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

Chapter 315 At worst, I'll just grab the spotlight.
The afternoon sun at three o'clock slanted across the blue brick floor of the courtyard, its warmth like that of an aged amber.

Ye Ranzhi had just finished trimming the asparagus fern on her desk when she heard a knock on the door. It wasn't a series of hurried knocks, but two knocks, a slight pause, and then another, calm and rhythmic.

She calmly washed her hands before walking toward the gate. The guest was already standing gracefully in front of the courtyard, wearing a light lilac-colored Hangzhou silk cheongsam with a black soft satin vest over it, her hair neatly styled.

The visitor was Zhong Qing.

"You're punctual."

"It's a rare privilege to invite me like this, so I can't be late."

Zhong Qing's voice was still clear and pleasant, with a hint of a smile. Everyone knew that this Teacher Ye was not receiving guests these days, and she wouldn't have dared to come if she hadn't been invited.

Although she didn't know why this person had invited her over...

The two walked tacitly to the porch in front of the east wing. The rosewood chess table was still there, but two comfortable ergonomic chairs with simple cotton and linen cushions had been added next to it.

"I thought you wouldn't know how to use these."

Zhong Qing really thought Ye Ranzhi had become an old-fashioned person because she had been living in seclusion for so long, but she didn't expect her to know how to keep up with the times.

In addition to ergonomic chairs, she also saw a quaint solar wall lamp under the eaves and an electric ceramic stove on the table.

"I just stay home, not live in seclusion."

Ye Ranzhi has quite a few smart home devices here. What era are we living in? The old lady doesn't need to hide at home every day and act like an ancient person.

"Try it, it's still Yunnan black tea, but it's said to be from an ecological tea garden. My friend also sent me the pesticide residue test report to my email."

She held the teapot and poured tea into the cup, the orange-red tea soup mellow and fragrant.

"Let's get straight to the point. What did you call me here for today?"

Zhong Qing observed the color, smelled the fragrance, and tasted the aroma in sequence. She didn't think this person had invited her over just to reminisce; surely there was some serious business involved.

Ye Ranzhi didn't say anything, just kept drinking tea. Seeing this, Zhong Qing simply stopped pretending and took out her phone to take the initiative.

"I heard a song this morning that I'm sure you'll like."

She clicked on the video, which was Yu Wei's latest song, "A Thousand Miles Away," with lyrics like, "The eaves are like cliffs, the wind chimes are like the vast ocean..."

These lyrics are quite unique.

Ye Ranzhi's heart stirred slightly, like a small pebble thrown into a deep ancient well, rippling outwards in barely perceptible circles.

"I see you off, to the ends of the earth, are you still there?"

A single lyric, clear and crisp, unexpectedly pierced through the veil of time.

Her hand, the one adorned with a delicate gold ring whose luster had somewhat faded, trembled slightly on her knee.

The four words "sending you away" are both too ordinary and too extraordinary.

She had experienced this unusual time, and before she knew it, she had spent more time alone than she had spent with Chen Ping.

She couldn't remember it clearly, only that the river wind that day was really cold, and it felt like tiny knives cutting her face.

"Where does the music come from? Life and death are hard to guess. I'll spend my whole life waiting."

I'll spend my whole life waiting.

Ye Ranzhi closed her eyes slightly. She finally understood why Zhong Qing had made her listen to this song—it was to make her hear this particular line.

She did indeed wait her whole life, but unfortunately the person she was waiting for went not to the ends of the earth, but to a place even farther than the ends of the earth.

She raised their daughter and watched her granddaughter being born. She carefully concealed her grief, placing it in the deepest corner of her heart, like a precious piece of ancient jade that she would never show to anyone again.

However, at certain moments, such as when seeing a similar person or hearing a fitting lyric, the ancient jade will emit a warm light, reminding you of its existence.

Ye Ranzhi sighed deeply. If she were ten years younger, she might have cried after listening to this song, but now, only silent silence remained.

"Is this Yu Wei's song?"

Zhong Qing nodded. Although it was just a one-sided love that "turned her into a lifelong idiot," wasn't she also waiting for a lifetime?
The moment she finished listening to "A Thousand Miles Away," she realized that the song suited her perfectly, and even more so this person, as they had both once accompanied each other on long journeys.

"Such amazing songwriting and singing skills."

Ye Ranzhi paused, then suddenly smiled, "He is indeed better than my husband."

If these words got out, they would definitely cause a huge uproar, but she still said them, even though she was the last person who should have said them.

Zhong Qing frowned but didn't reply. She didn't want to admit it at all, but Yu Wei's song release frequency was astonishing, something even Chen Ping at his peak couldn't match...

This may be why she is not as good as Ye Ranzhi. Nostalgia and filters can make her resist this reality, but this person accepts it easily.

She admired the man who dominated the world, but Ye Ranzhi only loved Chen Ping, regardless of any title or status.

"If there's nothing else, I'm leaving now."

Zhong Qing was about to leave because she realized that no matter how many years had passed, she would still pale in comparison to this person.

"Hold on."

Ye Ranzhi got up and went into the house, taking out a slightly old-fashioned envelope with a large dragon stamp next to it.

"This is……"

"Leave it for you."

Ye Ranzhi stood inside the door, watching her figure disappear into the light and shadow of the alley outside. She walked back to the table, picked up the cup of black tea that had gone a little cold, and took a small sip. The aroma of the tea had faded, but the aftertaste was lingering.

"Ping-ge," she whispered in her heart, in a voice only she could hear, "I'm getting old."

……

As Yu Wei had predicted, "Far Away" was far ahead, with Song Wei and Jiang Siheng's combined votes barely reaching a fraction of its total.

The song's inherent quality, coupled with Yu Wei's "planning" nine months in advance, made it an absolute sensation, drawing huge crowds both inside and outside venues, and no amount of performances could change its appeal.

After finishing this competition, Yu Wei was much more relaxed, with only the final battle of the natives remaining, so there was no need to release a song.

With some rare free time, Yu Wei decided to start arranging the program for the Spring Festival Gala.

He has only decided on one song so far, "Xiang Qin Xiang Ai" (相亲相爱), not "Xiang Qin Xiang Ai Yi Jia Ren" (相亲相爱一家人), but "Tian Xia Xiang Qin Yu Xiang Ai" (天下相亲与相爱).

The value of a provincial anthem...

The core idea of ​​this song is "people all over the world are loving and caring for each other," which is highly consistent with the themes of "reunion" and "harmony" emphasized by the Spring Festival Gala.

The lyrics "Tonight, when every household is ablaze with lights" perfectly depict the scene of families reuniting on New Year's Eve, blending seamlessly with the atmosphere of the Spring Festival Gala.

This song requires four people to sing, which also makes it easier for him to add more people. Yu Wei also understands the principle of moderation, so the program should be as few and exquisite as possible.

It's pointless to throw out ten or so programs at once; the real key is to secure a few big programs and make sure everyone gets a chance to participate.

He planned to have Zhang Lingye, Meng Lei, Zhou Mumu, and Tong Yulu sing this song, two men and two women, whose singing skills were decent.

The brother-in-law has other plans, so Su Jian can only perform in skits, and Fei Hong, whose singing skills are average, has to do a martial arts program.

As for the female singer, Tong Yulu holds multiple positions, which goes without saying, since she's one of us.

Zhou Mumu isn't a member of the studio, so arranging a duet is already quite good. If you really give her a single, her fans will start complaining again.

Which skit should we choose?

Yu Wei planned to exchange for the first thing he could do: a skit. The other members of the group were all pretty good at singing, so practicing their songs would be relatively easy.

But talent alone isn't enough for comedy sketches; you have to work incredibly hard and get them out there to practice as soon as possible.

Yu Wei has many classic sketches in his memory, and he likes to watch them, but many of them are not presentable today.

The comedy sketches on the Spring Festival Gala have become completely formulaic, consisting of trending events, popular jokes, misunderstandings, and dumpling making.

It even became the mouthpiece of the government at one point, urging people to get married and have children, with a strong didactic tone. Don't be ridiculous, reading it will make you angry by 99 points.

The reason people don't have children isn't because they can't afford them, right? They could just put on a show to urge people to have children and then they'd be able to afford it?

That's just the way things are. Under these circumstances, if Yu Wei were to bring out those classic sketches, the probability of them being rejected would be absolutely 100%.

Those satirical or purely comedic works didn't even make it past the preliminary round. What they wanted wasn't funny works, but "useful" works.

The people who arrange the skits know what people like to watch; they're shrewd enough to know what's funny and what's not, they just don't want to choose.

Yu Wei, an amateur performer, already carried the "questioning" debuff with the added burden of Su Jian not even being on the list of invitees, making it even more difficult for him to pass the selection process.

In this situation, going against the organizers is a sure way to get selected.

Yu Wei dares not even think about creating a classic work. These days, if he were to release a complete "Working Adventure," "Empress Dowager's Grand Restaurant" would probably not pass censorship.

It's frustrating, but there's nothing I can do...

After much deliberation, Yu Wei decided to put together some short skits that were a bit closer to home, aiming to be both funny and "useful."

Don't even think about what will happen in 20 years. It'll be a mess, and calling it a mess is an understatement. Short videos and jokes will be funnier than comedy sketches.

Looking back, it turns out that the only thing we can do is start with "Hao Jian". Happy Twist's works are the only ones worth watching in the post-sketch comedy era, and they have created quite a few famous memes.

The actors in the "Hao Jian" series of sketches are generally young, which makes it convenient for Su Jian and the others to perform. Yu Wei still needs to think about which one to choose.

Life is full of the art of compromise...

Yu Wei gritted his teeth, feeling increasingly resentful. He clearly had so many classic works, yet he couldn't produce any.

People could be laughing in front of the TV, but instead they just feel incredibly awkward.

Where have all the truly hilarious shows gone? Zhao Benshan's hat, Song Dandan's "Baiyun" (a type of cloud), Chen Peisi's smacking sound while eating noodles—these memories prick him like needles.

Life isn't a fictional novel; he can't bring those classic sketches to the Spring Festival Gala because times have changed.

"Ugh!"

Yu Wei lightly tapped the table. His individual strength was insignificant; he could neither change the general trend nor the rules.

But at least, he can write about a Spring Festival Gala in his book, a Spring Festival Gala without any rules or restrictions, a Spring Festival Gala where he can laugh freely.

It's just a skit, he can just write it. He's a writer, what's wrong with writing a few more scripts?
They cram a few classic skits into the "fake Spring Festival Gala," having their friends perform when there's time, and using AI to generate skits when there isn't.

Although the small workshop was a bit of a makeshift operation, he was perfectly content with it. Even if the filming was simple, the classic scripts and jokes were absolutely hilarious.

He's already brought his brothers to the Spring Festival Gala, so he has to make up for it by giving them a free role. It's not too much to ask that they each play a small skit role, right?
Practice and take photos in advance so they can be posted during the Chinese New Year.

Yu Wei will be participating in the Spring Festival Gala that day and will naturally not have time to post the video. He can ask the studio staff to post it for him later.

At worst, we can compete with the Spring Festival Gala for popularity...

(End of this chapter)