Chapter 32: Not Enough Money, Actors Undecided, Script Not Ready
Asking for someone else is impossible now.
Perfectly meeting Yu Wei’s requirements and accepting his free of charge conditions, it’s probably hard to find a second one…
“What do you mean ask for someone else, you are my High Steps to the Clouds.”
“You even know High Steps to the Clouds?”
It’s not that Qi Luo An looks down on stars, the entertainment industry being a cultural desert is well-known, many artists can’t even speak properly in interviews, let alone have culture.
Her brother Qi Yuan is a typical representative among them; before, he misread polyphone words on a program and she sarcastically mocked him for a year.
“I’ve still been to university.”
The dance academy on the original body can be ignored; it’s specially for gilding idols. You can get a degree without going to school. Yu Wei is referring to his previous university.
“I believe you.”
Qi Luo An’s previous sentence was just subconscious surprise. A person who can write two songs and is planning to come up with a script wouldn’t be illiterate.
“How can you believe me? At a time like this, shouldn’t you fiercely question my lack of culture, and then I write two poems to slap your face?”
What entertainment protagonist inexplicably reciting poems and composing verses segment?
Fortunately, Qi Luo An is a loyal entertainment novel reader; otherwise, she wouldn’t understand the meaning in and out of Yu Wei’s words. They can be considered evenly matched opponents, meeting a worthy talent…
Unknowingly, the awkward atmosphere of their first meeting had long disappeared, and that distance quietly collapsed like freshly melted cream.
“The song you sang on the program, let me listen to it.”
After their relationship gradually became more familiar, Qi Luo An also became much more generous unconsciously. Actually, in the novel, she wanted to listen as soon as she saw it, but at that time as netizens, she was too embarrassed to ask.
Interactions between people always have steps from shallow to deep; it’s impossible to go straight to the end like in novels…
Their current state is roughly that of good friends; they can joke around, but overall, it’s still somewhat polite.
Yu Wei happened to have the rough cut version sent by Hong Hui on his mobile phone, so he simply sent her a copy. Anyway, in a few days when recording the MV, she would have access to it.
Without the shock and astonishment from the novel, Qi Luo An put on headphones and listened very seriously, just nodding in recognition a few times during it.
Watching her brows sometimes furrow and sometimes relax, Yu Wei inexplicably felt a bit nervous, as if he was back in that afternoon when the teacher repeatedly checked his naughty note.
“I don’t understand it, but it’s pretty awesome.”
“?”
You don’t understand it but act so professional, nodding while listening; those who don’t know would think it’s music appreciation.
“Sorry, my music theory knowledge has regressed to an eight-year-old level. The static-dynamic contrast between rain sounds and human voice is done well; the arrangement teacher is pretty skilled.”
She’s not really clueless; it’s just been too long since she touched it and she forgot most of it. A fallen genius is still stronger than a passerby.
“The thunder-rain sound effect with the drums and bass guitar chiming together is also done pretty well.”
Yu Wei casually added a sentence, which also affirmed Qi Luo An’s evaluation. Having this level at eight years old—is she being modest or boasting?
He originally thought she was the fallen genius type, but now it seems she’s Zhang Chulan, still able to fight after a ten-year blank period.
“The song is good, the MV can be shot, for the short film I need to see your script…”
Qi Luo An’s attitude is clear: she can act for zero actor’s salary, but she has requirements for the work’s quality. She can’t let selling a favor ruin herself.
She has no ideas about acting, but this thing once shot will be watched by others; if it’s too garbage, she won’t be able to show her face either.
“When will your script be ready?”
“When it’s ready.”
Yu Wei really can’t say for sure about this; the novel-related plot has just started being written, it’ll take at least five or six days no matter what, and after writing, he still needs to check the data requirements.
“Not enough money, actors undecided, script unavailable—you sure have a big heart.”
Qi Luo An couldn’t help but complain; others write the script first and then recruit actors, but he white-jeeps all the free ones first and then starts writing.
She was planning to chat a bit more, but her gaze casually swept to the side and found that the sky had already darkened deeply. The coffee in front had long been finished, with only a faint brown smudge left at the bottom of the cup.
Chatted for so long?
“I have to go back to school.”
She suppressed the inexplicable reluctance in her heart and teased, “You haven’t updated today either; go back early to write.”
Only then did Yu Wei belatedly realize it was already eight in the evening; when they entered the second time, it was just past three—where did the time go…
The last time he got too immersed in chatting and forgot time was after graduation at a roommate gathering, talking wherever thoughts led, chatting for an afternoon.
“Want me to send you to the school gate?”
This sentence was pure socializing politeness; he was the one who asked her out, and it’s late, so not saying it politely wouldn’t do.
“Forget it, big star. If you send me, the whole school’s students will surround us.”
Qi Luo An doesn’t dare say about others, but at least her three roommates have been circle-fanned by Yu Wei and have joined the authoritative “Little Squid” organization.
Wait, if she shoots a piece with Yu Wei later, can she still stay in the dorm?
……
“Haven’t stuck to the deadline update in a long time.”
23:58, Yu Wei finally successfully released the new chapter before midnight. Back when he was a failure, he lingered on this “life-or-death line” quite a bit.
Actually, web novel authors aren’t that busy; it’s just a habit of cramming at the last minute. Their author group chats and brags with 99+ messages per minute usually, but after ten at night, the whole group goes silent…
But today was an exception; he didn’t expect a chat to take so long, and at that time, he even felt like the chatterbox had just opened.
While sighing, Yu Wei casually checked the novel data. The lit-up numbers reflected in his pupils, and his heart sank sharply—it’s over!
Follow-up reads are only just over two hundred. You know, last time when he redeemed Sound of Rain, follow-up reads were above three hundred, but while writing, the data even dropped?
Failure isn’t scary if it’s just failing; what’s scary is failing worse as you write, data dropping lower and lower—it’s simply a nightmare for their line of work…
“How am I supposed to redeem the short film with this.”
In panic, Yu Wei quickly found the crux; actually, many of his previous readers came for the “song prophet,” not really wanting to read the book.
When he wrote Sound of Rain, the novel’s popularity was at its peak; everyone was betting on whether this song existed.
Now ten days have passed and the song hasn’t come out yet, plus the short film plot is too vague; they temporarily lost interest in continuing, basically all watching.
“Don’t let it die on me.”
Raising a book is still too scary; readers wanting to save up for a binge is normal, but authors not getting positive feedback easily leads to dao heart shattered, and then there’s nothing after that.
But Yu Wei is okay; ordinary chapter data doesn’t matter much, the key is the data for work-related chapters.
As long as specific chapter data meets the standard, he can redeem; other chapter data doesn’t affect much.
Gotta think of a method to trick readers in; otherwise, he can’t get the short film…
Got it, name the chapter new song then; everyone will think he wrote another new song and definitely click in to see.
Although not very ethical, without data there’s no new song; this is a virtuous loop!
“Hope they don’t curse too harshly.”
