Chapter 70

When Liu Meng finally arrived at Guo Yunting's house, Zhou Shiyuan had just reached her doorstep. The little boy from next door had just returned her home, and after dropping her off, he was still reluctant to leave, unwilling to go home.

"Go on, go on, or I'll let the dog bite you," Zhou Shiyuan threatened the little boy with her small fist, and his handsome little face turned pale as he quickly ran home.

Liu Meng couldn't help but sigh, thinking that kids these days were maturing earlier and earlier. He laughed and said, "Shiyuan, could this be a little boy who has a crush on you?"

"Ha!" The little girl rolled her eyes disdainfully, "He's just given me a few love letters, too childish. I wouldn't like a boy like that."

"Wow, our Shiyuan is so charming, even little boys are sending you love letters. But you're still too young, focus on your studies. There will be plenty of time for dating later," Liu Meng said, trying to maintain some authority as an elder, since Teacher Guo wasn't home.

"Hmph, my love letters have already piled up on my desk. Don't act like you don't know, Uncle, do you have a girlfriend?" The little girl stared at Liu Meng, making him feel quite awkward.

Putting on a serious face, he replied, "Little girl, what do you know about boyfriends and girlfriends? Don't ask such silly questions."

"It's obvious you don't, right?" Zhou Shiyuan laughed triumphantly.

"Zhou! Shi! Yuan! Don't say things you don't understand."

"Are you embarrassed? Oh, poor Uncle, no one wants you, no one loves you, how sad." The little girl put on a sympathetic face, but it was clear she was just pretending.

"Uncle, what's wrong with you?" Zhou Shiyuan noticed Liu Meng's expression and asked innocently.

Liu Meng was frustrated, unable to handle even a little girl, feeling both embarrassed and angry.

"Uncle, don't be sad. When I grow up, I'll be your girlfriend. I won't even ask you to write me love letters, okay?" The little girl said, adopting a benevolent and compassionate tone.

Without Guo Yunting to keep her in check, Liu Meng felt he couldn't control the little girl anymore. She quickly took off her shoes and jumped onto the sofa, shouting and jumping around.

"Look at you, put your shoes away properly," Liu Meng said as the little girl turned on the TV and started flipping through channels. It was clear she had been pent up for a while, and Liu Meng had to follow her around to put away her backpack and shoes.

He was regretting it, realizing how difficult it was to handle such a big little girl. Unlike younger children, who could be easily fooled, this age group had some adult knowledge but lacked adult self-control and rationality, which made him feel a headache just thinking about it.

"Shiyuan, sit down, let's talk," Liu Meng decided to try a different approach.

The little girl looked wary, "What do we talk about? Uncle, don't use that parental tone with me. We have an agreement, no interference."

"Your mom isn't home now, things are different. For a harmonious coexistence, we need to renegotiate the rules for this week," Liu Meng patiently explained.

"No way," the little girl refused and continued to play around.

After a few more attempts, the little girl still ignored him, so Liu Meng had no choice but to open his computer and work on his novel.

*Hui Ming* was almost ready for a major decision: which platform should he sign with?

Fantasy Blade Alliance was indeed a good choice. The chief editor, Ye Lang, had been very supportive, giving the new book a recommendation and even bumping it to the top of the featured list. Liu Meng was truly grateful for this.

*Hui Ming* had become popular in a short time, and Ye Lang's strong support and recommendation had played a significant role. Of course, the quality and update speed of the book were the key factors.

After all, the initial readers were brought in by Ye Lang, and then the book gained a good reputation through word of mouth.

It was a tough decision. Deep down, he still had a special affection for Dian Nang Chinese Network, hoping to make a comeback where he had once fallen and make up for past regrets.

He opened the book club created by the readers "Emperor Zhengde" and "Wangzi," and posted a message as a regular reader: "I heard that San Pang will sign with Dian Nang Chinese Network. What do you think?"

"Ah? No way! Isn't he doing well at Fantasy Blade Alliance? He got a recommendation without even signing."

"Right, Dian Nang hasn't given a recommendation yet, they must be blind. What a great book, much better than those Western fantasy novels. Just the mention of dragons, mercenaries, dwarves, and elves makes me want to vomit."

"Bro, you haven't been following Dian Nang. This afternoon, Dian Nang gave *Hui Ming* a full recommendation, unprecedented treatment."

"Really? I need to check it out. I stopped reading on Dian Nang because they didn't recommend *Hui Ming*."

"Exactly, it's rare to have a great work about our Chinese history. They should promote it more, or they might as well close down."

Liu Meng was surprised and opened the Dian Nang Chinese Network website. On the homepage, *Hui Ming* was prominently featured with a platinum recommendation. It was also in the top spot of the strong recommendation section, and there was a special recommendation from the entire editorial team.

Was this a sudden change? Liu Meng was puzzled. The chief editor, Donggua, had contacted him multiple times, but refused to give a recommendation because he hadn't signed. Now, they were giving such a strong push.

He opened the special recommendation from the editorial team. The first comment was from the chief editor, Yan Hui, followed by comments from all the editors. He read through them one by one.

Chief editor Donggua's comment: "A cup of tea, read in one breath, a great pleasure in life."

Baixi's comment: "This will be the most important turning point in my life. I almost missed it, my eyes were blind. I recommend it with tears in my eyes!"

Xiaomi's comment: "I'm a die-hard fan, supporting the great author all the way!"

And so on...

Dian Nang had completely ignited *Hui Ming*. Each refresh of the page showed a surge in data. It was as if the entire site was pushing the book. *Hui Ming*, which was originally around tenth place, quickly surpassed several top Western fantasy authors.

The book review section added about ten new reviews with each refresh.

Even authors who had recently started writing historical fiction came to support, hoping that *Hui Ming* would lead the way for historical fiction to rival Western fantasy. Their status and recommendations would naturally improve as well.

United in purpose, they all looked to *Hui Ming* for leadership.

This was unprecedented in the online literature world.

Liu Meng felt a surge of emotion, but being a strong person, he didn't like to show it. He pretended to rub his eyes and calmed himself down. He thought about his past struggles on Dian Nang, the excitement of uploading a new book, the anticipation of clicks and recommendations, and the joy of having a reader genuinely read and review. Now, all of that had been achieved, and even exceeded.

However, it wasn't entirely his own. He searched for "Dian Feng Xiao Ao," a book written by the famous author Yue Guan under a pseudonym. He found it, and after logging into the backend, he gave it a single-chapter recommendation. Feeling a bit guilty, he thought, no matter what, he had referenced the main plot, so he did his part. With Yue Guan's writing skills, becoming a god was not difficult, and he wanted to give a little push.

After doing this, he saw the book club flashing and clicked in. The chat was lively, mostly about Dian Nang's sudden recommendation and enthusiastic support.

"Alright, if San Pang signs with Dian Nang, I'll follow him, given Dian Nang's sudden recommendation."

Liu Meng smiled, knowing that online readers were the most picky but also the easiest to satisfy. As long as the book was to their taste, they would overlook logical inconsistencies and typos and support it wholeheartedly. If the book wasn't to their taste, even the most meticulous writing would be harshly criticized.

Emperor Zhengde and Wangzi recognized that the message was from San Pang and asked if he was going to sign with Dian Nang.

"The public version is almost complete, it's time to consider signing. I'm still hesitant, feeling a bit guilty towards Fantasy Blade Alliance's chief editor, Ye Lang," Liu Meng said honestly to his loyal readers.

"Don't overthink it. The most important thing is to write a good book. If Dian Nang values *Hui Ming* so much, signing with them isn't bad. After all, Dian Nang's team and management are slightly better than Fantasy Blade Alliance," Emperor Zhengde said.

"San Pang, I'll follow you wherever you go," Wangzi said succinctly.

Liu Meng closed his eyes, hoping to stay calm. He understood the implications of signing with either platform. It wasn't just about him, but about taking a large group of readers with him.

He felt a bit reluctant about Ye Lang's recognition and support.

Just as he was troubled, Zhou Shiyuan, barefoot, slapped the table and shouted, "Uncle, I'm hungry, I want to eat."

"Oh," Liu Meng calmed down and looked at the little girl, who had a rosy face from playing. He found it amusing and asked, "What do you want to eat?"

"Japanese cuisine, and some seafood, like scallops and oysters..." the little girl rambled on.

"Stop!" Liu Meng's head was spinning. Was this dinner? Could she eat so much? "Let's go to our school canteen. The food is delicious, and they have a special beef pie that's very fragrant."

"No, I'll tell mom you're mistreating me!" the little girl said angrily.

"Call her, I have something to tell her too," Liu Meng handed her his phone. The little girl, caught off guard, laughed awkwardly, "Oh, just kidding. The beef pie is pretty good too. Let's go to the university canteen, I've always wanted to go. I'm so excited."

How quickly she changed!

This was better, Liu Meng was satisfied. He had finally found a weak spot in the little girl. Although the mother and daughter often argued, the little girl was still afraid of making her mother unhappy.

"Good girl, put on your shoes and let's go." He patted the little girl's head, and she cooperated, though he suspected she had some ulterior motive.

"Uncle, can you carry me to put on my shoes? Like a horizontal carry," the little girl looked at Liu Meng, a bit shy and hopeful.

Liu Meng frowned, wondering what trick she was up to. He had been fooled by her too many times and felt a bit wary. He hesitated, "I'll bring your shoes to you, wait here."

"No, Dad used to carry me like this," the little girl said, her eyes welling up.

Liu Meng's heart softened. After the little girl learned about her parents' situation, she became rebellious, but she had improved recently. Thinking about her father still made her sad, and Liu Meng felt sympathy for her.

He nodded and picked her up, not too heavy for his strength.

Zhou Shiyuan had a sudden urge. After playing alone, she felt a bit lost. Seeing Liu Meng deep in thought, she remembered how her father used to carry her like this.

The little girl's head rested on Liu Meng's chest, listening to his strong heartbeat, which made her feel secure and content. She didn't want to get down when they reached the door.

"Come on, Shiyuan, put on your shoes, let's go eat," Liu Meng noticed her low mood after playing and felt a pang of sympathy.

After a moment's hesitation, Zhou Shiyuan patted Liu Meng's strong chest and giggled, "Not bad, Uncle, you must exercise regularly."

She was still a child, with emotions that came and went quickly. She soon put on her shoes, and they headed to the university.

"Uncle, can you carry me to put on my shoes? Like a horizontal carry," the little girl looked at Liu Meng, a bit shy and hopeful.

Liu Meng frowned, wondering what trick she was up to. He had been fooled by her too many times and felt a bit wary. He hesitated, "I'll bring your shoes to you, wait here."

"No, Dad used to carry me like this," the little girl said, her eyes welling up.

Liu Meng's heart softened. After the little girl learned about her parents' situation, she became rebellious, but she had improved recently. Thinking about her father still made her sad, and Liu Meng felt sympathy for her.

He nodded and picked her up, not too heavy for his strength.

Zhou Shiyuan had a sudden urge. After playing alone, she felt a bit lost. Seeing Liu Meng deep in thought, she remembered how her father used to carry her like this.

The little girl's head rested on Liu Meng's chest, listening to his strong heartbeat, which made her feel secure and content. She didn't want to get down when they reached the door.

"Come on, Shiyuan, put on your shoes, let's go eat," Liu Meng noticed her low mood after playing and felt a pang of sympathy.

After a moment's hesitation, Zhou Shiyuan patted Liu Meng's strong chest and giggled, "Not bad, Uncle, you must exercise regularly."

She was still a child, with emotions that came and went quickly. She soon put on her shoes, and they headed to the university.