David Bolton's cheerful expression froze a little, and his voice suddenly grew louder: "These frogs at the bottom of the well don't know shit. Thirty years on the east bank, thirty years on the west—don't underestimate... uh, are you still considered a youngster?"

Brian Carter didn't answer the last question, just said, "So keep it up, and swim to the west bank as soon as you can."

David Bolton nodded. "By the way, Mr. Carter, my new book goes live tomorrow. Remember to recommend a chapter for me."

"Haven't forgotten, it's on my mind."

"Thanks in advance... I—I'm a bit nervous." David Bolton unconsciously rubbed his hands and said in a low voice, "The recent stats... seem pretty cold."

Actually, he'd mentioned his stats several times before. Brian Carter also felt things were a bit cold for him, but could only repeat the encouragement he'd already given many times: "Don't be scared, this stuff is really unpredictable. Some people look super popular but barely get any subscriptions, others seem niche but have lots of die-hard fans... Anyway, it's do or die, being nervous won't help..."

David Bolton forced a smile. "True, whatever. Live or die, it is what it is. If I get popular, I'll hit the club with models. If not... I'll just be the model myself!"

Brian Carter: "...Have you ever thought maybe you're not popular because you're too pervy?"

"You say that like you're not pervy. Who was it that wrote about twin sisters in their last book..."

"That's why I'm not popular either."

"Then are you still going to write about sisters?"

"Yeah."

"...You're one of us."

David Bolton had things on his mind, so he didn't chat much more. The two of them went back to their rooms. Brian Carter made a cup of tea, sat at his computer desk, opened his document, and didn't move again except to go to the bathroom.

This was the daily life of Brian Carter and David Bolton.

If it weren't for Brian Carter's recent blind date giving them something real to talk about, they actually didn't even chat this much most days. Even though they lived together, they were more used to communicating online.

A common scene: the two of them sitting side by side in a fast food place downstairs, eating, both on their phones, bantering in the authors' group chat... It was like they were more familiar with each other's avatars in the group than with each other's faces.

Brian Carter seriously wondered if he'd lose the ability to speak if this kept up... The way he rambled nonsense in front of William Parker today was partly because he was already not used to normal conversation...

Damn, why was he thinking of her again?

Brian Carter's fingers hovered over the keyboard as he spaced out, wondering if he could add a character like that to his book—a smart, professional office lady... But he was writing xianxia, so that kind of character would probably be a high-ranking member of some sect, then get conquered and seduced by the protagonist... Hmm.

A bit tricky, since he already had a set female lead with a somewhat similar vibe—the sect leader of the protagonist's sect, one of the strongest cultivators in the world, already on the verge of ascension, and also the most beautiful woman in the world.

And the next main plot arc was about winning her over.

That's right, Brian Carter wrote harem novels, and had a bit of middling fame in the circle.

As a harem author, Brian Carter knew the key was to give each female character distinct traits. This sect leader was aloof, proud, elegant, and domineering—actually quite different from William Parker—but if he added an office-lady-type sect character, they'd end up too similar, and it would be hard to make them stand out.

Better not to overthink it. Just focus on writing the sect leader—she was the main heroine.

This book had only just gone live, with just two or three hundred chapters, and the plot hadn't fully unfolded yet. At this point, the protagonist "Ryan Carter" was still a minor character, who had recently gained the sect leader's favor by accident, getting promoted from a lowly servant to an inner disciple, with the sect leader occasionally giving personal guidance. This was the start of the protagonist's rise.

At this stage, the protagonist still saw the sect leader as a teacher and was very respectful; the sect leader just saw him as promising and gave him a little support.

As for how the protagonist's filial piety would turn into something else later, and how the sect leader would start wanting a younger man, that would need long-term plot design, but he could start laying the groundwork now.

For example, he could start depicting the sect leader's inner world—sometimes feeling lonely, sometimes reflecting on what was missing in her long cultivation life, wondering if her inability to ascend was because of something... and so on.

Why would an ancient, pure-hearted old monster suddenly feel desire? That's all part of the setup.

Brian Carter really put his heart into it.

"Henry Clark opened the window and gazed at the moon. The moonlight was like water, gently spilling over the world, illuminating her perfect profile, hazy and dreamlike. She sat there in a daze for a long time, vaguely wondering, after ascension, would she reach the moon? If so, would it just be going from one lonely place to another, even lonelier place..."

Henry Clark—her name came from a line in a poem by Jiaxuan: "A thousand miles of clear autumn in Chu's sky, water follows the sky, autumn without end," which echoed the protagonist Ryan Carter's name—a deliberate touch. If Ryan Carter was Brian Carter's own projection, then Henry Clark was probably all of Brian Carter's hopes and fantasies for his ideal type, with a lot of emotion poured into her.

That's why he told William Parker, "Sometimes it's less, but this month still broke ten thousand," because his previous books had flopped, but this one was doing better and better—the characters he poured his feelings into naturally won the readers' approval.