![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
amediaTitle: The Adventures of the Grumpster link to fic on AO3
Author: Amedia
Rating: G
Fandom: Guardian
Characters: SID ensemble, Guo Changcheng, Chu Shuzhi
Ship: Chu Shuzhi & Guo Changcheng, Shen Wei & Zhao Yunlan(background)
Summary: Lao Chu gets hooked on a superhero fanfic series whose author is anonymous.
Word Count: 2755
Author's note: This fic was inspired by comments on china_shop's brilliantly hilarious fic Transformative Work. You can read this one without reading that one, but it will make a bit more sense if you read that one first. More notes (spoilery) at the end!
"Lin Jing," said Zhu Hong, glancing at his screen as she passed behind his chair, "that doesn't look like the data from your latest experiment."
Lin Jing flushed bright red and reached for the mouse to close the window. "Don't snoop like that!" he said.
Zhu Hong reached out with snakelike speed and grabbed the mouse first. "What are you reading, anyway?" She scrolled up to the top of the page. "Seriously?!" she exclaimed. She dropped the mouse and swatted the back of Lin Jing's head.
"I can't help it, Hong-jie," said Lin Jing, abashed. "I'm addicted!" He scrolled back down to his earlier position in the text. "Wang Zheng just posted it this morning."
"What, another chapter?" asked Da Qing, ambling over. "Better be a good one. It's been, like, a week."
"I have ears, you know," said Wang Zheng from her desk.
"And fingers!" said Da Qing. "Type faster, won't you?"
"Art should not be rushed, stupid cat," said Lin Jing. He turned toward the couch, where Chu Shuzhi was sprawled, intent on his phone and ignoring the others. "What about you, Lao Chu? Are you keeping up with the saga?"
Chu Shuzhi raised his head slowly from his phone and gave Lin Jing a hard stare. "I refuse to read fiction about real people." He directed a less hostile look at Wang Zheng. "However well-written."
"Well, what are you reading, then?" asked Zhu Hong, striding over to the couch. Chu Shuzhi shrugged and handed her the phone. She read aloud, "The Adventures of the Grumpster?" She scrolled down with her finger. "Oh, it has illustrations! This is really cute."
"It's not cute," huffed Chu Shuzhi. "It's exciting. 'Grumpster' is short for "Grumpy Sexy Martial Arts Master' and he's a fictional superhero who takes down villains despite the help of his sidekick."
"Despite the help?" asked Lin Jing. "Not with the help of his sidekick?"
"Well ... Bricks tries very hard," said Chu Shuzhi, almost defensively. "But he's very clumsy. What he is really good at is talking to people and getting important clues from them so the Grumpster can go kick the asses of the bad guys."
"Ooh, I've read some of those," said Wang Zheng. "I like the scenes where the Grumpster is trying to train Bricks to use his talent."
Zhu Hong looked curious. "Bricks has a talent?"
"He's supposed to be able to build himself into a structure," said Wang Zheng. "But he can't even form a simple wall. The Grumpster is very patient." She giggled. "It's so funny!"
Chu Shuzhi nodded. "Those parts aren't bad," he said.
"Let me guess," said Zhu Hong. "Your favorite part is the fights."
"Duh, of course," said Chu Shuzhi. "They're the best part." He held out his hand to her. "My phone, please."
She slapped it back into his hand. "Enjoy."
Chu Shuzhi nodded and went back to reading.
Guo Changcheng came in at that moment carrying a box. Setting it down on Lin Jing's desk, he said, "Here are the parts you requested from the laboratory supply store downtown."
Lin Jing immediately opened the box and began pawing through what was inside it. "Oh yes, yes, exactly what I need for my latest work of scientific genius. Thanks, Xiao Guo."
"You're welcome, Brother Jing. I see you're reading Wang Zheng's latest chapter."
Lin Jing nodded enthusiastically. "It's sooooo good. I was totally surprised when—"
"No!" Everyone turned to look at Lao Chu, who was sitting straight up staring at his phone.
Guo Changcheng ran over to the couch and sat beside him. "What's wrong, Chu-ge?"
Chu Shuzhi slowly looked up from his phone and realized everyone was staring at him. "I—it's—never mind. My apologies. Go back to what you were doing."
"Did something happen to the Grumpster?" asked Wang Zheng.
Chu Shuzhi shook his head. "Worse," he said. "The bad guys have captured Bricks."
Zhu Hong came over and snatched the phone away. "He's right, guys," she said to the others. "Not only that, but—it's a cliffhanger. The kidnapping is the last thing in this chapter, and the next chapter isn't due until next week." She handed the phone back to Chu Shuzhi.
Guo Changcheng petted Chu Shuzhi's arm. "Don't worry, Chu-ge, I'm sure The Grumpster will save him! Waiting a week just makes it more exciting."
Chu Shuzhi shook off the comforting hand. "But ... but this author is really good, Changcheng. You can never predict what's going to happen. I can't be sure of anything."
Guo Changcheng looked down at the floor, apparently in deep thought. Chu Shuzhi continued to mope. Eventually Guo Changcheng got up, fetched his journal, and began writing the details of their most recent case, sitting at the other end of the couch from Chu Shuzhi and his big mood.
The next morning, however, Chu Shuzhi came in looking only mildly irritated, which was his normal attitude. "Hello, Lao Chu," Wang Zheng greeted him. She was sorting mail at her desk, handing an impatient Zhao Yunlan the letters marked for his attention. "You look a lot better now than you did yesterday afternoon."
Chu Shuzhi nodded. "With good reason," was all he said.
She handed Zhao Yunlan another letter and added two more to the stack for the rest of the office. "Does it have anything to do with the new chapter that dropped at two o'clock this morning?" she asked.
"Look at you showing off your mad detecting skills!" exclaimed Zhao Yunlan. "Keep that up and we'll put you on a case, Wang Zheng." She blushed and handed him the last three letters. "Yes!" he crowed, plucking out one particular envelope. "Copies of Professor Shen's curriculum vitae and dossier from the university's HR department." He was already opening it as he walked back to his office. "Maybe I'll learn something," he added as he went inside and closed the door.
Chu Shuzhi rolled his eyes and said nothing. Wang Zheng winked at him and he almost cracked a smile. "About that new chapter ...?" she said invitingly. "Did Bricks get rescued?" Lin Jing, Guo Changcheng, Zhu Hong, and Da Qing all looked up to see him respond.
"It was very satisfying," Chu Shuzhi admitted. "The Grumpster outdid himself taking down the whole gang single-handed. I think the author must be a martial arts expert, or at least a student with an excellent master. Those moves were SO well drawn." He paused. "Oh, and yes, he rescued Bricks. Unharmed."
"Thank goodness!" said Lin Jing over-dramatically. Chu Shuzhi glared at him and he hurriedly went back to his work.
Zhu Hong turned to Chu Shuzhi. "You seemed really worried about that clumsy little sidekick for a while there," she said. "He must be very endearing."
"He's okay," Chu Shuzhi admitted.
Later that morning, Guo Changcheng and Chu Shuzhi walked out to the park for training. On the way, Chu Shuzhi said, "I was really surprised to see a new chapter of the Grumpster last night. The author's introduction to this chapter said someone told them that people were worried about Bricks, so they wanted to set the audience's mind at ease."
"That's very interesting, Chu-ge," said Guo Changcheng, yawning. "It sounds like the author has quite a following."
Chu Shuzhi stopped walking and glared at him. "Am I boring you?" he asked.
"No, n-not at all!" Guo Changcheng said hurriedly. "M-my apologies, Chu-ge. I stayed up too late last night."
"Did you really?" said Chu Shuzhi. "Well, maybe training will help wake you up." They had reached the open area where they usually did training. "Warm ups first, then we'll practice those moves you were supposed to have learned yesterday." Guo Changcheng nodded meekly. Chu Shuzhi chuckled suddenly. "You might not have learned them yet, but The Grumpster is very good at them."
"I'm glad to hear that, Chu-ge," Guo Changcheng gasped, who was managing to turn himself into a pretzel while doing a sitting stretch.
Chu Shuzhi was still talking to himself. "I guess the author knows the same techniques that I do," he said slowly. "That would really cut down the possible candidates."
"What was that, Chu-ge?" asked Guo Changcheng, who had moved on to less complicated stretches.
"I'm trying to guess who writes and draws the Grumpster stories," Chu Shuzhi said.
Guo Changcheng said timidly, "B-but I thought ... I thought they didn't want to be found."
"There is that," said Chu Shuzhi. "But we're investigators. We ought to investigate."
Guo Changcheng sighed. "All right, Chu-ge."
Work kept them both so busy that afternoon that there was no time for any off-duty investigation. When work was over, however, Chu Shuzhi said to Guo Changcheng, "Let's go pick up noodles at that stand near my apartment. We can put our heads together to figure out who the author is while we eat."
About half an hour later, Chu Shuzhi and Guo Changcheng were sitting in Chu Shuzhi's apartment, eating noodles and speculating about the mysterious author. "Take notes, will you?" Chu Shuzhi said. "Your handwriting's neater than mine." Guo Changcheng obediently opened his notebook and began making notes. "Let's see," Chu Shuzhi continued. "They know the same martial arts techniques that I do. But the way they write sounds like they're from Haixing. So it's probably not someone who studied in Dixing." He thought for a moment. "Changcheng ... could someone be spying on us? Watching us train in the park? Or following us around during our cases?"
"That's kind of a scary idea, Chu-ge," said Guo Changcheng. "I'll add it to the list of possibilities, though."
"What about you?" asked Chu Shuzhi suddenly. Guo Changcheng dropped his pen.
Chu Shuzhi picked it up off the floor and handed it back to him. "Who do you think it might be?"
Guo Changcheng gulped. "I—I haven't read any of the stories, Chu-ge," he said. "So I don't have any clues to offer."
"You haven't read them yet?" Chu Shuzhi looked astonished. "They're the best stories ever, you idiot! You've got to read them." He pulled out his phone and pulled up a bookmarked page. "Here, start with the first one," he said, scooting his chair over until it was right next to Guo Changcheng's. He handed Guo Changcheng the phone and positioned himself to read over his shoulder. "Tell me what parts you like best."
Guo Changcheng looked up after he finished the first fic. "I can see why you like this, Chu-ge," he said. "The Grumpster is a really cool character."
"I know, right?!" said Chu Shuzhi eagerly. "What about Bricks?"
Guo Changcheng looked thoughtful. "I like how he keeps trying," he finally said.
"Me too," said Chu Shuzhi. He stared at Guo Changcheng for a moment. Changcheng had a fresh bruise on one arm, acquired that morning when he tripped over a branch while trying out a technique. He still had scratches faintly visible on one cheek from tumbling into a prickly bush on a case. And yet, every time he fell down, he got back up and tried again.
Chu Shuzhi's train of thought was interrupted when Guo Changcheng tapped the link to the next story. "Oh!" said Chu Shuzhi. "This is one of my favorites! The Grumpster has to fight off four guys who all attack at the same time. Not like those stupid movies where they take turns attacking."
Guo Changcheng nodded, skimming the story quickly and using two fingers to enlarge the illustrations. "There's the Grumpster training Bricks," he said as he studied one such picture.
"This is the first one where he's able to get Bricks to start using his talent," said Chu Shuzhi. "He's only able to turn himself into a low terrace support, though.
Guo Changcheng read aloud, "Don't worry, Bricks, said the Grumpster, "some day you'll be a— Oh my! That tree just fell down!"
Chu Shuzhi chuckled. "It's a running gag. He never gets to finish that sentence. Something always happens, and it usually leads into the next story. See, if you look at the link, you can see that the next one is about someone attacking tree shifters."
Guo Changcheng hesitated, then finally spoke. "If you're trying to figure out who the author is, and there's a sentence that is repeated but never finished ... that might be a clue, Chu-ge."
"That's a good idea," mused Chu Shuzhi. "I wonder how the sentence would be finished." He adopted a comically exaggerated superhero tone. "Someday you'll be a ... Changcheng! I have an idea!"
Guo Changcheng sat up straight. "What is it, Chu-Ge?" he asked, his voice trembling.
"Let's make a list of all the things that Bricks might turn himself into. One of them might be the answer!" He jumped up and walked around the room, thinking. "A chimney! A cottage! A ... what else?"
"I don't know, Chu-Ge, " said Guo Changcheng, and yawned again. "It's a good idea, but I'm really tired. Can we do it tomorrow? "
"Just when we're getting close to a good idea." Chu Shuzhi sighed. "All right, dumbass, I'll walk you home."
Training the next morning went better, since Guo Changcheng hadn't stayed up so late the night before. "That's better, idiot," said Chu Shuzhi as Guo Changcheng worked on a stance. "Bend your knees more. Balance your weight equally." He nodded, walking around Guo Changcheng, who kept spoiling the stance by trying to follow Chu Shuzhi with his eyes. "Look straight ahead! Keep your focus relaxed for now. Now bring your fists up."
Nervously, Guo Changcheng complied, chanting under his breath, "fists loose, not right in front of your face, arms bent, shoulders straight ..."
"Not bad, dumbass!" Chu Shuzhi said in a tone that was almost kind. "Someday you'll be a decent fighter." He stopped for a moment, as if he had just had a thought.
"What is it, Chu-ge?" asked Guo Changcheng.
Chu-ge shook his head. "I just had an idea, but it slipped my mind. It'll come back if it's important. C'mon, show me a lunge punch."
They breezed into the office after practice. Guo Changcheng was still brushing leaves off of one sleeve. "Looks like you made a lot of progress, Xiao Guo," laughed Lin Jing. "You're clearly practiced at falling onto things."
"Shut up," growled Chu Shuzhi. "He's already a better fighter than you'll ever be."
"All right, all right," said Lin Jing. "I take it back. Someday Xiao Guo will be a great fighter."
Chu Shuzhi stared at Lin Jing. "Someday ... he'll be a great ..." his voice trailed off. He turned to Guo Changcheng. "That's it!!"
"That's what, Chu-ge?"
Chu Shuzhi began pacing, Guo Changcheng following and occasionally bumping into him when he changed direction. They reached a wall and Chu Shuzhi stopped abruptly just in front of it. Guo Changcheng's momentum carried him right into it, but he quickly turned around, rubbing his nose and looking uncertainly at Chu Shuzhi.
"That's what the Grumpster keeps trying to tell Bricks!" Chu Shuzhi exclaimed. "Someday Bricks will be a great ... wall! That's the clue! We just need to find an author named ..." His voice trailed off.
"An author named chángchéng," Changcheng supplied. Chu Shuzhi stared at him. Guo Changcheng stared right back.
"You?" Chu Shuzhi whispered in disbelief.
Guo Changcheng nodded, his expression growing more worried by the moment as Chu Shuzhi kept staring at him.
"You hid all of this from me?" Chu Shuzhi continued, looking fiercer by the moment.
"Well, from everyone, really," Guo Changcheng said. He jumped as Chu Shuzhi crowded into his personal space, putting a hand on the wall next to him.
"All this time you've been writing these fics and you've never let on?"
The others all turned to watch. At the sudden silence, even Zhao Yunlan came out of his office, Professor Shen on his heels.
"Yes, Chu-ge," said Guo Changcheng, his voice quavering.
"You've maintained a secret identity and none of these so-called detectives figured it out?" Chu Shuzhi continued.
Guo Changcheng's voice became more steady, and he straightened up and looked Chu Shuzhi in the eye. "Yes. Yes, I did."
Chu Shuzhi moved his hand from the wall, putting both hands onto Guo Changcheng's shoulders. "I am so damn proud of you!!!" he crowed. Turning around, he said to the others, "Guess what! Changcheng writes the Grumpster fics!"
Zhu Hong and Da Qing clapped. Lin Jing smacked his forehead. Wang Zheng came over and shook Guo Changcheng's hand, somewhat awkwardly since Chu Shuzhi was now hugging him.
"Look at my team," said Zhao Yunlan proudly.
Professor Shen smiled.
Additional notes: This ficlet was written specifically in response to the comment (during a convo between acoyotewhowanders and china_shop): Haha, now I'm envisaging xiao-Guo writing stories in which a dashing hero with a remarkable similarity to lao-Chu performs all kinds of amazing feats. And when Chu Shuzhi finds out, he's appalled (but secretly flattered and touched). *g*
As usual, saying, "Oh, I want to read that!" when someone suggests a spinoff idea turned out to be tantamount to volunteering to write it - so here it is!
I was also inspired by learning that the "Changcheng" [长城] in Little Guo's name translates to "Great Wall."
[ETA] And I just realized that the reason GCC is basically writing Boku No Hero Academia fanfic is because I internalized a line from another china_shop fic!!! Check out A Hallowed Bond when you have a chance. :-)
Author: Amedia
Rating: G
Fandom: Guardian
Characters: SID ensemble, Guo Changcheng, Chu Shuzhi
Ship: Chu Shuzhi & Guo Changcheng, Shen Wei & Zhao Yunlan(background)
Summary: Lao Chu gets hooked on a superhero fanfic series whose author is anonymous.
Word Count: 2755
Author's note: This fic was inspired by comments on china_shop's brilliantly hilarious fic Transformative Work. You can read this one without reading that one, but it will make a bit more sense if you read that one first. More notes (spoilery) at the end!
"Lin Jing," said Zhu Hong, glancing at his screen as she passed behind his chair, "that doesn't look like the data from your latest experiment."
Lin Jing flushed bright red and reached for the mouse to close the window. "Don't snoop like that!" he said.
Zhu Hong reached out with snakelike speed and grabbed the mouse first. "What are you reading, anyway?" She scrolled up to the top of the page. "Seriously?!" she exclaimed. She dropped the mouse and swatted the back of Lin Jing's head.
"I can't help it, Hong-jie," said Lin Jing, abashed. "I'm addicted!" He scrolled back down to his earlier position in the text. "Wang Zheng just posted it this morning."
"What, another chapter?" asked Da Qing, ambling over. "Better be a good one. It's been, like, a week."
"I have ears, you know," said Wang Zheng from her desk.
"And fingers!" said Da Qing. "Type faster, won't you?"
"Art should not be rushed, stupid cat," said Lin Jing. He turned toward the couch, where Chu Shuzhi was sprawled, intent on his phone and ignoring the others. "What about you, Lao Chu? Are you keeping up with the saga?"
Chu Shuzhi raised his head slowly from his phone and gave Lin Jing a hard stare. "I refuse to read fiction about real people." He directed a less hostile look at Wang Zheng. "However well-written."
"Well, what are you reading, then?" asked Zhu Hong, striding over to the couch. Chu Shuzhi shrugged and handed her the phone. She read aloud, "The Adventures of the Grumpster?" She scrolled down with her finger. "Oh, it has illustrations! This is really cute."
"It's not cute," huffed Chu Shuzhi. "It's exciting. 'Grumpster' is short for "Grumpy Sexy Martial Arts Master' and he's a fictional superhero who takes down villains despite the help of his sidekick."
"Despite the help?" asked Lin Jing. "Not with the help of his sidekick?"
"Well ... Bricks tries very hard," said Chu Shuzhi, almost defensively. "But he's very clumsy. What he is really good at is talking to people and getting important clues from them so the Grumpster can go kick the asses of the bad guys."
"Ooh, I've read some of those," said Wang Zheng. "I like the scenes where the Grumpster is trying to train Bricks to use his talent."
Zhu Hong looked curious. "Bricks has a talent?"
"He's supposed to be able to build himself into a structure," said Wang Zheng. "But he can't even form a simple wall. The Grumpster is very patient." She giggled. "It's so funny!"
Chu Shuzhi nodded. "Those parts aren't bad," he said.
"Let me guess," said Zhu Hong. "Your favorite part is the fights."
"Duh, of course," said Chu Shuzhi. "They're the best part." He held out his hand to her. "My phone, please."
She slapped it back into his hand. "Enjoy."
Chu Shuzhi nodded and went back to reading.
Guo Changcheng came in at that moment carrying a box. Setting it down on Lin Jing's desk, he said, "Here are the parts you requested from the laboratory supply store downtown."
Lin Jing immediately opened the box and began pawing through what was inside it. "Oh yes, yes, exactly what I need for my latest work of scientific genius. Thanks, Xiao Guo."
"You're welcome, Brother Jing. I see you're reading Wang Zheng's latest chapter."
Lin Jing nodded enthusiastically. "It's sooooo good. I was totally surprised when—"
"No!" Everyone turned to look at Lao Chu, who was sitting straight up staring at his phone.
Guo Changcheng ran over to the couch and sat beside him. "What's wrong, Chu-ge?"
Chu Shuzhi slowly looked up from his phone and realized everyone was staring at him. "I—it's—never mind. My apologies. Go back to what you were doing."
"Did something happen to the Grumpster?" asked Wang Zheng.
Chu Shuzhi shook his head. "Worse," he said. "The bad guys have captured Bricks."
Zhu Hong came over and snatched the phone away. "He's right, guys," she said to the others. "Not only that, but—it's a cliffhanger. The kidnapping is the last thing in this chapter, and the next chapter isn't due until next week." She handed the phone back to Chu Shuzhi.
Guo Changcheng petted Chu Shuzhi's arm. "Don't worry, Chu-ge, I'm sure The Grumpster will save him! Waiting a week just makes it more exciting."
Chu Shuzhi shook off the comforting hand. "But ... but this author is really good, Changcheng. You can never predict what's going to happen. I can't be sure of anything."
Guo Changcheng looked down at the floor, apparently in deep thought. Chu Shuzhi continued to mope. Eventually Guo Changcheng got up, fetched his journal, and began writing the details of their most recent case, sitting at the other end of the couch from Chu Shuzhi and his big mood.
The next morning, however, Chu Shuzhi came in looking only mildly irritated, which was his normal attitude. "Hello, Lao Chu," Wang Zheng greeted him. She was sorting mail at her desk, handing an impatient Zhao Yunlan the letters marked for his attention. "You look a lot better now than you did yesterday afternoon."
Chu Shuzhi nodded. "With good reason," was all he said.
She handed Zhao Yunlan another letter and added two more to the stack for the rest of the office. "Does it have anything to do with the new chapter that dropped at two o'clock this morning?" she asked.
"Look at you showing off your mad detecting skills!" exclaimed Zhao Yunlan. "Keep that up and we'll put you on a case, Wang Zheng." She blushed and handed him the last three letters. "Yes!" he crowed, plucking out one particular envelope. "Copies of Professor Shen's curriculum vitae and dossier from the university's HR department." He was already opening it as he walked back to his office. "Maybe I'll learn something," he added as he went inside and closed the door.
Chu Shuzhi rolled his eyes and said nothing. Wang Zheng winked at him and he almost cracked a smile. "About that new chapter ...?" she said invitingly. "Did Bricks get rescued?" Lin Jing, Guo Changcheng, Zhu Hong, and Da Qing all looked up to see him respond.
"It was very satisfying," Chu Shuzhi admitted. "The Grumpster outdid himself taking down the whole gang single-handed. I think the author must be a martial arts expert, or at least a student with an excellent master. Those moves were SO well drawn." He paused. "Oh, and yes, he rescued Bricks. Unharmed."
"Thank goodness!" said Lin Jing over-dramatically. Chu Shuzhi glared at him and he hurriedly went back to his work.
Zhu Hong turned to Chu Shuzhi. "You seemed really worried about that clumsy little sidekick for a while there," she said. "He must be very endearing."
"He's okay," Chu Shuzhi admitted.
Later that morning, Guo Changcheng and Chu Shuzhi walked out to the park for training. On the way, Chu Shuzhi said, "I was really surprised to see a new chapter of the Grumpster last night. The author's introduction to this chapter said someone told them that people were worried about Bricks, so they wanted to set the audience's mind at ease."
"That's very interesting, Chu-ge," said Guo Changcheng, yawning. "It sounds like the author has quite a following."
Chu Shuzhi stopped walking and glared at him. "Am I boring you?" he asked.
"No, n-not at all!" Guo Changcheng said hurriedly. "M-my apologies, Chu-ge. I stayed up too late last night."
"Did you really?" said Chu Shuzhi. "Well, maybe training will help wake you up." They had reached the open area where they usually did training. "Warm ups first, then we'll practice those moves you were supposed to have learned yesterday." Guo Changcheng nodded meekly. Chu Shuzhi chuckled suddenly. "You might not have learned them yet, but The Grumpster is very good at them."
"I'm glad to hear that, Chu-ge," Guo Changcheng gasped, who was managing to turn himself into a pretzel while doing a sitting stretch.
Chu Shuzhi was still talking to himself. "I guess the author knows the same techniques that I do," he said slowly. "That would really cut down the possible candidates."
"What was that, Chu-ge?" asked Guo Changcheng, who had moved on to less complicated stretches.
"I'm trying to guess who writes and draws the Grumpster stories," Chu Shuzhi said.
Guo Changcheng said timidly, "B-but I thought ... I thought they didn't want to be found."
"There is that," said Chu Shuzhi. "But we're investigators. We ought to investigate."
Guo Changcheng sighed. "All right, Chu-ge."
Work kept them both so busy that afternoon that there was no time for any off-duty investigation. When work was over, however, Chu Shuzhi said to Guo Changcheng, "Let's go pick up noodles at that stand near my apartment. We can put our heads together to figure out who the author is while we eat."
About half an hour later, Chu Shuzhi and Guo Changcheng were sitting in Chu Shuzhi's apartment, eating noodles and speculating about the mysterious author. "Take notes, will you?" Chu Shuzhi said. "Your handwriting's neater than mine." Guo Changcheng obediently opened his notebook and began making notes. "Let's see," Chu Shuzhi continued. "They know the same martial arts techniques that I do. But the way they write sounds like they're from Haixing. So it's probably not someone who studied in Dixing." He thought for a moment. "Changcheng ... could someone be spying on us? Watching us train in the park? Or following us around during our cases?"
"That's kind of a scary idea, Chu-ge," said Guo Changcheng. "I'll add it to the list of possibilities, though."
"What about you?" asked Chu Shuzhi suddenly. Guo Changcheng dropped his pen.
Chu Shuzhi picked it up off the floor and handed it back to him. "Who do you think it might be?"
Guo Changcheng gulped. "I—I haven't read any of the stories, Chu-ge," he said. "So I don't have any clues to offer."
"You haven't read them yet?" Chu Shuzhi looked astonished. "They're the best stories ever, you idiot! You've got to read them." He pulled out his phone and pulled up a bookmarked page. "Here, start with the first one," he said, scooting his chair over until it was right next to Guo Changcheng's. He handed Guo Changcheng the phone and positioned himself to read over his shoulder. "Tell me what parts you like best."
Guo Changcheng looked up after he finished the first fic. "I can see why you like this, Chu-ge," he said. "The Grumpster is a really cool character."
"I know, right?!" said Chu Shuzhi eagerly. "What about Bricks?"
Guo Changcheng looked thoughtful. "I like how he keeps trying," he finally said.
"Me too," said Chu Shuzhi. He stared at Guo Changcheng for a moment. Changcheng had a fresh bruise on one arm, acquired that morning when he tripped over a branch while trying out a technique. He still had scratches faintly visible on one cheek from tumbling into a prickly bush on a case. And yet, every time he fell down, he got back up and tried again.
Chu Shuzhi's train of thought was interrupted when Guo Changcheng tapped the link to the next story. "Oh!" said Chu Shuzhi. "This is one of my favorites! The Grumpster has to fight off four guys who all attack at the same time. Not like those stupid movies where they take turns attacking."
Guo Changcheng nodded, skimming the story quickly and using two fingers to enlarge the illustrations. "There's the Grumpster training Bricks," he said as he studied one such picture.
"This is the first one where he's able to get Bricks to start using his talent," said Chu Shuzhi. "He's only able to turn himself into a low terrace support, though.
Guo Changcheng read aloud, "Don't worry, Bricks, said the Grumpster, "some day you'll be a— Oh my! That tree just fell down!"
Chu Shuzhi chuckled. "It's a running gag. He never gets to finish that sentence. Something always happens, and it usually leads into the next story. See, if you look at the link, you can see that the next one is about someone attacking tree shifters."
Guo Changcheng hesitated, then finally spoke. "If you're trying to figure out who the author is, and there's a sentence that is repeated but never finished ... that might be a clue, Chu-ge."
"That's a good idea," mused Chu Shuzhi. "I wonder how the sentence would be finished." He adopted a comically exaggerated superhero tone. "Someday you'll be a ... Changcheng! I have an idea!"
Guo Changcheng sat up straight. "What is it, Chu-Ge?" he asked, his voice trembling.
"Let's make a list of all the things that Bricks might turn himself into. One of them might be the answer!" He jumped up and walked around the room, thinking. "A chimney! A cottage! A ... what else?"
"I don't know, Chu-Ge, " said Guo Changcheng, and yawned again. "It's a good idea, but I'm really tired. Can we do it tomorrow? "
"Just when we're getting close to a good idea." Chu Shuzhi sighed. "All right, dumbass, I'll walk you home."
Training the next morning went better, since Guo Changcheng hadn't stayed up so late the night before. "That's better, idiot," said Chu Shuzhi as Guo Changcheng worked on a stance. "Bend your knees more. Balance your weight equally." He nodded, walking around Guo Changcheng, who kept spoiling the stance by trying to follow Chu Shuzhi with his eyes. "Look straight ahead! Keep your focus relaxed for now. Now bring your fists up."
Nervously, Guo Changcheng complied, chanting under his breath, "fists loose, not right in front of your face, arms bent, shoulders straight ..."
"Not bad, dumbass!" Chu Shuzhi said in a tone that was almost kind. "Someday you'll be a decent fighter." He stopped for a moment, as if he had just had a thought.
"What is it, Chu-ge?" asked Guo Changcheng.
Chu-ge shook his head. "I just had an idea, but it slipped my mind. It'll come back if it's important. C'mon, show me a lunge punch."
They breezed into the office after practice. Guo Changcheng was still brushing leaves off of one sleeve. "Looks like you made a lot of progress, Xiao Guo," laughed Lin Jing. "You're clearly practiced at falling onto things."
"Shut up," growled Chu Shuzhi. "He's already a better fighter than you'll ever be."
"All right, all right," said Lin Jing. "I take it back. Someday Xiao Guo will be a great fighter."
Chu Shuzhi stared at Lin Jing. "Someday ... he'll be a great ..." his voice trailed off. He turned to Guo Changcheng. "That's it!!"
"That's what, Chu-ge?"
Chu Shuzhi began pacing, Guo Changcheng following and occasionally bumping into him when he changed direction. They reached a wall and Chu Shuzhi stopped abruptly just in front of it. Guo Changcheng's momentum carried him right into it, but he quickly turned around, rubbing his nose and looking uncertainly at Chu Shuzhi.
"That's what the Grumpster keeps trying to tell Bricks!" Chu Shuzhi exclaimed. "Someday Bricks will be a great ... wall! That's the clue! We just need to find an author named ..." His voice trailed off.
"An author named chángchéng," Changcheng supplied. Chu Shuzhi stared at him. Guo Changcheng stared right back.
"You?" Chu Shuzhi whispered in disbelief.
Guo Changcheng nodded, his expression growing more worried by the moment as Chu Shuzhi kept staring at him.
"You hid all of this from me?" Chu Shuzhi continued, looking fiercer by the moment.
"Well, from everyone, really," Guo Changcheng said. He jumped as Chu Shuzhi crowded into his personal space, putting a hand on the wall next to him.
"All this time you've been writing these fics and you've never let on?"
The others all turned to watch. At the sudden silence, even Zhao Yunlan came out of his office, Professor Shen on his heels.
"Yes, Chu-ge," said Guo Changcheng, his voice quavering.
"You've maintained a secret identity and none of these so-called detectives figured it out?" Chu Shuzhi continued.
Guo Changcheng's voice became more steady, and he straightened up and looked Chu Shuzhi in the eye. "Yes. Yes, I did."
Chu Shuzhi moved his hand from the wall, putting both hands onto Guo Changcheng's shoulders. "I am so damn proud of you!!!" he crowed. Turning around, he said to the others, "Guess what! Changcheng writes the Grumpster fics!"
Zhu Hong and Da Qing clapped. Lin Jing smacked his forehead. Wang Zheng came over and shook Guo Changcheng's hand, somewhat awkwardly since Chu Shuzhi was now hugging him.
"Look at my team," said Zhao Yunlan proudly.
Professor Shen smiled.
Additional notes: This ficlet was written specifically in response to the comment (during a convo between acoyotewhowanders and china_shop): Haha, now I'm envisaging xiao-Guo writing stories in which a dashing hero with a remarkable similarity to lao-Chu performs all kinds of amazing feats. And when Chu Shuzhi finds out, he's appalled (but secretly flattered and touched). *g*
As usual, saying, "Oh, I want to read that!" when someone suggests a spinoff idea turned out to be tantamount to volunteering to write it - so here it is!
I was also inspired by learning that the "Changcheng" [长城] in Little Guo's name translates to "Great Wall."
[ETA] And I just realized that the reason GCC is basically writing Boku No Hero Academia fanfic is because I internalized a line from another china_shop fic!!! Check out A Hallowed Bond when you have a chance. :-)
