"Oh my god! Uncle is in Jinling!?"
"Is it true!?"
"Does that mean we're going to meet?"
"We envy Nan Nan, the little cutie!"
"I wonder if Uncle is handsome or not."
Zhou Yuwen posted a few simple words in the group chat, but it caused a huge stir. Originally, there were only a few girls chatting, but after Zhou Yuwen's message, suddenly over twenty female book enthusiasts joined in, all watching Zhou Yuwen. Some said, "Uh oh, uh oh, Uncle has seen all our photos, now you have to post your own!" Others commented, "Uncle, how do you have time to chat in the group? Hurry up and update!"
In short, it was all sorts of reactions. Zhou Yuwen ignored them and directly added Nan Nan's QQ.
At this moment, Nan Nan was sitting in the subway station. When she saw her admired author Uncle Zhou Yuwen's message saying, "I'm in Jinling," she couldn't help but freeze. Before she could react, her phone emitted two coughing sounds.
Then she received a notification: "Mr. Zhou has requested to add you as a friend."
Nan Nan's face turned red involuntarily. She quickly pressed her hands against her cheeks. Oh, they're so hot! Oh no, oh no, could it really be happening, meeting in person?
Nan Nan originally just wanted to arrange to meet a female friend from Jinling for a meal in the group chat, but unexpectedly ended up arranging a meeting with the great author himself!
What does the author Uncle look like? Probably around thirty years old, right? What does he look like? From his novels, Zhou Yuwen's writing style is delightful and should belong to a gentle and refined man.
But aren't novelists supposed to be those big-bellied, unkempt men?
What if, what if he's a dirty old man? What if he's so obsessed with those explicit details in his novels that he forgets himself upon meeting me? Nan Nan is conflicted at this moment. On one hand, Zhou Yuwen's books are truly captivating, despite excluding explicit scenes. His novels are emotionally tormenting and full of melodrama, with writing so refined it resembles light novels. Each time Nan Nan finishes one of Zhou Yuwen's books, her heart aches. Naturally, she wants to know what kind of man can write such works.
But on the other hand, Nan Nan is afraid. After all, he's a stranger. She has no acquaintances in this city, and she worries about how she would escape if she encounters a creepy old man with a big belly.
What a dilemma! Logically, Nan Nan should have just declined Zhou Yuwen, but then again, she thinks about how vividly he describes luxurious scenes in his novels, which seem like firsthand experiences. What if he's a successful, handsome, refined gentleman?
Nan Nan really wants to see what kind of person can write such captivating stories. After hesitating for a long time, in the end, Nan Nan agrees to Zhou Yuwen's friend request.
Zhou Yuwen didn't beat around the bush and asked directly, "You have nowhere to stay in Jinling?"
"Um."
"Have you contacted your class teacher?"
"The class teacher told me to figure it out myself…." Zhang Nannan said pitifully.
Zhou Yuwen continued, "You couldn't find a hotel?"
"Um."
Zhang Nannan was just a student. When booking a hotel, she probably thought of just finding any budget hotel to stay in. It was September, the start of the school season, and hotels were in high demand. Usually, when she tried to book a room, even if there were rooms available, the customer service would say, "Sorry, we're fully booked. We only have one business suite available. Would you like to take it?"
"What's the price?"
"588 yuan."
This is how all budget hotels are. Even if ten or twenty years pass, they'll still try to rip you off, especially when they see a young girl who doesn't know much. Zhang Nannan asked several seemingly reputable hotels, but got the same result every time. It's not that she doesn't have the money, but as a young girl, she didn't want to splurge unnecessarily and was hoping to find a hotel costing just over a hundred yuan to spend the night.
After searching for a long time, she still hadn't found anything.
Having seen Zhang Nannan's photo in the group, Zhou Yuwen couldn't say he was acting out of attraction, but seeing a young girl like her out alone, he felt responsible. If something happened to her, he wouldn't forgive himself for not intervening.
So Zhou Yuwen thought for a moment and decided to directly message Zhang Nannan in the group, saying, "Could you send me your location privately? I'll come find you."
"Are you serious? Uncle, you're not trying to abduct kids, are you!"
"Uncle just has some free time at home to write novels, is that not okay?"
"Ah! Envious that little cute Nannan is going to meet Uncle. Nannan, remember to take a photo and share it in the group later!"
"I'm in Suzhou. Can I catch the high-speed train over in time?"
Upon learning that Zhou Yuwen wanted to meet Zhang Nannan, the group exploded with reactions. Some joked that Zhou Yuwen was trying to abduct an underage girl, while others expressed envy that Zhang Nannan was going to meet their idol.
Zhou Yuwen chose to announce in the group to reassure Zhang Nannan, afraid she might worry he was a bad person. After all, he was a charming uncle in the hearts of tens of thousands of female readers. He openly stated his business trip in Jinling, currently staying at a five-star hotel, booked a suite with two rooms. If Zhang Nannan really had nowhere to stay, she could come stay with him.
"But if you find a place to stay, that's fine too," Zhou Yuwen added.
"Ah! Uncle even blurted out the name of the hotel. Nannan, my cute little darling, go ahead. After all, Uncle surely isn't a bad person!"
"Yeah, exactly! If he were a bad person, he would have messaged you privately. Besides, Uncle is a well-known writer earning tens of thousands monthly. How could he possibly have ulterior motives towards you?"
"Right! If there were ulterior motives, he'd come after me! Don't hurt my cute little Nannan!"
Although we've never met in the book club, the online world over the past decade is still quite innocent. Everyone trusts each other a lot. As a result, many girls travel far for a six-dollar spicy hot pot…
"Setting aside idle chatter, everyone thinks Zhou Yuwen seems reliable, plus it's a five-star suite! How many people haven't stayed in one? Let's just go."
Zhang Nannan was quite torn. If she didn't go to Zhou Yuwen's place, what would she do tonight? It was her first time traveling far, and everyone here seemed to be giving her strange looks. Even if she went to the hotel alone, those at the front desk would eye her suspiciously.
Anyway, Zhang Nannan felt like everyone she saw today was up to something shady. Compared to them, Zhou Yuwen, whom she hadn't met, was at least a beloved author she trusted.
After much deliberation, Zhang Nannan finally posted in the group chat, "Uncle, can you come pick me up?"