She debuted after having a child with a celestial being.

Xiao He gripped the steering wheel, not answering immediately.

The car continued driving forward.

The North China Plain is a hazy gray expanse that stretches as far as the eye can see.

"Return to television dramas, take to the stage, win awards, and reclaim your top-tier popularity, Liu Yifei."

Xiao He spoke calmly, but with great certainty.

"But returning is not the same as going back. Filming about the fairy sister or Little Dragon Girl would just be reheating old food, a thankless task."

He turned and glanced at Liu Yifei.

"What you need to film is a TV series that creates a completely new character based on your current age. It will give the audience a fresh perspective on you."

Liu Yifei didn't say anything, waiting for him to continue.

"To do this, you need at least three hit shows."

Xiao He paused.

"After three films, you can try working on both television series and films. But the order can't be reversed."

Liu Yifei tapped her fingers on Mei Mei's thigh.

"Specifically?"

"Let me think about it and organize my thoughts."

Xiao He thought for a moment before continuing.

"The first step is to return to acting and choose a role that perfectly matches your current age and temperament. No longer a young girl, no longer a fairy. It could be a mature woman, a career woman, or a merchant's wife from ancient times. In short, it could be a role that will surprise the audience by showing them that 'Liu Yifei has grown up.'"

"The second step is to strike while the iron is hot after the show becomes a hit, and then follow up with a second and third season to create a continuous output of works and completely win back the public's favor."

"The third step is to establish yourself in the drama industry while also appearing on variety shows. You don't need to do many variety shows, but you should be selective. Choose shows that showcase your true personality, not purely for entertainment."

"After completing these three steps, you'll be back at the top. Of course, Sister Sisi, you're already at the top now."

"The top-tier celebrity I'm talking about is the ultimate top-tier celebrity who dominates the world and is unmatched by anyone."

Liu Yifei narrowed her eyes slightly: "My little brother has quite the ambition, doesn't he?"

"That's because my older sister has a good foundation," Xiao He replied with a smile.

Liu Yifei showed off her cute canine teeth with a happy smile. As everyone knows, Liu Yifei's adorable canine teeth can only be seen when she is in a good mood and laughing heartily.

"Little brother, your older sister has such a good foundation, can't she give birth to an incredibly cute little Princess Sissi?"

"..."

Again?

Xiao He remained silent.

Liu Yifei was even happier, giggling and unable to resist pinching Xiao He's cheek.

"Little brother, you came at just the right time. I regret not calling you sooner and asking you to come and keep me company. Otherwise, how would I have gotten through these darkest moments of my life without you?"

Xiao He remained silent, knowing he absolutely couldn't respond; if he did, the conversation would likely escalate back to the topic of having children.

The two remained silent, but it wasn't awkward.

"Little brother, which year were you in?"

"I graduated in 2014. I was in the same year as Yang Zi and Zhang Yishan."

Liu Yifei nodded and recalled for a moment: "During your school years, you didn't receive any gigs, short videos, or even movies or TV dramas..."

She paused, a hint of curiosity appearing in her eyes.

"You don't just spend all your time at school researching entertainment news, do you? Otherwise, how do you know so much about it?"

Xiao He didn't want to explain about his rebirth.

So I went along with it.

"Sister Sisi, you're not only beautiful, but also smart. Congratulations, you guessed right."

Liu Yifei leaned back in her seat and looked at him.

Why are you researching these things?

Xiao He thought for a moment: "Is it possible that the reason I don't take on roles is because I don't want to be an actor, but rather a big boss behind the actors?"

Liu Yifei was stunned for a moment.

Then I laughed out loud.

"You? You can't even act properly, and you want to be a boss?"

Xiao He grinned: "Maybe one day, we'll sign you over here, sister."

"You brat."

Liu Yifei reached out and patted his shoulder.

"Small in stature, but big in words."

Xiao He chuckled twice and continued driving.

After a while, Liu Yifei asked again, "Then why did you suddenly join the trainee program and take the idol route?"

"To build popularity and make money." Xiao He answered without even thinking.

"What do you mean?" Liu Yifei asked, somewhat puzzled.

"The era of short videos is coming."

His tone became serious.

"You know Douyin, right? It just launched in 2016, and its user base has exploded this year. It'll be even bigger next year."

In fact, 2017 was a pivotal year for the rapid expansion of short video platforms.

After becoming the exclusive sponsor of "The Rap of China" in October 2017, Douyin embarked on a period of rapid growth.

The user base in the entire short video field is expanding rapidly, with Douyin KOLs and influencers achieving an average monthly growth rate of nearly 18%, leading the entire platform.

"Sister, short videos will redefine the concept of popularity," Xiao He said.

"In the past, traffic came from TV dramas, movies, and variety shows. In the future, traffic will come from short videos. Whoever can become popular on Douyin will become the new gateway to traffic."

He turned and glanced at Liu Yifei.

"I want to become the most popular idol on the Douyin platform."

"At that time, live-streaming e-commerce and starting an influencer MCN company will be a sure-fire way to make money."

In 2017, live-streaming e-commerce was booming.

Viya became famous overnight after helping a store with zero followers sell 7000 million yuan worth of goods in a single Taobao live stream.

MCN agencies such as Qianxun and Wuyou Media were established one after another in this year, and the scale of the influencer economy industry continued to expand.

Xiao He knew that this was a trend that was still in its infancy.

When he debuted and became famous, it coincided with the golden age of short videos and live-streaming e-commerce.

Liu Yifei remained silent for a few seconds.

"You don't seem like the type of person who just wants to be an idol."

"Idols are just a stepping stone."

Xiao He said, "The real show begins after we jump up there."

Liu Yifei did not say anything more.

She leaned back in her seat, her gaze fixed on the scenery outside the car window.

A while later.

Have you decided on your public image?

She suddenly asked.

Xiao He was taken aback: "Character setting?"

"You think Cai Xukun and Fan Chenchen didn't have them?"

Liu Yifei's tone became serious.

"From the moment you step into the company, what kind of person you are has already been determined. Sunny, aloof, hardworking, talented... You choose one, and then act it out for four months."

Xiao He thought for a moment.

My persona is: authenticity.

Liu Yifei raised an eyebrow slightly: "What kind of persona is this?"

"Sister, in the era of short videos, everyone who tries to create a persona will eventually have their image exposed."

For example, Tong Jincheng never worries about his public image collapsing.

Because he had said long ago: I myself am a ruin.

Tong Jincheng never cultivates a perfect persona; instead, he lays bare his true self, including his flaws.

The result is that while a house collapse is a disaster for others, it's an everyday occurrence for him.

Authenticity and sincerity are the biggest weapons for attracting viewers in the future era of high-traffic short videos.

"I think your idea is flawed. Only by establishing a solid and well-defined persona can you quickly gain wider recognition."

As a veteran in the entertainment industry, Liu Yifei began to share some of her experience.

Xiao He listened attentively, but he had his own plans in mind.

The car continued driving forward.

Liu Yifei picked up her phone.

"Please retrieve the list of one hundred trainees."

"what?"

"Let me take a look."

She spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated."

Xiao He paused for a moment, then smiled.

He pulled up the list and handed it to her.

Liu Yifei looked at them one by one, sliding her fingers across the screen.

As she watched, she sent several messages on WeChat and began asking around to find out about the trainees' backgrounds.

After a while, she began to mark.

"Cai Xukun".

She turned the screen toward Xiao He and pointed to a name.

"He participated in 'Super Idol' and made it to the top 15 nationwide, so he has a fan base. Later, he was in the boy group SWIN. Although they didn't become famous, they still had a solid foundation. Your disadvantage is your lack of fame, but your advantage is that you haven't been typecast."

Xiao He nodded.

"Chen Linong".

Liu Yifei pointed to another name.

"He takes the sunny route, has a charming smile, and is naturally popular with audiences. That doesn't conflict with your path. You don't need to compete head-on with him; he makes his living off being a cute younger brother. You... obviously won't go down that route."

"Fan Chenchen".

Her finger moved to another name.

"His sister is Fan Meimei. She brings her own buzz and traffic."

She looked up at Xiao He.

"You can't compete with him in terms of topics. Don't get hung up on that."

"Don't I have an older sister too? How come I can't compete? Should I use Liu Yifei as an example to try and win?" Xiao He joked.

"Sure, you can have my baby and use my fame as you please."

Liu Yifei delivered a stunning final blow, ending the game.

"Little brat."

Liu Yifei pointed to the last name.

"He's an underground rapper who participated in 'The Rap of China' in 2017; he's got real talent. Don't try to compete with him head-on in rap. Your strength doesn't lie there."

She put her phone down.

"I'll have people continue to inquire about the others. But these four are the ones you need to pay the most attention to."

Xiao He looked at her, a feeling he couldn't quite describe welling up inside him.

This woman, who once said, "Who in the entire entertainment industry is worthy of marrying me, Liu Yifei," was now sitting in the passenger seat, without makeup, her hair casually tied up, helping him screen through a hundred trainees one by one.

It's not just a perfunctory response.

She was genuinely helping him with his homework.

They asked their agents and friends one by one about the trainees' backgrounds and personas.

"Sister Sisi."

"Um?"

Thanks.

"No need to thank me, or you could hug me... to answer my question."

When Liu Yifei said "hug," she deliberately raised her voice and drew out the word.

Here we go again, can't we avoid the topic of having children? Xiao He quickly turned his gaze back to what was in front of him.

"Sister Sisi, please don't tarnish the perfect goddess image of the fairy sister in my heart."

"roll……"