Chapter 327: One-Day Couple Experience

On the high-speed rail line from Yinjiang District to Changning City, there are roughly three or four intermediate stops.

When the high-speed train stopped at the second-to-last station, Xu Youyu slowly woke up, lifted her head from Li Luo's shoulder, removed the eye mask from her face, and looked left and right.

Seeing that Li Luo was also asleep, Xu Youyu immediately smiled, leaned over with some curiosity, and carefully examined the way Li Luo looked while sleeping deeply.

Li Luo was already quite handsome; in this life, he had gained an added maturity and steadiness of adulthood, which blended with the youthful innocence on his face, giving him a very unique temperament.

Xu Youyu very much liked the way she interacted with Li Luo in daily life; that manner of conversation made her feel very relaxed, requiring no concealment of her true nature, allowing her to bloom freely in front of Li Luo.

She also liked Li Luo's style of conduct and way of speaking in front of elders.

Especially when discussing serious matters, Li Luo could always speak fluently and hit the nail on the head, unlike some boys his age who spoke without restraint and boasted endlessly, saying things they thought were awesome but which appeared somewhat childish and ridiculous to others.

She also liked the books Li Luo wrote; even though they were urban harem novels, Xu Youyu could see the difference between Li Luo and other male authors.

In this era before the Great God of Harmony had descended, the city was flooded with various stallion and bulldozer male protagonists; the female leads were basically just labeled vases and tools, with few being written with flesh and blood.

Among them, Li Luo was an outlier.

He also liked to write explicit scenes in his books, but always very subtly; he also liked to write harem stories, wanting the protagonist to have several girlfriends, but he treated every female lead with sincerity, with plot interactions that allowed one to deduce the layers of emotional progression.

Instead of the male protagonist unleashing his aura of dominance, performing a hero's rescue, and having the female lead immediately throw herself into his arms and offer herself, only to enter the next cycle of pushing girls down.

As for the female leads who had already been pushed down?

Were they even female leads?

They were merely tools pulled over whenever the male protagonist needed to vent his lust.

Except for sleeping with the male protagonist, they basically ceased to exist, having absolutely no connection to the main plot itself.

Xu Youyu's initial decision to write books herself was partly due to this reason.

She had had enough of this way of shaping female leads.

We are all human; couldn't the female lead also have some normal function within the plot?

So whether when writing books or reading them, Xu Youyu paid great attention to the role and positioning the female lead could play in the book.

Like Li Luo's current book, "I Really Am Not a Star," which used three female leads to lock onto the three career lines the male protagonist wanted to develop, making him the man behind the three female leads.

This structure and technique, combining the female lead's own talents and strength with the resources and works the protagonist could provide to achieve a one-plus-one-greater-than-two effect, indeed made Xu Youyu very appreciative.

At this point, the female lead was no longer simply a consumable item for a hero's rescue plot, but an important character with a clear long-term positioning who occupied a certain portion of the main storyline.

She was first a long-term character, and only secondly the protagonist's spouse.

There was a clear order of precedence to this.

Every time she thought of these things, Xu Youyu couldn't help but smile.

Looking at the sleeping Li Luo beside her, she secretly reached out her hand, gently touched his face a few times, letting her fingers slide over it, tracing his nose bridge and eyebrows.

To be honest, when she first read the beginning of "I Really Am Not a Star," because of that mature writing style, Xu Youyu had once thought it was written by a middle-aged uncle.

But after truly getting to know Li Luo as a person later, Xu Youyu discovered that his ability to write such a book was indeed not strange; on the contrary, it was quite normal.

Thinking this, Xu Youyu, while tracing the contours of Li Luo's face, couldn't help but press her lips together.

However, just as she wanted to secretly do something, the high-speed train started again, suddenly shaking Li Luo awake from his dream.

Feeling the touch on his face, Li Luo opened his eyes in a daze, looked at Xu Youyu who had just withdrawn her hand, and unconsciously touched his own face: "What are you doing?"

"Nothing." Xu Youyu looked out the window with a slight feeling of guilt.

Li Luo quickly took out his phone, used the camera to check his face, looking left and right.

Seeing this, Xu Youyu was speechless: "What are you doing?"

"Checking if you were messing with me," Li Luo said. "I thought you secretly drew something on my face; luckily you didn't."

"What do you take me for?" Xu Youyu narrowed her eyes.

"Heh, aren't you just that kind of person?" Li Luo chuckled. "Maybe you were just about to do something bad, and I just happened to wake up."

"Now you're making things up out of thin air?" Xu Youyu snorted, reached out to hook her arm around Li Luo's neck, and launched a shockwave attack on him.

After a struggle, Li Luo finally admitted defeat, raised his hands in surrender, and was defeated under Xu Youyu's relentless, wave-like offensive.

Glancing at the time, it was already ten in the morning.

In about ten minutes, they would arrive at the high-speed rail station in the city center of Changning City.

Li Luo sent a message to his editor to inform him, then suddenly thought of something and pulled up Zhao Rongjun's QQ.

【Li Luo】: How is it today? Did you start the three-person study group?

【Zhao Rongjun】: Studying...

【Li Luo】: Where are you?

【Zhao Rongjun】: At Xu Yinghuan's house.

Seeing this, Li Luo immediately laughed.

【Li Luo】: Just the three of you? Where are Xu Yinghuan's parents?

【Zhao Rongjun】: Her parents don't seem to be at home... Of course, I'm not entirely sure, because her house is really too big...

【Li Luo】: What do you mean?

【Zhao Rongjun】: There's a villa district a bit north of Xu Yi High School, you know?

【Li Luo】: I have a vague impression. Are you saying?

【Zhao Rongjun】: Her house is right there... There's a small garden at the entrance, and you have to walk a short distance to reach her front door; it's four stories in total, and we are in the study on the second floor.

【Li Luo】: Good heavens, how did we never hear that her family was so wealthy during our three years of junior high?

【Zhao Rongjun】: She never mentioned it in her daily life either! If we hadn't come to her house, who would have known her family was so impressive?

【Li Luo】: So Xu Yinghuan is actually a little rich girl?

【Zhao Rongjun】: Why are you asking that?

【Li Luo】: Nothing, nothing. You continue to study hard, keep it up.

After confirming the situation of his good brother and seeing that he hadn't died from a social anxiety attack, Li Luo felt slightly relieved.

I have to admit, the desensitization training over the past year or so has had some effect, at least to a certain extent.

If this had happened in the past, if Zhao Rongjun had really gone to a girl's house, he would probably have been so ashamed that he would have found an excuse to run away.

The fact that he can now stay there quietly and study with two pretty girls is already a huge improvement.

One can only say it's something to celebrate.

Li Luo smiled, thinking that with this training effect and progress, by the time they reached university, the difficulty for Zhao Rongjun to find a girlfriend shouldn't be particularly great.

It would also spare him from the fate of his previous life, where he spent hundreds of thousands on blind dates to bring home a shrewish housekeeper, only to have a bad relationship and be forced to borrow alcohol from him on weekends to drown his sorrows.

The money for the alcohol was often paid by him... This kid didn't even have his own salary card in his hand.

Thinking of this, Li Luo helplessly shook his head.

If Zhao Rongjun's marriage in his previous life had been normal and ordinary, Li Luo would have been too lazy to meddle.

But since his marriage in the previous life was so miserable, and he is my good brother, he should at least have a good outcome in this life.

Thinking these thoughts, Li Luo laughed helplessly and shook his head. As the high-speed train pulled into the platform of Changning City's high-speed rail station, he stood up as the train slowed down and helped Xu Youyu take down their two pieces of luggage.

As a result, after dragging the suitcase off the high-speed train, Li Luo walked in front, only to suddenly have Xu Youyu catch up, her empty hand grabbing onto his arm.

Seeing this, Li Luo immediately said speechlessly: "Senior sister, what are you doing again?"

"Ying Chanxi is coming tomorrow, right?" Xu Youyu said with a grin, "I won't compete with her for the next two days, but today you are mine. I want to play the one-day couple experience mini-game!"

"What is this thing again..." Li Luo said with a helpless expression, "Didn't the last seminar just have a one-hour couple experience mini-game?"

"That game has to be upgraded, after all." Xu Youyu tightly hugged his arm and said with righteous indignation, "Even hide-and-seek can be upgraded, why can't the couple game?"

"Do you really have to play this?"

"Of course." Xu Youyu nodded affirmatively, "This is a rare opportunity for material gathering; we don't have such opportunities at home."

"Alright then." Li Luo sighed, "But we need to set three rules."

"Go ahead."

"When acquaintances are around, let's maintain our normal relationship, okay?" Li Luo said, "Once we meet the editor in a moment, you let go of my hand. I don't want him staring at me with strange eyes."

"Why would he look at you with strange eyes?" Xu Youyu asked in confusion.

"Anyway, just do as I say. The couple game is for private play only; it must not be exposed."

"Alright, I promise you." Xu Youyu nodded reluctantly.

Mainly because Li Luo recalled that last year, when the editor Qianzhou came to Yinjiang District to find him for the first time, what he saw was Li Luo and Yan Zhusheng leaving the school together.

At that time, he was probably already misunderstood by him.

If the editor saw Xu Youyu hugging his arm again after meeting, Li Luo didn't dare to imagine how the editor would view him...

Walking towards the exit with the crowd, leaning on Xu Youyu, Li Luo's expression was somewhat dazed.

Vaguely remembering, when he traveled across the country with Xu Youyu in his previous life, the two of them were also like this now, dragging their luggage and walking side by side in the crowd.

This scene even gave him a feeling as if a lifetime had passed, quite a bit of a fantasy sense of time travel.

It's just that compared to accompanying Xu Youyu on her nationwide tour back then, the younger Xu Youyu of this year seemed even more affectionate towards him.

And the more mature Xu Youyu of the previous life, although very open in attitude and tone, appeared relatively restrained and calm in specific interactions, and was actually not as enthusiastic as the seventeen-year-old Xu Youyu.

One can only say each has its own flavor.

It's just that Li Luo never expected that after meeting the mature version of Xu Youyu in her twenties, he would actually have the chance to go back to the past and get to know the slightly immature Xu Youyu in her teens again.

This would make anyone feel somewhat emotional.

"We're almost at the exit." Li Luo said in a low voice.

"Oh, I know." Xu Youyu's hand had unknowingly interlaced fingers with Li Luo's long ago.

After hearing Li Luo's reminder, Xu Youyu's index fingertip lightly scratched Li Luo's palm twice, and then, like a mischievous little cat that had just done something naughty, she smiled and let go, separating from Li Luo by a small, appropriate distance.

Li Luo's palm itched from her scratching, and his heart itched even more; he scratched his palm with his fingertips a few times to relieve it slightly.

After swiping the card to exit the station, the two of them began to look around.

"Over here, over here!" Qianzhou's voice came from the crowd, "Chongran! ZaoShui!"

"Coming." Li Luo saw the somewhat chubby Qianzhou, waved at him, and walked over with Xu Youyu, "Long time no see."

"Indeed, haven't seen each other for half a year." Qianzhou saw the two approaching, greeted them with a chuckle, and then said, "Let's go, I'll take a taxi to drive you to the hotel; it's not far from here."

After taking the two of them into the taxi, Qianzhou continued from the front passenger seat: "You two handle lunch yourselves; there's a restaurant in the hotel, but only breakfast is included every day, okay?"

"There is a meeting jointly organized by the WenYue Group and the Changning News and Publishing Bureau this afternoon. It doesn't belong to the activities of this salon, but authors who arrived early and are interested can go and listen in."

"The Changning City Writers Association and the Publishing Association are also involved; it concerns news about the first Realism Theme Essay Competition."

"Then there is an informal salon cocktail party tonight, buffet style, in the hotel's third-floor buffet restaurant, and there's nothing else for today."

After listening to him finish, Li Luo asked curiously: "Realism Theme Essay Competition? What's the specific situation?"

"It's mainly a requirement from above." Qianzhou smiled helplessly, "They always hope that a few books that can stand on the table can emerge from web novels, so they opened this essay competition."

"However, the intensity of this one is far greater than the Entertainment Theme Essay Competition you had last time."

"The officials attach great importance to this and will provide corresponding resource support."

"Qidian will also carve out a Realism category from the Urban section to treat it as a new category."

"This essay competition mainly targets new books published in the Realism category."

Xu Youyu had no interest in this; she quietly reached out, used Li Luo's backpack to shield their arms, and then held Li Luo's hand.

Li Luo glanced at Xu Youyu, saw her wink at him with a grin, and helplessly accepted this reality. While his senior sister's small hand secretly played with him, he continued to ask: "Are there any benefits? This new category probably doesn't have much reader traffic, right?"

"It's mainly aimed at physical publication and film/TV adaptation directions." Qianzhou, knowing nothing about what was happening in the back seat, continued, "Simply put, if you write well, it's easier to get recommendations for film and TV adaptations; the officials will also strongly support you and give you the green light."

Hearing this, Li Luo fell into thought, but finally shook his head: "Thinking about it, I'll pass; it's too troublesome."

"Your current book has strong momentum, and there is also an album collaboration with them coming up later; there's no need to sacrifice the root to seek the branches and consider this." Qianzhou also said with a smile, "I just told you to take a look if you have time, to understand more; I didn't say you must participate."

Li Luo and Xu Youyu both nodded, indicating they understood.

After finishing the chat with Qianzhou in the car, Li Luo quickly found an opportunity to pull his hand back, then took out his phone and sent Ying Chanxi a message saying he had exited the station and was heading to the hotel.

Seeing this, Xu Youyu immediately leaned over, glanced at his chat interface, and though he didn't see the specific content, he knew he was chatting with Xixi, so he smiled and leaned close to Li Luo's ear, whispering:

"Little junior, you're my partner today, right? Chatting privately with another girl like this, isn't that a bit wrong?"

"The editor is here now, so it's a ceasefire time," Li Luo said in a low voice.

"I don't care, the editor didn't see," Xu Youyu huffed lightly. "If a girlfriend gets angry and jealous, what should a boyfriend do?"

"Let her be alone for a while to calm down on her own?"

"You're quite smart," Xu Youyu rolled her eyes, then was slightly amused by him, nearly losing her composure.

Who knows where this guy learned so many tricks.

Qianzhou in the passenger seat saw the two in the back whispering and chatting closely and didn't pay much attention.

After all, she already knew their real-life relationship from the symposium earlier.

At school, they were senior and junior; at home, landlord and tenant; online, they were also new web novel authors debuting in the same period.

Such fate; it's no surprise their relationship is close.

When the taxi arrived at the entrance of Jinjiang Hotel, Qianzhou got out first, took out the luggage for both of them, and then led them into the hotel.

First, they registered at the front desk, got the room keys, and then signed in at the reception area set up by WenYue Group in the lobby as authors.

After that, Qianzhou led them all the way by elevator to the eighth floor of the hotel.

"8017, 8018..." Xu Youyu muttered these two numbers and quickly followed Qianzhou to the doors of these two rooms.

Xu Youyu and Li Luo each took out their room keys, unlocked their own room doors, and put the luggage inside.

Qianzhou glanced at the time, ten thirty in the morning, and said, "Then I'll head off first? You can rest a bit, have lunch at noon, and go check out that essay launch event in the afternoon?"

"Sure," Li Luo nodded, then asked, "Will the editor have lunch with us?"

"No need, you two can handle it yourselves," Qianzhou shook her head. "I'm still on work hours; after dropping you off, I'll head back to the company."

"Ah?" Li Luo was stunned for a moment, then realized it was still Friday.

For a worker like Qianzhou, today was still a workday; even for editors, the concept of weekends might not exist, since even on weekends, a bunch of authors would have things to ask them.

"This salon event itself is only open to chief editors," Qianzhou said with a helpless smile. "Simply because you two are minors, I was able to apply to come along and guide you; it's also a chance to get out for a stroll and breathe some fresh air."

"Alright, editor, you go back first," Li Luo nodded and said. "When I have some free time these next two days, I'll treat you to a meal."

"OK," Qianzhou made a gesture, confirmed they were fine, then waved goodbye and left.

Li Luo and Xu Youyu watched Qianzhou leave, then the two stood at their respective room doors and exchanged a glance.

The next second, Xu Youyu gave him a charming smile, turned and closed her own room door, then walked straight toward Li Luo's room.

"Ahem... maybe you should take a nap first? Didn't you sleep well last night?" Li Luo took half a step back and suggested considerately. "After you wake up, we can go have lunch."

"Sure," Xu Youyu came close, her two hands slowly stroking upward along his chest, then reached his shoulders, lightly placed and pushed, shoving Li Luo into his room.

Soon, the door to room 8018 was closed.

Xu Youyu smiled as she pushed Li Luo onto the bed, then lay down on it herself.

Just as Li Luo thought something was about to happen, Xu Youyu instead pulled back the quilt, lay inside, yawned, and said, "I'm sleeping first."

Li Luo was stunned for a moment and turned to look at Xu Youyu.

Xu Youyu looked at him too; seeing his surprised eyes and expression, she immediately smiled ambiguously, reached out to touch his chest: "Your heart is beating very fast. What were you thinking just now? I was obediently following your words, preparing to take a nap."

Li Luo helplessly covered his face, took a deep breath, then also climbed into the quilt, exhaled, and said, "Then let's sleep; I'm a bit sleepy too."

This time, Xu Youyu didn't pull any more little tricks, since she indeed hadn't slept well last night.

On the high-speed train, she had only made up less than an hour of sleep.

Now lying on the soft large bed, her drowsiness gradually surged up.

But just at this moment, Li Luo's phone suddenly rang.

Li Luo, who had been about to sleep, suddenly woke up, opened his eyes, and took out his phone.

Looking closely, he found it was a call from Ying Chanxi.

"Hello?"

"Li Luo, have you arrived at the hotel?" Ying Chanxi's puzzled voice came from the other end. "Didn't you say you had exited the station just now? By now, you should be at the hotel, right?"

"Mm, just arrived at the hotel," Li Luo nodded. Feeling Xu Youyu's soft body suddenly leaning against him from the side, he instinctively held his breath. "The editor got me a room, registered, and just sent him off; I was about to send you a message."

"Oh, I see," Ying Chanxi nodded. "Aunt Lin is making lunch right now, so she asked me to check; since you've arrived, we can rest assured."

"Mm, it's still early now; I plan to take a nap first," Li Luo helplessly glanced at Xu Youyu leaning in his arms. Seeing her smiling and lightly tapping his chest with her finger, he couldn't help but sigh.

Ying Chanxi didn't think much of it, nodded, and said, "Okay then, you rest more; see you tomorrow."

"Mm, see you tomorrow."

After hanging up the phone, Li Luo put his phone away and said helplessly to Xu Youyu in his arms, "Senior, didn't you say you were going to sleep?"

"Hearing Xixi's voice makes me feel close," Xu Youyu said with a grin. "Suddenly I can't sleep anymore."