Author's Closing Remarks

"Yi Shuang" was the book I used to get a contract. To be honest, I didn't expect to be successful, so much so that I fell into deep thought looking at the less than 300-word outline and brief character descriptions, and then began a short period of daily updates. I was very happy every time I started writing their stories.

As I wrote, I clearly felt that I was truly burning my own energy to write them. Gradually, I could no longer maintain daily updates. Firstly, my outline wasn't detailed enough, and I tended to fill in too many details and constantly add plot points. Secondly, my writing speed was very slow; a chapter of just over three thousand words would take me three or four hours to sit in front of the computer, leaving me extremely exhausted. I had previously boasted that I would update daily or every other day, but for a period until the end, my update frequency was extremely unstable. I am very sorry about this…

However, it has finally come to an end after many ups and downs. Let's take a look.

[Character Design]

I'm quite satisfied with the character designs, especially Xiao Qi. Now let's talk about my two main characters.

Wu Qi

Xiaoqi's character design is the most detailed. In my opinion, every detail perfectly matches her personality. When I first conceived of her, the scene that came to mind was flowers and a flowing hair ribbon. The flower emblem was chosen because thinking of her reminds me of flowers. Her flower emblem was also the first one decided upon; I settled on peach blossoms almost without hesitation. The development of weapons was also decided upon by me and the flower emblem at the beginning of the design process, without much hesitation either.

As I was writing, I was surprised to find that "Wu Qi" and "weapon" are actually homophones but different characters, which was a pleasant surprise! In fact, I quickly decided on her name, and then I quickly decided on "Yao Ling" and "Xiao Qi".

Xiao Qi's core qualities are more than enough to make her a protagonist. You might not fully understand Xiao Qi because of my naive descriptions, but please believe me—both in appearance and in character, she absolutely meets all the criteria for a protagonist.

In fact, even with multiple revisions to the plot, she remains the protagonist of my story. The story unfolds through her, and the plot lines are connected by her. In terms of length, I personally feel that Xiao Qi's screen time is much greater than that of Wei Chong, who is also a protagonist. I was aware of this issue while writing and had considered it, but weapon development is a very important story setting and plot line in this story, and only Xiao Qi can complete the weapon development task.

Xiaoqi was the first female lead I decided on, and I have absolutely no regrets. In addition, I feel that she is also enjoying it.

Yi Shen

Compared to Xiao Qi, Wei Chong's initial character design was a bit rough, but he still had the overall framework and the core of a protagonist. The first thing I confirmed was his identity as a young master from a noble family, which meant he was bound by the etiquette and rules of that family. Compared to the dashing young man, he was more reserved, never showing his emotions, and had an ethereal air. Even his punishments were based on various reasons, such as making him wear a veil to face the world.

Because he has a very low alcohol tolerance, he rarely drinks out. Others assume he dislikes drinking and admire his noble family background, but it's really just because he can't hold his liquor. When I write about him being drunk, I find him incredibly endearing. Of course, he occasionally bickers with Lin Kuo, has minor conflicts with He Qi, once gave up playing the zither, and has a very low alcohol tolerance… The fact that he doesn't sleep in is a natural part of the story. After writing it, I was shocked myself, and then I realized how terrifying it is for someone who never sleeps in.

The addition of these elements makes Weichong even more vibrant.

Compared to my initial expectations, Weichong now seems more like a living person and is more in line with the identity of a young master from a noble family. He should be able to disregard the proper conduct between men and women and be able to save Heqi on the battlefield... If he cannot do these things, then he is not Weichong.

If Xiaoqi was a character I was satisfied with from the beginning, then Weichong is a character I'm increasingly satisfied with as I write.

【plot】

Love line:

In the initial conception, I hesitated about whether Weichong should be older or younger than Xiaoqi. If he were younger, there would be more tension, and his expressionless and taciturn nature is actually the charm of a younger man... But after thinking it over, I decided that Weichong should be older than Xiaoqi, so that he wouldn't miss a single day of her life.

When this idea came to mind, I quickly finalized the setting and decided that he would not only arrive in this world before Xiao Qi, but also leave this world after Xiao Qi.

In this way, he accompanied and protected her throughout her life.

Weichong's love for Xiaoqi can be roughly summarized as: accompanying, protecting, and going crazy.

Why did he go mad? Because he had no interest in power struggles; he only wanted to love Xiao Qi for life. But life is unpredictable, and things kept pressing him. To protect Xiao Qi, he chose to stand in a high position. With himself in a high position, his lover could be safe and secure; everything else was just an added bonus.

The text only briefly mentions it, but he actually killed quite a few people… The idea that one could rise to a high position without killing a single person is a joke, and given the circumstances, killing was the only option. Therefore, during his time in Changru Town, he would gently coax Xiao Qi when she was around, but when alone, he would carefully consider his next move and who to kill. He wasn't indiscriminate in his killings; those he killed had all committed some evil deeds, and he wouldn't kill just anyone he disliked. He deeply respected truly chivalrous and loyal individuals, and naturally wouldn't take their lives.

Compared to Weichong's openness, Xiaoqi was hesitant about Weichong. It wasn't that she disliked him, but she knew the consequences of developing the Liuge and didn't want to drag him into it.

She hesitated, and he moved closer.

So at what point did they start liking each other?

This is a difficult question to summarize. They have known each other since childhood, so it's impossible to pinpoint exactly when they started liking each other. It's just that each time they realized they liked each other, their feelings intensified with each recollection of the past.

Their feelings for each other quietly developed in every moment they spent together. If they could fall in love with each other in just one moment, what would be the point of the childhood sweetheart relationship?

Personally, I think the significance of the childhood sweetheart trope lies in the fact that when you realize you've fallen for someone, you try to pinpoint the exact moment you fell in love, only to find that you can't find it at all.

Because I like this moment, and I like that moment too.

Xiaoqi and Weichong are childhood sweethearts, and Weichong has protected Xiaoqi throughout her life. If nothing unexpected happens, they should be the only childhood sweethearts in my writing.

Love each other well, Xiaoqi and Weichong.

Career line:

The storyline revolves entirely around Xiao Qi, which I've divided into four main parts, corresponding to the four songs mentioned in the text: "Widowhood, Loneliness, and Solitude." Of course, the order varies within the text. With each song, Xiao Qi experiences growth and loss, while simultaneously, the mold on her body gradually worsens.

When the body was discovered in the peach blossom forest, Xiao Qi was only seventeen years old. Later, he experienced many life-and-death situations. No matter how carefree a person is, they will restrain themselves in the face of death. Xiao Qi was too reverent about life and death. After witnessing many life-and-death situations, he became moldy.

The mold wasn't due to her weakness, nor was it because her spirit couldn't sustain her life. To simply portray her strength is to disregard her wishes, a form of torture. A person pampered by parents and elders, surrounded by lovers and friends, only seventeen years old, yet one person after another died for her—it would be strange if she didn't develop some problems.

She wasn't cursed because of her own misfortunes; she just felt that no one in the world could live a good life as they pleased. Many people died for her, even though it wasn't worth it, yet they still lost their lives because of her.

Xiaoqi is someone I created with my own hands. I feel more saddened than anyone else by the pain she endures, and I've even been unable to write about it several times. But, like those who have always been strong, those who become even stronger after healing deserve praise and celebration.

Xiaoqi stays true to herself and is kind-hearted. Even after facing life and death, she still holds a bouquet of flowers.

I really like people like that.

No matter what achievements she ultimately attains, as long as she remains smiling, with flowers adorning her hair and ribbons fluttering in the wind, and continues to research and develop weapons, she will remain steadfast.

Then her career path is successful.

【question】

Plot Structure:

The four songs continuously fill the overall structure, a rather unconventional approach, yet it also serves as the introduction, development, climax, and conclusion. Within this structure, Xiao Qi's career and plot are constantly progressing and developing, while the romantic storyline is introduced later.

I wrote their romantic storyline very smoothly. Some of their past and memories, including some interactions, were added on the spot. Personally, I'm quite satisfied with it. Although I didn't describe their past completely, I did help everyone better understand Xiaoqi and Weichong, and their relationship, by describing several events.

This architecture is not suitable for every story, and may even be limited to this one story. I cannot use this architecture for my next story.

Therefore, I still need to improve my skills in this area.

Update frequency:

This is the most serious problem in my opinion. I started writing without any drafts, the outline was only about 300 words, and the character design was just a few simple lines; the rest was all in my head. The novel, which is less than 350,000 words long, has dragged on for a long time. Putting aside the importance of update frequency for serialized novels, just speaking for myself, I sometimes feel sorry for Xiaoqi and Weichong, and even more so for the readers.

Writing novels was more difficult than I had imagined, partly because I'm too slow. Writing 3000 words required sitting in front of the computer for a long time, and I was also really tired during that period. Sometimes I was so tired I would fall asleep, and I wanted to rest during my free time. This is my own problem, and I will correct it next time.

"Yi Shuang" started serialization quite hastily without my full preparation. Before starting my next novel, I will do more preparation work and prepare a stockpile of drafts, try my best to maintain the update frequency, and ask for leave if necessary, so that the serialization will not drag on for too long like this time.

People in a village should always strive for progress.

Typo:

This is a rather serious problem. I personally pay a lot of attention to my emotions while writing, and sometimes when I get caught up in the emotions, I just focus on the plot and don't pay much attention to anything else. This was my first time serializing a novel, and I really felt overwhelmed. No matter how many reasons I give, the lack of proofreading is definitely my fault.

I will take corresponding measures to reduce these problems.

First, regarding "Yi Shuang," I will revise it again after it's finished, refining and correcting any parts that weren't well-written during serialization, including typos. As for my next novel, I will carefully proofread it after each run to reduce the frequency of typos, but… it's still possible that typos will still appear, so I will revise it again after it's finished, continuously making changes.

I don't like constantly revising the previous chapters while serializing. The back-and-forth revisions really drain my enthusiasm to continue writing. I prefer to revise the entire story once it's finished.

Acknowledgments

"Yi Shuang" is my first novel, and I know better than anyone its many shortcomings. It took several revisions to reach my acceptable standard, but I did my best and sincerely put it into it. There is still much to learn and explore, and I will continue to work hard.

Xiao Qi was my first female lead. When I first conceived of her, I imagined her as having smiling eyes and a peach blossom. I used flowers and the morning sun to describe her, and the Spring Equinox was the perfect birthday for her. As for Wei Chong, he is like snow, plum blossoms, and a cool fragrance. The Winter Solstice is a suitable birthday for him.

Xiaoqi and Weichong have different personalities and ways of dealing with people, but they share a common core: besides liking and loving each other, they also deeply respect one another. Both in appearance and in their inner selves, they are fully deserving of the title of "protagonist."

Writing about their interactions was effortless; it came naturally. Sometimes, when I looked back after finishing, I was surprised to find how adorable they were!

Xiao Qi's cuteness is undeniable, but Wei Chong's cuteness needs to be carefully explored. No amount of adjectives can fully express my affection for the two of them.

Childhood sweethearts are even cuter than cute!

Perhaps, in my writing, Xiaoqi and Weichong will be the only childhood sweethearts. There may be scenes in later stories where they met when they were young, but they will definitely not be childhood sweethearts!

Xiaoqi and Weichong were true childhood sweethearts. Weichong waited outside the door for Xiaoqi to be born, and only after taking care of her did he leave and go with her.

For Xiaoqi, Weichong accompanied her throughout her life.

As for the question of childhood sweethearts versus a sudden infatuation, I would say: "Childhood sweethearts are a kind of sudden infatuation in a sense! Isn't that right!? Our Xiaoqi and Weichong are both childhood sweethearts and a sudden infatuation!"

When I was writing this story, whether I was cheering or weeping, it was all just my own self-entertainment. Later, when you read this story, you resonated with a certain sentence or a certain character in it.

This resonance is fascinating.

I've always believed that everyone spends their entire life searching for that person who resonates with them, someone with whom they share similar feelings about the same things. Unfortunately, many people may never find that person in their lifetime.

But when you linger over a particular sentence or a particular person in the text and read it repeatedly, I found you.

Similarly, you saw me too.

The world is full of splendor, countless geniuses gather, gold is everywhere, dazzling and shining. Hundreds of people tell stories, and thousands of people read stories. We met in the midst of it all.

It's hard to imagine that such a wonderful fate could exist in the world. We were complete strangers, in different places, yet we stopped because of the same story.

Thank you for stopping by this story.

As long as the community exists, Xiaoqi and Weichong's story will not end. Until we meet again!

I'm Li Renli, see you next time.

——

October 30, 2025