Girl, There's Something Wrong With You - Chapter 53

On the night of October 22, 2020.

Just finished a conversation with the editor, You Zhu just learned that tomorrow… that is, at 12:05 noon on the 23rd, this book will be on the shelves.

He sat in front of the computer keyboard, quietly contemplating, a thousand thoughts flashing through his mind, outlines, settings, plots, characters, as well as reader feedback and the core of the story, fleeting and reappearing in his mind like fleeting lights.

Feeling uneasy about the future prospects of his book, he slowly stood up from his chair and walked to the window, gazing quietly at the night scenery outside.

He suddenly felt a bit tired, pulled out a cigarette… no, he actually didn’t smoke, and many readers don’t like smoking nowadays either, so he took out a Pocky stick instead, slowly nibbling it, letting the bitterness of cocoa spread in his mouth, and the caffeine began to stimulate his nerves, prompting his thoughts to soar like a flying horse.

The worldview of this book is vast, or one could say that a patchwork world like this is destined to be so. Even if it were a campus romance novel, it could easily discard the myriad of abilities and diverse enemies, establish a system, and focus solely on writing about scenes that most readers enjoy, such as romantic encounters, conflicts, and competitions. At least the initial reception wouldn’t be bad.

But later on, it’s hard to say.

Dog food can become tiresome, and eventually it’s like, “When’s the next bus?”

However, all those buses go straight to the doghouse, and before you know it, they’ve disappeared.

Shura fields can also raise readers’ expectations. If in the first million words, everyone finds scenes of girls fighting, scratching skin, digging out eyeballs, and pulling hair engaging, then in the next million words, if there’s no pulling out of a chopping knife to dissect the protagonist’s abdomen, followed by holding the still-beating heart and saying with a blackened, hollow expression, “Ah, indeed, you don’t have her in your heart,” people will only express disinterest, saying, “Is that it?”

When starting a new book, the original intention of You Zhu was to include elements that readers enjoy, but the book shouldn’t solely rely on those.

The world of humans may be chaotic, so why can’t the protagonist do something about it?

Even if the Central Plains are in turmoil, is it acceptable for me to run to peaceful Jiangnan to establish a harem?

Well, it’s not entirely unacceptable. Even if humanity is on the brink of extinction, you, as the character Cheng Jinyang, could go to a lunar space station to propagate and continue the human race.

But why can’t we do better?

To grasp the power of the world when awake, and to lie intoxicated at the beauty’s knee, who says we can only choose the latter and not the former?

I want it all!

So You Zhu made up his mind this time to run two storylines concurrently, instead of, like in the previous book “The Sword of Azure”, where he wrapped up one storyline by the last volume and focused solely on the other romantic storyline—even though his overall ratings did improve, he also received harsh criticism, being chased and criticized from QQ groups to online forums, as if he had recklessly abandoned many girls, leaving them resentful and wishing for his downfall.

He sat back in front of the computer, eager to start typing again, when he received a message from the editor: “By the way, you lost a quarter of your readers in two days on the 16th and 17th. Did you crash while writing?”

You Zhu: …

The updates on the 16th and 17th depict the day when Cheng Jinyang and Xing Yuanzhi, as newcomers to the Tianluo, followed their two cousins for the first time. The collapse of the Metal Hydrogen Factory marks the beginning of Duke of Wuchang County’s aggression against the Jiankang court, signaling the imminent First Imperial Split War after the Southern Crossing. This young couple will inevitably be drawn into the conflict, sensing the faint ominous atmosphere preceding the storm of bloodshed and chaos.

Readers don’t like to read these? Subscription dropped by a quarter?

Well, maybe retract the previous statement. Let Cheng Jinyang run the harem in the future, sprinkle dog food, and navigate between the Shura field of love. After all, writing about politics and military affairs is harder than writing about romance. What’s the point of putting so much effort into writing these if readers don’t like them?

Staying up late every night writing until 1 a.m. and then getting up at 7 a.m. to rush for the morning subway commute, with multiple health indicators exceeding the standard, writing about complex and unpopular topics that no one enjoys reading—what’s the point?

After much deliberation, You Zhu picked up another Pocky stick and crunched it like a hamster, setting aside the original outline and starting to brainstorm another storyline.

This one revolves around the scumbag Cheng Jinyang, who opens a harem, marries women from five great clans, and even courts a princess, ruling with an iron fist in a small southern court, surrounded by beauty and indulging in excesses of wine, feasting, and debauchery.

Hmm.

He suddenly hesitated again.

So what exactly are the readers thinking? It would be great if they could leave a comment to tell the author.

……..

Wujiang Town, inside an old house.

“So why do you always think he’s Liu Bang?” Xing Yuanzhi emerged from the bathroom in a bathrobe, tying her damp hair up with a towel.

“Intuition,” Wang Wanrou replied.

“Intuition isn’t reliable,” Xing Yuanzhi shook her head, “Wanrou, people can change.”

“Many people in their youth are full of ambitious dreams to change the world. After years of struggling in society, they gradually lose their edge, only to finally realize that they are just ordinary individuals.”

“Even if he has the ambition of Liu Bang now, how can you be so sure that he will truly embark on this path without hesitation in the future? Just like how an author changes the outline, sometimes a slight twist of the pen can completely alter the ending of the story.”

“So you’re saying you don’t understand,” Wang Wanrou sneered, “He has no parents, no family, living alone; plagued by heartache during the day, tormented by nightmares at night. Over the years, the world has given him far more pain than joy, yet he hasn’t had a mental breakdown or sought death. He has endured it all until today, and you’re telling me he will be content with mediocrity, becoming an ordinary person?”

“A gentleman must be patient if he wants to take something far away; if he takes something big, he must be patient. The sages of old, all possessed talents that could be employed, yet ultimately they could not accomplish their utmost; it may not necessarily be the fault of the ruler of their time, but perhaps their own doing as well.”

Xing Yuanzhi remained silent for a while.

“This is your view of heroic history,” she said lightly. “It’s not the times that create heroes, but heroes who break through the times.”

“Since crossing the Yangtze with the robe and crown, the human world has been like a stagnant pool, rotting to the point of stench,” Wang Wanrou said disdainfully. “The puddle is drying up, and the frogs within are fighting each other. Whether it’s the royal family or the Five Great Clans… not a single one dares to break free from the shackles, only knowing how to tear each other apart in their cages, destroying each other for survival.”

“If this decaying world is all there is, then let it be destroyed. Though I pride myself on intelligence surpassing others, I’m too lazy to be like Zhuge Liang, vainly trying to hold up the sky with one hand, only to exhaust myself and die from bleeding, yet still unable to prevent the decline of the Han Dynasty… It’s better to wait for a Sima Yi to emerge, to completely overthrow this thoroughly rotten old world and consign it to the dustbin of history.”

Xing Yuanzhi chuckled and asked, “You despise this world but don’t intend to make an effort, yet you want my Jinyang to do so? What kind of reasoning is this?”

“Because if I’m not mistaken, he is the Sima Yi I’ve been waiting for,” Wang Wanrou revealed a mysterious smile. “Even if he isn’t, I will still push him into that position. Aren’t you doing the same?”

Xing Yuanzhi fell silent once again.

“The pond is drying up, and the frogs are fighting each other… This description is quite apt,” she sighed slowly, changing the subject.

“This wasn’t said by me,” Wang Wanrou shook her head, “It was said by a girl from the Xie family.”

“Who?”

“The daughter of Xie Wuyi.”

“Are you talking about Xie Lingjiang?” Xing Yuanzhi clicked her tongue. “Isn’t she only 3 years old?”

“Just early bloomers,” Wang Wanrou casually replied. “Aren’t we the same?”

……..

Northern, the divine capital Luoyang, the Longmen Grottoes.

Countless stone carvings of gods and Buddhas are in the ferocious form of Vajra, their surfaces covered with a flesh-like fungal mat, with fleshy buds swaying and tendrils dancing.

A figure standing in the center, leaning on a long sword, oblivious to the hellish scenery around. She lowered her head, seemingly in slumber, her long hair falling from her hood like a waterfall of green silk.

“Xiao Qi!” Her companion walked in from outside, patting her shoulder excitedly. “Do you know what day it is today?”

“Ah Si?” She raised her head in confusion, asking drowsily, “What day is it?”

“Today is Xiaoyan’s birthday!” her companion smiled. “I made a cake, want some?”

“I don’t eat human flesh…”

“Not made of flesh and blood, but of cream! Eggs, cream, and flour!” Her companion said angrily, “And lots of sugar too!”

She fell silent for a moment. “But I’m not Zhu Xiaoyan.”

“Stop worrying about such philosophical issues, can’t we just celebrate? ”

[T/N: There was a paragraph about the author’s book going on shelves and some book recommendations. It’s a long paragraph and unnecessary for this book’s translated version, so I didn’t translate it.]