◎And So the Days Move Forward◎
Jing Fengliu had indeed gone mad—this was the consensus of both his readers and casual onlookers.
In the short span of a single day, he had locked his novel, thrown a tantrum, searched for someone on social media, supposedly faced offline retaliation from haters, thrown another tantrum, been exposed for buying a bot army, and had his real-life identity doxxed. After this myriad of disastrous events, he was now organizing a so-called "I See Frost and Snow Adaptation Contest."
What was an adaptation contest?
The host's message under the trending topic explained it like this: Given that the current plot of "I See Frost and Snow" can no longer satisfy its readers, a "World Reconstruction" fan-adaptation contest is now officially launched. As the original author and sole copyright owner, Jing Fengliu is opening up all setting authorizations, inviting every interested reader to take up their pen and write new possibilities for this story. The ultimate winning version will be published as the new "canon" to replace the entire text, and the writer will receive a massive royalty fee and authorship rights.
—Sounds bizarre, doesn't it?
And behind all this bizarre sequence of events, there was inevitably an invisible hand adding fuel to the flames... Uh, no, these hands were very visible, and not very large. At this moment, they were pressing down on Jing Fengliu's shoulders, while a young girl with bloodshot eyes was eerily directing him: "Since the artificial hype created by the bot army isn't working, we can only resort to this bad idea. This is our last resort..."
Time passed too quickly. In the blink of an eye, it was midnight again. The fake trending topics pushed by the bot army had no effect, and the "news" Jing Fengliu personally stirred up only managed to impact his modifications to the details—thanks to these trial-and-error shenanigans, the world of "I See Frost and Snow" now not only had the Yingshi Beasts that Yingshi had asked for, but also Yingshi coins, Yingshi trees, and countless other unexpected Yingshi "merchandise"...
Yingshi didn't mind having more of these things, so that Shuangjian could still feel the density of her existence and her attention. Perhaps his lonely and desperate wait in another world would become a little less unbearable.
But with round after round of failed attempts, she couldn't help but feel anxious—the 24-hour extreme rescue plan was about to expire!
It turned out that making a book, which had already been locked right under the public's nose, organically trend was such a difficult thing to do!
"I still don't understand why I'm cooperating with you..." Jing Fengliu turned his head, looking dazed. "I didn't want him to come out! Why has it suddenly turned into me spending money and effort to cause a scene, just to send you back to pick him up?"
"Why are you bringing this up again!" Yingshi slapped him on the back. "Haven't we debated this over a dozen times? Haven't you lost every single prediction about the headlines!"
Jing Fengliu mumbled, wanting to retort, but looking at the girl's bloodshot eyes and the panic hidden beneath her forced vigor, he swallowed his words.
Sigh... The atmosphere had been pushed to that point, and he had gotten emotional too.
It was all because Yingshi had said something that moved him at the time—
She said that Shuangjian was like something sharp and sparkling, washed up on the beach by the waves.
As the creator, you think it's a dangerous knife. As the trapped one, Shuangjian thinks he is broken glass. But she knows he is a diamond.
...A diamond!
What writer wouldn't be happy to hear their character evaluated like that?
Even though this character no longer had much to do with his creation...
Yingshi also said, "Me transmigrating into the book was something out of your control, right? How can you be so sure that after resolving this incident, there won't be a second unexpected accident? You can't even unlock your own book, so what makes you think you have the ability to destroy it? Haven't you ever thought that if a second accident really occurs, then Shuangjian will truly have a deep blood feud with you. You will surpass the Netherworld Demon Lord to become the biggest, most annoying villain, and villains never meet a good end!"
"But my book is about the balance of good and evil, not the cliché of good triumphing over evil!" Jing Fengliu had instinctively retorted at the time.
Then he heard the girl continue, "Well, you've already taken me away from Shuangjian once, so you've already played the part of 'evil.' Shouldn't you reverse it and balance things out by becoming the 'good' now? Aren't we doing something incredibly cool? When the time comes, the slogan people chant when they mention you won't be 'Jing Fengliu is a pig' anymore, but 'Jing Fengliu is a god!'"
"..." Who was this "everyone"?
Was it Yingshi's card-playing buddies in the cultivation world?
Could it be that she planned to go back and widely broadcast his story?
Jing Fengliu's brain couldn't quite process it all. He almost succumbed directly to this triple attack of being moved, coaxed with threats and promises, and subjected to sophistry. But the moment his hands touched the keyboard, he always worried that he would become the sinner who opened Pandora's box.
Did Han Shuangjian really not plan to destroy the world?
Was he really... not a terribly evil character with a strong desire for revenge after going off the rails, but rather a so-called pure love warrior?
Could it be?
"Alright, we've already reached this point, it's too late for you to back out now," Yingshi said seriously. "Hurry up and post more under the trending topic. Write out the prize money so there will be more participants. People are driven by profit!"
Jing Fengliu turned his head in compromise, staring at the Weibo trending list on the screen to check the traffic, and muttered softly, "Let's get one thing straight, I'll only put up a million for this so-called prize money at most, no more. This book didn't even make me that much money... You'll have to make up the rest with your own red envelope money, girl!"
But there was no response from behind him for a long time.
Jing Fengliu's heart skipped a beat. He turned around, only to see that the young girl behind him had closed her eyes at some unknown point.
She still maintained her standing posture, her hands fixed on her hips, but her expression seemed frozen. She had fallen into some bizarre state of "slumber," her entire being enveloped in a strange tranquility, as if she had been isolated into another dimension... It was somewhat hair-raising!
"...Damn!"
Jing Fengliu clutched his chest, panting heavily, his hands and feet turning icy cold in an instant.
He stared fixedly at Yingshi, afraid that she would collapse in the next second, but also afraid that approaching her would cause something entirely out of his control to happen.
Ultimately, his desire to survive overpowered everything else. He stood up carefully and practically stumbled over his own feet as he ran to another room, leaving the girl alone in the study—just in case a living, breathing person broke through the fourth wall and appeared next to her later, at least he wouldn't have to face them head-on right away!
It was truly bone-chilling... However, it was undeniable that he also felt relieved! A sense of relief so profound it left him feeling weak!
A person chosen by the domain... could indeed trigger a second entry at a specific moment!
Thank goodness, thank goodness he hadn't forcibly ignored this variable, hadn't refused to cooperate, and hadn't completely blocked off the path.
Otherwise, things would probably have ended up as tragically as Yingshi had predicted...
That being said, even though it was a book he wrote himself, he couldn't help but feel a little curious. What did the world inside the book actually look like?
...
It was beautiful.
This cultivation world, originally based on a book, was actually quite beautiful.
In the past, Yingshi had never been able to appreciate it.
When a prisoner is trapped in a cell, they are oblivious to the scenery outside.
But now...
Breaking free from the boundless darkness with a crisp crack, she saw trees covering the mountains and plains.
They stretched their round, lovely branches and leaves under the moonlight. Beneath every tender green leaf were silver-white fluffs that swayed with the wind, looking like a snowstorm suspended in mid-air.
The air was filled with a sweet and faintly tart fragrance, and standing amidst this snow that bloomed just for her, was a person.
He seemed to have stood in the snow for a very long time. His shoulders and hair were covered in the white fluff. His face held no expression, like a sculpture frozen in place, and even the rise and fall of his breathing was faint. Only his eyes were fixed on her, unblinking.
"..."
Holding back her tears, Yingshi smiled and opened her arms toward him, but Shuangjian seemed unable to process it.
His figure only blurred two seconds later, and in that instant, he arrived by her side, carrying the night wind with him.
It was an embrace that could only be described as desperate.
The strength wrapping around her waist was immense, and he held her so tightly, almost like a collision, retaining only a tiny fraction of Shuangjian's usual gentleness. Yingshi couldn't help but let out a soft oof.
The dancing flowers and leaves were startled by this fierce movement, swirling madly around them like a cluster of spinning stars.
Shuangjian buried his face deeply into the crook of her neck, his arms tightening again and again.
At this moment, Yingshi could no longer feel the blood pact, but that overwhelmingly majestic emotion surged through this embrace, vivid and clear.
The unpeeled eggshells beside her completely shattered. Only then did Yingshi realize how comical her grand return must have looked. They called it the Yingshi Beast, and she had actually hatched from an egg just like Xiangxiang!
But this distraction could not last, because she heard a low sound by her ear... was it sobbing?
It was so quiet, almost nothing more than the sound of breathing, that she couldn't be sure... Was Shuangjian crying?
"..."
Yingshi's eyes instantly turned red. She easily empathized with anyone crying, and if that person was Shuangjian, that empathy was multiplied by a hundred. Along with her own emotions, it all burst forth.
"Shuangjian, I missed you so much!" she wailed, hugging him back fiercely. She buried her head in his chest, rubbing all her tears onto his robes—this was her signature move, after all.
She knew their separation had been more than just 24 hours.
For Shuangjian, it had been a long, hopeless 24 months.
For her, the whole process had been short, fleetingly fast, but for the one left behind, it was not like that at all.
Shuangjian had endured spring, summer, autumn, and winter alone, only to welcome another cycle of the seasons... It was easy to summarize in a few words, but to actually live through it must have felt like every second was a year.
Her vision blurred with welling tears, yet Yingshi could clearly see the crimson tint at the corners of Shuangjian's eyes. His long eyelashes were wet with moisture, trembling slightly, making her own heart tremble along with them.
Without a second thought, she stood on her tiptoes, hooked her arms around his neck, tilted her head up, and kissed him.
She had originally intended to kiss away the teardrop hanging perilously on his eyelashes, but unfortunately, her height failed her. She only managed to kiss his lips, and then suddenly lost all motivation to pull away. She couldn't even shift to her correct destination... Damn it, she had definitely been seduced!
Yingshi despised herself for half a second before completely indulging in it. After a long time, the tight embrace finally loosened just a fraction.
Her head was spinning slightly. Shuangjian took the initiative to pull back a little, cupping her face with both hands. His thumbs gently wiped the tear tracks from her cheeks, carrying out the comfort he had once conveyed to her—do not cry.
"...Did I hurt you when I crashed into you?" he asked hoarsely.
"Is that really the first thing you should say to me?" Yingshi buried her head back into his chest, her voice muffled.
Shuangjian froze for a moment, then tightened his grip on her waist. "Yingshi... I knew you would return."
He knew.
The connection of the blood pact might have become ethereal across dimensions, but the thread linking their souls had never truly been severed.
Over these two years, the rules that restricted him had not made a comeback. The world quietly accommodated all his waiting.
—Yingshi had been watching him all along.
The Yingshi Trees were growing, the Yingshi Coins were circulating, and the records of the Yingshi Beast were preserved. These seemingly absurd things were the proof of her existence, her own special response to him.
He had been afraid that his out-of-control power would destroy these traces, afraid that even this illusory connection would cease to exist.
So he retracted his fangs and claws, waiting in silence. For the first time, he actively endured the scenes that had thoroughly disgusted him in his past two lives, just to wait more safely and certainly for one person's return.
"I... missed you so much," Shuangjian said softly. "Every minute, every second."
He didn't say too.
"..."
Meeting his gaze, Yingshi's heart swelled with an unbearable ache. She wrapped her arms tighter around Shuangjian, pressing her cheek against his chest, listening to his still-racing heartbeat.
"Then hold me even tighter," she demanded.
Shuangjian obliged, tightening his arms until she was almost embedded into his body.
"Kiss me again."
Yingshi added.
Shuangjian did not hesitate for a moment. He lowered his head for a gentle kiss, different from the scorching passion of their initial reunion, carrying a careful, lingering tenderness.
"..."
As the kiss ended, Yingshi's breathing was ragged again, but her eyes were sparkling brightly. Her disobedient fingers stealthily crept into Shuangjian's hair.
"Shuangjian, can you switch to your half-demon form?" she asked guiltily. "I want to check your ears and tail... I'm afraid I won't be able to touch them once we return to the modern world."
Was this her true motive finally revealing itself? But her heart was itching for it... She was genuinely afraid she wouldn't get to touch them anymore!
"You won't have to worry about that," Shuangjian replied softly.
The demon core had completely merged with him, allowing him to switch to his half-demon form at will. He would descend into Yingshi's world in his physical body, naturally retaining everything from this world, which was exactly why Jing Fengliu feared him.
And Yingshi... seemed to really like him in this form.
Shuangjian cooperatively lifted Yingshi up, bringing her high enough to reach the pair of sensitive ears that had popped up from his hair.
As the young woman's cool fingers brushed against them, the pale auricles flushed red at a visible speed.
"...Once we're in the modern world, you can only show this form in the bedroom, just for me to see, okay?"
Yingshi leaned close to those ears, whispering her declaration of sovereignty.
"...Okay."
Shuangjian's Adam's apple bobbed as he agreed hoarsely. His expression remained unchanged, but the tail he had let out began to wag.
"And don't worry that once we leave here, we'll never be able to come back..."
Yingshi rubbed those ears, comforting him based on her own assumptions. "I've already figured out the method to enter and exit the realm of I See Frost and Snow!"
"I have no attachments to this place," Shuangjian said in a low voice.
His only attachment was currently being held tightly in his arms.
"...But I do have one point." Yingshi's eyes curved into a smile. "Like Xinmei, for instance—she and I get along really well! Also, the feeling of using Flash Step and spiritual energy is so cool! The cultivation world has so many sights you can't see in reality. It's a super rare tourist destination that few others can ever visit. We can come back and visit often in the future."
Being able to travel back and forth is great too; this way, there's no need to feel reluctant to leave this world behind.
Gaining popularity isn't easy, but it isn't as hard as ascending to the heavens, either.
"Shuangjian..."
Looking like a groom taking his vows at a wedding, Yingshi blushed deeply as she held the hands of her "beautiful as a flower bride" and clumsily promised, "I will give you happiness."
"..." Shuangjian's throat felt dry as he quietly listened to Yingshi finish her words.
"I like you the most!" She hugged him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. "Did you know? When I hate someone, I really can't help but throw water at them..."
Yes, that phrase—"I hate fickle men like you the most! How dare you make eyes at me? Do you think you're some kind of Casanova? You stinking jerk, get lost"—had been a knot in Shuangjian's heart for a very long time.
But now, Yingshi said, "And when I like someone, or rather..." Her voice suddenly became incredibly soft, as if that heavy word was a spell that even someone as normally frank and straightforward as her couldn't easily utter, "Or rather, when I fall in love with someone, I want to take him home..."
"..."
Shuangjian's eyes flickered slightly.
Yingshi pulled back a little, gazed into his eyes, and asked softly, "So, are you willing?"
Are you willing to let me take you back to our home, willing to entirely entrust your future to me, willing to believe that this love is enough to soothe all the pain of the cycles of reincarnation and bridge the distance between all dimensions?
Han Shuangjian, are you willing?
"..."
The answer to her question was a sudden, overwhelming kiss, carrying an unreserved promise of consent.
Just like the "I do" spoken by a bride at a wedding, Shuangjian rested his forehead against Yingshi's between kisses and replied, "...That is what I yearn for."
The previously ignored wolf tail suddenly expanded, wrapping upward with gentle yet overbearing force, tightly enveloping the embracing couple within it to form a warm, private cocoon that belonged only to them.
This was a night for lovers.
And there would be endless, infinite, countless nights like this in the future.
In this moment, and in the future.
...
The #I See Frost and Snow Adaptation Contest# event garnered an unprecedented amount of negative reviews.
"It's rigged! If it isn't rigged, I'll eat my hat!"
"It's a publicity stunt! Jing Fengliu has truly gone mad. Didn't they dig up that he's rich in real life? Is he addicted to being a clown online??"
"I'm so mad! I knew I shouldn't have paid any attention to this drama queen!"
—The above were all genuine comments from netizens.
The reason was simple: the event had ended, and the adaptation personally handpicked by the author was even less convincing to the public than the original.
It was a joke, absurd, completely laughable!
Setting aside the fact that this version was submitted far too quickly—not at all like the speed of something newly written after entering a normal contest—the main issue was that it changed the novel into complete nonsense. And this was chosen by Jing Fengliu?
"What the hell? The promised male-lead leveling-up story turned into a cliché romance novel, and that's bad enough, but the female lead is Xu Yingshi, the character with the lowest presence! Why wasn't it the Witch or Qiaoyuan? Even Bai Fangsui would have been acceptable, but this, I absolutely refuse to accept!"
"Heh, this was changed into pure shipping fanfic, alright? And I don't understand why the world-building had to be altered. When I saw something like the 'Yingshi Tree,' I literally spat out my drink. Who gets me!"
"Playing Tiger-Werewolf in the demon realm is so immersion-breaking. I have no idea what provoked Jing Fengliu. When others flamed you for a rushed ending before, I never said anything, but this time I have to stand up and say: Jing Fengliu, you ruined this book! Did you set up this event just for money laundering? Who would believe this terrible piece of writing was finished shortly after the contest started? It was probably pre-written!"
"It's chilling. Originally, this book still had some thought-provoking depth, it just had a bad ending. Now it's rotten straight to the core!"
—The target of this storm of online abuse was currently wearing sunglasses, a mask, a baseball cap, and a black trench coat. He was sneaking through the streets, his eyes locked onto an incredibly eye-catching couple.
Yingshi looked the same as always. She held an ice cream in one hand while gesturing with the other as she spoke to the man beside her. Her eyes were curved into crescents, and her vivid smile could be seen from far away.
As she spoke, she lifted the ice cream she had just taken a bite from to the lips of the person beside her.
And that person...
Jing Fengliu subconsciously held his breath.
Han Shuangjian.
He was wearing a high-quality casual outfit. His posture was straight and tall, and as he stood on the bustling modern street, strangely enough, he didn't look out of place at all.
His pitch-black short hair was clean and neat, and his facial features... weren't they a bit of a dimensional strike against us three-dimensional people?
Shuangjian didn't take the ice cream. Instead, he simply leaned his head down slightly and took a natural bite right from Yingshi's hand. His movements carried the familiarity and intimacy of a couple wrapped in their own private bubble.
Jing Fengliu also noticed the large shopping bag he was carrying, which seemed to contain vegetables, fruits, and some snacks. His other hand was loosely resting behind Yingshi's back in a protective posture.
When a mother pushing a stroller passed by, he subconsciously turned sideways to leave more space.
When the red light came on, he stopped in his tracks, even more punctual than Yingshi.
It had only been a short time... Jing Fengliu smacked his lips with a complex mix of emotions.
This guy's learning ability and adaptation speed were terrifyingly fast.
Was this really the male lead he had written, the one who committed suicide and destroyed the world?
Right now, he looked more like a guy with outstanding looks and a slightly aloof temperament, but who was unexpectedly considerate and good at managing daily life... Hmm, a domestic boyfriend?
Jing Fengliu patted the shady documents and certificates hidden in the inner pocket of his trench coat, took a deep breath, and braced himself as he walked over.
"Ahem."
Yingshi noticed him. Her eyes lit up, and she opened her mouth to greet him: "Jing..."
"Shh!" Jing Fengliu hurriedly waved his hands and looked left and right. Approaching swiftly like a thief, he stuffed two small envelopes into the shopping bag Shuangjian was carrying. "The ID card, a copy of the household register, and the necessary supporting documents are all inside. Just follow the process I told you about before to get it sorted... The ID photos turned out okay, right? I had an acquaintance rush the job."
He spoke extremely fast and wanted to slip away the moment he finished, but his eyes couldn't help but dart toward Shuangjian.
Shuangjian calmly looked back at him and gave a slight nod. "Thank you."
That gaze was very faint, completely devoid of any gloom, darkness, hatred, or hostility. Yet, Jing Fengliu still felt his legs go slightly weak. This was probably a creator's PTSD.
"You're, you're welcome!" He gave a dry laugh. His gaze shifted across Shuangjian's expressionless face before he forced out a sentence: "You... learn pretty fast."
"It's only natural."
Jing Fengliu: "..." Is he exchanging pleasantries with me?
Fine then.
It seemed there was no need to worry about this guy failing to adapt to modern civilized society and going on a rampage.
His feelings grew even more complicated. It was a bit like a ferocious beast he had raised at home suddenly turning into the neighbor's straight-A kid. As an old father, underneath his relief, he also felt a massive sense of unreality and a lingering trace of apprehension.
"We will follow the rules," Yingshi promised. She patted her bag and said with a beaming smile, "Thanks for the hard work, Mr. Jing Fengliu! I'll treat you to dinner next time!"
"No need, no need!" Jing Fengliu waved his hands repeatedly, wrapping his trench coat tight again and pulling down the brim of his hat. "Unless the bonus is all spent, don't contact me for no reason! That mob on the internet is still hunting me down!"
He turned and hurried into the crowd. After a few steps, he couldn't help but look back.
The two of them were already walking forward side by side.
Yingshi looked up and said something with a smile. Shuangjian leaned in to listen, then reached out and used his finger to wipe away a speck of ice cream that had somehow gotten onto her cheek. His movements were gentle, his gaze focused.
Jing Fengliu paused for a moment, then curled his lip and turned his head back around, though his footsteps were inexplicably a bit lighter.
Oh well.
At least they look... genuinely quite happy.
...
The flame war on the internet was still raging.
Amidst the chaos, Jing Fengliu himself left a brief reply under a comment accusing him of "abandoning the depth of his work and compromising for a cheap, sweet romance":
"I've never pursued depth. What I pursue is happiness."
...
And so, the days moved forward in happiness.
