Just because I wrote "Zhu Xian," the school beauty sent me razor blades.

Building 3, North Campus, Room 404.

The house number sounded unlucky, but once you stepped inside, it was a completely different world.

The four beds were each arranged in a unique style, a guzheng (a traditional Chinese zither) sat on the table by the window, a ballet barre stood against the wall, and a faint scent of aromatherapy wafted in the air. Anyone who saw it would have to exclaim: This setup would have been the bedchamber of an imperial concubine in ancient times.

At this moment, the only source of noise in the palace was Xie Wanyin.

Su Zhiyuan leaned against the headboard, her phone screen still showing the page from "Zhu Xian". Hearing Xie Wanyin's outburst, she didn't even lift her eyelids, and said calmly, "You could have spoken louder; the whole building could hear that the old scoundrel has interrupted the story."

Shen Qingci, the most beautiful girl in the dance department, was applying a face mask. Her body was so supple it seemed boneless. With the mask on her face, she spoke indistinctly, "Wanyin, tell me that story about the cow again, or my mask will burst from laughing."

"It's a Kui Niu!" Xie Wanyin sat cross-legged on a chair, clutching a Pikachu plushie, her almond-shaped eyes shining brightly. "That ancient beast from Liubo Mountain, the Kui Niu! Not some old ox used for plowing the fields!"

The last one sitting at the table painting her nails was Gu Zhiwan from the Performing Arts Department. Without turning her head, she said, "Xing Wanyin, you've been muttering about this for forty minutes now, ever since you got back to the dorm. You keep mentioning Zhang Xiaofan and Biyao; anyone who didn't know better would think you were reciting your family tree."

"How can I stop nagging?!" Xie Wanyin threw Pikachu onto the bed, her whole body as agitated as a cat with its fur standing on end. "You know what? I followed that novel, *Zhu Xian*, for a whole month! A whole month! From the tragedy in Caomiao Village all the way to Liubo Mountain, watching the protagonist finally grow stronger, and then that old bastard author—"

She gritted her teeth, enunciating each word clearly: "It's...complete!"

"The story ends when Biyao and Zhang Xiaofan embrace in the bamboo forest." Su Zhiyuan's voice was calm, yet she precisely cut to the heart of the matter.

Xie Wanyin turned her head abruptly, as if she had discovered a new continent: "A kite? You're chasing one too?!"

Su Zhiyuan paused, her ears turning slightly red: "...Just browsing."

"Oh well, never mind!" Xie Wanyin waved her hand, resuming her吐槽 (tu cao, a Chinese internet slang term for complaining/criticizing) mode. "Just now, I wrote about how Zhang Xiaofan, in the battle against Kui Niu, was forced to use Tai Chi Xuanqing Dao, Da Fan Ban Ruo, and the demonic energy of the Bloodthirsty Bead simultaneously—exposing the three methods of Buddhism, Taoism, and Demonism in public! Everyone in the righteous sects was in an uproar! The three sects' joint trial was imminent! Tian Buyi took him back to Dazhu Peak! Then Biyao, the holy maiden of the Ghost King Sect of the Demonic Cult, disregarded the distinction between good and evil, secretly sneaking into the bamboo forest in the middle of the night to find him. The two embraced, just about to confide in each other."

She took a deep breath, her voice filled with grief and indignation: "And then—that was it! The author abruptly ended the chapter! I suspect his ancestors for three generations were storytellers, always stopping at those points before the wedding night!"

Shen Qingci removed the face mask, looking completely bewildered: "Wait, isn't Zhang Xiaofan from the Qingyun Sect? How come he knows Buddhist and demonic cultivation techniques?"

"That's the most amazing part!" Xie Wanyin's eyes lit up, instantly switching from吐槽 (tu cao, meaning to criticize or complain) mode to 推向 (tu xiang, meaning to recommend or promote) mode. "When Zhang Xiaofan was a child, Grass Temple Village was massacred. An old monk from Tianyin Temple passed on the Great Brahma Prajna to him before he died, but he didn't dare tell Qingyun Sect and secretly practiced it. Later, he obtained the Bloodthirsty Pearl of the Demonic Sect and fused it with the Fire Stick to create the Soul Devourer. So he simultaneously possesses Qingyun's Taiji Xuanqing Dao, Tianyin's Great Brahma Prajna, and the demonic energy of the Demonic Sect's evil artifacts!"

She slapped her thigh: "What's this called? This is called a hybrid of three realms! A cultivator of Buddhism, Taoism, and Demonism! In other books, this would be the standard starting point for a protagonist who's all over the world! But in this book—"

Xie Wanyin's voice suddenly dropped, like a deflated balloon: "The joint trial of the three factions is imminent. Zhang Xiaofan possesses Buddhist, Taoist, and demonic powers; the righteous path simply cannot tolerate him."

The dormitory was quiet for a few seconds.

Gu Zhiwan stopped applying nail polish.

Shen Qingci sat up straight.

Even Su Zhiyuan slightly raised her eyelashes.

"Then Biyao ran to the bamboo forest in the middle of the night..." Gu Zhiwan asked softly.

"I don't know." Xie Wanyin shook her head, her tone full of struggle. "What if she persuaded Zhang Xiaofan to leave? Would Zhang Xiaofan agree or not? And the foreshadowing of the Full Moon Well, the author still hasn't revealed it... I have a million guesses in my mind, but every single one of them is unsettling."

Su Zhiyuan lowered her eyes and remained silent.

"This author..." Shen Qingci sniffed, "...has some talent."

"It's just so damn mean!" Xie Wanyin suddenly raised her head, grief and indignation regaining their momentum. "They could have continued writing! Leaving it off there is clearly torture for the readers! My mind is filled with images of the bamboo forest, but they haven't given me a single word!"

She grabbed her phone, opened the Red Eggplant Literature Network app, and her fingers flew across the screen: "No way, I can't stand it. I'm going to message that old bastard."

"What are you doing?" Gu Zhiwan turned her head in surprise.

"Greet him," Xie Wanyin gritted her teeth. "Use my literature major expertise to write an 800-word manifesto without a single swear word."

Su Zhiyuan: "..."

Ten minutes later.

Xie Wanyin shoved her phone screen in front of the three of them, beaming with pride: "How about it?"

The screen displays a private message from the author, addressed to: Old Man of Akina Mountain.

[Dear Mr. Old Fool: Hello. As a loyal reader who has been following the story for a month, I would like to sincerely ask you whether you have received professional psychological counseling? If not, I suggest you make an appointment as soon as possible. The abrupt ending with Biyao just entering the bamboo forest is as cruel as putting the seasoning packet in instant noodles without providing hot water. On behalf of all the book fans, I express my deepest "greetings" to you—may your keyboard get wet while typing, may your takeout always be delivered to the wrong address, and may you always run out of toilet paper. Also: if Biyao doesn't get better, I'll send you razor blades, really, I checked the shipping price, cash on delivery.]

After reading it, Shen Qingci remained silent for three seconds: "...Such beautiful Chinese."

Gu Zhiwan gave a thumbs up: "The Literature Department lives up to its reputation."

Su Zhiyuan glanced at the screen, her lips seemed to curve slightly before quickly straightening.

"Sent." Xie Wanyin clicked send, tossed her phone onto the bed, and sprawled out in a wide arc. "Waiting for that old bastard's reply. If he doesn't update tonight, I'll send another one tomorrow, cursing him in classical Chinese."