Chapter 179: Lin Xiuhong's Reward

One summer evening.

Jincheng Community.

"Not eating at home today?"

"Yeah, I made plans with a friend."

"Xiao Jun?"

"No, an online friend, also writes novels."

"Male or female?"

"Male."

"Oh." Lin Xiuhong heard this answer, immediately disappointed, and waved her hand, "Go ahead, go ahead."

Bang—the door closed.

Li Luo, who had left university a year ago, stepped out of his home, walked toward the subway entrance on nearby Qiu Shan Street, facing the last glow before nightfall.

He passed the gate of Yucai Middle School where he studied junior high, walked another street, glanced at Jiangnan Xiaozhu which was full of guests at mealtime, then walked straight into the subway entrance beside it.

Successfully boarding the subway, Li Luo took out his phone from his pants pocket, found an empty seat, and headed toward the terminal station, Qianjiang University.

Opening QQ on his phone, Li Luo checked the chat history.

【Li Luo】: Really meeting up in person?

【EarlyToBedGrowsTall】: You're so dragging your feet. We're both in Yinjiang District; meeting up doesn't require you to take a plane.

【Li Luo】: Mainly because I've never met someone I know online in person before. You've made me nervous just talking about it.

【EarlyToBedGrowsTall】: What's there to be nervous about? I'll treat; you just bring your mouth.

【Li Luo】: What are we eating?

【EarlyToBedGrowsTall】: There's a barbecue place near Qianjiang University that's pretty good. Are you close by?

【Li Luo】: Pretty close, just three subway stops.

【EarlyToBedGrowsTall】: Then it's settled. Seven o'clock tonight, come to the south gate of Qianjiang University.

【Li Luo】: Wait, just today???

【EarlyToBedGrowsTall】: Otherwise what? Do you have something to do tonight? What could a single dog like you possibly have to do?

【Li Luo】: Don't speak so hurtfully...

【EarlyToBedGrowsTall】: So, are you coming or not?

【Li Luo】: Just the two of us?

【EarlyToBedGrowsTall】: I don't know any other authors in Yinjiang District. Just us two. Do you think I'd sell you out?

【Li Luo】: Fine, I'll be there right on time at seven.

After reading through the chat history, Li Luo checked the time; it was currently six forty in the evening.

Ten minutes on the subway, then walk out of the station to the south gate of Qianjiang University; he would definitely arrive before seven.

So he sent a message to the other person.

【Li Luo】: I'm on the subway now, will be there in a bit.

【EarlyToBedGrowsTall】: Holy crap! So punctual?

【Li Luo】: Didn't you say seven o'clock? You're not going to stand me up, are you?

【EarlyToBedGrowsTall】: No way! But I still need to prepare a little, so wait for me a bit longer!

【EarlyToBedGrowsTall】: There's a Starbucks next to the south gate. If I'm not there yet, just sit there for a while.

【Li Luo】: Okay, I'll tell you when I arrive.

After sending the message, Li Luo put down his phone, leaned back against the subway seat, and emptied his mind.

Memories from the year and more since graduating university flooded his mind.

After giving up on becoming a chef, he impulsively plunged into the Online Novel circle; the first half-year could be described as hitting his head bloody.

For the first two months, he couldn't even cross the threshold to sign a contract, let alone make money.

He didn't even qualify for the website's full-attendance bonus.

The turning point appeared two months after entering the industry.

An imaginative entertainment novel he had written previously, due to poor data during the new book period, lost the PK against others, received only one round of trial recommendation, and was thus abandoned.

As a result, in his comment section, the actual "EarlyToBedGrowsTall" left a message, complaining that it was rare to see an imaginative story with some interest, only for it to be cut after a few days of reading.

Li Luo shamelessly went up to reply, explaining his situation: because the data was bad, he couldn't continue writing.

After all, he didn't want to stay at home forever eating off his parents, unable to earn money or find a partner, and being nagged by his mother every day.

That kind of life was truly hard to endure.

He now desperately needed a book that produced results, at least to earn his first manuscript fee in life.

What he didn't expect was that "EarlyToBedGrowsTall" really replied to him.

Moreover, it was a long, lengthy argument, pointing out the problems with his book and giving several directions for revision and improvement.

For "EarlyToBedGrowsTall," who by then already held two novels with over ten thousand guaranteed orders, this reply might have been just a momentary whim.

But the impact on Li Luo was immense; it was as if he had had his Ren and Du meridians unblocked, and many things he previously half-understood suddenly clicked.

So Li Luo followed the template of this imaginative novel, made certain repairs, rewrote the opening, sent it to the editor, and then started a new book.

This time, the results finally improved.

The new book successfully passed the first four rounds of recommendation slots, only to lose in the PK against the Sanjiang recommendation, forcing him to choose early publication.

Even so, he achieved a good result with over 800 first-day subscriptions.

Under the condition of aggressively writing ten thousand words a day in the first month, he earned a full eight thousand in manuscript fees!

Unfortunately, also because of writing ten thousand words a day, when this book reached over four hundred thousand words, the entire framework collapsed.

Finally, about half a year after he entered the industry, he chose to conclude it; at that time, the word count was one million, truly letting him cross the threshold of the million-word mark.

He also earned around fifty thousand in royalties.

This made him very happy; he showed off quite a bit in front of his parents, treated them to a good meal, bought Li Guohong a pack of cigarettes, and bought Lin Xiuhong a new piece of clothing.

This little life suddenly improved.

But after this book concluded, he faced the problem of the next new book.

Li Luo still had some shadow of failure from this, so he mustered his courage, thickened his face, and added the friend "Sleep Early and Grow Tall."

What he didn't expect was that the other party had actually been reading the book he wrote, and the friend request was approved very smoothly.

With the help of "Sleep Early and Grow Tall," he figured out the golden finger for the new book, smoothed out the outline, made sufficient preparations, and opened the new book a month later.

During the two-month new book period, he successfully passed the Sanjiang recommendation and obtained the highest honor of the new book period.

The first order upon release was 2,500; written until now, it is already the fifth month, which is also the time when he has been in the industry for a full year.

The average orders for this book have reached around 4,000; while he maintains an update of 6,000 words per day, he can earn more than twenty thousand in royalties in a month.

Among this, the help of "Sleep Early and Grow Tall" was indispensable.

It was just that he didn't expect that after chatting more, they discovered they were actually fellow townspeople, both living in Yinjiang District, Yuhang City.

They lived very close to each other.

After knowing each other for more than half a year, "Sleep Early and Grow Tall" suggested whether they should meet; Li Luo only hesitated for a moment, then agreed.

After all, he had received such a great favor from the other party; although they were both men and he couldn't offer himself in marriage, at the very least he had to say thank you in person.

Originally, he wanted to treat the other party, but thinking that this was a face-to-face meeting invitation proposed by the other party, treating them didn't have to be urgent for the moment.

He could wait until next time to treat them back.

Just as he was thinking about these things, the subway announcement sounded in his ears.

"Passengers, this train has arrived at the terminal station, Qianjiang University; all passengers please take your personal belongings and exit from the left-side doors."

"Thank you for riding with us, wish you a pleasant journey, goodbye."

After hearing the subway announcement, Li Luo stood up from his seat; when the subway slowly stopped and the doors opened, he quickly walked out of the carriage.

Just as he came out of the subway entrance, the heat wave of the summer night, still of quite high intensity, came straight at him.

Li Luo pulled at his collar a few times to fan himself, confirmed the direction, and then hurried towards the Nanmen of Qianjiang University.

On the way, when passing the intersection, Li Luo turned his head to look at the Times Tianjie commercial district at the subway entrance.

In his impression, in the early years, the north of Yinjiang District wasn't this lively; how much time had passed since then?

With one subway line, once Times Tianjie was completed, the housing prices around it rose like a rocket.

The supporting facilities surrounding Qian University radiated outward with Times Tianjie as the center, seemingly becoming another new commercial circle of Yinjiang District.

And the old commercial circle once located near Li Luo's home, these years because the subway line wasn't near there, had gradually declined, with passenger flow plummeting, no longer resembling the prosperity of the past.

Thinking this, Li Luo was also somewhat emotional.

Don't look at the fact that he can earn more than twenty thousand a month writing books now; who knows how the next one will be, maybe he'll fail.

Writing one book takes one or two years to finish; earning two or three hundred thousand is just enough to buy a small bedroom here.

To buy a house before getting married, even with a mortgage, was too much for Li Luo.

With that kind of money, it was better to live in the moment and enjoy it more.

Li Luo crossed the intersection, gradually moving away from Times Tianjie, crossed the road between the East Gate of Qianjiang University and the dormitory park, turned a corner, and quickly arrived at the Nanmen.

【Li Luo】: I'm at the Nanmen; if you haven't arrived yet, I'll go into Starbucks and sit for a while; it's dying hot outside.

【Sleep Early and Grow Tall】: OK OK! Give me ten minutes!

【Li Luo】: Okay.

Li Luo looked at the Nanmen of Qianjiang University; it was already summer vacation, and he didn't see many students coming in and out.

The Starbucks nearby also didn't have many people in the store because Qianjiang University was on summer vacation.

Li Luo pushed the door and walked in; thinking that "Sleep Early and Grow Tall" would pass by the store in a moment, he chose a seat by the window to sit down, and even took a photo of the view outside the window to send to the other side.

【Li Luo】: I'm sitting by the window; just tell me when you arrive.

【Sleep Early and Grow Tall】: Good! Right away!

Starbucks didn't have a rule of mandatory consumption; Li Luo just sat there, casually flipping through his phone.

He first looked at his own book, glanced at the new comments popping up in the comment section, and then saw "Sleep Early and Grow Tall's" comment pushed to the very top by readers.

Many people were there to urge him to update, telling him not to get addicted to reading novels.

Li Luo clicked on "Sleep Early and Grow Tall's" avatar again, entered his homepage, where there were only two books.

One was "Literary Era," written from 2014 to 2017.

One was "Gu Dao Changqing," written from 2018 until now; currently, because it is in the final stages, the updates are very slow, taking leave for a day or two from time to time, and readers are full of complaints.

Unlike authors like Li Luo who specialize in writing simple, straightforward web novels, "Sleep Early and Grow Tall's" writing style is relatively delicate and mature, carrying a faint literary flavor, but the writing is occasionally playful and humorous.

He is also a master at driving the plot.

Relatively speaking, the difficulty of writing is also greater.

Li Luo and "Sleep Early and Grow Tall" had also discussed some higher-level techniques and theories of online novels, but to be honest, it sounds simple, but doing it is hard.

For example, the issue of wrapping up that "Sleep Early and Grow Tall" mentioned to him recently, saying the framework needs to be converged, and some threads from the early and middle stages must be collected one by one in an orderly manner and brought to a concrete conclusion.

At the same time, push towards the final climax; every thread concentrates on one final point, and after a brilliant explosion, it is the curtain call.

This stuff made Li Luo feel confused; he could understand roughly what it was about, but if he had to think about the specific techniques within it, he was completely in the dark.

Not to mention the so-called theme of the whole text that "Sleep Early and Grow Tall" mentioned in normal chats, or the scene of a certain climax that had been carved countless times in his mind before even starting the book.

Things like the outline context of using a point to cover the whole, and the difference and fusion between the writing of a grand climax and the writing of small gains.

These are things that Li Luo at the current stage finds very difficult to fully understand thoroughly.

Thinking these things in his heart, Li Luo propped up his chin, looked at the sunset gradually falling below the horizon outside the window, and felt a bit nervous deep inside.

After all, they're a big shot; shouldn't I be careful with my words in a moment?

Although the two were already quite familiar online, often bantering during chats.

But meeting offline is ultimately a bit different.

Li Luo felt he should set his attitude straight, be careful with his words in a moment, and not offend the other person.

The result was that this nervousness made him want to use the restroom.

Li Luo got up and walked to the restroom; after solving his personal business, he washed his hands and felt his phone vibrate a few times in his pants pocket.

He dried his hands, took out his phone, and walked out while reading the messages.

【Early Sleep Makes You Tall】: I'm arriving; get ready to welcome me!

【Early Sleep Makes You Tall】: Are you sitting at the place just now? I can't see you from outside.

【Early Sleep Makes You Tall】: Where are you? Where are you?

Seeing these messages, Li Luo knew that Early Sleep Makes You Tall had arrived outside Starbucks, so he simply walked straight toward the entrance.

He replied to the messages while walking.

【Fence Border】: Wait for me outside; I just went to the restroom and am coming out now.

Saying this, Li Luo walked out of Starbucks' main door, but because he was looking down while typing, he happened to bump right into a figure.

"Sss..."

"Ah!"

A girl was knocked off balance by his collision and had to grab the doorframe to avoid falling.

Li Luo was startled, then quickly apologized: "Sorry, sorry, I wasn't paying attention; are you okay?"

"Hmm... I'm fine." The girl in front of him seemed to be in a hurry too; she just waved her hand hastily and walked into Starbucks.

In that fleeting glance, Li Luo caught sight of her exquisite face and her plump, graceful figure.

Damn... so beautiful...

Li Luo was stunned, only silently withdrawing his gaze after the other person walked into Starbucks.

A mature older sister type; dressed so beautifully, I wonder which guy got lucky with her.

Thinking this, Li Luo picked up his phone again while scanning the surroundings, wanting to find the Early Sleep Makes You Tall who matched the image in his mind.

According to his guess, Early Sleep Makes You Tall should be a man a bit older than him.

After all, being able to write Literary Era, a work of entertainment set in the early twentieth century, several years ago, the age could not possibly be younger than his.

Plus the various skilled driving techniques in the book; one glance showed it was an old man.

Li Luo pondered thus, blindly guessing that Early Sleep Makes You Tall should be a middle-aged man around thirty-five.

Taking that as the standard, he scanned the area around the Starbucks entrance, then fell into a state of confusion.

This guy, could he be messing with me?

Actually never came at all?

There wasn't a single person matching the target image.

Thinking this, Li Luo looked down at his phone.

【Early Sleep Makes You Tall】: Where are you? You went out? I just entered the store and didn't see you.

【Early Sleep Makes You Tall】: I even got bumped by someone; it hurts so much.

Seeing this, Li Luo was completely stunned; a buzzing sound rang in his head, then he suddenly turned his head.

【Fence Border】: Don't tell me you're a girl???

While asking out his suspicion on QQ, Li Luo redirected his gaze to the girl he had previously bumped into.

The next second, the two people's gazes collided in mid-air.

He saw that girl walk up to Li Luo, a faint smile appearing on her face; she tilted her head and teased, "You just hurt me; how do you plan to compensate me?"

Looking at the girl with long hair cascading to her chest, slightly curled at the tips, her exquisite mature face, and her bright eyes smiling at him, Li Luo was momentarily lost.

She wore a simple white T-shirt and black hot pants that revealed a large expanse of snow-white skin, with black sneakers on her feet; the whole person looked youthful and radiant.

Li Luo simply could not connect the Early Sleep Makes You Tall he knew online with this smiling girl in front of him.

So much so that when he opened his mouth, his speech was somewhat stammering.

"You, you... you are..."

"You're Fence Border, right?" The girl giggled, extending her hand, "I'm Early Sleep; you can also call me Xu Youyu. What's your real name?"

"Li Luo." Li Luo still found it hard to accept this reality and said with difficulty, "The 'Luo' in 'Jade Pendant', the character 'Ge' meaning 'far apart' next to the 'King' radical."

"Ah, so the pen name is a homophone? Li Luo, Fence Border." Xu Youyu nodded in realization, "Fence Border, sparse path deep; new green on tree tops, not yet forming shade. Your pen name is quite well chosen."

Li Luo had never heard of this poem... so he could only nod and agree a couple of times, then couldn't help confirming again: "So you really are Early Sleep? It's not some older or younger sister he called over, right?"

"... Why do you trust me so little, you guy?" Xu Youyu rolled her eyes, took out her phone to show him the chat history, "Isn't this me? Readers call me Sister Early Sleep; could it be fake?"

"Then they also call them Squid Mom, Sister Jiao, Sister Qing, and so on."

"..." Xu Youyu was stumped by his question, then said helplessly, "Now that you've seen the real person, what more do you want? Do you want me to verify my gender for you?"

"Uh... that's not necessary..." Li Luo instinctively looked at Xu Youyu's magnificent figure in front, feeling this matter was probably unnecessary.

No matter what, a big shot earning tens of thousands or even over a hundred thousand a month wouldn't go to the trouble of cross-dressing as a woman just to prank him.

But...

Li Luo looked at Xu Youyu's face in front, then instinctively avoided her gaze, shifting his eyes away, his speech becoming somewhat incoherent.

"Then, then... now... we..."

"Go eat barbecue." Xu Youyu walked straight toward the door, waving and smiling at him, "There's a very authentic barbecue shop nearby; I'll take you to try it."

Barbecue, Li Luo also ate often.

His good brother Zhao Rongjun found a decent job in Yuhang City after graduation, and on weekends when he had free time, he would meet up with Li Luo for a meal, skewering meat and drinking, enjoying a brief moment of carefree freedom.

But eating barbecue alone with a girl was an experience he hadn't had since high school, as far as he could remember.

Walking along the roadside next to Qianjiang University with Xu Youyu leading the way, Li Luo instinctively turned his head to glance at Xu Youyu's profile, his eyes momentarily dazed.

He almost thought he was dreaming.

How could he dare to dream that the big shot teaching him to write Online Novels was a beautiful girl?

Yet at this very moment, such an absurd drama was unfolding in reality.

Xu Youyu clearly could not feel Li Luo's state of mind at that moment.

As she walked, she introduced to him: "This barbecue place isn't really a shop; it's more of a gathering spot for barbecue enthusiasts driven by passion."

"My father has a teacher who particularly loves barbecue. After retiring with nothing to do, he started tinkering with barbecue."

"But eating it alone wasn't satisfying enough, so he simply invited three or five good friends, and sometimes even former students he had taught nearby, to come over and eat some barbecue."

"As a result, because the taste was so good, it spread from one person to ten, and ten to a hundred, eventually circulating within some small circles at Qianjiang University."

"Ordinary outsiders usually can't get in even if they want to. I had to ask my father to save a spot for me, which is why I could bring you today."

While speaking, Xu Youyu led him through a winding path, turning left and right, until they entered a small alley and found the barbecue shop.

"Grandma Yu~ Good evening." As soon as Xu Youyu entered the shop, she greeted an elderly woman who was clearing tables.

"Oh, it's the young lady from the Xu family." Grandma Yu looked at Xu Youyu, her face breaking into a smile. "Come, come, sit here. Your father told me to save a spot for you."

After ushering Xu Youyu and Li Luo to sit down, Grandma Yu looked them over left and right without saying much, then chuckled as she placed a piece of paper on the table and handed over a pen: "Old rules, write it yourself."

"I know." Xu Youyu took the paper and pen, then looked at Li Luo. "Any dietary restrictions?"

Li Luo shook his head.

So Xu Youyu began writing extensively on the paper. After finishing, she handed it to Li Luo to look at. "Anything else you want to eat? Just write it down directly."

Li Luo looked at the characters already filling the paper and immediately shook his head repeatedly. "Too much, it's definitely enough to eat."

"Then let's go with that for now." Xu Youyu stood up and took the menu to Grandma Yu, then walked straight to the refrigerator, carried out a whole case of beer, placed it by the table, and asked with a smile, "Li Luo, you can drink, right? Don't tell me you can't drink."

"Does Sister Early Sleep drink?" Li Luo asked in surprise.

"Drinking helps with inspiration." Xu Youyu raised an eyebrow at him, pulled out two bottles of beer, skillfully pried off the caps, and handed one to Li Luo. "Shall we start with a toast?"

Since the girl had said so, Li Luo naturally wouldn't be shy anymore, clinking his bottle directly against Xu Youyu's.

This experience was truly strange... he had never seen a girl drink so boldly before.

Watching Xu Youyu gulp down more than half a bottle of beer, Li Luo began to suspect again whether she was actually a man in disguise.

The two of them drank and chatted idly, and before long, the ordered barbecue began to arrive one after another.

Li Luo took a bite, his eyes brightening as he realized the taste was truly different from that of outside barbecue shops.

"In Yuhang City, many barbecue shops claim to sell lamb skewers, but actually use duck meat for most of them." Xu Youyu smiled. "Especially those specializing in takeout; it's basically hard to find authentic ones."

"Hmm... now that you mention it." Li Luo picked up another lamb skewer and found the texture truly different from the lamb skewers he usually ate. "It does seem so."

"By the way." Xu Youyu picked up the beer bottle, clinked it with him again, swallowed the drink, and then continued, "How old are you? You look a bit young."

"Born in '99. What about it?"

"Eh? One year younger than me." Xu Youyu laughed. "So you're a little brother. Call me big sister and let me hear it?"

"Didn't I already call you Sister Early Sleep?" Li Luo looked helpless.

However, he hadn't expected that Xu Youyu was actually one year older than him.

Of course, by normal logic and common sense, since "Early Sleep" had been writing books for so many years, Li Luo wouldn't have had any problem guessing Xu Youyu was in her thirties.

But looking at the delicate, pink, and tender face before him, he simply couldn't connect it to the age of thirty.

Some people would even believe she was younger than him.

Being one year older than him was an age that fit her appearance quite well.

But...

"So when did you start writing novels?" Li Luo asked curiously.

"Probably during the summer vacation of my first year of high school." Xu Youyu giggled. "The first one I wrote was Literary Era."

"You wrote that during high school?" Li Luo fell silent.

Suddenly, he felt how huge the gap between people could be.

What was he doing during high school?

Either slacking off in class or going to the internet cafe to play games on weekends.

"It was a hobby back in high school, and it happened to earn some pocket money." Xu Youyu nodded, then added, "Later, when I went to university, I felt this was something I could do long-term, so I continued writing seriously."

"Then back then..." Li Luo suddenly asked curiously, "How did you see my brain-hole-style entertainment novel?"

"I was quite surprised at the time, after all, it was a new book with only a hundred thousand words."

"I didn't expect a big shot like you to be reading it and even leaving a comment."

"Oh, that." Xu Youyu frowned, trying hard to recall. "I remember who it was, but I can't quite recall clearly."

"Anyway, I was looking at my Moments feed at the time and saw a junior female student, I think. She posted on Moments recommending this book."

"I found it strange at the time because this junior student didn't usually post on Moments much, yet she was reading Online Novels and even posting the push link."

"So out of curiosity, I went to take a look, found it somewhat interesting, and left a comment to support you."

Hearing Xu Youyu say this, Li Luo immediately fell into deep thought.

Was his luck really this good?

"The junior student the senior mentioned was...?"

"I don't remember. It was a long time ago." Xu Youyu shook her head. "She probably wasn't someone I was very close to; otherwise, I would have messaged her directly."

Hearing her say this, Li Luo didn't press further.

He just assumed it was his good luck that his book happened to be seen by some female reader at that time.

I must say, this counts as a kind of fate.

They ate barbecue for over two hours.

At first, their conversation wasn't very deep; they simply got a general idea of each other's situations, then chatted idly about topics related to Online Novels.

Chatting in a field both are familiar with is a very comfortable thing.

And extending from Online Novels, since both were originally writers of entertainment novels, they naturally drifted to talking about the entertainment industry, and about the film and music works of these years.

I must say, the fact that they have known each other for over half a year and successfully arranged to meet in person shows there are many similarities in their personal tastes.

After a lively chat, they gradually finished more than ten bottles of beer. Xu Youyu stood up to pay the bill and walked out of the barbecue shop with Li Luo.

Blowing in the hot wind of a summer night, the two walked through a small alley. Li Luo turned his head to look at the girl, who was full of the smell of alcohol, and his mind became a bit dazed again.

"Lili."

"Hmm?"

"Are we considered friends now?"

"Of course."

"Then let's take a photo."

"Ah?"

"What 'ah'? Come here."

Xu Youyu raised her phone, aimed it at the two of them, and took a group photo.

"Alright, it's getting late; we should each go back to our own homes."

"Okay." Li Luo nodded, but seeing her reeking of alcohol, he couldn't help but ask, "Is it okay for you to go back like this? Do you want me to walk you home?"

"Are you sure you want to walk me home?" Xu Youyu tilted her head, looking at him with a smile, "My home is right inside this residential compound. Mom and Dad are waiting for me to come home. Do you want me to invite you up for a seat?"

"Uh... that's really not necessary." Li Luo waved his hands repeatedly, "I just mentioned online that I live alone."

"Oh, I usually rent a place to live outside." Xu Youyu nodded and said, "But I didn't rent anywhere near here."

"I brought you here for barbecue today, and just happened to come back home."

"No wonder." Li Luo nodded in realization, then said, "Then I'll walk you to the main gate of the compound, and then I'll go home."

"Okay, thanks for the trouble."

Escorting Xu Youyu all the way into the entrance of the nearby residential compound, Li Luo watched her slightly swaying figure, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled.

Not until Xu Youyu's back disappeared around the corner did he turn around and leave. After getting on the subway to go home, he even patted his own face.

Looking at the reflection of his figure in the subway window, Li Luo felt as if he had just had a dream.

I never thought that 'sleeping early makes you grow tall' was actually a girl... and she's so young, only one year older than me.

Li Luo scratched his head. His slightly inflated mindset, which had arisen after his new book reached four thousand average subscriptions, instantly returned to calm.

There are always people better than you, and skies beyond skies.

On the other side, Xu Youyu arrived at her front door. As soon as she pushed it open and walked in, before she could even change her shoes, she saw her parents sitting upright on the living room sofa with serious expressions.

Hearing the noise at the door, the two elders turned their heads together to look at their daughter in the entryway.

"You're back?" Cui Suling looked at her daughter, patted the empty sofa space beside her, and said to her, "Come over, sit."

"Why are you guys so serious?" Xu Youyu changed into slippers with a helpless smile, walked over to sit beside her mother, and suddenly wrapped her arms around Cui Suling's neck, "Mom, give me a kiss~"

"Go, go, go! You smell like alcohol!" Cui Suling pushed her away with a look of disgust, "Why are you drinking? Didn't you say you were treating a friend to barbecue?"

"Yeah, how can you eat barbecue without drinking?"

"I heard it was a boy?" Cui Suling asked, narrowing her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Xu Youyu tilted her head and asked, "Didn't you two say I shouldn't always stay cooped up in my rental, and that I should go out and socialize more?"

"So where did that boy come from?" Cui Suling asked, "I haven't seen you know any boys usually."

"Met him online."

"An online friend?!" Cui Suling's tone rose a notch, "Why didn't you tell me earlier? Can you just meet online friends randomly?"

"It's not as ridiculous as you think." Xu Youyu looked speechless, "He writes novels just like me."

Upon hearing this, Xu Rongsheng, who had been silent beside them, finally spoke up and asked, "Writes novels?"

"Yes."

"Where are they from?"

"Local."

"What are their family conditions?"

"... How would I know that?" Xu Youyu was somewhat amused and exasperated, "Why would I ask him that out of the blue? It's not a blind date; I'm just making a friend."

"Not looking for a relationship?" Cui Suling asked in surprise.

"At least we can't talk about that yet, right?" Xu Youyu blinked her eyes and joked playfully, "But he seems like a nice person. If you're in a hurry, Mom, I could give it a try?"

"I didn't say that." Cui Suling shook her head repeatedly, "He writes novels; does he make money? Judging by what you usually say, your industry must be quite unstable, right?"

"Indeed." Xu Rongsheng nodded and said, "I've looked into it. Youyu's current results are already remarkable on their website. What are this boy's results?"

"Uh... a little worse than mine?"

"How much is 'a little'?"

"Probably less than half of mine?"

"Can that be called 'a little'?" Cui Suling said speechlessly, "You should still be careful."

"I already said he's just a friend. You two are interrogating me like you're checking household registration." Xu Youyu sighed, "Anyway, it's not a big deal. If you two have nothing else to ask, I'm going to sleep."

Watching their daughter stand up and walk into the bedroom, the couple on the sofa exchanged a glance.

After Xu Youyu left, they began whispering to each other.

"What's actually going on? Ask Aunt Yu for more details."

"Didn't I ask? She just went to a shop with a guy for some barbecue, and they seemed to be having a pretty good chat," Xu Rongsheng said, frowning. "You've been pushing her to get married all along; now that she's actually looking, you're unhappy?"

"But she still needs to find someone of equal status, right?"

"We don't even know the other side's situation yet," Xu Rongsheng said, shaking his head. "I think you should interfere less; the more you push on matters like this, the more rebellious she becomes."

"If I don't push, she won't look either," Cui Suling said with a helpless expression. "Look, you say don't push, yet she didn't date anyone during her four years of university. Now she's graduated for two years and is about to turn thirty. Can I not be anxious?"

"Alright, alright, at least she's willing to go out on dates now," Xu Rongsheng said, his ears getting annoyed. He stood up and brushed off his pants. "If you're so anxious, why not invite the guy over for a meal at home next time?"

Jincheng Community.

Li Luo returned home.

Li Guohong and Lin Xiuhong had already gone to bed early because they had to work at the breakfast shop tomorrow morning.

He walked into the bathroom, took a shower, returned to the bedroom, lay down, and then glanced at his phone.

【Sleep Early to Grow Tall】: (Image)

【Sleep Early to Grow Tall】: The photo turned out a bit ugly. I don't usually edit pictures, so just bear with it.

【Lilac Fence】: It's quite nice; green leaves set off the fresh flowers.

【Sleep Early to Grow Tall】: How many girls has that mouth of yours tricked?

【Lilac Fence】: I haven't even tricked a single one yet.

【Sleep Early to Grow Tall】: Why do I find that so hard to believe?

【Lilac Fence】: I've never even been in a relationship; what's there to trick you with?

【Lilac Fence】: This time you treated me to a meal; next time, let me treat you. I also need to thank you for always teaching me how to write Online Novels.

【Sleep Early to Grow Tall】: Haha~ Sure, then I won't stand on ceremony.

The two chatted for quite a while, from past ten in the evening until dawn.

Finally.

【Sleep Early to Grow Tall】: I'm going to sleep first; I can't stay awake any longer. Goodnight.

【Lilac Fence】: OK, goodnight.

They said goodnight, but in reality, many people wouldn't sleep at all after saying goodnight.

Li Luo tossed and turned in bed late at night, feeling unable to fall asleep no matter what.

Finally, he simply got out of bed, turned on his computer, entered the Writer's Assistant, and planned to type for a while.

However, after writing for just a short while, he saw that in a word-counting room he had been pulled into yesterday by Sleep Early to Grow Tall, the word count of a certain person with the ID "Sleep Early to Grow Tall" was also slowly rising.

The person on the other end clearly noticed this as well.

The QQ icon in the bottom right corner of the computer screen immediately began flashing.

【Sleep Early to Grow Tall】: Wait, you said goodnight, and then secretly started grinding?

【Lilac Fence】: Didn't you say goodnight first? Now you want to grind behind my back, huh?

Looking at the message the other person sent, both of them couldn't help but laugh out loud in their respective bedrooms.