Chapter 328: It

After waking from a nap, it was already past twelve noon when he opened his eyes again.

Li Luo slowly woke up, rubbed his eyes, checked the time on his phone, then stretched out on the bed.

He turned to look at Xu Youyu, who was still sleeping soundly and peacefully, so he didn't disturb her and instead scrolled through his phone on the bed.

【Qianzhou】: The realist-themed writing contest launch is at Conference Hall One on the fourth floor of the hotel, starting at two p. m. If you're interested, feel free to drop by and just show your check-in badge.

【Chongran】: Received.

After replying simply, Li Luo checked his other messages.

Ying Chanxi had already had lunch with Lin Xiuhong and Li Guohong and was now planning to take a nap.

Li Guohong and Lin Xiuhong had gone out to visit a hotpot restaurant, intending to check in on their work there before the trip.

Then Li Luo received a message from Zhao Rongjun.

It was a photo of a dining table covered with a lavish spread of dishes.

Two bowls sat across from each other, suggesting that three people had eaten lunch at Xu Yinghuan's place.

【Li Luo】: Just the three of you eating? Where are her parents?

【Zhao Rongjun】: Her parents aren't home—probably working outside. Lunch was made by their housekeeper.

【Li Luo】: There's a housekeeper? Is there a butler too?

【Zhao Rongjun】: No, not that…

【Li Luo】: Then I suggest you apply for the job—you'd already have one foot in success.

【Zhao Rongjun】: …I'm eating first.

After chatting with Zhao Rongjun, Li Luo threw off the covers, got out of bed, and went to the bathroom.

When he came out, he found Xu Youyu awake, staring at him.

"Did I wake you up?"

Xu Youyu shook her head, stretched lazily on the bed, and said in a sleepy tone, "I slept enough."

"Then get up. Let's go downstairs and eat," Li Luo said. "We should go watch the contest launch this afternoon."

"Okay~" Xu Youyu replied, but made no move to get up. After yawning, she reached both arms out to Li Luo and cooed sweetly, "Baby, pick me up."

Li Luo: "... Act normal, Senior."

"This is what normal is like when you're dating! Get into character," Xu Youyu complained.

"Fine, fine," Li Luo sighed in amusement, walked to the bedside, grabbed her hands, and pulled up hard.

"I said pick me up, not pull me," Xu Youyu sighed. Once lifted off the bed, she sat upright and wrapped her arms around Li Luo's waist at the edge of the bed. "You're so clueless—what'll you do when you actually get a girlfriend?"

"What do you want me to do?" Li Luo rolled his eyes, then bent down, lifted the blanket, and scooped Xu Youyu up in his arms.

"Ah!" Xu Youyu was suddenly lifted into the air, her body weightless—she quickly wrapped her arms around Li Luo's neck.

When she regained her senses, she laughed happily, resting against Li Luo's chest. "Yes, yes, just like that—you're actually pretty good at this."

"You're really hard to please," Li Luo said, setting her down on the floor and making sure she stood steady.

But Xu Youyu sat back on the edge of the bed, lifted her white-socked feet, and gently rubbed them against his knees and thighs. "Husband~ help me put on my shoes~"

She even wrapped both legs around one of his legs, pulling him toward the bed.

Li Luo quickly brushed her off, his ears tingling, his whole body going weak from her saying "husband."

"Act serious… We're doing a one-day dating simulation, not a one-day marriage simulation," Li Luo crouched down, picked up her shoes, slipped them on her feet, and couldn't help muttering.

"Exactly—dating simulation," Xu Youyu nodded. "Couples call each other husband and wife all the time. You write harem urban novels—don't be so inexperienced."

Li Luo: "... Fine, I'm the inexperienced one."

After he put her shoes on, she finally stopped acting up.

She was genuinely hungry—she stood up and immediately clung to Li Luo's arm, dragging him toward the door.

They grabbed their room cards, went downstairs to the second-floor restaurant, and ordered a few simple dishes.

But during the meal, Xu Youyu wasn't calm at all—she kept picking food for Li Luo, then insisted he feed her a bite.

It looked like she intended to try every single thing couples could do.

Li Luo went from initial discomfort to numbness, gradually growing used to this dynamic.

So when they finished lunch and Li Luo stood up, noticing Xu Youyu walking over to him, he naturally took her hand—leaving Xu Youyu, who had been about to reach for it herself, momentarily stunned.

"You're learning fast, little brother," Xu Youyu grinned, then interlocked her fingers with his.

Feeling the intertwining of their fingers, the warmth of their palms touching, Li Luo pressed his lips together: "You taught me well."

Since he couldn't resist, he might as well enjoy it.

Thinking this, Li Luo stopped resisting.

Hand in hand, they walked to Conference Hall One on the fourth floor of the hotel.

When they met familiar authors, they quietly let go of each other's hands and exchanged greetings.

Anyone invited to this writer's salon was at least a ten-thousand-subscriber author on Qidian, with plenty of Grandmasters and Platinum-level writers among them.

Although Li Luo was currently in the spotlight, he remained humble in dealing with these seniors.

But online novels had only been around for about a decade, so hierarchical attitudes were weak—whether Grandmaster or Platinum, most earned millions annually, and all were remarkably down-to-earth in person.

Most had risen from humble beginnings; even those with elite university degrees rarely came from wealthy families.

So everyone was judged purely by ability.

If your book was good and your results impressive, you were talented—your years in the industry meant nothing.

If you'd been in the industry for over a decade and still acted like this, it only proved you weren't that talented.

And someone like Li Luo, who had only been writing for a year and was almost certain to be named Grandmaster by year's end, drew warm attention from many—they didn't look down on him for being a minor.

Especially with "I Am Really Not a Star" burning up on distribution platforms, many had already sensed the potential.

If Li Luo kept writing for another year or two, maintaining this momentum, he could very well become a Platinum author with just this one book.

"Are you also interested in real-life themed writing contests?" Li Luo approached a well-known xuanhuan author he recognized from the earlier panel, curiously asking.

The man recognized Li Luo and smiled: "We're just here to fill seats—make the event look bigger."

He pointed to the front row where several Platinum-level masters sat: "When we sit down, it looks good. The media has something to report, the bosses complete their tasks, and we get a free trip—all expenses paid. Everyone wins."

Li Luo heard this and couldn't help but laugh bitterly: "So this salon event is just to fill the audience for the launch?"

"Partly," the man chuckled. "Everything got bundled together. Wenxue Group benefits on multiple fronts—it's a win-win."

After learning the real situation, Li Luo found an empty seat and sat down with Xu Youyu.

To be honest, the launch was boring.

For over two hours, a few officials just delivered empty formalities on stage.

Things like: the impact of internet development on realist literature… online novels having become a brand-new form of expression in the new era… we online novel authors should pay more attention to ordinary real-life details…

After a long stream of empty talk, the only concrete point came from Wenxue Group's vice president's announcement of the contest's scope and requirements.

This included eligible works, actual prize structures, and the subsequent support and resource allocation tied to each award level.

The most compelling part, naturally, was the vice president's mention of priority recommendation for film and television adaptations.

After all, in today's world, anyone in the online novel scene knows subscription fees are small change.

The real money is in copyright!

Especially for current male-audience online novels, the two biggest copyright sources are film and games.

Any wildly popular online novel typically fetches tens of millions for these two copyright rights alone.

The key is, this isn't just a number—real people are actually willing to pay for it.

Right now, the online novel copyright market is in its golden boom phase; film and game companies are all spending big to buy up copyrights, hoarding them as their own moats.

A few years from now, when the capital market wakes up and both film and gaming enter winter slumps, this wave of online novel copyright hype will gradually cool, and prices will settle back into a more normal range.

Li Luo missed this era in his past life—but now, he'd stumbled into it.

Still, cultural and literary works are harder to sell for copyright. He wondered whether adding some original content might help fetch a better price.

That afternoon, during the realist-themed contest launch, Li Luo wandered through it like a sleepwalker, playing with Xu Youyu's hand under the table, occasionally even letting her pull his hand to touch her thigh.

But since big masters sat beside them, Li Luo dared not be too bold—after a few furtive thrills, he finally endured the launch's end.

Both Li Luo and Xu Youyu were still writing their current novels; they had no intention of starting a brand-new one just for this contest.

Xu Youyu had no energy for it; Li Luo simply didn't want to bother.

If he really had to write, he could think of several decent themes—but the mere promise of priority film adaptation rights wasn't enough to truly move him.

"If you were to write for this contest, what would you write?" Xu Youyu asked, holding Li Luo's hand as they walked toward the salon reception.

"Do you have any ideas?"

"Not really," Xu Youyu shook her head. "If you want realism but also a film adaptation, you have to lean toward truth, goodness, and beauty—no matter how rough the journey, the ending must praise the protagonist's virtue, carry a positive theme… in short…"

"In short—it's not realism," Li Luo laughed bitterly.

"Cough… you're being too blunt," Xu Youyu sighed with a smile. "I think it's still possible to strike a balance—it's just harder, and you might end up working hard for little reward."

"If I were to write it," Li Luo thought for a moment, "I'd probably write something about high school and the college entrance exam. It's the most relatable to our current lives—and resonates with nearly every family."

"That's true," Xu Youyu nodded. "Will you write it?"

"No," Li Luo immediately shook his head. "I'm already exhausted preparing the plot for my collaboration with Aunt Yuan. I don't have energy for this."

"I earn money just to enjoy life better."

"I've made enough already. It's time to enjoy it more."

"You live pretty clearly," Xu Youyu chuckled. "So after dinner at the reception, you'll treat your dear girlfriend to some fun?"

"What kind of fun?"

"We're close to Huang Pujiang. Want to walk by the river afterward?"

"Sure."

Following the crowd after the launch, they went to the third-floor buffet restaurant.

Unlike the image many imagined—suits, clinking glasses—

Online novel authors came here for one reason: to eat the buffet.

Everyone wore simpler clothes than Li Luo; some even came down in the hotel's disposable slippers. No one cared about appearances.

If someone showed up in a suit, they'd look bizarre.

Familiar authors gathered, greeted each other, ate, and chatted casually.

But it was still a reception, so most people drank a little. Xu Youyu, with a sweet tooth, secretly grabbed two glasses of red wine and handed one to Li Luo.

"What's this drink?"

"Cola."

"Why no bubbles?"

"Maybe it sat too long—the gas all escaped," Xu Youyu blinked, lifted her glass, took a small sip, then closed her eyes in pleasure.

Li Luo was thirsty and didn't think twice—he gulped it down in one big swallow before he could react.

Though he could hold his liquor, swallowing such a large gulp all at once still made his stomach uneasy.

He gave Xu Youyu a flat look; seeing her still smirking, he tapped her forehead: "You're drinking outside? What if you get drunk?"

"I won't get drunk—it's just one glass~" Xu Youyu swirled her wineglass, lightly clinking it against his. "I'm not drinking much—just tasting."

Li Luo had no choice but to sip some wine with her.

After dinner, seeing the time, they quietly excused themselves.

The other authors clearly had private plans; Li Luo and Xu Youyu, both minors, couldn't fit into this adult world.

Hand in hand, they strolled beneath Changning City's twilight, heading toward the river with no destination—wherever they ended up, that was fine.

Xu Youyu pulled him down the street, dragging him into any shop that caught her interest for a quick look.

By the time they reached the riverbank, it was already past seven in the evening.

Li Luo gazed at Xu Youyu, her long hair fluttering in the wind by the river, and felt a sudden wave of emotion.

But Xu Youyu clearly had no idea what Li Luo was thinking—she was simply savoring the quiet solitude of the moment.

Just then, a ticket booth for a sightseeing boat appeared by the riverbank; Xu Youyu spotted it and eagerly pulled Li Luo over, buying the last ticket of the night.

Following Xu Youyu up to the second-deck deck, they waited until half past seven, when the sun had just dipped below the horizon, the dim sky still holding a faint trace of twilight's glow.

The boat hummed to life and slowly glided along the Huangpu River.

The towering buildings along the riverbank, glowing with neon and lights, spread out before them.

As night fell, those buildings lit up with colorful, dazzling lights, illuminating the entire city.

Xu Youyu leaned on the deck's railing, facing the evening breeze off the river, and didn't feel the least bit stifling.

Li Luo stood behind her, unconsciously wrapping his hand around her slender waist, gently hugging her from behind.

"Guess what I'm thinking?" Xu Youyu turned her head back to him, grinning.

"Thinking about Titanic?" Li Luo smiled. "Feels like we're just like them right now."

"Haha~ How did you know?" Xu Youyu's eyes flickered with surprise, then filled with the joy of finding a kindred spirit—someone she'd stumbled upon by luck—and she couldn't help but spread her arms wide, cheering into the wind.

"This must be what they call soul connection," Li Luo steadied her waist, letting her stretch her arms out to enjoy the moment.

Xu Youyu leaned against him, closed her eyes, then smirked mischievously: "But I remember—the male and female leads in Titanic were technically having an affair, right?"

"You just had to bring up the worst possible topic," Li Luo rolled his eyes. "You've ruined the whole mood."

"Then what did you want to do under this perfect mood?" Xu Youyu turned around, looping her arms around Li Luo's neck, her eyes shimmering with allure.

Li Luo's breath quickened; he quickly averted her teasing gaze, regaining a sliver of composure.

But the next second, Xu Youyu rose onto her toes, gripping his neck firmly, and pressed her lips gently against his cheek.

This kiss lasted much longer—no longer brief and swift like the first two.

When she finished kissing and rested her head against his chest again, Xu Youyu whispered, cheeks flushed: "This time, it's not gratitude, not excitement—it's liking. Oh~"

Li Luo swallowed hard, dazed, his mind a blur.

But the next second, Xu Youyu grinned and teased again: "Of course, only within the limits of the couple experience game."