At the end of this piece, I'd like to discuss character design and some plot directions.
When I first conceived Yu Wenli, the first thing I decided was his experience in the entertainment industry: three rises and three falls, yet he never forgot his original intention. This is also where his rebellious nature stems from. (Though the outline for this was rough and the writing rather poor, it was indeed decided first. I can only say I didn't write it well; I admit my limitations.)
Many might associate rebelliousness with arrogance, flamboyance, and disdain for others. Indeed, searching for the meaning of "rebellious" yields explanations like: arrogant, ill-tempered, unruly, disobedient.
At first glance, this seems to describe Chi Zherui.
In reality, my understanding of Chi Zherui is not rebellion, but rather arrogance and insolence.
He was a spoiled child, doted on by his parents and family, and born into the influential Chi family.
He possessed every capital for arrogance.
Therefore, he did whatever he pleased, showing affection to those he liked and openly displaying his displeasure towards those he didn't.
He never concealed his emotions.
However, at his core, he was capable of compromise.
For instance, when Chi Zherui was in his teens, he called Shang Ziqian's parents murderers, and Shang Ziqian then threw him into a river. After that, he never brought it up again.
He didn't think what he said was wrong; he simply didn't want to bear the consequences of saying it.
Similarly, when faced with a choice between love and friendship, he chose to conceal his overflowing affection because he didn't want to lose his two friends.
It wasn't that he didn't like Wen Tingxue, but rather that he didn't want to bear the cost of being alone after revealing everything.
Therefore, he would rather get drunk late at night than tell her directly, "I like you."
His first thought was: Since capital is unwilling to promote him, he would become capital himself.
He never compromised on anything, nor did he dwell on self-doubt. Except for when he was ill, he rarely questioned whether his decisions were right or wrong.
Nor was he swayed by others' words.
He was the type of person who "always knows the shortcut, but simply doesn't take it."
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In fact, Yu Wenli was not incapable of compromise.
His only two instances of compromise were both because of Wen Tingxue.
Once, out of fear that her career would be completely ruined, and once, out of fear that she would be embroiled in public controversy again.
Each time, it was not for his own benefit, but for Wen Tingxue's.
In other words, he would never compromise for his own interests. He was the kind of person who would push harder when faced with difficulty, but if his persistence would harm those around him, he would immediately find another way.
So, in my opinion, Yu Wenli is gentle and gentlemanly, appearing refined and courteous, but in his core, he is rebellious and difficult to tame.
Unless he willingly allows himself to be controlled, no one can dictate his fate.
Of course, the above is merely my own understanding of the character and is not entirely correct.
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I know many people like Chi Zherui.
They hope he becomes the male lead.
Indeed, I like him very much too.
But, as the "mother" of the female lead, I would certainly not cast him as the male lead.
From beginning to end, I never considered Chi Zherui as the male lead.
The reason is simple: this is a sweet romance.
Chi Zherui's personality, paired with Wen Tingxue, would inevitably lead to emotional turmoil and heartbreak, and it would likely be the female lead who suffers.
Consider his personality: deeply affectionate yet fickle.
He would only be good to the person he likes.
And only loyal to the one he loves.
Beyond that, he wouldn't spare anyone else a glance.
For example, Hao Lu'er. He watched her pursue him, from cooking for him to resolutely leaving him.
He remained indifferent, perhaps feeling a touch of guilt.
Because he didn't care.
Furthermore, his upbringing meant he could obtain anything he desired.
This led him to not care much about anything he could easily acquire, be it people or possessions.
He only obsessed over what he couldn't have.
Therefore, Wen Tingxue's dislike of him made her so attractive to him.
If Wen Tingxue liked him, and he was constantly out carousing and flirting with others.
Given Wen Tingxue's character upon entering Jiangcheng, it certainly wouldn't be a sweet romance.
Someone already timid and lacking confidence falling for a playboy, a pampered young master who has no idea how to care for anyone.
It would be inherently torturous.
It might even turn into a repeat of Hao Lu'er's story.
Even if, by some luck, Chi Zherui reformed, who could guarantee that the hardship and exhaustion Wen Tingxue endured while waiting for him to return wouldn't leave scars that are difficult to heal later?
Therefore, the tone of this story dictates that Chi would not be the male lead.
The Wen Tingxue who first entered Jiangcheng could only become the Wen Tingxue she is now by meeting Yu Wenli.
No one else could have provided her with such strong support.
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Some might think that if Yu Wenli hadn't appeared that day.
Chi Zherui would have helped Wen Tingxue too.
Yes, that's correct.
Chi Zherui is inherently kind and warm-hearted.
So, he would have helped.
But that would be all.
He wouldn't have been attracted to the Wen Tingxue who had just entered Jiangcheng, but in that situation, Wen might have been attracted to Chi.
Therefore, Yu Wenli had to appear at that time.
I thought about this opening for a long time and ultimately decided to retain the original setup: Chi appears first, then Yu.
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My definition of Chi Zherui's character is simple: except for unrequited love, everything else goes smoothly for him. However, he is also a deeply devoted person.
In other words, he has everything he could want, except for the one thing he desires most.
The women he meets fall under his charm, except for the one he likes the most.
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If Wen Tingxue had met Xing Jiahe on her first day in Jiangcheng, Xing Jiahe would never have noticed her, let alone helped.
This is because Xing Jiahe is slow-witted, indifferent to everything, and almost resigned to fate.
What attracts him is someone like Xu Kexin, a girl who, regardless of her environment, always grows vigorously, is unconstrained by worldly norms, and focuses on being herself.
Wen Tingxue's type is completely outside his scope. Therefore, after interacting for so long, his definition of Wen Tingxue has always been "Yu Ge's girlfriend," not his friend.
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Similarly, if she had met Mu Chen, he might have helped because he has a soft heart.
He likes small animals and has an innate inclination to help others.
However, he dislikes trouble the most, so his help would have been strictly limited.
Anything more would have annoyed him.
Furthermore, he shares something in common with Xing Jiahe.
He has no hope for life; he is a completely passive person.
Therefore, only an active and enthusiastic girl like Qiao Xixi could win his heart.
I never felt I was suited for this profession until I received comments on a dating show, which made me feel like I could do it.
To be honest, I am someone who gives up easily.
Whether it was the previous dating show or "Heart's Flame" now, I have thought of giving up countless times.
But when I think of people who are still willing to read what I write, I feel I cannot let them down.
So, I just kept writing until the end.
This book is my best-performing so far, but I also thought about stopping around six or seven hundred thousand characters.
"Whatever, let it be." I thought, "I'm just so tired."
Especially after completing the high school arc, I genuinely considered an unfinished ending.
Because I only had an outline for the high school portion. The content for college and the entertainment industry existed only in my mind. Specific arrangements and events were absent.
Therefore, the writing became very difficult, and I even considered giving up at one point.
But after a period of letting myself go, I realized, "No, I can't do this."
I want to tell the story in my mind. I owe it to the readers who followed this book.
So, I wrote it to the very end, to this personal reflection.
[Of course, I didn't write the last part very well either, because my condition was indeed quite poor. I couldn't even write three thousand characters a day. I hope to have a good outline for the next book and tell the story in my mind properly.]
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When I started this novel, I chatted with a young lady. She was very cute and excellent, but at that time, she had met a boy she liked but didn't end up with.
She felt it was a great pity and couldn't let it go.
She said she first felt attracted to that boy at a high-speed train station.
So, I set the opening at a high-speed train station, hoping to mend her regret.
Now that the story is finished, she has also let go of that relationship.
I believe that someone as wonderful as her will surely meet a boy who understands her, knows her, and loves her in the future.
I also hope everyone can find that person who is most suitable for them.
The story ends here.
Farewell.