It was just a love letter; I'm really no great writer!

"Huh?" Lu Ran opened his mouth.

"I've found a sentence that can instantly kill you," Zuo Hanzhi said with a smile.

It's rare to see such a smile on her face.

Seeing that Lu Ran didn't react, Zuo Hanzhi repeated it earnestly again: "There are trees on the mountain, but no branches on the trees; I love you, but you don't know. I saw this in the library yesterday, a folk song from the pre-Qin era..."

Looking at her tense little face, Lu Ran looked all too familiar.

Whenever Lu Zhuozhuo did well on a test and wanted to be praised by her brother, she would casually place the test paper on the dining table.

Then, she waited anxiously for him to discover it...

"Wonderful, this line of poetry... wow, absolutely wonderful."

Lu Ran rubbed his bladder, gave a thumbs up, and said, "A clever and unexpected creation, a perfect masterpiece!"

"The imagery is simple yet the emotions are strong, and the blank spaces are profound and lingering."

"Especially the homonym of 'branch' and 'know,' the contrast between 'no one knows' and 'you don't know,' it's like Bulbasaur eating Doritos and entering Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, I'm impressed!"

Zuo Hanzhi smiled gently, tugged at his sleeve, and began to explain:

"Hmm, this seemingly simple and ordinary phrase is imbued with a lingering and wistful sentiment, quite similar to your phrase 'There is a loquat tree in the courtyard'..."

"But this line is quite obscure. I stumbled upon it by chance on a study table in the school library, and after some research, I learned that it comes from a folk song from the pre-Qin period..."

"The thought of a boatman from thousands of years ago, who encountered a prince of Chu while rowing his boat, and having to express his love through poetry because of the difference in their social status, is so romantic!"

"This is probably the greatest distance in the world: I love you so much, yet you are completely unaware..."

The girl was very talkative. She was quiet and reserved in class and was even mistaken for a mute, but she could talk endlessly about the things that interested her.

Lu Ran placed his hand on the doorknob and said with difficulty:

"I'd also love to have a long talk about poetry with you. May I have a moment to spare, and then we can discuss it by candlelight later?"

"Oh...oh." Zuo Hanzhi paused for a moment, then loosened her grip.

Lu Ran hurriedly went into the bathroom, closed the door, locked it, and flushed the toilet.

Enter Thinker Mode.

No, her focus is still on poetry; she's practically obsessed with it.

In fact, many poets in ancient times had this tendency toward madness.

For example, Jia Dao, who wrote "Two lines took three years to compose, and a single recitation brings forth two streams of tears," bumped into Han Yu's carriage while trying to refine the wording.

There's also Li He, the "poetic genius" who poured his heart and soul into his work; Zhang Ji, the fanatical poet who burned Du Fu's poems to ashes and drank the resulting powder; and Meng Jiao, who resigned from his official post due to his obsession with poetry...

The tradition of composing poems and couplets has been passed down to modern times in pure literature, and the status of poets has become even more exalted.

With a mother like Ning Ning, a great writer, and the influence of a scholarly family, it's no wonder that Zuo Hanzhi is so passionate about poetry.

So, Zuo Hanzhi contacted me simply to discuss poetry...

After figuring this out, Lu Ran was speechless.

My first loves were all incredibly difficult – Zhao Yishuang didn't date early, and Zuo Hanzhi was even worse; she had absolutely no awareness of relationships between men and women.

Is she too sensitive, or too naive?

Lu Ran peeked out and saw that Zuo Hanzhi was gone. He squeezed some hand sanitizer, washed his hands, and was about to go back to his room when he found the girl squatting at the door.

Lu Ran, who had calmed down, was in a peaceful state of mind.

"Want to chat a little longer? Shall we go to the living room?"

"No, thank you." Zuo Hanzhi stood up and leaned against the door. "Were you listening to me take a shower just now?"

"Uh, you know that!" Lu Ran couldn't hold back anymore, "But I didn't mean to. I went to the bathroom and heard you singing inside..."

"That's how it is," Zuo Hanzhi said, distressed. "Xia Liang said she's going to perform this weekend and wants me to be the lead singer, so I'm practicing a bit."

"You sang very well! Your breath control was stable, your tone was clear, and there wasn't a single flaw!" Lu Ran praised enthusiastically.

In fact.

He saw Zuo Hanzhi from the future in his dream.

She amazed the world with a song, her heavenly voice sending shivers down the spine.

It was like a heavenly daughter singing, her voice so pure and clear, so beautiful it seemed otherworldly.

He wasn't voice-sensitive before, but he will be from now on.

It was hearing that voice that inspired Lu Ran to write that love letter.

"Really?" Zuo Hanzhi wasn't very confident in her singing, and said shyly, "Thank you."

"Really, and you... can part your bangs to the sides, or thin them out into wispy bangs," Lu Ran reached out and parted her long, flowing hair, "like this, without covering your face, isn't that nice?"

—Hairstyle has a great influence on people. He learned this hard-earned lesson from accidentally wandering into a roadside barbershop.

Zuo Hanzhi opened his eyes, his fingers brushing against the ends of his hair.

"Yes, it looks much prettier this way. You already have a small face, why cover it up... it just seals away your good looks."

With her eyebrows covered by bangs, she exudes the air of a gloomy, reclusive woman.

With her full forehead exposed, the cool and aloof look in her eyes instantly captivated people.

Lu Ran looked at her and smiled.

"Furthermore, there's another wonderful aspect to the phrase 'The mountain has trees, but the trees have no branches':"

"Because it's an obscure word, you can send the first half of the sentence to someone you like, and the meaning will be completely different."

He pushed open the door, about to go back to his room, when he pointed to the crescent moon outside the balcony: "Look..."

"The moonlight is beautiful."

Strands of hair fell back, tickling her eyelashes, and the girl froze.

The door creaked open and slowly closed, letting in only the quiet moonlight.

……

Early morning, Boya Building.

Lu Ran diligently practiced the melody amidst the lush, verdant branches of the garden.

Thinking of last night's confession, or rather, farewell, Lu Ran laughed out loud.

Years later, when I become a world-renowned literary giant, will people still talk about the moonlight of that night...?

Natsume Soseki: You little brat, you're flirting with girls all you want, but you even steal my jokes?

As dawn breaks and the wind rustles through the dense foliage, the interplay of light and shadow on the green leaves shifts, accompanied by the mournful sound of a flute.

Lu Ran chose to practice the xiao (vertical flute) secretly, not wanting to be discovered by his classmates.

The reason is simple—these lecherous girls get an orgasm just from hearing the words "playing the flute."

Compared to the bright and penetrating flute, Lu Ran prefers the solitary and elegant xiao.

Suddenly, the sound of a pipa rang out.

It is delicate and graceful, with an ethereal and melodious quality.

Lu Ran closed his eyes and followed with a long, gentle melody, his fingertips moving in a staggered pattern.

The former are like pearls! Like a sudden rain!

The latter is like a sturdy bamboo! Like the autumn wind!

The former rambles on, revealing the turbulent emotions in his heart.

The latter, empty and desolate, evokes a hazy sense of melancholy.

The interplay of strength and gentleness, both clashing and merging, allows one to release all the pent-up emotions within, bringing immense relief!

The improvisation ended.

Lu Ran looked down at a classroom.

After hesitating for a moment, he put away his flute and left gracefully.

Boya Building is the arts center of Huaizhong, and people come here every day to practice their singing or musical instruments.

A few days ago, he also met someone who resonated with him, and they went through a period of time together, much like Yu Boya meeting Zhong Ziqi. There was no need to deliberately make an encounter.

The following mornings.

Lu Ran encountered that clear and melodious pipa sound several more times, and they harmonized perfectly.

Enjoying music is about having fun, without crossing any boundaries.

Lu Ran thought to himself, "Well, once I become famous, there will be another story of finding a kindred spirit."

……

Friday morning.

Lu Ran practiced on his own for a while.

The pipa music didn't start, and he felt a subtle sense of disappointment. Could it be that he was being rejected...?

After all, my skill level is far inferior to theirs.

He reminisced about his youthful days:

From being poor in his childhood and unable to afford books, to studying hard and being admitted to Huaicheng No.1 Middle School;

Then came the debts at home, the setbacks in pursuing his beloved, and the narcolepsy, all of which became the subject of ridicule among his contemporaries.

Ultimately, he suffered setbacks in love and found it difficult to find a kindred spirit despite his talents.

I can't help but think of Bai Juyi's famous poem in my dream: Where is my beloved?

The boy stood before the railing, the sky high and the earth vast.

Inspired by the moment, he picked up his xiao (vertical bamboo flute) and began to play a deep, resonant tune

"At the head of the Xunyang River, I saw off a guest at night; the maple leaves and reeds rustled in the autumn breeze."

"The host dismounts, the guest remains on the boat; they raise their cups to drink, but there is no music."

"Drunk, I could find no joy as we parted in sorrow; at parting, the vast river was bathed in moonlight."

"..."

"..."

"..."

……

After the song was finished.

Suddenly, a soft, alluring female voice came from behind.

"What piece of music is this?"