She stopped updating
Late in the night, when everyone is asleep, the cold moonlight dyes the path between white flowers, and a man and a dog walk silently forward.
Suddenly, a scream cut through the night: "No, ah, ah—"
The man suddenly turned his head, picked up the puppy in an instant, and rushed towards the villa like a bullet.
"Quiet!" He rushed in, finding the house as normal, and felt a little relieved. He bent down, put down the corgi in his hands, and ran straight to the second floor. Under the dog's resentful gaze, his long legs disappeared around the corner of the stairs.
In the dim bedroom, Zhuang Jinghao curled up in the middle of the two-meter-wide bed, her red, curly hair flowing like magma. The fluorescent light from the iPad screen reflected in her almond-shaped eyes, revealing the shimmering tears.
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, and the door was pushed open. Zhuang Jinghao looked up and saw his brother standing at the door, his chest heaving, his brows slightly furrowed, and the lines of his thick eyebrows as sharp as a knife.
"Brother..." Zhuang Jinghao sat up, wiped her tears with her delicate white hands, and cried in her thin voice, "Why did you come in wearing shoes? Aren't you disgusted by the dirt?"
Zhuang Yu'an shook his head and asked, "Why are you screaming in the middle of the night?"
Upon hearing this, Zhuang Jinghao raised her eyelids, threw her iPad aside, and rushed towards her serious brother with the back of her head: "It's none of your business!"
With a helpless arc on his lips, Zhuang Yu'an bent down to take off his shoes, held them in his hands, said, "Then you have a good rest", and turned to leave.
At the living room door, he changed into his indoor shoes and called out, "Peter Pan!"
The chubby yellow and white Corgi was picked up and taken to the bathroom. Zhuang Yu'an washed its feet, then picked up the floor scrubber and followed the path of the man and dog, cleaning from the living room to the stairs and then to the second-floor hallway. After that, he went into the kitchen and took a bowl of Yangmei Guifei drink from the refrigerator.
The bayberries used are early-ripening bayberries from Shiping, Yunnan. Soak them in salt water for half an hour. Add yellow sugar or rock sugar and water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for a quarter of an hour. The lychees used are Hainan Guizao lychees—another early-ripening variety. Peel and pit them, and simmer for just one minute before removing from the heat. Serve with the broth and seasoning, top with a few slices of seeded lemon, and refrigerate for two hours for optimal flavor. Among the countless drinks Zhuang Yu'an has created, this is a relatively simple one.
It was late at night, but he had nothing else to worry about. He bent down and selected a cloisonné enamel bowl from the teakwood sideboard, slowly filling it with half a bowlful. The purplish-red of the bayberry, the pink-white of the lychee, the bright red broth, and a sliver of lemon yellow rising from the water, all nestled comfortably within the peacock-blue bowl with its intertwined lotus pattern, were not only pleasing to the eye but also possessed a distinctly imperial charm, worthy of its nickname, "Imperial Concubine Drink." A sprig of emerald mint added a touch of freshness.
As soon as the dessert was served, I heard a series of rapid "tapping" sounds. I didn't need to turn around to know that it was my lovely sister rushing downstairs in slippers.
"These bayberries are so small!" She scooped one up and put it in her mouth. "...but they're delicious!"
"Um."
"Eh... the lychee taste is a bit bland..."
"Right. After all, it's only April, so there aren't many decent lychees to eat."
"But it doesn't matter, it's still delicious! Everything my brother cooks is delicious! The most delicious in the universe!"
Zhuang Yu'an looked across the table at his sister, who had been with him for 23 years, and couldn't help but curl his lips. But she suddenly put down her spoon, raised her fair little face, and fluttered her long eyelashes, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.
"It's clearly not the season yet, so why are you making this?" She frowned slightly. "It must be because I mentioned a few days ago that I missed last year's Yangmei Guifei Drink, so you took it to heart, right?"
She bit her lower lip and mustered up the courage to say, "Brother, you don't have to be like this..."
Zhuang Yu'an was a little surprised by his sister's strange reaction: "What's wrong?"
She hesitated for a moment, then said seriously, "Brother, I hope you can focus more on yourself and stop putting me first. You should have your own life!"
Zhuang Yu'an couldn't hold it in, and chuckled softly from his nose, saying softly, "Not really. It's just a bowl of dessert."
Zhuang Jinghao wasn't buying it. "You've been on a business trip for half a month, only got back yesterday at midnight, and worked all day today. You didn't take a good rest but made dessert for me... Don't you think... don't you think it's a bit excessive?"
"Excessive?" Zhuang Yu'an frowned. "What do you mean by excessive?"
Zhuang Jinghao looked at him with troubled eyes, bit her lower lip, and then released it: "Nothing."
She stood up and left. Zhuang Yu'an quietly cleaned the table, walked to the sofa, and sat down diagonally across from her.
"Tell me, why did you scream just now?"
"I don't want to say it... If I tell you, you'll scold me again..."
"When did I scold you?"
"You just said I was screaming!"
"Okay... I take that back."
"That's more like it..."
"Then you can tell me now?"
Zhuang Jinghao grabbed a pillow, clenched a corner with her slender fingers, and scratched it while saying in frustration, "This is a little author I supported. She stopped updating... No, it's very likely that she stopped updating! She's retired!!"
"No swearing!"
"I'm not talking about that bitch! I'm talking about the eunuch! The eunuch in the palace who doesn't have a penis!" Zhuang Jing glared at him angrily, "Eunuchs are just digging holes and not filling them up. A good article is gone after you chase it! Isn't that infuriating?!"
Zhuang Yu'an was speechless. Zhuang Jinghao complained:
"I've been following this author for two years! I've been following this story for three months! Just when it was critical, she asked for leave!"
"At first he took two days off, then a week... and then he just disappeared. Can you believe it?"
"I waited for a full half month, and finally my aunt came online! But guess what?"
"She just announced she'd stop updating! This is simply not treating us readers as human beings! I—"
She gritted her teeth and swallowed the real swear words that came out of her mouth. She was so angry that she threw away the pillow and fell headfirst onto the sofa.
Zhuang Yu'an knows his sister very well: she is only interested in a few things for a short time, but her hobby of reading online romance novels has lasted for at least 5 years, which shows that it is true love.
Five years ago, when he first discovered the novel his sister was reading on her iPad, he was shocked and furious, leading to a heated argument. It wasn't that he disliked her unsavory hobby, but it was simply devoid of common sense and shockingly outrageous. If his sister were constantly exposed to such nonsense, it might just lead her astray, but what if she was corrupted? What if she emulated the chaotic plot and ruined her life?
The siblings argued repeatedly over the same issue, damaging their harmony, their health, and even their relationship. Ultimately, the brother relented, refraining from further comment and quietly tightening his control over his sister's behavior and social circle. He consoled himself by saying, "At least his sister was just watching, never truly putting her thoughts into practice." He was absolutely certain: she had never been in a relationship and didn't have a man she was attracted to. Those foolish, extreme plots from novels had no chance of happening to her.
"I remember this isn't the first time you've experienced this." Zhuang Yu'an said calmly, "If you don't want to write this one, just change to another one. It's no big deal."
"This time is different!" Zhuang Jinghao sat up with a jerk. "This author is my favorite young author in recent years! This article is my favorite! Barely one! It's irreplaceable in my heart! You have no idea how tormented and painful it was for me to wait for updates every day for the past two weeks when you weren't home... I've even lost three pounds!"
Zhuang Yu'an studied his sister's face carefully. Did her chin seem a little more pointed? Although he couldn't understand her persistence, he could fully sense her inner resentment.
He softened his tone and asked tentatively, "Do you really have to read this novel?"
Zhuang Jinghao was speechless and answered his question with a tear in the corner of her eye. Zhuang Yu'an was startled and reflexively stood up and reached out to wipe his tears, but she slapped him away.
"I told you it's none of your business. Don't bother with it!" She wiped her eyes and said aggrievedly, "The fact that you ask this kind of question shows that you don't understand novels at all, let alone me!"
Zhuang Yu'an felt the situation was awkward. After thinking for a moment, he said, "What about giving her a reward? As long as the reward is generous enough, I think most authors wouldn't refuse to continue writing, right?"
"Do you think I don't want to?" Zhuang Jinghao grabbed the pillow again and tugged at it. "She only updates on JJ. She's a small, unsigned author. I can't even give her a free vote! I've already given her all the nutrient solution, but nutrient solution can't be exchanged for money... I've also tried to contact her outside the site, but she hasn't been active on Weibo for a long time, and she doesn't reply to messages or private messages..."
Zhuang Yu'an was bewildered by her barrage of jargon: What was a "super-ticket"? What was nutrient solution? Why couldn't I deposit money without signing a contract? How could such platform rules exist?
He thought for a while and suggested, "How about I find a great writer to continue this novel? You can have the plot develop however you want."
"How can this be!" Zhuang Jinghao yelled, "Go away! I don't want you to care about me anymore! You don't understand at all!"
"Why not?" Zhuang Yu'an, feeling a little frustrated by his sister's series of rejections, couldn't help but argue, "Weren't the last forty chapters of Dream of the Red Chamber written by someone else? Aren't there still so many people reading it?"
Before he could finish his words, a pillow hit his chest, "You're going to piss me off to death!"
Zhuang Yu'an sighed slightly, leaned over to pick up the pillow that had fallen on the carpet, and put it back on the sofa. He also sat on the sofa, grabbed his sister's hand, placed it in his palm, and rubbed it.
"Okay, don't be angry. Is there a bag you've set your eyes on lately? I'll take you to buy it tomorrow, okay?"
Zhuang Jinghao's eyes lit up, then dimmed, and he said bitterly, "I'm talking to you about spiritual nourishment, and you're talking to me about buying a bag?"
Zhuang Yu'an was completely at his wit's end. He felt like he should say something, but he was afraid of saying something wrong and getting angry, so he just kept silent. He thought, my sister's temper often comes and goes quickly, maybe tomorrow the rain will turn into sunshine.
The two of them sat there for a while.
Zhuang Yu'an said, "By the way, I have to go on a business trip to Guangdong tomorrow morning and will be back in two days. Ask Auntie to make you something for breakfast tomorrow."
"Huh?" Zhuang Jinghao turned his head. "Didn't you just come back from a business trip? Why are you going out again?"
"Yes. The company is preparing for an IPO, so it will be quite busy for the next six months."
Zhuang Jinghao's shoulders slumped, a look of guilt appeared in his eyes. He pushed his shoulder and said, "Then go and rest!"
"Aren't you going to bed yet?" Zhuang Yu'an glanced at the clock. It was past 11 o'clock. Although his sister had a habit of staying up late, she would usually be getting some beauty sleep at this time.
"I can't sleep, so I'm going to play with Peter Pan for a while. Leave me alone and go to sleep."
Zhuang Yu'an didn't move. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Send me the name of the novel's author and his social media account. I'll see if I can find a solution."
Zhuang Jinghao suddenly perked up, and asked with shining eyes, "What are you going to do?"
"Remember the eight-character motto I taught you about how to deal with people?"
"Eight-character motto..." Zhuang Jinghao frowned in thought, and suddenly an idea struck him, "Know yourself and your enemy, and cater to their preferences!"
"Not bad," Zhuang Yu'an praised with a smile. He was happy that his sister took his teachings to heart. As for how much she could understand and how much she could practice, he never set high expectations.
However, the younger sister's happiness didn't last long. She asked suspiciously, "Brother, you don't want to find my little author and then make a naked offer, do you? That would be too insulting..."
Zhuang Yu'an smiled and said, "How about this, I'll be responsible for finding the person, and as for how to please him, you can do it yourself, in your own way. Is that okay?"
Before he could finish his words, he was hugged tightly: "Brother! You are the best brother in the world! No, you are my God! The only true God!"
It was already late at night when Zhuang Yu'an finished washing up and returned to his room.
He had a flight at 7:00 AM, so the most important thing to do right now was to get some sleep. However, the fact that his sister's writing had been interrupted was still a constant worry in his mind, like a thorn in his side.
On the one hand, he was worried about his sister and wanted to solve her problem, but on the other hand, he was very unhappy.
As Lu Xun said, "Life is measured in time. Wasting other people's time is tantamount to stealing money and killing; wasting your own time is tantamount to chronic suicide." Online romance novels are like a new drug, consuming his sister's precious time and invisibly eroding her mind, causing her to lose her appetite and disrupting her normal life and family harmony. As a brother, he had to watch his sister "commit suicide" and not only failed to stop her, but actually handed her the knife!
Drug manufacturers are even more despicable! Instead of dedicating their prime years to meaningful contributions to their families and society, they're producing spiritual dregs. What's the difference between them and robbers and killers out for money? He wanted to see who the devil was, not only writing such addictive trash, but also shamelessly stopping writing, turning his healthy and lovely sister into a mindless zombie at the mercy of others!
He leaned against the headboard, downloaded the online writing platform app his sister mentioned, and entered the author's name in the search box:
"Zuo Xiao is not afraid of curses."
Humph, it seems this author also knows that what he did is bound to be cursed, so he chose such a pen name to embolden himself. He wouldn't be so low as to curse the other party, but once he finds out the other party's background, he will definitely teach this guy a lesson!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
