Yunling University students Ren Yiqi and their class monitor, Xiong Xiaoyu, are childhood sweethearts and each other's first love. But their classmate Gao Yangfeng secretly has feelings for Ren Yiqi. When he gets the chance to write a New Year's play for their class, he deliberately drives a wedge between Ren and Xiong, adding a female lead halfway through and recommending Qiao Luer, who has a crush on Xiong Xiaoyu, for the role. In the play, Xiong and Qiao become a pair of deeply devoted lovers. Ren Yiqi firmly objects, and amid the conflict, Ren meets Su Liji, the older brother of their friend Su Ka. Su Liji falls for Ren at first sight and begins pursuing them. Xiong Xiaoyu misunderstands Ren and Su's frequent meetings, and the distance between the couple grows. They eventually break up at graduation and go their separate ways. Gao Yangfeng, the instigator, fails to achieve what he wanted and can only get together with Luo Liguo, who is pursuing him. Xiong Xiaoyu and Qiao Luer move in together. When Ren Yiqi travels far away to Huang City and is at their saddest and most despondent, Hua Langyi appears. Ren accepts Hua Langyi's courtship, and they marry soon afterward. A few years later, Qiao Luer can no longer bear being merely a substitute for Ren Yiqi in her relationship with Xiong Xiaoyu, and eventually leaves the country. With no other choice, Xiong Xiaoyu leaves Yunling for another city, where he happens to meet Fan Lili, a wealthy heiress, and accepts her proposal of marriage. A few years later, Ren Yiqi and Xiong Xiaoyu meet again in Huang City and realize they are still deeply in love. Unable to suppress their longing for one another, they set a wedding celebration in motion.
Theme:
How many times has Xiong Xiaoyu lingered at the school gate? This time, she's caught Yiqi and Suliqi returning side by side again. Even with Xiaoyu's good temper, she'll probably lose her temper! Yiqi quickly abandons Suliqi to chase after Xiaoyu. Unexpectedly, Suliqi mutters to himself, "Love is such a hassle!"
Suka, naturally siding with his brother, tricked Yiqi into going out to meet him, then left under a pretext. Yiqi, almost against her will, went shopping with Surich, who wasn't in a hurry to catch his flight, and then they had breakfast. Now alone together, Yiqi noticed Surich's handsome appearance and demeanor, and was very impressed.
Xiaoyu waited for Yiqi, but she didn't come, her disappointment written on her face and in her heart. When Luo Liguo told her she had gone to learn painting with Suka, she flew into a rage: "Didn't I tell you not to learn painting?!" This chapter also interweaves two couples: Luo Liguo and Gao Yangfeng; Wu Baiyu and Liu Zibin.
When Xiong Xiaoyu returned to school with bandages on his face, he hadn't yet seen Yiqi, his eyes filled with cold indifference. A few girls were whispering about him and Yiqi, then the conversation shifted to the girls themselves. Wu Baiyu and Liu Zibin, a couple, were chatting when they saw Jin Meini.
This chapter opens crisply, establishing the location: Yunling University; the protagonist: Xiong Xiaoyu; his appearance: a muscular stag; the scene: playing soccer on the playground. There's none of the drawn-out pacing typical of female stories. The second paragraph reveals the subtle relationships between the three characters, laying the groundwork for the rest of the story.
Upon first reading Fu Jin's novel, *Empty Space*, I was immediately drawn to the title. Is space truly empty? From an astronomical perspective, space is indeed not empty; it contains stars, planets, and the galaxies they form, as well as countless nebulae. It is through collisions between these galaxies that the starry sky becomes so magnificent.
The author clearly has a deep understanding of campus life; the plot flows smoothly and is quite humorous, making the novel highly readable.
Campus romance novels are difficult to write because there always seems to be a mental framework. The title *Empty Space* is intriguing; why empty? The preface points out: time is like a small knife in an artist's hand, carving away, leaving its mark. Youthful years, a blank sheet of paper, only highlight the cruelty and sharpness of time.