Chen Yuchen sat in the hotel lobby, casually finding a spot to begin typing his novel.
A female server in a smart uniform approached with a professional smile. "Sir, may I get you anything?"
"Just water, thanks," Chen Yuchen replied without looking up.
"Certainly. One moment, please," she said, maintaining her polite smile before walking away.
Chen Yuchen wasn't a stranger to the environment of a five-star hotel. Even though his previous life wasn't extravagant, he had a stable income, owned a house and a car, and made around 20,000 yuan a month—enough to live comfortably. He had gotten used to such settings, especially in business environments, and felt perfectly at ease.
At the moment, Chen Yuchen was busy writing his female-oriented fiction, a story that had already reached over 700,000 words. Although he felt a bit worn out by it, he knew the formula worked all too well—car crashes, amnesia, and love triangles were irresistible to his audience. The only issue now was that the main storyline was getting stretched, and the relationship between the male and female leads was approaching its limit. He wasn't sure how to keep it going.
Do I make them long-lost siblings? He shook his head, dismissing the idea as too cliché. After some thought, he decided to drag the drama out a little more by adding further misunderstandings and complications.
As he mapped out the next steps in the story, his fingers flew over the keyboard. He wrote about the female lead, who, after losing her memory, gradually realized that she wasn't in love with the main male lead but rather with the second male lead. The second male lead was dark, dominant, and wealthy, while the main lead had sacrificed his fortune for the female lead, now becoming a poor man.
Chen Yuchen wrote in-depth about the female lead's emotional transformation, making her realize that, despite all the main male lead had done for her, she was truly in love with the charismatic second lead who had once made her heart race.
As soon as this chapter was posted, the comment section exploded. Readers immediately took sides—those who supported the first male lead argued that after everything he had done, he deserved the female lead's love. Meanwhile, the second male lead's fans insisted that true love couldn't be bought, and the female lead should follow her heart.
Chen Yuchen chuckled to himself. He knew he had hit the sweet spot for female fiction readers. Their expectations were simple: the plot didn't need to be overly complex. As long as there was enough emotional conflict, pain, and heart-wrenching tension, he could keep them hooked.
Female fiction is really easy to write, he thought with amusement. He planned to tone down the "spiciness" in his next novel once this one was finished—just enough emotional drama and conflict to keep readers coming back. After all, authors should give the readers what they wanted.
Just as he was completely absorbed in his writing, a sweet voice suddenly interrupted him. "Hey! That's so unfair! How could you make the male lead suffer so much? If you keep writing like this, I won't like you anymore, big bro!"
Startled, Chen Yuchen quickly closed his laptop and looked up to see Chen Siqi standing beside him, grinning playfully.
"How do you walk so quietly?" he asked with a hint of exasperation.
"I saw how focused you were and didn't want to disturb you," she said with a mischievous smile. "But really, you're the author of Glorious Years? Why did you make the male lead go bankrupt? I really liked him!"
Chen Yuchen sighed, looking at her helplessly. "Do you realize reading unpublished chapters like this is invading my privacy?"
"Oh, come on! It's not that serious!" Chen Siqi pouted, pretending to be hurt. "I didn't even finish reading yet. Come on, let me see the rest, please?"
"Move along. Don't call me 'big bro,' I'm not older than you," Chen Yuchen shot back, giving her a playful glare.
"Hehe!" Chen Siqi's smile widened even more.
She had changed clothes, her hair tied into playful pigtails, wearing a T-shirt and a gray pleated skirt. Her slender legs looked even more striking in her white sneakers, and she exuded youthful energy. Fresh from her shower, she looked clean, vibrant, and full of innocent charm.
"All done?" Chen Yuchen asked.
"Yup!" Chen Siqi nodded eagerly, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. "Big bro, I saw you have so much content stored up. Can't I just peek a little more?"
"In your dreams. Now go eat." Chen Yuchen waved her off, packing up his laptop.
"Why don't we just eat here? You can keep writing while we eat," Chen Siqi suggested.
"Do you have any idea how expensive this place is? Are you paying?" Chen Yuchen gave her a sidelong glance.
"Sure, I'll treat!" Chen Siqi said with exaggerated generosity, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
"Let's go, then." Chen Yuchen stood up, brushing off his clothes before leading her out.
They stepped out of the hotel, the night breeze cool against their faces, and the city lights of Jinling sparkling around them. Chen Siqi followed behind him, feeling a wave of relaxation wash over her. Even though he's sarcastic, being around him feels strangely safe, she thought.