Chapter 248: Dropped a Little Pearl
The next day.
Shuiming indeed sent an update to Sangzhe, a spicy little read.
It was a well-known work updated on her account dedicated to adult literature.
She somehow managed to write over twenty thousand characters, nearly consuming her entire half day.
I must say, Gongzi Shuiming is truly a professional.
Even if it’s just a little spicy read, she can weave the emotional lines and inner drama so delicately that it feels like reading a serious, literary piece.
Her writing flows smoothly, with beautiful expressions—neither verbose nor dull. Although it’s a spicy piece with plenty of heavy scenes, it still keeps you hooked.
As a seasoned perv, Sangzhe naturally enjoyed it. He was full of admiration.
Then after finishing, he confidently replied:
“What a pile of rubbish!”
“Are your main characters only about getting into bed? Is adult literature not considered writing? Don’t you need to carefully craft plots, hone characters, and elevate themes?”
“Don’t underestimate adult literature, you fool!”
Shuiming: “?”
Are you seriously thinking about elevating themes in something that’s all about the spicy scenes? Isn’t the point just to enjoy the steamy bits?
Shuiming had a vague feeling that Sangzhe probably didn’t really understand if her writing was good or not; he might just be looking for an excuse to insult her and relish in the power of critique.
But this was her hard work.
Even though she hadn’t taken this particular update seriously, it shouldn’t be dismissed by an outsider, right?
So, a bit unwilling, she replied, “How should I write then? Should I write it like your ‘Piercing the Sky’ and just give a dry account of everything?”
“Oh really? You dare talk back? Did I coddle you too much, or have you hit a rebellious phase?”
Sangzhe sneered: “What? Do you really think I know nothing?”
“Let me ask you: your female lead hasn’t been seduced by the male lead for fifty chapters, so why does she suddenly do a complete 180 and throw herself at him in this chapter?”
“The foreshadowing you set up twenty-three chapters ago was supposed to show her mindset change; why wasn’t it used here? You just let her act brainlessly?”
“And the male lead’s character? It’s completely contradictory and messy…”
On the other end of the screen.
Shuiming stared, dumbfounded, as Sangzhe effortlessly lambasted her writing for the latest chapter, criticizing it thoroughly.
The kicker?
He was right.
He… he actually read her work?
And many foreshadowings she had forgotten, he had picked up on.
If he weren’t a seasoned reader, he wouldn’t catch these details at all.
As an author, Shuiming was used to readers overlooking the carefully laid foreshadowing; they only cared about the steamy scenes, intense interactions, and embarrassing play.
Over time, she had also grown fond of writing what readers liked to see.
No more actively planting foreshadowing or designing story arcs.
She no longer attempted to express what she wanted to convey.
Sometimes, whether she was writing spicy stories or plain romance, she felt she had gradually lost the desire to express herself as an author.
And every time such thoughts came around…
If someone like Sangzhe, who understood her and what she wanted to say, appeared…
It’s an immensely happy thing.
Initially, Shuiming was a bit puzzled about why Sangzhe went through the trouble of approaching her with a small account and using such absurd conditions to blackmail her.
Turns out…
He really is a fan.
He just wanted to use this method to push her for updates.
“…Hey, are you listening?”
Snapping back to reality, Shuiming quickly replied, “I—I’m just thinking about what I should write tomorrow…”
“Here’s a little reminder.”
Sangzhe snorted, “Don’t think you can pass off some shoddy work on me; I’ll be checking your daily updates!”
“My expectations aren’t high; you at least have to reach the level of your piece ‘The Princess and the Forbidden Trial,’ alright?”
Gongzi Shuiming’s hands suddenly froze in the air.
“That piece was quite good, you know? I know that’s your true strength.”
“So quit making excuses about not writing well. I’ve read your stuff, don’t think I don’t know!”
After Sangzhe finished his scathing monologue, he eagerly awaited Shuiming’s response.
With her pride hurt, she would definitely experience immense pressure, leading to confusion over what to write next.
After a moment of silence, Shuiming finally replied:
“You… read that piece ‘The Princess and the Forbidden Trial’?”
“Hmph, I told you, I’ve read all your works.”
“But that story had almost no one stick around to finish it… even if they did, they just found it boring, tedious, and dull, with comments blasting me for being out of ideas.”
Sangzhe knew.
He intentionally picked Shuiming’s least popular piece to pressure her.
Although, he found that after reading, it wasn’t that badly written—actually, he found it quite interesting.
But he wasn’t some book connoisseur; being an outsider only had limited value.
Better to trust the discerning eyes of seasoned readers of spicy literature.
“Ha, what does it matter if you think it’s bad?”
“Don’t forget. Right now, I’m the one giving you orders; you have no choice!”
Sangzhe theatrically adopted a villainous tone, growling, “I love this type of story, and I want you to write according to that!”
“No matter how much you dislike it or how repulsed you are, you’ll obediently listen to me, understood?”
Suddenly, there was no message from Shuiming.
Sangzhe speculated that the shy girl might not be able to handle his insults and had secretly dropped a little pearl to cope.
Heh. That’s the effect he wanted.
By completely breaking her physically and mentally, she would obediently become his most loyal pawn under Bai Ming.
Feeling confident, Sangzhe shut off the Communication Device.
——
——
On the other side.
Shuiming indeed dropped a little pearl.
But it wasn’t what Sangzhe imagined.
Her beautiful eyes looked a little dazed, staring blankly at Sangzhe’s words.
Tilting her head slightly, her thoughts seemed to drift far away.
She vaguely recalled a sweltering summer night many years ago.
The glaring white lights of the high school study room and swarms of tiny flying insects.
A girl in a female school uniform, gripping a gel pen so tightly her knuckles turned white.
Writing carefully, line by line, on her beloved notebook the title: “The Princess and the Forbidden Trial.”
“…Eh?”
Shuiming blinked quickly, touching her damp cheek.
“Why… am I crying?”
