2023 has arrived.

Time flies, and unknowingly, I've turned 18. I also wish all my readers eternal youth.

Growing up is actually a very painful thing. In the past year, I experienced the passing of elders, the wear and tear on my body, and the marriage of friends...

Men after marriage can no longer accompany you to play games, go out for fun, climb trees to steal bird eggs, or go into the water to catch crabs, because there is a woman separating you.

Gradually, there are fewer and fewer friends around to play with.

I think everyone else is the same. If you have something to say, let's lament it together.

Looking back on last year's experience, it was very fulfilling. Every day, I was imprisoned in front of the computer to write by readers urging updates. I also recalled the pain of being stuck while writing *Da Feng Dageng Ren*, and the shame of not daring to open the chapter comments (slow updates).

*Da Feng Dageng Ren* finally reached 200,000 subscriptions in the past year's slow climb.

The number of listens on Himalaya reached a terrifying 4.2 billion, less than a year, 4.2 billion. I asked an audiobook anchor and was told that it was the highest data for audiobook novels on Himalaya ever, just like the average subscription of *Da Feng Dageng Ren* on the main site.

People who don't pay attention may not be clear, the out-of-circle index of *Da Feng Dageng Ren* is very terrifying.

Next, I look forward to the animation and film and television adaptations.

In the past year, *Lingjing Xingzhe* was published, and currently has an average subscription of 189,000. It should reach 200,000 during the serialization period.

When writing this book, I was actually a little unsure, because I had never written this type of subject matter before.

Now that half of *Lingjing Xingzhe* is written, the results have settled. For the author, a book has its own fate, especially for authors who like to change subjects.

After all, the author is not a god. An unfamiliar subject just means a little more writing skill than a new author, that's all.

Readers are the most loyal, but also the most fickle, loyal to the book, fickle to the person. If the book is not written well, no one will read it. If the book is written well, people will read it. It's very pure and simple.

No one will continue to subscribe unswervingly just because you wrote a good book last time, even if this book is trash (a small number of readers will). I remember when the book was launched, I asked the editor full of expectations, what is the overlap rate of readers between *Lingjing Xingzhe* and *Da Feng Dageng Ren*?

I got a very disappointing answer: less than 20%.

So *Lingjing Xingzhe*'s success shows that it still has some merit. This is my greatest comfort in experiencing a new subject.

At the end of the year, I got infected with COVID. I courted death by catching a cold, and then got infected again (probably not completely recovered).

After the reinfection, my sense of taste and smell disappeared, I had severe brain fog, and even today, thinking about the plot is still difficult, and so is wording. Sometimes I can't even write a complete sentence.

Don't spray me, everyone. At least I got infected twice, but I didn't stop updating for a single day.

I actually silently endured huge pressure and pain, but I didn't say it...

Now my sense of taste and smell have recovered, but the brain fog is still there, and my sense of smell and taste are not as sensitive as before. They have deteriorated compared to before.

It seems to have suffered permanent damage.

I don't want to experience COVID again in my lifetime. For the author group, COVID really can devastate a career.

But there are also benefits to opening up—everyone's life can return to normal, and they don't have to be locked at home every day.

I sincerely hope that everyone's life can return to normal and that they can flourish in the new year.

Time will smooth out all traumas.

Love you all!

Mai Bao Xiao Lang Jun!

——January 16, 2023.

Lingjing Xingzhe