After My Diary of Shame Went Missing

There are demons and ghosts in Chang'an.

Wen Hongliu carries a red umbrella, a wine gourd, and paper and brush tucked into his arms, seeking out places rumored to be haunted by demons and monsters.

Some say he's got a death wish.

Others curiously ask what his relationship is with all those demons and ghosts.

Wen Hongliu: Thanks for asking. I'm their dad.

Wen Hongliu discovers that the fantasy diary he wrote in his cringey teenage years has gone missing.

The diary describes all kinds of over-the-top stories about "Invincible Liuliu saving the world with superpowers."

In the diary, Liuliu is handsome and a fighter, punching the headless ghost of Nanshan and kicking the resentful female spirit from the haunted mansion. His eyes can gaze at the stars above and see ghosts below, and their irises shimmer with amber like molten gold.

To help Liuliu defeat all kinds of powerful, evil enemies, young Wen Hongliu watched everything from A Chinese Ghost Story to Painted Skin, earning the lofty achievement of "finishing the whole movie while crying and crawling around in terror."

Wen Hongliu remembered that he had eventually handed the diary in to his elementary school teacher.

On the last page, his homeroom teacher had written a smiling note: "Liuliu, you're amazing."

Then one day, the diary of shame suddenly disappeared.

Wen Hongliu saw it in a dream of Chang'an.

The diary had even acquired a new title: Records of Demons and Ghosts.

Wen Hongliu: So embarrassed my toes are curling into the ground.

20210819

Theme: A steadfast heart keeps a person resolute.