Rekindling the Youthful Era

Chapter 857 Husband~
After some commotion in the car, Li Luo finally let Xu Youyu go for the time being and drove out of the underground parking garage.

Xu Youyu's face was flushed, and her chest heaved slightly, revealing a turbulent wave of emotion. It took her a while to recover.

When Li Luo drove onto the highway with a serious expression, Xu Youyu finally closed her eyes, put on a blackout eye mask, and lay down to sleep soundly.

About half an hour later, Xu Youyu was shaken awake. Still half asleep, she took off her eye mask, yawned, and looked out the window.

"Reached?"

"Okay." Li Luo had already parked the car. He leaned over to Xu Youyu, helped her unbuckle her seatbelt, and gave her a quick kiss. "Get out of the car. The Writers' Association is upstairs."

"Oh." Xu Youyu responded, finally snapping out of her daze. After putting her shoes back on, she followed Li Luo out of the car and headed towards the elevator.

The Yuhang City Writers Association and the Qianjiang Province Writers Association are located in the same building, so Li Luo and Xu Youyu are not unfamiliar with this place.

It was around 8 a.m. when the two arrived at the floor where the Provincial Writers Association was located. Following the signs, they found the hall where the meeting was being held that day.

The meeting is scheduled for 9:00 AM, so it's still very early.

Li Luo and Xu Youyu arrived here early, mainly to meet with some people first.

"Hello, Teacher Chongran."

Just as the two entered the spacious hall, a young man who had been waiting there came forward and greeted Li Luo respectfully, saying, "I am Wang Jingtao, the secretary of Director Li in the office. You can just call me Xiao Wang."

"Hello, Secretary Wang." Li Luo reached out and greeted him.

"Director Li asked me to wait for you here, saying that you need to know about matters related to key provincial projects receiving support?" Wang Jingtao asked politely.

"Well, I mainly wanted to ask about things like seminars and workshops. How exactly do I apply and go through the process?" Li Luo nodded in response.

“This might be a bit difficult for others, but it certainly won’t be a problem for you.” Wang Jingtao smiled and led Li Luo out of the hall and toward the office next door. “Let’s go sit in the office for a while, and I’ll explain it to you in detail. Director Li will be here soon.”

Li Luo nodded, and led Xu Youyu to follow Wang Jingtao to the office next door.

About twenty minutes later, Li Luo and Xu Youyu, having learned about the situation, also met Director Li.

Not long after, the potatoes arrived.

"Hey." Potato peeked into the office and asked Director Li, "Did I disturb the director's reception?"

"You two know each other very well, why are you asking me this?" Director Li chuckled, beckoning to Tudou.

After the group sat down, they chatted briefly about the previous topic. Then Director Li mentioned, "This council election is a minor matter. The number of seats was basically decided before the election. It's just a formality."

"This morning was the meeting of our provincial online writers' association. After the council election, we'll handle some other matters, and then the meeting will be over."

"There's another meeting of the Provincial Writers Association this afternoon, and you two need to attend that, especially Chongran."

"Hmm?" Li Luo raised an eyebrow, asking in confusion, "Do I have to participate?"

"Secretary Cao of our provincial writers' association heard you were coming and specifically told you not to slip away," Director Li chuckled. "Besides, you can't leave anyway, since this meeting needs to make a preliminary vote on the number of provincial members for the China Writers Association this year, and with your abilities, you're definitely going to get a spot."

"Oh right, and the China Writers Association too." Li Luo stroked his chin, realizing what he meant. "But does our Secretary Cao actually know me?"

"Don't you know Secretary Cao?" Director Li looked at him in surprise. "Secretary Cao said you two have met before."

"Huh?" Li Luo was taken aback for a moment, then asked softly, "May I ask, what is Secretary Cao's full name?"

“Cao Qiwen,” Director Li said. “Qi is the character for ‘opening’, and Wen is the character for ‘culture’ with the water radical.”

"Oh, it's this one." Li Luo instantly recognized Secretary Cao using the extraordinary memory of his memory palace, but then he hesitated and asked, "I remember he was the deputy secretary before?"

“He was just promoted this year,” Potato chimed in. “The original secretary was transferred.”

"I see." Li Luo nodded in understanding.

During the winter break when they were in their first year of high school, Li Luo and Xu Youyu won an award in an essay contest and were invited to the city's Writers Association to receive their award.

One of the invited guests at that awards ceremony was Cao Qiwen, the deputy secretary of the provincial writers' association, though now he should be called secretary.

In addition, there was Li Yuhang, chairman of the Municipal Writers Association, and Xu Rongsheng, professor of the Department of Literature at Qianjiang University, who was Xu Youyu's biological father.

At the time, a rather amusing incident occurred.

Xu Youyu, who was listening from the side, was completely confused. It happened three or four years ago, how could she remember it so clearly?

So Li Luo leaned close to her ear and whispered a few words. Xu Youyu instantly remembered, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she quietly poked Li Luo a few times.

After all, when she was hiding in Li Luo's room, she thought it was Li Luo outside when she opened the door, and called out in a very coquettish voice, "Brother, you're back!" But when she opened the door, it was Xu Rongsheng standing outside.

Even now, thinking back on it gives me goosebumps; it's truly an unbearable memory.

"Alright, it's about time. Let's go next door and prepare for the meeting." Director Li glanced at the time, then stood up and said, "As for the seminar on your work that you mentioned, I'll have Xiao Wang send you the relevant documents later, and you can submit them then."

"Okay, then I'll trouble Director Li and Secretary Wang." Li Luo stood up and thanked them.

"It's nothing." Director Li chuckled and beckoned them out of the office and into the lobby next door.

Li Luo pulled Xu Youyu to the sign with their names on it and they sat down, then waited quietly for the meeting to begin.

The meeting was boring, especially the council election, which was just a formality. So Li Luo took out his phone while recording the meeting content using his memory palace.

Potato, who was sitting in the vice chairman position of the provincial online writers association, also quietly took out his phone and sent a message to Li Luo.

[Potato]: Shall we have dinner together later? My treat.

[Reignited]: Sure.

[Potato]: By the way, are you and the guy next to you who goes to bed early a couple?
[Reignited]: Are you being so gossipy?

[Potato]: Damn, I was just asking.

[Reignited]: Yes.

[Potato]: What about the other one? I remember at the company's annual party this weekend, there was a pretty girl, was she from your company?
[Reignited]: Oh, that one too.

【Potato】:?

[Potato]: etc.

[Potato]: I remember seeing your live stream before.

[Potato]: Oh no, it's Yuan Wanqing's live stream. Don't you have a good relationship with her daughter?

[Reignited]: Yeah, that's my wife too.

【Potato】:???

[Potato]: Are you kidding me?
[Reignition]: Why would I lie to you? We're buddies, I won't hide anything from you.

[Potato]: You son of a bitch.

[Potato]: It would be better to hide it.

[Reignited]: Isn't this learning from the potato tycoon?

[Potato]: Hey hey hey, you can eat whatever you want, but don't say whatever you want. I'm very loyal.

[Reignited]: The first online novel I ever read was "Battle Through the Heavens," and Xiao Yan had quite a few wives, didn't he? You've corrupted me.

[Potato]: Get lost! How can you blame me for this? You scumbag.

Li Luo looked at the chat history and immediately burst into laughter.

He's becoming increasingly open about things, especially with people he's close to. He doesn't hide anything at all, and he answers truthfully whenever someone asks.

Xu Youyu curiously leaned over for a peek, then curled her lip in disgust: "You're showing off now?"

“How can this be called showing off?” Li Luo chuckled. “I’m just telling the truth.”

"Take it easy," Xu Youyu reminded him. "Don't lead them astray." "Of course not," Li Luo chuckled. "Boss Potato looks like a decent person."

The two chatted idly, and Li Luo also chatted casually with Tudou on WeChat.

Not long after, Li Luo received messages from Xi Xi and Zhu Sheng.

[Ying Chanxi]: Are you having a meeting?
[Li Luo]: It's open, but I'm not involved. I'm just going through the motions.

[Ying Chanxi]: What about this afternoon? Are you coming back?
[Li Luo]: I can't come back this afternoon. There's a meeting of the Provincial Writers Association that I have to attend. Secretary Cao specifically asked me to attend.

[Ying Chanxi]: Hmph~ All you do is brag. Why would the secretary of the provincial writers' association specifically choose you?

[Li Luo]: Doesn't this make your husband look amazing?
[Ying Chanxi]: Pshaw! Who's my husband? Don't talk nonsense.

[Li Luo]: Zhu Sheng loves to call me that in bed.

[Ying Chanxi]: How could she have the nerve to do that!
[Li Luo]: And you? Call me husband.

[Ying Chanxi]: I won't call out!
[Li Luo]: Then I'll ask Zhu Sheng to call.

[Ying Chanxi]: (Voice message for 2 seconds)
Upon seeing the voice message from Ying Chanxi, Li Luo raised an eyebrow, smiled, took out her earphones, put them on, and then clicked on the voice message.

"Honey~"

Ying Chanxi's soft, sweet voice, tinged with shyness and frustration, resonated in Li Luo's ears.

sounds so good.

Li Luo listened to it several more times before finally letting Ying Chanxi go, satisfied.

【Yan Zhusheng】: I miss you.

[Yan Zhusheng]: (Image)
Yan Zhusheng sent a photo of herself sitting in front of a piano, staring straight at her long legs, clearly knowing exactly what Li Luo liked to look at.

[Li Luo]: Be honest with yourself, why do you always try to seduce me?

[Yan Zhusheng]: Can I come see you this afternoon? I'm so bored at home.

[Li Luo]: I have a meeting this afternoon, so there's no seat for you here.

[Yan Zhusheng]: I'll sit on your lap.

[Li Luo]: That would be really bad if someone saw it.

[Yan Zhusheng]: Then I'll squat under the table?
[Li Luo]: ...Are you serious?

[Yan Zhusheng]: If you want, you can be unconventional too.

[Yan Zhusheng]: (Image)
After saying that, Yan Zhusheng posted a photo of herself with her eyes closed and her mouth open.

[Li Luo]: You better know when to stop and tone it down.

[Yan Zhusheng]: Oh.

[Yan Zhusheng]: Then come back soon.

[Li Luo]: I should be back after the meeting.

[Yan Zhusheng]: Do you still want to see it? I'll take a picture for you, do you still want your legs?

[Li Luo]: There were people all around, and I was afraid of being seen by others.

[Yan Zhusheng]: Afraid of losing face?
[Li Luo]: No, it's just that I don't want others to see it, otherwise I'll get jealous.

[Yan Zhusheng]: Shall I come find you?

[Li Luo]: Honey, sing me a song, I want to hear you sing "Countdown".

[Yan Zhusheng]: Oh.

[Yan Zhusheng]: (Voiceover 57 seconds)
"What did Zhusheng send?" Xu Youyu leaned over to take a look and, seeing only a long message, asked in confusion.

"Singing," Li Luo replied softly.

"You're quite charming." Xu Youyu rolled her eyes at him. "I'm sitting right here, and you're still chatting with Xixi and Zhusheng?"

"Then what do you want to talk about?"

"Hmph~ You have to ask me that? I think you don't love me anymore."

"Are you upset that I didn't love you enough in the car this morning?"

"How can that be the same?" Xu Youyu glared at him, annoyed.

The two of them bickered and whispered at the table, and the tedious meeting time quickly passed.

By the time the meeting ended at 11:00 AM, Li Luo had already become a council member of the Provincial Online Writers Association.

He has certain decision-making and intervention rights regarding matters related to the Online Writers Association.

At the same time, he can also speak up at events such as film seminars or when promoting film and television copyright resources to film and television companies and directors.

These are all channels and personal connections.

Two books of the same quality will be easier to sell once you have the channels and connections.

Although Li Luo didn't like these things, he understood the reasons behind them.

He was lucky to have met a mentor like Potato, which allowed him to skip a level in the Writers' Association.

If you don't have connections, no matter how good your grades are, you'll be slowly sidelined step by step.

It will take at least two more years to reach the same level.

This year, I successfully became the vice chairman of the municipal online writers' association and a member of the council of the provincial online writers' association, entirely thanks to Tudou's recommendation.

Of course, his own academic performance is also an essential factor.

"Let's go, let's go eat." After the meeting ended, Tudou walked over to Li Luo and greeted him with a smile.

However, the hand that patted Li Luo's shoulder was rather forceful, and it was unclear what it was retaliating against.

Li Luo found it amusing and teased him a couple of times, to which Tudou immediately retorted.

After exchanging a few jokes, the three of them left the hall. After saying goodbye to Director Li who was leaving with them, Li Luo took Xu Youyu and followed Tudou to have lunch at a nearby restaurant.

"How's the copyright issue going?" Potato asked Li Luo curiously.

“Xixi, yes, she’s the girl you just asked about, she works at my company,” Li Luo said. “She’s still helping me negotiate with Tencent Video, and things are progressing smoothly so far.”

"That's fine then." Potato nodded. "But you're only talking about film and television rights, right?"

"Yep."

"What about animation copyrights?" Potato asked again. "You need to consider this too. I think it will be a large market in the future. Don't waste such a good IP of yours."

"Hmm." Li Luo nodded slightly, indicating that she understood.

This was a pretty big mistake that Tudou made back then.

Because he didn't own the copyright to Battle Through the Heavens, he couldn't interfere with either the anime or the TV series, which caused quite a stir.

"What are your plans for tonight?" Potato asked, changing the subject again.

"That's all," Li Luo shook his head. "He should have gone home after the meeting."

"Oh, I see." Potato stroked his chin and thought for a moment, then said with a smile, "How about we come to my house for a meal? I'll have my wife cook."

(End of this chapter)