Chapter 56: This Is Terrifying, Brother
“Then let me ask you, where is your benefit?”
“Followed, where is the hidden benefit? If there isn’t one, I’m going to attack you.”
“This trick again, right? Luring readers in to kill them?”
That day readers finally remembered the fear of being dominated by clickbait authors. Last time with a “new song” title to trick readers wasn’t enough; this time directly hiding the benefit, huh.
Then let me ask you, where is the hidden benefit?
Yu Wei certainly didn’t dare trick readers this time. Since he marked a hidden benefit, he had to come up with some real benefit no matter what.
True heart for true heart, and readers will continue reading. Deceiving them will only turn into the story of the boy who cried wolf.
Since readers aren’t following up because the expectation time is too long and tormenting, then he just needs to satisfy their curiosity as quickly as possible.
As long as they follow up, he will quickly provide new content. Over time, the follow-up process will no longer be a torment, but unlocking a reward.
By then, readers will be happy to have new things to read, and he will be happy after enough follow-ups. This is a positive loop…
“Let’s record a singing short video first.”
This hidden benefit won’t be limited to form; it could be a singing short video, or a marketing account movie commentary. Someday when he has time, he might even copy a bestselling book from otherworld.
Anyway, make it as fresh as possible to make readers desire to unlock new benefits, and they will tirelessly read and follow up.
This time he was out of town with limited conditions, so simply shooting a video as an experiment. The hotel where Yu Wei stayed had good soundproofing, and the next room seemed unoccupied, so recording a few lines of song wouldn’t disturb anyone.
He didn’t care about camera shots or sound recording, just picked an angle and started shooting with his mobile phone. For some reason, that kind of fresh daily singing video is always very attractive.
Yu Wei used to like watching singing videos too, but compared to those well-prepared, exquisitely shot professional ones, he seemed to prefer scenes that were a bit simpler and plainer.
Maybe, it has a sense of authenticity.
……
“What is this kid up to now?”
Qi Luo An felt that she had very little sense of presence as operations officer. Every time Yu Wei did something in the book, she had no idea, yet readers would @ her asking.
She was curious too. Who knew what the dog author was up to this time.
Tricking readers in again to get scolded—it wasn’t just once or twice. Was this some special hobby?
Qi Luo An seriously suspected if Yu Wei had some masochistic system, writing this book just to get scolded by readers, getting stronger the more he was scolded…
“Annoying. Tomorrow I’ll go play with grandmother.”
She originally planned to stay home all summer, but these days it’s hard to be a homebody. The first day back, mom was caring, but staying too long meant getting nagged every day.
Sure enough, parents all over the world are the same.
Now she couldn’t shamelessly stay anymore; her older brother was back, moping at home all day. Qi Luo An couldn’t stay anyway.
Having a conspicuous person at home tilting his head at a 45-degree angle staring at the sky all day, then sighing and sighing: A true man should be like this. Who could tolerate that?
“How did an easter egg chapter get added?”
Qi Luo An looked closely; the latest chapter of her pinned “Why Does the Star Care About Ratings?” was indeed an easter egg chapter, just posted.
Sure enough, trying to stir things up again…
She clicked in casually and found it was a new video posted by Yu Wei himself. The thumbnail was him holding a guitar, with the hotel curtain behind him.
The easter egg chapter title was “Hidden Benefit Unlocked.” So the promised hidden benefit was here. Judging by the look, it was obviously recorded on the spot. Was he planning to sing?
Yu Wei was half-leaning by the window curtain, his white shirt blending into fragments of the sunset. Qi Luo An couldn’t look away for a moment.
The youth holding the guitar lowered his head and plucked the strings. Notes of “The Secret of the Time Thief” flowed in the dusk air—this was a new song they only knew the name of.
The last golden-orange light outside the window was gradually swallowed by evening clouds, gilding his thin shoulders with a layer of faint golden light.
“What you can hold tight, don’t let go
What you can embrace, don’t pull away
Time rushes by impatiently
Leaving what behind.”
With the rise and fall of the melody, he simply sang and played, his voice clear with the slight huskiness unique to youth. That melody became clearer in the deepening dusk, gently rippling in this small screen.
This feeling was completely different from Yu Wei on stage. The plain footage and simple setup were so real, as if he were really sitting across the room, quietly singing.
Qi Luo An watched the silhouette in the dim light, her eyes blinking repeatedly, and for no reason took a deep breath.
In Yu Wei’s video, time was indeed passing. Dusk silently swallowed the last bit of light, leaving only him playing and singing.
When night fully enveloped the room, his fingertips still hadn’t stopped. Yu Wei paused slightly and hummed softly.
“Who let~ time be such an unexpected thing
Sunny with wind, cloudy with rain
Can’t fight day and night yet miss the past
Stole the black hair but left behind a you.”
The vibrating strings still brushed the dim air, while the night deepened, only reflecting his lowered outline in the video and the girl’s uncertain heart.
No, no, why was her heart beating so fast?
The song was good, but Qi Luo An realized her focus this time wasn’t on the song… but on the singer.
This is scary, brother.
“Time is a journey with no return
Good or bad are all scenery
Don’t blame me for being greedy, just unwilling to wake
Because you, only for you, are willing to watch with me
The clouds fade, wind lightens.”
The light finally went out completely, dusk fully covering the youth’s lowly drooped eyes. The video abruptly ended; Yu Wei had only sung a simple demo.
The song hasn’t been formally released yet; no need to sing it fully. To satisfy readers’ curiosity, this segment was completely enough.
A simple 50-second video somehow made Qi Luo An feel a vibe like watching R18 content—face red, heart racing, palms sweating. Was this still a proper video?
The contrast, this was too contrasting. Especially recalling meeting Yu Wei at the coffee shop—that incoherent failure who only spouted nonsense had such a quiet and fresh side?
“Qi Luo An, Qi Luo An, you can’t be fooled by a star. Forgot the rules you set before?”
She calmed her mood, about to pretend nothing happened and continue gaming, when she faintly heard a familiar melody from outside the room—coincidentally, it was the same “The Secret of the Time Thief” from earlier.
Qi Luo An quietly pushed the door open and glanced at the living room. Sure enough, her older brother Qi Yuan was sitting on the balcony holding his mobile phone listening to music, gazing at the distant view outside while listening and spacing out.
“A true man should be like this!”
She knew it…
“It’s normal for me to listen, but why are you so invested?” Qi Luo An didn’t hide it and went out to mock him face-to-face. “What, finally extending your claws to a teammate?”
“Shallow. I’m just studying the opponent.”
Qi Yuan turned back and gave her a glance, then changed the subject and asked back: “You listening is normal? What’s normal about it?”
Before, his little sister asked for Yu Wei’s contact, excusing that her roommate was a Yu Wei fan. He’d felt something was off. Last time he saw Yu Wei’s hot chat contact, it indirectly confirmed this.
“Your relationship with Yu Wei isn’t simple.”
“Does it concern you?”
If it were someone else pressing, Qi Luo An might get nervous, but facing her older brother, even with solid evidence, she could retort a couple times.
Qi Yuan let out a long sigh, seeming to gradually understand everything.
“I know you want to trip me up, but no need to specially buy off Yu Wei to act against me, right?”
“?”
This was something Qi Luo An hadn’t expected. When did she buy him off? This older brother thought too highly of her; she wasn’t that idle, and neither was Yu Wei.
“Isn’t it? Otherwise, how to explain Yu Wei just coming out with good music and you adding him, right after our competition he messages you.”
“Clearly you two reached some cooperation. You saw his talent and wanted him to snipe me, and after the competition he’s reporting work to you, right?”
Guard against day and night, but hard to guard against a thief in the house. This little sister had ulterior motives and couldn’t be kept.
“Big bro, as a university student, how could I buy off a new star rising to prominence in the Chinese music scene?”
“I don’t care. I just handle seeing through your conspiracies.” Qi Yuan looked up at the distant sky. “Unfortunately, you miscalculated. Yu Wei has lofty ambitions and a pure heart; how could he be fooled by you?”
“We just had a test that stopped at the point; your conspiracy can’t break me…”
He ranted passionately to himself for two sentences, then turned back to find Qi Luo An gone, only leaving “Whatever you say.”
Qi Luo An had no desire to refute. Compared to her real thoughts, being seen as a conspiracy wasn’t bad.
