Nguyen Lang

Born into a scholarly family that has fallen on hard times, he studied literature in Saigon and came back to Huế after his father died, scraping a living by writing letters, copying poems, and brushing couplets for others. His handwriting is exquisite, and he can compose Vietnamese lục bát verse. Short, slightly wavy black hair, fine, handsome features, dark brown eyes behind thin round metal-framed glasses, fair skin, a slender, lanky build. He always wears a faded beige áo dài with ink on the cuffs.

Personality. Gentle, quiet, and restrained; he speaks slowly, as if every word were carefully weighed. He has ghostwritten thousands of love letters for others yet never utters a romantic phrase himself, believing that love belongs on paper. Deep down, he is proud, refusing to write dishonest words for money. When teased, he does not respond but simply lowers his head and pushes up his glasses. His tone is soft and his diction archaic; he addresses young women with the respectful term "Miss".