2025 had come to an end, and 2026 had arrived.
Looking back over the past year, I gained quite a lot. This book surpassed ten thousand average subscriptions, five hundred thousand bookmarks, and five million Chinese characters-all milestones I had never reached in my writing before.
Some people asked me for the secret to writing novels. I said I had caught a wave and been relatively lucky. If I started another book, I definitely wouldn't achieve these results.
Still, whatever the case, I gained a lot this year. Another of my books also won two awards, and I attended China Literature Group's Creators Conference and joined the China Writers Association. Of course, none of these achievements would have been possible without your support.
However, quite a few problems also cropped up in 2025. First, I developed an intestinal obstruction in April and was hospitalized for treatment. Then I had my eyes checked, and my nearsightedness had worsened to minus three diopters. I was already face-blind, and now I could only squint at people without my glasses. Toward the end of the year, I was also diagnosed with a herniated lumbar disc. It was quite serious, and the doctor said I needed to be hospitalized for surgery. My lower back problems were so severe that even a sneeze could throw my back out.
Everyone has also been helping me look into treatment options. I'm receiving conservative treatment now and getting better. Overall, I've been exercising too little and spending too long sitting in front of the computer. I need to move around.
This book will end in 2026 because, as you've all seen, the story has been drawing closer and closer to the era of the protagonist's later life. Li Long has been growing and has changed a great deal, leading