Chapter 18: Creation Is A Very Private Matter
Yu Wei took a stack of task cards and everyone was confused. Wasn’t this supposed to be a relaxed lifestyle variety show? What the heck is this?
Treating him like a Japanese person or something…
“These are work cards. We have to work to earn money.”
Tong Yulu, sitting next to him, pointed to the card that said “cleaning” and explained, “This one means cleaning and doing housework, with daily salary settlement.”
Urban lifestyle observation variety show definitely involves earning money to pay rent, but “HELLO Roommate” is after all an indoor reality show, focusing on interpersonal interactions, so no need to actually clock in and go to work.
Therefore, the work segment was designed as various small tasks. As long as you complete the work of the corresponding profession, you can obtain funds.
Paying rent, buying ingredients, getting daily necessities, buying dog food all require spending money…
Forgot to introduce: besides them several guests, there’s also a Samoyed named Coconut Milk in the house, though Yu Wei hasn’t seen it yet.
“So this dog trainer is…”
“It’s just feeding the dog, scooping poop, taking it out for walks.” Tong Yulu paused: “Best not to pick this one. Mu Mu has already taken it.”
The show also has to compete for employment, huh?
The easier jobs have basically been picked by the six resident guests. Chi Leying and Fei Hong do cooking, Tong Yulu cleans the rooms, Su Jian and Meng Lei are responsible for going out to buy ingredients and daily necessities.
Yu Wei still suffered from arriving too late. The remaining jobs are either time-consuming or labor-intensive, like photographer, which requires taking a photo satisfactory to each member, with unclear meaning.
There’s also athlete, which requires completing various exercise projects—pure torture, and no time at all to write.
“What does this artist do?”
He flipped through and finally found an artist from the work cards. Doing art—this thing sounds pretty relaxed.
“This one? Just do art, like painting, dancing, performance, stuff like that, but the program team has the final say…”
Tong Yulu patiently explained: “We tried this in the first few episodes. No matter what performance, the program team wouldn’t pass it, and the salary is very low.”
In short, everyone present is an art industry worker. Picking artist is staying in one’s comfort zone, with suspicion of slacking, so the program team definitely won’t support it.
If the salary is high, everyone would come sing and dance to earn rent—wouldn’t the show be a mess?
But this job can’t be removed either, because the program team occasionally needs one or two performances to liven up the atmosphere. Singing KK songs and such also has program effect.
“Then this one it is.”
It wasn’t that Yu Wei was stubborn. There really weren’t many tasks left that could free up time to write. This job is abstract, but at least there’s plenty of time.
As for whether he can pay the rent, whatever. If he can’t complete the task from the previous show, can they really not let him leave?
Variety shows are just for fun. Writing is more important.
Including Teacher Zhong, several guests obviously paused when they saw Yu Wei pick this task.
It wasn’t that there’s anything wrong with this job, but it has no sense of presence. For example, during daytime filming, others are busy with this and that—what does the artist do?
In a reality show, if you “don’t work,” it’s hard to get exposure. Then the camera shots will all go to those cooking and working. Who would film an unemployed vagrant?
This entertainment-oriented job is too vague and empty. The audience won’t have any memorable point. For stars, going on a variety show without being remembered by the audience is a total failure…
Stepping back ten thousand steps, doing nothing in a lifestyle variety show easily draws criticism.
“How about letting Teacher Yu go buy vegetables? I can exercise for a day.”
Su Jian’s emotional intelligence was quite high this time. Not only did he add “little” in front of teacher, he also gave up his sweet spot job of buying vegetables.
Don’t think buying vegetables is simple. Their clips of strolling the vegetable market, buying vegetables, and bargaining are the hottest slices of this show. The vegetable market easily produces famous scenes.
Su Jian was basically reluctantly giving it up. Though his intention to please Yu Wei was obvious, his attitude was truly impeccable…
“It’s fine. I’ll first get familiar with the environment.”
Yu Wei still firmly stuck to his choice. First, he needed time to write. Second, he didn’t understand art, but couldn’t he do creation?
For him, this job was still easy to handle. He didn’t even need to bring a song; reciting two lines of lyrics would suffice.
Seeing him insist, the others didn’t know what to say for a moment. Only Old Zhong looked Yu Wei up and down, the wrinkles at the corner of her eyes showing a bit of amusement.
She had seen this gaze before…
Yu Wei’s room was in the corner of the second floor. Though the guest room was small, the lighting was good, and he could even see sparrows kissing on the treetops outside the window.
At ten in the morning, everyone gradually started today’s work. Yu Wei had nothing else to do, so he simply closed the door and started writing seriously.
Who says writing novels doesn’t count as doing art?
Downstairs, the two buying lunch ingredients went out. The other few in the living room looked at each other, feeling something was off…
“Hasn’t he, like, gone up and not come down since?”
“Mm.”
Chi Leying, washing fruit, felt a bit of helplessness. She did have the idea of connecting with this singer-songwriter, but this guy was a bit too unconventional.
Look at the four downstairs: she was washing fruit, Fei Hong was rinsing rice and steaming it, Tong Yulu was watering flowers and wiping the balcony, Mu Mu was playing with the dog.
This situation was like a small gathering, but Yu Wei hadn’t even shown his face—too mysterious…
At first, they thought Yu Wei picked an idle job to wander around everywhere. Who would’ve thought he’d simply shut himself in the room and not come out.
“I’ll go check.”
Chi Leying portioned out a small plate of strawberries and went upstairs by herself. The others also understood her intention but didn’t point it out.
Yu Wei in front of the computer was engrossed in his novel, oblivious to the world, when a gentle knock sounded outside the room.
“I washed some fruit.”
Yu Wei was full of question marks, but since it was filming, he couldn’t really shut her out, so he closed the writing interface and let her in.
Chi Leying’s first glance upon entering locked onto Yu Wei’s lit computer screen, but she tactfully didn’t ask more.
“We’re working downstairs. Won’t you come down and join?”
“I’m working too.”
Couldn’t argue with that. Yu Wei was really working, more dedicated than them…
Chi Leying instinctively said “oh,” meaning he shut himself in to do creation?
That made more sense. Which star goes on a variety show and does nothing? Combined with Yu Wei’s singer-songwriter identity, maybe he was really writing a new song.
“You’re creating?”
“Sort of.”
No problem. Writing books is also creation.
Hearing Yu Wei’s affirmative reply, Chi Leying’s eyes instantly brightened a bit, and she couldn’t help feeling some expectation and curiosity about the new song.
“Then I won’t disturb you. Continue.”
Though she said she wouldn’t disturb, Chi Leying didn’t move at all, just standing quietly beside him, seemingly wanting to witness his entire creation process.
Yu Wei looked at the computer, feeling a bit numb. After so many years as a failure, this was the first time someone stood behind him watching him write.
No way he could write anything like this…
“Creation is a very private thing.”
Before Yu Wei finished speaking, another knock sounded perfectly timed.
“I’ll come help clean the room.”
