A Reflective Farewell

I had actually intended to conclude this book several months ago.

However, I was never truly prepared to do so.

Since the beginning of this year, my writing has been in a poor state; not only did I struggle with new projects, but this very book also suffered from a considerable decline in quality towards its later chapters.

I initially began writing slice-of-life content, hoping it would offer a change of pace and reinvigorate my spirits.

A friend who also writes once told me that occasionally venturing into the slice-of-life genre could be quite refreshing, offering a sense of simplicity.

And indeed, when I first started, that was precisely the experience.

Furthermore, while the core concept of this book was strong, I personally failed to execute it effectively; I consistently struggled with balancing the “eroge” (TL Note: A Chinese slang term, ‘huangyou,’ referring to sexually suggestive or adult-oriented elements, often derived from the Japanese ‘erotic game’ genre) elements with the overarching plot.

Beyond that, the book also introduced several “poison points” (TL Note: A Chinese web novel term referring to elements that actively deter or displease readers), which alienated some of my readership.

For instance, the character of Lin Qingqing, initially depicted as a delinquent girl, was poorly developed.

Similarly, the introduction of the non-human, monstrous girls in the second volume also proved unpopular with certain readers.

And then there was the male protagonist’s involvement with female characters with whom he hadn’t established a particularly intimate relationship—

The list goes on.

There is little point in dwelling further.

After two years of writing, I always believed I had learned an immense amount compared to when I first started, yet now it seems I haven’t progressed at all.

It constantly leaves me feeling utterly exhausted.

Moreover, the current state of the platform itself…

But let’s not elaborate on that.

I plan to take a break for a while; having continuously juggled two writing projects for so long, I feel as though something essential has been lost from my life, so I will pause for a period.

Perhaps we will meet again in the future, should fate allow.

Farewell for now.