Notes

Endnotes From the author (not me): When it comes to this book, I can’t even summarize all of the stories surrounding it in seven entire days. Even its publication process was filled with twists and turns, taking more than half a year to finish. Right now, the first volume is finally born, and it just so happened to coincide with its third anniversary. With this opportunity, I put pen to paper and wrote this special little note for it, for the sake of commemoration. For an author, when you want to look back on your journey, the work itself is more meaningful than the diary. I was still studying when I planned out this novel and started writing when I graduated. Even now, I sometimes reminisce about the early days when it had just begun to serialize. I didn’t earn much, but the writing process was easy and relaxed, indeed an excellent condition for creativity. Speaking of it, that was also the first time I consciously planned out my characters. Full of enthusiasm, I wrote over a thousand words of I-don’t-know-what for each of the two main characters, Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi, though I don’t know where they went. Now that I think about it, it was quite a pity, really. The greater pity was the first version of its outline, almost ten thousand words. I had a habit of deleting the outline as I went, just like checking off every task from a to-do list. It gave me a refreshing sense of satisfaction, and thus I didn’t back it up. I’ve said before that I originally wanted to write a story of cold-blooded revenge and triumphing over the scum, but for some reason, the outline became more and more miserable. I think that perhaps it was because nobody likes to be hurt, but I have a thing for people with scars. —”Stories only scars can tell.” Back when I was young, I especially loved those who are full of scars and stories, and I thought I could be like them—I’d keep going even as knives cut into my skin, never turning back and never looking down. And when I grew a little older, I was even more in love with them. It was because I discovered that they were even firmer and stronger than I had imagined. I travelled by words, covered in the dust of the journey. Too many things have happened. Too many people have come and gone. No matter the misconceptions, the accusations, or even the impossibly-wounding pain, I’ve encountered them all along the way. But let me borrow a quote from Mr. Wei WuXian, “It’s only another life experience. It’d be a conversation starter when you grow older.” Perhaps when I’m older, I’d fall in love with writing about young, carefree characters. But when the time comes, I hope that it’s not because I miss my past youth, but rather because no matter how many years have passed, no matter when, no matter where, I’ll always be young at heart! Without a care for anything at all, I shall give the entirety of my soul to the pen and the paper. I no longer like to tell my readers ‘I love you’. These words are too light, and yet these words are too heavy. I hope each of you who enjoys this book can be like Lan WangJi in virtue and Wei WuXian in character. P.S. I received the help of many in the publication process. Thank you Jinjiang, thank you Motie, thank you Sichuan Literature and Art Publishing House. Thank you, my two editors, Xingzhou and Yuheng. And thank you, my two friends, Changyang and cas. Mo Xiang Tong Xiu From me: Thanks to every single reader of this novel. Thanks to MXTX (who I realize will not ever read this) for writing such an amazing story. I’m a fan translator, but before that I’m a fan, a reader, and the reason I chose to translate this book was simply because I enjoyed reading it. Like any other book, it’s got its faults for sure, but that doesn’t mean it’s not one of the best danmei stories I’ve ever read. The Chinese danmei community and its fans have become increasingly questionable, if you will, which doesn’t exactly create a comfortable environment for writing stories. Still, I hope she perseveres and keeps on writing stories she herself would be proud of, regardless of outside voices. So what happens next?There are many other novels I’m interested in translating. MXTX’s book ,Heaven Official’s Blessing, will likely be one of them, as I usually like to translate a novel after its serialization is finished, but other translators will most probably have begun to translate it in the meantime. Many of the danmei novels that have been translated so far are set in ancient/xianxia China, which is why for my next project, I’d like to introduce to the Western audience a more modern setting of China that hopefully paints a clearer picture of current Chinese youths, current Chinese citizens, as well as the issues with which they’re concerned. The phrasing sounds formidable even to me, but really I just want more people (especially given the current political climate) to understand Chinese culture. Through translating danmei. Which is completely valid. I went through and did a word count for chapters 1 to the end and there are 476,010 words throughout all those chapters. Which roughly means, by normal American novels, this was eight total volumes over a two year span. That’s quite a lot right? Thank you MXTX. This novel would never have existed without her brain. It’s too bad that we can’t support her on JJWXC due to them locking her account, claiming her novels are too violent. Again, thank you everyone. Sorry about the long rant. I hope you feel that you’ve gained something from reading this beautiful story, no matter what that may be.