Chapter 405: Walking Onto The Right Path (1/2)

Due to the respect Zhao Youyue bestowed upon him, Sun Xian maintained his daily update for a period of time. The ”inspiration” that he never paid any heed to - finally found its use. He realized how easy it was to write while intoxicated. Words flew by without him realizing it. Of course, for the sake of efficiency, he split the content and stretched them across more chapters. That was his secret in maintaining such a high volume…

Zhao Youyue remained in contact with Sun Xian. In her free time, she periodically chatted with him about ”Hua Xiaomao,” who had officially appeared within the chapters. In pa.s.sing, she had described Mao Mao's transformation as cute, and how her cuteness was simply irresistible. These subtle words had imperceptibly affected Sun Xian, and drove the poor man to add more scenes to ”Hua Xiaomao subconsciously.”

Sun Xian soon detected the anomaly. Whenever he wrote lines related to ”Hua Xiaomao,” his writing became as smooth as b.u.t.ter, as if a ghost had possessed him…

Sun Xian could turn off his creative desire and urges at will like an electronic switch. If writers like him acted more responsibly and treated their work with a pa.s.sion, they would be reintroduced to a certain human emotion - remorse. Regret for not having tried harder in the past. If not, why would he wear his thumbs out writing about ”Hua Xiaomao.” This girl had started off as yet another pa.s.serby character.

However, Sun Xian was not such a writer. There was also no reason to ask this much from a hobby writer who was only in it as a means of burning time. His intoxication did not serve as a catalyst - it only served as a convenience, a shortcut. Nothing about his writing changed, save for the speed it took him to complete his chapters. He no longer had to worry about his writing stealing time away from his mahjong games…

Whenever he ran into writer's block, he would start writing about ”Hua Xiaomao.” The readers seemed to prefer watching this cat-transforming cutie playing about. She even dropped off some tips to the male protagonist on how to be a better dog.

Hu Xiaomao definitely struck a chord in the readers' hearts, even moreso than the protagonist. Her appearances had been lengthier and more complete, ever since Master ”Stop Gambling” started this daily update streak. She seemed to spring to life within their pages. She had a soul!

Under such circ.u.mstances, the relaxing, heart-warming slice-of-life t.i.tle - ”Dog Days”- rose to prominence. Official recommendations and reviews started pointing directions to it. More readers joined in the viewers.h.i.+p. Book lists featured it like the next hot topic.

Youyue's book list which topped the rankings had included this work as well. She had been quoted as saying so ------

”A good, niche t.i.tle that explores the 'cute pet transfiguration trope.' The whole book exudes a casual, light tone, and is extremely light on the heart. It is almost therapeutic, and grants us a peace of mind. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that reading this alleviates many of the worries that plague the daily lives of readers. Keep an eye out for ”Hua Xiaomao,” a lovely girl who is able to take the form of a black cat. She's amazingly cute, and simply unforgettable…”

Such was the results of Zhao Youyue's lengthy, careful arrangement. She had single-handed bolstered ”Hua Xiaomiao's” popularity. It was not like the character did not deserve her praise, biasness aside. After all, ”Hua Xiaomao” was a character with a maxed out acting cute ability!

Even so, she did not have what it took to join the ranks of legends and icons. She lacked the substance. Her cuteness sometimes came across as being false. It was akin to those feel-good anime that only focused on acting cute without any actual purpose. Still, the simple, warm fuzziness appealed to many. It was easy on the heart, easy on the eyes, and brought a smile to your face. Wouldn't that suffice?

An iconic character would be considerably weighty and profound. Entire research journals could be written about them alone. They were often accurate portrayals that embodied the complexity of humanity. Having some sort of dark and tragic past came as standard. Throw in a death flag for more impact. Bring in a terrific editor for convoluted, mind-blowing levels of descriptions…