CHAPTER 49: CHAPTER 48: TRUE UNDERSTANDING IS HARD TO FIND

Han Lie didn’t rush to add her as a friend. Instead, he opened the book titled *Misty Rain and Abundant Frost*—mysterious from its title to its summary to its story—and began to read it carefully.

Around 11 o’clock, he finally finished all 120,000 words and felt he had a good grasp of the content.

He logged into his alt account, entered the number, searched, and once again, saw that interface.

"Who am I?"

"The Proud Little Cucumber."

"Who are you?"

"Ham for Cucumber."

"What do you want from me?"

"Exchange... No, scratch that!"

He deleted it and solemnly changed it to one word: Communicate.

He sent the request, turned the volume up to the max, and went to take a shower and brush his teeth.

Lights out in the Humanities Apartment building was at 11:30 PM, but their small dorm room was an exception.

But now everyone had smartphones. Even with the power cut, chatting on QQ wasn’t an issue. Being at the tail end of the 3G era, apart from chatting on QQ and reading novels, there really wasn’t much else for entertainment.

So Han Lie figured that Xi Luting was very likely to log into her alt account tonight as well.

Around 11:30 PM, just as Han Lie was preparing to go to bed, a coughing sound suddenly came from his laptop’s speakers.

Yes! She accepted the friend request!

Brother Lie leaped up, jumped out of bed, and sat down at the desk.

[A Golden Cucumber’s Loneliness has accepted your friend request.]

A Golden Cucumber’s Loneliness: "Hello. Thank you for your support."

A very reserved and gentle opening remark.

This won’t do...

Han Lie decisively sent a silly meme to crank up the enthusiasm.

(Kowtows to the great author)

Ham for Cucumber: "Author, why did you drop the novel?! (Burst into tears) (Burst into tears)"

Ham for Cucumber: "I really love your writing..."

Ham for Cucumber: "Author, do you have plans for a new book?"

「...」

In Dormitory 2333, Xi Luting lay on her bed, on her side with her legs curled up, nervously looking at the QQ interface on her phone.

Her book had made too many rookie mistakes.

The more self-assured she had been before picking up the pen, the more disappointed and embarrassed she felt after seeing the result.

In a month and a half: 100 favorites, three ’bomb’ gifts, more than twenty generic comments...

The people who truly liked the book were probably few and far between.

And not a single person wanted to communicate with her, the author.

Thus, this was her first time adding a reader’s QQ number to chat.

She was so excited.

But the problem was that the reader on the other end was the only one who had made a sizable donation—a "tycoon." She valued them greatly but didn’t know what kind of attitude to adopt.

So, she was extremely anxious.

However, when the reader on the other end sent three enthusiastic messages in quick succession, her heart pounded, a thrill coursing through her as if she’d been struck by a gentle electric current.

Look! That’s my fan! Someone has finally recognized my artistic expression in the vast sea of books! I’m not just a pitiful soul that nobody understands!

Xi Luting was extremely excited, overwhelmed with the comforting yet surprising joy of a master finding their appreciative audience. In an instant, she let go of her aloofness and defensiveness.

A Golden Cucumber’s Loneliness: "Hahaha! Thank you for liking it!"

A Golden Cucumber’s Loneliness: "It’s not that I wanted to drop it; the numbers were just so bad. It was a real blow to my confidence, so I just couldn’t keep writing. (Sobbing)"

A Golden Cucumber’s Loneliness: "I even suspect that I might not be cut out for writing novels. Aside from the writing itself, everything else is a disaster. (Burst into tears) (Burst into tears) (Burst into tears)"

「...」

When chatting with girls, the most important thing is to know what they want to hear.

Many simps think that just showering someone with mindless praise is enough, but that’s a huge mistake!

Every beautiful girl has heard countless praises since childhood; feeling bored, annoyed, or indifferent is the norm.

This also involves the issue of "qualification."

Meaning, whether you have enough standing to compliment someone directly.

For example, if Zhang Yimou casually said, "Miss, you’re truly beautiful, and you have a good aura."

Wow, what an honor!

But if an average Joe walks up and gushes, "Hey beautiful, you’re so pretty!"

That’s just being frivolous.

Han Lie’s 100-yuan tip had initially solved the qualification issue, allowing him to praise her writing without causing offense.

However, the ensuing chat couldn’t continue down the path of mindless flattery.

His standing still wasn’t quite enough; too much praise would seem insincere.

And it wouldn’t get to the heart of the matter.

So Han Lie carefully analyzed Xi Luting’s mindset, roughly pinpointed what she most wanted to hear, and then cautiously began to engage her.

Ham for Cucumber: "Hmm? Author, your current mindset is great!"

Ham for Cucumber: "To be honest, *Misty Rain and Abundant Frost* does have quite a few issues with its plot setup."

Ham for Cucumber: "And your technique is a bit immature."

Ham for Cucumber: "But, now that you’ve calmed down and can face your own shortcomings, you’ll definitely improve rapidly!"

Ham for Cucumber: "Web novelists, you know, aside from a few exceptionally gifted individuals, the rest, whether major or minor figures, have all painstakingly honed their craft. Your style in the later parts of the book is quite good!"

Xi Luting felt somewhat uncomfortable reading those two lines of criticism.

But then, the two subsequent lines of encouragement made her feel warm again.

Thus, she easily accepted the other person’s qualification to critique her.

Right! My loyal fan is right; to succeed, I have to face my weaknesses!

With unprecedented humility, she asked her sole reader for advice, "Could you tell me specifically what my issues are? Also, how should I correct them?"

The question was too broad; it sounded a bit like someone clutching at straws in a desperate situation.

Han Lie couldn’t help but smile when he saw it.

If any random fan could analyze such issues properly, what need would there be for professionals? However, you’re in luck; I’m actually an expert...

Over a decade of voracious reading, plus Level 3 Literary Knowledge and Level 3 Writing Skills, equated to a minor deity capable of both writing and teaching.

Using this to guide a complete novice was almost overkill.

To boost his authority in Xi Luting’s eyes, Han Lie went all out from the start.

Ham for Cucumber: "Let me preface this by saying, everything that follows is just my personal feeling.

I think your biggest problem might not be the usual suspects like plot, character design, or pacing. It’s more that your grasp of everyday life and social experience isn’t quite sufficient to support such a story.

To put it more simply, it’s a classic case of your ambition having outpaced your accumulated experience.

The story you want to tell is grand—magnificent, epic, and fantastical—it’s the perfection you envision.

But when you can’t fill it with appropriate details, it comes across as hollow.

When I read your work, I often get a sense that it’s ’labored.’

Your prose is more than adequate; in some places, it even shows moments of true inspiration.

But looking at the overall work, setting aside the finer details, the ’small horse pulling a large cart’ phenomenon is very prominent; you’re clearly struggling to manage it.

As a result, it becomes scattered and chaotic.

Coupled with your wild, unrestrained imagination and free-flowing style, this inevitably leads to even more prominent structural problems, raising the barrier to entry for readers far beyond what’s typical for web novels...

So, your writing isn’t bad; it’s just that its quality only becomes apparent to those who can truly appreciate it.

I even wonder if you might be underage or just recently come of age?

It’s difficult for someone older to maintain a writing style like yours—one that appears cold and aloof on the surface, yet is actually delicate and pure underneath..."

Whoa!

Xi Luting’s eyes widened, her grip tightening on her phone, her body trembling slightly with excitement.

This isn’t Yu Boya finding his Zhong Ziqi! This is Nalan Rongruo meeting Gu Zhenguang! I am Zhenguang, and you are my Rongruo! How can he be so spot-on?!

Suddenly, Xi Luting felt a dizzying sense of euphoria. Her excitement surged, her mind flooded with emotion, dopamine coursing through her, leaving her feeling blissful yet pleasantly muddled.

As a result, she managed to type out only a few words—

"How do I improve? I’ll listen to you!!!"

Three exclamation marks, signifying an unwavering, resolute commitment.

BWAHAHAHA...

Han Lie was draped over his desk, laughing so hard his sides ached, tears welling in his eyes.

Little Cucumber, listen to me, and you can’t go wrong! Would I harm you? No way! Let’s ensure our interactions continue to be this pleasant!