HPDBC Chapter 25: One quiet, one extroverted
Chapter 25: One quiet, one extroverted
He Lin was clearly a social butterfly, outgoing and talkative: "Brother, actually I asked to come along! I'm a huge fan of your books now, I follow the serializations in the newspaper every day, I'm so eager to read them!"
Chen Zhiyuan laughed happily upon hearing this. He hadn't expected that He Fei's younger sister was also one of his little book fans.
He warmly welcomed the two sisters, offering them water, fruit, and snacks.
Of course, the most important thing was to take out that thick stack of manuscripts, which contained as many as 50,000 words.
Upon seeing such a thick stack of manuscripts, He Fei's eyes lit up, and the tension in her heart was instantly replaced by immense joy.
He Lin completely transformed into a fangirl, her expression becoming even more exaggerated, her face filled with surprise, and her voice rising several decibels: "Wow! It's so thick! Coming today was the right decision, I can finally see it to my heart's content!"
The daily serialization of 3,000 words is indeed a sweet "torture" for readers who are following the story.
Now, suddenly having tens of thousands of words of manuscript in front of you, the surprise and satisfaction are hard for outsiders to understand.
Chen Zhiyuan generously handed the thick stack of manuscripts to He Fei: "Don't worry, take a look. If you find any typos, remember to let me know."
He Fei accepted the heavy manuscript, thanked her repeatedly, and then eagerly opened it. The moment her eyes fell on the handwriting, undisguised amazement appeared in her eyes.
"Chen Zhiyuan." She couldn't help but look up, "When did your handwriting become so beautiful?"
He Lin also came over, her eyes sparkling.
Before even reading the contents, Chen Zhiyuan's elegant and powerful handwriting alone was enough to make her admire him immensely.
Chen Zhiyuan observed the sisters' reactions and was quite pleased. He explained with a smile:
"After finishing the college entrance exam, I had nothing to do at home, so I practiced calligraphy. Unexpectedly, I seem to have some talent in this area, and I've improved quite quickly."
He Fei glanced at Chen Zhiyuan with a look of envy and admiration, but was quickly captivated by the contents of the manuscript and became engrossed in it.
He Lin was similarly absorbed, her head close to her sister's, completely engrossed in the sight, looking utterly "obsessed."
The living room fell silent, with only the soft rustling of turning pages remaining.
Without disturbing the two sisters who were engrossed in reading, Chen Zhiyuan quietly returned to his room, sat down at his desk, spread out a new sheet of paper, picked up his pen, and began to continue writing the next chapter.
Chen Zhiyuan was so engrossed in his writing that he almost forgot about the passage of time.
He Fei in the living room was in a similar state; she was completely captivated by the novel's exciting plot, as if she were in another time and space.
Reading the manuscript of more than 50,000 words in one go, the feeling of being thoroughly satisfied and wanting more was so exhilarating that it was almost indescribable.
He Fei closed the last page of the manuscript with satisfaction, feeling thoroughly satisfied. Her face flushed slightly from focus and excitement, and even her personality seemed to brighten up a bit.
He Lin's eyes practically lit up; she completely transformed into a little fangirl, looking at her sister with adoration and saying, "Sis, this is so well written! Your deskmate is amazing!"
He Fei nodded vigorously, sincerely agreeing, her eyes full of admiration: "Yes, he really is... much more capable than I imagined."
Perhaps hearing the commotion outside, Chen Zhiyuan put down his pen and came out of the room. Seeing that the two sisters had finished reading, he asked gently, "You're done reading?"
He Fei nodded, her voice clearer than usual: "Chen Zhiyuan, you're amazing! You wrote so well!"
It was rare for her to express praise so directly.
He Lin skipped over and excitedly grabbed Chen Zhiyuan's arm, shaking it vigorously: "Brother! What about the rest? When can I see it again?"
Chen Zhiyuan smiled slightly and subtly withdrew his arm—the soft elasticity that his arm had inadvertently touched just now had given him a slight fright.
This little girl, though not very old, is quite well-developed... well, her personality is completely different from her sister's; she's very outgoing and extroverted.
"The rest of the manuscript might have to wait a few more days," he replied.
"Brother, I'll come again in a few days! And I'll bring my sister with me!"
He Lin immediately chimed in, her eyes full of anticipation, "You absolutely have to show me the rest of it!"
Chen Zhiyuan readily agreed, "No problem, you're welcome anytime. You can come whenever you want; I'm usually at home."
At this moment, he noticed that He Fei was quietly tidying up the table—throwing used disposable teacups into the trash can and carefully cleaning up the fruit peels, melon seed shells, and peanut shells on the table, her movements skilled and natural.
Seeing this, Chen Zhiyuan secretly admired it.
This level of initiative and attention to detail is something many girls can't match.
In his impression, many girls are quite easygoing and rarely take the initiative to help tidy up other people's homes.
"He Fei, you don't need to tidy up. I can do it myself later," Chen Zhiyuan said loudly, after all, she was a first-time guest.
He Fei continued working, her voice soft yet firm: "It's alright, it'll be fine in a bit."
She quickly cleaned the tabletop and even picked up a broom to sweep the living room floor thoroughly.
Finally, she carefully tied the trash bag, seemingly intending to take it with her when she left.
Chen Zhiyuan checked the time—the post office should still be open at this hour.
They've already read the manuscript, so it's time to send it out as soon as possible.
After doing all this, He Fei's tone became more natural and relaxed.
After a few more encounters, she seemed less reserved than before: "Chen Zhiyuan, thank you for the manuscript and the hospitality. Well... we'll be going now."
After saying that, she picked up the tied garbage bag with one hand and pulled her sister with the other, preparing to leave.
Chen Zhiyuan picked up the stack of 50,000 words of manuscript and said cheerfully, "Perfect timing, I also need to go to the post office to mail my manuscript, let's go together."
The three of them went out together.
Throughout the journey, He Fei remained quiet and reserved, walking silently beside Chen Zhiyuan.
He Lin was completely different; she was like a happy lark, chirping incessantly, her lively figure hopping and skipping in front of her.
The post office is not far from the residential area of Shuguang Machinery Factory, about a 20-minute walk, and it's the same route that He Fei and I took home.
The three of them strolled leisurely along the tree-lined street.
The afternoon sun filtered through the branches and leaves, casting dappled shadows, and a warm summer breeze blew.
Despite her young age, He Lin was quite shrewd. Her eyes darted around, and when she saw her sister and Chen Zhiyuan walking side-by-side, a thought suddenly struck her:
Huh? Could it be that my sister and Chen Zhiyuan... are having an affair?
Yes, very likely! My sister has never been this close to any boy before; this is the first time!
Since that's the case... then I can't be a third wheel! Her eyes darted around, and she immediately came up with an excuse.
"Sister!" He Lin suddenly stopped and turned around, her face showing an expression of "just remembered".
"I suddenly remembered that I made plans to go out with my classmates, and it's almost time, I have to go!"