Long Sijia successfully joined the music company that afternoon, and Chu Ge was happy for him upon receiving the good news.
A shy, introverted, and handsome young man, and one of his own from the "Black Room" (a euphemism for someone in the entertainment industry), although they hadn't interacted much, his impression of him had always been quite good. Of course, he didn't want to see him become increasingly dejected due to the pressure of finding a job, getting scammed or cheated, or going down some dark path.
These days, with superpowers, going astray is a matter of a single thought, because bullying others is the easiest way to make money.
Like Du Lianfeng and his ilk, they weren't necessarily so bad at first, which is why Zhong Yi had even associated with them… But once they started using their abilities for profit, things changed, and there was no turning back; they only went deeper into darkness.
Including Zhang Qiren… Chu Ge still felt very conflicted about this. Judging from the information from their last conversation, he seemed to be rising rapidly in status, and even his demeanor was different. But did this mean he had more blood on his hands? Although it's said to be a trap for the Japanese... um...
Speaking of which, did this count as setting Zhang Qiren up, preventing him from recruiting talent? Zhang Qiren probably doesn't need a newbie either.
Scratching head.
Forget it, thinking about it is useless. I'd rather focus on the comic book script.
Scriptwriting is quite different from writing a book because the visual presentation is different from text. Adapting it into a script can't be a complete faithful adaptation; some changes are needed, but it can't be too far off. Honestly, if the author is proficient in scriptwriting, this job is perfect for the original author.
Unfortunately, many original authors can't write scripts or don't have the authority.
Fortunately, Chu Ge has both.
As a "talented" Chinese literature major, he's naturally relatively proficient in scriptwriting. Although film and television scripts and comic book scripts are somewhat different, the core is the same. And when it comes to understanding how to adapt a work, no one in the world understands it better than him; he's had a draft in mind for a long time.
In fact, Chu Ge had long intended to revise the previous text, as the style and tone were somewhat inconsistent. Unfortunately, revising the previous text required extreme caution; otherwise, the world might go awry, so he had to shelve it. However, re-presenting it in comic form allowed for a unified style without altering the plot, which was a good thing.
Soon after, the script for the first three chapters was completed smoothly.
Around the time it was finished, Qiu Wuji sent over the character designs: "What do you think of these character designs?" The character designs weren't just standing portraits; they were quite detailed, including side views, back views, crying faces, smiling faces, angry faces, and even breakdowns of clothing and weapons, and close-ups of belts. Chu Ge found it very amusing after just one glance.
Such modern tropes appearing in the hands of an ancient sword immortal.
Truly interesting.
If cooking doesn't count, isn't this the first modern skill Qiu Wuji has truly mastered? Driving is also underway at the same time—not counting the lack of a driver's license yet—this comic is truly the best proof that Qiu Wuji is walking the path of modern life.
Five months in the making.
The romance lasted three months, hehe.
Looking at it a second time, you can really see how amazing it is.
Qiu Wuji's initial character sketches didn't include herself yet; they mainly featured Chu Tiange and some early supporting characters. One of the female characters was Chu Tiange's childhood sweetheart—of course, tragically, since Chu Tiange was tricked by his father into embarking on a path of romance without a female lead, his childhood sweetheart became a comrade-in-arms, and there wasn't even any ambiguity between them.
Chu Ge hadn't seen this female character before, but he recognized her immediately.
Anger, sadness, joy—all sorts of expressions, so lifelike. Those lively eyes seemed to move, as if the figure in the painting had come to life.
Every texture, every fold of the clothing was three-dimensional and realistic, as if you could tell what kind of fabric it was.
This isn't manga technique… it's a celestial technique incorporated into manga style, resulting in a somewhat VR-like feeling, like watching a real scene.
"Isn't this a bit too overpowered? This comic will probably be way more popular than the book once it's released..."
"Um..." Chu Ge asked cautiously, "When did you meet this girl?"
"After I transmigrated and read your book, I went back and specifically went to meet all the characters in the book that I didn't recognize." Qiu Wuji said with a hint of pride, "So, no one in the world is more suitable to draw this comic than me! I really know what everyone looks like!"
"..." Chu Ge hesitated, "It's powerful, but too powerful... Speaking of which, shouldn't we tone it down a bit? This comic might have too much of an impact if it gets out."
"I've considered it," Qiu Wuji said, "I draw these character designs in extra detail, but when I actually start drawing, I need to rush, so naturally it can't be this detailed. In the art of immortality, a slight difference can lead to a huge error, so it won't be this exaggerated."
Chu Ge: "You've gotten faster at typing."
Qiu Wuji: "..." Chu Ge sent a kissing emoji.
Qiu Wuji sent an emoji of hitting someone with a frying pan.
Their profile pictures were tilted to the left and right, respectively.
Separated by a wall, the two looked at their chat window and smiled simultaneously.
Before, living with Zhang Qiren and chatting online felt incredibly stupid, but now, even doing the same thing felt warm and comforting.
This is unbelievable.
"Today they said, 'Look at us, we've been feeding each other dog food for three months,'" Chu Ge said.
Qiu Wuji was momentarily confused: "So what?"
"We've been together for three months."
Qiu Wuji said, "No, that 'early autumn' thing was a misunderstanding. I wasn't your girlfriend back then, I was completely innocent!"
Chu Ge muttered, "I think it's about right."
"No, that's right! This sage isn't so easily won over by that stinky guy!"
"Okay, okay, no, no... um, it's winter."
Qiu Wuji instantly understood: "Not cold, go to sleep, get lost."
"Sigh... not cute at all."
"Are you itching for a beating? Oh right, I remembered we haven't practiced the Plum Blossom Hand technique today."
"...So many things to do, let's not practice for now." Chu Ge immediately backed down, sending over the first three chapters of the script he had just written: "Let's get straight to the main text, I need to start writing too. I've run out of drafts, if I dawdle any longer I'll stop updating..."
Qiu Wuji received the script, but didn't open it immediately. Instead, he opened his diary document:
November 7th (continued):
I don't want to hug him at all anymore. I hate his annoying way of trying to coax someone to sleep together all day.
I won't talk to him tomorrow, not even online. It'll drive him crazy.
...The next morning.
Chu Ge, brushing his teeth, peeked in: "Good morning." Qiu Wuji was already in the kitchen making breakfast, without saying a word.
Chu Ge, assuming she hadn't heard him, didn't mind and casually said, "Old Zhu sent a message saying he'd been back this morning and the studio had been bought. It's temporarily under his name, and once we get to Nanjiang, the business address and legal representative will be transferred to me. Oh, and he brought some studio staff who wanted to come to Nanjiang with him."
Qiu Wuji immediately forgot about last night's diary entry: "So fast?"
His answer was so quick that Chu Ge had no idea this guy had once intended to ignore him: "He probably used some convenient methods. It shouldn't be this fast… Anyway, faster is better. This way you have assistants. For example, you can handle the characters, and others can draw the grids, flowers, and plants. The text filling can also be delegated. You can save a lot of trouble and be more efficient."
"Mmm-hmm. I was thinking about this last night while I was drawing. Originally, I planned to draw it all by myself, which was indeed too time-consuming."
"Also…" Chu Ge suddenly laughed, "I think the legal representative doesn't need to be given to me; it should be transferred to you. From now on, Qiu Wuji will be an increasingly real person in this world…"
Qiu Wuji stared at him blankly, a slight ripple in her heart.
He was still pondering this matter; the "Tao" in his heart had never ceased, but he himself had become complacent, always feeling that he had enough.
Yes…it wasn't enough. Leaving aside the many details he didn't understand, the original Qiu Wuji, in people's minds, was merely a prototype for a character with the same name as a character in the book. His existence was only a name on the internet; even if Chu Qiu Zhi Lian became an internet celebrity with photos, he was still just an "internet" celebrity.
Even if the comic's author was credited as Qiu Wuji, it was still a "pen name."
Only by registering a physical studio as a legal entity could one truly exist in reality, leaving the most solid footprint in mainstream society.
If autumn goes and winter comes, then what has departed is the once-illusory autumn, and what is welcomed is the pure white snow, awaiting a bountiful year.
The significance of the trip to Shanghai for him lay here.
Unable to suppress the ripples in his heart, Qiu Wuji instinctively stepped forward and tightly hugged Chu Ge's waist, gently leaning against him and whispering, "Chu Ge... I want to hug you so much." Chu Ge, with his toothbrush stuck in his mouth, stammered, "W-why are you suddenly bringing this up? I haven't brushed my teeth yet..." Qiu Wuji chuckled softly, muttering, "What an idiot." His phone rang, and Qiu Wuji answered it casually. It was Zhu Mengmeng: "Qiuqiu, Qiuqiu's dad told me about partnering with you to start a comic book studio. That's great! I'm looking at office buildings; do you want to come and take a look?" Qiu Wuji tiptoed and lightly kissed Chu Ge's lips, softly saying, "I'll go out now... I need to focus on writing and finish our world, my... Father God."