Loyal Dog Sculpture
Ran Yuan's "What is the Crime of the King" became a hit.
The fan group is full of 99+ messages every day. I want to climb the stairs to see what everyone thinks, but there are constantly new messages flooding the screen. The data of the article has increased exponentially. If it is ranked in the top 2 of various lists, it would be a waste of talent.
Including income.
The watershed of the data is between Chapters 15 and 17. Editor Fuka is already planning the publication of the physical book.
She suggested that the online novel be divided into two volumes, with the first volume completed first, and then the physical book published while the iron is hot, to broaden the market and consolidate its popularity.
Although Yu Ran has only updated to Chapter 17, it has over 100,000 words.
Yu Ran agreed with Fuka's suggestion and planned to update the first volume to chapter 20 before concluding it. The ending would be about Song Yiran's intention to bid farewell to Jingliu and strike out on his own, which would be consistent with the current progress.
As for where Song Yiran and Yu Ran, Jing Liu and Jiang Liu will go, and how the story will develop next, no one knows.
That day, Yu Ran was invited to a meeting for emerging authors hosted by a writing platform. It wasn't a serious affair; it consisted of playing games, asking questions, promoting his new book, and sharing his writing experiences with readers online and offline.
Yu Ran asked for leave from Jiang Liu and drove his sister's car to the venue.
Unexpectedly, the venue is not big but quite grand. At first glance, it looks like a small boiler that greedily boils too much milk tea, with black pearls crowded together floating on the water, making it impossible to see through.
Yu Ran went to sign in and entered the backstage with his work ID. He was dressed up, but a pretty girl came over and said:
"Teacher Ranyuan, it's too hot on the road. Do you have makeup on? I'll help you touch up your makeup."
"No, I just washed my face, thank you." Yu Ran took the question "Are you wearing makeup?" as a compliment, explaining that his facial features were so delicate that they looked as if they had been carefully outlined.
The girl chuckled and looked at his outfit carefully, her eyes dazzled by the golden hair again, "Hey, are you wearing earrings, teacher? If you have long light-colored hair, you can consider wearing more exaggerated earrings..." After that, she went to rummage through the jewelry box, doing her job conscientiously.
Yu Ran unconsciously touched the pair of white mother-of-pearl earrings with his hands. The touch was warm. He thought of something and said with a smile, "I like this one better."
The exchange officially began at 12:00. After the host warmed up the audience, six authors took the stage one after another: four women and two men. Yu Ran walked in the middle of the group, taking center stage. He was worthy of the position.
"Hello everyone, I am the new author Ranyuan."
The host quipped, "How can this newcomer have the courage of a great god?"
The big screen flashed the book image of "Water and Fire" and various honor data at the right time, causing the audience to exclaim in surprise.
"Life is always on the road. I am always ignorant in the face of a constant stream of new things, so I am willing to always be a newcomer." Yu Ran explained with a smile.
"Oh, so the newness of being a newcomer is actually about keeping a fresh mindset and perspective. Thank you!"
…
After everyone introduced themselves, they took their seats. After playing a literary trivia game to warm up the atmosphere, they began discussing the new book.
"What was the inspiration for the book "What is the Crime of King Qi?" the host asked based on the questions collected.
Yu Ran asked himself this question. He couldn't possibly say that this was a complaint written by a cowherd like him to criticize his boss, could he? Although his mood had changed, the original motivation was only that one.
"I feel the current environment is very stressful, and I hope to bring some joy to everyone in the way I'm best at. A lighthearted, snarky style has the widest audience, and another advantage is that, for example, if you finish reading the first chapter and then pick it up a few months later to read the second, your enjoyment won't be diminished or your sense of humor will be affected due to forgetting the plot. It's very suitable for modern lifestyles. As for the theme of workers complaining, it resonates the most."
Yu Ran nodded to indicate that he was finished.
"Okay, second question: The two male protagonists in the book, Song Yiran and Jing Liu, are portrayed in such detail. What kind of effort did you put into designing their characters?"
The question was perfectly normal. The one who felt guilty was Yu Ran himself.
"Song Yiran appears rough and tactless on the surface, but he's actually a bit insecure and sensitive inside, which is related to his upbringing; Jing Liu seems aloof and arrogant, but he's actually gentle and delicate. So they complement each other not only on the surface but also in their hearts. Sometimes, a bond doesn't need to be deliberately arranged. I like to focus on the details and let readers explore, explore, and imagine. This is also a way for me to interact with readers...so this is how I create the characters."
As Yu Ran spoke, he realized that this was also a commentary on his relationship with Jiang Liu. He felt embarrassed. The hundreds of eyes in the audience were not as intimidating as the pair he had imagined.
Each author was assigned two questions. After the rounds of questions, readers were free to ask questions. Audience members were randomly selected, but no one asked Yu Ran a question. Perhaps due to a lack of rehearsal or a backroom, some questions were long and some were short, causing the session to end earlier than expected. The host intervened, explaining that everyone must be unsatisfied and that some secrets hadn't been uncovered. The camera then randomly shifted to another audience member.
"Hello, Mr. Ranyuan. I'd like to ask..." The child stood up, still trying to hold back a laugh, "In the second volume of 'What is the Sin of the King', how will the relationship between the two male protagonists change?"
Yu Ran thought this was a normal question, easier to answer than the previous two questions. However, before the questioner finished speaking, the audience burst into laughter, which completely deviated the direction of the matter.
"In fact, I have also discussed this with my friends. We all guessed whether it would start from boss and subordinate, then become both enemy and friend, then friend, close friend... and then upgrade all the way?" The audience said it very bluntly.
"Well, I think if the relationship between two people is good enough, they will really be inseparable like family in the end. Thank you for your speech..." The host came to the rescue and signaled Yu Ran not to answer this question.
Yu Ran, however, held the microphone, pondering the meaning of his snicker, pondering what word to fill in the blanks after "best friend." "Lover"?
Are Song Yiran and Jing Liu gay?
Although the two were created by Yu Ran and can be regarded as his miniature or second personality, they are also flesh and blood, thinking of real people. Yu Ran often writes, not because the plot sets the protagonist to do something, but on the contrary, the protagonist's words and deeds will affect the plot direction.
"I am both a narrator and a bystander. Everything depends on their choices. Even I can't interfere."
There was thunderous applause from the audience.
In fact, he was more curious about what details readers used to judge that there was a special feeling between the two?
Is it just a simple "matchmaking"?
Is it because the couple is too addicted to sugar?
Or is there really an emotion hidden between the lines that even he, the author, cannot perceive?
Or is it that in reality, he, the prototype of a person who is in a dilemma, really has hidden emotions?
He closed his eyes and went crazy, a scaled-down Jiang Liu saying hello in his head. Sometimes she would tap on his eyelids, sometimes she would pull his thoughts apart and play with them, sometimes she would crawl to the very tip of his heart and shout, her voice echoing and lingering.
He was troubled the entire way. After returning home, he checked the reader group for comfort. "Teacher Ranyuan is so handsome" messages were flooding the screen, and his narcissism briefly dispelled his inner depression. Meanwhile, a few flashes of messages raised questions: How could Teacher Ranyuan look so much like Song Yiran? Hairstyle, temperament, looks...
There are a few more people who are praising the last question on the scene.
The audience was like, "Oh my god, this sister is so brave, my mouth is on fire!"
"Don't blame us for being so silly, let's review some of Song Yiran's most famous scenes. 'He's got a bad temper, flips tables over small matters, and resorts to violence over big ones, but he's got a great look.'"
"I second the suggestion. This one has some merit. 'Eating sugarcane will ruin your teeth, eating lettuce will be bland, and eating mangoes is too timid to get your hands dirty... Never mind. I'll take care of it for him."
Both sentences are original sentences from the book.
Someone specifically responded to those two sentences: "Aaa Reading it again still makes me feel good. Song Yiran, you are a Shetland Sheepdog."
Yu Ran couldn't help but feel curious. Why was he compared to a dog?
"What do you mean?" asked the man Yu Ran mentioned.
"The dog sculpture also means Song Yiran is a loyal dog~"
Yu Ran: “…”
He searched for pictures. The dog had a beautiful, well-proportioned figure, eyes as sharp as raindrop stones, a pair of leaf-shaped ears that stood upright to catch news, and was dressed in a flying carpet of interlaced black and yellow.
"So handsome!" Yu Ran was overjoyed, but the most similar thing between him and Song Yiran was the golden hair that started from the face, connected to the back, neck, and extended to the chest.
Yu Ran shook his golden hair and quite liked the dog shape.
Why do I have the illusion that I keep saying I'm straight but get slapped in the face?!
Of course, there were also reasonable people who pointed out the problem, saying, "It's better for everyone not to get too close offline. It's a bit disrespectful. Let's just keep it to ourselves. After all, there are no CPs in that book."
Many people agreed.
In short, the atmosphere in the group is very harmonious.
…
In early June, the first volume of Yu Ran's "What's the Sin of the King?" was quickly published. During the small book signing event that day alone, he heard several readers exclaim in surprise and delight, "Ran Yuan and Song Yiran look alike..."
As the signing videos and photos spread in the group, more and more people had the same feeling.
Yu Ran, noticing the wind was blowing in his favor, immediately jumped in to steer the conversation. "I don't think so. Could it be that Ran Yuan values this book so much and wants to surprise the readers that he's specifically imitating the protagonist's outfit?"
After all, it wasn't a bad thing. Many people stopped worrying after hearing that. Some of them agreed with Yu Ran's point and said, "I'm so handsome, I'm willing to use my own face as a reference."
"Is it okay for a son to look like his father?"
I managed to get through it without any major incident.
It's not scary to have a prototype, after all, I have never denied it, so it won't be a slap in the face if it is really revealed; however, if one of the two male protagonists has a prototype, then readers will try every means to dig out the true identity of the other protagonist.
What if those resourceful readers really find Jiang Liu!
If Jiang Liu really knew that his subordinates were two-faced and started cursing as soon as he put down his chopsticks, how sad he would be!
I think of Jiang Liu frequently. In the joyful early June, a sad event is approaching. Jiang Liu's flight is on June 10th.
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