Chapter 150: Throwing Flirtatious Glances at a Blind Man
Because many of the characters were in traditional script, Xu Youyou read at a slower pace, but even so, she was utterly engrossed.
Even her lunch was brought to her by Xu Fang.
Xu Youyou quickly ate a few bites, skipping her usual midday nap, and continued reading until nine in the evening. Throughout the day, she ignored most of the messages on her phone after only glancing at them.
Even after finishing the entire book, she remained in a daze. While showering, her mind was still filled with the phrase, “In the end, the vast land lay in a pure, white void—truly clean.”
Thinking about the manuscript’s ending, Xu Youyou felt as if she had just awoken from a long dream. The book’s title had never felt more fitting. Lying in bed, she had to force herself to sleep.
The next morning, she broke her usual habit of sleeping in and woke up at five. Since she was already awake, she got out of bed, threw on a robe, and went straight to the study.
Elder Zhang’s old books had all been carefully categorized and arranged in the study.
“Boss?” A hesitant voice came from the slightly ajar study door. Xu Fang, who had woken up early, had heard noises and came to check. She hadn’t expected to find her normally late-rising boss already up.
“You organized these books?” Xu Youyou asked.
Xu Fang nodded.
Her base salary was sixty thousand yuan a month, excluding bonuses. Though her main job was still driving, she always felt it wasn’t enough and wanted to do more for Xu Youyou. Sorting the study had been something she took the initiative to do.
“Did you come across Elder Zhang’s manuscripts?” Xu Youyou asked.
Xu Fang led her to a row of bookshelves in the corner. “All of these are his manuscripts—mostly research notes on Dream of the Red Chamber.”
Xu Youyou took a look and saw that it was true. The lingering impact of Dream of the Red Chamber was still heavy on her, and she desperately needed to read others’ reflections to ease her internal turmoil.
She had suspected that Elder Zhang would have left behind some research materials, and she was right. As she read through them, she couldn’t help but be amazed at the depth of his studies. He had noticed details she had overlooked.
Seeing that Xu Youyou was completely absorbed in reading, Xu Fang tiptoed out of the study. A few minutes later, she returned with a coat for Xu Youyou and a tray carrying a simple breakfast and warm milk.
“You did a great job. Starting next month, your base salary will increase to a hundred thousand.” Xu Youyou said.
Xu Fang had performed flawlessly during their trip to the capital, taking care of countless details that Xu Youyou hadn’t even noticed. A capable assistant like her was worth every penny.
Xu Fang nearly thought she was dreaming. Holding back her excitement, she said, “Thank you, Boss.”
After leaving the study, she jumped up and down a few times on the carpeted hallway. Working for a boss who recognized and rewarded hard work—she felt like she would give her all for Xu Youyou.
Xu Youyou took a few bites of breakfast without putting down the manuscript. When the study clock pointed to ten, her phone suddenly rang. Seeing that the caller was Lu Jingyao, she picked up.
“You didn’t reply to my message yesterday. I figured you might be busy, so I waited until now to call. Am I disturbing you?” Lu Jingyao asked.
Over the phone, he couldn’t see her expression, but Xu Youyou was still lost in the world of Dream of the Red Chamber.
“No, you’re not…” Her voice sounded almost ethereal.
Lu Jingyao immediately sensed something was off. He grew tense and asked, “Did something happen?”
He was already considering catching a flight to the capital that night to check on her.
After a brief hesitation, Xu Youyou said, “There’s a very famous author. Everyone thought he left his book unfinished, but in reality, he wrote the ending—it just never resurfaced.”
Hearing that it was just about a book, Lu Jingyao relaxed. As long as she was safe. He then asked, “Is it a tragic ending?”
Xu Youyou sighed. “Everyone knew it was tragic, but now I finally understand why.”
Lu Jingyao wasn’t much of a novel reader, but since Xu Youyou cared, he asked, “Which book are you reading? Sounds like a great one.”
“Dream of the Red Chamber.”
Lu Jingyao: !!!
A thought immediately came to his mind—Xu Youyou seemed to have a knack for discovering treasures. “Did you find the lost chapters in the capital? Are they Cao Xueqin’s original drafts?”
To the Chinese people, Dream of the Red Chamber was more than just a novel—it was the grandest dream of their past civilization. Everyone wished to see it in its entirety.
“I don’t know if they’re the original drafts,” Xu Youyou said. “But all the unresolved plotlines were tied up, and the themes of ‘A thousand beauties weep, ten thousand loves end in sorrow’ were fully realized. It feels completely in line with Cao Xueqin’s intent.”
After a brief pause, Lu Jingyao asked, “Can I…”
Before he could finish, Xu Youyou responded, “Yes.”
“I’ll send you the photos I took of the manuscript later, but I’d like you to keep it confidential for now.”
At that moment, Lu Jingyao had a realization—if Xu Youyou was willing to share something this valuable with him, did that mean he held a special place in her heart?
“Thank you,” he said.
Xu Youyou casually replied, “Didn’t you let me borrow Zhao Mengfu’s calligraphy just like that? No need to be so formal over something this small.”
Lu Jingyao continued, “I have another request… My parents are both huge Dream of the Red Chamber fans. Could they take a look too? I promise they won’t leak anything.”
Because she trusted Lu Jingyao, Xu Youyou was willing to trust his family as well. With his pride, he wouldn’t break his word.
And even if something unexpected happened, he would surely do everything in his power to make it up to her.
“This manuscript is too important to be sent digitally. I’ll have Assistant Liu pick it up personally,” Lu Jingyao offered.
Seeing how much trouble he was going through, Xu Youyou simply said, “I’ll be back in Shanghai in a couple of days. Why don’t you just come to my place then? Save Assistant Liu the trip.”
Lu Jingyao immediately agreed. Xu Youyou wasn’t the type to be easily won over, so he was glad for any chance to spend time with her.
“Oh, right—why did you message me yesterday?” Xu Youyou asked.
“I wanted to ask when you’d be back in Shanghai.”
Xu Youyou frowned. “And why do you need to know?”
Lu Jingyao was momentarily stunned by her direct question. Then, he shot an annoyed glance at Assistant Liu—wasn’t checking in from time to time supposed to be a good dating strategy?
“I’ll pick you up from the airport,” he said.
Xu Youyou found that odd. “My car’s parked at the airport. I don’t need a ride.”
Lu Jingyao: …
He turned to glare at Assistant Liu again. All this effort, and in the end, he had been throwing flirtatious glances at a blind woman.
