Comments Section of The Villain Strategy Guide:
User: Chasing Arrow posts: When is Lian’er finally going to be written off!!!
User 0372943: I’m so sick of her already!
User: Ruoruo: I agree! These recent chapters have completely gone off the rails!
User: Singing All Day: What’s going on? Haven’t read the latest chapter yet.
User: Seagrass: Ugh, this girl started off as a side character, now she’s acting like Shen An and Duan Ruxing’s mom. Why is she so obsessed with their relationship? It’s none of her business!
User 3829410: Heh, I suspect the author is self-inserting at this point.
User: Rabbit Baby: I thought it was okay? Sure, there’s a lot of inner monologue, but at least she’s trying to help.
User: Manual Goodbye: The problem is, one minute she’s worried that Shen An and Duan Ruxing will be discovered, the next she’s criticizing Shen An for not treating Duan Ruxing well enough. Then she’s all pessimistic about their future together. Lady, who even are you?
User: D Mickey Mouse D: LOL, must be a solo stan of Duan Ruxing!
User 0837218: I’ve been annoyed with her since last week. I thought she’d be done, but she came back this week!
User: Perry: The author must be biased toward the bottom character. I saw posts before saying this story isn’t kind to the bottom character, and now, haha, guess it’s true.
User 2819632: Keep your “top/bottom” nonsense to yourself!
User 6281402: Is it just me, or is there a lot of hostility towards female characters in this story? Lin Qingru had such a nice setup, and look at what they dressed her in! Lian’er too—she’s supposed to be helpful, but she’s coming off as some evil mother-in-law!
User: Star_SS: Thanks, evil mother-in-law.
User 8316583: The author’s definitely self-inserting.
User: VK: I don’t like her either, but accusing the author of self-inserting is a bit much, isn’t it?
User: Skirt Swirl: If this was a movie, she’d definitely be a funded insert.
User: Kitty: We read for fun, if you don’t like it, stop spreading negativity in the comments, please?
…
Qin Hai: [Screenshot]
Qin Hai: @Tian Gai, what’s up with Lian’er? Last week I thought she had too much screen time, and now you brought her back. Is this a paid placement?
Sleepy Fox: The comment section’s at war…
Sleepy Fox: Did you have a plotline for her? Tell us so we don’t mess up your plans.
…
Tian Gai was suffering.
Lian’er was a reflection of Tian Gai’s state of mind lately. He had been forced to swallow a massive gossip burger and couldn’t spit it out. It was killing him, so he channeled all that burning gossip energy into the character of Lian’er, stuffing her with his overwhelming curiosity about Twelve Ye and Zhao Zhao. Of course, the intense gossip drive, combined with the inevitable disconnect between a male author and his female readers, resulted in a character who ended up breaking down and enraging the masses.
Tian Gai: …Maybe I went too wild with her. Hai Ge, just write her off. I didn’t plan much for her.
Qin Hai: Okay. By the way, when is Twelve Ye going to write that bed scene? @Twelve Ye
Tian Gai wanted to scream: He’s practically ready to act it out in real life for you!
Twelve Ye: Soon.
Tian Gai: [Want to Say Something But Can’t.jpg]
Tian Gai felt like he was about to explode.
After thinking it over, he decided that if he couldn’t vent in the story, he’d find someone to vent to.
Choosing the right person for a venting session is an art. Posting an anonymous rant on social media? Pointless. Confiding in someone outside the circle? They wouldn’t get it. Gossiping with mutual friends? That’d just be forming cliques… After much deliberation, Tian Gai thought of the perfect person.
Tian Gai: You there?
Snow Pine: Nope.
Tian Gai: …Please, help me out.
Snow Pine: Got a shady loan?
Tian Gai: [Bitter.jpg]
Snow Pine: Leave your drafts behind, and I’ll help you cover 500.
Tian Gai: Thank you so much, and thank your whole family.
Snow Pine: If you’re bored, go write.
Tian Gai: I know some gossip, it’s killing me, I need to vent.
Snow Pine: Oh?
Tian Gai: Don’t reply yet, let me say it all at once.
Tian Gai: FML, ahhhhhhh!!!
Tian Gai: I never saw it coming, ahhhhhhh!!!
Tian Gai: What are they going to do now, ahhhhhhh!!!
Tian Gai: They’re both men, how will they handle the in-laws, ahhhhhhh!!!
Tian Gai: Will they go abroad to get married? If they invite me, will they cover the plane ticket?
Tian Gai: Ahhhhhhh, what gift should I give them, ahhhhhhh!!!
Tian Gai: Will they want kids, ahhhhhhh!!!
Tian Gai: Okay, I feel better now, thanks. Bye [Kisses.jpg]
Snow Pine: …
Tian Gai felt much better. He was just about to lock his phone when Zhao Yijia sent a message:
Zhao Yijia: Gai, how do you date someone?
Zhao Yijia: Oh, I’m a bit stuck in my writing, no inspiration, just wanted to chat.
Tian Gai nearly cried holding his phone:
Twelve Ye, you work too fast! And Zhao’er, please update your excuse!
Dating is an art. They say it’s about “talking” but what exactly are you supposed to talk about? This was a tough question for a newbie like Zhao Yijia.
Zhao Yijia had been rolling around in bed, wrestling with this for ages.
That night when Ye Luan confessed so openly, Zhao Yijia was left stunned. Although he had mentally prepared himself to sort out their ambiguous relationship, he hadn’t thought that far ahead. He knew he had good feelings toward Ye Luan and wanted to know what Ye Luan felt. But hearing such a straightforward declaration, his mind instantly went blank, burning up as if a fire had been set off. Yet the arsonist didn’t stop there and continued:
“You don’t have to respond to me.”
Zhao Yijia stared at him in a daze.
“I like to be well-prepared for most things because that way I can be sure. But with this, I’m impatient. I’m so impatient that even though we’ve only just begun to know each other, I want to settle down with you. I don’t care what happens later. I just want to tell you what I want right now.”
Ye Luan spoke slowly. His voice wasn’t loud, but each word struck Zhao Yijia like a thunderclap, making his heart ache.
Zhao Yijia was at a loss. “…I…I…”
“I know you have good feelings for me, but you’re not sure if it’s enough to reciprocate my feelings, right? After all, we barely know each other, don’t we?”
Zhao Yijia hesitated, then nodded.
Ye Luan shook his head. “That doesn’t matter. Like I said, you don’t have to respond to me.”
Suddenly, Zhao Yijia stood up. “I—” He clenched his hands tightly, then released them. “…Suddenly got inspired, need to go write.”
Ye Luan: … Ye Luan couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing, unable to stop.
Blushing furiously, Zhao Yijia hurried to his room. Halfway there, he stopped and turned around. Ye Luan looked up at him, his eyes full of warmth under the soft light. Suddenly, Zhao Yijia remembered something he’d heard: when you like someone, it’s impossible to hide it.
Zhao Yijia thought: Ye Luan is very serious.
So he should be serious too.
Thinking this, he spoke up, “Ye Luan, let’s start dating.”
It had been two days since that confession, but every time Zhao Yijia thought back on how silly he must’ve looked, he couldn’t help but groan. The two of them were now officially dating, but ever since their relationship status changed, Zhao Yijia had no idea how to act around Ye Luan: his face kept getting hot, he couldn’t look Ye Luan in the eye, and he stuttered when he spoke… Ye Luan seemed to have caught this awkwardness too, turning from his usual talkative self to someone reserved. In the past two days, they’d said fewer words than before they started dating.
This can’t be how a normal relationship works! Desperate, Zhao Yijia turned to the seasoned love guru Tian Gai for help.
Tian Gai was at a loss.
How to help his friend improve his dating skills without letting him know that he already knew everything? That was a tough one. Tian Gai considered recommending books on the subject but then remembered: We’re writers ourselves! The romances in their books were always dramatic and passionate, totally impractical in real life. Tian Gai browsed his go-to forum for a while, digging up an old thread: “Has your partner ever done something small that really touched your heart?” He forwarded the post to Zhao Yijia: Here, this might help.
Zhao Yijia opened the link:
[Gossip Chat] Has your partner ever done something small that really touched your heart?
OP: See title.
User 1: We went on a trip in winter, and the hotel’s heater broke. It was freezing, so my husband put my feet on his lap to warm them. We hadn’t been together long, and I was really embarrassed, but he acted like it was the most natural thing in the world.
User 2: The commute home was awful, but no matter how late I got back, he always waited to eat dinner with me.
User 3: Called her drunk one night, said I missed her. Next day, she was waiting at my dorm with a smile. But we’d already broken up.
User 4: No, which is why we eventually broke up.
User 5: Mentioned offhand that I wanted a mechanical keyboard. She saved up and bought me one, super proud of herself for surprising me. I never told her it was a knockoff. Still using it now.
User 6: Reply to User 5: You two are so sweet.
User 7: Marking this.
User 8: Reply to User 5: That’s too sweet.
User 9: Wasn’t doing well in high school—bad grades, bad attitude. Got called to the board by the math teacher to solve a problem. Couldn’t do it, just stood there. He came up and helped me in front of the whole class.
User 10: This thread is good, sticking around.
…
It took Zhao Yijia two hours to read the thread. Perhaps because it was closer to his own experiences, the small, tender moments in everyday life moved him more than the grand romances in books. He hadn’t really picked up any practical dating tips from the thread but couldn’t help feeling a sense of anticipation: anticipating the version of himself in Ye Luan’s eyes, or maybe the version of Ye Luan in his own, becoming better day by day.
After dinner, Ye Luan suggested they take a walk downstairs to digest. With the cover of night, the two finally relaxed. Ye Luan mentioned that next month there would be a launch event for Lies in City B, and he would be attending. Hearing this, Zhao Yijia perked up, “It’s finally happening? Who’s the director and lead?”
In recent years, IP adaptations had become all the rage, with everything from games to novels, even songs being turned into movies. Many works from Yue Si had been adapted, though most of the final products were mediocre at best.
Lies had been sold when Ye Luan was still with Qihang, reportedly for a record sum. The film’s production had been kept under wraps, with the script going through multiple revisions. Now, it was finally coming to fruition, and Zhao Yijia couldn’t help but get excited.
Ye Luan smiled, “The director is Xu Xiaohai, and the lead is Gu Jianran.”
Zhao Yijia’s jaw dropped. “Wow!”
Xu Xiaohai was one of the rising stars among the new generation of directors, young and full of ideas. Just last year, he had won an award at a major international film festival. As for Gu Jianran, his looks and talent were top-tier. A few years ago, he might have been criticized for his acting skills, but after starring in several high-profile films, he’d become a seasoned actor.
“That’s a great lineup! Who’s the screenwriter, is it you?”
Ye Luan shook his head. “I’m not a professional screenwriter, just credited to oversee the general direction and some details.”
Suddenly, Zhao Yijia thought of something and stopped in his tracks. “So, technically, my story is making it to the big screen too, right? After all, half of that fairy tale was mine.” The more he thought about it, the more amazing it seemed. “Imagine Gu Jianran saying the story we came up with sixteen years ago…”
…
They chatted as they walked and soon reached a small bamboo grove near the edge of the neighborhood. The area had a playground that was bustling during the day but deserted at night.
A sudden gust of wind rustled the bamboo leaves.
Zhao Yijia was still gesturing wildly as he talked. “Will we see you on TV? Are you walking the red carpet? Should Yue Si buy you a trending topic, ‘Ye Luan Steals the Show,’ haha!”
Ye Luan gazed at him tenderly.
Sensing something different, Zhao Yijia paused. “What’s wrong?”
Ye Luan took Zhao Yijia’s hand.
Zhao Yijia couldn’t help but shiver. Ye Luan’s fingers were cool, but Zhao Yijia felt like they were burning—his hands were burning, his face was burning, and his heart was burning.
“I formally invite Mr. Zhao Yijia to attend the launch event and listen to the fairy tale we made up sixteen years ago.”
Zhao Yijia couldn’t bear to look at Ye Luan and turned his face away, muttering, “Isn’t that a bit too casual? There’s no invitation letter or—mmph—”
Zhao Yijia’s eyes widened.
The rest of his sentence was swallowed by Ye Luan’s lips. If their first kiss had been a mere brush of wings, this one was like a moth to a flame—
Passionate and all-consuming.
When the kiss finally ended, Zhao Yijia could barely stand. Ye Luan, nibbling on his ear, chuckled softly:
“Consider it signed and delivered.”
