Chapter 36: How Could I Possibly Accept This?

The next morning, Wen Leyu arrived at the classroom with red-rimmed eyes and handed Li Ye a stack of source material that Teacher Ke had compiled overnight.

Li Ye looked through it carefully, selecting a few less sensitive points to weave into his manuscript. When Wen Leyu noticed him marking only a few items, her expression clouded with distress. Having overheard the conversation between Li Ye and Teacher Ke the day before, she knew Li Ye was reluctant to include too much sensitive content, fearing that Teacher Ke’s “good intentions” might inadvertently drag him down.

She habitually nudged him with her elbow and whispered, "If you don't think it's useful, then just forget it..."

"Why forget it?" Li Ye said, looking at her with a strange expression. "These are very useful! The hardest part of writing a novel is the pursuit of perfection. It’s like an exam—we’ve already secured ninety-five points, but the final five are the toughest to earn. Teacher Ke is helping us fill in those last few points."

"..."

Wen Leyu stared at him, her large eyes blinking like little stars, filled with uncertainty, until she finally seemed to settle. *It seems Mom’s help was useful after all...*

Compared to Wen Leyu’s hesitance, Li Ye’s thinking was crystal clear. Since Teacher Ke had not refused his proposal for a "co-authorship," Li Ye knew exactly what she needed. Or rather, he realized that this was the only thing he possessed that she required.

Teacher Ke and Wen Leyu were not locals. After arriving in Qinghe County years ago, they had lived in dire straits. A few years back, as large-scale urban resettlement began, many who had been sent down to "recall the bitterness and think of the sweetness" or to "earnestly cultivate themselves" had managed to escape their predicament—like Li Ye’s father and grandfather. However, while his family had been back in the workforce for a year or two, Teacher Ke and Wen Leyu remained stuck in Qingshui County. Clearly, their path back home was blocked by significant obstacles.

Resources were limited; for every person who returned, there was someone else standing in their way. Having observed them, Li Ye knew they were strong, self-respecting women. Teacher Ke would never have stooped to leveraging a child like him if she weren't truly desperate.

As for the value of being the author of a bestselling novel, Li Ye understood the implications. While "gift-giving" had become common, there were many doors that a bottle of liquor or a pack of cigarettes couldn't open. But if one approached under the guise of "seeking literary guidance," or sent a manuscript to someone’s home with a note asking, "Does this resemble your own experience?", it might just provide a glimmer of hope. For someone in Teacher Ke’s position, that single glimmer could be the key to everything.

She had sought him out in utter desperation, agonizing over the need to use him. Little did they know, Li Ye felt he was the one making a killing. As a traveler from the future, he knew the correct path while Teacher Ke was still fumbling in the fog. A fallen phoenix might be worse off than a chicken, but a chicken is only superficially bright. A phoenix, however, is a phoenix; it has the blood of a divine creature flowing in its veins. To benefit his future, Li Ye decided he would "help them with a purpose."

As Li Ye’s pen flew across the page, Wen Leyu watched, mesmerized, as the final portion of the manuscript took shape. Just as class was about to end, she suddenly asked, "Can you teach me how to write a novel?"

Li Ye paused. "You want to write?"

She nodded. "I want to learn. Can you teach me your writing style?"

Li Ye frowned and said sternly, "Wen Leyu, your primary task is the college entrance exam. Writing takes up too much time and energy..."

Wen Leyu didn't say a word, but her burning gaze clearly retorted: *You’re telling me this? Then what are you doing right now, you jerk? Aren't you writing a novel?*

Li Ye rubbed his forehead, recalling how he used to handle difficult kids in his past life. *Ice cream shouldn't be eaten; it causes diarrhea.* "Are you eating warm feces? Is it chocolate-flavored?" *Adult films shouldn't be watched; they cause kidney deficiency.* "Is your waist hurting? I saw you bought those kidney tonic pills."

Arguing with a child required ten-star difficulty techniques. He wanted to tell her that writing required either talent or accumulation, and that a few tips wouldn't suffice. But he realized that was useless; Wen Leyu was not an ordinary child. She had endured hardships at a young age. Teacher Ke called her "timid," but that was wrong. Wen Leyu was decisive, her outward apathy masking an agile mind and a stubborn, resolute heart. She seemed like a fragile kitten, but she was vigilant, keeping sharp claws hidden beneath soft paws.

Ultimately, Li Ye sighed, "The college entrance exam will only get harder each year. If you don't get into a good school this year, there will be even less hope next year."

Wen Leyu watched him for a few seconds, bit her lip, and wrote a sentence on paper, pushing it toward him: "I want to stay with my mother. If she is still in Qingshui County, I am going nowhere. If she gets her job back, I can pass the university entrance exam at any time."

Li Ye finally understood why she hadn't passed the exam last year despite her solid foundation.

"Fine. Start by learning to write outlines, character profiles, defining the story background, the identities and personalities of protagonists and supporting characters, and then the plot progression and 'hook' points..." He pulled out a blank sheet of paper, listing requirements as he spoke, filling several pages with dense text. "Once the material is ready, I will handle the writing, and you or your mother can proofread. We’ll collaborate on a novel, and by the time we finish, you’ll have learned the ropes."

Wen Leyu was completely bewildered. She didn't understand a word of it. She had assumed her command of Chinese was decent—not much worse than Li Ye's—and that if he just shared his secrets, she could learn his skills, even if she couldn't surpass him.

She had no idea that writing fiction was entirely different from writing essays. Being good at essays was merely the entry requirement; the intricacies had to be grasped through the actual process of writing.

Seeing the confusion in her eyes, Li Ye said smugly, "Actually, you can show these to Teacher Ke. Let her explain them to you; it's quite easy to understand."

"..."

Wen Leyu glared at him and rolled her eyes for the first time. *Easy to understand? Are you implying I'm stupid?*

The coy, charming annoyance in that look instantly stirred Li Ye’s heart. *Desire is emptiness, emptiness is desire. Amitabha... no, this isn't right, this isn't legal—everything requires a license these days!*

...

A few days later, Wen Leyu finally gave Li Ye what he wanted. The dozen pages of notes were packed with substance. Although the handwriting was hers, Li Ye knew the content was beyond her capability.

The background was a resistance team in the mountains from decades ago. The protagonist was a group of steadfast soldiers, described from the perspective of "certain fighters" as told by Teacher Ke. As for the main plot, Teacher Ke described it thus: *A bunch of leftovers, rejected by the main fighting units, were cobbled together into a combat collective. Nobody wanted them, and nobody cared for them—until one day, a ruthless veteran who had defected became their leader. His identity was complicated: he had attended a military academy, fought bandits, and killed invaders...*

Li Ye pondered this. He wondered if the person connected to Wen Leyu and Teacher Ke was one of those "leftovers" or the ruthless leader himself. If it were the former, fine—but if it were the latter, that would be trouble!

Li Ye spent half an hour organizing the material and then handed a list of questions to Wen Leyu. "If we want this to be brilliant, we need to clarify these details. Can you get me more information?"

Wen Leyu couldn't provide it herself; she had to bring the questions to her mother. After Teacher Ke received the questions, she spent a long time thinking before adding to them line by line. After a few rounds of back-and-forth, Li Ye’s path became perfectly clear.

The coincidence was startling: the story Teacher Ke needed to write overlapped perfectly with a legendary, unfinished "divine" book he had read in his past life.

*Oh my, I intended to work hard, but... how could I be so lucky?*