My Years as a Copyist in Taiwan

At 5:30, the streetlights in Tianmu Park began to turn on one after another.

Tianmu is nestled against Yangmingshan Mountain. The autumn wind blows through the goldenrain trees, and petals fall into the quiet alleyways, bathed in golden light.

The flowering trees in autumn... Zhao Wen felt an inexplicable homesickness rising in his heart for no reason.

This is an affluent area in Taipei, with Western-style buildings and apartments scattered throughout. It's quiet, but not deserted.

Zhao Wen was followed by Chen Erfeng, with Ding Qing leading the way. They stepped onto the apartment stairs. The stairwell was covered with a thick velvet carpet, making no sound as they walked, creating a slightly strange atmosphere.

The moment I pushed open the door, a very faint aroma of brandy wafted into my nostrils, mixed with a hint of tobacco and ink.

Zhao Wen's nose can now distinguish dozens of different wine aromas and tobacco brands; this is a side effect of his improved memory.

The brandy aroma at this time was Hennessy XO, but very faint. It seems that the later accounts of the great hero Gu being only drinking diluted Hennessy XO in recent years were not unfounded.

The great swordsman Gu liked warm light, and at this moment he stood under the warm yellow light, smiling.

"Oh!" the silly auntie, carrying a gift bag, exclaimed softly.

"Mr. Gu Long, I apologize for disturbing you." Zhao Wen took the box containing the old ginseng from Chen Erfeng, gently placed it on the small table by the door, and then, seemingly slowly but actually quickly, stepped forward to shake the hero's hand.

"I've read your books; you're a truly unexpected person." Gu Long didn't let go of Zhao Wen's hand, gesturing for Zhao Wen to sit down first.

The living room is large, covered with a snow-white wool carpet, and has a full wall of custom-made wine cabinets, which are filled with Hennessy XO.

Other types of wine were piled on the ground.

After Gu Long and Zhao Wen were seated, Gu Long leaned back casually in his own rattan chair.

In his early years, Gu Long was robust, but now he is so thin that he is almost unrecognizable. Only his eyes remain sharp, and when he looks at Zhao Wen, they are indescribably clear.

Ding Qing did not brew tea, because Gu Long did not have the habit of serving tea to guests. Instead, he brought out a few small dishes and placed four square Locke cups on the table.

"Like me."

"Like when I was in my twenties."

"Even though you look much better."

Zhao Wen understood what Gu Long meant: "Sir, you flatter me. Your world of martial arts is the true legend."

"legend?"

Gu Long smiled.

"Twenty years ago, I was your age. I would book a private room at the Yinsong Pavilion in Beitou for whole months. I could spend all the royalties from a book in a month."

"Back then, I thought that's just how life is."

His gaze swept across the empty living room, the walls covered with bottles of liquor.

Finally, it fell into the hand that had once been pierced.

"It's too late now. The doctor said if I drink any more, my liver will rot."

"I have fewer friends now. The alcohol is still there, but the people are gone..."

"He hasn't left, he's still here! The world of martial arts that Mr. Li Xunhuan wrote about will always be here. As long as someone opens the book, Li Xunhuan will always be coughing and drinking, and the legendary swordsman will always be the life we ​​dream of living."

Zhao Wen then spoke his true feelings.

Gu Long laughed heartily; though his voice was weak, it exuded a sense of boldness.

"Well said!" Gu Long's face flushed slightly. He picked up his wine glass and finally focused his attention on Chen Erfeng, who was eager to interject.

"Master Gu, let me drink with you!" Chen Erfeng raised the cup in front of her, quickly wiping her lips...

Zhao Wen and Ding Qing were both stunned. "My silly auntie, this is not how you drink wine!"

Gu Long saw the girl tilt her glass slightly, and half a glass of XO vanished without a trace. It seemed he had once written about a similar scene...

Ding Qing quickly stopped his master, who was about to drink it all in one gulp. Just kidding, even if his master's half cup of wine was diluted with water, there was still an ounce of real wine in it!

"I grew up reading your books!" Chen Erfeng, who never smiled, was beaming with joy.

Take back what you said, silly auntie, let me say it!

Zhao Wen lightly clinked glasses with Gu Long, took a small sip of wine, and under Ding Qing's watchful eye, Gu Long also only took a small sip before replying to Aunt Sha, "A girl reading my book? Don't you like Phoenix?"

"Those are our enemies!" Chen Erfeng put down her wine glass with disdain, but quickly regained her smile and said, "My favorite characters are Jing Wuming and Chu Xiangshuai, but I don't understand the currently serialized 'Midnight Orchid'..."

Zhao Wen glanced at Ding Qing, who was blushing, and almost reached out to cover the silly aunt's mouth. "Aren't you just insulting a bald monk in front of a monk?!" To avoid embarrassing Xiao Huanglong, he quickly interjected:

"Aunt Feng, this book isn't about Chu Liuxiang; it's about the unforgettable figure in the hearts of people in the martial arts world!"

A glint flashed in Gu Long's eyes. Sure enough, a prodigy never needs to explain why he is so prodigy!

"Midnight Orchid" was only halfway through its serialization when Zhao Wen immediately revealed the central idea he had set up for Ding Qing. What else could this be but a prodigy?

"Also, I suspect that Mr. Orchid might not actually be a man." Zhao Wen blurted out, revealing Gu Long's hidden thoughts once again.

This really put Gu Long in awe!

"Why?!"

"It can't be true, sir, I'm just guessing..." Zhao Wen awkwardly touched his nose.

He genuinely didn't want to act like a devil in front of Gu Long; he really did speak faster than he thought.

You should know that Gu Long was a part of his entire youthful heart!

He is indeed the wildly popular Mr. Snail, but Mr. Snail knows his own limitations. More than ten years later, which teenager hasn't rushed into a rental bookstore to look for Gu Long's novels?

Who do you think you are? Just because you're a time traveler doesn't mean you're anything special!

"No wonder Mud Basket told me that a remarkable person had emerged in the Taiwanese literary scene. Meeting him today, I can confirm his talent. His book is excellent, and he's a good person too. Mr. Snail, have you met Mud Basket before?"

"Mr. Gu Long, may I call you Awen?" Zhao Wen did not respond to the question about the mud basket, because the great swordsman was a typical political escapist, and it was best not to discuss that trivial matter with him.

"Alright, Awen, you actually guessed the plot of 'Midnight Orchid' correctly."

Seeing the slightly melancholy expression on Gu Daxia's face, Zhao Wen:

"I can guess because I understand you, Mr. Gu Long. You not only wanted to write about that legendary shadow, but you also wanted to express that a prodigal son's return is never about returning to his hometown, but about returning to that little bit of longing in his heart..."

Rumor has it that Midnight Orchid was written by Ding Qing, with Gu Long providing the skeleton. However, Zhao Wen now understands that Gu Long not only provided the skeleton, but also the soul.

"Ah Wen, you really understand!" Gu Long laughed heartily this time.

The world of martial arts is indeed timeless.

Gu Long stood up, leaning on the armrest of the rattan chair. His steps were no longer so unsteady. He strolled to the wine cabinet that covered the entire wall, reached into the depths of the cabinet, and took out another bottle of wine.

He didn't let Ding Qing do it. He gripped the bottle stopper with his fingertips and turned it halfway. With a soft "pop," the stopper was pulled out, and a rich honey scent mixed with the aroma of oak and dried fruit drifted on the wind towards Zhao Wen's nose.

"Hennessy Paradis, the first-generation gold-plated version, Mr. Gu Long, this is precious!" This is the same flavor that Ke Junxiong brought to toast Brother Deng last time. Zhao Wen recognized it as soon as he smelled it.

Gu Long's hand, which was resting on the bottle's rim, suddenly paused as he looked at Zhao Wen, who was turning around.

"You know more about wine than Chu Liuxiang?"