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

New Year's Day.

Today is auspicious for receiving wealth, offering sacrifices, exorcising pests, holding religious ceremonies, getting married, moving to a new house, starting a business, burial, breaking ground, etc.

Chen Jinyi enjoys reading the traditional Chinese almanac, not because she is superstitious, but because her name comes from it.

Her father, Chen Ping, believed in this very much. Chen Jinyi was born on a day that was considered auspicious for childbirth, hence the name.

The name has a good meaning; may everything go smoothly today.

It's just for good luck; when her daughter gets married, she'll definitely choose an auspicious day.

Oh right, I don't think I know Yu Wei's birth date and time. I heard from Yuan Yuan that he was raised by his grandmother and only started to make his way in the world after his grandmother passed away. He's a pitiful kid.

From now on, we'll treat him like half a biological son!

Yu Wei was unaware that someone had already started arranging his "wedding." The Spring Festival Gala came to a close with the melody of "Unforgettable Tonight," and he was exchanging New Year's greetings with a group of fellow guests on stage.

"Teacher Yu, may you have a prosperous New Year."

"May everything go smoothly and prosperously."

"Mr. Yu, a platinum book for the New Year."

Tong Yulu knows how to talk; he's just having fun with the others, but he really wants this one...

Although this possibility is practically nonexistent, and although his book set historical records in terms of data, it is ultimately a work of the heretical cultivation school and not truly well-written.

Since the number of spots for top-tier experts on the website is limited, he decided not to try and reserve one.

After the Spring Festival Gala ended, the guests' tasks were finished. They just needed to change out of their performance costumes and leave. As arranged, Yu Wei and the others were going out for a late-night snack, with all expenses paid by Young Master Qi.

"Hurry up, hurry up, don't let the production crew stop us."

It just goes to show how arrogant they were when they declared war, and how cowardly they are now. Competing with CCTV may have been fun, but they're still afraid now that the competition is over.

They didn't want to be summoned for questioning by their superiors. If they were, they could only say that Qi Yuan had ordered them to do everything...

Yu Weien is too heavy to sell, so I can only sell Qi Yuan. He can't be the chief director of the novel's Spring Festival Gala for nothing, can he? He should take the blame first!

Fortunately, Xu Zhen didn't give them any special treatment. This wasn't something a director like him could do casually. Since the higher-ups hadn't said anything, it meant everything was fine.

"I feel that CCTV's attitude towards us is quite ambiguous."

Chi Leying said in a serious tone: "If the higher-ups are unhappy with the fake Spring Festival Gala, there are a million ways to stop it."

Yu Wei also felt this way; true zero tolerance involves swift and decisive action, so how could they wait until they release the video?

For CCTV, there might be other benefits to their self-produced Spring Festival Gala programs, but they don't have time to think about those right now; they just need to take advantage of Young Master Qi first.

"It's a pity that the last two shows didn't become hits."

The novel's Spring Festival Gala has one song and one skit left: Lin Yuting's "Hello Tomorrow" and the group crosstalk "The Five Senses Compete for Credit".

The former clearly shares the same message as "Tomorrow Will Be Better"—warm, gentle, and full of positive energy—which is very suitable for Lin Yuting to sing.

Yu Wei is still too biased; his own people get extra opportunities to make a move.

The five performers in "The Five Senses Compete for Merit" are the five brothers who were ranked in order: Fei the eldest, Yu the second, Zhang the third, Qi the fourth, and Su the fifth.

They originally thought that the brothers working together would be invincible, but the game ended before they even played a match, and Qi Yuan once again missed the chance to trend on social media.

"Everyone is tired tonight, but a good show can still be a hit."

Just as wine improves with age, Yu Wei believes that this novel, presented at the Spring Festival Gala, will stand the test of time and may still be revisited by audiences decades from now.

The remaining two shows are also classics; there's no reason why they wouldn't be popular.

"By the way, how are your album sales?"

He deliberately put the pre-order link on the Spring Festival Gala to advertise his novel. Their Spring Festival Gala was a huge hit, so his album is bound to sell like hotcakes, right?
"Uh... a little over a million,"

Actually, it was 186 million tickets, but Yu Wei was being conservative; otherwise, he would have been the one treating everyone tonight.

The group exchanged glances, knowing exactly what this meant. To put it simply, Meng Han, who was hailed as half of the rock music scene, only sold 150 million copies of his album in its first week three years ago.

The fact that Yu Wei could sell this many units overnight is already an exaggeration, not to mention that this is only a pre-sale.

Once it officially goes on sale and the song gains wider popularity, it feels like it could easily sell tens of millions of copies. This is a real chance to rake in a lot of New Year's money from fans.

"Why don't you share some of your money with me?"

Yu Wei basically handled all the production of this album; how much money did he make?
There's already a sad, thick barrier between them and Yu Wei. He's achieved fame and fortune at such a young age; who wouldn't envy that?

"Just enough to keep the studio afloat."

Yu Wei immediately changed the subject, saying that talking about money would hurt feelings, and said, "Those participating in the fourth round of the 'Top Idol' competition can start preparing their videos now, the competition is about to begin."

The round of 16 to 8 is scheduled for after the Spring Festival, and readers are already urging for more updates, so Yu Wei naturally has to step up his efforts.

Moreover, his album was the entry for the third round of the competition. Continuing to write for the competition would also help promote the album. Why not?
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the participants varied. Those who had already been eliminated were of no concern, but for the contestants who had advanced to the top sixteen, continuing the competition was nothing short of a bolt from the blue.

Especially Zhou Mumu, who was drawn into the first group, and her opponent was the most popular native Zhou Mulun...

Where did this bi-weekly battle come from? It just looks like I'm the one getting humiliated.

Yu Wei smiled silently to the side. In fact, this guy named Zhou Mulun sold 180,000 copies of his album in one minute, which was even more exaggerated than his data tonight.

However, it hasn't officially gone on sale yet, so there's no comparison. All I can say is that Zhou Mumu is already thinking about his elimination speech.

"The fourth round of the competition has started with elimination speeches. They're at least in the top 16, let's give them a grand send-off." Elimination speeches...are they trying to crush someone's spirit?
Being kicked out by a native character and then having to leave a last message, huh? What an ultimate insult.

However, all things considered, having a rejection speech is actually a good thing, as it means they can still get one last bit of attention.

A dying man's words are often kind; follow me so you don't get lost...

After this Spring Festival Gala, they have directly felt the influence of Yu Wei's novels. Every extra chapter they appear in has its own effect, and a last word is better than nothing.

"Thinking about elimination remarks in advance is more useful than preparing for the competition."

Zhou Mumu isn't a professional singer either, but since she's already started, Meng Lei, who successfully scored points, got a bye and naturally doesn't need to worry about the remaining three.

Qi Yuan and Shen Yutong both want to go further; they still want to win, but whether they can do it is another matter entirely.

After a hearty meal and drinks, Qi Yuan suffered a significant financial loss. The restaurant, which charged two thousand yuan per person, clearly had no intention of leaving him any way out...

They didn't dare to stay out too late, since they all had things to do the next day. The price of overnight fame is walking on thin ice, and this matter couldn't be taken lightly.

Yu Wei had arranged to visit the old man, Senior Ye, with the Qi siblings. He had wanted to meet him for a long time.

Early morning buses are already appearing on Chang'an Avenue, and sanitation workers are beginning to clear the snow. Beijing is about to awaken and begin a new year.

For them, the long yet short Lunar New Year's Eve has finally come to an end, and the real journey has just begun.

The next morning, Yu Wei met up with the Qi siblings at the entrance of the alley.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the sky over Beijing was still shrouded in a thin, hazy blue, as if the noise of staying up all night yesterday still lingered in the air, dissipating into a stillness of sweet slumber.

Yu Wei tightened his grip on the gift box he was carrying, then reached out to hold the hand of the woman beside him.

Qi Luoan's hand was slightly damp and a little cool in his palm, his fingertips unconsciously curled up like the claws of a frightened bird.

"Cold?"

Yu Wei exhaled a small puff of white mist, then picked up the gift box and reached out to grab her other hand and rub it.

"Going out in the dead of winter wearing only a sweater, you deserve to be cold."

Qi Yuan ignored their public display of affection, thinking that his little sister was getting more and more outrageous. Before, she just dressed up randomly, but now she doesn't even care about the season.

Those who flaunt their affection at the drop of a hat deserve to freeze to death...

Qi Yuan was quite looking forward to Yu Wei's visit to his grandmother, as Yu Wei was his chosen future star, and he wondered what his grandmother's opinion would be.

As for the usual family gossip and meeting the parents, he wasn't particularly interested. His little sister had gotten a great deal, and her family was secretly overjoyed. How could they possibly be dissatisfied?

After turning a corner in the alley, the view suddenly opened up, revealing a small fork in the road.

The three took another dozen or so steps forward, and a dark red wooden door with mottled paint came into view. The lintel was not high, and the door knocker was an old-fashioned brass ring, polished to a bright shine by the passage of time.

The brand-new Spring Festival couplets pasted on the door, with red paper and gold characters, are written in a free and unrestrained style, quite different from the neat and orderly fonts of other houses. It is obvious at a glance that they are written by an excellent hand.

"A clear song bids farewell to the old year, and orchids and magnolias in the courtyard are bathed in the spring sunshine."

Arrived.

Qi Luoan paused noticeably, a tension she had never felt when taking Yu Wei to meet her parents; her grandmother held a different significance for her.

Yu Wei squeezed her hand, signaling her to relax. He wasn't nervous himself, so why should she be? He also wondered what Senior Chen Ping had left behind...

Qi Yuan pretended not to see the two's intimate actions and took the initiative to knock on the door. His voice was slow and steady, but it was surprisingly loud in the quiet alley.

There was a sudden movement inside, but it wasn't footsteps; instead, a strong, calm voice asked, "Who is it?"

The sound came from inside the door, bright and crisp, penetrating the door panel.

Just by listening to the voice, Yu Wei realized that this person was no ordinary person. No wonder he was a national-level singer. Many elderly people at this age speak as if they are chanting scriptures.

Qi Luoan felt as if he had been burned by the voice, and his shoulders shrank almost imperceptibly.

Qi Yuan quickly cleared his throat, trying to make his voice sound steady and loud: "Grandma, it's me! Xiao Yuan! I've come to wish you a Happy New Year!"

"coming."

The sounds from inside the door seemed to carry an inseparable joy, followed by the crisp, rhythmic sound of footsteps approaching from afar.

The first scent to waft out is a very faint, delicate sandalwood fragrance, mixed with a hint of old books and dried flowers and herbs.

Then, a figure stood gracefully in the halo of light inside the door.

Ye Ranzhi's silver hair was not entirely white; a few strands of dark gray remained interspersed. It was tied into an extremely simple yet elegant low bun at the back of her head and secured with a bamboo hairpin.

She had many wrinkles on her face, but they weren't deep furrows. Instead, they were like ink marks on rice paper, slightly blurred by water, light and softly etched at the corners of her eyes and lips, adding an indescribable charm.

Seeing this, Yu Wei had only one thought in his mind: Senior Chen has good judgment...

She looks like this now that she's old and her beauty has faded; one can only imagine how beautiful she must have been in her youth.

As soon as the door opened, Yu Wei felt the old man's gaze fall on him. Ye Ranzhi squinted, as if trying to see right through him.

This look wasn't one of scrutiny towards a junior; it seemed to carry a hint of curiosity. She didn't say anything, just stood there watching.

Finally, Qi Yuan broke the deadlock: "If we don't go inside soon, An'an will freeze to death."

He finally understood why his little sister was wearing such a thin outfit; she was really cunning... (End of Chapter)