Chapter 61

"Seems like the secret is out," Liu Jingtong confessed.

"Do you hate me, Uncle?"

"Not really."

"I don't even have the qualifications to make you hate me."

Liu Jingtong looked at the screen and fell silent. Mi Hu's avatar did not light up again, perhaps waiting for him to speak, or perhaps washing up, or chatting with roommates.

Dao Hua was also waiting.

Liu Jingtong pondered for a moment, then started typing: "Since we're talking about this, and since you keep calling me Uncle, I have two things I want to say to you. Are you ready to listen?"

Dao Hua replied with a mischievous emoticon, followed by a sentence: "I've washed my ears clean, Uncle, go ahead."

"First, the way you talk, do you think it's particularly unique, particularly showcasing your postmodern, non-mainstream, avant-garde style?"

"So what if it is?"

"Let me tell you, postmodern my ass, non-mainstream my ass, avant-garde my ass. You think using a few sexual terms makes you avant-garde, and being crude makes you unique? I'll tell you, it's not, it's completely not. It's just pretentious, just acting."

"Does it also show a lack of manners, right?"

"You can say that."

"Uncle, do you now feel particularly noble and morally superior?"

"Actually, I do."

"Do you think you know everything? Do you think you're God? Are you writing books to brainwash people?"

Without waiting for Liu Jingtong to reply, Dao Hua continued: "Actually, you know nothing. You just set up your own assumptions, make your own deductions, and then draw your own conclusions, that's all!"

Liu Jingtong calmly replied: "I understand your point. You want to say that you've had a very tragic past, or have been through some kind of trauma. You act this way because you don't feel safe in this world. This kind of background is too cliché and has no necessary connection."

"See, typical self-assumption. I never said that. My past isn't tragic at all. My mom is very beautiful, and my dad is very rich. You might not earn as much from writing books in your lifetime as he has. To be honest, I'm a second-generation rich kid. Otherwise, how could I resist the financial advances of Gong Cheng'en, that second-generation rich kid? That fool thought I was a poor but determined Cinderella, inviting me to a 10,000 yuan meal and giving me a 20,000 yuan bag. If I were really Cinderella, I would have knelt before him and served him, in any position he wanted."

"So, this is purely a personal hobby?"

"You deduce, aren't you good at setting up scenarios?"

"It's not convenient to involve parents in conversations between peers."

After a brief pause, Dao Hua replied: "What have you guessed?"

"Nothing."

"All men are so hypocritical, you and Gong Cheng'en are the same."

"Agreed."

After another pause, Liu Jingtong saw a message on the screen that shocked him: "When I was five, I saw my beastly father rape my mother."

This situation was unexpected for Liu Jingtong, who naturally knew about marital rape but couldn't associate it with Wang Qianqian.

Someone once said that a person's self-awareness stops growing when they first witness their father beating their mother, and only the ego and superego continue to grow. This imbalance has created many artistic geniuses. Is Dao Hua one of them?

"Uncle, why aren't you saying anything? Are you feeling guilty?"

Liu Jingtong replied with a string of ellipses.

"Just as you said, I do have a tragic past, hahaha... Uncle, you've been fooled."

Liu Jingtong was taken aback, seeing Dao Hua's reply: "I just wanted to test your confidence. I didn't expect you to show your weakness. How can you become a good novelist with such a lack of confidence?"

Liu Jingtong replied, "I'll try harder, see you later." After a mysterious outburst, the result was this, and Liu Jingtong felt a bit discouraged.

"Don't be angry, I know you're having a spat with Auntie and are taking it out on me. I like it, it shows you're gradually considering me a friend."

"Oh."

"Don't be disgusting, I'll disappear after I finish talking. Just ignore me. I became like this because I had a bastard boyfriend before..."

Dao Hua narrated a love tragedy, and Liu Jingtong finally replied with three words: "I don't believe you."

"That's right, just like you, I like making up stories."

Liu Jingtong ignored Dao Hua and didn't leave a message for Mi Hu. He directly logged out of WC, turned off his computer, and said to his roommates, "After the military training, I'll treat you all to a meal."

Zhao Kan and Yu Xiaoshu moved their heads away from their computer screens and happily said, "Thanks, Brother Liu!"

Liu Jingtong looked at Sun Xinyang, who was solving a math problem, and said, "Old Sun, invite your wife, let everyone meet."

Yu and Zhao both agreed.

Sun Xinyang looked at Liu Jingtong with some difficulty and said, "I don't know if she has time."

"Okay, tell her. If she really doesn't have time, we'll meet next time. You must come."

Sun Xinyang nodded.

Liu Jingtong spontaneously decided to treat his roommates to a meal, partly because "The White-Haired Deviless" was progressing smoothly, partly to dispel the gloom of his cold war with Mi Hu, and most importantly, to strengthen the bond with his roommates, especially to understand Sun Xinyang's problems.

The military training performance was held in front of the municipal government building, with five high schools participating. On the day of the performance, it rained heavily, adding a solemn atmosphere. The students, to show their unwavering spirit, stood even more straight and solemn.

The leaders in the building watched this scene with great satisfaction, frequently waving to the students. The school reporter later wrote enthusiastically, "All the onlookers were moved to tears."

After the performance, the students rushed back to their dorms to change clothes. Liu Jingtong, just arriving at the entrance of the boys' dorm, saw a message on the blackboard in front of the reception: "Liu Jingtong, pick up ginger soup at the reception."

No need to guess, it was naturally from Mi Hu. Liu Jingtong texted her, "Thanks for the eight-treasure porridge, it was very good. Want to have dinner together tomorrow?"

Mi Hu replied, "I've never cooked eight-treasure porridge, and I have an exam tomorrow."

Liu Jingtong laughed and replied, "The eight-treasure porridge was from the receptionist."

Soon, the phone at the reception rang. Liu Jingtong smiled and answered, pinching his voice, "Boys' dorm reception, who are you looking for?"

"Hello, sir, I'm Hu Xiaomi, who left the ginger soup for Liu Jingtong, not the eight-treasure porridge."

Liu Jingtong resumed his normal voice, "Thanks, Mi Mi, the ginger soup was very good."

"You, so boring!"

...

As a nouveau riche pseudo-tycoon, Liu Jingtong chose the highest-end restaurant on campus. Zhao Kan and Yu Xiaoshu marveled at Liu Jingtong's hidden tycoon aura while commenting on the restaurant. Then Yu Xiaoshu suddenly thought of something and asked Liu Jingtong, "Is the sister-in-law not coming?"

Liu Jingtong waved his hand, "We're having a spat, I'm ignoring her."

"What about Sun's wife?"

Sun Xinyang shook his head sadly.

Liu Jingtong looked at Sun Xinyang and asked, seemingly intentionally or unintentionally, "Old Sun, are you having some trouble?"

Sun Xinyang still shook his head. Liu Jingtong was about to speak when he suddenly had an idea, nodded, and looked at Yu and Zhao, making a gesture and asking, "White wine or beer?"

The two understood and said, "We brothers will drink beer today, no stopping until we're drunk."

Liu Jingtong directly ordered a case of beer.

Half an hour later, under the continuous toasts from Liu, Yu, and Zhao, Sun Xinyang finally showed signs of drunkenness. Liu Jingtong seized the opportunity and said, "Old Sun, why do girls always have such a temper?"

Liu Jingtong's intention was to get Sun Xinyang to talk, but Sun Xinyang fell asleep on the table.

...

As September was about to end, the autumn air grew thicker, and the green leaves that had been lush all summer began to wither and fall. The campus paths were dotted with these inevitable fallen leaves.

Mi Hu updated her status on WC: "Today, I found a white hair in the mirror. It seems the college entrance exam really makes one old."

While Mi Hu was lamenting her early white hair, Liu Jingtong had also advanced "The White-Haired Deviless" to the twenty-sixth chapter, the core of the book: [Sword through the Famous Mountain, Red Beauty Finds a Kindred Spirit; Radiant Valley, White Hair Replaces Black Silk]

[The Jade Demoness sat up, her wet hair hanging uncomfortably on her shoulders... The Jade Demoness said, "Am I still in a dream?" She put her finger in her mouth and bit it hard, breaking the skin and drawing blood, the pain reaching her heart. This was definitely not a nightmare. The Jade Demoness quickly gathered her long hair in her hand and examined it carefully. Was there still half a strand of black hair? It was all white...]

This scene is undoubtedly one of the most classic in martial arts novels, as it introduced a new concept—white hair from love. Later imitators were countless, including Jin Yong's portrayal of Yang Guo sixteen years later, which was undoubtedly influenced by this.

After completing this chapter, Liu Jingtong couldn't resist sending it to Mi Hu, as a response to her white hair.

After a long time, Mi Hu replied, "Zhuo Yihang is a coward!"

...

"Print 250,000 copies, and announce 500,000."

"The Heaven's Net Tower" was about to be released, and Xue Muliang began to arrange the promotion, "Let Luo An write a preface, which can be directly posted on microblogging. Make more noise on the forum, and pick on Gu Yongsheng, but don't attack him personally."

Chen Yin added, "The serial publication of 'Seven Swords Descend from Heaven' is still ongoing, it seems they don't plan to join the October battle."

Xue Muliang said, "They're protecting their reputation, or it's a marketing strategy. It doesn't matter to us. Isn't Yi Shui'an's book coming out?"

"Lu Yichou said there might be a surprise in October, probably referring to this."

Xue Muliang shook his head, "Yi Shui'an mentioned earlier that his new book was in preparation, so it's not a surprise. It's probably Han Shuo."

Chen Yin nodded in realization.

"When are Duan Dao and Qin Se's books coming out?"

Chen Yin turned to Wu Man, who replied, "Duan Dao is on the 1st, and Qin Se said the manuscript is delayed, possibly until the 5th. Should we adjust our schedule?"

"No need, the posters have already been sent out. We'll stick to our schedule."

Xue Muliang finished speaking, and the three smiled, showing their confidence in the upcoming show.

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