Long-running online novel 'The School Belle's Personal Bodyguard' (校花的贴身高手) hits 15 years and 26.17 million+ characters — author hopes to finish before 50

Long serial run underscores China's web-novel economy

The urban superpower/occult romance novel The School Belle's Personal Bodyguard (校花的贴身高手) has quietly become a monument of China's online fiction era: it has been reported that the book has been serialized for 15 years and now surpasses 26,173,800 characters. The title remains active on Qidian (起点中文网), part of Yuewen (阅文集团), with a most recent update timestamped 2026-04-08 21:49:52, showing the story is still being posted chapter by chapter.

Author signals a finish line — but why so long?

In a recent interview clip posted by Bilibili (哔哩哔哩) uploader @池恩网文圈, Yuren Erdai (鱼人二代) — who also gave his real name as Lin Han (林晗) — said he hopes to complete the novel before he turns 50. Why has the book run so long? The author explained that many serial writers face a trade-off: finishing a long-running work does not necessarily mean a big income jump. Reportedly, he surveyed his readers long ago and most preferred the story to continue rather than conclude, so he delayed an ending. Still, he told the interviewer he wants to set himself a retirement target.

Who is the writer and why readers care

Yuren Erdai (鱼人二代), born 1983 in Heilongjiang and also known as Lin Han (林晗), is a Yuewen platinum author and a member of the China Writers Association. He serves as vice-chair of the Mudanjiang online writers association and has other serialized titles such as Reborn Chasing Beauty (重生追美记) and Reborn Like Youth (重生似水青春). For Western readers: China’s web-novel market is a business ecosystem where serialized posting, fan subscriptions, and multi‑platform IP adaptations (games, dramas, comics) mean longevity and reader engagement often matter as much as neat, timely endings.

What this says about Chinese online literature

The story is a reminder of how Chinese online literature operates differently from traditional publishing. Platforms like Qidian and parent Yuewen have built economies that reward continued reader engagement; sometimes that shapes whether authors finish or stretch works. It has been reported that the title’s ongoing updates and massive word count keep both fans and the author invested — but will the promised pre-50 finish line materialize? Fans will be watching every new chapter.