Font Size:
This book was written in exactly one month, totaling 160,000 words. Compared to the millions of words often found in web novels, it may seem insignificant.
Nonetheless, this represents a month of my hard work.
The origin of the story comes from my concept of Zhuang Zhou’s dream of butterflies, which is evident even in the names of the main characters.
While dining and chatting with friends, one suggested that the male protagonist’s name should be Zhuang Zi Ou, as it sounds closer to Zhuang Zhou, and the female protagonist should simply be named Su Mengdie.
After some consideration, I preferred not to be too deliberate, so I made a slight change to the name.
Many plot points are drawn from Zhuangzi, such as the debates between Huizi and Liang, the argument at the Hao Bridge, the fish in the dry rut, and the parable of singing while beating a drum, among others.
The place names like Xiaoyao Palace, Nanhua Village, and Qiushui Town are also closely related to Zhuangzi.
I initially started writing this book because the theme of protagonists suffering from terminal illnesses gained some popularity, and I admit I might have followed the trend.
Nevertheless, the story is entirely my original creation, with no plagiarism of anyone else’s scenes.
The core concept of Zhuang Zhou’s dream of butterflies was also a sudden inspiration.
There’s no denying that in terms of plot structure, I referenced Jay Chou’s film Secret That Cannot Be Told, Makoto Shinkai’s Your Name, and Send You a Little Red Flower, where the storyline begins with the female protagonist’s time-traveling plot.
The division of the school into eastern and western campuses is inspired by my high school alma mater, Nanshan Middle School in Mianyang, Sichuan.
(Page 2/3)
In the first and second years of high school, we were at the main campus, while the third year shifted to the eastern campus.
If there are any alumni out there, feel free to leave a message to connect!
Additionally, I’m a big fan of Jay Chou, and that fictional piece Dreaming of Butterflies actually uses the melody from Sunny Day. True Jay fans should be able to recognize it.
In the earlier chapters, I hid numerous clues that would gradually be revealed later on.
During the serialization, many readers complained about the inclusion of magic and immortal cultivation, worried that the female protagonist, Xiao Yudie, might lean too heavily into the fantastical.
I was also concerned at the time, fearing that readers might not accept the time-traveling concept.
However, when I saw that everyone could accept and enjoy it, I felt genuinely happy.
A story featuring a protagonist with only three months to live would be difficult to write as a lengthy piece without incorporating supernatural elements; a moderately-sized short story could work, but I wanted a more expansive narrative.
Originally, when setting up the plot, I planned for the male protagonist, Zhuang Zi’ang, to die and then use Dreaming of Butterflies to be reborn a year earlier, reuniting with the senior girl, Su Yudie.
They would embark on a heart-wrenching sibling-like romance, only for the female protagonist to meet a tragic end, leaving the male protagonist to live on in loneliness and pain for another year.
Since the male lead is so pitiful, I didn’t want to torment him further.
In fact, I cried while writing many parts of this book, not wanting to put myself through more anguish.
When writing about Xiao Yudie, I truly cried my heart out. How could there be such a beautiful yet heartbreaking girl?
“I will hate you for a lifetime!”
As I wrote this line, my heart felt like it was bleeding; I completely immersed myself in the male protagonist’s perspective.
I initially intended to elaborate more on Xiao Yudie’s Dreaming of Butterflies notebook, but rewriting the same story from another person’s viewpoint seemed a bit like padding the word count, so I decided to keep it concise.
Looking at the results after the book’s conclusion, if the majority of readers express interest in it, I will consider writing that part of the storyline in the form of extras.
Overall, this book leans a bit more toward the literary, which might not align with the fast-paced style of popular literature, making it somewhat niche.
During the serialization, the data wasn’t particularly impressive, but I still want to thank the many loyal readers for their continued support and tips.
After finishing this book, I might explore writing topics that are relatively more profitable.
Unfortunately, an author relying solely on sentiment might really end up starving.
Lastly, thank you all. May the green mountains remain unchanged, and the flowing waters continue forever; until we meet again!