Successful novels are all alike; failed novels are each different in their own way.
As one of the many failed authors, Gao Sijin had always adhered to one principle: finish what you start.
Even though he knew that “dropping” a book could minimize his losses, Gao Sijin still chose to finish the novel that had remained obscure until the very end.
It had been snowing outside all day. When Gao Sijin typed the final period, the snow did not come to a dramatic halt, and the Earth continued its rotation as usual.
The novel he wrote contributed nothing to the vast world other than a bit of extra junk data.
“Whew.”
He took a large gulp of barley tea from the fridge, feeling as if he had come back to life.
Sitting before his computer once again, he sent a message to his novel’s chat group: “Brothers, it’s finished!”
About a few minutes later, a few kind-hearted readers posted comments like “congratulations on the completion” in the review section.
From that point on, the yandere maid and her kind master lived an almost perfect life, accompanied by a harem of beauties.
Meanwhile, the man who had created them remained alone in his rented room, worrying about the trivialities of daily life.
“Congratulations to you all…”
Even though he felt as lowly as an ant, he still offered his heartfelt blessings to the glamorous characters he had penned.
Why exactly did he bother finishing a failing book?
He felt that the characters in a novel were like real people. If even the author looked down on them, they would be far too pitiful.
Dropping a book was the equivalent of taking their lives.
Gao Sijin had a pair of irresponsible parents, so he did not want those novel characters — whom he viewed as his children — to end up with an irresponsible author as well.
After finishing the book, Gao Sijin thought about putting down his pen for good. Coding words was too exhausting, and he earned far too little.
However, he did not want to admit defeat just yet.
Given enough time, even a monkey mindlessly hitting a keyboard could eventually produce Shakespeare’s Complete Works.
Gao Sijin felt he was surely no worse than a monkey.
‘What exactly should I write for the next book?’
In his mind, an image surfaced of a man with a silver spear who could summon packs of wolves.
Then, a gender-bent Dong Zhuo appeared, transformed into an exquisite, yandere elder sister type. She held a young and helpless boy version of Liu Xie captive in a dark room, performing unspeakable acts while the court officials were too afraid to speak up.
One world of swords and magic after another began to take shape in his mind. There were so many stories to tell in this life; how could he stop now?
‘Don’t stop now, Gao Sijin!’
— Ahem.
Just then, the unique sound effect of a friend request notification chimed from the computer.
Gao Sijin leaped off his bed in an instant. He was always happy whenever someone joined the group; he firmly believed these were predestined connections.
“Oh, this person seems alright.”
The person adding him was using an avatar of Saigyouji Yuyuko. Gao Sijin loved listening to Touhou tracks while writing, especially Yuyuko’s theme, which he never grew tired of. Gao Sijin even used images of Yuyuko for his phone wallpaper and computer desktop.
The username was also quite something…
“Xiao Ai’s Fiancee.”
Xiao Ai was an affectionate nickname some readers used for Gao Sijin’s pen name.
He clicked on her profile. The gender was clearly listed as female, and her hometown and current location were both in Kanagawa, J Nation.
‘Are the cherry blossoms back home blooming?’
Based on Gao Sijin’s years of experience in avoiding scams, girls rarely used 2D anime avatars.
In the virtual world, she might seem delicate and easy to push over, but in reality, she might be “bigger” than you.
Despite his internal complaints, Gao Sijin still approved her request to join the group.
Xiao Ai’s Fiancee: “Hello everyone, I am Xiao Ai’s Fiancee. I’m an Aquarius girl~”
Her appearance was like a bombshell, instantly revitalizing the stagnant chat group.
Group members immediately began demanding she post a photo. Message after message flooded the screen, and in the blink of an eye, the notification count hit ninety-nine plus.
Group Member A: “Post a photo!”
Sexy Beard: “Post a photo!”
I’m a Mole: “Post a photo!”
Xiao Ai’s Fiancee: “You’re making things difficult for me, Pang Hu.jpg.”
Gao Sijin frowned. According to his years of experience, a girl shouldn’t be sending any memes related to Pang Hu.
Xiao Ai’s Fiancee seemed to be a very talkative person, quickly becoming well-acquainted with the regulars in the group.
This left Gao Sijin, who suffered from social anxiety, absolutely stunned, hailing her as a social goddess.
Afterward came the long-awaited meme war, many of which were suggestive images. It was another productive day for his collection.
Saving these suggestive images wasn’t for doing anything strange; they were meant to serve as references for beautiful covers for his future books. Therefore, even if he had to bear the stigma of being a pervert, Gao Sijin felt he had to appreciate the long legs and black stockings in these 2D images with pure intentions.
About 20 minutes later, the group chat died down.
Gao Sijin also prepared to log out.
Since he had a blind date tomorrow, Gao Sijin needed to get some rest early tonight.
Just as he was about to shut down the computer, the icon in the bottom right corner began to flash incessantly.
He clicked it and saw it was a private message from Xiao Ai’s Fiancee.
Xiao Ai’s Fiancee: “Hey.”
Good grief, she sounded like a veteran anime fan the moment she spoke.
Ai: “Hello.”
Xiao Ai’s Fiancee: “Why is my Xiao Ai so shy? You barely said anything in the group just now.”
It wasn’t that Gao Sijin was shy; he was only good at chatting with people he knew well. From the philosophy of Schopenhauer to the livestreams of Miss Jia Ran, Gao Sijin could always find a good topic.
But once he encountered a stranger, Gao Sijin’s social skills immediately dropped to zero.
Ai: “I’m not shy. I was just thinking about how to react to your username.”
Xiao Ai’s Fiancee: “What’s there to react to? I am your fiancee. Ever since I saw your work, I’ve had only one wish: to become your lover.”
Ai: “I find it a bit hard to believe that my books would have female fans.”
Xiao Ai’s Fiancee: “You need to be more confident. I specifically learned a lot of Chinese just to read your books. You must be an amazing person.”
Ai: “This feels a bit like a dream. Are you really a woman?”
Xiao Ai’s Fiancee: “Should I send you a photo then?”
Ai: “Weren’t you refusing to post a photo in the group earlier?”
Xiao Ai’s Fiancee: “I just didn’t want strangers to see what I look like. But you are an exception because you are my future husband.”
Immediately afterward, she sent a photo.
The beauty in that photo was almost ethereal.
She had long, straight black hair in a hime-cut style that was neatly trimmed. Her magnificent eyes, a hint of dark red, were captivating, serving as the perfect finishing touch to her exquisite and flawless face.
Most precious of all, she was different from modern girls; she lacked the typical restlessness of the era. Instead, she looked elegant and quiet, a beautiful girl who embodied the Yamato Nadeshiko ideal.
The parts of her body revealed by her kimono were also just right; from the photo, Gao Sijin could clearly see the beautiful curves of her collarbone.
His first impression was that she was a highly cultured young lady from a wealthy family. If she were to cosplay as Lian Hua, she could certainly pull off a perfect resemblance.
Gao Sijin, who claimed to only love fictional characters, finally fell for someone in the real world.
He took a deep breath, but suddenly, something felt off.
She was simply too perfect — so perfect it was almost terrifying.
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