Manyu

I first wanted to write this story after finishing Notes on the Void. It made me think more deeply than usual about certain negative words we all know. For my first attempt, after watching an interview that left an extremely strong impression on me, I decided to focus on the word "prostitute." I didn't set out to write a tragic ending; I just wanted to try tackling a sensitive subject now and then, and lay the groundwork for writing more stories like this in the future. I also sometimes browse novel recommendations when I'm bored, and come across fast-food fiction of this sort. I thought it was good to be brave enough to try, so I spent a few days of my free time writing this. There were sad moments as I wrote. My nose stung, but not enough to make me cry. Then, on the day I finished the manuscript, I came home at noon and was about to hang clothes on the balcony when I saw the lovely winter sunlight. Only then did I realize that Manyu would never see it again. The full weight of the story suddenly hit me, and I began to ask myself why I had written about a girl with such a tragic fate, why I had let her live, and live in such pain.

But fiction often comes from real life, and Doctor Hao's story really happened to someone close to me. Not a single word is false. Literary works can be revised or taken down, but life cannot.

The first title I thought of was "Big Sister," but for some reason it violated the rules, so I used my sister's name as the title instead.

"To live is to be silent amid all this clamor, to be lonely amid all this crowding. To live is to suffer for no reason. What about death?" - Shi Tiesheng, Notes on the Void

I dedicate this story to my older sister, Ling.

I drew the cover myself. It shows her from behind.

Books referenced:

Background references:

1. Brothers

2. Notes on the Void

3. To Live

4. The Three-Body Problem

5. The Ten Deadly Sins

Details referenced:

1. Love in the Time of Cholera

Films and interviews referenced:

Setting references:

1. The Flowers of War

2. An Interview with Exotic

3. The Handmaiden

Details referenced:

1. Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence

Addendum:

Watching An Interview with Exotic was painful, but I stuck with it to the end. I'm not usually someone who cries just because I see someone else crying, but I couldn't hold back my tears during those episodes. I was truly happy to see how Exotic (Asriah) had changed.

And yet, there are still countless girls in the world who, like her, have not escaped their suffering.

Theme: Tragedy is always something that happens between good people.