Chapter 24: A Little Story After the Rain

"God: I can grant you five wishes.
Me: I want to become Yu Wei.
God: You have already used up your five wishes.
Me: ?
God: Good looks, high IQ, stamina, high emotional intelligence, and charm."

The latest reader comment on the new chapter arrived, albeit a bit late. Yu Wei didn't know where she had copied the joke from; although it was clearly a template, it was still pleasant to hear. He even felt like showing it to those two; this was true flattery—at least it actually made you laugh instead of feeling awkward. Of course, it was also possible that Yu Wei was just being hypocritical, truly considering his readers as "his own people."

"When are you releasing that new song of yours?"

Upon seeing the new chapter, Qi Luo'an had actually understood that Yu Wei had already finished writing the song, which was why he had casually excerpted two lines for his novel. She quite enjoyed listening to Yu Wei's songs; although an average person might not have much of an artistic temperament, she could still tell whether a song sounded good or was catchy. She could put "Heart Wall" on loop for hours without getting tired of it, whereas she couldn't even listen to a single song by Qi Yuan... Of course, it was also possible that Qi Luo'an was being hypocritical, truly considering Yu Wei as "her own person."

"You should be able to hear it after the show airs, probably in about a month?"

The production team had specifically arranged a bonfire party before Yu Wei's departure, and he planned to sing the new song then. Although readers in the comment section said the previous song's popularity hadn't faded yet, by the time the show officially aired, more than a month would likely have passed. Variety shows were generally recorded four or five episodes in advance; the staff weren't made of iron, after all. Editing, post-production, special effects, trailers, and promotion—which part didn't take time? In entertainment industry novels, recording a show and airing it two days later was pure fantasy, as if the editors were being treated like slaves. With so much footage, let alone editing, just selecting and arranging it took more than three days. Anyone who paid a little attention would know that while you were watching the first episode, the production team was already recording the fifth, and the filming location for the sixth had already been selected.

Live variety shows were even more unrealistic. Competitive shows like "The Singer" could do live broadcasts because the competition process was short and more inherently competitive. But reality shows had too much "trash time." Just take the current situation: if they did a live broadcast, would they make the audience watch celebrities cook for an hour? We live in a fast-paced era; there weren't many viewers who would stay tuned for a long live stream, and those who had the spare time didn't have the patience. The entertainment industry couldn't go against the trend; there were definitely more people scrolling through short videos than watching live streams. Honestly, reality show live broadcasts only existed in entertainment novels. Not only was the practical difficulty high, but the risks and rewards were completely disproportionate—it was thankless work.

As an author, Yu Wei also knew why it was written that way. Firstly, it was convenient for creating conflict; netizens in the live chat would question the protagonist, allowing him to show off. Secondly, writing a live broadcast was really convenient for padding out the word count; one could just make up a few lines of netizen dialogue to fill a page. How could an author resist?

"Are you recording a variety show?"

Qi Luo'an keenly caught this detail. She was quite curious about what variety show recording was actually like, though she had never asked her brother. If you didn't understand a math problem, would you go ask the most pretentious, stuck-up top student in the class? That was exactly what Qi Yuan was like.

"Yeah, the seventh episode of 'HELLO Roommate'."

One could only say that everyone had a desire to share. Some people liked posting on social media, but Yu Wei often shared his complaints with netizens. Because there was no intersection in real life, he could share his life without restraint. He actually liked this show quite a bit. At first, it felt a bit boring, but after getting used to it, the feeling of living under the same roof with friends was actually quite interesting. This reminded Yu Wei of the core selling point of "iPartment": the best friends are by your side, the one you love is across the way. In fact, the essence of this variety show was similar—everyone was busy, yet they could gather together to talk and laugh.

He subconsciously wanted to share some interesting anecdotes from the show, but Qi Luo'an was full of surprises; she actually knew several of the guests. "Le Ying, Xiao Lu, and Meng Lei, I know them. I'm not that familiar with the others." Qi Luo'an didn't really follow celebrities; in fact, she had an indescribable repulsion toward the entertainment industry. However, she was forced to be exposed to many such topics. She even read entertainment novels because they broke her preconceived notions about the industry. How should one put it? The novels were truly more interesting than the real entertainment industry.

Seeing the message, Yu Wei felt a bit relieved. No wonder she could get his contact information; her tone sounded just like an industry princeling. He wanted to chat a bit more, but he heard a commotion downstairs. He looked up and saw that, at some point, wet marks had appeared on the window. Before he knew it, the marks had connected into a sheet, and the sound of fine rain gradually covered his eardrums, gently drowning out the monotonous, noisy chatter.

It was raining?

Yu Wei followed the sound downstairs and realized the source of the noise. The heavy rain had come unexpectedly, and the production staff had retreated to the cabin to take shelter. The people were fine, but the equipment couldn't get wet. Just as he went downstairs, Fei Hong had already rushed out with two umbrellas. The other guests were all still inside, but Zhou Mumu hadn't returned from walking the dog.

"Fei Hong, go check the nearby Chunting Park."

Yu Wei remembered that when they were walking the dogs a few days ago, Zhou Mumu told him she loved to go there for walks. Coconut Milk (the dog) also liked the big banyan tree in the park. Last time, the dog had broken free from its leash and run around the tree a dozen times; the cameraman had a say in that...

"Got it."

Fei Hong moved quickly. Anyone with eyes could see this wasn't just a show; he was clearly genuinely worried. Yu Wei looked at the curtain of rain in the distance and couldn't help but think of someone. Had Jam Hsiao arrived?

"What a pity, your farewell party will probably have to be canceled."

Chi Le Ying looked like she had gotten caught in the rain. Mud spots on her pear-blossom yellow dress were striking, and the bangs on her forehead were soaked, sticking messily to her face. Compared to her usual meticulously prepared self, the current Chi Le Ying had a touch of reality—natural and vivid. Perhaps knowing Yu Wei was leaving tomorrow, she was no longer cautiously testing the waters, but truly feeling some sentimentality before parting.

"It's fine. Even if you don't send me off, I still have to go."

Yu Wei didn't mind. He couldn't really adapt to things like bonfire parties, and the current situation was actually quite nice. Singing didn't require a grand stage; even in a room, huddled together on the sofa, the singing would still swirl within the narrow space. Besides, a rainy day was actually more suitable for this song of his...

As they were speaking, two familiar figures appeared not far away. Yu Wei looked up and found this scene somewhat romantic. In the rain, the tall boy held the small dog and smiled down, while the petite girl stood on her tiptoes to hold an umbrella for him. Two people, two umbrellas, snuggling as they walked through the hazy rain. Because of the height difference, both of them were essentially soaked; the only one who probably hadn't gotten wet was the Samoyed in their arms, looking completely bewildered. At a glance, they looked like a family of three.

Amidst the pattering rain, the sound of heartbeats surpassed everything else. Yu Wei watched Fei Hong and Zhou Mumu walk over, from far to near, yet he couldn't help but feel he had witnessed something incredible... Anyone could see that something was definitely going on between these two. They probably had a wonderful little post-rain story during the process.

Something was brewing!