Chapter 82

Hearing the roommates' kind inquiries, classmate Zhao Kan cried even more sorrowfully, Sun Xinyang got up to turn on the light, wrapped in a blanket, and stood by Zhao Kan's bed, half-asleep, asking, "What's wrong?"

Zhao Kan forced himself to calm down a bit, trying to suppress his sadness, stubbornly and sobbingly said, "I'm fine, you guys go back to sleep."

Yu Xiaoshu also wrapped in a blanket and walked over, with his hair sticking out in all directions, and said, "Don't say you're fine. Crying like Liu Bei in the middle of the night, how can you be fine?"

Zhao Kan still pretended to be strong and said, "I really am fine, I'll be fine, you guys go back to sleep." As he said this, he turned his body, and a thick magazine slipped out from under the blanket.

Yu Xiaoshu squatted down to pick up the magazine, rubbed his eyes, and upon a closer look, read aloud, "Great River, edited by Yi Shui'an."

Suddenly, Zhao Kan emerged from under the blanket, got up to grab the magazine, and Yu Xiaoshu stepped back, looking at Zhao Kan with a mix of amusement and concern, and said, "This, isn't, Kan Kan, your meaning is, you cried because of reading a book?"

With tears still on his face, Zhao Kan let out a sigh, leaning against the headboard, and said, "Now the magazine has been taken away, what can I do?"

Hearing Zhao Kan's deeply aggrieved sigh, Liu, Yu, and Sun all got goosebumps, feeling a sense of inexplicable absurdity. Yu Xiaoshu respectfully handed the book over and said, "You don't need to think of any way, here's your book."

Zhao Kan took the magazine and sighed again, saying, "You don't understand."

Liu Jingtong could naturally guess the reason for Zhao Kan's sadness, but seeing a supposedly thick-skinned fat guy being so artistic was quite surprising. He thought to himself and couldn't help but say, "According to people's habitual thinking, once they accept the stereotype of a fat guy, they tend to overlook many things. Actually, we all forgot that when a fat guy gets artistic, he's no longer just a simple fat guy."

"What is he then?" Yu, Sun, and Zhao asked in unison.

"An artistic fat guy," Liu Jingtong answered seriously, almost making the three of them faint.

Liu Jingtong ignored the three, looking at Zhao Kan with a half-smile, and said, "I see everyone online is discussing 'The White Horse Whistles in the West Wind.' Did you cry because of this book too?"

Zhao Kan didn't directly answer Liu Jingtong's question, pausing for a moment, and said, "As the saying goes, in the world of books, others' pain, one question brings tears like rain. Another question breaks the heart. How could you understand the subtleties?"

Yu Xiaoshu and Sun Xinyang, already dazed, were even more confused. Liu Jingtong, however, understood clearly. Zhao Kan had a crush on a girl from junior high, who later became someone else's girlfriend, leaving him depressed. In the quiet of the night, after reading the long-awaited 'The White Horse Whistles in the West Wind,' he was deeply moved by a heart-wrenching question in the story, combined with the sad atmosphere and his own experiences, leading to his tears.

Despite this, Liu Jingtong was still quite surprised by Zhao Kan's profound evaluation of the book, finding it hard to imagine that this artistic fat guy could be so deeply moved. Just as he was about to ask, Yu Xiaoshu asked, "What question is so powerful that it can make someone's stomach ulcer?"

Liu Jingtong and Sun Xinyang smiled at each other, looking at Zhao Kan, equally curious.

Zhao Kan ignored Yu Xiaoshu's teasing and said, "You three wouldn't be able to answer this question either, but because you haven't had such an experience, you can't deeply understand it."

"Let's hear it then."

Zhao Kan shook his head and said, "It's something you can only feel, not explain. You should read it yourself. Jingtong knows the book title—'The White Horse Whistles in the West Wind.' If we ever have the chance to talk about it in person, that would be great."

"Meeting face-to-face is a matter of fate, if not, it's hard to meet even if you're a thousand miles apart," Liu Jingtong said with interest.

"Brother Jingtong, isn't that a bit off?"

Liu Jingtong smiled, not correcting him, and said, "This is a strange thing. Some say, if you eat an egg, why go see the chicken? But usually, after eating an egg, the first thing that comes to mind is the chicken."

Zhao Kan, displeased, said, "Jingtong, this example is inappropriate. My brother Gu is a genius, don't speak ill of him."

Liu Jingtong nodded, thinking to himself, "Your brother Gu is just a lucky young man."

...

Following Zhao Kan's midnight cry, the storm of book reviews for 'The White Horse Whistles in the West Wind' began. In fact, before this, the forum had already seen a series of high-quality reviews. Zhao Kan's profound comment, "In the world of books, others' pain, one question brings tears like rain, another question breaks the heart," came from a reader's review on the forum.

The day after Zhao Kan's midnight cry, around 10 AM, a well-known film critic casually mentioned on his microblog, "The new short story 'The White Horse Whistles in the West Wind' in the latest issue of 'Great River' is amazing. I read it in one go and couldn't recover for the whole day. Thanks to Editor Yi for the recommendation. This book is really, really good, and I like it a lot."

Around noon, the always active Luotou also updated his microblog: "Gu Yongsheng's new work 'The White Horse Whistles in the West Wind' is a novel that leaves one speechless. Because it poses a simple yet unsolvable question, just like 'The Legend of the White-Haired Witch,' the author stubbornly or vengefully gives another tragedy. But this time, the tragedy is like a thunderclap in the silence, even more shocking. At first glance, it seems ordinary, but upon deeper reflection, it is profoundly moving. I'll have a longer article later."

As Luotou claimed he was preparing a long review, the discussion about 'The White Horse Whistles in the West Wind' on microblog had already topped the trending topics. The topic was not about the book title or the author but distilled the classic question from the book into a single topic: #YouLoveSomeoneWhoLovesSomeoneElse.

This topic, once launched, attracted thousands of participants, and the number kept growing. The topic's heat gradually rose, and then celebrities cautiously joined in, turning the topic into a "national recall of one-sided love stories."

"In fourth grade, I liked a girl who sat behind me, a super cheerful foodie. I would pretend to ask her for snacks, making her laugh and cry, but she seemed more interested in my deskmate. Every time she talked to that scumbag, she would blush. I hated my deskmate for years. At last year's class reunion, I beat him up while drunk, hahaha."

"In junior high, I went to school with a girl from the neighborhood. She was a typical top student, and I was a typical underachiever. Later, the adults must have made some deal, and the top student started tutoring me. I was captivated by her stubborn ponytail. During the high school entrance exam, I heard she had a crush on another boy in the class, a fellow underachiever, which was a huge blow. Otherwise, I would be at Tsinghua now."

"In high school, I rode my bike home every day. But there was a group of evil delinquents at school who would let the air out of people's bike tires after school. My bike was always spared because the school basketball team captain would guard it until I appeared, then quietly leave. As a girl, I had no resistance to such a silent hero. Later, I found out he was actually my future brother-in-law, sent by my sister to protect my bike. I cried and covered my face..."

...

Driven by this wave of national recall of one-sided love stories, the topic #YouLoveSomeoneWhoLovesSomeoneElse finally topped the daily trending topics. At this moment, another topic appeared at the bottom of the list: #VeryGoodButIDontLike.

There was no doubt that this phrase also came from 'The White Horse'!

On the same day, the same book generated two trending topics, both spontaneously discussed by netizens without any behind-the-scenes manipulation. Looking back at past novels and even popular TV shows and movies, no work had ever produced two trending topics on the same day.

"Those are all very good, but I just don't like them."

This phrase, with its broader meaning and more creative freedom, instantly sparked a rich imagination and creativity among netizens.

"Tsinghua has a famous auditorium and a dreamlike campus; Peking University has Weiming Lake and Boya Tower. Those are all very good, but I just don't like them. For choosing a school, I only recognize Lanxiang!"

"KFC has a pleasant environment and top-notch service; McDonald's has juicy and tender burgers. Those are all very good, but I just don't like them. I love Dog不理 bao, and I want a second one after the first."

...

Of course, while some were joking, many readers were seriously discussing the story and their own stubbornness. In an era where parents make all the decisions and children rebel, saying "I just don't like it" resonates deeply with children.

Parents choose your school and major when you're in school, arrange your job after graduation, and set up blind dates after you start working... No one wants to live their life according to others' arrangements, so it's natural to say, "What you've arranged is all very good, but I just don't like it."

...

'The White Horse Whistles in the West Wind' created the unprecedented feat of two trending topics in one day on microblog, leaving all publishing companies, including Qianhong, stunned. Even if Xue Muliang and Han Shuo had released a book together, it might not have caused such a stir. In fact, Gu Yongsheng's previous work, 'The Legend of the White-Haired Witch,' was already incredibly popular, but in terms of trending topics, it fell short.

Later that day, Xue Muliang ambiguously updated his status: "When the person you like also likes you, that should be one of the most beautiful things in life."

A successful work of art must have this powerful感染力, transcending national and cultural boundaries. Xue Muliang, after reading 'The White Horse,' felt the same as other readers, and perhaps even more deeply due to his own circumstances and nature.

He had a keen sense of story, so he was amazed by the layout and conception of 'The White Horse';

At heart, he was an artistic soul, so he was moved by the sad story;

As a publishing businessman, he was both amazed and regretful at the immense commercial potential of Gu Yongsheng.

Despite this, in terms of the story itself, there were people in the publishing world who felt even more deeply.

Beige Tang, after reading Gu Yongsheng's new story, was speechless for a whole day. He was equally amazed by the seemingly ordinary yet profoundly talented story. He felt the vast gap between himself and Gu Yongsheng, and the story was a stark mockery of him.

"If the person you deeply love deeply loves someone else, what can you do?"

This question was clearly directed at him. He could almost imagine Gu Yongsheng's smug expression as he wrote it. The last line of the story, was it not also a reflection of Mi Hu's attitude toward him?

Beige Tang was in great pain, but more so, he felt powerless. A person who could write such a story and such words was truly beyond his reach.

...

At the same time, another person suffering from this question was the forum veteran "Spit God" who couldn't hold back. As one of the early readers preparing to launch an attack, he was unusually silent after reading the entire story.

Even now, he couldn't forget the impact on his mind and body when he reached the last natural break in his notes. It felt like a huge rock had hit his chest, and his hand holding the pen trembled uncontrollably. He wanted to run to "Day and Night" and ask her that question, hoping she could teach him a good solution.

Spit God, temporarily losing his ability to think, had no time to plan any black PR.

Thus, the attack order that the "Anti-Gu Group" had been waiting for never came. At first, the members thought the leader was preparing a more detailed plan for a decisive strike, but as more readers finished the story and joined the discussion, the forum's trend became uncontrollable.

Everyone was talking about Li Wenxiu's virtues, how people should treat love, and the various helplessness of life... From "very good but I don't like" to "very bad but I like."

"That person doesn't shave, has smelly feet, burns the scallions when cooking soup, and folds the quilt like a collapsed tofu. Those are all very bad, but I still like them..."

Seeing the situation spiral out of control, the other two members of the "Anti-Gu Group" finally became anxious, leaving messages for Spit God in the chat, insisting they had to act.

Spit God smiled bitterly at his companions' urging, finally raising his hand and replying, "I'm out, and I advise you to quit too. We lost, and it's a complete loss."

"Why give up before the fight even starts?"

"Have you read the novel?"

"Of course, and we have a preliminary direction. The novel is too focused on love and lacks the martial arts flavor. We can use this as a breakthrough."

"Gu Yongsheng specified that the theme should be love, and he did it perfectly. If you criticize him for being too focused on love, you'll look very bad. Don't underestimate the old foxes at Qianhong, and don't underestimate Gu Yongsheng. Although I don't want to admit it, that person is a genius, at least in writing martial arts. Ask your boss if you don't believe me."

Spit God had long suspected that one of his companions was an insider sent by the employer, but since their goals aligned, they maintained a tacit understanding. The combination of professional insiders and seasoned forum experts was usually invincible.

Except this time.

"You have to remember, we're paid for this."

"Don't talk to me about that. I've done my part and earned my pay. I won't do this anymore, and I won't take the money. I'm telling you this as a friendly warning. Continuing this will only make you look worse. If you're smart, you'll go with the flow."

"If you quit, we can still do it without your guidance."

The "Anti-Gu Group" thus disbanded.

Spit God logged out of his chat account, lay down on the bed, and stared at the ceiling, still thinking about the desolate scene of Li Wenxiu and her horse. Half an hour later, he logged into another forum account and started writing a review.

"Feeling deeply, can't hold back," was Spit God's initial forum declaration. This time, he felt so deeply that he had to let it all out:

"Desperate one-sided love, the last natural paragraph, a heart-wrenching love story in the night talk of the white horse."

...

...

"Be honest, did you ever think this book would become this popular?"

During their usual campus walk, Mi Hu casually asked Liu Jingtong.

Liu Jingtong smiled and shook his head. In fact, when he promoted the book, he had a rough idea of what would catch people's attention and knew those points had rich discussion potential, but he didn't expect the enthusiasm to reach this level.

Of course, he didn't find it too hard to understand. Even in a world with many novels, many people were moved to tears by this story. In the second semester of his freshman year, during a Marxist philosophy class, he chatted with a girl from another class about Jin Yong's martial arts novels. She specifically mentioned 'The White Horse,' recalling how she had cried when she read it in junior high.

"Before, when I said those things to you, did you think I was particularly funny, worrying unnecessarily?"

"I never take others' kindness for granted. Your concerns were also in the back of my mind, but since I made the claim, I had to be confident."

"Did you feel particularly proud after making so many people cry?"

"The original intention of any work of art is not to make people cry," Liu Jingtong carefully chose his words, paused, and continued, "but to present a complete, and hopefully interesting, story."

Just then, Liu Jingtong's phone rang. He pulled it out and saw it was a call from Wang Qianqian. He held up the phone to Mi Hu and smiled, "I bet she's calling to scold me."

Mi Hu said, "Answer it quickly."

Liu Jingtong pressed the answer button and, before he could greet her, heard Wang Qianqian's voice, filled with委屈 and tears, "Uncle, are you crazy?"

(The editor said that the top ten in the monthly vote get a small red flower reward, which made him very happy; the editor said, you have no chance, which made him very sad; and with this 5k chapter, I'm asking for 200 monthly votes, to shock, no, scare the editor—just kidding, good night.) (To be continued, please search for Piaotian Literature for better and faster updates!)

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