Chapter 79: Old Xu Is Actually a Female College Student? (Please Vote for Me)

“Can’t I treat you all to a meal even if there’s nothing to celebrate?!”

“Come on, let’s go! The Long March Restaurant is waiting—how can you be so reluctant? I invite you out and you’re not even enthusiastic!”

Feng Jiayou still didn’t boast about herself, nor did she urge Huang Beijia and the others to turn to page 27 of the sample issue of Yanjing Literature in their hands. Instead, she hustled them along, urging them to head to the restaurant quickly to grab a seat.

It was mealtime, and the Long March Restaurant was the most popular spot near Yan University—renowned for its hospitality, with a reputation that had spread across several streets. It was always packed, nearly impossible to get a table.

If they got there late, they really might have nowhere to sit!

“Jiayou, what’s going on with you?! You seem a little too pleased with yourself!” Cha Jianying teased her with a laugh. No matter how she looked at it, Feng Jiayou seemed to be floating on air.

“Alright, alright! There is good news—your favorite author, Lao Xu, the writer of ‘The Horse Herder,’ is on the front page again. Isn’t that something worth celebrating?”

Is she really floating? Feng Jiayou didn’t think so. If anyone was excited, it was these friends of hers, all going wild every time Lao Xu published a new story.

“Yes, but we can’t let you foot the bill alone!”

“How about this? Let’s each pitch in a yuan and go to the Long March Restaurant for a meal?”

Huang Beijia nodded; it really was a day worth celebrating. The timing was perfect, too—they had plans to see a movie with Lao Xu that night, and now his new work had just been published, again as the lead piece in Yanjing Literature.

Remarkable!

Huang Beijia had read “A Heart of Grass,” and it was truly, genuinely excellent—no worse than “The Horse Herder.” They had to celebrate!

It was a pity, though, that their Yan University’s own Lao Xu was so deeply hidden, so composed. Nearly every student, male or female, had tried to figure out who Lao Xu was, but no one had succeeded. Lao Xu himself had never stepped forward, making the girls all the more eager and full of anticipation.

They were hoping that he might show up for the movie that evening.

And it wasn’t just Huang Beijia—how many girls secretly hoped they’d see Lao Xu at tonight’s film?

“Great idea! Let’s each put in a yuan, and Jiayou, your husband should join us too!”

Cha Jianying agreed, including Cheng Xueming in the plan.

“No need for that! Let Xueming and I treat you instead!”

After all, the invitation had come from Feng Jiayou. How could she let everyone else pay?

“What do you mean, no? You two have treated us plenty of times—why should you always be the ones to pay?”

“By the way, Jiayou, where did you get this copy? Did you run into Zhuang Dening? Did she deliver the sample issue for Lao Xu?”

“Do you remember which way she came from? Was it from the direction of our Chinese Department’s boys’ dormitory?”

Huang Beijia wrapped an arm around Feng Jiayou, pulling her along as she pressed for answers.

They were sure that Zhuang Dening from Yanjing Literature had brought Lao Xu his sample issue and that she’d bumped into Feng Jiayou along the way.

It never occurred to them that Feng Jiayou and her husband had spent all morning fetching it from Yanjing Literature themselves!

“Beijia, why must it be from the boys’ dorm?”

Feng Jiayou didn’t answer directly, but questioned with curiosity.

“You don’t know?” Cha Jianying looked at her.

“Huh? What should I know?” Jiayou was even more puzzled. She hadn’t stayed in the dorm the previous night and felt as if she’d missed out on all the inside gossip.

Cycling behind, Cheng Xueming tried to keep pace, listening to the women’s chatter. He was curious too—what should Jiayou know, and why did Zhuang Dening come from the boys’ dorm?

“It’s like this—everyone at our university is trying to find out who Lao Xu is. Based on our deductions, we’ve narrowed it down to four possible seniors: Chen Jiangong from our Chinese Department, and Zhao Zhenkai, Yuan Qingcheng, and Zhang Wei from other departments.

“Jianying and I both think it’s probably our own Chen Jiangong—he’s always been hardworking and low-key,” Huang Beijia explained.

“They really…” Jiayou pursed her lips. Such an outstanding man was right by their side, but these girls were all missing it.

“But why couldn’t it be a woman?” Feng Jiayou blurted out, almost on a whim.

All these girls were so eager, but what if the real author, Lao Xu, was actually a woman from Yan University? Imagine a girl writing love letters to another girl and asking her to the movies—now that would be interesting!

“A woman?” Huang Beijia and Cha Jianying looked at her in surprise, but quickly shook their heads. “No way. Everyone says it’s a senior from Yan University.”

“Even the mailroom confirmed—a tall male student. How could it be a woman?”

“True,” Jiayou said, only half-joking. These girls, with nothing better to do, even had a list of suspects.

Chen Jiangong from the Chinese Department, was it?

“So, Beijia, Jianying, you’ve set your sights on Chen Jiangong?” Jiayou teased. “If—and I mean if—it really is him, what then?”

They laughed. If their suspicions were right, were they going to the movie tonight just for him?

“We’re only guessing. Some of our dorm mates have asked Chen Jiangong directly—he denied it.”

“Then why suspect him?” He’d already said no.

“It’s a competition! The other departments have their own candidates for Lao Xu—our Chinese Department can’t fall behind.”

Whether or not Lao Xu was from the Chinese Department, they had to keep up appearances. Yan University’s Chinese Department bore the responsibility of revitalizing the campus literary scene—Lao Xu had to be one of theirs!

Otherwise, it would be a disgrace to be outshone by another department.

“That’s true,” Jiayou agreed as they bantered all the way to the Long March Restaurant on Wusi Road.

Inside, it was indeed packed. Just as luck would have it, a table opened up, and the three girls quickly claimed it. With Cheng Xueming, there were four in total. Jiayou took charge of ordering—four dishes and a soup, costing nearly five yuan.

“Jiayou, isn’t that over budget?” They’d each agreed to put in a yuan, Jiayou and Xueming included—four yuan in total. But she’d ordered an extra soup, going over by fifty cents.

“I told you, this one’s on me!” Jiayou smiled slyly. “Think of it as an early treat—you’ll understand soon enough.”

She didn’t say it was a celebration—more of a guilty plea. Lao Xu, the author of “The Horse Herder,” was sitting right beside them, but they couldn’t see it, insisting on pushing Chen Jiangong forward to represent the Chinese Department.

She could only marvel at the logic of her fellow women.

“An early treat? What do you mean, Jiayou? Since when do people give early treats?”

“Come on, be honest—what are you hiding from Jianying and me?”

Huang Beijia stared at Jiayou, demanding answers. Jianying put down the sample issue of Yanjing Literature and looked at her too.

“Cheng Xueming, what good news is your wife keeping from us?”

They turned to Xueming.

“You all… well…” Xueming was at a loss. He pointed at the Yanjing Literature on the table.

“This?” Beijia and Jianying were baffled. What did he mean?

“Cheng Xueming, are you saying… Lao Xu, the author of ‘The Horse Herder,’ is actually Feng Jiayou?”

“She just said—why couldn’t Lao Xu be a woman?”

“Is she dropping hints?”

Beijia’s mind ran wild. Xueming was hinting for them to check the sample issue!

Jiayou had another piece published—a short review of nearly three thousand words.

They even dared to guess that Jiayou herself was the author of ‘The Horse Herder’! If they could think that far, why not go further and ask, “Cheng Xueming, don’t tell me you wrote ‘The Horse Herder’ and ‘A Heart of Grass’ yourself?”

If so, he’d probably just give a modest nod and say, “It’s nothing much.”

“Yanjing Literature?! Is this the latest issue? We didn’t see it at the newsstand.”

“Whoa, ‘A Heart of Grass,’ by Lao Xu?!”

“Is this a new work from the author of ‘The Horse Herder’?”

“Can we have a look? Is it true Lao Xu has another new story?”

Their table was drawing attention—three pretty girls and a guy, talking about the famous Lao Xu.

Several students glanced over and immediately noticed the Yanjing Literature sample on the table.

When they saw the title “A Heart of Grass” by Lao Xu on the cover, the place erupted!

“This is a sample issue, not yet officially released. You can read it, but please don’t take it—we only have the one copy,” Cha Jianying said with a wry smile. She didn’t want to lend it, but couldn’t resist the eager faces. After a nod from Jiayou, she agreed.

“A sample issue? No wonder it wasn’t at the newsstand!”

“We’ll just look at it here, not take it away!”

A female student quickly reached for the sample and, as she did, said, “By the way, I just bought the latest Shanghai Literary Arts out front. There’s a piece in it called ‘Girls’ Dormitory’—it’s really well written!”

“We all suspect it’s based on the girls’ dorm at Yan University. You should read it too!”

A trade! The girl took the Yanjing Literature and handed over her copy of Shanghai Literary Arts, recommending it.

“Really? ‘Girls’ Dormitory’—it sounds like it’s about our lives. Is it good?” The three girls were surprised and all focused on the new magazine.

Cheng Xueming, sitting quietly, dared not say a word.

This issue of Shanghai Literary Arts was finally out, already on the shelves at the Yan University newsstand, and judging by the attention, it was going to make a splash.

After all, it was about life in a girls’ dormitory—sure to attract readers like Beijia, Jianying, and Jiayou. And what guy wouldn’t be curious about what goes on in a girls’ dorm?

When “Girls’ Dormitory” was first published, it quickly stirred up a storm among students nationwide, resonating widely. That was why it went on to win the national first prize for best short story that year.

Now, with Cheng Xueming’s advance tribute, and with the magazine newly released at Yan University, it had already caught the attention of the female students, who were quick to recommend it to their peers.

It was clear—“Girls’ Dormitory” was bound to be a hit!

That made three potential blockbusters in Cheng Xueming’s hands: “The Horse Herder,” “Girls’ Dormitory,” and the soon-to-be-famous “The New Factory Director’s Debut.”

All three were award-winners, each earning first prize in their year.

If memory served, next spring in March, Professor Wu’s side would organize the first National Short Story Awards.

With these three stories, could Cheng Xueming sweep the awards?

And, if the timing worked, “Yellow Earth Plateau” in Yanhe Literature was also an award-winner that year.

Even the notoriously hard-to-place “Harvest” in Shanghai had a first-prize story lined up.

If all could be published by December, they’d be in time for the March awards selection.

If everything lined up, could they win them all?

…