Have you ever been a celebrity? Why are you writing about entertainment?

Chapter 31 The fallen genius

There are four types of novels I don't read.

"First, I don't read books by authors with bad records. If an author has ever had a medical disorder, I won't read anything they write afterward."

"Second, literary youth authors don't read it. These authors are always thinking about literary pursuits, such as pain, redemption, and forgiveness, which is exhausting to read."

"Third, I don't read stock trading novels. They either only have one female lead, or they have a harem or no female lead. Stock trading is like going to a buffet, but you can only look and not eat."

As Yu Wei watched Qi Luoan suddenly begin to speak eloquently, a question welled up in his mind.

Who asked you?

After being exposed, she stopped pretending altogether. After only a slight hesitation, she changed the subject and started talking about novels, which meant she had given up resisting.

As for how Yu Wei discovered it... well, he just thought about it a bit more and then tried it out casually.

It's normal for the protagonist to not recognize a character in a novel if they wear a mask; it makes logical sense. But people tend to overthink things.

Qi Luoan understood this as well. Deceiving someone requires an extremely meticulous plan, but the deceived person can find countless ways to break the deadlock with just a sliver of doubt.

Actually, she didn't really intend to lie, otherwise she wouldn't have told so many true stories; her false identity couldn't stand up to scrutiny at all.

She just wanted to see Yu Wei's reaction, to see how he would behave differently in front of a stranger than online.

It's like a male college student pretending to be a girl to fool his roommate—he doesn't lie about anything, he just enjoys watching an acquaintance act all coy and awkward...

It's just as interesting when it's exposed.

It was only then that the two felt that awkwardness of meeting an online friend. They felt very familiar with each other, but didn't know how to start a conversation when they were face to face.

"If it were you, how would you write the scene of meeting someone you met online?"

"They might write that one party knew and the other didn't, which would be more entertaining for the show, and it would also make it easier to create emotional tension later on."

There are many similar plots in male-oriented novels where online friends meet. In wish-fulfillment stories, the female lead is often unaware of this, allowing the male lead to test the waters.

If it's a romance novel, the male lead is temporarily kept in the dark, while the female lead's heart flutters—that's another story.

No wonder you're a loser.

Qi Luoan breathed a sigh of relief, finally finding a way to get along with Yu Wei again.

Yu Wei did not refute it. The formulas in online novels are all successful experiences of predecessors. It is better to feel one's way across the river than to fall into the water and drown.

Without further ado, he immediately went back to the restaurant and renewed his reservation for another table...

Next up is the second round, the honest round.

"They said it was free, but I ended up paying for two cups of coffee."

Qi Luoan rolled her eyes at him, feeling a little strange. Online, people say that getting something for free is fine, but saying "I want to get something for free" to someone face to face just sounds awkward.

She must be out of her mind to come here in person. She doesn't want to act or become famous; she's just asking for trouble...

At the time, I was so excited to see what Yu Wei was up to that I impulsively agreed, and then it was too late to regret it.

Indeed, a woman's curiosity is her original sin.

Seeing that she hadn't spoken for so long, Yu Wei glanced at her subconsciously and realized that Qi Luoan was taking off her hat.

She slightly puffed out her chest, her hands behind her head as she unbuttoned her hat. Her arms and shoulders formed a delicate balance, showcasing her beautiful figure to the fullest.

"What are you looking at?"

"Um... berets have buttons?"

"You bumpkin, this is a windproof fastening buckle."

Whether they were looking at hats or not, they both knew perfectly well, but there was no need to discuss it; talking about it too much would only make things awkward.

"Aren't you going to formally introduce yourself?"

Although Yu Wei had guessed most of it, it was still their first meeting, so there should at least be some ceremony. "Qi Luoan, a sophomore majoring in Chinese Language and Literature at Jiaotong University."

Upon hearing her surname was Qi, Yu Wei's last remaining doubts vanished; it turned out there really was a mole among his own people...

However, he really didn't expect that Qi Luoan, with such a strong background in the entertainment industry, was actually a complete novice whose major had nothing to do with art.

"Is what you said about your family true?"

"Why would I lie to you? My grandmother was a first-class actress at the drama troupe, and she did teach me a lot."

Qi Luoan spoke frankly and openly, without any hint of showing off; it was as if he were talking about something very ordinary.

She had no intention of becoming a star, so she didn't rely on connections or backdoors, and naturally there was nothing to hide...

Yu Wei was mentally prepared for this, so his expression remained relatively calm. "Luo Qi's" grandmother was real, and "An An's" director father was also real.

Adding Qi Yuan to the mix, their family is indeed quite steeped in scholarly tradition, and their connections and influence are considerable.

My readers are daughters of entertainment empires, and some struggling entertainment writer's final fantasy before death...

"With that background, why don't you become a celebrity?"

Like begets like. Those who know, know. Even setting aside her family's legacy, she shouldn't have ended up like this, even if she had been exposed to art from a young age.

The children of celebrities either receive attention from a young age like Meng Lei and become stars legitimately, or they take the internet celebrity route like the group from "Where Are We Going, Dad?" and flaunt their wealth and lifestyle in a high-profile manner.

Those with ambition, like Qi Yuan, may appear to start from scratch, but in reality, they will be treated differently depending on the circumstances.

But there aren't many like her who don't plan to rely on any of their past achievements...

"I was interested when I was little. My grandma taught me a lot, including singing and acting, but I lost interest later."

There is no love without a reason, nor is there hatred without cause. Childhood preferences are not so easily changed. Judging from this, there is clearly a story behind it.

However, Yu Wei didn't plan to ask. Such a major life turning point, if the person wanted to share it, they would definitely say so; if they didn't want to, asking would be useless.

In short, Qi Luoan's entertainment career came to an abrupt end at a very young age. From then on, the entertainment industry lost a gifted second-generation star, but the internet gained a homebody who reads novels.

Chapter One: The Fallen Genius.

Popularity rating, three tiers...

"Can I still get it for free?"

Yu Wei was more concerned about her short film, wondering how much of her childhood skills she still possessed.

"It's good enough that it's even usable, why are you being so picky?"

Qi Luoan glared at him irritably, causing the stray hairs on her forehead to tremble, which was truly chilling.

She, who doesn't even like acting, risked her life to accompany him, and this guy actually has the nerve to nitpick. He's really spoiled.

Do you know what I was thinking about?

Yu Wei, seeing Qi Luoan sighing frequently, took the initiative to speak to him.

"what?"

"The protagonist in those 'laid-back' entertainment novels says things like, 'I don't want to be famous, I want to be a couch potato,' but then he does all the pretentious things that people do in the entertainment industry."

Unconventional entertainment works like this: it's fine for a bit of fun, but if you take it a little too seriously, the protagonist's image will look strange, and if not handled well, it's easy to be criticized by readers for being hypocritical.

Qi Luoan felt that he seemed to have said nothing, but it also seemed like he had used very vulgar language...

Lies don't hurt, truth is the knife.

She felt that she was actually starting to have those feelings for him.

"Then why don't you find someone else?"

(End of this chapter)