Chapter 22

The pace of this world is too fast, with information updating minute by minute. People might even feel that if they don't go online for three days, they will be left behind by the times.

After reading the statement from *Dajianghu*, Liu Jingtong roughly understood what had happened. Mi Hu, in her capacity as the editor-in-chief of Gu Yongsheng, clarified to the media that Gu Yongsheng and Liu Jingtong were not the same person, firmly stating that Gu Yongsheng was Gu Yongsheng, and Liu Jingtong was Liu Jingtong, and that there was no connection between the two. She even posted a thread to explain.

*Dajianghu* directly accused her of retaliating against the magazine because the magazine had already negotiated a plan to sell to Qianhong Cultural Development Company, with specific details to be announced soon. As an intern, Mi Hu would lose her job, so she was angry and decided to use her position to spread rumors and defame the magazine.

The magazine has already decided to fire her!

Liu Jingtong read this message several times but still couldn't believe the fact that she had given up her job for him. She loved her job so much.

Liu Jingtong immediately took out his phone from the drawer and, after turning it on, saw three missed calls and three messages from Mi Hu.

The first message: "Liu Jingtong, I hate you so much!"

The second message: "Liu Jingtong, our magazine is going to be sold to Qianhong. I've decided to leave *Dajianghu* and go back to school. In the future, Tang Nan will take over your manuscripts. I've given him your WC number, and he will contact you."

The third message: "Liu Jingtong, I'm in a terrible mood, and every day is so hard. My mentor, Chief Editor Zhou, has already submitted his resignation. I don't know who to talk to. Have you really decided to ignore me?"

Liu Jingtong wished he could slap himself. Although his relationship with Mi Hu had some elements of playfulness and partnership, he genuinely felt her sincere care for him.

"Liu Jingtong, with all the wisdom in your head and the soul of two lifetimes, how can your heart be so narrow?" Liu Jingtong scolded himself as he dialed Mi Hu's number.

"Beep—Beep—Beep—"

No one answered, and then the cold mechanical voice said, "The number you dialed is currently not available. Please try again later."

Liu Jingtong tried again, and again no one answered. After three attempts, he put down the phone and tapped on Mi Hu's chat window in WC, leaving a message: "Please contact me if you see this. It's urgent!"

After leaving a message on WC, he sent another text: "Hu Xiaomi, I'm an ass for what happened before. Please call or text me back."

He waited until 5:30 PM, but Mi Hu didn't respond at all, not a single punctuation mark, not a phone call, not a text, not a message on WC. Liu Jingtong rubbed his chin for a minute, pulled a branch from a broom, and stuck it behind his back. He left a note for his parents and hurried out the door.

On the street, he hailed a taxi and skillfully gave the name of Mi Hu's neighborhood. As the car started, he sent another text: "Amber, don't be afraid, I'm coming to save you."

After writing the text, he hesitated for a while but finally sent it with a thick face. An hour later, Liu Jingtong, who considered himself Mi Hu's savior, appeared at Mi Hu's door and started ringing the doorbell frantically.

"Mi Hu, are you there?"

...

"Mi Hu, someone's looking for you."

...

"Little Amber, open the door for me."

...

"Hu Xiaomi, it's a delivery!"

At this moment, Liu Jingtong's phone rang. Mi Hu had replied to his text. Liu Jingtong was delighted: "Finally, a response."

"Don't shout at the door. I won't open it for you."

Liu Jingtong quickly replied: "Open the door and let me explain. I'm here to apologize. I really brought the branch. Look through the peephole."

Mi Hu replied: "I don't want to look. Weren't you trying to act cool and aloof? Why are you here?"

Liu Jingtong replied: "I can't keep it up. I thought not seeing you for three days and not talking to you would be cool, but it turned out to be miserable. Please open the door. I'll let you vent. I have the branch and my back for you to hit."

After a while, Mi Hu replied: "I once heard that if you call someone three times and send three texts, and they don't respond, you shouldn't see them again. So, I don't want to see you. Go away."

Liu Jingtong blurted out, "Those self-proclaimed, self-obsessed relationship experts are really disgusting."

"It seems I have no choice but to use the ultimate move," Liu Jingtong thought, then shouted, "Hu Xiaomi, open the door. I know you're home. You can text me back, so why won't you open the door?"

After the first round, Mi Hu didn't open the door, but a neighbor's door did. A little boy with a tiger-like face stuck his head out and scolded, "What are you shouting for? Do you have any public morals? Don't you know I'm watching *Shuke and Beta*?"

Liu Jingtong hurriedly bowed and apologized, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'll leave right away."

The little boy huffed and closed the door. Liu Jingtong smiled bitterly and sent a text to Mi Hu: "Your neighbor's kid is so fierce. I'll sit on the chair downstairs until you open the door."

"Deserved it!" Mi Hu replied with two words.

Liu Jingtong went downstairs and sat on a chair, staring at Mi Hu's window and waving his hand, regardless of whether she could see him or not.

"If it rained, it would be perfect," Liu Jingtong looked up at the sky, "That's how it's always shown in movies and TV shows."

After watching for a while, no rain fell. Liu Jingtong suddenly thought of the ending of *The Legend of the Condor Heroes*, where Guo Jing meets Huang Rong on the peak of Mount Hua: [Guo Jing, seeing her tears, was at a loss. He wanted to say something to defend himself or comfort her but didn't know how to start. After a while, he said, "Rong'er, I'm here. You can hit me or kill me, whatever you want."

Huang Rong said sadly, "Why would I hit you or kill you? We've known each other for nothing. Please, don't follow me." Guo Jing, seeing that she wouldn't forgive him, his face pale, said, "What can I do to make you believe me?" Huang Rong said, "Today you're with me, but tomorrow, when Hua Zhen comes, you'll forget me. Unless you die now, I won't believe you."

Guo Jing's blood boiled, and he nodded, turned around, and walked towards the cliff...]

Thinking of this, Liu Jingtong suddenly had an idea. He opened his phone and edited this scene into a text, sending it to Mi Hu.

It was already 8:00 PM. The stars that had been hiding all day gradually appeared, lighting up the night sky, twinkling as if mocking Liu Jingtong, the poor guy.

The light from the apartment shone on Liu Jingtong, casting a crooked shadow on the other side of the chair, making him look particularly lonely.

Mi Hu's window remained dark. Mi Hu couldn't see anything and naturally didn't notice the girl secretly looking down from the window.

After five or six minutes, Mi Hu replied: "Is Guo Jing a fool? Is Hua Zhen a third wheel?"

Liu Jingtong chuckled and replied: "Guo Jing is the main character, and his character is designed to be wise but often seems foolish. He's decisive in big matters but often at a loss in small ones. Hua Zhen is the daughter of Genghis Khan and accidentally became engaged to Guo Jing. She's not a third wheel because Guo Jing always had only one person in his heart: Huang Rong."

"Then, what happened to Guo Jing and Huang Rong in the end?"

This is the question that girls are most concerned about, whether in movies, TV shows, or novels. The first question girls usually ask is whether the main characters end up together.

"They will be the most classic and famous couple in martial arts novels, a model couple known to everyone."

Liu Jingtong's assessment was a fair evaluation of the couple Guo Jing and Huang Rong, but to Mi Hu, it sounded like he was boasting.

"Liu Jingtong is selling watermelons, praising his own goods."

Seeing this text, Liu Jingtong felt relieved and quickly replied: "When you read the story, you'll agree with me. But, do you have to make me jump from the building like Huang Rong to forgive me?"

A minute later, Mi Hu replied: "I don't know if Guo Jing is a fool, but Liu Jingtong, you are definitely a complete fool."

Being called a fool by a girl is a great joy for most boys, and Liu Jingtong was no exception. He sent a silly smiley face to confirm Mi Hu's statement.

"Are you really going to sit here until morning?" Mi Hu's voice unexpectedly came from behind. Liu Jingtong suddenly stood up and turned around, seeing Mi Hu holding her phone, standing in a patch of light not far away.

Liu Jingtong didn't answer or speak. He walked over to Mi Hu and hugged her tightly, like a thug.

Mi Hu was first stunned, then resisted, and finally gave in, letting him hug her. After all, he was her boyfriend, and that was a good enough reason.

"Hu Xiaomi, I came here to tell you that I will protect you. If they bully you, I'll make them pay."

Under the May starlight, Mi Hu was hugged by a middle school boy like a thug, and she heard his words, which were both domineering and childish: "I will protect you..."

Then, Mi Hu started to cry, releasing the accumulated委屈 of the past few days...

...

Under the starry sky, besides the reconciled young couple, there were some workaholics still working overtime, such as Lu Yichou, the president of Qianhong Cultural Development Company. At this moment, he was reading a few chapters of a martial arts story from the newly acquired magazine *Dajianghu*. The story was called *Seven Swords Descend from Mount Tian*.

Lu Yichou, at the age of thirty-five, had once published articles online and gained considerable fame. Later, he turned to publishing and became a successful businessman.

Lu Yichou's publishing career was extremely successful, launching many well-known writers and becoming the major publisher for many top authors, including the currently popular best-selling author Han Shuo and the veteran best-selling author Yi Shui'an. He was also known for his insightful and unique comments on literary and artistic works, earning him the title of "the most artistic businessman" in the industry.

Although he hadn't handled manuscripts for a long time, his professional editing skills and market insight remained at an expert level. After reading the ten chapters of the story for the third time, he clapped and exclaimed, "Excellent!" He couldn't help but leave eight words at the end of the manuscript: "Just these ten chapters, the sharpness is already evident!"