Chapter 92

Profitable companies are all similar; unprofitable companies each have their own way of losing money. The Qianhong office is now in a state of chaos, with three of its super-popular authors, Han Shuo, Yi Shui'an, and Gu Yongsheng, about to release new books. The editorial, operations, and public relations departments are all on high alert, working feverishly both online and offline.

At this moment, Gu Yongsheng rather inappropriately sent over a new manuscript—albeit an incomplete version.

Lu Yichou spent nearly an hour reading the manuscript. Initially, he read with amusement, laughing and scolding Gu Yongsheng, "This guy is really ruthless!" For certain people and certain works, "ruthless," "bastard," and "ferocious" are all terms of praise.

The four vivid and lively characters kept Lu Yichou laughing. Based on his extensive reading experience, he could easily tell that this story was undoubtedly a comedy, unless Gu Yongsheng dared to defy the established literary norms and deliberately reverse the plot.

"Writing novels and poetry do share some common ground. As the saying goes, all scenery is emotional. After creating such a joyful atmosphere, it can't suddenly turn into a forced plot twist. Besides, Gu Yongsheng would never write such a cliché. Siblings by blood, that's clearly impossible."

As Lu Yichou read with a smile, he felt like he had swallowed a fly when he saw the ending Gu Yongsheng had sent. He analyzed it with his old partner, Wei Wuzhi, using his rich professional experience.

"It's probably a joke, and there will be a twist later," Wei Wuzhi offered his opinion.

"Definitely, the key is on which character."

"The most likely is Lady Yuan. If I'm right, she should have remarried with a child, which means the two are not blood-related, but rather step-siblings."

"That still won't work. Step-siblings are still problematic in our era, let alone in a feudal society."

"Then Xiao Ban and Yu Hui must either be killed or divorced."

"No, no, we can't analyze this using modern rules. In that era, once the brother-sister relationship is established, it's hard to break. In the eyes of others, the protagonists being siblings is a violation of ethics, regardless of whether they are killed or divorced. It doesn't fit the tone of the book. To be honest, I'm a bit worried."

"Worried about a bad ending?"

"Maybe because the beginning is so good, there's a lingering concern. If the ending is handled poorly, readers will definitely be upset."

"Everyone is now discussing the ending of Lian Nishang and Zhuo Yihang."

"That part is relatively reasonable, but there will still be controversy. The white hair complex isn't easy to resolve. Hey, don't interrupt, let's get back to 'The Mandarin Ducks Sword.' We're still betting on it."

"Speaking of betting, I have a guess. Since he's challenging our entire editorial department and all the readers, he must be well-prepared. There are only two possibilities: either he has a very clever twist, or... reverse thinking. It might actually be a tragedy. While everyone is trying to tie up the loose ends, he follows the original plot, which would be unexpected."

"I hope it's the former. But maybe it's because my cognitive system is outdated or something. I've noticed my level has clearly declined in recent years. I tried to analyze the plot from both the logical and writing technique perspectives, but I still can't find a good solution. It feels like a dead end no matter how it's handled."

"The author can explain it as 'heroes and heroines not being bound by trivialities,' and readers will accept it, after all, this story is written for modern people."

"If it were that simple, Gu Yongsheng wouldn't be Gu Yongsheng."

After discussing for a long time, Lu Yichou and Wei Wuzhi concluded that the protagonists would definitely not be siblings, and the ending would likely be a comedy, but the twist might be a bit obvious.

It's not surprising that Lu Yichou has this concern, as the setup for the mother and son reunion is very clear. The male protagonist's surname is Yuan, and coincidentally, Xiao Ban and the second lady are also surnamed Yuan, making the theory of Lady Yuan remarrying with a child plausible. The more obvious it is, the more dangerous it seems. This kind of foreshadowing is not very sophisticated, and experienced readers might scoff at it.

Lu Yichou re-read the story and messaged Yi Shui'an: "Finished reading 'The Mandarin Ducks Sword'?"

"Yep, I'm doing some organizing."

"Organizing?"

"Yes, the sword techniques can be compiled into a beautiful poem."

"Integrating poetry into martial arts is quite unique. This idea will likely spread in the martial arts world."

"More importantly, the technique names not only fit the essence of martial arts but also tightly integrate with the story, driving the plot forward. It's impressive."

"Speaking of the plot, what do you think of the ending? Comedy or the usual tragedy?"

"This style won't be a tragedy. The story has already hinted that Yuan Guannan and Xiao Zhonghui have no relation. Resolving the heroine's heart issues will suffice."

Yi Shui'an firmly believes it will be a comedy because she trusts Gu Yongsheng's promise. Her prediction is also influenced by her own writing style, as she sees writing as a craft to explore the human heart.

Lu Yichou naturally understands this and didn't delve deeper into the discussion, replying, "Let's see how he wraps it up. Send the manuscript to your editor."

"Already sent, they are reading it."

"Good."

...

"The sword light reflects on the peacock screen, and the green flute sounds as the phoenixes sing together. These two lines are the best," Yi Shui'an smiled as she reviewed the "couple sword technique" she had compiled.

"It's amazing he could think of this. If all the ancient poems were turned into martial arts techniques, wouldn't it be easier for students to remember?" Yi Shui'an thought with a smile, then frowned, "Why didn't he write all 72 techniques?" She suddenly realized, "Probably because he couldn't continue, so he took a shortcut."

Yi Shui'an didn't know that this "couple sword technique" was just a trial for Jin's martial arts world. Later, in "The Return of the Condor Heroes," the Jade Maiden Heart Sword and in "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer," the Chong Ling Sword, would be even more captivating, giving Yi Shui'an a deeper appreciation.

After the Qianhong editors finished reading the manuscript, they were all very pleased, but they also had some concerns about the ending. Gu Yongsheng seemed to have a sadistic streak, and this "stepfather villain" type of writer always makes readers both love and hate him.

...

On the evening of December 24, Christmas Eve, the Moon River area coincidentally welcomed its first snowfall of the year. Everyone was delighted, saying it was a "white Christmas."

Liu Jingtong had always been indifferent to Western holidays, but that was in the past.

In fact, right after lunch, he ran to a fruit store near the school and bought an expensive apple.

"These exams have almost made me forget it's Christmas Eve," Mi Hu said to her desk mate as the bell for the end of evening study sounded, looking tired. "I'm out."

"Someone waiting for you outside?"

Her desk mate's words exposed her insincerity. After packing her bag, Mi Hu smiled and said, "Just a junior."

As she walked out of the classroom, she saw Liu Jingtong, wearing a blue down jacket, standing with his hands in his pockets, leaning against the wall and looking up at the sky. At that moment, Mi Hu suddenly felt that his profile looked lonely, as if he was gazing at his home planet.

"Why are you making such a literary pose?"

Liu Jingtong smiled at her, "I'm a junior, and I'm picking up a senior. I feel a bit pressured, so I have to act a bit."

Mi Hu casually glanced at Liu Jingtong's pockets, not seeing anything unusual, and felt a bit uncomfortable. "Did he forget what day it is?"

"Remember when we were kids, I used to love running to the street and looking up at the snow around the streetlights? It shows that literary qualities are innate."

Mi Hu had no interest in his childhood memories and said casually, "It's quite a coincidence this year, a white Christmas."

"Uh-huh," Liu Jingtong responded absentmindedly, and Mi Hu inwardly called him a "log."

The two walked side by side along the path beside the teaching building. Since the snow wasn't heavy, they didn't use an umbrella, letting the snow fall on them. As they passed a pine tree, Liu Jingtong suddenly stopped, as if remembering something important, and patted his head, "It's Christmas tomorrow, so tonight must be Christmas Eve, right?"

Mi Hu gave him an exasperated look, her expression saying, "You just figured that out?" but she said lightly, "You believe in this? It's not a traditional Chinese holiday."

Compared to her earlier insincerity, this one was even more obvious.

Liu Jingtong thought seriously for a moment and said, "On Christmas Eve, you should give an apple. Wait a moment," he walked to the pine tree, reached into the branches, and pulled out a bag. Inside was the apple he had bought at lunch.

"Fortunately, Santa Claus hung the gift here early," he took the apple out of the bag, walked to Mi Hu, and said warmly, "Merry Christmas Eve."

Seeing this, Mi Hu's resentment vanished. Despite trying to hold back, a smile slowly spread across her face. She took the apple and said with a hint of disdain, "Why is this apple so fat?"

Liu Jingtong smiled but didn't respond.

"I have a gift for you too. No, I went to the shopping center to buy tissues and got you a hand warmer."

The happy girl took a warm yellow hot water bottle from her bag and handed it to Liu Jingtong, who smiled and accepted it.

"Sure, you can use it when you write at night. And, ahem, the apple." He then took a red apple from his bag.

Liu Jingtong was taken aback, took the apple, and looked as if he felt unworthy, saying, "Check your email when you get home. I have a new story for you, as a gift. But if you stay up all night reading it, there won't be any more."

Mi Hu wrinkled her nose and said, "I know."

The snow fell gently.

...

On Christmas Day, four events related to Liu Jingtong occurred one after another.

"The Seven Swords Descend from Heaven" and "Half a Lotus" were released simultaneously;

The TV series "The Sword of Yue" began airing;

The editor-in-chief of "Children's Literature," Yao, called to say that the parents of a girl named Qiao Keli hoped to meet him;

Qianhong provided their predicted ending.

Liu Jingtong stood on the balcony of his dormitory, smiling bitterly to himself, "Can there be any more?"

Then his phone rang; it was Gong Cheng'en calling... (To be continued. Search for Piaowen.com for faster updates and better reading experience!)

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