Who could have imagined that two years ago, Xia Siyu couldn’t even understand classical Chinese, and now she’s talking to him about the evolution of "The Story of Yingying" and "Romance of the Western Chamber," and she’s doing it quite well. Bo Yan was almost stunned: "Wow, you’re reading quite a bit these days, huh?"
Xia Siyu is the kind of person who can’t resist a complint; as soon as she’s praised, she starts to feel proud. She smugly said, "Of course, do you even know who I am?"
She had over a year of free ti; she had to find sothing to do, right? Bo Yan couldn’t possibly be by her side every mont. He had acting offers, business etings, and he needed to prepare for films. Xia Siyu also didn’t want the studio staff to worry, so she had to find sothing to keep herself occupied. Besides reading, practicing physical fitness, honing her acting skills, and calligraphy, what else could she do?
Bo Yan asked, "Besides ’Romance of the Western Chamber,’ what else have you been reading?"
Xia Siyu thought for a mont: "Well, I’ve read ’Peony Pavilion,’ and I also found the Kunqu version of ’Peony Pavilion’ to watch. Then there’s ’Three Words and Two Shots’ and ’Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio.’"
She’s really read quite a bit, and Bo Yan asked, "Have you learned anything from them?"
"Do you even need to learn anything from them?" Xia Siyu just reads plays, and she’s a bit sneaky about it, focusing on the parts that are romantic and passionate. Like back when she was in Sicily, her mom would get upset whenever she saw her reading extracurricular books. Xia Siyu beca wise later on and took out the world classic "Decaron" to read seriously. Even if her mom caught her, it was fine; she’d say it’s "studying hard."
In fact, "Decaron" has a lot of stories about affairs, secret fun, and clandestine romances, including tales of nuns and priests during rainy nights. Plus, since it’s written by a literary master, those stories and writing styles are much better than ordinary romance novels.
She said, "Take the first story of ’Three Words,’ for instance. It’s a touching tale of torn-apart lovers. The main guy’s wife cheats with a second guy and divorces the main guy. The second guy dies unexpectedly, and the wife later marries the main guy again, becoming his concubine while two won serve one husband. That story’s so complex and full of twists, people nowadays couldn’t write it!"
What the heck is that! Bo Yan was speechless, "And what else?"
Xia Siyu clicked her tongue: "Also, you need to be careful with friendships—especially don’t trust those close to you, as they might sell you out. For instance, take this matchmaker; you think she’s pairing her young lady with Zhang Sheng out of hope they’ll be together forever? Actually, she fancies Zhang Sheng too. In ancient tis, wives had to bring a maid as part of the dowry, who often beca a concubine. She wanted to get with Zhang Sheng herself."
Bo Yan was speechless again: "So after reading all that, these are the insights you’ve gained?"
Xia Siyu shook her head: "And people’s romantic pursuits in ancient tis aren’t much different from today. There’s a term—Pan Lu Dun Xiao Xian. Pan An’s looks, being handso, Dun Tong’s wealth—chasing girls requires money, right? Xiao ans being gentle and considerate, taking care of the girl. Xian ans having free ti; without it, you can’t chase a girl at all."
Bo Yan said, "What about the donkey part—why didn’t you explain it?"
Xia Siyu glanced at him and then at his—parts.
Bo Yan knowingly nodded, "I get it. You an to say I already et the requirent, so no need to discuss it further."
Xia Siyu shook her head: "No, I’m saying you’re just for show (a saying from ’Romance of the Western Chamber,’ it looks good but is useless)."
Bo Yan imdiately pressed over: "Who are you calling just for show?"
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