Chapter 7: The Hidden Mastermind [Please Add to Favorites and Recommend]

With the declaration of his hiatus—well, with the announcement of his retirement—Yu Zhile quickly noticed a flood of love-hate comments erupting in the review section of his novel!

"Please, don't stop updating, please!"

"I saw there was an update, hurried in to check, only to find out the author is actually announcing his retirement!"

"How can you just end it here? Don't give up! If you're out of inspiration, just take another day off, even if it's just a weekly update!"

"Damn it! If you dare to end it here, I'll send you a razor blade! You bastard! I dare you to send me your address!"

"Wait! You're all missing the point! The real news is that the author just revealed his identity! He's Qin Haiyu's husband!"

Yu Zhile realized that almost all the readers were fixated on the news of his retirement, with only a handful unexpectedly noticing that he was, in fact, Qin Haiyu's husband.

Just as he was pondering the storm this revelation would cause in the literary world, Qin Haiyu, sitting in the living room feeding their daughter, was quietly using a hidden reader account to leave supportive comments for her husband.

"Although it's a pity that the author is retiring, as readers, we should understand how hard it must be. If he wasn't forced into it, he wouldn't have made this choice. So let's not blame him. Choosing to end his own work must be heartbreaking for him too."

"Keep going, author! No matter what you decide, we'll always support you, because your novel has brought us so much joy and emotion!"

"I can't believe the author is actually Qin Haiyu's husband. I'm so jealous of the goddess—her husband is so talented and handsome!"

After posting this, Qin Haiyu suddenly realized she might have said too much.

Talented—absolutely true!

But handsome? The readers wouldn't know that! Even though his name, Yu Zhile, was listed in her public bio, there was no information or photos of him online. To the outside world, Yu Zhile was just another face in the crowd—no one imagined he was a celebrated author and the husband of celebrity Qin Haiyu.

But even if he saw this comment, would he really guess it was her? Probably not.

Qin Haiyu continued scrolling and leaving comments to support the "author." Reading her own posts, she was certain everyone would just think she was a dedicated fan, never imagining she was the author's wife.

In the study—

Yu Zhile watched his computer screen as, within ten minutes, the review section was completely overrun. Each page refresh brought a torrent of new comments, a testament to the popularity of his novel and the number of fans "Zi Fei Yu" had amassed.

Some scolded him, saying they'd wasted their subscriptions and years of support.

Some tried to persuade him, urging him to take his time, to update less frequently if he must, but not to abandon the novel entirely.

Some said that, as a father, it was understandable that he didn't have the energy to continue writing, and though it was disappointing, they respected his choice.

Some supported him wholeheartedly, echoing his own words in the retirement note: better to end it now than to halfheartedly drag on, leaving readers with a beautiful memory and letting them imagine the ending for themselves.

Fortunately, Yu Zhile had never joined any reader groups on QQ or WeChat; otherwise, those chats would have exploded by now.

"That's enough," Yu Zhile thought. He realized that not all his readers were angry or resentful; on the contrary, many understood and supported him, easing his mind considerably.

He wondered, "Will I trend on social media next?"

The "Godfather of Romance," with such high popularity and dazzling achievements—making the Top Ten Richest Authors list in just five years, now ranked fourth—announcing his retirement would surely attract a lot of attention.

And in his retirement note, he'd even revealed his real identity: he was Qin Haiyu's husband! That alone would be enough to spark heated discussion.

Meanwhile, at the company behind the novel's website, editors were exclaiming in shock, "Zi Fei Yu is retiring!"

Editors throughout the office were stunned.

"What happened? Why is he suddenly giving it up?"

"Oh no! Don't scare me! If 'Little Happiness' ends here, I really will send him a razor blade!"

"It's true! He posted a retirement note! The most shocking thing is he revealed his identity—he's Qin Haiyu's husband!"

"Qin Haiyu? Why does that name sound so familiar? Oh, I remember now! She was the champion of 'China's Best Voice' a few years ago!"

"Damn! The latest chapter really announces his retirement! No way, I need to call him! Even if he can only update weekly or monthly, that's fine!"

The phone started ringing.

Back at home, Yu Zhile glanced at his phone—the caller ID showed it was his chief editor. He had no memory of this editor at all, so he declined the call and replied with a message: "My decision is final. I need some time alone. Sorry."

It's over! He really meant it.

The editors were devastated. After all these years, finally an author with such high online subscriptions and remarkable print sales, one who could have gone on to create more legends and break new records, had chosen to retire right here. It was a hard pill to swallow.

But if the author didn't want to write anymore, what could they do? Sure, there was a contract, and the website could technically threaten or sue him, but over the past five years, "Zi Fei Yu" had brought the site immense honor, profit, and traffic. If they tried to force him, their reputation would be ruined, and other authors would lose faith in them.

So, unless they could convince him to return, the website could only express regret and support.

Yu Zhile's phone began buzzing with new messages.

In his college class group, some female classmates, now realizing "Zi Fei Yu" was him, started venting.

"@Yu Zhile, you bastard! I can't believe the author I've adored for five years is actually my classmate!"

"@Yu Zhile, get out here! I know you must have drafts! Hurry and give us the rest of 'Little Happiness' and the ending, or you'd better watch out at the next reunion!"

Yu Zhile clicked into the group chat and saw a cascade of familiar names, all talking about him.

No one had ever guessed that Yu Zhile was the hidden big shot in their class.

Back in college, everyone knew he and Qin Haiyu were a couple. The year after graduation, many had even attended their wedding.

At the time, a lot of the guys were envious, thinking Yu Zhile had struck gold, marrying the famous Qin Haiyu.

Now they discovered that Yu Zhile had never been living off his wife at all!

He was a low-key, wealthy author all along!

Damn!