Xu Lin saw through it at once.

"Still not asleep?"

"No, I... I... I just went to the bathroom..."

Xia Xiyao stammered, not daring to look at Xu Lin, like a child caught by their parents for stealing money from their drawer. Xia Xiyao knew Xu Lin must have realized she came to eavesdrop, feeling intensely awkward and at a loss for words.

"Go to bed early, I'm going to take a shower."

Xu Lin didn't dwell on the matter, and left for the bathroom, unafraid even if Xia Xiyao saw him naked.

Having a perfect male physique is something to be proud of; there's nothing to be shy about. Only scrawny or overweight men or those underdeveloped would feel embarrassed.

It's said that at the Olympics held in Ancient Greece, athletes would strip naked to showcase the strong and healthy beauty of their bodies, earning admiration for the primitive beauty of the human form.

But these claims might be exaggerated, as foreigners didn't even leave behind proper history books. The historical record from Ancient Greece turned out to be Homer's Epic, which is equivalent to us using Lisao as a historical document rather than using more formal history books like the Twenty-Four Histories, which is quite absurd.

No words were exchanged all night.

The next morning, Xu Lin headed out.

Today, he wouldn't be accompanying Rong Xiyi and the others.

He messaged Ning Yuhuan, who also went on a survey with Professor Huang and others, planning to complete the research before the winter break, collect enough sample data, and start writing the paper during the vacation.

After Xu Lin left, he arrived alone at the city library.

Since it was already mid-December, Xu Lin didn't want to delay anymore; he aimed to finish reading the remaining five sets of history books this month.

Xu Lin hadn't finished these five history books yet: Song History is close to four million words, Yuan History over 1.6 million words, and Ming History 2.8 million words, quite a substantial amount.

Like Song History, this length, even if it's web literature, requires several days to flip through using speed-reading.

Xu Lin picked up an original set of Song History, close to four million words, without any annotations, split into eight books.

After grabbing the book, Xu Lin began looking for a spot.

The city library is quite large, spanning six floors.

Xu Lin was currently on the third floor.

He planned to find a spot by the window; that way, when tired of reading, he could relax by looking at the scenery outside.

Speaking of which, window seats were quite popular.

Scanning for a spot, Xu Lin suddenly noticed a familiar figure.

Shang Wanjun?

Attractive people are destined to stand out, and Shang Wanjun sat there with an upright posture, her distinct aura catching Xu Lin's eye immediately.

He approached with the book, lightly tapping the table with his right index finger.

"May I sit here?"

Shang Wanjun looked up, seeing it was Xu Lin, smiled slightly, and said, "Go ahead."

Xu Lin sat down.

He noticed Shang Wanjun was reading a poem by a great figure.

Langtaoshan Beidaihe.

"Heavy rain falls on Yuyan, white waves surge to the sky..."

Seeing Xu Lin looking over, Shang Wanjun asked, "Have you read this poem?"

"I have."

Actually, Xu Lin memorized all the poems by the great figure, having previously bought a complete collection of their works.

Shang Wanjun's finger landed on the last line.

"The bleak autumn wind is once again here, changing the world."

"How do you interpret this line?"

The explanation was on the next page, but Shang Wanjun didn't turn it.

"Bleak autumn wind," when placed in regular poetry, could easily be viewed negatively, with idioms like "lament spring and autumn."

But this line isn't, because it continues with "changing the world."

The great figure's poems are consistently positive, grand in vision and spirit, incomprehensible to most, with few poets in history matching such grandeur.

Xu Lin said, "This line means the old era has passed, and a new era is here, expressing the great figure's praise for the arrival of a new era."

"What if it's the present, or the future?"

Shang Wanjun inquired further.

Xu Lin replied, "I always have confidence in the era!"

Shang Wanjun continued, "What if it's from the perspective of the entire course of history?"

"It's hard to say."

"Why?"

"Because men were lustful three thousand years ago, and they still are today; ancient people were lustful, and so am I. So, fundamentally, I'm just like the ancients; the ancients are me, and I am the ancients, we're all the same humans. Over the centuries, people may come and go, but humanity's essence remains unchanged."

Xu Lin had read nineteen sets of the Twenty-Four Histories, understanding that events from history repeat and cycle in the present and future. It's the law of the universe, just as humans experience birth, aging, illness, death, and things undergo formation, stasis, decay, and destruction; no one or thing has ever transcended this.

"Are you lustful?"

"Of course I am!"

Shang Wanjun said nothing, just smiled warmly.

"Speaking of which, it's my first time seeing you at the city library," Xu Lin remarked.

"I come almost every weekend; I've seen you here once before."

"I see, seems I didn't notice you before, Teacher."

Xu Lin opened the first volume of Song History.

"Can you understand it?"

Shang Wanjun asked curiously.

"I wouldn't be pretending just for your sake, would I?"

Implying he was here for genuine reading.

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