Chapter Nineteen: Hearing the Sound of Tears, Entering the Woods in Search of Pear Blossoms—Only a Trail of Moss Remains

There are two cameras in Yu Wei’s room: one on the ceiling for a wide-angle shot, and another beside his desk for close-ups. In truth, both cameras are capable of capturing him as he types away.

They can capture his movements, but the specific content on his screen is certainly impossible to make out; all one can see is him tapping away incessantly at his computer.

He doesn't deliberately avoid the cameras, as it’s no big deal, but having two people hovering right next to him is a completely different story.

Tong Yulu and Chi Leying stand on either side of his desk, their eyes meeting with a look that suggests, "If you aren't leaving, I’m not leaving either"—it’s either both of them leave, or both of them stay to watch.

Why are they both crowding around him?

Yu Wei is no heartthrob, and the entertainment industry is not short on handsome faces. As for talent, it’s not exactly overwhelming; his single song so far hasn’t really proven much. Their presence is primarily for two reasons.

First, to satisfy their curiosity. He joined the show without showing his face or wanting to be on camera, which naturally leaves his peers puzzled.

Second, they are here for the sake of "show effect."

Although "Hello, Roommate" documents the daily lives of its tenants, it can't just be mundane daily routines, or the show would become too dull for viewers to stick with after a few episodes. Even though they are just stopping by to make an appearance, this shifts the show’s main perspective, giving the production team something to film and the audience something different to watch.

It’s easy to imagine that when this part of the show airs, the audience will surely be curious about what Yu Wei is doing.

For them, this is also an excellent opportunity to raise their profile. Compared to doing tedious chores downstairs, it is certainly more interesting to bring the audience along to "solve the mystery" upstairs.

Personal charm is a rarity in the entertainment industry. Since Yu Wei arrived, the reason he attracts attention is simply that there is profit to be gained from him.

Are real female celebrities actually that easy to flirt with, to the point where a protagonist can make their eyes sparkle with just a few witty remarks? As if they haven't seen the world...

Slight talent is the first reason, being currently hot is the second, show effect is the third, and perhaps there is a small, remaining sliver of genuine curiosity.

Yu Wei is well aware of why they are here, and as the one being disturbed, he is naturally quite annoyed. However, from the perspective of a bystander, compared to those "innocent flowers" who believe whatever they are told, these ambitious and calculating women are actually the most likely to remain untainted by the mud. Because they know exactly what they want and understand what is most important to them.

"If you don't leave now, I'm going to leave."

Recognition is one thing, but he still has to issue an eviction notice. His readers are waiting for updates, and anything that interferes with his writing is a nuisance.

"Fine, we won't hinder your creative process."

Evidently, Tong Yulu heard what Yu Wei said earlier; she probably followed Chi Leying upstairs and was eavesdropping outside the door. The two women tactfully retreated. Everything requires a sense of proportion; lingering too long would be counterproductive, and the audience wouldn't enjoy it either. They are both shrewd operators, but by comparison, the struggling writer Yu Wei seems more like an honest kid—at least he doesn't slack off when it comes to typing.

Speaking of readers, ever since Yu Wei asked that day, "Will you keep reading?", that "hater" reader hasn't replied to him once. He doesn't know what was wrong with that question. However, Yu Wei didn't press the issue. He just wanted a loyal reader, not a sycophant, so there was no need to ask again.

"Which song should I write this time?"

He is also hitting a writer's block in his performance segment. He has been writing about various humorous clips from the "Voice of Dreams" program for the past few days, and by tomorrow or the day after at the latest, he needs to have the protagonist sing, or the pacing will drag too much.

The pacing of a web novel about the entertainment industry really tests an author's skill. If the balance between daily filler and plot progression is good, it’s nutritious; if not, it’s an inconsistent mess. For a slice-of-life entertainment novel, the pace can be slower—every ten or twenty chapters, the protagonist just needs to have a moment to shine.

But a "power fantasy" novel cannot afford to drag. It’s best to have a conflict every three chapters and a resolution by the fifth, with the protagonist always on the road to showing off. His book, "Grading the Entertainment Industry," is a quintessential power fantasy; the protagonist grades and critiques the entire industry while he goes, so dragging it out will affect the reading experience.

He wrote about folk guests "stirring up trouble" over the past two days, and he clearly felt the follow-up reading numbers drop slightly. Even though the readers found the segments amusing, data doesn't lie. Today, he wrote a chapter about a "High-Note Guy," which felt a bit like filler. If he keeps writing like this, the readers might leave again.

"When will you sing a new song?"

He saw the comment from "Pengcheng Wanli." Ever since the "Three Questions of Heart Wall" incident, this user has become a loyal reader, urging him to update whenever he has the chance. Yu Wei doesn't know if the reader wants to read the book, but he is definitely trying to probe the truth.

In fact, many who are following "Why Does the Star Care So Much About Ratings?" are thinking the same thing. Since it’s a story about a protagonist transmigrating and copying works, the protagonist must eventually copy songs, right?

The first time, he wrote "Heart Wall" five days in advance. What should he write this time? If he starts "normal" copying, everyone will flock away, assuming the first song was just a gimmick. But if the second song is also a "prophetic" new song, then it’s a big deal—either the author has connections, or the author has supernatural powers.

Yu Wei definitely intends to write new songs they haven't heard before, but he hasn't decided which one yet.

Just as he was hesitating, someone called for dinner downstairs. Yu Wei got up, walked to the door, then turned back to write a line on a piece of manuscript paper and brought it down with him.

"Oh, you're quite enthusiastic about dinner."

Fei Hong and the others were setting the table and didn't forget to tease Yu Wei as he came down. He hadn't been seen all morning, didn't do any chores, and didn't join the chatter. Staying alone on a show centered on interpersonal interaction is somewhat uncooperative.

But Fei Hong meant well. He wasn't saying this to criticize Yu Wei, but rather to speak on behalf of the other guests and the audience. When something like this is teased, it becomes a joke; if left unsaid, it is easily blown out of proportion by the audience. The other guests might have been thinking something, but once it was brought out into the open, a laugh cleared the air.

In fact, Yu Wei noticed as soon as he arrived that although this older guy with a crew cut didn't say much during the "praise" segments, he had been subtly guiding him more than once. What’s more valuable is that he didn't just do this for him; whenever others said something that might cause controversy, he would quietly defuse it. This kind of "after-talk," considering the impact of the broadcast, is easily overlooked—he was doing good deeds in silence.

However, the guests present didn't say anything to Yu Wei; at most, they were just curious about what he was doing. The guests were accepting because it didn't matter whether Yu Wei was involved or not; he didn't do much, but at least he didn't cause trouble, so they left him be.

But the production team certainly couldn't accept this. They paid to hire stars to create show effects, so how could he keep hiding? The director and his team saw it too; Yu Wei had been tapping away at his computer all morning, and they had no idea what he was typing.

"Yu Wei, go walk the dog with Mumu this afternoon."

This was a message the director had the cameraman relay. If a variety guest doesn't show their face, wasn't it a waste of money to hire them?

The group looked at each other. The director taking the initiative to arrange the schedule was a first in recent episodes. Their show focuses on life observation; even if there is a script, it's usually not this explicit. But this time, it was basically an order. The production team had really gone to great lengths for Yu Wei.

"Sure, but I have to come back early."

Yu Wei's reply shocked everyone again. He only followed half of the director's instructions, giving half the face, so to speak—wasn't that a bit...

In truth, Yu Wei was already being very accommodating. After all, he still had to maintain his two-chapter-a-day update schedule.

"Why do you need to come back early?"

The director's tone wasn't exactly angry, but it carried a questioning weight. The production team could hire veteran artists like Zhong Qing, so they weren't afraid of offending a newcomer like him.

"To write. I only managed a few lines this morning."

Yu Wei guessed that the production team wouldn't let him slack off, so he had prepared in advance. He didn't have other songs memorized, but he certainly remembered plenty of lyrics. He didn't hide it and immediately took out the manuscript paper he had written on earlier.

"Hearing the sound of tears, I enter the forest to seek the pear blossoms white,

Only to find a streak of moss.

The sky is beyond the mountains, the rain falls on the flower terrace,

And my temples have turned gray."