inwardly scolded herself. "Lu Qing, you used to call others lovestruck fools. And now look at you."
"Thank you, Miss Lu."
Touching the badge on his chest, Huang Yifan found it quite nice.
Haha, maybe someday he could use this badge to show off a little.
"You're welcome. Alright, your real-name registration is complete. When there are relevant events from the Writers Association, they'll be sent to your email. You can also log into the official site to check available activities."
"Thank you."
Huang Yifan thanked her again, but remained seated instead of leaving.
"Mr. Fanchen, your registration is already complete."
Seeing that he hadn't left, Lu Qing reminded him gently.
"Oh, it's done?"
Huang Yifan stepped forward and pulled out a few more documents from the bottom of his folder. "Miss Lu, I actually have another pen name. Could you help me register that as well?"
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