Chapter 523: One Night, Famous

September 17, 1988, the day before the opening of the Seoul Olympics.

Early that morning, hundreds of domestic media outlets simultaneously broke the explosive news "The 19-Year-Old Literary Superstar," sparking intense attention from the cultural sector and across the nation.

Its impact far exceeded expectations: not only did it ignite a massive uproar on the mainland, but it swiftly swept through Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan like a tornado, with signs of spreading globally.

This was due to Li Heng's other identity: a legendary musician.

The People's Daily's front-page headline: "Honor the 19-Year-Old Great Writer! Honor the Extraordinary Achievement!"

China Youth Daily's headline: "How Is a Legendary Writer Made?"

Southern Daily's headline: "Shocking! The Popular Writer Is Only 19!"

Beijing Daily's headline: "The 19-Year-Old Legendary Writer! The 19-Year-Old Musician!"

China Daily's headline: "Li Heng! The Perfect Embodiment of Genius and Hard Work!"

Yangcheng Daily's headline: "Revealed: How to Slack Off and Become a Flagship Figure of the Contemporary Literary World?"

Xinmin Evening News's headline: "19 Years Old and in Control of the Wealth Code!"

…

…

Overnight, the world seemed to turn upside down; reports on Li Heng flooded every newspaper and morning news broadcast.

Li Heng rapidly flipped through newspaper after newspaper, his face flushed red from all the praise, embarrassed by it.

Beside him, Mai Sui, Zhou Shihe, Ye Ning, and Sun Man were each holding a newspaper, their eyes busy scanning the pages.

"Haha, look at this article—Old Wang from Beijing made the news, labeled a 'petty man' and a 'hypocrite' by the reporters. Ha, so satisfying! Remember how he yelled at me and my dad? Now it's sweet revenge," Sun Man said, sharing the newspaper with the others.

Ye Ning covered her mouth and laughed: "These reporters are ruthless—they exaggerated Li Heng's original words by tenfold. Do you think Old Wang from Beijing will be so furious he'll kill himself?"

Li Heng leaned over, read it, and felt much better: "Don't worry—he's famous in literary circles as a professional critic; his mental toughness is top-notch."

Then he asked Sun Man: "Manning, did you buy every newspaper from every newsstand?"

"Do you think I'm stupid? I only bought sixty-five. If I bought them all, how would I eat?"

Sun Man extended her hand toward him: "Reimburse me for the newspapers. You're huge now—after today, everyone in China will know there's a Li Heng at Fudan University."

Li Heng asked: "How much?"

Sun Man said: "Give me a hundred yuan."

Li Heng stared at her in disbelief: "You're robbing me."

"I am robbing you! Look at the other three—did any of them care as much as I did? I got up at dawn to buy newspapers. How devoted am I? Hand over the cash quick—I'm going to buy some good food and drinks to celebrate." Sun Man flaunted her triumph.

Li Heng reached into his pocket, didn't count, and dumped all his remaining cash into her hand.

"Now that's what I call a real man—so generous!" With the money in hand, Sun Man dashed off happily, saying she'd buy wine and dishes to treat everyone to lunch.

As her footsteps faded, Ye Ning rolled up a book and held it like a microphone to interview Li Heng: "Great writer, from now on, no one in the world won't know your name. How does it feel to be famous? Isn't it awesome?"

Li Heng rolled his eyes and played along: "Not awesome at all. Yesterday my money was drained by a fool; last night I got paid, and today Maning drained it again. I'm famous, but I'm clearly being slaughtered like a pig."

"Ugh! Just be grateful! If I were you, I'd be happy to be slaughtered every day," Ye Ning said, full of envy.

Li Heng said to her: "By the way, Comrade Ye Ning, can I ask you a favor?"

Ye Ning asked: "What favor?"

Li Heng complained: "You're already 176. cm tall without heels—can you please stop wearing them? You're taller than me now, and I've got pride too. Besides, girls that tall look like bamboo poles—what's attractive about that?"

Mai Sui and Zhou Shihe exchanged a smile.

Ye Ning, instantly sensitive, straightened her chest: "I don't wear them often—just a few times for fashion. So what? My chest isn't as big as theirs, but I'm not offering it to you—why are you complaining?"

Zhou Shihe: "..."

Mai Sui: "..."

Li Heng retreated.

He noticed that nearly every newspaper emphasized his age—19—as the central marketing hook.

And oddly enough, people loved it: overnight, his name and deeds spread like a virus; everyone in China now knew there was a phenomenal figure at Fudan University named Li Heng, 19 years old, from Shaoshan, Xiangnan.

Suddenly, numerous media columns called Fudan University, eager to contact this rising literary star, request interviews, and dig deeper into his story.

Few knew Li Heng personally, but enough did. Those from his middle and high school days, upon seeing "Li Heng" in the papers or on morning news, dropped their breakfasts in shock.

Is... is that the Li Heng I know?

My god! That's my classmate!

How did he suddenly become so awesome?

Wasn't he a musician?

Now he's a famous writer?

For a long time afterward, whenever old classmates met, their first question was: "Hey, remember our classmate Li Heng? He's insane now—he's a famous writer!"

…

Beijing.

Song Yu was brushing her hair in her dorm when her closest college friend, Chen Xiaoyu, burst in holding a newspaper and shoved it against her shoulder:

"Song Yu, look at this newspaper—is this your boyfriend Li Heng? How lucky are you! You've got a famous writer as a boyfriend!!"

Before Song Yu could even look, her dormmates swarmed over, read the headline and subheading, and burst into chorus of "Wows!"

Utterly stunned!

But after finishing the article, the entire dorm fell silent, exchanged glances, then gathered again to read it a second time.

After the second reading, roommate A clutched her chest: "I can't take it! He's only 19! I thought getting into Peking University was impressive, but compared to him, I'm nothing—not even worthy of carrying his shoes."

This resonated with everyone. Roommate B timidly asked Song Yu: "The photo's a bit blurry, but it's definitely your boyfriend, right?"

Song Yu finally had time to finish reading. Meeting the expectant gazes of her roommates, she paused for a few seconds, then gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and said calmly: "Yes."

Though they'd already suspected it, hearing Song Yu confirm it left the entire dorm stunned, frozen in place, utterly speechless.

Even Chen Xiaoyu, a native of Beijing from an exceptionally powerful family, couldn't hide her envy: "Did he pursue you, or did you pursue him?"

Song Yu thought for a moment: "We liked each other."

Chen Xiaoyu asked: "So when he asked you to be his girlfriend, you said yes right away?"

All the roommates leaned in, ears perked.

The truth wasn't quite like that, but now Song Yu had to defend Li Heng: "Yes, more or less."

"Aww! Why didn't I get a dozen boyfriends like him? I'd take a dozen! Look at his photo—so handsome! His eyes, nose, face—all my type! So talented!" Chen Xiaoyu, usually composed, had completely broken down. Her roommate, the one she ate with, went to class with, never left her side—her boyfriend was a hidden literary giant!

Who could handle that?

Who wouldn't be shocked?

One roommate said: "Song Yu, next time your boyfriend comes, make sure he treats us to dinner. You snagged the prettiest flower at Peking University—you owe us."

While female dorms often harbor rivalry, surprisingly, everyone in this dorm got along exceptionally well with Song Yu.

This was because Song Yu was stunningly beautiful, with exceptional poise and charm—she was the object of everyone's admiration. The gap was too vast for jealousy to arise, so she was universally popular.

Also, Song Yu had a laid-back personality—she was generous, easygoing, and never held grudges, making her exceptionally well-liked.

That's why even Chen Xiaoyu, from her ultra-powerful family, cherished her as a best friend.

Seeing everyone's eager expressions, Song Yu understood the immense prestige and impact Li Heng's literary identity held among Peking University girls.

She smiled beautifully and said: "Sure. Next time he comes, I'll introduce him to you."

Bang!

At that moment, the dorm door flew open—a girl from the next room over rushed in, excitedly asking: "Song Yu, everyone on campus is talking—your boyfriend's that famous writer, right? Is it true?"

Oh well, this girl was even crazier—her dormmates instantly felt better.

Song Yu nodded.

The girl's face flushed, her words tumbling out: "I'm his reader—I've followed him since 'To Live'—no, I followed 'Shouhuo' magazine. I wrote him tons of fan letters, and he never replied. Song Yu, next time your boyfriend comes, can you get him to sign my book?"

She waved a copy of 'The Bitter Journey of Culture,' begging for a signature.

Song Yu agreed.

In just one morning, because of Li Heng, Song Yu—already famous on campus—became the subject of renewed chatter.

But now she was the backdrop; everyone talked only about her boyfriend.

Even on the street, girls would approach her to ask about her boyfriend.

Even professors had heard, and occasionally asked about him during class.

PS: First draft, will revise later.

(End of chapter)