Chapter 65

When Liu Jingting was a freshman in college, he once wrote a sentence in a class: "I always smile foolishly at everyone, hiding the malice and complaints I have towards this world. When my fists grow bigger, whoever provokes me, I'll beat them until they bubble."

This was naturally the words of a young man in a fit of anger. Thinking back to the sights and sounds of the first winter break in college, it still makes one laugh and cry.

First, a group of elementary school classmates, who might not even recognize each other's faces, called in a chain, forcing him to attend an elementary school reunion. Upon arrival, he saw one car after another and understood the deeper meaning. At the dinner table, there were endless discussions about business and the joy of dating, and finally, the phenomenon of "university graduates being everywhere" was emphasized.

Then, when he went to his uncle's house for the New Year, he listened to his aunt talk about his cousin's glorious achievements in opening a store, subtly pointing out that her son, who didn't finish high school, now earns over 200,000 yuan a year. She also mentioned that her son now has many university graduate workers, and finally, the phenomenon of "university graduates being everywhere" was emphasized again.

What Liu Jingting found most unbearable was when he was teaching his ten-year-old younger cousin to study well, and she looked up and asked him, "Can you earn a lot of money after going to university? Why did my older cousin not go to university and now has a car, while the younger uncle from my little grandfather's family, who went to university, still doesn't have a job?"

Liu Jingting counted all these as the world's malice towards him. Ironically, his so-called "fists growing bigger" ultimately meant earning a lot of money, a typical manifestation of the idea that the one with more money has the bigger fist.

The world is the same. A person riding a motorcycle can ignore a pedestrian dressed in ordinary clothes, and a person driving a convertible naturally wouldn't take the motorcyclist seriously.

Gong Cheng'en took off his sunglasses, looked at Liu Jingting and Mi Hu, and said in surprise, "Did you come here just to wait for us?" He smiled apologetically, "So early."

Liu Jingting explained, "Xiaomi is going home, I came to see her off, and it just happened to be you."

Gong Cheng'en laughed and said, "I see, then get in the car."

The motorcycle-riding young man had already fled at the sight of them, and Mi Hu, seeing that Liu Jingting didn't hesitate, followed suit and got in the car.

"Hello, Sister Xiaomi." Wang Qianqian, sitting in the front passenger seat, was unusually quiet today and completely ignored Liu Jingting, greeting only Mi Hu.

"Hello, thank you for the trouble."

Liu Jingting sat in the back seat with a calm demeanor and asked Gong Cheng'en, "Didn't you say the TV show was about to start? How do you have time?"

"Once it starts, it has nothing to do with me. This time, Qianqian and I came to see you just to catch up."

"Oh." Liu Jingting said this, but he knew the real reason for their visit, which was related to the ninth floor and "The White-haired Devil Woman."

"So I say men are hypocritical," Wang Qianqian said coldly, turning to look at Gong Cheng'en and asking, "Say it again, what are we here for? Catching up, as if we've known each other for so long."

Gong Cheng'en smiled awkwardly and said to Liu Jingting, "My brother wants to see you."

"Ah? Your brother?"

"Gong Chengpin?" Mi Hu added.

Gong Cheng'en nodded and said self-deprecatingly, "Don't show such an excited expression at the thought of meeting him, okay?"

Liu Jingting didn't really have any particular feelings about meeting anyone. After reading so many books, he felt that even in front of the President of the United States, everyone could fart casually.

"Is your brother here to discuss the new book?"

Gong Cheng'en shook his head and said, "I don't really know, but he did contact me to meet you after reading your new novel. Let's go, Xiaomi, you give directions."

"Wait," Wang Qianqian unfastened her seatbelt and turned to Mi Hu, saying, "Sister Xiaomi, can I sit with Uncle? I have a few questions to ask him."

Mi Hu turned to look at Liu Jingting, who smiled and nodded, indicating it was fine. Mi Hu nodded and switched seats with Wang Qianqian.

Gong Cheng'en watched this scene in the rearview mirror, shook his head with a smile, and pressed the car start button.

The autumn morning breeze was already carrying a chill, and the people in the speeding car felt it even more directly. However, Liu Jingting, who usually got carsick, seemed to enjoy the feeling of the autumn breeze on his face, with a faint smile on his face, giving a sense of warmth. However, not everyone felt the same. After staring at him strangely for a moment, Wang Qianqian finally spoke, "Did you write 'The White-haired Devil Woman' for Sister Xiaomi?"

Her voice, diluted by the wind, was a bit fuzzy, but Liu Jingting still caught the general meaning and shook his head.

"That day, Sister Xiaomi updated her status on the toilet wall, saying that the college entrance exam makes people old, and then you wrote 'The White-haired Devil Woman.' Isn't that a love letter?"

"Because you wanted to be a screenwriter, and Gong Shao bought the TV rights for you to write, that's a big deal."

Wang Qianqian smiled as if nothing had happened and said, "Let's not talk about that. I have a few questions about the novel. First, why did you write the story so unrealistically?"

"Do you mean the ending?"

"No, the whole story is like that. You drop too many literary references, and the character images and dialogues are somewhat stiff, especially the emotional descriptions, which are a waste of talent."

The two were close, but their conversation seemed to come from a distance. Liu Jingting, hearing the last four words, smiled bitterly and asked, "A waste of talent?"

Wang Qianqian nodded vigorously, her hair swaying in the wind, and raised her voice, "The idea of turning white hair for love is good, but the writing is too rough and lacks refinement. It should have been a deeply moving scene, but it was handled too hastily."

Liu Jingting smiled slightly and said loudly, "Perhaps the author is trying to express that people's fears are all because of love. If one is free from love, there is no fear or worry. This is how it should be seen, Miss."

"Bullshit!"

Wang Qianqian elongated her voice, and Mi Hu turned her head in surprise and asked, "What are you talking about?"

Gong Cheng'en added, "Qianqian is giving Ancient Shao a hard time. She's been depressed ever since reading 'The White-haired Devil Woman.'"

"Gu Shao, Gu Shao, stop the car!" Liu Jingting suddenly called from the back.

"Brother, we're on the highway now!"

"He's going to take a call." Wang Qianqian shouted, and it seemed she wasn't afraid that Gong Cheng'en wouldn't hear but that other drivers on the road wouldn't hear.

Gong Cheng'en gently turned the steering wheel, and the car turned onto a small road at a crossroads and stopped by the roadside. Liu Jingting apologized to everyone and then answered the call.

"How's the conversation going?" Gong Cheng'en asked Wang Qianqian softly.

"Didn't you hear my two-word verdict?"

Gong Cheng'en smiled and nodded, saying, "Then I'll just beat him up for you."

Mi Hu, knowing they were joking, still felt a bit uncomfortable and said, "What's the situation?"

Wang Qianqian laughed and said, "Nothing, I just said Uncle wrote the process of Lian Nishang turning white hair too roughly, not impressive enough."

Mi Hu smiled slightly, not saying anything. In fact, she had also told Liu Jingting that the emotional descriptions in the novel didn't reach the so-called micro-level, and for many readers with refined tastes, the writing often fell short of the most touching parts, leaving a sense of regret. Even so, hearing Wang Qianqian bluntly say his novel was too rough made her feel uncomfortable, as if she was saying, "My man, I can say whatever I want, but others can't say anything bad about him."

Liu Jingting hung up the call and came over with a smile, saying, "Qianhong Lu, the CEO, is organizing a trip to the grasslands at the end of October for horseback riding, saying it's to celebrate 'The White-haired Devil Woman.'"

"Don't you have classes?" Mi Hu asked.

"I'll take a leave. It's hard to refuse such a generous invitation."

As a young man who loved martial arts novels, Liu Jingting had always been fascinated by the grasslands. When he read "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" and "The White Horse Cries in the West Wind," he had the urge to go to the grasslands. Now that he had the opportunity, he wouldn't miss it. Besides, he really didn't want to experience high school classes again, and any chance to escape was a good one.

After a pause, the four returned to their seats and set off again. An hour later, they arrived at their destination, and Wang Qianqian shooed the two boys away, pulling Mi Hu aside to talk.

Liu Jingting leaned lazily against the car and asked Gong Cheng'en, "I'm actually quite curious about you two. How do you get along, with you being like this and her being like that?"

Gong Cheng'en smiled lightly and said, "You mean, how can a rich kid like me be so self-torturing by being with her?"

Liu Jingting didn't know how to respond and just smiled. Gong Cheng'en continued, "Don't you think this makes sense? A rebellious second-generation rich kid falls in love with a mysterious wild girl. This kind of setup is common in novels, right?"

At this point, Gong Cheng'en suddenly thought of something and laughed, "It seems 'The White-haired Devil Woman' is also like this. Zhuo Yihang is a second-generation official and a famous family's child, while Lian Nishang is a great thief. Ha, you're not writing based on me and Qianqian... No, no, Zhuo Yihang is too weak, a sheep, not like me."

Liu Jingting laughed and said, "Yes, you're stronger than him, and don't be like him in the future."

"Actually, Zhuo Yihang is quite foolish," Gong Cheng'en said with deep feeling, "A woman like Lian Nishang, he shouldn't have hesitated for even a second. He couldn't truly understand Lian Nishang, so she didn't give him another chance. I think this arrangement is correct and very reasonable." He gave Liu Jingting a thumbs up.

Liu Jingting smiled modestly and said, "Gong Shao seems to have a lot of feelings."

"More or less. Qianqian's situation is somewhat similar to Lian Nishang. In others' eyes, they might both be seen as devil women, always trying to shock the world. It's fine, really fine. She can do whatever she wants, say whatever she wants. I actually hope that no one in this world likes her."

Liu Jingting nodded vigorously, showing his understanding. At this moment, Wang Qianqian finished talking with Mi Hu and walked over with a smile, and Liu Jingting walked to Mi Hu and said goodbye to her.

"Too bad, can't see the future leader of the Gong family," Mi Hu said regretfully.

Liu Jingting's face darkened, and he said, "Is it appropriate to say that in front of your boyfriend?"

Mi Hu made a face, lightly tugged at Liu Jingting's ear, and whispered, "Didn't you talk quite happily with her in the car just now?"

Liu Jingting thought for a moment and suggested, "Then, let's call it even?"

"Deal."

...

Not long after parting with Mi Hu, Gong Cheng'en received a text message from his brother, which, in the typical concise style of the Gong family's eldest, simply said, "Arrived."

Gong Cheng'en very politely asked Liu Jingting if he was available now, and after receiving a positive response, started the car again.

Wang Qianqian still sat in the front passenger seat. This time, she didn't initiate any conversation, just played with her phone with her head down. After the car had been driving for about ten minutes, she suddenly turned and handed her phone to Liu Jingting in the back seat.

Liu Jingting took the phone and saw a fiery book review about "The White-haired Devil Woman." The poster's ID was "Tian Dao You Chang," which Liu Jingting had remembered since seeing the stunning post on the Jianghu forum. Many authors maintained a mix of respect and fear towards such exceptional readers because of their sharp eyes and high standards, often hitting the nail on the head with their critiques.

This guy's review was still of the highest quality, and what made Liu Jingting frown was that he shared similar views with Mi Hu and Wang Qianqian, criticizing the emotional descriptions in the novel.

"Reflecting on the book, the general discussion inevitably leads to sighs and laments. When reading carefully, the lingering feelings never reach a higher level, leaving a sense of unfulfilled desire, like scratching through a veil. This is a regret."

It seemed that this view was not a deliberate smear but a common phenomenon. Liu Jingting looked at the rapidly receding streetlights and thought to himself, "Saying I don't understand how to write emotions is certainly correct, but saying 'Gu Yongsheng' lacks the skill to write emotions is something I can't bear."

Not knowing what "Renyi Shao" was thinking, he suddenly smiled and said to himself, "The grasslands, can't I ride a white horse and let the wind howl in advance?"

As a martial arts love fable, "The White Horse Cries in the West Wind" entering Liu Jingting's mind at this moment was timely and fitting!

At this moment, the car suddenly stopped, and Gong Cheng'en turned to Liu Jingting and said, "We're here."

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