In the end, the editorial board at Wind Manga still decided to publish the final chapter of Pure Love, the decision finalized after several tense, closed-door meetings.
Even if they had chosen to refuse her, Su Li was clearly determined to release the ending online through her personal platforms anyway. Since that was the case, the managers decided it was better to take advantage of the finale and use it to boost the magazine's sales one last time.
Besides, a genius beauty manga artist like Su Li, who had practically become famous overnight with a single work, was someone worth compromising with for the sake of future collaborations. As long as her next series maintained its current momentum and popularity, Wind Manga wouldn't suffer any real losses from this one gamble.
In truth, there was almost no suspense regarding whether Su Li's next manga would succeed in the market. She had built an enormous, dedicated fanbase now, many of whom were drawn as much to her personal image as to her art.
After Editor-in-Chief Yin Lang and the other senior editors discussed Pure Love's ending, they concluded that although the finale would definitely trigger strong reactions from the readers, it would also leave a deep, indelible impression on everyone who read it. It might even make Pure Love the most distinctive and discussed work among the many formulaic harem manga out there.
In the future, whenever people mentioned the genre, they probably wouldn't forget Pure Love. From a certain perspective, that wasn't a bad thing for the brand. It was far better than becoming one of those generic works that slowly faded from the public's memory as time passed.
Besides, the ending itself truly possessed strong artistic qualities that transcended typical fanservice. That almost total annihilation, soul-crushing finale felt like a deliberate tribute to the style of Gen Urobuchi. It was also an excellent marketing hook. Perhaps some eccentric readers would even praise this "Good Boat" style ending to the heavens, turning it into a long-lasting meme in the vast landscape of otaku culture. The series might even eventually be regarded as a masterpiece of subversion.
In short, Pure Love's final chapter was officially scheduled to appear in the next issue of Wind Manga. When many readers learned through early leaks that the upcoming chapter would actually be the final one, they could hardly believe the news. Online discussion boards immediately erupted in a frenzy of activity.
"How is Pure Love ending so soon? It's insanely popular right now. Logically it should keep going forever. I hope Teacher Su Li drags it out for another ten years!"
"At the very least it should wait until the anime adaptation finishes airing before ending, right? Otherwise that huge sales spike after the anime comes out will be completely wasted!"
"I still want to see scumbag Yang Ming conquer more beautiful girls. I can't bear for it to end!"
"Xu Jing and Yang Qianqian's beautiful yuri scenes haven't even gone far enough yet. How can it end now? I'm still waiting to see Xu Jing completely capture Qianqian's body and heart!"
"No matter what, the ending of Pure Love will definitely be perfect. Teacher Su Li has such great character and integrity. She would never screw her readers over, right?"
"Exactly. The ending feels a little sudden, but I still believe she will give us a satisfying conclusion. And as long as she starts a new series, I will definitely keep supporting her!"
"Teacher Su Li literally said that if she ever poisoned the readers and fed them garbage, she would eat shit herself. There can't be anyone in the world who likes eating shit, right?"
That day was a typical, overcast Saturday. After evening self-study ended and Jiang Chao returned to the crowded dormitory, the air thick with the smell of laundry detergent and old sneakers, he scrolled through all the comments from Pure Love fans online. He felt exactly the same as them. Although he was reluctant to see the series end so soon, he had absolute trust in his favorite author.
There was no way Su Li would disappoint him after all his support. She was so beautiful and kind in her public appearances. How could she possibly trick her readers or poison them with garbage after promising them a satisfying conclusion?
At the same time, Jiang Chao decided that as soon as Su Li started a new series, he would support it again with the same fervor. He also planned to join her official fan group. If he could interact with her up close through the screen, he thought that would be amazing.
"Chao-ge, what are you looking at? Why are you smiling like that?" A roommate named Xu Haitao walked over and casually slung an arm around Jiang Chao's shoulder, his weight making the metal bunk bed creak.
Jiang Chao answered honestly, his eyes still fixed on his phone. "Pure Love is about to end. I'm reading the comments online."
"What? Pure Love is ending already?" Xu Haitao stared in disbelief, his mouth hanging open slightly. "I started following it because you recommended it, and it's been a blast. Honestly, I wish I could be that protagonist, Yang Ming. That guy has it way too good. Getting girls like that must feel incredible! We are both high school students, so why is the gap so huge? I'm still a virgin!"
Just mentioning Yang Ming's name filled Xu Haitao's face with a mix of envy and resentment. He didn't think there was anything wrong with Yang Ming being a scumbag. If girls openly showed interest in him and let him do whatever he wanted, how could he possibly restrain himself?
After reading Pure Love, he sometimes felt like his body had been drained dry of energy. Life in the countryside didn't provide enough nutrition for such intense consumption, after all.
Jiang Chao glanced at him with obvious disdain, adjusting his glasses. "Fatty Xu, why are you always acting like a dog in heat? The real highlight of Pure Love is obviously the beautiful yuri relationship between my goddess, Xu Jing, and Yang Qianqian. Do you know why the series is called Pure Love?"
He snorted proudly, leaning back against the cold wall. "It represents the idea that true, pure love only exists between people of the same gender. Heterosexual relationships are just filthy reproductive impulses."
Xu Haitao didn't care about the sarcasm at all. He continued laughing while keeping his arm around Jiang Chao's shoulder. "Whatever you say. Anyway, thanks for recommending it. I never thought manga could be this good. Everyone you recommended it to says you have great taste. You actually managed to discover such a masterpiece before it went mainstream."
A satisfied and smug expression appeared on Jiang Chao's face. After all, this was the legendary work that made his favorite author, Su Li, famous. Of course it was amazing.
The next day was a quiet Sunday morning. During the morning study session, Jiang Chao couldn't concentrate on his work at all. His mind was completely filled with thoughts of the Pure Love finale. He wondered what kind of surprise Su Li would deliver. Would it make him jump for joy?
As soon as the afternoon arrived, Jiang Chao rushed out of the school gates just like he always did and bought the newest issue of Wind Manga from the local kiosk. He didn't even bother going to the cafeteria for lunch. Instead, he returned to the dormitory with a plastic cup of instant noodles so he could read Pure Love as soon as possible.
The steam from the noodles smelled of artificial beef and salt, swirling in the dim light of the room. He realized he was basically no different from those obsessive fangirls who chased celebrities across the city. The only difference was that his idol was Su Li and her manga, Pure Love. He had even saved his meager allowance just to send her donations.
When Jiang Chao saw the full-color cover of Wind Manga, his eyes instantly widened and his heart skipped a beat.
There she was. Xu Jing, wearing a pure white dress that seemed to glow against the background, her delicate features as beautiful as a painting. She looked so breathtaking that the image felt unreal. At that moment, Jiang Chao felt his maiden heart completely explode with adoration. He desperately wished he could enter the two-dimensional world and admire her beauty from a few inches away.
There was absolutely no way someone like Xu Jing could exist in the flawed, real world. Filled with intense anticipation, he opened the magazine, the smell of fresh ink hitting him, and skillfully flipped to Su Li's section.