Chapter Eighteen: Creation Is a Rather Private Affair

Yu Wei stared at the stack of task cards, completely bewildered. Wasn't this supposed to be a relaxing lifestyle variety show? What in the world was this?

It felt like they were trying to mess with him...

"These are work cards; we have to work to earn money."

Tong Yulu, sitting next to him, pointed to a card labeled "Housekeeping" and explained, "This one is for cleaning and doing chores. You get paid daily."

In a city-life observation show, earning money to pay rent is inevitable. But since "HELLO Roommate" is an indoor reality show focused on interpersonal relationships, there's no need to actually clock in for a real job. Consequently, the work segment is designed around various mini-tasks; as long as you complete the work corresponding to your chosen profession, you earn funds. You need money for rent, groceries, household supplies, and even dog food...

I forgot to mention: besides the guests, there is a Samoyed named Coconut Milk in the house, though Yu Wei hadn't seen it yet.

"So, what does this 'Dog Trainer' do?"

"It’s just feeding the dog, scooping its poop, and taking it for walks." Tong Yulu paused. "It’s best not to pick this one; the job is already claimed by Mumu."

Is there workplace competition even in a variety show?

The lighter jobs had basically been picked over by the six resident guests. Chi Leying and Fei Hong were in charge of cooking, Tong Yulu was cleaning, and Su Jian and Meng Lei were responsible for shopping for groceries and household goods.

Yu Wei was paying the price for arriving late. The remaining jobs were either time-consuming or physically demanding. For instance, the "Photographer" role required taking a photo of every member that they were satisfied with—a task with unclear significance. Then there was the "Athlete" role, which required completing various fitness projects; it was pure torture, and he would have absolutely no time to write.

"What does this 'Artist' do?"

As he flipped through the cards, he finally found one labeled "Artist." Doing art—that sounded pretty easy.

"Oh, that one? You just have to do art—draw, dance, or perform something. But the final interpretation is up to the production team..."

Tong Yulu patiently explained, "We tried this in the previous episodes. No matter what you perform, the production team won't approve it, and the pay is very low."

To put it bluntly, everyone present was already in the arts industry. Choosing "Artist" meant staying in their comfort zone, which smelled like slacking off—something the production team definitely wouldn't support. If the pay were high, everyone would just sing and dance to pay the rent, and the show would descend into chaos.

However, the job couldn't be removed, as the production team occasionally needed a performance or two to liven up the atmosphere. Karaoke sessions also made for good variety content.

"I'll take this one."

It wasn't that Yu Wei was being stubborn, but there were simply too few tasks left that allowed him free time to write. While this job was abstract, at least it offered plenty of time. As for whether he could afford the rent? Who cares. If he couldn't finish the task on a variety show, they couldn't possibly keep him from leaving, right? Variety shows are just for fun; his writing was what mattered.

Including Teacher Zhong, the guests were visibly stunned when Yu Wei chose this task. It wasn't that there was anything wrong with the job, but rather that it lacked presence. For example, during the day's filming, everyone else was busy doing this or that—what would an artist do?

In a reality show, if you aren't doing work, it's hard to get exposure. The cameras would naturally follow those cooking or cleaning; who would film a loafer? This entertainment-based role was too vague and grandiose, leaving no impression on the audience. For a celebrity, appearing on a variety show without being remembered was a wasted trip.

Not to mention, in a lifestyle show, doing nothing is a quick way to get criticized.

"Why don't we let Teacher Yu handle the grocery shopping? I could use the exercise for a day."

Su Jian’s emotional intelligence seemed to have spiked. Not only did he add the respectful "Teacher" title, but he also gave up the highly coveted shopping job. Don't underestimate grocery shopping; the segments of them visiting the market and haggling were the show's most popular clips. Markets are hotbeds for iconic moments.

Su Jian was essentially making a sacrifice. Even though his intention to curry favor with Yu Wei was obvious, his attitude was truly impeccable.

"It's fine. I'll take this time to get familiar with the environment."

Yu Wei remained firm in his choice. Firstly, he needed time to write. Secondly, he might not know "art," but he certainly knew how to create. For him, this job was easy to handle; he didn't even need to write a song—reciting a few lines of lyrics would be more than enough.

Seeing him so insistent, the others didn't know what to say. Only Elder Zhong looked Yu Wei up and down, a smile crinkling the corners of her eyes. She had seen this look before...

Yu Wei's room was in the corner of the second floor. Although the guest room was small, the lighting was excellent, and through the window, he could see sparrows chirping on the treetops.

At ten in the morning, everyone started their tasks. Yu Wei had nothing else to do, so he simply closed his door and began to write in earnest. Who said writing a novel wasn't "doing art"?

Downstairs, the two grocery shoppers had left. The others stood in the living room, looking at each other, feeling that something was off...

"Has he... ever come down since he went up?"

"No."

Chi Leying, who was washing fruit, felt a bit helpless. She had indeed thought about building a connection with this singer-songwriter, but this guy was playing by his own rules.

Looking at the four people downstairs: she was washing fruit, Fei Hong was rinsing rice, Tong Yulu was watering plants and cleaning the balcony, and Mumu was playing with the dog. It was like a small social gathering, yet Yu Wei hadn't even shown his face. It was a bit too mysterious.

At first, they thought he chose the "do-nothing" job because he wanted to wander around. Who could have guessed he would just lock himself in his room and never come out?

"I'll go check on him."

Chi Leying set aside a small plate of strawberries and headed upstairs. The others understood her intentions but didn't say anything.

Yu Wei was deep in the throes of his novel, completely lost to the world, when a soft knock sounded at his door.

"I washed some fruit."

Yu Wei was full of question marks, but since they were filming, he couldn't exactly turn her away. He minimized his writing interface and let her in.

The first thing Chi Leying did upon entering was lock eyes with Yu Wei’s glowing computer screen, though she was tactful enough not to ask.

"We're working downstairs. Aren't you coming down to join us?"

"I'm working too."

She couldn't argue with that; Yu Wei was indeed working—more diligently than the rest of them, in fact.

Chi Leying subconsciously said "Oh." So, his self-seclusion was for the sake of creating? That made much more sense. No celebrity would just do nothing on a show. Combined with his identity as a singer-songwriter, it was possible he was actually writing a new song.

"Are you creating?"

"You could say that."

No problem there; writing a book was creating, too.

Hearing Yu Wei’s affirmative answer, Chi Leying’s eyes brightened, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of curiosity and anticipation for a new song.

"Then I won't disturb you. Carry on."

She said she wouldn't disturb him, but she didn't move an inch. She just stood there, watching him quietly, as if she wanted to witness the entire creative process.

Yu Wei felt a bit numb behind his computer. He had been a struggling author for so many years; this was the first time someone had stood behind him to watch him write.

It would be a miracle if he could write anything under these conditions...

"Creative work is quite private."

Before Yu Wei could finish his sentence, another knock sounded at the door right on cue.

"I'm here to help clean the room."