Chapter 74

In an empty classroom on the sixth floor of the Gao Er teaching building.

Duan Qintian, president of the Literature Club, glanced at today's club recruitment list.

Generally, most students in Gao Yi choose one subject they're interested in to join a competition club, then pick another interest-based club they like.

Unless they're the kind of literary-minded student who holds some romanticized filter toward literature and enjoys reading and writing in daily life, hardly anyone signs up for the Literature Club.

So the Literature Club isn't like the Math or Physics clubs, which have dedicated instructors teaching daily, nor is it as large as the Basketball or Anime clubs.

Last year, about fifty students joined the Literature Club, over half of whom had previously won essay contests or scored full marks on their high school entrance exam essays.

This year the number is roughly the same—just over fifty—but there's one exception: a student who scored full marks on the high school entrance exam essay not only didn't sign up, but also rejected the vice president's personal invitation.

"This Li Luo has a terrible attitude," Qin Yawei said as she entered the classroom, unable to hold back her complaint. "I hadn't even said anything yet, and he just refused outright."

"I clearly told him he only needs to submit one article per month, and he doesn't have to do anything else."

"Our Literature Club isn't like those competition clubs that require classes every day and weekly tests on weekends—it's this easy, and he still won't join."

"Alright, alright," Duan Qintian waved his hand. "It's not the first time this has happened. Maybe he's just not interested."

Even so, Duan Qintian and Xu Youyu had both added all thirty-seven students on the teacher's list to the club—only Qin Yawei had missed Li Luo, and she must feel uneasy about it.

"You just said the student who refused to join—what's his name again?" Xu Youyu asked curiously.

"Li Luo. Why?"

"The monitor of Class Eight, Gao Yi?"

"I don't know if he's monitor or not, but he's definitely from Class Eight."

"Oh, I see," Xu Youyu chuckled softly, finding it amusing.

Still, she hadn't expected Li Luo to refuse outright.

"Do you know this student?" Duan Qintian asked, noticing her reaction.

"Sort of."

"Then could you trouble yourself to go ask him again tomorrow, on Qin Yawei's behalf?" Duan Qintian had full confidence in Xu Youyu's charm.

If Xu Youyu made the invitation, and the student was male, it was practically guaranteed.

Qin Yawei, standing nearby, immediately frowned, opening her mouth to say something.

But then she caught sight of Xu Youyu's full chest and delicate profile, and merely huffed, falling silent.

Let that Li Luo hold out a little longer.

If he joined the moment Xu Youyu invited him, Qin Yawei would look down on him—he'd just be another ordinary, vulgar guy.

"Fine, I'll give it a try," Xu Youyu nodded. "But I can't guarantee success."

"No problem—if he really doesn't want to join, we won't force him," Duan Qintian said. "Then that's all. Let's wrap up. Xu Youyu needs to go home, right?"

"Mm." Xu Youyu stood up, stretched, already thinking of Li Luo's fried noodles. "I'm off then. Bye."

…

Xu Youyu walked home, breathing in the fresh night air, her steps light as she thought of Li Luo's fried noodles.

In truth, if she wanted, she could move back into the Qianjiang University staff housing next door—her mother would make her late-night snacks.

But Xu Youyu preferred the feeling of freedom over the comfort of home.

Her family was a classic scholarly household, strictly raised and steeped in traditional literature since childhood—she'd been a perfect little girl.

Then, by chance, she encountered Online Novels and discovered another side of literature she'd never known, slowly changing her personality.

She realized traditional masterpieces were indeed excellent; the characters and sufferings in those books, when savored, could make one ponder and feel melancholy.

But reading Online Novels brought absolute, pure joy.

If traditional literature was a sword piercing the hazy veil of reality, then Online Novels were wings fulfilling illusory dreams.

Yet in her father's eyes, Online Novels were nothing but lowbrow textual trash.

If he found out his daughter was writing such things, Xu Youyu couldn't imagine the scene.

To get signed, she'd secretly taken her family's household registration book to copy it, impersonated two people to fool the editor, then signed the contract using the photocopy.

To avoid being caught while writing, she'd begun laying the groundwork in Gao Yi, claiming she needed to learn independence in high school, and applied to rent her own apartment.

Since the rented place was directly across from Qianjiang University, her parents agreed.

As for the school's Literature Club, it was just to satisfy her parents' expectations, so she'd always participated seriously.

Thinking of this, Xu Youyu found it funny—she understood perfectly why Li Luo didn't want to join the Literature Club.

After all, he'd rather spend that time writing a few more chapters.

"Mmm… so fragrant." Xu Youyu returned to Room 1502, and as soon as she opened the door, the aroma of fried noodles drifted from the kitchen. She hurriedly slipped on her slippers and padded over.

She peered into the kitchen and saw Li Luo stir-frying. "Where's Chanxi?"

"She's taking a shower," Li Luo replied. "Fried noodles are almost ready."

"Alright." Xu Youyu responded, went back to her bedroom to put down her bag, turned on her computer, then returned to the kitchen, took a packet of fruit powder from the fridge, and made three glasses of juice.

At that moment, Li Luo's fried noodles were done.

He served himself and Xu Youyu each a bowl, leaving Ying Chanxi's portion in the pot, covered with the lid to keep it warm in case her shower took too long.

Xu Youyu placed the juice on the dining table, and as Li Luo carried the dishes out, she smiled and asked, "Today's club recruitment—what did you end up joining?"

"Basketball Club," Li Luo sat down and pushed Xu Youyu's bowl toward her. "Following Principal Wang's advice: exercise more."

"Didn't you consider any of the competition clubs?" Xu Youyu asked curiously. "Didn't Chanxi join the Math Club? Aren't you going with her?"

"She joins the Math Club to roam through knowledge," Li Luo shook his head. "If I joined, I'd just be enduring torture—why torture myself?"

"Your high school entrance exam score was pretty good. Is it really that bad?"

"I scored 110 because that's my actual level. Others scored 120 because the exam's maximum was only 120. I know my limits."

"Then if that's the case," Xu Youyu smiled, eating her noodles as she suggested, "why not join the Literature Club?"

"Oh? So that's what you've been hinting at." Li Luo raised an eyebrow, finally understanding her earlier setup. "You're in the Literature Club too?"

"I'm the vice president."

"I thought you were the president."

"If you could join the club," Xu Youyu said with a smile, "I might become president right away."

"Huh?" Li Luo blinked in surprise. "Are you and the other vice president playing some kind of game— whoever gets me to join becomes president?"

"You wish," Xu Youyu gave him a look. "I was just being polite."

"Then forget it. Literature club seems too much trouble. The basketball club just lets you show up whenever you want— no strict requirements."

"The literature club doesn't have strict requirements either."

"Aren't you supposed to submit an essay every month?"

"Who do you think collects the submissions?" Xu Youyu chuckled. "If I bring you in, you're under my supervision. If you don't want to write, don't write."

"You can do that?" Li Luo looked astonished. "Then what's the difference between joining and not joining?"

"What if you decide later you want to write something?" Xu Youyu said. "Besides, the literature club isn't just about submitting essays. We have club activities too— it's just up to you whether you want to join them."

"For example?"

"For example…" Xu Youyu began, then fell silent.

The literature club really didn't seem to have any interesting activities.

Clubs like the math club or physics club were purely competition-based; their evening sessions were just like an eighth class, with instructors preparing special lessons.

Clubs like basketball, table tennis, or anime were looser— members simply had company to play ball or watch anime with.

As for the literature club, during evening sessions, everyone simply gathered in a fixed activity room, chatting and joking, sharing books or articles they'd recently read.

On Saturday afternoons, the pen pal meetings involved reviewing each other's recent works.

Aside from that, there was one other interesting thing.

"The literature club doesn't have many interesting activities," Xu Youyu said with a grin, "but there's one thing I think's fun. In the literature club, you can choose one or two pen pals."

"Two people agree to correspond by letter, like the scholars of old."

"Some things aren't easy to say face-to-face with friends, but you can express them through letters."

Li Luo blinked and asked, "But can't you do that without joining the literature club?"

"Then you might not find anyone willing to write to you," Xu Youyu coaxed. "There are more people in the literature club who'd be willing. Come on, come on— when I become president, I'll make you vice president!"

"Heh, if you want to boss me around, just say so. Skip the vice president title," Li Luo snorted. "Give me a month of laundry duty instead— that's more practical."

Xu Youyu: "…I think you're asking for a beating."