Red Bean

I didn't want to leave him, so I came up with plenty of excuses—not to convince anyone else, but to convince myself.

Li Changle saw that Wang Siyi wasn't saying anything, so he simply picked up his guitar and began to play.

Hearing the acoustic guitar accompaniment, Wang Siyi looked up at Li Changle and began to sing:

"Before we've had the chance to really feel

The season when snowflakes bloom,

We tremble together,

And understand a little more what tenderness means.

Before I've held your hand

And walked across barren dunes,

Maybe from now on,

I'll learn to cherish forever.

Sometimes, sometimes,

I believe everything has an end.

There's a time to meet and a time to part;

Nothing lasts forever.

But sometimes,

I'd rather hold on and never let go.

When we've seen all there is to see,

Perhaps you'll stay with me and watch the years flow by."

After finishing the song, Li Changle let out a breath.

He asked Wang Siyi, "What do you think of this song? Do you think it suits you?"

"What's this song called?"

Wang Siyi stared at Li Changle in a daze.

Did he really mean it? When we've seen all there is to see, perhaps you'll stay with me and watch the years flow by.

Did he like her too?

Wang Siyi's thoughts were in turmoil. If he really told her he liked her, should she keep singing, or live a quiet, ordinary life with him?

"It's called 'Red Bean.' What do you think?"

"It's beautiful,"

Wang Siyi said softly.

"Then would you like to sing it?"

Li Changle asked hurriedly. He'd thought about it for a long time and still felt that "Red Bean" was a perfect fit for Wang Siyi.

Wang Siyi's voice was cool and ethereal, yet still full of gentle turns.

Li Changle felt there wasn't a female singer in the world more suited to this song than she was.

"How did you write lyrics like these?"

Wang Siyi didn't answer Li Changle's question directly. Instead, she asked something that seemed unrelated.

"Huh? I guess this song was just in my head, so I wrote it down?"

Li Changle chose to tell the truth. The song really had been in his mind, and he had plenty of others in there too.

"Then was what you said true?"

After hearing his explanation, Wang Siyi didn't press him for details. Instead, she asked another vague question.

"What did I say that was true?"

Li Changle looked at Wang Siyi, puzzled.

Seeing his expression, Wang Siyi felt a little annoyed. She'd been so delighted, thinking he had written the song because of how close they were.

"When did you write this song?"

Wang Siyi asked another question that seemed strange.

"A long time ago. I sang part of it for you once. Don't you remember? The first time you left, I was thinking about whether I should give it to you. But you said someone else had written songs for you, so I didn't bring it up again."

Wang Siyi understood. She suddenly remembered that when she'd been writing songs here before, he'd once hummed a beautiful melody.

So this was that song. Back then, she hadn't felt anything special for him. They'd probably just been ordinary friends.

He'd probably felt much the same way about her at the time.

Her mood sank a little. It turned out the song wasn't about her at all; it was just a coincidence.

"What's wrong? Don't you like the song?"

Li Changle saw Wang Siyi looking down, sullen and silent, and assumed she didn't like it.

That didn't make sense. He'd spent ages coming up with this song.

"No, I like it a lot."

Wang Siyi lowered her head and answered gloomily.

"Then would you like to sing it? I think it suits you pretty well, but it's up to you. If you like it, I'll give it to you. If you don't, just pretend you never heard it."

Li Changle still hoped Wang Siyi would keep singing. Besides, he had more songs in his head than he could count. He thought it was pretty nice to hear familiar songs from Earth in this world.

Wang Siyi didn't answer directly.

"I'll think about it."

Then she got up and went back to her room. She was in a bad mood because he hadn't written the song specifically for her.

Wang Siyi also thought of something else: if she decided to start singing again, wouldn't she have to go back to Shanghai?

But right now, all she wanted was to stay here and have Li Changle by her side every day. Singing didn't seem all that appealing anymore.

Li Changle watched Wang Siyi stride off, perplexed. He muttered to himself:

"That's strange. Isn't her foot still injured? How can she run so fast?"

"Women are so strange."

Li Changle didn't mind that she hadn't given him a definite answer. Whatever Wang Siyi decided, he was fine with it.

In her room, Wang Siyi hummed "Red Bean":

"Sometimes, sometimes, I believe everything has an end. There's a time to meet and a time to part; nothing lasts forever. But sometimes, I'd rather hold on and never let go."

The lyrics were so good. They were just like how she felt right now, and the style suited her too.

So should she sing the song or not? She stared blankly at the ceiling. A sigh echoed through the room.

The next day, Li Changle saw Wang Siyi sitting on the sofa with dark circles under her eyes, looking like an impossibly pretty panda. He couldn't help taking a couple of extra glances.

Wang Siyi seemed a little embarrassed by Li Changle's gaze.

"What are you looking at?"

She glared at Li Changle.

She'd spent the whole night wavering between staying in Yangcheng and going back to Shanghai. Even when she finally fell asleep at three or four in the morning, she still hadn't figured out what to do.

But she'd still gotten up early. She needed breakfast. Once she'd eaten, she could go back to bed for a nap and catch up on some sleep. She couldn't have those dark circles.

Li Changle laughed helplessly. At least this woman was acting a little more like herself again. Heaven knew, for a while there, she'd seemed like a sweet, clingy girl had possessed her. She kept acting coy with him, making his scalp tingle.

"Um, I heard that putting a warm egg wrapped in a towel over your dark circles can help get rid of them. Want to try it?"

Li Changle recklessly asked a question that could get him killed.

At his words, Wang Siyi's expression immediately stiffened.

Then she raised her head and stared at Li Changle expressionlessly. Her dark circles were quite noticeable. She looked kind of cute, actually.

Li Changle seemed to realize his question had been a little too reckless and hurriedly added:

"I was just saying. Dark circles are fine too. You look pretty cute like this, like a panda at the zoo."

"Uh, that came out wrong. I didn't mean you look like a panda."

Wang Siyi wanted to knock this hopelessly clumsy man out with her chopsticks. If he couldn't talk properly, couldn't he just say less?

"Well, I've got something to do. I need to get ready to work on my new book. You eat first. I'll come back and clear the dishes later. See you!"

Li Changle ran back to his room without looking back, wishing he could slap himself.

He was usually pretty clever. Why couldn't he stop himself from saying things that were bound to get him into trouble today?

He stayed in his room for quite a while. Only after he saw that Wang Siyi had left the living room did he breathe a sigh of relief and hurry out to clear the dishes.

Someone from Chinese Web Novel Platform was coming over today to discuss signing a contract and the adaptation rights for Legend of Sword and Fairy.

So Li Changle decided to tidy up the place again.

At eleven in the morning, Qinghe, an editor-in-chief from Chinese Web Novel Platform, arrived with Ruyi, a junior editor, and several other staff members from the platform.

They'd come to meet him—well, to discuss the contract. The most important thing was to keep Li Xiaoyao, the author, on Chinese Web Novel Platform.

The doorbell rang. They must have arrived, so Li Changle hurried to greet them.

"Hello. Are you here from Chinese Web Novel Platform?"

Li Changle opened the door and greeted everyone with a smile.

Qinghe and Ruyi were both taken aback. This Li Xiaoyao looked like he was only in his early twenties!

And this young man in his early twenties had written a novel that was a hit across the entire web.

The prose and emotional depth of the novel didn't seem like something a man in his twenties could have written.

Before coming, they'd imagined Li Xiaoyao as either some grizzled old man or a middle-aged man. They'd never expected him to be such a young, handsome guy.

Ruyi, standing behind Qinghe, stared at Li Changle with sparkling eyes.

"So Great God Xiaoyao, you're actually this young! Does that mean I can call you Brother Xiaoyao? Hehe."

Ruyi grinned at Li Changle from behind Qinghe. Qinghe's face darkened. This young woman really didn't know when it was appropriate to fangirl.

Li Changle wasn't a serious sort either. The moment he saw Ruyi, he realized this cute girl had to be the chatty editor he'd been talking to before.

"You're Editor Ruyi, right? It's nice to finally meet you."

"Hi, Brother Xiaoyao!"

Ruyi had completely let herself go. She was already imagining how she'd brag to everyone back at the office. The author of Legend of Sword and Fairy really did look just like the Li Xiaoyao in her head!

"Hello. It's nice to meet you. I never expected the hottest author on the web to be so young."

Qinghe gave a hearty laugh.

Li Changle smiled but said nothing.

"My name is Li Changle. You don't have to call me Li Xiaoyao. Li Xiaoyao has it pretty rough. If I had a choice, I wouldn't want people calling me Li Xiaoyao either."

"Knowing Li Xiaoyao has it rough, you still wrote such a tragic story. You're so mean, Brother Xiaoyao."

Ruyi sounded indignant. Even now, she still couldn't get over the ending of Legend of Sword and Fairy 1. It had hit her hard.

Wang Siyi heard some noise outside and thought someone had come over, so she opened the door and came out to take a look.

"Did someone come over?"

Wang Siyi asked as she walked.

"Wait! Wang Wanjun? Are you Wang Wanjun?"

Ruyi froze for a moment when she saw who had come out, then exclaimed excitedly.

She was a huge fan of Wang Wanjun. She'd loved her ever since her debut and was a die-hard fan.

She never thought she'd run into her here. Then she suddenly realized something. Wang Wanjun lived here, and Great God Xiaoyao lived here too, so did that mean they—

Ruyi seemed to have discovered something astonishing. Her eyes were full of gossip as she pointed at Wang Siyi, then at Li Changle, while murmuring to herself.

"You... You two..."

Ruyi had never expected that she'd come just to meet Great God Li Xiaoyao and pay her respects to the web novelist she admired most, while also getting a look at what he looked like.

And she hadn't been disappointed. Great God Xiaoyao really did look exactly like Li Xiaoyao. Ruyi had never seen such a handsome web novelist.

That wasn't all. She'd also run into the singer Wang Wanjun, whom she'd always liked. She'd been following her quietly for three years, ever since her debut.

Then she realized that Great God Xiaoyao and Wang Wanjun lived together!

There were way too many coincidences in this world. This one was almost too perfect.

Ruyi was obsessed with shipping couples and had already imagined an entire love story between a webnovel mastermind and a popular celebrity.

It seemed Wang Wanjun hadn't appeared in public for a while. She'd heard it was because Wang Wanjun was having a falling-out with her company. But now it looked like that wasn't the case at all...

Wang Wanjun and Great God Xiaoyao!

They were already living together! Did that mean they were a couple?

Ruyi's big eyes sparkled. The two of them were such a perfect match! Please, they had to get together!

Wang Siyi was being besieged by an enthusiastic, doe-eyed girl and immediately looked to Li Changle for help.

Li Changle pretended not to notice. Ruyi clearly looked like a fan of Wang Siyi's, probably a die-hard one.

"I'm your fan, Wanjun!"

"I've followed you ever since your debut!"

"You're even prettier in person than in your photos!"

"Are you and Brother Xiaoyao a couple? Are you together?"

Ruyi launched into a nonstop barrage of questions, like a magpie chattering away. As soon as she finished one, she asked the next, as if she didn't need to hear Wang Siyi's answers.

Wang Siyi condensed a thousand words into one sentence: "Hello, I'm Wang Wanjun."

"Wow, it really is Wanjun! I'm so moved—I finally got to meet my idol..."

"Can I call you Sister Wanjun? What's your relationship with Brother Xiaoyao?"

Ruyi was so outgoing that Wang Siyi clearly couldn't handle her. She looked to Li Changle for help again.

Ruyi's mouth kept firing off questions like a machine gun. Li Changle hurriedly said:

"Don't get the wrong idea. We're just ordinary friends. We're only living together temporarily."

Wang Siyi felt a pang at those words. It sounded like Li Changle was trying to distance himself from her, and he was saying it to another woman, too.

Her mood instantly soured, and her expression fell as the air around her turned cold.

Ruyi suddenly felt a chill beside her—not a physical one, but something she sensed inside.

She looked at Wang Wanjun's expression, then thought back to what Li Changle had just said. Suddenly, it all made sense.

Got it. They were keeping their relationship secret and didn't want anyone to know.

As Wang Siyi's die-hard fan and the very first reader of Legend of Sword and Fairy, she was certain Wang Siyi could be trusted.

She'd received rigorous training, so no matter how juicy the gossip was, she'd never spill it.

"Oh~ I get it!"

"Don't worry. I, Li Ruyi, would sooner jump from the Chinese Web Novel Platform building than reveal a single word about you two secretly dating!"

This book has been signed, and I'm very grateful to everyone who's been reading it for your support. Thank you!

I'm a new author, and I'm a reader too. I felt like the entertainment-industry novels out there weren't quite to my taste, so I thought I'd try writing one myself. And it actually got signed!

I'll keep writing this book and won't abandon it or go on hiatus. But it's signed and hasn't gone on sale yet, so I can't update as erratically as I did before. My editor told me I need to build up a stockpile of chapters~

I promise to post four thousand characters a day until it goes on sale. If you can, please give me a Monthly Ticket—or a recommendation ticket! If you like the book, please add it to your favorites, and ideally keep up with each update. That's how this book will get recommended. Thank you, everyone!

I'm a new author, so please bear with me!