Do you have another woman?

Chen Xiaoxu could not help but glance at Li Yousi a few extra times, especially since this young man seemed to be around her own age.

He was already a writer?

Hailing from Anshan herself, she was also a literary worker. Anshan had extremely famous storytellers who performed traditional *pingshu*, a form of oral storytelling that Chen Xiaoxu had listened to since childhood. She held writers and cultured people in deep reverence.

"Comrade Xiao Chen, I see you're reading *Dream of the Red Chamber*; you must be an avid reader, right? Have you read this short story?" The middle-aged woman turned back to look at Chen Xiaoxu.

The woman had noticed that this young girl had been acting like a timid little mouse the entire time. The girl was clearly curious, yet she kept her mouth shut, so the kind woman took it upon herself to start a conversation for her!

Chen Xiaoxu replied, "I read it right when it was first published, but I certainly didn't expect to run into such a great writer here!"

The woman remarked, "This young comrade is so low-key; at first glance, you wouldn't even guess he's a writer. Judging by his looks, I thought he belonged to a song and dance troupe! But I must say, he's truly impressive. Comrades from cultural troupes rarely get the chance to have their work published in top-tier magazines."

Li Yousi turned his head to look at Chen Xiaoxu, and the girl instantly averted her gaze.

Chen Xiaoxu thought to herself with a silent sigh: It's bad enough that this writer is talented, but why does he have to be so strikingly handsome as well?

Thinking back to her conversation with Haiyan last time, that girl's wild imagination had actually come true.

Chen Xiaoxu asked softly, "Say, I've been wanting to ask, why did you choose that pen name?"

Xiao Xu's speech didn't seem to carry any heavy regional accent. Fortunately not, otherwise it would have sounded far too austere and distant!

After all, how often did the great Northeast produce such a sweet-looking young woman?

Li Yousi answered, "Oh, it's simply because this pen name is straightforward. I couldn't be bothered to rack my brain coming up with a pseudonym; using my own name is quite nice. People know instantly who it refers to. If I used a pen name, others would have to pause and think for a while whenever they addressed me."

Hearing this, Chen Xiaoxu offered a faint smile. She had expected him to give some profound reason, but it turned out to be completely arbitrary.

"That certainly makes it convenient, though it's a bit..."

"A bit what?"

"A bit wooden-feeling." Considering they were still strangers, Chen Xiaoxu restrained her sharp tongue and substituted "wooden" for "foolish."

As the two of them were chatting away merrily, the woman chimed in, "My goodness, young lady, you've been doing all the questioning. Judging by your poise and grace, are you also from a cultural troupe?"

Chen Xiaoxu hurriedly waved her hands. Speaking of this, it had indeed been quite a heavy blow to the young Xiaoxu when it happened.

Ever since she was a little girl, Chen Xiaoxu had studied ballet at school, harboring a strong desire to become a professional ballet dancer. However, she failed the political background check during the examinations. Just like that, her dream of becoming a ballet dancer was shattered, and her teacher even stamped her file with the label "capitalist sprout."

Chen Xiaoxu said, "No, I'm with a drama troupe."

"Comrades from drama troupes are literary workers too," the woman said with a smile.

True to form, Li Yousi first aimed his target and then released the arrow: "Comrade, you must be going to audition for the *Dream of the Red Chamber* production crew, right?"

Oh?

Chen Xiaoxu was somewhat surprised. "Yes... how did you know?"

Li Yousi replied, "I have a friend who also studied ballet since childhood. Female comrades who have trained in ballet always maintain an exceptional posture and possess a very distinctive elegance. I figured you must have a foundation in ballet."

"My friend has already entered the *Dream of the Red Chamber* crew. I heard official training begins in April, and seeing how graceful you are, you're the spitting image of an actress."

"Besides, it's quite rare for a young person to stubbornly plough through *Dream of the Red Chamber* cover to cover. I guessed you must be an actress yourself."

Chen Xiaoxu nodded. As expected of a writer, he was truly observant and could see right through a person in just a glance or two.

The fact that Li Yousi had remarked on her good posture didn't make her feel the aversion typically associated with being stared at, because she could clearly tell that his eyes held appreciation rather than sizing her up.

Chen Xiaoxu tilted her head, this time mustering the courage to meet Li Yousi's eyes directly. "Your friend is also in the crew? You should tell me about her beforehand so that I can get to know her when the time comes."

(This panel is also lovely. Note: The aunt and Xiao Xu.)

Li Yousi said, "Alright. In fact, I think the two of you—one resembles Daiyu, and the other resembles Baochai. You'll make a perfect pair and can look out for each other."

Speaking of Zhang Li, he hadn't seen her in two or three months.

Li Yousi decided that once he had some free time from working on his manuscripts, he would go look for her.

From what he remembered reading in memoirs, the *Dream of the Red Chamber* crew was constantly strapped for cash and had to strictly control the actors' weight, which meant their three daily meals consisted mostly of plain cabbage in clear, watery soup.

In that case, he could conveniently bring them some decent food.

As for why he was sending things?

No particular reason at all. The two of them were simply friends from the cultural circles, nothing more! They were just looking out for each other.

Li Yousi smiled. "She speaks with a heavy Sichuan accent! She has large eyes—eyes so big they're like cherries—with a small, round face and a dimple that appears when she smiles. The moment you see her, you'll recognize her instantly."

Listening to Li Yousi's description, the woman thought to herself: My goodness, this fellow definitely has a sweetheart! No wonder he had a beauty sitting right next to him and still needed to force a conversation! He was simply meddling in other people's business.

Watching the slight curve at the corners of Li Yousi's mouth as he spoke of Zhang Li, Chen Xiaoxu realized he truly couldn't hide his feelings at all!

She asked, "What is her name?"

"Zhang Li."

She quietly committed the name to memory.

Ten minutes later, the middle-aged woman got off the train first. Li Yousi helped her with her luggage before returning to his seat.

Only the two of them were left sitting together.

Seeing Li Yousi pick up the magazine, Chen Xiaoxu could not resist asking, "May I read it along with you?"

"Oh, certainly!"

This time, Li Yousi held the magazine right in the middle so that each of them held one half, and Chen Xiaoxu continued reading the story she had started earlier!

She thought to yourself: Finally! I've finally finished reading this story!

"You're a writer too. Do you think he writes well?" Chen Xiaoxu tossed out a loaded question.

Li Yousi answered earnestly, "This piece? Well, it's characteristic of this writer. He enjoys writing regional literature and depicts the beauty of rustic rural life in a straightforward manner. He is a rare writer in this era."

"However, his writing consistently maintains a pursuit of spiritual height, refusing to pander to vulgar tastes! This kind of stubborn adherence among intellectuals is a bit old-fashioned. I wouldn't call it good, nor would I call it bad."

More brilliance flickered in Chen Xiaoxu's eyes. When writers discussed literature, they invariably exuded a unique personal charm.

Naturally, Xiao Xu could not deny this point.

Still, for the moment, Chen Xiaoxu's feelings toward Li Yousi were primarily one of appreciation.

"I see. No wonder I felt it read a bit strangely! But I didn't get that feeling when I read *Falling Leaves Return to Their Roots*; that novella was exceptionally brilliant! Comrade, do you have any research into the *Red Chamber*?"

Li Yousi shook his head. "I've only read *Dream of the Red Chamber* a few times; I don't have a deep understanding of it."

Chen Xiaoxu smiled knowingly. "And here I was hoping to ask the great writer for his insights on *Dream of the Red Chamber*!"

"Which role are you auditioning for?"

"Originally, I was auditioning for Daiyu. But after hearing you say just now that I look like Daiyu! Since a great writer has said so, I feel all the more reason to give it a proper try!"

Li Yousi said, "I wish you success."