Chapter 64: Watching A Program Inside A Program
“Aren’t you not back to school yet? What experience?”
As the Celebrity Observer, Yu Wei’s current task should be to experience and observe Qi Luo An’s daily life, but she is just a university student—what else is there to experience besides school?
“Not being back to school doesn’t mean I can’t study. What do you think I returned to school early for?”
“Isn’t it because you couldn’t stay at home anymore?”
Qi Luo An clicked her tongue, not angry at all, just glancing at the three photographers following nearby. You have the right to expose someone’s old stories, but every word will be recorded by the Program Team.
The program is still recording—better say something positive and full of positive energy…
After the Music Blind Box segment ended, the program switched from indoor to outdoor filming, with each group of guests following a photography team to ensure capturing the most authentic life details of the civilian guests.
Entertainment Novels briefly mention photographers and other staff, but actually their work details are very numerous and require a lot of experience.
Take the team following Yu Wei, for example: one camera position covers the full scene, two camera positions handle character relationships, and one recording photography assistant carries all the camera batteries.
Every day after wrapping up, they hold meetings with the photography team to clarify the next day’s filming content and division of labor. Yu Wei saw their camera position map, with each photographer’s position clearly marked, along with the filming content and required focal lengths.
People whose minds aren’t flexible enough can’t make it in photography. Execution and adaptability are very important—after all, the so-called program effects are fleeting and gone once missed.
The Program Team actually knows that Yu Wei and Qi Luo An are old acquaintances, since the MV was not long ago, so they weren’t surprised by the photography team’s familiarity and somewhat intimate interactions with them.
Being a bit familiar is good; stiffly reciting pleasantries isn’t fun to watch. They had a feeling this group would be the most popular after the program airs.
“Come with me to the library to study!”
School hasn’t started yet, and Qi Luo An couldn’t think of other filming scenes. University life revolves around just a few things—can’t take him to the girls’ dorm…
“So are you planning to take the Civil Servant Exam or pursue a master’s?”
As a noble white-collar major, not taking the Civil Servant Exam or pursuing a master’s in Chinese Language and Literature is hard to justify. Graduate jobs are similar anyway—the Civil Servant Exam has higher cost-performance.
Of course, with her family’s wealth, she could just slack off and never starve.
“Take what exam? After graduation, just start a book and be a failure—doesn’t that sound great?” Qi Luo An teased while mocking herself with a smile. Clearly, she felt quite helpless about this major too.
“I’ll come to you for advice then.”
“Then forget it.”
Yu Wei himself is an old failure. His wild writing style is obvious at a glance, and yet he teaches others. At first, when newcomers in the Reader Group asked him for chapter recommendations and hit ten-thousand subscriptions, he was still babbling incoherently.
They originally planned to go to Jiaotong University’s library, but the Program Team hadn’t communicated with the school yet, so they couldn’t openly enter the school to film. Thus, they contacted a local bookstore instead.
Bookstores can hardly refuse program filming—being on camera is free advertising, sure to attract new customers for check-ins.
At three in the afternoon, sunlight lazily slanted onto the bookstore floor. Qi Luo An sat at a table by the window, with Yu Wei opposite her, the two separated by stacks of open books.
The full-scene camera shot turned out very well: handsome guy and beautiful girl, with a very comfortable on-site atmosphere, feeling like art photos.
But when Yu Wei pulled out his tablet and smart keyboard and started typing away, the previously artistic academic atmosphere instantly collapsed…
“People who don’t know would think you’re writing a thesis.”
Qi Luo An actually wanted to settle down and read a book, at least put on a show for the program, but for some reason, with Yu Wei sitting opposite, she just couldn’t focus.
“That’s still different. Web Novels don’t need plagiarism checks.”
Yu Wei had written a graduation thesis before—several rounds of plagiarism checks, reductions, and additions had worn him out. One could only say that a PhD from Dai is still too valuable.
If Web Novels did plagiarism checks too, a bunch of template-users would be done for…
“Let me see what you’re writing.”
Bored with reading materials, Qi Luo An simply got up and sat beside Yu Wei to watch him write. She’d definitely read the new chapters anyway—might as well preview them.
If it were anyone else watching him write, Yu Wei would cover it up tightly, but with Qi Luo An sitting nearby staring wide-eyed, Yu Wei felt no discomfort at all. That was strange.
Maybe facing a real reader, he wasn’t afraid of embarrassment…
“By the way, do you Web Novel writers all segment so weirdly? Two sentences to a new paragraph—don’t tell me you write compositions like that too.”
“I remember the Editor saying that Web Novels should be segmented as much as possible to reduce visual pressure and make it easier for readers to read ten lines at a glance.”
Yu Wei had forgotten where he learned it from—many people read novels on their mobile phones, and long paragraphs with too many words feel cramped.
Old person on subway looking at phone.jpg.
Qi Luo An still found it novel. She’d read plenty of Web Novels, but watching an author write live was a first—there was a kind of… pleasure in watching a turtle crawl.
Writing this slowly—who’s got time for that?
“Your typing speed is lacking, brother.”
“Men can’t be too fast.”
The photography team filming nearby was shocked—these two were too familiar. Saying such bold words so casually—what would the audience think?
Could it be… these two… um…
“Anyway, writing won’t speed up, so while you write, think about what song we’ll chorus later.”
Qi Luo An’s words pulled the topic back on track. Don’t be fooled by their current leisure—in a few days, they’d have to start practice singing.
“Chorus? I thought you wanted solo.”
Yu Wei could think of plenty of female solo songs, but male-female duets were hard to pick—most were about love, which felt a bit off.
With their relationship, they were clearly in the best bad friend category.
If all else fails, just do a Phoenix Legend song—his yo-yo part and done…
“Don’t think about slacking. I haven’t sung in eight years—I don’t want to embarrass your song.”
Qi Luo An anticipated his anticipation. She was here to “peep” at Yu Wei on the program; as for singing, she didn’t want to steal the show—that was his turf.
She had no designs on Yu Wei’s works. More precisely, her interest in fame was less than her interest in Yu Wei…
“No rush, I’ll think more.”
Yu Wei was only wrapping up Sword Like a Dream today—couldn’t fit a new song yet. Simple screening wouldn’t hurt.
“Gonna write a new song?”
This was Photographer Xiao Zhu blurting it out. Before coming, the Program Team had specifically emphasized: if Yu Wei writes a new song, support it fully.
For a Music Variety Show, having an original song premiere is a heavenly hand opening—what’s not to support? They could worship Yu Wei as the original.
“Yeah, you can look forward to it.”
Not singing a new song means nothing else works—singing others’ songs risks exposure, and his previous songs didn’t have great male-female duets.
“Great, then I’ll watch your creative process the whole time.”
Songwriting is different from writing—needs a source of inspiration at least, plus the lyrics and composition process.
Yu Wei had this idea too—the System would provide these creative processes. Perfect chance to show readers via the program: he really had no stockpiled songs, all fresh out of the oven.
“Watching Chao Yue Ban tonight?”
Qi Luo An, head down reading, suddenly asked—reminding Yu Wei that the episode he was in was airing.
Last week, when he signed the Music Blind Box contract, the program trailer was out, but he’d been too busy to notice. Qi Luo An clearly wanted to watch with him.
Watching the program with people from the program—pretty playful?
And don’t forget they were on a program now—watching a program on a program layered it again, like nesting dolls.
Yu Wei looked helplessly at the staff, unsure if watching a program on a program was allowed… any copyright issues?
Photographer Xiao Zhu nodded—their program would also air on Tengzi, same platform, no problem.
“So, where to watch?”
“Your place, of course.” Qi Luo An asked with half-narrowed eyes: “I live in the girls’ dorm—can you get in?”
“If you can get in, we can watch in the dorm too.”
