Previously, as the responsible editor, Wei Suo had allowed Su Li to create according to her own instincts. The reason was simple: what she produced was genuinely interesting and full of impact. The studio air often hummed with a strange energy whenever she finished a chapter. Even the magazine's editor-in-chief had begun following Pure Love personally, telling Su Li to maintain her momentum and focus on creating. The editorial department would always stand firmly behind her, acting as a shield against any minor criticisms from the more conservative corners of the industry.
At the same time, Pure Love's performance was another crucial factor. Its popularity kept climbing higher and higher, granting Su Li tremendous creative freedom. As long as she could maintain those skyrocketing results, she could draw whatever she wanted. The board of directors at the publishing house cared more about sales figures than narrative conventions.
For manga, two things mattered above all. First, it had to be interesting. Second, it had to be popular. To be blunt, although a scumbag male protagonist would be despised by many readers, that kind of character could be extremely thrilling as the lead. Things often escalated quickly with him. A kiss was merely an appetizer. What truly attracted attention was when things went all the way, the panels dripping with a tension that felt raw and real.
Other harem manga protagonists were completely different. Even when girls practically threw themselves at them, those guys could still politely refuse, their denseness acting as a frustrating shield.
There were also many "honest guy" readers who secretly wished they could be that kind of scumbag who slept with women freely. Even if their real-life ending was simply becoming the one who took responsibility afterward, that didn't stop them from indulging their fantasies through the manga's pages.
In both the manga industry and the web novel industry, whenever a series became extremely popular, creators would want to keep it running for as long as possible. Only when the popularity declined would they start thinking about the headache of ending it.
In fact, works that ran longer often became even more successful, unless the art quality collapsed midway and the audience's interest dropped sharply. This pattern was not limited to manga or novels. Television dramas that became popular always received second or third seasons. As for movies, sequels were practically guaranteed by the studio's desire for profit.
That was the common nature of commercial entertainment. Because of that, when Wei Suo heard that Su Li planned to end Pure Love, he was completely stunned. He sat in the studio, a cold bead of sweat rolling down his temple. A series this popular couldn't possibly end so easily. After all, the scumbag protagonist Yang Ming hadn't even conquered the affectionate yuri pair, Xu Jing and Yang Qianqian, yet.
In Wei Suo's opinion, even if the story eventually forced the male lead to choose only one heroine to redeem himself, declaring that he had finally "turned over a new leaf," that heroine should clearly be the most popular one: Xu Jing. In fact, many readers had already noticed something. The reason Yang Ming's life had become so enjoyable lately was because Xu Jing had been secretly pushing things forward behind the scenes. Otherwise, he might still have been a clueless herbivore type of guy.
Some readers even felt that Yang Ming and Xu Jing made a good match. Only someone as capable as Xu Jing could control the male lead so completely that he would never even have the chance to cheat again. In short, Wei Suo believed that Pure Love could easily continue for several more years. Perhaps not another decade, but at least two or three more years without any problem. The appearance of Xu Jing had practically revived the entire story, breathing life into a dying franchise.
Based on his understanding of Su Li, she should have been happy to drag the series on. Even if the manga became padded with filler, occasional flashback arcs, or nostalgic scenes, it would still make a significant amount of money. But he never expected that Su Li would suddenly inform him to come collect the final manuscript.
What exactly was going on?
Wei Suo didn't open it immediately. Instead, he spoke earnestly, his voice low in the quiet studio. "Teacher Su Li, Pure Love is extremely popular right now. Ending it so quickly would be such a pity, would it not?"
She shook her head, her eyes fixed on the ink-stained tools on her desk. "Continuing it would have no meaning. I know I can't find that feeling again. This ending is the greatest piece of work this series could produce. Let it end here."
Wei Suo could sense her determination, a resolve as hard as the steel of her pen nibs. With Su Li's current status, if she chose to act willfully, the magazine couldn't really do anything to her. Other rival magazines would gladly invite her to work for them. She could even serialize directly on Qidian's manga platform. She had plenty of loyal fans online. Left with no choice, Wei Suo finally opened the manuscript and began reading the ending.
He noticed Su Li's assistant, Zhang Ziqiang, glance at him strangely before lowering his head guiltily, his fingers fidgeting with a ruler. At that moment, Wei Suo didn't understand why. After finishing the final chapter of Pure Love, he finally did. If he weren't an editor but merely an ordinary reader, he would already be swearing loudly at the pages.
What the hell kind of ending was this? It was absolute nonsense. The story had transformed from a normal harem manga into a bloody horror story. After turning dark, Li Xiaotong and Liu Sha both wore twisted and terrifying expressions while attacking people. Compared with them, Xu Jing appeared in a pure white dress at the end, smiling through her tears as the waves touched her feet.
The contrast only made her beauty stand out even more.
But the most crucial point was this: every major character was dead. Yang Ming was gone. The other main female characters were gone. Even Yang Qianqian, who seemed to be alive on the surface, was clearly doomed. Anyone who thought about it for a moment would realize that the girl sailing toward the sunset on a "nice boat," holding her older brother's head in her arms, would never return to civilization.
This total annihilation ending was insanely depressing. Wei Suo even felt that Su Li must have been possessed by that famous Japanese writer, Urobuchi Gen. Otherwise, how could she produce such a horrifying conclusion that would leave every reader traumatized?
"This ending will absolutely not be published in Wind Manga. Teacher Su Li, you are simply messing around!" For the first time, Wei Suo displayed the responsible editor's authority. He stuffed the manuscript back into the envelope and slammed it onto her work desk, the sound echoing through the room.
She crossed her arms and spoke even more firmly, her voice steady and cold. "I will make sure readers see this ending. If Wind Manga refuses to publish it, I will post it directly on my Weibo. And I will terminate my contract with Wind Manga immediately."
"You... have you lost your mind? Are you crazy? The magazine is refusing to publish it for your own good! Do you even realize what kind of consequences will happen if readers see this ending?"
"I know very well," she replied calmly. "But I also know something else. I'm creating a classic. No one can stop me from creating a classic."
Under the influence of some mysterious force of fate, Su Li became even more convinced of her decision.