Chapter 23: A Good Girl Must Learn to Reflect Upon Herself

Chen Jingyi did not realize that she had been completely drawn into Huo Qitai’s "wave-style" rhythm of pursuit. Her mood was fluctuating wildly, a classic precursor to a girl losing her sense of reason.

[Quietly Controlling Motion]: "Whatever you do, don’t abandon the story! You brat, which website’s editor are you working with? Their taste is absolutely terrible."

[Trouble Never Comes Alone]: "Qidian Chinese Network! I’ve written a few books there before, and I have quite a few readers."

[Quietly Controlling Motion]: "I thought so! Stop writing on that trash site; it’s all disgusting harem novels. What you’re writing, *Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation*, is *danmei*—it should be posted on the Jinjiang Literature City. I read everything there, and I guarantee it will be incredibly, incredibly popular."

[Trouble Never Comes Alone]: "Actually, it doesn’t matter if I post it or not. As long as you enjoy it, Sister Jing, I’ll just write it for you alone."

As soon as this message was sent, Chen Jingyi, on the other end, was moved to tears. What girl doesn't want to be "favored" or "uniquely cherished"? In the art of dating, one must always strive to create countless "exclusive" moments and "special treats" for her. Any one of these can instantly maximize the other person's emotional investment.

A wave of warmth pooled in Chen Jingyi’s heart, causing her to tighten her legs slightly as a profound sense of comfort and happiness washed over her.

[Quietly Controlling Motion]: "You sweet boy! How did Lin Sihui get so lucky to have a brother like you? Can you send me the next chapters now?"

Her address for him had shifted from "brat" to "sweet boy." However, Chen Jingyi was slightly worried that Huo Qitai hadn’t actually written the rest yet. Sure enough...

[Trouble Never Comes Alone]: "Sister Jing, I haven't written the rest yet! I only wrote what I did to show the editor; I only continue if they think it's suitable."

[Quietly Controlling Motion]: "[Crying Emoji]"

[Trouble Never Comes Alone]: "But since you want to read it, I’ll write it right now! Just wait a moment."

Then came the "three fasts." Within half an hour, Huo Qitai actually churned out five thousand words, ending exactly on a gripping cliffhanger, and sent it to Chen Jingyi.

What an agonizing half hour it had been! But when Chen Jingyi heard the "ding" and saw the Word document Huo Qitai sent over, she was so happy she almost cried.

"He actually wrote it! He wrote all of this in half an hour, just for me!!!"

The more torturous the wait had been, the more exhilarating it was to open the new chapters. While Chen Jingyi was eagerly devouring the plot, Huo Qitai had quietly logged off his QQ, executing the final step: the "four flashes."

Five minutes later, Chen Jingyi finished the new content, once again left hanging at a critical plot point. Just as she was dying to discuss the story and her theories about the future direction with him, she saw the icon for [Trouble Never Comes Alone] turn gray. He had logged off.

Chen Jingyi frantically checked their chat window, only to be hit with a wave of disappointment—he hadn't left a single message before signing off. She felt a profound sense of loss. She had so much she wanted to talk to him about, but now she had to bottle it all up, and her mind began to wander.

"It’s so late, it’s normal for him to log off and rest, right?"
"But why didn't he leave a word? He didn't even suggest when we could talk next."
"Wait! And the important stuff! The patent—how exactly is he supposed to apply for it? Why didn't he finish explaining that?"
"He definitely doesn't have the money; otherwise, he wouldn't have hesitated so long earlier. It looks like he’s really desperate..."
"What if, when he comes back online, I tell him I’ll do him a favor and pull some strings to expedite the approval for free?"
"Oh, Chen Jingyi, Chen Jingyi! The boy is being so sincere to you, writing a whole novel just for you, and here you are playing mind games! Why wait until next time? I should just leave him a message on QQ now. That way, he’ll see it as soon as he logs on and won't be so anxious. It’ll also save him from having to borrow money everywhere."

This was the power of the "four flashes"—leaving space for the girl. In the time between you disappearing and the next contact, she would constantly reflect on herself. Yes, a good girl must learn to reflect on herself.

[Quietly Controlling Motion]: "Don't worry, my dear boy. Don't go borrowing money. Your patent documents are standard and complete. I’ll pull some strings to speed up the approval for you. It’ll take a month or so if we're fast, maybe three months for domestic. Overseas will take at least five months."

After sending this message to the offline [Trouble Never Comes Alone], Chen Jingyi’s "guilty" heart finally felt a bit more at ease.

Moonlight spilled through the window onto her desk, gently grazing her hands. Chen Jingyi couldn't help but read the fifteen-thousand-word *Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation* from start to finish once more. After finishing, she searched the web again, confirming that there was absolutely no novel related to *Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation* online.

Her heart bubbled with delight. A satisfied smile spread across her face as she swayed in her chair, murmuring to herself, "Such a good book! And it’s written just for me. Oh dear, am I being too selfish? Next time we talk, I should encourage my... sweet brother to post it on Jinjiang Literature City so more readers can see it."

Meanwhile, after leaving the internet cafe, Huo Qitai returned to his rented room. He piled the study notes he’d organized over the past few days to the side, then pulled out a pen and paper to begin drafting his "event plan."

[Peking University Top Student Experience Sharing Seminar]
[Do you want to master high school English grammar in three days?]
[Do you believe you can conquer high school math in just five days?]
[Mastering high school physics, chemistry, and biology in seven days is no dream!]
[Wishing for your child to be a prodigy! I got into Peking University, why can't your child?]
[A small investment today, a hundredfold return tomorrow!]
[Missing the sharing session of a Peking University top student is missing your child’s future!]

One inflammatory and tempting slogan after another was written down in his notebook. His target wasn't just the high school students and parents in Jian'an City; it included the eight surrounding county-level cities and even more distant prefecture-level cities. These students and parents would contribute the first and most solid cornerstones of Huo Qitai’s future business empire.