"Then I'm really going to tell you. You'd better brace yourself."
Li Changle was clearly still shaken by what had happened that night.
"Then tell me already. Quit hemming and hawing and spit it out!"
Wang Siyi was clearly getting impatient. What was with him tonight? He was acting like a bride on her wedding day, taking three steps and looking back every time.
"Okay, I'll tell you. But you can't get mad after I do."
Li Changle was trying to get a get-out-of-jail-free card from Wang Siyi first.
"If you don't tell me right now, I'm getting mad!"
Wang Siyi was furious.
"Oh, all right, I'm telling you. I'm not sure how you hit the door that night. Anyway, when I opened it, you were already sitting on the floor, looking all pitiful and telling me your foot hurt."
"Then you asked me to carry you inside. I had no choice but to pick you up. And then you tried to kiss me, but I stopped you."
"You also said you wanted a drink. You kept shouting that you wanted to drink, saying you were going to become a diva. When I tried to feed you ginger soup, you wanted chicken soup instead, and you even made me promise with a pinky swear."
Wang Siyi stared at the string of messages Li Changle sent her, dumbfounded.
So he'd carried her before, and she hadn't even known about it. And she'd tried to kiss him, too.
That wasn't all. She'd tried to kiss him, and he'd actually stopped her. Damn it, was she really that unattractive?
Wang Siyi was both embarrassed and angry, but as she kept reading, she felt like she couldn't bear to look any longer.
Even though she wasn't face-to-face with him, even though they were more than a thousand kilometers apart, she felt like she'd just died of embarrassment all over again.
Wang Siyi flipped her phone facedown and sprawled onto the bed, her face burning as she buried it in her pillow like an ostrich.
Every now and then, her legs kicked up and down, betraying her flustered embarrassment.
It took Wang Siyi a good half hour to recover. The blush still hadn't faded from her cheeks when she cautiously picked up her phone again.
As she reread Li Changle's account of her drunken humiliation that night, her face grew even redder, like a ripe apple.
So he'd always known she wanted to become a diva. That was why he'd planned to write her a song. And then there was the chicken soup.
So the chicken soup that morning had tasted so good because he'd promised her he'd make it. That was why he'd gone out early to buy the ingredients.
Wang Siyi still remembered the taste of that bowl of chicken soup. At the thought of it, a sweet smile appeared on her rosy face. What a dummy. She said something, and he went and did it.
Wang Siyi hugged her phone and rolled around on the bed again and again. Only after she'd tired herself out did she remember that she hadn't replied to Li Changle.
But what was she supposed to say after remembering those scenes of herself drunk?
"Wang Siyi, oh, Wang Siyi. You're such a lightweight, and yet you love to drink. I'm never drinking again."
She muttered in frustration and tapped her own head.
She checked the time. It was late, and she had to record a song tomorrow. She decided not to keep chatting with him and opened WeChat to send:
"I'm going to bed. Good night."
Li Changle waited half an hour, but Wang Siyi still hadn't replied. He'd expected as much; that woman was just too easily embarrassed.
Honestly, he'd said it several times already, but she'd still insisted he tell her, forcing him to humiliate himself all over again. What was the point?
He shook his head. Just then, his phone lit up with a WeChat notification. He opened it and saw that Wang Siyi had sent him a message.
She'd simply wished him good night, then put her phone down. Li Changle was sleepy too. He checked the time: midnight already.
He went over to his computer and posted the first chapter of his new novel, Wind and Snow Shocking Change.
When it came to wuxia, the first thing Li Changle thought of was naturally Jin Yong's The Legend of the Condor Heroes.
The idea that a true hero served his country and its people ran through the entire novel. That was what real wuxia was.
Li Changle felt that as someone who'd crossed into another world—and worked in the entertainment industry, no less—he'd be letting Master Jin down if he didn't share the Condor Trilogy with everyone.
What did it mean to be a great hero? After The Legend of the Condor Heroes came out, people finally had a clear idea: a great hero served his country and its people.
The success of The Legend of the Condor Heroes lay in how vividly Jin Yong had brought its characters to life. You didn't need to read the novel a second time.
After reading it once, everyone could already rattle off the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan, the Seven Masters of Quanzhen, the East Heretic, West Poison, South Emperor, and North Beggar, Old Urchin, and Iron Palm Floating on Water.
They were eccentric or resentful, wild or wicked, heroic or cruel, aloof or benevolent and brave. Their deeds and personalities leaped off the page, vivid and lifelike.
You couldn't forget Mei Ruohua's tragic remorse and her sacrifice to protect her master, or Ying Gu's mournful recitation of Four Zhang Ji.
You couldn't forget Yang Kang acknowledging a traitor as his father and being too ashamed to use Jingkang as his name, or Lu Youjiao cleverly offering a plan during the western expedition, or Genghis Khan murmuring to an eagle.
You couldn't forget Li Ping's steadfast love and wisdom in the face of death. The supporting characters were already so memorable, and the leads, Guo Jing and Huang Rong, were even more extraordinary and unforgettable.
Forget the novel—even when it came to the TV adaptations, who hadn't been charmed by Rong'er as a child while watching the 83 Version or the 08 Version?
What was wuxia? Wuxia was an adult's fairy tale, because adults could no longer believe in the fairy tales of their childhood.
Yet deep down, they still wanted a place where their imaginations could run free and their repressed emotions could be released, or perhaps just somewhere to rest for a while amid the pressure of life.
And so, between serious literature and cheap pulp fiction, a little space emerged. That was where wuxia belonged.
Its twists and turns drew you deeply into the story at times. It wasn't as vulgar as pulp fiction, nor as difficult to get through as the classics. That was wuxia.
Still, perhaps people's lives had become faster-paced and their patience thinner. They couldn't handle stories full of twists and turns, or the occasional emotional gut punch, so readers only wanted lighthearted power fantasy novels.
Or perhaps the authors writing wuxia these days simply couldn't come up with particularly brilliant concepts or prose, which had led to the genre's decline.
Li Changle shook his head. What was the use of thinking about all that? He was just a human copy machine.
Now that he'd solved the problem of putting food on the table, he wanted to contribute something to this world's novel industry. After all, this was how he made a living.
Even if The Condor Trilogy didn't do well on Chinese Web Novel Platform, he still had to publish it. As far as wuxia novels with literary merit went, the only authors Li Changle could think of were Jin Yong and Gu Long. But he preferred Jin Yong's works. Simply put, Jin Yong's writing was more down-to-earth.
After publishing the first chapter of The Legend of the Condor Heroes, Wind and Snow Shocking Change, Li Changle gave it some thought and added a note.
"Thank you all for your support. Legend of Sword and Fairy has been doing pretty well, and there will indeed be a sequel, but I won't be writing it for now. I might continue it later, or create it in another form.
"I asked my editor about it, and the wuxia genre isn't doing very well right now. But I believe everyone grew up reading wuxia novels or watching TV dramas adapted from them. I wonder if the wuxia dream in your hearts has ever faded.
"This version of The Legend of the Condor Heroes is different from wuxia novels of the past. Perhaps after reading it, you'll understand what it means to be a true hero.
"I've said all this just to tell you: restoring wuxia to its former glory is our duty!"
But the readers couldn't sleep.
"Holy crap! Li Xiaoyao, that bastard, secretly put out a new book!"
"Holy crap..."
"Holy crap!"
"Holy crap +1"
"Is he really this casual? He didn't even bother to promote it?"
"I hope the new book isn't another tragedy. Legend of Sword and Fairy really left me heartbroken."
"Don't even mention Legend of Sword and Fairy. Just thinking about it makes me want to send Li Xiaoyao a box of blades."
"I've never seen anyone so shameless. He wrote a novel where he was the only character left alive."
"Holy crap, have you noticed that the new book doesn't seem to be Legend of Sword and Fairy 2? It's not a sequel to Legend of Sword and Fairy..."
"What the hell is The Legend of the Condor Heroes? Is it about shooting eagles?"
"You're the real birdbrain. I'll be the first to shoot you down..."
"He's actually writing wuxia? Has that bastard lost his mind? Doesn't he know nobody reads wuxia?"
"Restoring wuxia to its former glory is our duty! That was so well said!"
"How does this guy always come up with lines that make your eyes light up? I hereby declare that I'm borrowing that line!"
"Honestly, no matter what he writes—even if it's erotica—I'll at least take a look..."
"Friend, let's discuss this in private!"
"It really is wuxia. What's there to read in a wuxia novel? I'm out."
"What kind of garbage is this? Nobody's reading it..."
"Wuxia really isn't for me. Sorry, friends. Maybe we'll meet again with the next book!"
Quite a few readers were turned off by the wuxia genre, but Li Changle didn't pay them any mind. He'd already fallen asleep.
He dreamed that he'd returned to Earth and was once again working insane hours of overtime, day after day, until he finally couldn't take it anymore and quit.
Then his mother pressured him to go on a blind date. With no choice, he went to meet his date. In the dream, Li Changle saw a familiar back. As he walked closer, the figure turned around. It was Wang Siyi. Tears streamed down her face as she said to Li Changle:
"You moved away without telling me? Didn't we agree that you couldn't move without my permission?"
Dream Li Changle saw how heartbroken Wang Siyi was and wanted to go over and explain. But just as he was about to approach her, he stepped into thin air.
Lying in bed, Li Changle dreamed that he'd stepped into thin air and kicked his legs in a sudden flurry. Then he woke up.
Li Changle woke from his dream with a lingering sense of dread. So it had only been a dream.
Li Changle realized that he really couldn't stand seeing Wang Siyi cry. Every time he saw her cry, he panicked too. Apparently, it was the same even in his dreams.
He checked the time. It was still early. With Wang Siyi gone, Li Changle didn't feel like making breakfast, so he decided to go back to sleep.
But he tossed and turned, Wang Siyi's tear-streaked face filling his mind. He just couldn't fall asleep. Why did he feel such a strong urge to see her right now?
To check whether she was crying? Li Changle couldn't help thinking how absurd that was.
He must have had too much time on his hands. Whatever. If he couldn't sleep, he might as well get up and write.
Shanghai, seven in the morning.
Wang Siyi had woken up early today because she had to leave at nine to get to the recording studio she'd booked.
The first thing Wang Siyi did after waking up was check her phone. After thinking it over, she sent Li Changle a good-morning sticker.
Li Changle had only been writing for a few minutes when he saw the sticker Wang Siyi sent him. He sent her a good-morning sticker in return.
"You're up so early?"
Wang Siyi was brushing her teeth while looking at her phone.
"Yeah, I couldn't sleep, so I got up to write."
"Then why didn't you say good morning to me?"
Wang Siyi kept brushing her teeth. Seeing that he'd gotten up so early, she couldn't believe he hadn't even thought to greet her.
Back when they lived in the Xingfuli complex, she would get up and sit on the sofa, waiting for him to come out and make breakfast. At least then he'd say good morning to her first.
Now she'd only been gone for one day, and he'd already changed. She'd looked for him first thing after waking up, and even now she was chatting with him while brushing her teeth.
Wang Siyi felt like he'd let her down. The scoundrel! Fuming, she finished brushing her teeth, then started getting dressed and putting on her makeup.
She didn't check her phone again. She'd decided not to speak to Li Changle, that heartless man, for the entire day.
"Uh... well, I only just woke up. I haven't been awake long, and I'm still a bit out of it..."
Li Changle forced out an explanation. The truth was, it had never occurred to him that he should say hello to Wang Siyi over WeChat too...
But Li Changle waited a long time, and Wang Siyi still didn't reply. A wave of disappointment came over him.
He didn't know where that feeling came from. All he knew was that time seemed to pass especially slowly, and he couldn't stop staring at WeChat.
He wanted to see if a new message would appear in their chat. Each time, he was disappointed, and that disappointment gradually settled in his heart.
Li Changle felt a little helpless and didn't know what to say. After seeing that she hadn't replied for half an hour, he could only ask again:
"What are you doing?"
Wang Siyi was obviously watching her phone screen too. She'd seen his explanation. It was a little far-fetched, but she believed him...
She kept trying to hold back. She'd already decided not to talk to him today. She couldn't reply. Just hold out, Wang Siyi...
But when she saw Li Changle ask what she was doing, the corners of her mouth began to lift again.
She quickly picked up her phone and took a selfie while she was putting on her makeup. Xiuxiu, who was doing her makeup, rolled her eyes. She was hopeless.
How could she be so happy just chatting while getting her makeup done? Watching Wang Siyi's unstoppable smile, Xiuxiu was so jealous she'd lost her appetite for breakfast.
Li Changle looked at the picture of Wang Siyi in the middle of putting on her makeup, her face dusted with a layer of powder. Her fair skin was like white jade, her peach-blossom eyes bright, and a faint smile played on her lips.
She was breathtaking even in a quick snapshot. It really was nice to be good-looking...
Almost without thinking, Li Changle saved Wang Siyi's selfies to his phone, then changed his WeChat chat background with Wang Siyi to the picture.
The anxiety he'd felt that morning at the thought of Wang Siyi crying in his dream turned into a quiet happiness. A smile even appeared on his face. There was no reason she'd start crying at the drop of a hat.
Li Changle sent Wang Siyi a surprised cat sticker.
Wang Siyi thought it was adorable, so she saved it and sent it right back. Li Changle replied with a question mark.
That despicable woman had stolen his sticker!
Wang Siyi clearly didn't take kindly to the question mark. She answered in a fierce tone:
"Don't ever send me a lone question mark again, or I'll tell my dad you're bullying me..."
"You..."
Li Changle wanted to ask if she could be any more shameless, but he didn't dare.
"Also, from now on, you have to say good morning to me every day when you get up."
"Do I have to? What if I forget?"
Li Changle was helpless. What had gotten into her now?
"I don't care. You have to say good morning to me every day!"
"Fine, fine, fine... I'll do it, I'll do it..."
Thanks to Shaoshi Empire and Boring Tool Person for the tips. Thanks for your support.
I got a lot of comments and requests for more updates from readers today. I honestly didn't expect so many people to read this book. At first, I was only writing it for myself. Even after it was signed, hardly anyone read it. It couldn't have flopped any harder.
My heartfelt thanks to every reader who enjoys this book. Some of today's comments were positive, and some weren't. I'll sincerely consider the reasonable suggestions and try to make the story more believable going forward. After all, it's my first time writing a book, and I don't have much experience.
Some of the comments weren't very pleasant to read, so I want to clarify something: this is a slow-paced, slice-of-life entertainment novel, not a power fantasy. If you don't like it, you can just move on. There's no need to say things that spoil the reading experience for others. Please don't make things difficult for yourself. Thanks.
Lastly, please give the book a recommendation, add it to your collection, and vote with your Monthly Tickets. Thank you~
Before you continue