After a flurry of work, both pen names were finally registered.
Looking at Huang Yifan waiting nearby, Lu Qing said cautiously, "Mr. Qiushui… um… it's done."
"Oh, thanks."
Taking the folder, Huang Yifan thanked her. Seeing how careful and nervous she looked, he smiled. "Miss Lu, I'm not really a 'sir.' It sounds a bit strange. Why not just call me by my name?"
"How could I do that? How could I call Mr. Qiushui by his name? In my eyes, you are truly a master. How about… how about I call you Fanchen, then?"
"Sure."
"Alright, I'll call you Fanchen then. And please don't call me Miss Lu, it's a bit embarrassing. Just call me Lu Qing, or Xiao Qing if you like."
"Alright, Lu Qing. Thanks for today."
Not wanting to dwell on it further, Huang Yifan prepared to leave.
"It's nothing. Oh, right, Fanchen… It's almost the end of the workday. I'd like to invite you… Invite you to a meal, is that okay?"
She looked a bit shy but still said it. Afraid he might misunderstand, she quickly added, "Fanchen, don't get the wrong idea. I just mean eating at the Writers Association cafeteria. You've just arrived in the provincial capital, so you might not be familiar with the area. There's also an event this afternoon you could check out."
"There's an event?"
"Yes. The Federation has quite a few people here today, and there's a large cultural event, including calligraphy, writing, music, and all kinds of performances. And attending can increase your writer points, so it's worth checking out."
"Alright then."
Hearing that he could earn points, Huang Yifan nodded and agreed.
"Great, let's go. I'm off work now, I'll take you to the cafeteria."
Checking the time, Lu Qing tidied up her desk and led Huang Yifan out.
But as soon as they arrived at the cafeteria, Huang Yifan ran into Feng Yi again.
Feng Yi seemed to ignore Huang Yifan entirely and went straight to Lu Qing. "Lu Qing, you're here to eat too?"
"Sorry, please don't call me by my name. We're not that familiar."
"Heh, we'll get familiar after a few meetings. Come eat with me, my treat."
"Thanks, but I'm entertaining an important guest."
"An important guest?"
Only then did Feng Yi turn to look at Huang Yifan.
"Well, well, if it isn't Huang. Haha, what a small world. So, how did your 2-star registration go?"
"It's done."
"Of course it is. For a 2-star, it's just stamping paperwork, no real review needed. Naturally, it's fast. See, I finished ages ago, and you're only coming out now. How about we grab a meal together?"
"No thanks. We're not that close. Maybe next time."
Huang Yifan declined again, signaling to Lu Qing. She understood, and the two turned to leave.
"Stop right there!"
Seeing them walk away, Feng Yi jumped in anger.
"Huang Yifan, not giving me face? A 3-star author is inviting you to dinner, and you won't even accept? Hah, has the world changed? Even a 2-star author thinks he's number one now?"
"Sigh, Feng Yi, I already said we're not familiar. Do you want us to be forced to eat with you?"
Annoyed, Huang Yifan turned back.
"Force you? What a joke. Why would a 3-star author need to force a 2-star like you? Who do you think you are, a 4-star?"
Feng Yi spoke smugly, casually touching the freshly pinned 3-star badge on his chest. A 3-star writer badge, how many people his age in Xijiang had one?
But just as he was about to continue, a glint caught his eye.
A five-pointed star.
His eyes locked onto the badge on Huang Yifan's chest.
Five stars.
One, two, three, four, five, forming a five-pointed star.
The moment he saw it, Feng Yi's face completely changed.
"Huang Yifan… you're a 5-star author?!"
"T-This… how is this possible?"
"Didn't you say you were 2-star?"
The power of that five-star badge was overwhelming. Feng Yi instinctively took several steps back.
"Well, you said I was 2-star, so I just went along with it. I'm a soft-hearted person, and I don't like embarrassing others face-to-face. Honestly, whether it's 5-star or not, it's just a number. It doesn't mean much. Feng Yi, you're not bad either. You're already 3-star. Work a bit harder, maybe you'll reach 5-star tomorrow. Oh, by the way, still want to have that meal?"
"Ah… dinner?"
"Uh… well… you two go ahead. I've got something to take care of."
With that, Feng Yi quickly turned and rushed off, nearly tripping with a loud thud. But he didn't dare stop, enduring the pain as he disappeared in a hurry.
The small conflict was resolved, and Huang Yifan let out a breath.
However, the commotion had already drawn attention. Several people nearby were now looking over.
More precisely, they were staring at the badge on his chest. Upon recognizing the five-star emblem, they began whispering among themselves.
"Whoa, that kid is actually a 5-star author. Another Guo Cheng or Han Jin?"
"Damn, who is he? Why haven't I heard of him?"
"Looks like the Xijiang Writers Association just gained a powerhouse."
"That kid's got style scared that 3-star guy half to death. Haha, I love it."
"Serves him right. Thought reaching 3-star at a young age made him special. Turns out there's always someone better. Tried to show off and got shut down instead."
Even without hearing everything clearly, Huang Yifan could tell the badge was attracting too much attention. He casually took it off. "Forget it, better not wear this too often. Don't want people thinking I'm showing off."
…
A few minutes later, Huang Yifan and Lu Qing found a seat in a corner of the cafeteria.
"Alright, Fanchen, time to eat."
Lu Qing happily placed eight dishes on the table one by one.
"…Lu Qing, eight dishes for two people? Isn't that a bit extravagant?"
"Hehe, maybe a little. But I was just too excited meeting you, so I accidentally ordered too much."
She looked both excited and slightly embarrassed. "I won't do that next time."
"Probably won't be a next time. I don't live in Changnan. I'll be heading back in a couple of days."
"That's such a pity. I was hoping to show you around. Oh right, Fanchen, what you said to Feng Yi earlier was hilarious. You should've seen his face, it went completely pale, like he'd seen a ghost. Oh no, Fanchen, you're ruining your image in my eyes."
Lu Qing laughed so hard she could barely catch her breath. Looking at Huang Yifan, she added, "No, no, let me laugh a bit more."
"Calm down. Eat. As Zengzi said: one should not speak while eating or talk while lying down."
"…Fanchen, who said that? Zengzi didn't say that."
"I did."
Zengzi might not have said it, but Confucius did in his previous world.
Unfortunately, in this world, the sage was Zengzi, not Confucius.
Naturally, upon hearing that, Lu Qing burst out laughing again, nearly spitting out her food.
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