He's Actually Writing "Me"

Outside a small alleyway on the street in the distance.

As soon as Xie Shuting and the others arrived, they saw Zhang Yang slowly walking out, the cigarette butt glowing and the smoke swirling in the darkness.

"Are you... are you alright?" Xie Shuting was slightly taken aback and asked in a low voice.

"It's nothing, what could possibly happen to me?" Zhang Yang smiled and pointed to the alley behind him. "They wouldn't listen to reason, they just had to resort to violence. Well, coincidentally, I'm better at taking action than talking."

The girls exchanged glances, their eyes filled with disbelief, and quickly ran to the alley entrance.

In the pitch-black alley, the tall, lively figures that were just moments before were now lying sprawled on the ground, only groans escaping their lips.

Several girls looked reluctant, but dared not go up to check on the situation at that moment.

After all, if we go up now, we'll just give ourselves away.

"Xie Shuting, it's getting late. Why don't we head back soon? Do you want to come with me?" Zhang Yang stepped forward and asked Xie Shuting.

"Ah... oh, okay." Xie Shuting concealed the hint of guilt and panic that flashed in her eyes and nodded quickly.

"You guys should head back early too. Who knows if they'll call for reinforcements?" Zhang Yang glanced at the other girls present and casually remarked with concern.

However, it was just a casual remark.

He's not their parent, he has no obligation to care about them.

"Okay, okay, handsome Zhang, we... we'll meet again sometime." Several girls said in unison, all vying to speak.

"Hmm." Zhang Yang nodded, waved to Xie Shuting, and left.

Several girls watched the two figures gradually disappear into the distance before quickly running into the alley.

"Are you... are you alright?" Huanhuan asked quickly.

They hurriedly helped the men up from the ground, but even so, the guys were still groaning in pain, everything hurting no matter where they were touched.

"Hey... do we look like we're alright?"

"I'm a street thug, but in all my years, I've never seen anyone this good, damn it."

"I'm impressed! That guy is truly amazing, a natural-born protagonist!"

Several boys exclaimed in admiration, their eyes still lingering with the fear of being dominated.

With just a few punches and kicks, he could take down several tall, strong men in no time. His fighting prowess was terrifyingly outrageous.

"Hmph, you only have yourselves to blame. Who suggested it just now? You were so skeptical, jealous, and wanted to test their abilities. Now you've seen the results, haven't you? Heh, a lesson learned the hard way." The girls unanimously changed their tune, completely ignoring the fact that they had actually agreed to it in the first place...

···

Along the roadside, Xie Shuting walked beside Zhang Yang with her head down, barely paying attention to where she was going.

The roar of vehicles filled my ears.

"What are you thinking about? Watch where you're going!" A hand suddenly pulled her into a warm and broad embrace.

Xie Shuting belatedly raised her head, looked at the car speeding away in the distance, and then looked up at the face in front of her. Her heart suddenly began to pound uncontrollably.

It's said that when a person's heart races while crossing a suspension bridge and they happen to meet someone of the opposite sex, they might mistake it for romantic attraction—this is known as the suspension bridge effect.

At this moment, she couldn't tell whether it was the suspension bridge effect, genuine attraction, or both.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," Xie Shuting said in a low voice, her face pale.

"I've noticed you've been a bit distracted since just now, still thinking about that thing?" Zhang Yang didn't scold him much, his tone still relaxed. "It's nothing, you're a super popular author, how can you be so timid?"

As Zhang Yang spoke, he subconsciously patted Xie Shuting's back to comfort her.

"You... you're the coward." Xie Shuting's cheeks flushed instantly, only then realizing that she was still in Zhang Yang's arms, her hands still unconsciously supporting herself on Zhang Yang's chest.

Zhang Yang smiled, too lazy to argue with her.

He's quite experienced; too much bickering turns into flirting, and over time, things get complicated.

In the dead of night, the two took a taxi and eventually made their way back to the inn.

In the middle of the night, Xie Shuting sat at her desk, turned on her computer, and her mind was filled with a jumble of thoughts, flashing back to fragments of the evening. Something called inspiration emerged.

Her fingers continued to tap lightly on the keyboard.

[While I verbally objected to playing a trick on him, I secretly wanted to give it a try. I'm terrified of men's pretense; they pretend to be deeply affectionate, gentle, and charming, but sometimes they don't even have the courage to stand up for them.]

They relentlessly provoked and mocked him, using every word they could to provoke him to the maximum extent possible, but he remained unmoved.

[Just as the light in my eyes faded, just as my group of "actor" friends deliberately reached out to me, he stood up.]

"Get out," he said.

Xie Shuting's fingers didn't pause for a moment; her incredibly smooth inspiration and thoughts transformed into words under her pen, flowing like clouds and water, vivid and expressive. She hadn't experienced this feeling of divine inspiration when writing for a long time.

Especially at this moment, in the stillness of the night, my thoughts are more active and my inspiration is at its peak.

"I wonder if he's asleep?" Xie Shuting looked at the wall, as if she could see through it and into Zhang Yang's room next door, who also seemed to be tossing and turning.

The imagination is beautiful, but the reality is cruel.

The world imagined by writers is always too subjective, especially when there is a protagonist who uses himself as a reference point, and all the other characters exist around this protagonist throughout the story.

Zhang Yang was already fast asleep, without a single distracting thought.

He even chatted with the girls for a while before bed to try and fall asleep.

··

The following evening, Zhang Yang was somewhat surprised to find that Xie Shuting had set up a table on the first floor, ordered several dishes, and even placed a bottle of wine.

"Let's eat and drink," Xie Shuting said with a smile, gesturing to the table.

"Sure, I haven't eaten yet." Zhang Yang nodded, sat down at the table, and glanced at the wine on it. "No, are you drinking like this to get drunk? Or are you looking for inspiration? A little tipsy, and your inspiration is bursting?"

"I guess so?" Xie Shuting gently brushed a strand of hair from her forehead behind her ear and said somewhat guiltily.

Looking for inspiration is fine, but it's not about alcohol, but about every interaction with Zhang Yang.

She realized that every interaction with this person brought her endless inspiration, and there were no bottlenecks at all. She found that her creative journey was surprisingly smooth.

This kind of immersive writing, infused with genuine emotion, completely surpasses all attempts at deep thought and contemplation.

Indeed, art imitates life.

"Okay, then I'll have a drink with you." Zhang Yang readily agreed and poured Xie Shuting a drink.

The two drank and chatted about everything under the sun.

Xie Shuting sipped her wine, propped her chin on her hand, and looked at the face so close to hers, her head spinning with the rising intoxication.

Reality and fantasy blended together, and she absolutely loved this hazy feeling.

According to the famous saying about love that transcends feelings, she, a girl who was extremely artistic, had no reason not to believe that she had fallen in love with the man in front of her.

"Huh? It seems... it seems like I've drunk too much without realizing it?"

Xie Shuting's face flushed red, and she felt dizzy, as if she couldn't hold on any longer.

"No way." Zhang Yang was holding his wine glass, drinking heartily without feeling anything, when he saw Xie Shuting across from him, swaying precariously as she drank.

Are you drunk?

Zhang Yang stepped forward and shook Xie Shuting.

"Mmm... uh..." Xie Shuting murmured softly, her cheeks flushed and her eyes still closed.

"If you can't drink, then drink less." Zhang Yang shook his head, checked the time, thought for a moment, and decided to help Xie Shuting back to her room first to prevent her from catching a cold.

I don't even know if he weighs 100 pounds, but he makes it feel like nothing in his hands.

Zhang Yang carried Xie Shuting up to the second floor without any effort, and casually pushed open her bedroom door.

The room was fresh and natural, with green plants placed by the window.

The bookshelf next to her was filled with various physical books, including Xie Shuting's own works.

Zhang Yang casually placed Xie Shuting on the bed.

The girl's hair was disheveled, and her cheeks were flushed; to be honest, she looked quite alluring.

However, Zhang Yang never took advantage of others' misfortunes, so he didn't think much about it at the moment and only wanted to settle Xie Shuting down as soon as possible.

"Hmm, just cover her with a light blanket so she doesn't catch a cold. I won't touch her clothes, so she won't overthink it," Zhang Yang muttered to himself, lifting the blanket beside him and covering Xie Shuting with a corner of it.

Before leaving, I don't know if I ran into something.

On the desk, Xie Shuting's computer screen suddenly lit up.

"Huh? What's this?"

Zhang Yang glanced at the screen casually, then walked over with some curiosity, picked up the mouse, and wanted to take a look.

Perhaps because there was no one else at the inn, Xie Shuting's computer didn't have a login password. Zhang Yang clicked the mouse and entered the page.

"Is this... the novel she's been writing lately?"

Zhang Yang looked back at Xie Shuting, who was still fast asleep, with a slight embarrassment. After hesitating for a moment, curiosity ultimately prevailed.

"Just take a look... just take a look."

Once the thought arises, it's unstoppable.

Zhang Yang simply sat down, ready to carefully read Xie Shuting's new book.

Starting from the beginning...

Then, as Zhang Yang looked at it, he felt something was off...

Wait, why does this look so familiar? Is this supposed to be based on me?

From the initial meeting to the small interactions that followed, Zhang Yang's presence was felt in every single thing.

"I stayed here with great difficulty, thinking of inviting you to participate in the event, but you were unmoved. Instead, you're thinking of using me as material and inspiration to write into your novel, right?" Zhang Yang was quite indignant.

"You're really dreaming."

Moreover, every word is filled with the fantasies of a female literary youth.

How can I be so prone to daydreaming?

It was a small matter, one he hadn't given much thought to, but how did it become... in her writing?

"But... wow, she's really good at writing." Zhang Yang looked at the version of himself Xie Shuting had written and, to be honest, felt a bit strange.

So this is how others see me.

Looking at those incredibly detailed words, and Xie Shuting's in-depth analysis of her inner thoughts and feelings from a first-person perspective, and how Zhang Yang could interpret every single word and expression she saw in her mind, she was deeply impressed.

Zhang Yang was greatly shocked.

"And these..." Zhang Yang looked at the descriptions of himself.

His face was barely visible, only his eyes, bright as stars... and his palms were warm, as powerful as his calm expression.

Zhang Yang's face turned bright red as he read.

He is human too.

This incredibly popular author, in private, used rich and delicate strokes, writing in the first person, to describe him and the feelings he had for him—the feelings were simply...

Everyone is narcissistic to some extent.

At this moment, what Zhang Yang saw before him was truly a delightful and satisfying experience.

It's intoxicating...

"She wears glasses and has a very artistic air about her, looking quite thoughtful. I never imagined that she secretly fantasizes about me and even writes about me in her novels. You really can't judge a book by its cover."

Zhang Yang couldn't help but turn back to look at Xie Shuting, whose breathing was even but whose cheeks were still flushed.

Considering how much he enjoyed her descriptions of him, he decided to let it go; it was just a female literary youth's ultimate fantasy, after all.

With that thought in mind, he continued reading.

Then, as I looked around, I came across the latest text.

Although there have been changes, the matter is undoubtedly still the same, and he can see the authenticity.

"No, last night was all an act." Zhang Yang was furious, feeling instantly deceived.

All the goodwill I had felt earlier vanished in an instant.

Xie Shuting's imagined self is one of gentle refinement and a peaceful nature.

But in reality, he wasn't as indifferent to worldly affairs or as magnanimous as he appeared. Moreover, he had been staying here for so long with a specific purpose in mind.

"Let's restore it to its original state first." Zhang Yang was angry, but he didn't forget his mission.

If Xie Shuting discovers that she has touched her manuscript and read what she wrote, she might become so angry that she might completely lose any hope of getting her out.

But... at this moment, knowing that Xie Shuting has been using me as a model for her writing, and even that she actually feels that way about me...

So, shouldn't we make good use of this to achieve our goals?

Suddenly, something occurred to Zhang Yang. He realized that his strategy of retreating to advance, which he had persisted with all this time, might be a powerful remedy.

He carefully restored the computer to its original state and then left the room.

··

The next morning, Xie Shuting woke up with a headache and thirst.

"Last night... last night."

She gently touched her forehead, trying hard to recall, and gradually the events of last night came to mind.

Last night, I think I had dinner and drank some wine with Zhang Yang. As we drank, I think I drank too much, and then I couldn't remember anything after that.

"Looks like I was drunk and Zhang Yang brought me back."

She looked at her intact clothes and recalled the events of last night. For some reason, her face suddenly flushed, but her heart felt inexplicably warm.