Mini Fest

Challenge 2: Tunnel of love.

The sudden realisation that I have encountered something special, predestined or by chance. My heart skipped a beat, and I held my breath, unable to look away. At first it was just a spark, but soon it grew into a flare. With happiness came a jolt of anxiety. I wanted to capture this moment and the feelings it stirred up in me. Ever so carefully I placed the flame inside a locked box in my mind as if locking away something precious. I wanted to keep it alive for as long as possible, knowing that this moment would not last. See? It had already faded into a distant memory of amber and sepia, a midsummer daydream with a bittersweet aftertaste. Still, I couldn't help but smile, for somehow we ran into each other in this vast expanse of space and time.

Note: I wrote this after reading the first arc of Zhichu's (稚楚) BE Crazy Demon Survival System (BE狂魔求生系统). "BE" stands for bad endings. The novel is about a danmei novelist known for writing depressing endings for his main couples. After his death, he must enter the world of his own novels, take on the role of the main character, and rewrite the ending into a happy one where the main couple gets together in the end. And in the process, he falls in love.

The writing is evocative and movie-like, at times lyrical. There is a sense of rhythm to the pacing. The way the author depicted emotions feels delicate and real, and some of the similes the author used are quite brilliant. You can easily picture the scene in your head.

I must say—I feel like I'm falling in love.

Danmei novel post.

Finished The Reviled God of Cooking Tries to Slack Off (万人嫌厨神试图摆烂 / 卷王躺平后变万人迷了) by Su Huai Huang (苏怀荒) a while ago. It's a career-oriented, crematorium story about an overworked ex-master chef returning to the past and changing his lifestyle for the better. Inevitably he's gradually drawn back to the food industry. Very heavy on the food industry main plot and very well researched.

Currently reading I Made the Top Star (我捧红了顶级流量[穿书]), also by Su Huai Huang. This one is a "transmigrated into a bleak, depressing entertainment industry novel" from the perspective of a top-tier talent agent-turned cannon fodder. The love interest is the actual main character of the say novel, but the MC doesn't know that.