TGBOG Chapter 6

Just as Ye Luan sat down, Zhao Yijia seemed to remember something and curiously asked, “So Master Twelve likes fish too?”

Zhao Yijia had initially planned to take Ye Luan to a famous Hunan cuisine restaurant, but Ye Luan expressed a desire for fish instead.

Ye Luan pushed the menu towards him. “Call me Ye Luan.”

Zhao Yijia blinked, “Hmm?”

Ye Luan sighed, “If I called you Little Prince now, wouldn’t you feel awkward?”

Zhao Yijia suddenly understood and said, “Oh, Ye Luan.”

After saying it, he found it amusing and smiled, glancing at Ye Luan.

Zhao Yijia’s clean and delicate features made him look inexplicably cute when he smiled, causing Ye Luan to smile as well.

Their first meal as new friends was very pleasant, with both host and guest enjoying themselves. Zhao Yijia thought to himself: No wonder Tian Gai risked my wrath to bring Ye Luan along; he indeed had that kind of charm.

A charm that made people feel comfortable and convinced.

Among their close-knit group, most were either still in college or had been writing full-time for a year or two after graduation. Zhao Yijia, who spent most of his time in front of a computer, rarely encountered someone like Ye Luan—mature, reliable, and humorously charming.

He was someone who was hard to dislike.

He was someone who was easy to like.

No wonder he had so many female fans. Zhao Yijia thought secretly.

After the meal, Ye Luan took Zhao Yijia to Fifth Garden. Yue Mian’s apartment was about 160 square meters on one floor. Originally intended as a retirement home for his parents, it was left vacant because they didn’t want to move from their current city. The apartment’s minimalist Chinese decor, with high-quality materials and elegant design, immediately appealed to Zhao Yijia.

Ye Luan noticed his reaction and said, “I think this place is pretty nice, suitable for writing.”

Zhao Yijia hesitated, “To be honest, my budget is limited; I probably can’t afford the rent.”

“I’ll be honest with you too. I have a lot of work in Y City coming up, so I’ll need to stay here from time to time.” He looked at the confused Zhao Yijia and smiled, “Can’t you tell? I’m looking for someone to share the rent with.”

Zhao Yijia felt a bit relieved.

He really liked the apartment, but as he said, if the price was too high, he couldn’t afford it. He also didn’t want to owe Ye Luan a favor or take advantage of him, especially since this was his friend’s place. From what Ye Luan implied, since he would also be paying rent, it was a fair arrangement, and that was perfect.

Seeing Zhao Yijia’s expression soften, Ye Luan quoted a price far below what Zhao Yijia had expected and added, “Don’t be fooled by the seemingly low price; it’s because I won’t be around much, so you’ll have to take care of the place, including utilities and internet.”

Zhao Yijia thought about it and found it reasonable. He didn’t hesitate and they happily reached an agreement. Since Ye Luan had to leave the next day for work, they decided to hand over the keys to Zhao Yijia immediately.

With a weight lifted off his shoulders, Zhao Yijia felt very relaxed. He didn’t have much luggage, so he moved in the next day and even bought some plants and household items.

The once empty apartment finally had a bit of a homey feel.

On his first day in the new home, Zhao Yijia cooked a few dishes to celebrate his move. Although he was dining alone, he didn’t worry about the lack of company. He took a photo of his meal and sent it to Ye Luan, saying:

Zhao Yijia: Moved in, thank you, Master Twelve.

Ye Luan quickly replied: Looks great, did you make all of it?

Feeling proud of his culinary skills, Zhao Yijia responded: Of course, I’m a great cook. Next time you’re here, I’ll cook for you.

Ye Luan smiled at his phone and, after a moment’s thought, replied: “Okay.”

After dinner, Zhao Yijia was about to organize his things when his phone started buzzing with notifications. He discovered he’d been added to a WeChat group. The group’s name was a bit eye-catching, called “Meteor Garden,” and he immediately knew who the members were without even looking. As Zhao Yijia was internally complaining, the group chat was already lively:

Tian Gai: Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!

Tian Gai: Guys, I’m stuck!

Tian Gai: Aaaaaaahhhhhhh I’m going to break down!

Sleepy Fox: …

Sleepy Fox: Who isn’t stuck?

Qin Hai: Who isn’t stuck?

Zhao Yijia laughed and joined in: Who isn’t stuck?

Shiye: Me.

Tian Gai & Sleepy Fox & Zhao Yijia: …

Qin Hai: Please, Master Twelve, leave the group.

Tian Gai: Guys, help! No inspiration at all, what do I do? Last week I bragged to my fans that I’d update daily for three months! It’s only been a week, I don’t want to get flamed!

Seeing Tian Gai genuinely distressed, Zhao Yijia seriously suggested: I go for a walk when I’m stuck, thinking about the plot while walking.

Tian Gai: (T^T) Zhao’er, it’s 9:37 PM, and there’s a storm outside…

Sleepy Fox: Watch a cartoon, browse Weibo?

Tian Gai: Weibo is full of fans asking for updates.

Shiye: I’ve never really been stuck, but usually, doing something else can inspire creativity.

Qin Hai: Best if it’s something related to words, like listening to music.

Tian Gai: Music doesn’t work for me, I get distracted. Pure music is unbearable too. Something related to words… the most related thing is writing…

Sleepy Fox: How about starting a new project to gather ideas?

Tian Gai: No new projects…

Tian Gai: Wait! I’ve got it!

Tian Gai: Guys! Let’s write a BL novel together!

Zhao Zhao: black man question mark.jpg

Tian Gai: Let’s co-write a BL novel together!

Zhao Yijia nearly choked on his water. What kind of crazy idea was this? A shameful play, version 2.0?

The more Tian Gai thought about it, the more brilliant the idea seemed: If we co-write, there’s no pressure, we can switch things up, get inspired, and even attract more female fans!

Zhao Zhao: Reporting for being too gay.

Qin Hai: What’s popular in BL now?

Zhao Zhao: ????? Brother Hai?!

Qin Hai: Good practice, gathering material.

Zhao Zhao: Brother, you’re a political fiction writer, what material are you gathering!

Sleepy Fox: Uh, sounds fun…

Zhao Yijia Struggling: Master Twelve definitely won’t agree!

Shiye: I don’t mind.

Zhao Zhao: …Goodbye.

Unable to fight back, Tian Gai threatened to expose photos of Zhao Yijia drunk and stripping at a party if he didn’t participate. Zhao Yijia, valuing his image, reluctantly agreed.

Shiye, hearing about such photos, eagerly expressed interest: Exciting, I’d like to see, can substitute write for you.

Almost got blocked by Zhao Yijia.

Meanwhile, Tian Gai shared a screenshot: Here are the popular tags in the BL section now, pick one.

Zhao Yijia opened it and saw tags like fast wear, rebirth, entertainment industry, immortal cultivation, personal space, interstellar mecha, farming, time travel, system… quite diverse.

Sleepy Fox: I think, since we’re writing BL, we should choose a unique BL theme. Things like time travel, rebirth, and personal space are too common.

Though true, most themes overlap. So, what exactly is a unique BL theme?

Qin Hai: What’s the biggest draw of BL novels?

Tian Gai: Gotta be the romance between guys…

Qin Hai: Right, as long as the romance is good, the theme doesn’t matter.

Everyone had an epiphany.

Sleepy Fox: I was too narrow-minded.

As the saying goes: Strike while the iron is hot. Now fully enthusiastic, they heatedly brainstormed in the group, finalizing the story outline:

The protagonist (gong) is a powerful figure in a cultivation world, with a long-time lover (shou). However, something feels off, especially with his lover. He remembers loving his lover, but it doesn’t seem like the person beside him. This confusion worsens when he meets the antagonist (also shou), whom he must defeat. Meanwhile, mysterious figures appear around both the protagonist and the antagonist, some trying to mend their relationship, others stirring conflict. Realizing something’s amiss, they join forces to uncover the truth, revealing a shocking reality…

Tian Gai: …Turns out, the protagonist and antagonist are characters in a plagiarized novel. The author dismantled the original CP, paired the protagonist with another character, and wrote the original lover as a villain. The original author and the plagiarist also end up in the novel, with the original author trying to help the protagonist and antagonist reunite, while the plagiarist causes chaos. How’s my plot?

Oh, and we can add side stories, like a secondary CP between the original author and a powerful cultivator.

Qin Hai: Combining popular themes like cultivation and transmigration, with tropes like love-hate relationships, amnesia, and doppelgangers, plus the hot topic of plagiarism, works.

Zhao Yijia: So, we have the main plot, but what about the content? Should we discuss the plot?

Tian Gai: Discussing ruins the fun, everyone do their own thing, any word count is fine.

Since Shiye claimed he never experienced writer’s block, the other four unanimously decided he should write the first chapter, and they would mimic his style. Tian Gai would log in daily to post updates. After analyzing popular BL novel descriptions, they decided on the title and characters’ attributes:

“Guide to Conquering the Villain” – Devoted, domineering gong X aloof, cold shou.

This had all the makings of a potential hit!

Tian Gai was excited: From today, our “Meteor Garden” group debuts in the BL section!

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