Chapter 265

"You ran into them? Then what happened?" Wei Ming asked.

"After that, I don't know."

A Long recounted the events: he'd seen Zhu Lin heading toward the bus stop and thought he'd ride his bike to take Gong Rui back to her dorm.

At first, Gong Rui politely refused, saying she could take the bus, but A Long immediately said he wanted to chat with her about Ying and their future—she agreed right away.

But after just one stop, his chain fell off.

"I tried to fix it quickly, but the more I rushed, the worse it got—just then, the bus arrived, coming from Tuanjiehu, and Zhang Yu was on it. She recognized Snow Sister and called out for her to get on, so she did."

Wei Ming asked: "So, did you fix your chain now?"

"My chain… that's not the point! The point is, after Snow Sister got on, I noticed Zhu Lin was also on the bus—they were sitting together!" A Long worried.

Wei Ming shivered slightly; he'd finally let the two of them meet. What would happen next? Just thinking about it gave him a strange little thrill.

"A Ming, shouldn't we try to fix this?" A Long was anxious for him.

Wei Ming, however, shrugged: "Fix it? If you're dead, you're dead; if you're alive, you live forever. Let it be."

Liu Rulong and Long Xiaoyang were utterly impressed—this mindset was too powerful.

So A Long seized the chance: "Let's talk about something else."

Long Xiaoyang quickly said: "Great! How's that dinosaur novel you mentioned coming along?"

Wei Ming: "I haven't started yet. I'll begin after I finish revising the manuscript in Magu."

Long Xiaoyang was disappointed, but A Long panicked: "Wait, what about that Qin Dynasty comic you promised? My buddies are all waiting for your story to drop!"

Wei Ming winced—he'd promised too many writing projects already, including Li Hanxiang's screenplay.

He said: "I'll write yours first. Yours is the most urgent."

Besides illustrating the bi-monthly Black Cat Detective, A Long had no other income.

A Long asked again: "Can you reveal anything yet?"

Wei Ming thought: "Alright—I'm returning to Magu the day after tomorrow. I'll draft the outline, character designs, and some plot points over the next two days. With those, you can start."

"Perfect!" A Long was already fired up—he could finally get to work.

Watching these two discuss a world he didn't understand, Long Xiaoyang genuinely envied them—he needed to read more.

Just then, the door opened—Wei Hong called them for dinner.

After the wedding, Wei family relatives were temporarily staying at the Sihe Academy—it was spacious enough.

Stepping outside, the first thing Wei Ming saw was Yin Xing, the dog, gnawing on a bone—leftovers from the wedding banquet; for now, he wouldn't lack bones.

Then Wei Ming met his mother's and father's eyes—their expressions were complicated.

Their son had no one to marry, and they worried; too many women wanted him, and they worried even more—after all, in this era, moral scandals were serious issues.

But their son's success was too great; the world he moved in was beyond their understanding. Perhaps they simply didn't grasp what successful people were like, so they said nothing—only quietly patched things up for him.

At the wedding, both Zhu Lin and Gong Rui had taken turns appearing, and both had been delighted, convinced their future in-laws had approved of them—until they saw each other on the bus.

In that glance, a hazy memory from a year ago surfaced: near Peking University, one heading out, one returning, one on a bike, one walking, one turning back—each had left a deep impression on the other.

Gong Rui/Zhu Lin: She's so beautiful!

Even after a year, even though Zhu Lin had begun to feel wary of the name Gong Rui, seeing her again, she still found her stunning—just as lovely, just as soothing.

Then came wariness again: How did she end up here? Could it be…?

"Gong Rui, you were also at the wedding? Who was that man just now?" Zhang Yu asked for Zhu Lin.

The bus wasn't crowded. Seeing Zhu Lin and Zhang Yu sitting side by side, and knowing she was closer to Zhang Yu, Gong Rui sat beside her.

Zhang Yu was pleased—she was in the center seat.

Gong Rui told her: "Yes, I was at the wedding too. The man who just dropped me off is my sister's boyfriend."

"Oh! Your sister's boyfriend is in Beijing? On a business trip?"

"No, he's a student in the Fine Arts Department at the Film Academy. He met my sister during an internship in Magu."

"A college student? He looks young." Zhang Yu had met Gong Ying—she seemed about Zhang Yu's own age. So, a relationship with a younger man, huh.

Gong Rui hummed, then looked past Zhang Yu toward Zhu Lin, who had said nothing.

Zhang Yu hurried to introduce: "I got so caught up talking, I forgot to introduce you… Oh! Wait—you two probably already know each other, right?"

Zhu Lin reached out a hand across Zhang Yu, friendly: "Hello, Zhu Lin. I've heard a lot about you."

Gong Rui smiled: "Hello, Gong Rui. I've seen your posters in Xintiandi—you're even prettier in person."

Zhu Lin: "Thank you, but you might not be in Beijing anymore—your poster's been replaced by Zhang Yu and Chen Chong."

Zhang Yu laughed: "That's exactly why the Xintiandi boss insisted I attend the wedding—didn't expect Wei Ming would be there too. Gong Rui, you were invited by Wei Ming, right?"

"Mm. I had free time, so I came to join the celebration."

Zhang Yu pointed at Zhu Lin: "Zhu Lin was also invited by Wei Ming. She's currently filming 'Shang Shi' at Beiyingchang—she was chosen because of that poster."

Gong Rui asked curiously: "Zhu Lin, how did you meet Xiao Wei?"

"We met through a friend. On our first meeting, a thief tried to steal from us—he helped me out. We grew close after that. I even became an actress because he encouraged me."

Zhu Lin had already told Zhang Yu this once—implying: we're very close. A claim of ownership.

Gong Rui missed the subtext and agreed: "True, he's always been kind-hearted. We met on a train—he caught a woman trying to steal a child. Everyone in our carriage thought he was a hero."

Gong Rui proudly touted her man's heroic deeds.

Not only did Zhu Lin feel threatened—Zhang Yu was upset too. Why hadn't she ever had such a special moment with Wei Ming?

Wait—I've got one!

"At the wedding, I sat next to Wei Ming. I heard he's revising a novel about the War of Resistance. I wonder if it'll ever be made into a film—I've already volunteered myself as the lead."

Gong Rui scratched her head: "It's a long novel. Adapting it into a movie seems difficult."

Zhang Yu froze—long novel?

Zhu Lin shot back: "But he's also writing an original screenplay right now. Xiao Zhang, you could try for that."

Zhu Lin: Of course, even if you try, it won't matter—you're not involved.

Gong Rui was stunned—Zhu Lin knew about this too?

"Zhu Lin, you know 'Mom, Love Me Once More' too?"

Now it was Zhu Lin's turn to be embarrassed—what? "Mom, Love Me Once More"? Was that the screenplay's title? How did Gong Rui know?

I didn't even know!

Zhu Lin's expression darkened. Her confidence that she'd be the lead in this screenplay now wavered.

The worst off was Zhang Yu—how close were these two to Wei Ming? I knew nothing about this!

Clearly, we're still strangers!

Luckily, more passengers boarded, and a couple recognized her.

"Zhang Yu!"

"Aren't you Zhang Yu?"

Soon, all passengers greeted Zhang Yu warmly, asking about her new projects.

Zhang Yu was deeply satisfied—she had the most experience among the three, having handled fans in Magu before.

She stood up, walked to the middle of the bus, and told her fans she'd be filming in Beijing for a while, asking for their continued support.

Back then, there was no secrecy around casting—big productions like 'Zhiyin' publicly announced all actors in newspapers.

Zhang Yu chatted for a while. When she returned to her seat, she found Zhu Lin had taken her place and was chatting with Gong Rui.

"What were you talking about?" Zhang Yu sat down, still staring at her center seat.

Zhu Lin: "I asked Gong Rui when she's returning to Magu. Maybe Xiao Wei can ride with her."

Gong Rui looked at Zhu Lin's bright smile—and suddenly couldn't smile anymore. Zhu Lin even knew Wei Ming's return date? Were they this close?

Did she know about Gong Rui's relationship with Xiao Wei? Probably not.

"I… I'm not sure. It depends on my unit's arrangements," Gong Rui felt a strange unease.

When the bus stopped, she remembered she wasn't heading the same way as the two: "I need to get off. Goodbye."

Zhu Lin waved: "Gong Rui, come visit us at Beiyingchang if you have time."

After getting off, watching the bus pull away, Gong Rui pulled her coat tighter—Beijing's winter was truly cold.

It was colder at night.

At the alley entrance, under Long Xiaoyang's reluctant gaze, Wei Ming rode off on his motorcycle with Xiao Hong.

Before leaving, Wei Ming gave his cousin Long Xiaoyang some money—not much, just a thousand yuan—and told him: if their quail farming turns profitable, it'll inspire villagers to raise quail too. Then they could shift to feed production—higher profit, lower risk.

But to have that chance, they must first build a strong quail egg business and expand the market.

This money was for expanding the market and future transition.

Long Xiaoyang was grateful but expressed his desire to leave and try his luck—he'd seen the world now, coming to Beijing.

Wei Ming told him: he'd bring him out if the chance arose, but Beijing's business environment was mediocre—better to stay in Sichuan, where the emperor was far away.

Back at the Overseas Chinese Apartment, Jingzhang meowed loudly—clearly hungry, and in a very flattering way.

But as Xiao Hong bent down to pick it up, it bolted away—until she pulled out a bag of chicken gizzards, then it waddled over happily.

Tonight, only Wei Ming and Wei Hong were home; their parents and grandmother stayed at the Sihe Academy to spend more time with Uncle Da.

In two days, Uncle Da's group would leave—they had quail back home, and they'd already started laying eggs and earning money. They couldn't keep relying on others to care for them.

"Brother, your two good friends are married. When are you going to get married?" Xiao Hong asked, watching the cat eat.

Wei Ming leaned back on the sofa: "According to reliable information, the Marriage Law sets the legal age at 22 for men, effective next year. Even if I want to marry as soon as possible, it'll be at least three years from now."

Xiao Hong urged: "Then can't you at least find a girlfriend? Let me get used to having a sister-in-law."

Though smart, this child was slow in some ways—she'd seen Gong Rui and Zhu Lin at the wedding, yet had no extra thoughts.

She even considered finding him a wife from among her female classmates.

Don't overthink it—I've got plans for your sister-in-law. How's that article on the Rubik's Cube I asked you to write?

Wei Hong: "I've written it, but it's not finished yet. Let me show you!"

Wei Ming read it—it was too dry and needed his own touch to add flair.

But he still encouraged: "Good job. Once it's all done, I'll send it to Melinda. This time, we'll go straight for overseas release."

Dinner had been alcohol-free, and he'd slept long into the afternoon; still clear-headed, Wei Ming sat down in his study to begin new writing. These ideas had been brewing in his mind for a long time—it was time to clear out the mental clutter.

The next day, Wei Hong went back to school. Wei Ming kept writing and called the General Political Department's Drama Troupe at noon to find Gong Ying.

"Sis, when are you leaving?"

"What about you?"

"I'm leaving tomorrow. If you can leave tomorrow too, I'll buy our tickets together," Wei Ming smiled.

Gong Ying fell silent for a moment: "Little Wei, I might need a few more days. Go ahead without me—I'll catch up as soon as I can."

"Alright, then."

Wei Ming hung up, saw there was still some food in the fridge, and made himself a quick meal.

He'd agreed to chat with Ah Long tonight—he needed to wrap this up fast.

As he ate, the phone rang—it was Zhu Lin.

"Free tonight?"

"Sure! Tuanjie Lake?"

"Good."

Liu Long arrived at five in the afternoon. Wei Ming didn't plan to keep him for dinner.

He handed Ah Long a notebook: "Let's get this done quickly—I've got other things to do."

Ah Long opened the notebook and saw four small seal-script brush characters: "Qin Shi Ming Yue."

The writing was poor—Wei Ming had only just started learning.

After unifying China, the Qin Dynasty enforced "uniform script, uniform cart axles," mandating identical writing styles, giving rise to small seal script, which evolved from large seal script and zhòu script.

The man in charge of this reform was none other than Li Si, Chancellor of Qin—and a key figure in the story of "Qin Shi Ming Yue."

When Wei Ming originally wrote "Ancient and Modern War: The Terracotta Lovers," he'd studied pre-Qin culture. Not wanting to waste that effort, he decided to set Ah Long's comic entirely in the Qin era.

At first, he'd thought of "Searching for Qin," the pioneer time-travel tale—it would've been simpler.

But after weighing options, he realized that "Qin Shi Ming Yue" had greater visual impact and expressive power for a comic format—hence the story outline Ah Long now held.

He read aloud: "At the Qin border, in the Valley of the Waning Moon, to protect Jing Ke's son, Jing Tianming, the Sword Saint Gai Nie single-handedly slaughtered three hundred elite Qin cavalry..."

By this line, Ah Long's face lit up with excitement—he immediately understood the story's immense power level. The visuals would be stunning, far beyond what ordinary wuxia comics could achieve.

Then came the Disciples of Guiguzi, the Liusha Organization, Mo Family masters, the Hundred Schools of Thought, and Xiang Shaoyu.

"Ah Ming, this Xiang Shaoyu?"

"Exactly—he's modeled after Xiang Yu, the man whose strength could uproot mountains and whose spirit overshadowed the world. But though our story is set in the Qin era, it's not historical Qin—it's a world where martial power and technology far surpass the real Qin Dynasty. So we call him Xiang Shaoyu. Still, in the end, he must overthrow the Qin."

"What about Liu Bang? Will Xiang Shaoyu eventually commit suicide at the Wujiang River?" he asked.

The original "Qin Shi Ming Yue" hadn't answered this yet.

The original author of "Qin Shi Ming Yue" was Wen Shiren, a Taiwanese businessman whose wuxia writing was merely a hobby.

But Wen Shiren died young—at age fifty-five.

He passed away in 2003, having completed only most of the first two volumes of the eight-part series. The remaining six volumes were left with only outlines, later continued by the Taiwanese xiangsheng troupe Xiangsheng Washa.

Then the animation studio Xuanji Technology began producing China's first large-scale 3D animated series, "Qin Shi Ming Yue," launching a sequel stretch that outlasted Qin Dynasty history itself.

In the 2000s, Wei Ming was still trendy—he'd watched the entire "Qin Shi Ming Yue" series and understood its flaws.

So he wrote a plot outline centered on Jing Tianming, Xiang Shaoyu, and Gao Yue, preserving their roles as the core protagonists.

But time was short—he'd only written up to the death of Qin Shi Huang. What came after remained unfinished.

Still, this outline should be enough for a comic team to draw for years.

Ah Long read through the outline, then studied the character designs—each page drew him deeper in. The story had profound cultural depth—if done right, it could rival anything from Japan!

He suddenly felt the weight on his shoulders.

Wei Ming patted his shoulder: "Start with character designs—there are at least twenty-some characters for you to work out. And don't worry about mainland readers' acceptance. Next year, I'll go to Hong Kong—Hong Kong comics can reach East and Southeast Asia. We'll go through that channel."

Ah Long's eyes lit up: "Ah Ming, can I go to Hong Kong with you? I miss my dad~"

(End of Chapter)