Chu Ge sat down on the sofa, and Qiu Wuji lazily lay on his legs. Like an old married couple, they casually watched TV and chatted, âHow does it feel learning to drive?â
âItâs quite simple. The instructor taught me about the carâs functions today, like the accelerator and brakes, as well as the correct way to hold the steering wheel. Then, she took me for a short spin, and I found it really easyâ¦â
âWith your memory, reflexes, and fine control as a cultivator, learning to drive is probably like playing a game to youâ¦â
âThatâs true. The instructor also said Iâm picking it up super fast, not at all like someone whoâs never touched a car before.â Qiu Wuji smiled and continued, âWhat makes me most happy is that I got to experience something completely different from the familiar world. Using machinery and steel, making the finest horses obsolete. Chu Ge, this world is truly remarkable.â
Chu Ge leaned down and kissed her forehead. âI think youâre even more remarkable.â
Qiu Wuji blinked her eyes.
Chu Ge continued, âBecause the Sect Master Qiu, who stands at the peak in her world, is able to start from the very basics and experience every bit of another world. Itâs like strolling through a sea of flowers, leisurely recording every scenery. You once told me that this is your cultivation. I couldnât fully understand it at the time, but now, perhaps because I have some foundation in cultivation myself, I truly believe this is indeed a form of cultivation. I probably wouldnât have had such a mindset before.â
A faint smile appeared on Qiu Wujiâs face.
Thatâs not really cultivation.
You are my cultivationâ¦
She didnât say it this way, and instead responded softly, âThen, Creator God, please take your time to explore every detail of your world, just like observing each flower and grass.â
Qiu Wuji had been looking forward to exploring the world of the book with the âlittle disciple.â Both of them were aware of this, especially Chu Ge. He was looking forward to it as well.
Aside from the anticipation of trying new things, Qiu Wuji was right. He did need to understand the every detail of that world, and it was actually quite important.
After all, as the âHeavenly Daoâ of his own world, how could it be based solely on imaginative speculation, with no proper observation? He hadnât even seen proper depictions of the characters he had written. From this perspective, the control exerted by the Heavenly Dao was rather fanciful.
Now he had the chance to make up for that⦠Unfortunately, he was mentally exhausted and couldnât dive into it right away.
âCan you take out any pills to restore mental fatigue?â Qiu Wuji asked.
Chu Ge shook his head, âI tried, but I canât even gather the materials for refining. Itâs because it involves the soul, and the grade required is too high.â
Qiu Wuji rubbed her chin, lost in thought.
Chu Ge looked down at her lying on his legs, absentmindedly touching her own chin. He couldnât help but feel like she resembled a catâ¦
He couldnât resist and reached out to touch her chin as well.
Qiu Wuji gave him an annoyed look, âIâm brainstorming here, donât disturb me.â
âWhat else can we think of? With your strength, once fatigue sets in, even with no medicinal aid, youâd still need a few days of rest to recover, let alone me.â Chu Ge chuckled, âYouâre being impatient, Qiuqiu.â
A slight blush appeared on Qiu Wujiâs face as she coldly snorted, âItâs that wicked woman wanting to take on disciples early. Whatâs it got to do with me!â
Chu Ge couldnât help but laugh, âWell, next time, should we go back together, playing the roles of a husband and wife?â
Qiu Wujiâs eyes brightened up instantly.
Although it held no substantial meaning, why did the thought of it make her so happy?
A wuxia drama was currently playing on the TV, and the two of them sat quietly for a while. Suddenly, Chu Ge asked, âDo you think this person is suitable for playing Chu Tiange?â
Qiu Wuji glanced over lazily and said, âHeâs a bit too fair-skinned, not very suitable.â
âThis one is relatively less effeminate.â
âWhy are all male actors like this nowadaysâ¦â
âRight⦠How about a female lead playing your role?â
âHa, is she even worthy?â
Chu Ge also felt she wasnât worthy, in fact, no one in the world was worthy.
Damn it, he hadnât even thought about this before. Now, with the possibility of actually being adapted into a screen production, who would play the roles?
Chu Ge didnât want Qiu Wuji to play herself, even if the storyline had no romantic scenes. He wasnât keen on having Qiu Wuji âperformâ in front of an audience, and besides, she had already mentioned that she wasnât even willing to do livestreams, let alone acting in a movie.
So, what could they do?
Two people with absolutely no casting authority began to worry deeply about casting.
âLetâs just take it step by step. After all, itâs still early, the project hasnât even started yet, and who knows when the production team will be formed. When the time comes, if we lower our expectations a bit, we might manage to get byâ¦â Chu Ge sighed, touching Qiu Wujiâs chin, âItâs all because my Qiuqiu is so beautifulâ¦â
Qiu Wuji hummed, âShould we blame Creator God for being too handsome as well? Itâs not easy finding suitable actors.â
Chu Ge chuckled, âYou have a point.â
âWell, do you think making an animated series might be a better option?â
âIt involves full copyrights. The implication is that an animated series would be a part of it too. But Iâm not sure which one will start first. Iâm not well-versed in these matters, and I donât know which one has a longer production cycle⦠but itâs highly likely that the comic will be released first, considering it can be produced relatively quickly.â
âShould we find people to draw it ourselves?â Qiu Wuji suggested, âIn terms of drawing, I can draw better than them! We can adapt the art style to match the storyâs style and figure out how to convey the plot through visualsâ¦â
âHmmâ¦â Chu Geâs eyes slightly lit up.
Of course, a comic studio would typically be sought by the copyright holder, but if they were capable of drawing themselves, it could be a possibility.
If Qiu Wuji took charge of the illustrations, her artistic skills were undoubtedly extraordinary, and she could potentially surpass all others in terms of drawing ability. Moreover, she could personally oversee the adaptation of the storyline. It might even become more popular in the comic world before the film or TV series.
However, Qiu Wujiâs expertise was limited to traditional hand-drawn art, and the technicalities of digital illustration and computer operations might require some learning.
Chu Ge hesitated before asking, âAre you sure you can do it?â
Qiu Wuji replied with a hint of annoyance, âWhen it comes to leisure and entertainment, I may not match you, but in terms of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, itâs hard to find someone in your world whoâs truly better than me. Besides, I can always take a course to learn if I need to, right? How hard can it be?â
âBut learning this would mean taking on yet another responsibilityâ¦â
âWhat else do I have to do in reality? Learning to drive is just a short-term commitmentâ¦â Qiu Wuji sighed in exasperation, âEverything else is just miscellaneous tasks. Even writing an autobiography doesnât need to be updated daily. Do you really think managing a group chat would count as a task?â
Finally, Chu Ge was convinced, âThen letâs start by trying to sketch character designs by hand.â
âSure.â
Without further ado, the couple quickly got into action. They grabbed a pencil and a sheet of printer paper, laying it out before they began drawing.
The skills of the immortal world didnât necessarily require formal training in the art of drawing. The mind guided the hand. The artistâs thoughts were accurately reflected through their control over the hand. And with Qiu Wujiâs vast knowledge accumulated over countless years, she had a strong foundation in fundamental artistic techniques such as shading, lighting, and color blending. Once you understand the basics, itâs applicable across the board.
In fact, Qiu Wuji had drawn her own portrait before, and she even self-taught herself to mimic a semi-comic style with her lines. She sent it to Meow, thinking it would be able to create a profile picture right away. However, it took so long that Panda ended up scolding Meow in impatience.
With increasing exposure to this world and the plethora of knowledge about the anime art style, Qiu Wujiâs latest drawing was much closer to the mark.
Before long, a slightly adorable self-portrait of Qiu Wuji emerged on the paper. Even her Sect Masterâs robe was faithfully reproduced, every texture, every fold, vividly brought to life.
Chu Ge was stunned, staring at the portrait, âQiuqiu⦠youâre truly my treasure. So, tell me⦠what did we really need Meow for?â
Admiring her own artwork and quite satisfied with it, Qiu Wuji suddenly smiled, âYou write, and I draw. Doesnât it feel like this should be the workshop model for us in the future? I mean, I canât really be your assistant forever⦠Mengmeng said thatâs called being âindependentââ¦â
Chu Ge also realized this aspect.
Qiu Wuji had always wanted an independent occupation, and she had been quite annoyed about not fitting into the typical roles of a âhousewife.â Now, they stumbled upon this idea unexpectedly, and it seemed like a possible future workshop model for them as a couple. Qiu Wujiâs formal job could genuinely revolve around thisâ¦