Paper Lover At Old Town Bookstore Chapter 1

Reading Late into the Night

It was two-thirty in the morning. The city was trapped in an impenetrable darkness, but the small apartment I rented still had a warm, yellow desk lamp lit. The light fell on the back of my hand, making the skin so white that the blue veins were almost visible—this was something my colleagues often teased me about, saying that if I grew my hair long and wore a skirt, I would surely make half the men in the Office Building turn their heads.

I was used to these jokes, though my ears would quietly flush. My fingers, however, skillfully tapped open the workplace novel on my phone. The screen light reflected in my eyes, like tiny scattered starlight.

My name is Song Qiusheng. I am 22 years old, 178cm tall, which isn’t short, but my build is slender and my shoulders are soft. Coupled with my naturally pale skin and delicate features, I definitely lacked the traditional sense of “masculinity.”

Two years ago, I graduated from university and, catching the tail end of summer, joined this well-known Internet Company to work in Operations.

When I first entered the workplace, I still carried the awkwardness of a student. My skin, white as rice paper, stood out in the crowd, and my voice was gentle. Even when arguing, I sounded somewhat soft. Many older employees subconsciously treated me like a “little sister” who needed looking after.

The deepest impression was made during the first department dinner after I joined. The person in charge from the collaborating party, fueled by alcohol, joked, “How did your company hire such a beautiful young girl?”

The glass cup in my hand wobbled. Just as I was about to explain, Manager Lin, the department head, laughed and smoothed things over: “This is Song Qiusheng, one of our department’s most capable people. He’s a strong young man, he just happens to look too ‘unfairly good-looking.'”

That night, back in my apartment, I looked at myself seriously in the mirror for the first time. My eyes and brows were delicate, and my lips were naturally pink and moist. I truly lacked any “tough guy” aura.

I sighed and opened the workplace novel I frequently read. The protagonist, relying on extraordinary wisdom and decisive methods, cut through thorns in the complex workplace. Watching this made my heart burn with excitement.

I have always believed that appearance is only superficial; ability is the foundation for standing firm. Over the past two years, I secretly held onto a drive. While others relaxed after work, I spent all my spare time studying, researching industry cases, learning Data Analysis, and figuring out User Psychology. Even my habit of reading novels late at night became a way for me to observe workplace ecology and accumulate material.

“Ding-dong—” A WeChat notification broke the silence of the night.

I tapped it open. It was a message from Intern Lin, the newest member of the department: “Brother Qiusheng, I’m still a bit unsure about the Activity Proposal due tomorrow. Could you take a look when you have a moment?” It was followed by a pitiful emoji.

I checked the time; it was almost three o’clock. But thinking of Intern Lin, fresh out of school and feeling as lost as I once was, I replied, “Sure. Send me the proposal, I’ll look at it now.”

Intern Lin quickly sent the file. I opened it and read it line by line. The framework of the proposal was good, but there were many flaws in the details: the Budget Allocation was unreasonable, the User Reach Channels were too singular, and the Emergency Plan was incomplete.

I remembered the first time I wrote a proposal; it was just as full of holes. Manager Lin had patiently helped me revise it bit by bit, teaching me how to think about problems from both the company’s and the user’s perspectives.

I opened the document, annotating and pondering as I went. The sound of my fingers tapping the keyboard was particularly clear in the quiet night. I highlighted the unreasonable budget items in red and attached more precise allocation suggestions; I supplemented several more cost-effective User Reach Channels, noting their respective advantages; and I added an Emergency Plan module, considering various contingencies like weather and technical failures. Before I knew it, the sky outside was turning a pale white. The warm light of the desk lamp mingled with the morning light, spilling onto my tired but focused face. The bloodshot veins in my eyes were clearly visible, but my gaze remained bright.

After sending the revised proposal back to Intern Lin, I added a line: “Focus on the annotated sections. Ask me anytime if you don’t understand anything.” After sending, I stretched, and my neck vertebrae made a slight “click.”

I walked to the window and pulled open the curtains. The cool morning breeze rushed in, carrying a hint of dampness. The breakfast shop downstairs was already steaming, and early pedestrians hurried by. A new day had begun.

After a quick wash, I changed into a proper shirt and trousers. The young man in the mirror still had fair skin and delicate features, but his eyes held a new sense of composure and determination. I tugged at my collar and cheered myself on: “Time to work hard today, too.”

When I arrived at the company, Intern Lin was already waiting at his cubicle. Seeing me, he immediately rushed over, his eyes full of gratitude: “Brother Qiusheng, thank you so much! Your annotations were so detailed, I understood everything right away!”

“Don’t mention it. We all went through the same thing,” I smiled, revealing a pair of shallow dimples.

Colleagues gradually arrived. Someone joked, “Qiusheng, you look tired today. Did you stay up late reading novels again last night?”

I touched the tip of my nose, slightly embarrassed, and admitted, “I read for a bit, and helped Intern Lin revise his proposal.”

“Truly our department’s Warm-Hearted Baymax. Not only good-looking but also so kind,” Sister Li, a colleague, said with a laugh. “By the way, there’s a Cross-Department Meeting at ten this morning regarding the new product launch. I heard the Marketing Department has strong opinions. You need to be prepared.”

My heart tightened. The new product launch was our department’s current priority. The Marketing Department had been pushing for a Traffic Star Endorsement, while I insisted we should first conduct Targeted User Research before formulating a promotion strategy. We had already clashed several times over this.

“I know, thank you for the reminder, Sister Li.” I nodded, returned to my desk, and opened my computer to organize the data.

I pulled up the user research data, the industry competitor analysis, and the workplace communication techniques I had summarized while reading novels late at night, reviewing them one by one. I knew that Brother Zhang, the Marketing Manager, had a strong personality and spoke directly. My appearance and tone could easily make me seem “unassertive,” so in this meeting, I had to speak with data and logic.

At ten o’clock, the conference room was packed. The Marketing Department sat on one side, looking serious. Manager Lin, Sister Li, and I sat on the other.

Brother Zhang started straight to the point: “I still stand by my previous view. Using a traffic star endorsement can quickly boost the new product’s visibility and seize market share. Young people today fall for this kind of thing. What’s wrong with spending a little money?”

His gaze swept the room and finally landed on me, carrying a hint of disdain: “Xiao Song, your Operations Department keeps opposing this. Is it because you think the budget is too high? Or do you think you can come up with a better solution?”

I took a deep breath, showing no sign of panic. I opened the PowerPoint I had prepared. Clear charts and data immediately appeared before everyone: “Brother Zhang, we are not against hiring a celebrity endorser, but we believe the timing is not yet right. According to the Targeted User Research we conducted, the target audience for this new product is mainly working professionals aged 25 to 35. They prioritize the product’s practicality and cost-effectiveness over celebrity influence.”

I paused, then continued: “Furthermore, industry data shows that the failure rate for traffic star endorsements has been as high as 30% in the last six months. Should an issue arise, it would not only damage the product’s reputation but also cause huge losses for the company. We recommend starting with small-scale promotion through KOL Review, Community Operations, and offline experience events to gather user feedback. After optimizing the product, we can then consider celebrity endorsement. This approach saves budget and reduces risk.”

My voice was gentle yet firm. Every sentence was well-supported by evidence. My eyes were clear and focused, completely lacking my usual softness, instead radiating professionalism and confidence.

The conference room fell silent. Everyone was seriously considering my words. Brother Zhang’s expression shifted slightly. Looking at the detailed data on the screen, he was momentarily speechless.

Manager Lin spoke up at the right moment: “I think Qiusheng makes a lot of sense. The most important thing for a new product launch is to proceed steadily, not blindly follow trends. Our Operations Department has already formulated a detailed promotion plan, including user segmentation operations, Content Marketing strategies, and a Data Monitoring Mechanism, all of which can support the Marketing Department’s work.”

Ultimately, the meeting reached a consensus and adopted my suggestion. As the meeting adjourned, Brother Zhang patted my shoulder, his tone much softer: “Xiao Song, not bad. You have ideas and data to back them up. You’re much more capable than I thought.”

I was momentarily stunned, then smiled: “Thank you for the recognition, Brother Zhang. I still have a lot to learn.”

Back at my desk, Sister Li leaned over, smiling: “Qiusheng, you were so cool in the meeting! I couldn’t see your usual soft side at all. Full power!”

My ears flushed again. I scratched my head: “I just said what needed to be said.”

The busy day quickly passed, and night fell once more.

Dragging my tired body back to the apartment, I took a hot shower, changed into comfortable loungewear, and sat down at my desk again. I didn’t immediately open the novel. Instead, I opened my private document and wrote down my thoughts on the day’s work: “The workplace is like a war without smoke. There is no absolute advantage; only by continuously improving oneself can one stand firm. Appearance may bring prejudice, but ability never lies.”

After writing, I opened the workplace novel on my phone and continued reading. Under the late-night lamp, my profile was still fair and delicate, but my eyes held the composure and certainty gained from workplace experience.

I knew the road ahead was long, and there would be many challenges in the workplace. But I would continue to persevere, rushing to work in the morning light and drawing strength in the dead of night, writing my own workplace story in my own way.

Unconsciously, the moonlight outside the window grew brighter. I was engrossed until my phone warned me of low battery, and I reluctantly closed the screen.

I yawned and lay in bed, still replaying the novel’s plot in my mind while also planning the next day’s work.

Perhaps the late-night novel wasn’t just my hobby; it was my Spiritual Support.

In those fictional workplace stories, I saw the meaning of persistence, the power of growth, and a glimpse of my future self.

I closed my eyes, a faint smile on my lips. Tomorrow would be a new day. Whether facing workplace challenges or reading late at night, I would give it my all, walking steadily, step by step, down my own path.

And the prejudices and misunderstandings once brought by my appearance would eventually vanish under my effort and persistence, leaving behind the unique brilliance of Song Qiusheng.