Goodbye, 2024.

It was the last day.

I had so many feelings, so I wrote a message on my WeChat Moments, then deleted it.

Perhaps it's because I've been writing novels for so long that I've gotten used to putting what's in my heart into a fictional framework.

I'm quite hesitant to let it see the light of day.

Over the past year, a thought often popped into my head either in the early morning when I was still half asleep or in the middle of the night—

This may be the most difficult year of my life.

When you reach the next level in your work, you can't stop.

The novel became unexpectedly popular, and I didn't want to miss it.

So, I managed to juggle it all, day by day.

I wouldn't say I work from dawn till dusk, but I wonder if any of you have ever experienced that moment when you're drunk, unconscious, and still have to force yourself to sit on the bed, holding your laptop, working or typing?

I originally wanted to write this on my WeChat Moments:

You can have your cake and eat it too; the wind and freedom remain.

I originally wanted to say this on my WeChat Moments:

Holding worldly wealth in one's hands, yet harboring a pure and tranquil heart.

Looking back, I just want to scold myself:

Pretentious jerk.

How could anyone be so carefree, as if they were just waving goodbye to the most difficult year with a laugh?

In reality, I use all my strength every day just to barely keep up with everything I refuse to let go of.

For a while, I was constantly posting on my WeChat official account because that period was really tough for me.

People can push themselves to an unbearable point, on the verge of collapse.

Fortunately, by then, I turned off my phone, ignored everything, slept soundly for a day, and woke up feeling fine.

Fortunately, compared to many people, at least my efforts have paid off, my hard work has not been in vain, and I have gained something in the end, along with a sense of accomplishment.

I wrote three million words in a year, a number I never even dared to imagine.

There are countless things that are not to my liking or what I want, but at least I didn't do it half-heartedly. Fortunately, I met a group of very good readers who carefully saw a circle that I was trying to complete from my shaky pen, which gave me great encouragement to continue drawing.

I'm afraid this book will get longer and longer, eventually becoming a long and tedious mess.

But when I get really into writing, I think, after finishing this book, I probably won't write about entertainment for a while—I can't come up with anything new. All my ideas about entertainment are basically in this book. So, what else is missing? Should I include it?

I know that leaving blank spaces is the essence of unfinished perfection. But for a writer who isn't a master, forcing blank spaces only makes the piece look like a fragmented chapter, crippling their hand and foot. I can only grit my teeth and, like building blocks, try my best to construct a complete outline.

As I mentioned before, I'm not short of money and don't rely on writing fees to support myself; I started writing simply because I loved it. Unexpectedly, this year I've actually received a substantial sum of royalties. Although I don't really need to spend it, having that amount on my card, thinking about how I typed it out word by word, gives me a great sense of accomplishment.

This is the biggest reward outside of work. Inevitably, one must pursue something meaningful in life. Even if you are busy from beginning to end at work, you may not be able to summarize many things that you have truly accomplished on your own and that have contributed to the world. But the fact that so many people find the novels you write enjoyable and rewarding has filled a gap in my understanding of what it means to be myself.

In 2024, with the mindset of "just getting through each day", I persisted in updating for 360 days, working a full year with perfect attendance.

Let's keep striving in 2025. May everyone always love this world, and may all your wishes come true.

(End of this chapter)