Chapter 64

"Feeling pretty smug, huh?"

Mi Hu shot Liu Jingtong a glance and asked, as the first reader to finish the novel, he couldn't help but feel a bit smug seeing the novel become such a hit. The flimsy ban Liu Jingtong had imposed was long gone.

Liu Jingtong smiled and said, "Unexpected, yet within reason."

Mi Hu pouted but didn't argue, sighing instead. "Because I was busy reviewing, I read it rather hastily the first time. After the college entrance exam, I'll read it more carefully." She then turned to look at Liu Jingtong and asked earnestly, "Did Lian Nishang and Zhuo Yihang really end like that? Or will there be some other resolution in the Seven Swords?"

Liu Jingtong thought for a moment and said, "Later, the flowers bloomed."

"Did the Udumbara bloom?" Mi Hu asked, surprised, then frowned. "Did they really wait for fifty to sixty years?"

Liu Jingtong quickly recalled the scene in "Seven Swords" where the flowers were presented: [The White-haired Witch's eyes gleamed as she asked, "Are these flowers picked?" Zhang Huazhao respectfully replied, "They were picked by me, as per the instructions of the senior Zhuo, to be given to you, Elder." The White-haired Witch took the flowers but kept them in the silk pouch, not taking them out. She sighed, "A jest seventy years ago, and he still remembers it so clearly. I am exactly one hundred years old today, what use do I have for the Udumbara?"]

At the end of "The White-haired Witch," Zhuo Yihang had instructed Xin Longzi to deliver the Udumbara to Lian Nishang after his death. After several twists and turns, Xin Longzi became a character with both good and evil traits, and one of the Seven Swords, Zhang Huazhao, fulfilled Zhuo Yihang's last wish by presenting the Udumbara to the White-haired Witch.

"It was more than sixty years," Liu Jingtong shook his head and said.

"Huh?"

"There will be a dedicated chapter in the later part of 'Seven Swords' about this. In short," Liu Jingtong smiled apologetically, "it's not the ending you think."

Mi Hu stared and asked, "What ending do you think I imagined?"

"Zhuo Yihang waited for the flowers to bloom. Due to some special reason, the Udumbara bloomed early. Zhuo Yihang carried the flowers to Tian Shan, and the two met with tears."

Mi Hu said disdainfully, "I'm not that cliché."

Liu Jingtong smiled at the girl, gesturing for her to share her thoughts.

Mi Hu said dreamily, "The flowers should bloom early, or the blooming period could be set to ten years. Zhuo Yihang endured for ten years, finally waiting for the Udumbara to bloom. The middle-aged man with deep feelings picked the flowers and gracefully ascended Tian Shan. However, Lian Nishang still refused to meet him. Zhuo Yihang stood outside Lian Nishang's door for three days and three nights."

"Better if it snows," Liu Jingtong interjected.

Mi Hu nodded and continued, "But the White-haired Witch never came out. She stood alone by the window, quietly watching the man in the snow. After three days, the man's hair turned completely white!"

Liu Jingtong laughed. "Amazing! Wait, wasn't it the snow?"

Mi Hu shook her head. "Of course not. Why should only Lian Nishang have white hair for love? That's unfair."

Liu Jingtong thought carefully and said seriously, "Maybe Zhuo Yihang used good shampoo, who knows?"

Mi Hu couldn't help but laugh. "Stop interrupting. Let me finish. After standing for three days, the white-haired Zhuo Yihang finally understood Lian Nishang's feelings. He left the flowers at the door and gracefully descended the mountain. At that moment, Lian Nishang's door creaked open, and a gust of snow blew in. The White-haired Witch, in a white dress, looked at the red flower in the snow, speechless. The story ends here."

Liu Jingtong clapped. "That's good too."

Mi Hu raised her head proudly.

"Afternoon walk is over, I need to go back to class."

Liu Jingtong nodded. Mi Hu walked a few steps, then turned and asked, "Remember you said something about me being in my first year of high school, have you been in high school before?"

Liu Jingtong smiled shamelessly, and Mi Hu said "Pfft" and turned to leave.

"High school, we have to study on Saturdays, who would want to repeat it?" Liu Jingtong muttered to himself as he walked back to the dorm. Just as he reached the door, he heard a heated argument inside:

"Being together isn't necessarily good, and not being together isn't necessarily bad. This is true for both art and real life."

This urgent voice belonged to Zhao Kan.

"I read the novel for the thrill. I tolerated Zhuo Yihang not conquering Lian Nishang, but in the end, they didn't even end up together. It made my stomach hurt. Who can tell me where Jin Yong is, I want to challenge him."

This voice didn't belong to Yu Xiaoshu or Sun Xinyang, but probably a classmate from another dorm.

"Vulgar, vulgar," Zhao Kan scolded, "a happy ending is for soap operas. The author has deeper intentions, which you might not understand."

"I don't care about deeper intentions. Bring the author here, I want to challenge him."

"You can't just call him. He might be right outside the door."

Before Zhao Kan could finish, Liu Jingtong pushed the door open and asked with a smile, "What are you guys discussing so enthusiastically?"

Yu Xiaoshu, lying on the bed, asked with a mischievous look, "Weren't you on a date? Why are you back so soon?"

Liu Jingtong pointed at him, made a slapping gesture, and then asked Zhao Kan, "What were you saying so loudly just now?"

Sweat appeared on Zhao Kan's forehead, and he answered solemnly, "We were discussing 'The White-haired Witch.'"

"Oh, this book is quite popular recently."

Zhao Kan leaned over and picked up a book from the bed, waving it in front of Liu Jingtong. "I was one of the first to get the book. If you want to read it, I can lend it to you."

Liu Jingtong took the book, pretended to read it seriously, and commented, "A chaptered novel, the language is very classical."

Zhao Kan said, "It's highly refined modern vernacular. Even elementary school students can read it without any difficulty."

Liu Jingtong nodded and asked, "What were you guys arguing about just now?"

"You haven't read the book, I won't tell you." Zhao Kan said firmly.

"Okay." Liu Jingtong sat back on his bed, not discussing the novel further. Not until bedtime did Zhao Kan finally ask, "Liu Jingtong, where are you in the book?"

Liu Jingtong was taken aback but quickly understood that Zhao Kan wanted to chat. Anyone who has read a long novel knows the feeling of wanting to discuss it with someone after finishing it.

"I just finished the twenty-sixth chapter, Lian Nishang's black hair," Liu Jingtong said, but his phone rang. It was Gong Cheng'en. Liu Jingtong waved at Zhao Kan to wait and answered the call.

"Mr. Gu, Xiaoxian and I will visit you at Yuehe No.1 High School tomorrow. Are you free?"

"Ah? Oh, yes."

"Great, see you then."

Liu Jingtong hung up, and Zhao Kan hurried over to chat. Just then, Sun Xinyang returned, looking sad.

Zhao Kan, who was about to speak, swallowed his words and asked, "Sun, what's wrong?"

Sun Xinyang shook his head as usual.

"Tell us, if there's anything we can help with, just say it." Zhao Kan looked at Sun Xinyang seriously.

"Right," Liu Jingtong couldn't hold back and walked over to Sun Xinyang, "We can see you're having trouble, but you've been holding it in. Since we're all here, why not talk about it? Maybe we can help."

Yu Xiaoshu also came over and added, "Just tell us, it's rare for us to be in the same dorm."

Sun Xinyang looked at his three roommates gratefully, and after a long pause, finally said, "My girlfriend's mother is seriously ill and needs surgery. The cost is 300,000 yuan..."

"Then raise the money."

Sun Xinyang smiled bitterly. "300,000 yuan is not easy to raise, you know."

The three were silent. Yu Xiaoshu and Zhao Kan were silent because they couldn't help with such a large sum. Liu Jingtong was silent because he was thinking about the 500,000 yuan in his bank card. He was not yet sixteen, and even with his father's ID, he might not be able to withdraw 300,000 yuan at once.

"There must be a way," Liu Jingtong comforted.

Sun Xinyang nodded. "There is a way," he said, his tone suddenly cold, "a classmate from junior high, whose family does business, said he would provide the money, but with a condition."

Liu Jingtong immediately said, "To make your girlfriend break up with you and be with him."

"Engagement," Sun Xinyang said expressionlessly.

"Engagement? You, you are so young."

"In our village, this is not uncommon. I'm sure it happens in your places too. He also said he would cover all her education expenses, from high school to university and even graduate school..."

"But your girlfriend doesn't like him," Zhao Kan interjected, and everyone fell silent again.

Liu Jingtong found it amusing that such a TV drama plot could happen in real life. This made it even more important to help, as it concerned the lifelong happiness of two young people. Since he had the ability to help, he couldn't just stand by.

Liu Jingtong's face remained calm, but his mind was racing. He glanced at the "The White-haired Witch" that Zhao Kan had bought and had an idea. He comforted Sun Xinyang a bit, then didn't say much more. Yu Xiaoshu and Zhao Kan sighed and shook their heads, returning to their beds.

Liu Jingtong returned to his seat, took out paper and pen, and wrote a note: "Sun, I have a way to help you."

...

The next day was Sunday, and the high school students had a day off. Mi Hu was going home to get clothes, and Liu Jingtong sent her to the school gate early in the morning. Just as they left the school gate, they heard a crisp motorcycle exhaust sound. A muscular boy on a motorcycle stopped beside them, lifted his helmet, and looked at Mi Hu with a grin, saying, "Mi Mi, I'll take you." He completely ignored Liu Jingtong.

Mi Hu nervously glanced at Liu Jingtong with her peripheral vision, saw his calm face, and felt a bit more at ease. She was about to refuse when a black convertible car silently stopped beside Liu Jingtong. Liu Jingtong smiled, turned to Mi Hu, and said, "How about I take you home?"

...