modern ranwan au π Not many people knew what exactly it was that...
nemoπ»@txjdimples
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Aug 14, 2026
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modern ranwan au π
Not many people knew what exactly it was that Chu Wanning did for a living. Some knew that he ran a bookshop somewhere in the city and also that he was a writer of sorts. But no one really knew what it was that he wrote about.
Poems? Novels? Maybe columns?
Not many people knew what exactly it was that Chu Wanning did for a living. Some knew that he ran a bookshop somewhere in the city and also that he was a writer of sorts. But no one really knew what it was that he wrote about.
Poems? Novels? Maybe columns?
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Sure, Chu Wanning did seem like the person who would write columns scrutinizing literary and publishing trends but was that really what he wrote about? No one could say for sure.
Xue Meng had once gathered up the courage to ask but was met with cold indifference. Xue Zhengyong
Xue Meng had once gathered up the courage to ask but was met with cold indifference. Xue Zhengyong
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definitely knew something but all that you could get out of the man was a smile. Sometimes a shake of the head.
And Mo Ran, well Mo Ran really couldn't bring himself to care.
Or so he would pretend.
Because Mo Ran had a plan. And that plan required him to lay low. He did not
And Mo Ran, well Mo Ran really couldn't bring himself to care.
Or so he would pretend.
Because Mo Ran had a plan. And that plan required him to lay low. He did not
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want to repeat what he had once did.
Because once upon a time, Mo Ran had begged Chu Wanning - to give him a copy of a book or any of the books that the older man had written. Because Mo Ran genuinely wanted to know what it was that his Chu Laoshi was writing. It suffocated him
Because once upon a time, Mo Ran had begged Chu Wanning - to give him a copy of a book or any of the books that the older man had written. Because Mo Ran genuinely wanted to know what it was that his Chu Laoshi was writing. It suffocated him
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to be left in the dark. Such an important aspect of Chu Wanning's life, something that many people got to read and enjoy but Mo Ran was denied the privilege to.
Was it too much to ask? Was he not worth being allowed entry into Chu Wanning's life? Chu Wanning was already an
Was it too much to ask? Was he not worth being allowed entry into Chu Wanning's life? Chu Wanning was already an
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an elusive entity and Mo Ran tried his best to get closer to that cold and aloof figure but he never met with much success. Like that previous time, when he practically begged and Chu Wanning had pushed Mo Ran out of the shop and shut the door in his face.
Mo Ran was hurt, of
Mo Ran was hurt, of
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course. But it did not deter him. Moreover, it only fuelled his need to lay his hands on one of the man's books.
Chu Wanning's little bookshop was barely fifteen minutes away from Mo Ran's dorm and he often passed it by on his way to work. He was lucky enough
Chu Wanning's little bookshop was barely fifteen minutes away from Mo Ran's dorm and he often passed it by on his way to work. He was lucky enough
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to catch a glimpse of the man most days. Chu Wanning usually wore a white button down shirt,often left untucked, and black slacks. He wore his long hair in a loose, messy braid and would get irritated if his glasses got caught in his hair. Mo Ran often saw the man sitting at the
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counter or talking with the regulars or walking around with a big pile of books he could barely carry.
Mo Ran knew when exactly it was that Chu Wanning went on break. He ate from the small restaurant down the street and often left his shop unlocked because most people weren't
Mo Ran knew when exactly it was that Chu Wanning went on break. He ate from the small restaurant down the street and often left his shop unlocked because most people weren't
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that interested in his little shop to attempt theft. But Mo Ran wasn't most people, and he was very much interested in that shop. And collecting information was not theft. Stalking, maybe, but definitely not theft. So, Mo Ran had resorted to sneaking into the shop when ChuWanning
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went on break.
Mo Ran would go through the many papers scattered on the counter, most were about shipments and expenses. But some of them had scribbles. Mo Ran would study it closely, hoping to find something. Anything. Maybe the name of a book, perhaps a penname. But he got
Mo Ran would go through the many papers scattered on the counter, most were about shipments and expenses. But some of them had scribbles. Mo Ran would study it closely, hoping to find something. Anything. Maybe the name of a book, perhaps a penname. But he got
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nothing. Except recipes for sweets and descriptions of pastries. Mo Ran would then think about what Xue Meng had once said, maybe their Chu Laoshi really did review restaurants, and was a food critic after all. But then he would shake his head - the idea seemed absurd because Chu
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Wanning could neither cook nor was he that interested in food except for the overly sweet things. Mo Ran shuddered at the thought of eating so much sweet stuff, he had no idea how cwn did it.
And like that, Mo Ran had to leave the shop empty handed most days but he never
And like that, Mo Ran had to leave the shop empty handed most days but he never
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gave up hope. Chu Wanning was a messy man, (it was a miracle that he could keep the bookshop together, well barely, but still he was getting there, and the assistants who showed up once every blue moon also helped to keep everything tidy and in check), and he was bound to leave
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something behind. Something that could point Mo Ran in the right direction. And up until that happened, Mo Ran decided he would have to keep snooping around. He did not know why he had resorted to such means, he just knew that he /needed/ to know what it was that Chu Wanning
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was writing about.
While he made up and executed such schemes in secrecy, his roommates were quite unaware of what he was upto. And he'd pretend he did not care.
"Oh, I give up, really" he would say, "Let Chu Laoshi write in peace. He must have a good reason not to tell us
While he made up and executed such schemes in secrecy, his roommates were quite unaware of what he was upto. And he'd pretend he did not care.
"Oh, I give up, really" he would say, "Let Chu Laoshi write in peace. He must have a good reason not to tell us
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and we must not pry, Mengmeng. If he wants to tell us, he will tell us one day."
Xue Meng would grunt and put the topic to rest for a few days because he did not want to disrespect Chu Laoshi but Xue Meng was a curious thing. But unlike Mo Ran, he wasn't THAT unhinged. After a
Xue Meng would grunt and put the topic to rest for a few days because he did not want to disrespect Chu Laoshi but Xue Meng was a curious thing. But unlike Mo Ran, he wasn't THAT unhinged. After a
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few days, he would bring up the topic again, maybe over dinner in their crammed dorm room or when the duo finds Shi Mei nose deep in a new book.
"We might not know," Xue Meng would say, "Shi Mei, maybe you have already read one of Chu Laoshi's books. You read so much."
"We might not know," Xue Meng would say, "Shi Mei, maybe you have already read one of Chu Laoshi's books. You read so much."
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And before Shi Mei could respond, Mo Ran would chime in, "Hey, I read too!"
Xue Meng would then give him that infamous judgemental glare, the one he always threw Mo Ran's way whenever this particular topic was brought up, "You read porn, you dumb dog. That's all you read.
Xue Meng would then give him that infamous judgemental glare, the one he always threw Mo Ran's way whenever this particular topic was brought up, "You read porn, you dumb dog. That's all you read.
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You think Chu Laoshi would write something like that?"
And Mo Ran would shoot back with something way more obscene than what Xue Meng could handle, and then Shi Mei will have to pry the two apart before they can break a bone.
And Mo Ran would shoot back with something way more obscene than what Xue Meng could handle, and then Shi Mei will have to pry the two apart before they can break a bone.
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The thing was Mo Ran never really liked to read. But it had changed recently. He was deeply enamored with the writing of this one particular novelist, or pornographer if you will, that he always went out of his way to
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buy the guy's books (which were a rarity these days, sold mostly in secrecy) and would read it all in one sitting. Mo Ran didn't know how to explain it, but the words really had an overwhelming effect on him. He never thought he could fall in love with books but here he was.
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The characters were nuanced, the plot was complex and certain scenes consisted of things Mo Ran would've never even managed to picture, even in his wildest dreams. And Mo Ran's dreams were already wild to begin with. Most days he could not stop thinking about
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fisting and pulling braided hair as he fucked into a stone cold man. And these books didn't help him one bit because his dreams were becoming too vivid, too real, like he had once lived through it all. Perhaps in a different life.
Mo Ran did try reading erotica from other
Mo Ran did try reading erotica from other
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writers and he soon realised that there was really smth special abt the works his favourite writer produced. It was classy, in a way, not cheap. The writer wrote as if he was a man of many experiences and had many stories he wanted to tell. And Mo Ran could do nothing but listen.
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// tbc (the setting is not particularly.. set and the social aspects too.. so i didnt think too much into stuff like censorship and real life aspects, im just winging the whole thing to vibes rn π₯²)
(Also this is loosely based on the pornographer)
(Also this is loosely based on the pornographer)