Lately, I've been looking through everyone's comments and book reviews, and I'd like to share my thoughts on them.
Some people say that those who like strong female leads won't be able to stand this. If so, then please don't read it. This isn't a typical strong female lead novel either. I can't make Yao Yao cold-hearted, ruthless, and purely profit-driven in everything she does.
Yao Yao is indeed a Witch, but she only learns Witch magic. She uses her magic to help those she wants to help and who need help, to the best of her ability.
She is just a young girl who has barely reached adulthood. Before the Horror Game arrived, she was also a Chinese student who was born under the red flag and raised in the spring breeze—in other words, a flower of the motherland.
Her family has been law-abiding citizens for generations. They are genuine Chinese through and through, patriotic to the core, with no criminal records, no genetic history of mental illness, and no genetic history of diseases. She doesn't have an antisocial personality, bipolar disorder, or any obsessive tendencies. Before binding with the orb, she was purely an ordinary person.
She is a child who grew up surrounded by love. Her parents are alive and well. She has never suffered trauma or school bullying; her classmates were friendly, and her parents were loving.
Her worries growing up were nothing more than what to eat today, what to do if her pocket money ran out, what to do if she hadn't finished her summer homework, how to go to a concert when she couldn't afford it, what to do if there was a dish she didn't want to eat, or what to do if her parents were called because her secretly smuggled MP3 player got confiscated at school...
The first eighteen years of her life weren't grand or epic; they were just simple, everyday routines. Even though a year had passed since the horror arrived, she had only watched live streams for that year. Ultimately, there was still a barrier, and she hadn't experienced it herself.
With kindness as her core foundation, how could you expect her not to help others once she gained power?
Let me ask all of you reading this: who among you can resist feeding a stray animal when you come across one?
At our core, we are all kind people. Those with the ability will absolutely help people and animals in need within their capacity.
Therefore, Yao Yao's actions have never been wrong from the very beginning.
In my opinion, being able to stay true to herself when suddenly gaining great power, helping those in need to the best of her ability, while also protecting her parents and herself, is already incredibly remarkable.
She hasn't bragged to everyone about being a Witch, nor has she self-righteously abused her magic. She hasn't caused any irreversible consequences or created trouble for others by being self-centered.
She will grow gradually, but not by discarding her emotions. She has loving parents and teammates to whom she can entrust her back and her life. She will clear dungeons while bickering with her teammates and enjoy lively gatherings. Though their future may have obstacles, it is bright.
And then there's the talk about a romance between Yao Yao and Pei Tinglan...
My goodness, this is truly a no-romance novel! At least among the six members of the main team, there are no pairings. They don't have any romantic plotlines at all!
I really don't know where you're seeing it. Is it because my previous content was written too ambiguously?
Pei Tinglan is Yao Yao's former pop idol. Even though he's a former idol, that doesn't mean her feelings toward her idol would suddenly vanish!
When you guys follow stars and suddenly switch to a new idol, do you immediately stop liking the previous one and instantly lose all feelings?
The old Pei Tinglan was handsome, gentle, kind, professional, sang beautifully, had no bad habits, wasn't greasy, and was very sincere with his fans. He was like a sun on stage. It's only human nature for Cen Yao to like him (as a fan likes an idol).
After going through those changes, Pei Tinglan became a completely different person—sharp-tongued, cold, disabled in both legs, and like a mushroom shrinking into a dark corner. You could say that besides his face, he has nothing to do with his former self.
Cen Yao's initial surprise at seeing her idol was completely shattered by his sharp tongue.
She isn't made of clay, and she doesn't owe Pei Tinglan anything. Of course she would get angry, so she decided to turn from a fan to a hater. She dragged his wheelchair around to kite monsters, leaving him so battered he couldn't speak, and his wheelchair fell apart.
Come on, that was a "Made in China" wheelchair, and it fell apart from being dragged like that. Isn't that enough to show how brutal the scene was?
I've thought about it over and over, and the content that made you think there was a romance plotline was probably when they were at her house, right? There shouldn't be any ambiguity between them in the dungeons, right?
A former idol suddenly coming to your house—and teleporting right into your bedroom, at that—is already extremely embarrassing.
Setting aside whether you'd want an outsider to see the messy state of your bedroom, even if you did, wouldn't you die of embarrassment if he saw his own posters on your wall?
The key is that when there was a sense of distance before, it didn't feel like much. But now, her former idol has become an active teammate. They'll have to clear dungeons, entrust their lives to each other, and review their runs together in the future. The nature of their relationship needs to transition.
Just imagine if your former idol suddenly retired to your hometown and became your friend. You invite him over, and he sees his posters in your bedroom. Would you really feel nothing?
You say you can't accept the relationship between Cen Yao and Pei Tinglan, and since it's a no-romance novel, they should keep their distance. But they are friends and teammates who trust each other with their lives in the dungeons. How are they supposed to stay away from each other?
It really is just pure teammate camaraderie. Men and women don't always have to be in a romantic relationship. Even if you might simply dislike their interactions without necessarily thinking it's romance.
But it's undeniable that Pei Tinglan is indeed special to Cen Yao. Seeing such a great idol suddenly end up like this, I think it's perfectly normal for her to pay a little more attention and show more tolerance toward him.
Again, put yourself in her shoes. Even if you don't like that idol anymore, you'd still subconsciously pause for a moment when scrolling past news about him.
She'd think of lending a hand to an ordinary stranger, let alone a teammate.
Some readers might feel this relationship isn't satisfying, thinking that because Cen Yao is Pei Tinglan's fan, this dynamic naturally puts her a level below a stranger.
They feel that even though Pei Tinglan treated Cen Yao like that, she is still so good to him.
But what I want to say is, when Pei Tinglan was sharp-tongued with Cen Yao, Cen Yao retaliated on the spot. Later, when Pei Tinglan realized Cen Yao wasn't like his previous fans and didn't owe him anything, he stopped being sharp-tongued with her.
A sharp tongue is Pei Tinglan's way of protecting himself. No one can force him to discard his defense mechanism, otherwise he would feel insecure.
Relationships are mutual. Everyone has their own way of getting along, and people only like to spend time with those they find pleasant to be around.
Pei Tinglan is sharp-tongued, but sometimes his care is hidden beneath it. He can also get shy and awkward. He isn't used to exposing his soft underbelly because it makes him uncomfortable, so he will gradually figure out a way of interacting that suits his teammates.
Some readers might ask again: then why invite Pei Tinglan to join the team? Once again, Pei Tinglan is also a human being, and one who has lost everything. He is all alone in this world.
He is sharp-tongued and cold, but he isn't bad at heart. The fact that he was willing to stay and help the cats in the Cat Cafe dungeon shows that he still hopes someone can give him a hand. That was his instinctual cry for help.
Fortunately, Cen Yao noticed his cry for help and lent a hand.
So, he joined the team.
So far, four members of the main team have appeared. As those who have read up to this point know, the hub that brings them together is Yao Yao. There are still two unrevealed teammates, and I'm still thinking about how they should make their entrance.
They will gradually bond. Cen Yao will lead them to transition from an unstable team connected by a single hub into a solid team with fifteen hubs.
They will accept each other, heal each other, and become each other's support.
Their way of interacting might change or it might not, but it will definitely be a comfortable dynamic for each of them.
Alright, I'll stop here. My characters aren't perfect; they have their own little flaws, like being sharp-tongued, narcissistic, or arrogant.
I'm not demanding that everyone accept or like them. You can hate them or criticize them—I can accept that, as it shows my characterization is decent, at least not cookie-cutter.
What I cannot accept is people who barely read anything and then start making baseless accusations.
To each their own. Those who like it can keep reading, and I'll do my best to maintain the quality. Those who don't like it can just leave quietly.
Thank you to the reader babies who have been quietly supporting me all this time. I read all of your comments. Thank you for your love, and thank you for the drawings you designed for Yao Yao and Lingxi. You guys are truly amazing.
You are all very kind and sincere babies, thoughtful and patient. It is my honor to have you all (^▽^)
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