Zhao Youyue had actually received information from the Dimension Gate long ago, the knowledge settling in her mind like a quiet, heavy stone. Through possessing Xu Jing, she had gathered enough wish power from Pure Love's explosive popularity to leave the world of this work whenever she wished.
But how could she leave just like that?
If she walked away now, and Su Li suddenly returned to her senses after being so carried away, stopped acting like the readers' "dad," and began pleasing them again, then the final ending might end up completely different.
Yang Ming could easily rely on protagonist plot armor and bring both Yang Qianqian and Xu Jing into his harem. Xu Jing might even become the manager of the harem as its chief wife, a role that would strip her of everything that made her unique.
Male readers would absolutely love that sort of ending. After all, the male lead claiming a yuri pair together was quite an enjoyable fantasy for the target audience.
But if that happened, Xu Jing would eventually be forgotten, buried under the weight of a thousand other similar harem endings.
Zhao Youyue wanted Xu Jing to become a character every reader would remember forever, a name that would haunt the community for years to come.
So no matter what, she had to keep going.
Even after learning that the creator, Su Li, was actually a beautiful female manga artist, and that the profile information on QQ had been fake.
Still, Zhao Youyue couldn't afford to show mercy anymore. Watching Su Li constantly promoting a "satisfying ending" in fan groups and on Weibo even made her feel impressed. The woman had the same spirit as Urobuchi Gen back in the day. Urobuchi had once insisted that Puella Magi Madoka Magica was a heartwarming, healing anime.
Then Mami Tomoe lost her head in episode three, and the ending made viewers furious enough to slam the table while cursing that so-called healing story. The phrase "healing" itself had practically been ruined by his hands.
Zhao Youyue felt that she should help Su Li deliver a truly satisfying ending.
But what kind of ending would count as satisfying?
Certainly not a happy ending where everyone lived together in blissful ignorance.
Yang Ming, who had degenerated into a scumbag, deserved to be torn apart piece by piece. And the darkened Xu Jing was never meant to receive a happy ending either. In truth, she was the root cause behind Yang Ming's corruption. For the sake of her own selfish desires, she had indirectly harmed so many other girls.
Even if she was the most tragic character in the entire manga, what of it?
Being miserable didn't give anyone the right to cause chaos.
After turning dark, Xu Jing was no longer the pure girl who had once been obsessed only with studying. She had also become obsessed with her feelings for Yang Qianqian. If it weren't for that twisted love, events would never have developed the way they did.
And Yang Qianqian herself wasn't completely innocent either. At first glance she appeared to be a kind-hearted younger sister, but she clearly didn't truly love Xu Jing. If she had firmly rejected her from the beginning, perhaps Xu Jing wouldn't have resorted to such extreme methods to obtain her.
In truth, no one was innocent in this messy web of desire.
Even the girls who had ended up in bed with the male lead couldn't escape responsibility. Yang Ming, even after turning into a bulldozer, wasn't the sort of forceful man who would take things by coercion. If those girls had resolutely refused him, he wouldn't have succeeded. Unfortunately, they all half-resisted while half-accepting his advances.
In the end, they brought it upon themselves.
…
It was once again the season when snowflakes drifted down, turning the world into a landscape of muted grays and brilliant whites.
This was true both in reality and within the world of Pure Love.
Yang Ming walked hand in hand with the rich young lady, Liu Sha, along a commercial street at night. Snow fell slowly from the sky, the white flakes drifting through the neon glow of the signs and creating a romantic, cinematic atmosphere. With Su Li's increasingly refined drawing skill, the background scenery looked flawless and beautiful. The crystalline flakes caught the light like falling diamonds.
"So cold," he said. He let go of Liu Sha's hand and blew warm air into his palms, his breath turning into a pale mist in the winter air.
After countless nights together with Yang Ming, trying every possible position and shedding her pride, Liu Sha had gradually overcome her tsundere personality. She reached out and calmly, gently took his hand again. She placed it against her chest to warm it, her eyes soft as she looked at him.
The once flat-chested tsundere young lady had also gained noticeable curves after all the attention Yang Ming had lavished on her.
They gazed at each other affectionately like a perfectly matched couple. On the busy street, the image of a girl warming a boy's hands with her chest looked incredibly warm and touching. The snow continued to dust their shoulders, a silent witness to their shared heat.
At the same time, it dealt massive emotional damage to every passing single person who witnessed their intimacy.
The scene changed.
Yang Ming's childhood friend and first woman, Li Xiaotong, sat alone at home. The apartment was quiet, the only sound being the low hum of the refrigerator. A table filled with dishes lay before her, the steam no longer rising from the food. Her expression was dark and gloomy.
She took out her phone, the screen casting a harsh blue light on her face. She stared at the intimate photo of herself with Yang Ming displayed on the screen. Softly, she murmured his name.
One hand rested on her abdomen. She was gently rubbing it as she dialed his number, her fingers trembling slightly against the plastic casing of the phone.
…
"I already said I can't come back right now!" Yang Ming replied impatiently.
He had been having dinner with Liu Sha in an expensive French restaurant, the air around him smelling of rich wine and fine butter. Now he had stepped outside to answer Li Xiaotong's call, the cold wind whipping at his coat.
"Why not? I already prepared dinner for you. It's a full meal! If you don't come back, I will have to reheat everything later!" Li Xiaotong said.
"I told you not to worry about me. Just eat first!" he snapped. He was growing increasingly annoyed by the interruption. He was supposed to be enjoying a sweet date with Liu Sha, not dealing with these mundane complaints.
"Ah Ming, you don't understand what this dinner means," she said while clutching her stomach again. "I worked so hard to cook it so we could eat together…"
"…Sigh."
"You really don't want to eat the food I made?"
"Of course that's not it."
"Then why? Why won't you come back?"
"I told you already. There's something I can't leave right now."
"You are lying!"
"Huh?"
"Ah Ming, who are you with right now?"
"I'm not with anyone…"
"I can tell from your tone. Are you cheating again? Am I going to end up like those girls you dumped before? We are even living together!"
"That's not it! I seriously can't leave here!"
"Then explain it to me!"
"Well… uh…"
"See? You are stammering. Please have some self-awareness. Are you really going to keep being this unfaithful? You have known for a long time that I'm pregnant with your child!"
"I never told Sha Sha about that…" Yang Ming muttered under his breath, but Li Xiaotong heard it.
"Wait. Why did you suddenly mention her name? Ah Ming? Are you with Liu Sha right now?"
"Why did you get pregnant? Why did you say it out loud like that? Suddenly telling me you are pregnant. I don't even know what to do! That's enough, I don't want to hear it anymore. Go back to your own home. Don't think you can cling to me just because you are pregnant and act like you are automatically my girlfriend! You are just my childhood friend!"
After shouting into the phone, Yang Ming hung up without hesitation.
Li Xiaotong's already gloomy expression turned even darker. Her eyes dimmed as she held her stomach, the silence of the room pressing in on her.
In a burst of anger, she swept the entire table of dishes she had carefully prepared for Yang Ming onto the floor.
===
To be honest, I have ptsd about magical girl theme. I always have those deep suspicion about that. I mean, if you read or watch enough that theme, you will know what I mean 👀