Chapter 89

The next morning, Liu Jingtong had just gotten out of bed when he received a text message from Yi Shui'an: "Mr. Lu should have already told you. The company has decided to produce a collection of your short stories, and the timing is around New Year's Day. I'm texting you to give you a personal suggestion, hoping you can add a new short story, one with a perfect ending."

Liu Jingtong quickly replied: "Since you've mentioned it, let's go with that. By the way, are the drafts for 'Half Lotus' complete?"

"Still two pieces short. What, are you going to write the preface for me?"

"Hardly. I was wondering if I could get a sample book by December 20th?"

"If you want it, I can send you the original manuscript now."

"I want to read it, but... I'll call you to talk about it."

Liu Jingtong pulled the covers over himself and called Yi Shui'an, explaining the situation with Yu Xiaoshu. Yi Shui'an was initially very surprised by Liu Jingtong's involvement in such matters but then readily agreed to help.

For any author, having a reader obsessed with their books is a great honor, much like celebrities having their die-hard fans. As a literary creator, it's a beautiful thing if one's work can contribute to a romantic relationship.

Of course, for Yi Shui'an, these were not the main reasons. The important thing was that Liu Jingtong had rarely asked for anything, and she decided to share her significant decision with this young man, who, though much younger, seemed to share a deep connection with her.

"Do you know why I'm hoping for a short story with a perfect ending?"

"Is it to balance the collection? Otherwise, readers might burn the book?" Liu Jingtong guessed. He couldn't imagine why the detached Yi Shui'an would make such a request, but he was taken aback by her unexpected and shocking reason.

"No," she paused for a moment, then said calmly, "I'm getting married on New Year's Day, and my fiancé is a fan of your books. He asked me to request a comedy from you for good luck."

"Ah, congratulations, that's big news." Liu Jingtong couldn't believe that the usually quiet Yi Shui'an would suddenly announce her wedding, and even a flash marriage at that.

"Surprised?"

"A bit," Liu Jingtong admitted.

"He's a very honest person. We can chat more when we have time. You need to get up for class now, right?"

"Yes, we can talk later. By the way, can I tell Mi Hu about this?"

Yi Shui'an laughed, "Of course, no problem."

After hanging up, Liu Jingtong still couldn't fully recover from the news of Yi Shui'an's wedding. If she hadn't told him herself, he would never have believed it. A woman as calm and aloof as Yi Shui'an, who seemed to live above the mundane, was actually getting married?

Liu Jingtong smiled and patted his forehead, thinking, "Apart from these adjectives, Yi Shui'an is still a woman, and that's the key point." He then texted the news to Mi Hu, who was in the middle of morning reading.

In the bright morning, a loud scream echoed from a classroom in the senior year of Moon and One High School.

...

"Where did you get this news?"

After enduring the entire morning, the first thing Mi Hu said upon seeing Liu Jingtong was, as expected, this question.

"Yi Shui'an told me herself," Liu Jingtong said calmly, having already digested the shock of the news.

"Why would she tell you this? According to her character..." Mi Hu shook his head and stopped speaking.

"Qianhong is publishing a collection of my short stories, including 'The Sword of the Yue Maiden' and 'The White Horse Cries in the West Wind.' They hope I can add a new short story to make it a set of three. Yi Shui'an wants a comedy, and one thing led to another, so she told me."

Mi Hu nodded thoughtfully, then realized something and asked, "Are you saying you're going to write a new story?"

Liu Jingtong nodded.

Mi Hu frowned, "Aren't you tired? You've written so much this year."

Liu Jingtong said, "The grand plan for the story is not yet complete; I still need to work hard."

To Mi Hu, this sounded like another self-congratulatory statement, but she didn't pay much attention, still focusing on Yi Shui'an's wedding: "Given An's character and upbringing, she wouldn't interfere with your creative process. Why would she specifically ask for a comedy?"

"Her fiancé wants good luck because the book release and their wedding are both on New Year's Day. Also, I have something to ask Yi Shui'an for help with."

"What do you need help with?"

Liu Jingtong smiled and explained the situation with Yu Xiaoshu. Mi Hu's expression turned serious, clearly disapproving.

"You, you actually did such a thing. Isn't it a bit...?"

"Immature?" Liu Jingtong added.

Mi Hu nodded in agreement.

Liu Jingtong laughed, "Have you seen the movie 'Hitch' with Will Smith?"

Mi Hu nodded, "Are you saying you're going to play the role of the love expert?"

"Obviously not," Liu Jingtong shook his head and asked, "What do you think the core of that movie is?"

Mi Hu was about to answer when she suddenly thought of something, stared at Liu Jingtong for a moment, then shook her head, "I don't think you have that kind of life philosophy. You're probably just doing it for fun, right?"

Liu Jingtong laughed and admitted, "That's about 90% of the reason."

Mi Hu didn't laugh, "I think you're causing trouble for others. And don't forget, if a girl dislikes someone, the more they do, the more she will dislike them. Also, what you're doing will embarrass the boy. In short, it's immature and despicable." She gave Liu Jingtong a strange look and asked, "Is this a plot for your new novel? Are you experimenting on people?"

Liu Jingtong, who was initially enthusiastic about helping Yu Xiaoshu, felt his interest wane after Mi Hu's analysis. He realized that in high school, everyone's main focus was on studying, and such antics wouldn't be genuinely appreciated, or if they were, it would be from a spectator's perspective.

"Compared to reality, the plots in novels seem so unrealistic. This is all made up. Since you don't like it, I won't say more."

Mi Hu wasn't interested in the matter but was curious about Liu Jingtong's idea, so she asked, "What's the method? Tell me."

"You said it was immature, so don't ask."

"Are you doing this on purpose, Liu Jingtong?"

Liu Jingtong knew Mi Hu's personality; once she decided to get to the bottom of something, it was impossible to hide it. After a brief struggle, he outlined his plan. Mi Hu's expression was a mix of shock and disbelief. She grabbed Liu Jingtong's sleeve and said, "How did you come up with such a cliché and melodramatic idea? Or is this just who you are deep down?"

Liu Jingtong retorted, "If someone did these things for you, would you still think they were cliché?"

Before Mi Hu could answer, Liu Jingtong concluded, "Actually, everyone understands this. Bystanders see it as cliché, but the person involved doesn't. For example, we all think it's cliché to shout declarations of love under a girl's dormitory, but for the girl..."

"This isn't cliché, it's classic. Your idea of time travel is just over the top."

Liu Jingtong smiled but didn't explain further. Explaining this was a depressing task because it could only lead to two outcomes: either you were flawed, or others didn't understand you. The former made him feel ashamed, the latter made him feel isolated and helpless.

...

In school, three types of news spread the fastest: which teacher is the strictest, which restaurant is the best, and who has a crush on whom.

So, without much effort, the news of Yu Xiaoshu's crush on Ye Chi spread like wildfire.

Yu Xiaoshu, following Liu Jingtong's advice, neither confirmed nor denied the rumors, smiling and passing them off whenever they were mentioned.

However, to the surprise of the students in Room 302, the first reaction to the rumor was a heated argument between Ye Chi and a handsome boy on the basketball court. Afterward, Ye Chi confronted Yu Xiaoshu in front of the entire class, angrily warning him, "Don't play so many tricks. I don't even know you."

That evening, Liu Jingtong apologized to everyone, offering to take responsibility for the consequences. To everyone's surprise, Yu Xiaoshu remained strong, calmly asking Liu Jingtong to explain his plan. Although it was now impossible to implement any plan, everyone was still curious about what the laid-back and smiling boy had in mind.

"Brother Ting, you don't need to blame yourself. Actually, it's good for me," Yu Xiaoshu had been secretly in love with Ye Chi for nearly three years. This was the first time she had spoken so much to him, even if it was to scold him. Emotion, after all, was a sign of interest.

Those who have had such experiences know that sometimes being scolded by the person you like is better than being ignored. It's a common, albeit masochistic, feeling.

After hearing this, Liu Jingtong had a lot to say. For example, the boy who heard the news and immediately argued with Ye Chi, forcing her to humiliate Yu Xiaoshu in public, was not a good person. And when a girl publicly humiliates a boy, the deep-seated maternal instincts and certain human psychological traits will, over time, make her realize her rashness and feel increasingly guilty toward the boy...

There were many possibilities, but Liu Jingtong no longer wanted to elaborate. Perhaps it was because of Mi Hu's words, or perhaps he realized that he had merely been a spectator in this process. So, he didn't try to persuade Yu Xiaoshu further, just narrated his absurd plan to his roommates.

"The first part you already know, creating momentum and publicity. The main goal is to make Ye Chi aware of the news so that she won't be too surprised when the next events unfold."

"What about the second part? I've always been curious why you wanted to wear a tattered suit."

Liu Jingtong, recalling Mi Hu's "immature" comment, couldn't help but laugh bitterly. "It's a bit far-fetched. The second part involves collaborating with Ye Chi's roommates. High school life is dull, so everyone would be happy to participate. This part isn't a problem. The key is the third part."

Liu Jingtong seemed to be thinking of something amusing and smiled to himself. "The third part is the most crucial. On Ye Chi's birthday night, we would arrange for her roommates to clear the dorm room. Yu Xiaoshu would wear a tattered wedding suit, with some fake blood and dirt on his face, and lie in the girls' dorm room, waiting for Ye Chi to return."

The three roommates were all shocked.

"At this point, Ye Chi would be surprised, scared, and confused. Yu Xiaoshu, you would act even more scared and confused. When you see Ye Chi, you would act surprised and then start asking her why she left you."

"Why ask that?" Yu Xiaoshu interjected.

"Because, at this point, you are supposed to be from ten years in the future, at your proposal to Ye Chi."

"Time travel?" Even Sun Xinyang caught on.

"Yes, time travel. Ten years later, you finally gather the courage to propose to Ye Chi. To show your sincerity, you even wear a wedding suit. A nude version would be even more effective."

Except for Yu Xiaoshu, Zhao Kan and Sun Xinyang both laughed in disbelief.

"But if you really do this, won't Ye Chi call security or the mental hospital?"

Liu Jingtong shook his head, "I don't know, but at least you'll be remembered for years."

Yu Xiaoshu laughed bitterly, "Given her personality, she would probably report it to the teacher."

Liu Jingtong opened his mouth to say something but held back, smiling to himself. After a moment of thought, he said, "We won't do this anymore. Let's not mention it again. Explaining it to her would only make her more resentful. Better to remain silent."

Zhao Kan, reflecting on Liu Jingtong's incomplete plan, said, "When I go to college, I'll use this method to pursue a girl. I think it's a genius idea."

Liu Jingtong didn't continue the topic, looking seriously at Yu Xiaoshu, "To make up for this, I'll get you a signed new book from Yi Shui'an by December 20th." (To be continued)