Otaku Translation: Literary Genius: This Kid Was Born Smart C120 Part 1

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Chapter 120: What a Novel Idea Part 1

Gu Lu received the latest issue of , its pages crinkling as he flipped to the final serialized stories: "Hole in the Wall" and "." Alongside the magazine, his phone buzzed with a message from Old Li, the secondary review editor. Every year, the publication held a vote for its "Most Popular Author," with the winner receiving a cash prize of two thousand yuan.

"Two thousand isn’t bad," Gu Lu thought. After all, Story Digest wasn’t exactly starved for submissions. Its low entry barrier and quick turnaround made it a magnet for writers, so much so that they didn’t even bother signing exclusivity contracts with authors. Just look at their logo—a —more famous than any writer who graced its pages.

With that in mind, Gu Lu genuinely thought the prize was decent, not sarcastically so.

The magazine published twenty-four issues a year. Excluding foreign literature features, joke compilations, and humor columns, each issue showcased sixteen authors. That meant over three hundred fifty writers competed annually. And despite only contributing eight stories, Gu Lu found himself ranked among the top contenders—

[Author #3: Gu Lu

Representative Works: , Shoes, A Brute’s Love…

Editor’s Note: A genius writer whose talent transcends the confines of Story Digest.

[Click here for more details]]

There was reason to suspect the glowing comment came courtesy of Old Li, planted like a mole within the editorial team.

"Currently third place, just thirty-some votes behind second," Gu Lu mused, pondering how to rally support.

Story Digest had always been an early adopter of internet trends, as evidenced by this very voting campaign. Voters could share the poll link directly on , making it easier to drum up support.

Gu Lu checked the leaderboard. The first-place contender was ahead by over two hundred votes—an established contributor known for tales of and bizarre mysteries. It was no surprise; these genres were practically golden tickets among Story Digest's readership.

He browsed through the curated reader comments. The feedback for the top two authors was glowing. But scrolling down to his own section, something felt off.

ForgetfulAutumn: [Are and Pipes really by the same person? Did your editorial department mess up?]

MrFunnyGuy: [At first, I didn’t get what you meant until I went back and reread them. Clearly, these are two different styles. The Human Chair, A Brute’s Love, and The Traveler with the Pasted Rag Picture feel like one author, while Pipes and Good Intentions seem like another. Maybe it’s just coincidence—two writers named Gu Lu—but can your editors double-check before dropping such a glaring error?]

EatWellAndTasty: [Pipes and The Human Chair left a deep impression—they’re the best stories I’ve read this year in Story Digest. One offers subtle comfort; the other sheer terror. If both were written by the same person, I’ll livestream cutting off my own... well, let’s not go there!]

Apparently, enough readers questioned the discrepancy that the magazine felt compelled to clarify.

[Reply from Deputy Editor Muzi: After verification by our editor Su Wei, we confirm that The Human Chair, Pipes, Good Intentions, and A Brute’s Love are indeed penned by the same author—the sole writer under the pen name “Gu Lu” at Story Digest. Gu Lu is a versatile writer, adept at shifting tone depending on the story.]

Versatility in action. Gu Lu smiled faintly, pleased his efforts hadn’t gone unnoticed.

Still, he couldn’t resist leaving a comment under user EatWellAndTasty’s post: Hey, when’s the livestream happening?

Of course, his reply wouldn’t show up anytime soon. Curated comments were carefully selected by site moderators. He sighed, leaning back in his chair.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK—

The sudden pounding startled him. Who’d be visiting at ten o’clock on a weeknight?

Grabbing a kitchen knife and pulling up the emergency dial screen on his phone, Gu Lu cautiously approached the door. “Who’s there?”

His caution wasn’t misplaced. At his age, still growing into his frame, he wasn’t about to take chances against grown men.

“Relax, it’s me!” came a familiar voice.

Peering through the peephole, Gu Lu recognized the lanky figure and glasses—it was Li Guyuan.

He returned the knife to the kitchen before opening the door. Li Guyuan stood there, a bag dangling from one hand and his phone in the other.

“What brings you here this late?” Gu Lu asked, ushering him inside.

“Good news, obviously! I just got home and checked my email,” Li Guyuan said, practically vibrating with excitement. “Three of my submissions to Young Literature got accepted!”

“That is worth celebrating,” Gu Lu agreed.

“Exactly! I couldn’t wait till tomorrow to tell you.” Pulling out his phone, Li Guyuan logged into his email app to show Gu Lu the editor’s response.

Though, considering Story Digest typically took less than half a month to review submissions, perhaps this was par for the course.

“Couldn’t you have told me via QQ or a phone call instead of showing up unannounced?” Gu Lu teased.

Li Guyuan froze mid-grin but quickly recovered. “This kind of news deserves to be shared face-to-face—and celebrated properly! Come on, let’s grab some barbecue.”

’s nightlife thrived, ensuring food stalls stayed open even past midnight. But that wasn’t the point. “It’s too late, and we’ve got school tomorrow,” Gu Lu pointed out.

“You’re right,” Li Guyuan conceded after a moment’s thought, though his enthusiasm remained undiminished. He launched into a monologue about his writing journey, critiques of his accepted pieces, and ideas for future drafts.

Gu Lu mostly listened, chiming in only when necessary.

Like now. “Didn’t I tell you your work would be fine? So why the self-doubt before?”

Caught off guard, Li Guyuan stammered. “Uh, yeah, speaking of which… hey, what about you? How’s your submission to going?”

Was this what people called a dual topic shift?

“It’s coming along,” Gu Lu replied casually. “Turns out emailing the corresponding editor privately works wonders—they replied yesterday. Small victory, nothing major.”

Gu Lu kept his tone casual, as if brushing off the significance of the news. “The editors at Youth Digest seemed to like my piece—it got accepted, and unexpectedly, they’ve extended an offer for me to become a contracted writer. I’ve scheduled a meeting for tomorrow afternoon to discuss the terms.”

“Oh, please. This is Youth Digest we’re talking about!” Li Guyuan exclaimed. “So does this mean you’re now a contracted writer for three magazines? Not bad for No. 8 High School’s twin stars, huh? Guess that makes me shine brighter by association.”

From Class 10’s twin stars to the entire school’s pride—how times had changed.

“Guess it does,” Gu Lu nodded.

Gu Lu had originally intended to ask about Tree People Monthly, but it was getting late, and Li Guyuan was already gathering his things, preparing to head home.

Just then, Li Guyuan remembered something else. “Oh, almost forgot! My mom asked me to bring this to you.” He handed over a black plastic bag.

"What's this?" Gu Lu untied the bag to find dried mustard greens inside, more commonly known as .

“They’re from our family recipe,” Li Guyuan explained. “You mentioned once how flavorful they were, so she made some for you.”

A few days ago, Gu Lu had visited Li Guyuan’s house for dinner. The highlight had been a dish called , tender pork steamed with preserved greens. Those greens, paired perfectly with rice, had inspired him to polish off two bowls.

“No need to see me out,” Li Guyuan said. “Besides, the hallway light’s busted—it’s creepy enough without adding farewells.”

After seeing Li Guyuan off, Gu Lu stored the vegetables in the fridge. Back home, they were affectionately dubbed “base dishes,” often brought back from banquets because they paired beautifully with rice.

[Long Skirt In Wind: Big bro, big bro, big brooo! I’m visiting in two days.]

[Orange Chief: Sure thing. When you arrive, I’ll whip up something special—Xian Shaobai.]

Seems his little sister, Gu Jiayu, had finally abandoned her old Martian-script username for something new. Ah, but those embarrassing relics of the past? Her older brother kept them safely archived!

Their chat fizzled out when Jiayu suddenly stopped responding—probably bedtime. Gu Lu began brushing his teeth.

Turns out, she’d been caught sneaking phone time.

“Your grades dropped seven or eight spots this term, and yet you’re glued to your phone every night,” their mother scolded. “Could it be—you’re dating someone?”

Direct as ever, Mother Gu equated academic slumps in girls to romance and boys to gaming addiction.

“Dating? No way!” Jiayu protested. “I was chatting with Brother…”

She trailed off, realizing her mistake. Normally, her mother would lecture her about emulating Gu Lu, whose own academic record wasn’t stellar.

But tonight, Mother Gu simply paused, then said, “Go to bed early and cut down on screen time.”

As the door clicked shut, Jiayu flopped onto her bed, bouncing twice from the impact.

“Why didn’t Mom yell today? Could it be she knows Brother got into No. 8 High School?” she wondered aloud. “Dad must’ve told her. Even if he’s unreliable, he’d know something by now.”

Shrugging it off, she turned her thoughts elsewhere. “Hmph, Xiao Yang acts all smug but didn’t even make it into Bashu Academy. Meanwhile, my big brother got straight admission to No. 8 High!”

That night, Jiayu slept soundly, buoyed by simple joys.

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