Chapter 2: Discussions Regarding Nie Duo

Let’s stop the discussion about Nie Duo here. He is merely a supporting character, not the final big boss. A setup where he meticulously lays out schemes for power and beauty and ultimately succeeds might be entertaining and fit the darkest aspects of human nature, but that is not the tone of this story, nor is it the tone I have hoped readers would feel up to this point.

Nie Duo’s actions were wrong; both he himself and the characters in the book believe this. There is no need to argue that point.

However, on a subjective level, I do not agree with the presumption of guilt or the practice of judging people by their worst possible motives. To conclude that because Ni Huang fell in love with him, he must have planned to win her love from the moment he was sent to Yunnan—to deduce that his behavioral motives were so dark as to be heinous, with "Plan A" and "Plan B" scenarios—might be logical, but it is by no means the only logic, as some readers believe.

There are many people in this world who do wrong, but if we view every person who makes a mistake through the lens of the most vicious and sinister psychological motives, we inevitably fall into extreme emotions, which is not necessarily good for anyone. Regarding Nie Duo, I only described his actions; I never hinted at his motives in the slightest. Readers are free to infer the darkest psychological aspects of human nature from his actions—that is the reader's prerogative and is perfectly reasonable—but if one believes that this darkest inference is the most logical, or even the only logical psychological motive, then Hai Jie cannot help but feel concerned.

There are two more points to note. First, Nie Duo came to Ni Huang’s side during a crisis. If the person who arrived had not been Nie Duo, but someone incredibly noble who would absolutely never harbor any romantic thoughts toward Ni Huang, that person would not have proactively hinted to Ni Huang from the very beginning that she must not fall in love with him. Since everyone denies the existence of love at first sight, in truth, neither of them was thinking in that direction when they first met. Of course, readers may still believe that Nie Duo not saying anything at the start is different from someone being upright and open; that he was harboring ulterior motives, that he intentionally refrained from acting cold to keep Ni Huang at a distance. This is naturally one possibility, but remember, it is only one, not the only one.

Second, looking at their history, neither Nie Duo nor Ni Huang are experts in romance. It is hard to say whether they could determine that their feelings were love in the shortest amount of time, and it is equally hard to say whether they could accurately and quickly determine that the other person had fallen in love with them. Ni Huang is not someone who wears her heart on her sleeve, and Nie Duo was not sensitive enough to immediately pull back at the very first sign. Of course, readers may still believe that Nie Duo was doing it on purpose, that he was seducing the Princess, that he wanted to steal his superior’s fiancée to gain the greatest personal benefit (it is a superior, not an elder brother; our Xiao Shu is not even older than Nie Duo). This is also one possibility, but again, it is one, not the only one.

Hai Jie’s hope is that while readers may speculate on a character’s actions based on the worst and most sinister motives, please do not only see the worst and most sinister side. Doing so goes against my original intention and causes me deep concern.

To be honest, my characterization of Nie Duo is simply that he is weak, conflicted, and lacks firm resolve, with obvious flaws and a gray side to his character. I only wanted to show that not everyone among the old Chiyan members is like Mei Changsu, who places brotherhood and loyalty above all else. He is merely an embellishment, a side element used for contrast. I truly did not write him as a dark big boss, and I will not do so in the future.

By the way, if anyone still believes that Mei Changsu’s life goal is merely to clear his name, and that he has no pursuit or obsession regarding his ideal political landscape or his ideal world, then I can only say that it is Hai Jie’s failure.

My health has been poor lately, which has made it difficult to settle my mind and slowed down my writing speed. If there comes a day when I cannot update, I ask for everyone’s understanding.