Chapter 322: Same Wish |
Chu Ge was talking about plotlines.
When transitioning from a novel to a comic, there would naturally be adjustments in the storyline, either extending or condensing it, adding or removing details. Chu Ge felt that Qiu Wuji’s storyline could be expanded a bit, and the reason was purely market-driven.
Qiu Wuji had an overwhelmingly strong fan base, and every one of them was a die-hard fan. As for Chu Tiange, who is that? No one really cared.
Back when it was just the novel, things weren’t this way, because Qiu Wuji’s role was relatively minor. But once the comic was introduced, the number of her fans grew exponentially, and their passion for her reached new heights.
There was a significant difference between looking at images and reading text.
Just like how Yun Yun in Battle Through The Heavens was portrayed as average in the novel, her popularity skyrocketed in the anime. Having a beautifully designed character model was more important than anything else. Qiu Wuji’s original artwork was based on her own drawings, and although the comic and the real-life photos were different, the aura remained. Her unparalleled beauty, the noble and refined aura were enough to make reader’s eyes turn into heart shapes.
Now there are many fans, who claim to be fans of “Chu Tian Wuji” or fans of the comic, but it’s more accurate to say that they are fans of Qiu Wuji. It can be predicted that when the animation is released, it will be even more exaggerated…
Fortunately, people still had some common sense and knew that they were fans of the 2D Qiu Wuji, not the real-life one who drew the comic. Otherwise, they would probably get swarmed wherever they go. Even so, the number of people in the chat groups simping over Qiuqiu were increasing day by day.
This made Chu Ge consider giving Qiu Wuji more screen time. Especially in the early stages of the story, where her role was limited, he wondered if they could add more scenes for her. There was no need for any extra plot; he could just depict what Qiu Wuji had done on her own initially.
“Come on, it’s not that bad. They’ll cheer for you, saying, ‘Qiuqiu is amazing! The zither playing is so beautiful! Oh, I wish I could be the zither!'” Chu Ge teased.
“Is this behaviour something to be proud of?” Qiu Wuji grabbed Chu Ge’s collar. “I showed you this to spot inconsistencies in the previous plot and find clues about the Heavenly Emperor’s storyline, not for you to think about such things!”
Chu Ge leaned back and said, “Why do you look so upset, did Mengmeng tell you something?”
“Nothing!” Qiu Wuji tried to hide it. “It’s just that Mengmeng noticed our complicated relationships, and she spotted all of our buffs and teased us!”
Chu Ge asked curiously, “Wow, she could even figure out our tangled threads? She’s a master of ropes, hehe.”
Qiu Wuji really wanted to say that you’re the real rope master, manipulating the threads of billions of people and making them do whatever you want.
But let’s not talk about that, the more she thought about it, the more irritated she became.
“Wait a minute,” Chu Ge spotted a bright point. “If she can identify these threads, does that mean she can cut them?”
Qiu Wuji remained silent.
Chu Ge continued, “Our most crucial connection involves creation and control. She shouldn’t be able to see that, right?”
Qiu Wuji rolled her eyes. In fact, Mengmeng could see it, but she couldn’t understand the concept of what this “control” meant. With her cognitive abilities, she could only perceive it as a romantic connection, which was truly embarrassing.
Chu Ge rubbed his hands together and stood up. “If she can discern this particular thread… what if we ask her to help cut this connection? Do you think it might work? Would that make your wish to break free from the Heavenly Dao and become an independent entity come true?”
Qiu Wuji sighed gently, her sulky expression gradually softening, and she looked at him with sparkling eyes.
He had always been like this… having the same wish as me.
The moment I thought of doing something, he responded the same way… He never intended to control me, and certainly not all those things Mengmeng might be thinking.
Her gunpowder tone finally softened and she whispered, “I did think of this possibility, but I didn’t ask her to do it.”
Chu Ge was puzzled. “Why?”
Qiu Wuji fell silent.
Chu Ge also looked at her in silence.
With just this reaction, Chu Ge understood where Qiu Wuji’s hesitation was coming from. She could have used this opportunity to break free from her shackles, which was her lifelong dream, and it should have been implemented immediately due to the urgency of the situation. Her hesitancy was solely because she was worried that this might be detrimental to him, and she would rather stay imprisoned.
Chu Ge couldn’t help but embrace her and lightly kissed her on the forehead. Qiu Wuji snuggled into his arms in response, and both of them remained silent, savoring the feelings they had for each other in that moment.
After a long while, Qiu Wuji whispered softly, “Mengmeng’s abilities are definitely insufficient for something as serious as this. Have you ever thought that if she could sever such a connection, she could also sever your control over the world inside the book? You’re the author, and no one should be able to take away your control over the characters in the story. Mengmeng, with her abilities, can’t do that. It’s too exaggerated.”
Chu Ge playfully replied, “I heard that some websites will kick the original author out to find ghostwriters.”
Qiu Wuji chuckled, “You know that’s impossible.”
“Even if they kick me out, it wouldn’t work. I, as the author, have to work hard to gain readers’ approval to make the characters in the book come to life. Having someone else write aimlessly would be completely meaningless.” Chu Ge pondered for a moment and asked, “How about using Mengmeng’s abilities for something else?”
Qiu Wuji thought deeply for a moment and said, “I’m not sure, but I have a premonition that we’ll need Mengmeng’s help in the future. Even though we’ve come a long way and seem to have gained a lot, we’re still struggling with fundamental issues. Perhaps it’s not just Mengmeng; we might need the assistance of more people.”
Chu Ge agreed, “Perhaps.”
Both of them fell silent again, knowing that they wanted help but couldn’t explain their unique situation to others. Chu Ge hadn’t even told his parents, let alone anyone else.
They decided to take things one step at a time, but for now, it seemed that everything was moving in a positive direction.
Qiu Wuji asked, “So, how did your revisiting of the previous chapters go?”
“I didn’t find anything significant,” Chu Ge replied, “For the comic’s review itself, it’s complete, and we can publish it without any issues. Are you sure you don’t want to add more scenes?”
Qiu Wuji shook her head, “No, what’s the point? The main character is not a female protagonist of a romance novel. I have no desire to steal your scenes. What about your insights into time perception? Don’t tell me that nothing happened while I was waiting?”
Chu Ge shook his head, “It’s not that simple. It’s like watching old movies. I can replay the scenes I’ve already written, but I can’t go back to events before the start of the story.”
Qiu Wuji suggested, “How about we release some extra chapters for the comic?”
Chu Ge was taken aback, “Your autobiography?”
She nodded, “Yes, by combining the autobiography with the main story, maybe it will work better.”
A sudden flash of insight hit Chu Ge, and he smacked his thigh. “That’s it!”
The previous successful rewind had been triggered due to thinking about the scenes from Qiu Wuji’s autobiography.
The key was here!
He hadn’t written the events before the start of the story, so why should he be able to rewind? There needed to be a foundation for rewinding, and for now, the only foundation was Qiu Wuji’s autobiography. It was the fundamental reason he was able to rewind to the days of the Sword Immortal Qiu Wuji last time. Without that foundation, forcing a rewind was impossible.
“That’s exactly it!” Chu Ge was full of certainty. “Come on, I’ll work on the script, and you can start on the original drawings. We’ll aim to have an extra chapter ready in a couple of days to see how it works.”
With great synchrony, they both began their tasks. One started working on the script, while the other began drawing the original art.
Peeking in with a stack of financial statements, Zhu Mengmeng asked, “Hey, do you want to look at last month’s financial statements?”
Both of them waved their hands simultaneously without even raising their heads, “No, we trust you, Mengmeng.”
Zhu Mengmeng rolled her eyes and retreated.
Seeing the two of them always so in sync, speaking in unison, and even matching their actions, Zhu Mengmeng couldn’t help but smile. They were truly a remarkable couple.
Every time she saw this pair, it was like witnessing a love story. They might be a bit cheesy, but it was heartwarming. In life, having such a pair of people was truly beautiful.
Zhu Mengmeng thought that she might as well be a fan of Early Autumn Love, and if even these two couldn’t be together, she wouldn’t believe in love anymore.