Chapter 83

"Uncle, are you crazy?"

After dinner and before self-study, this sudden outburst of resentment served as a perfect pick-me-up. Liu Jington shrugged slightly at Mi Hu, with a look that said, "See, I told you so," and then said into the phone, "Oh, I’m not."

Mi Hu shot him a glare and let out a disdainful "tsk." She had heard Wang Qianqian’s sharp voice and thought his response was superfluous and seemed to be deliberately cute.

Wang Qianqian was also taken aback by Liu Jington’s answer. After a moment of silence, she adjusted her tone and said, "If you’re not crazy, why do you keep arranging such, such—endings? From 'The Sword of Yue Maiden' to 'The White-haired Witch' and then this 'The White Horse Cries in the West Wind,' do those women have a grudge against you?"

Liu Jington was taken aback, shaking his head with a mix of laughter and tears. "You’re a storyteller too, you should know that those stories follow the logic of their plots. Why would you have such a question?"

"Uncle, to be honest, have you ever been traumatized or dumped by a girl before?" Wang Qianqian’s emotions gradually stabilized, but her mouth became more unstable.

"No, I’ve always been very happy with your aunt, oh no, with your Mi Sister."

Mi Hu gave Liu Jington a stealthy kick in the leg.

"Then it’s just your personal taste?"

Actually, Liu Jington had just realized this issue. All the stories he had released so far had ended in tragedy without exception. But he was also aware that this was inevitable.

According to the plan, he started with Liang Yusheng’s works. However, Liang’s most famous novels almost never had a happy ending. In 'The White-haired Witch,' Lian and Zhuo were separated by a thousand mountains and could not be together. In 'Seven Swords Descend from Mount Tian,' Ling Weifeng and Liu Yufang were destined to part ways and forget each other in the江湖 (jianghu).

If you were to conclude that this was the limit of tragic wuxia after reading these two novels, another novel on par with 'The White-haired Witch' would change your mind. This novel is called 'The Jade Bow in the Sea of Clouds'!

The renowned mathematician Hua Luogeng, due to this novel, famously said, "Wuxia is the fairy tale of adults!"

If 'Seven Swords' is moderately tragic and 'The White-haired Witch' is heavily tragic, then 'The Jade Bow in the Sea of Clouds' is infinitely tragic. Compared to 'The Jade Bow,' the endings of the first two novels seem relatively warm.

I believe countless wuxia fans still hold a grudge over the death of Li Shengnan at the end of 'The Jade Bow' and are deeply moved by her final "kiss request."

Liu Jington had never forgotten it. After reading that novel once, he refused to read it again. 'The Jade Bow in the Sea of Clouds' is an indispensable part of Liang Yusheng’s wuxia, but if it followed 'The White Horse Cries in the West Wind,' readers like Wang Qianqian might hate him and his works.

He didn’t care about himself, but he didn’t want innocent people to be implicated, especially some impulsive readers who might say unpleasant things about the author. This was a situation Gu Yongsheng didn’t want to see.

"If you tell me the ending is perfect, then you can torture the characters as much as you want in the process."

"Life is already so helpless and tragic, why give me such an ending in a novel?"

These thoughts quickly ran through his mind. Although he hadn’t made a decision yet, he was at least certain that the next work should avoid the spotlight, and 'The Jade Bow' should be postponed. A relatively humorous and cheerful short story came to mind.

"Hey, why aren’t you talking?" Wang Qianqian’s voice rang in his ear again.

"Oh, I’m reflecting."

"Are you thinking about writing a comedy next?"

"Hmm? Yes, that’s right."

"I understand what you mean. A Qing couldn’t match Xi Shi, the White-haired Witch was destined to have white hair, and Li Wenxiu was fated to be alone. But it’s precisely because everything is so reasonable that it’s depressing, and because you know the story must end this way, it’s despairing. So, Uncle, you’re actually a very cruel person, right?"

"Where did you get that idea?"

"Don’t play dumb. I don’t blame you for making Lian Nianshang’s hair turn white overnight, but I hate you for letting Tie Shanhu die. I know you wanted to make Yue Mingke a master from the beginning, so you made him break through his emotional barriers. You wrote Tie Shanhu just to let her die. Can you say you’re not cruel?"

"Stories need to be logical, and after all, they are just stories."

"Let’s not talk about this. I just remembered something. I wanted to find you through Mi Sister, but since your story made me so uncomfortable, I decided to talk to you directly. 'The Sword of Yue Maiden' TV series is about to air. You know, the TV series has been so altered that probably few people will watch it. I feel guilty towards Gong Cheng’en, so I’m asking you, can you write a TV series for me? I can promise you anything."

When a girl says "anything" to a boy, it always sounds ambiguous. So Mi Hu, who seemed to be paying no attention, actually didn’t miss a single punctuation mark. When she heard this, she immediately gave Liu Jington a wary look.

Liu Jington, being exceptionally smart, didn’t show any inappropriate thoughts on his face. He smiled healthily and said, "You’ve wronged Gong Shao in more ways than one."

"This time is different. He’s sacrificing his future for me. I don’t want to owe him so much. This is the first time I’m asking someone for a favor. Will you do it?"

Liu Jington thought for a moment and then had an idea. "Sure, but it might take some time. After all, writing a TV series isn’t like making dumplings."

"No problem."

Liu Jington hung up the phone, shook his head, and smiled. Mi Hu looked at him strangely and asked, "Are you that happy just because you talked to another girl?"

"No, I just find it funny. Do you think Wang Qianqian really likes Gong Cheng’en?"

Mi Hu’s expression changed slightly. "How would I know?"

"She probably does."

Mi Hu’s expression changed again. "How do you know? That girl is very strange and has a strong self-protection instinct. She doesn’t seem to trust people easily."

"That’s why I think so."

"Stop being mysterious."

"She just put on a show. Do you know what she wanted? She wanted me to write a TV series for Gong Cheng’en."

Mi Hu was taken aback and then frowned. "You agreed?"

Liu Jington nodded and smiled. "I’ve written too many tragedies recently. I’ll write a humorous and funny story for you in a few days."

"You mean a TV series."

Liu Jington shook his head. "They can wait. After 'The Sword of Yue Maiden,' there’s 'The White-haired Witch.' Wang Qianqian just wanted a promise today. She’s good at lying and getting information from others."

"The serialization of 'Seven Swords' should be ending soon, right?"

Liu Jington nodded. "It will be published as a book at Christmas."

"Ah, An University is also releasing a book at Christmas, 'The Lotus Petal,' right?"

"Yes."

"I thought Qianhong would drag 'Seven Swords' to January to face off with Xue Muliang’s 'The Sad Forest.' I didn’t expect it to be an internal competition."

"There’s no such thing as an internal competition. A company can’t revolve around one author."

Mi Hu stuck out her tongue. "I understand their intentions. Xue Muliang pushed his book to the next year because he knows that this year’s sales champion is already reserved for 'The White-haired Witch.' For so many years, whenever Xue Muliang releases a novel, Han Shuo occasionally gives him some trouble, but most of the time, he’s the sales champion. Analyzing this, the purpose of Qianhong pushing your and An University’s books is clear—they’re making room for Han Shuo. Han Shuo is releasing a new book on New Year’s Day!"

Liu Jington nodded in agreement and then looked around. "It’s time for class. Let’s go back to the classroom."

As they were about to part, Mi Hu suddenly asked, "Why didn’t they mention the TV adaptation of 'The White Horse Cries in the West Wind'?"

Liu Jington smiled. "The story is too simple."

...

As Liu Jington and Hu started their evening self-study, Luotou’s long review of 'The White Horse Cries in the West Wind,' titled 'The White Horse: A Tale of Love and Suffering,' was freshly published. In this article, Luotou, who usually wrote with humor and sarcasm, showed a rare seriousness and solemnity.

"Ten days ago, the author announced to the world that he would write a novel about love. Regardless of the author’s mindset at the time, the story indeed hits the theme."

"The story begins by diving straight into a love triangle. Shi Zhongjun loves Shangguan Hong, but Shangguan Hong loves Li San. Shi Zhongjun dies because of Shangguan Hong’s false affection, and Shangguan Hong dies for true love. This is the suffering..."

...

"Hua Hui loves Aman’s mother, but Aman’s mother only loves Cherkui. Hua Hui kills Aman’s mother with a poisoned needle. This is another example of love and suffering. As for Ji Laoren’s love for Li Wenxiu, Li Wenxiu’s love for Su Pu, Su Pu’s love for Aman, and even Sangser’s love for Aman, these multiple love triangles vividly illustrate the interplay of love and suffering."

"However, if the novel only depicted a series of unrequited loves, it would only be a mediocre work. The story’s depth lies in the author’s clever comparison of Liu Wenxiu’s and Hua Hui’s attitudes towards love. The female protagonist, our lovely Li Wenxiu, says, 'Master, you kill the one you can’t have. I can’t bear to see the one I love killed by others.' This comparison highlights the difference. Not getting what you want doesn’t mean destruction; letting go can also be a form of great love."

...

"Of course, the most outstanding part of this book is not in the explanations mentioned above. The most enduring part is the 'last paragraph' that everyone has been discussing recently. Believe me, even if you don’t like wuxia, reading the last paragraph of this novel will move you or will surely move you."

...

"Reading this book, I still feel frustrated, but this time, I’m frustrated and speechless. Brother Gu Yongsheng, you win. I look forward to your next masterpiece. This one is a bit short, but it’s impressive!"

...

Less than half an hour after Luotou posted his review, Qianhong’s CEO, Lu Yichou, received a letter from Fudan University. The sender signed it as Chen Shijiang. (To be continued. Please search for Piaotian Literature for better and faster updates!)

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