CHAPTER 41: CHAPTER 41: THE ORIGINAL NOVEL IS STILL SOMEWHAT USEFUL

But everything has two sides.

Anything that becomes wildly popular is bound to have some scandals dug up.

Especially since this episode features ultra-popular top celebrity Su Yan, yet the spotlight falls on the only ordinary person, which makes many people dissatisfied.

After the dissatisfaction comes the scandals.

After the gathering, most people chose to leave overnight, but Mu Qiu only returned home the next day—even though no family awaited her, she was likely to stay there for a while, so reluctantly she could call it home.

After returning home, she fully referenced various scenes from entertainment circle novels, hid at home, didn’t go out again, and found the quietest and most soundproof corner in the bedroom to type on her computer.

After finishing her writing, she browsed Weibo for inspiration and saw the overwhelming scandal online.

Mu Qiu realized that she had really underestimated the industry professionals’ talent for creating stories in the past.

[Mu Qiu with squinting eyes] [Mu Qiu falls for every man she meets, a true flirt] [Digging up reasons why Mu Qiu’s work is bad but still famous] [Mu Qiu is the heir of a famous family, joining a variety show just to experience life]...

People can make up such flowery identities for her, it’s a huge loss to the country that these people aren’t writing novels and becoming millionaires.

Luckily, those bashing her aren’t the main force online; the main force has poured their sweat and enthusiasm over the handsome men in the show, screenshots are everywhere, occupying all the software Mu Qiu used for inspiration.

What else could she do? She could only appreciate and save one image at a time.

From ten in the morning to one in the afternoon, after selecting for a few hours, she finally picked an image she found most stunning from all the handsome photos and set it as wallpaper.

Unlocking the phone reveals Cheng Zhirang’s wet-body-and-all smile, making her day.

Turns out being a fan is really this enjoyable.

Mu Qiu was about to private message Zhao Yu with "Dad finally understands you now," when she suddenly saw a few private messages from long-time book fans.

[I’ve already found it for you, here’s the image for you to use.]

[No need to thank me, even though I gave up time on my math homework and risked getting scolded by my parents and teachers to help you.]

[You know what I mean, right?]

"?"

Mu Qiu furrowed her brow and clicked on the navigation link the book fan sent.

It was a Weibo post from Different Variety Show’s official account.

[Different Variety Show official account: A fan asked us where the inspiration for those three melodramatic stories came from, and I won’t claim credit. It all comes from the original words of the author, who you can ask to speak up about it @Author Fire Man]

Mu Qiu felt puzzled and replied below: [Why don’t I remember writing such melodramatic, pitiful stories full of grievances and melodrama?]

If there was even one such melodramatic story about the main or supporting male and female leads, the book’s performance might not have been so bad, and she would remember it. But thinking back, there really was nothing like that.

Unable to figure it out, she went back to look at the dark photo the book fan sent and silently stared at it for two seconds.

Then her eyebrows twisted into a perplexed frown.

[Author Fire Man: In a book with nine hundred thousand words, you used just a few dozen, yet you expect me to recall... Director, your remark about uselessness could have been more straightforward. @Different Variety Show official account]

She had written a self-reflective passage in the book meant as a director’s summary: Can middle-aged women escape hopeless marriages? Can a rich second generation’s so-called love outweigh their partner’s dislikes? Can a shattered mirror truly be mended? Love varies by the moment, no one can predict accurately.

This monologue was initially designed for the director’s summary, but unexpectedly it got extended in this way.

Her silent exasperation was clearly visible in her reply, yet the fans of various celebrities, keen to grasp the program crew’s tactics, already sensed the show’s scheme.

[I get it, future segments might all come from a few useless sentences in novels.]

[I have to get my Yangyang to quickly read the original, just looking at the useless asides without paying attention to the plot.]

[So "useless" really means the serious plot was useless, hahaha.]

[Even the author forgot, better go and fill in the gaps.]

[Now it’s a vision contest between everyone and the show crew, seeing who can find the most useless sentence that might become the setting for the next episode.]

[Isn’t the author thinking: I shouldn’t have written so much fluff?]

[No, the author should be thinking: Director, I was wrong, I should have praised you throughout.]

[Hahaha, I’m dying with laughter! Someone make a meme of the author.]

Mu Qiu shook her head as she watched the screen, sitting barefoot on the carpet, leaning in the corner, unable to resist recalling the scenes she wrote about the director, but she couldn’t remember, so she simply opened her book document on the computer and started rereading.

The phone, casually placed on the carpet, suddenly rang. Not taking her eyes off the computer screen, she picked it up without looking at the name and said, "Hello."

There was silence initially, followed by a deep voice after a few seconds, "Mu Qiu, your mother saw you on TV."

Mu Qiu paused, closed her eyes, and looked down at the keyboard, replying softly.

"Oh."

"Why did you suddenly appear on TV?"

"That program invited me."

"So you accepted? Weren’t you afraid of being deceived?"

"Do you think I was deceived?"

No answer from the other side, then another question: "How is it?"

"What do you mean, ’How is it?’ "

"How are you doing?"

"Pretty well."

"Oh." Another curt end to the conversation with a single word, "That’s it then."

After hanging up, Mu Qiu glanced at her phone, the call lasted fifty seconds.

It’s always like this, starting with a cold name and ending with dry words, not like a family at all.

Not that it ever was like a family, they enjoyed collectivism and criticism to spark liveliness, while she preferred solitude to express her uniqueness.

Restlessness caused discomfort, and Mu Qiu stood up from the corner, walked out of the room, planning to make herself a belated lunch.

After chopping tomatoes and scrambling eggs, just as she added water into the pot, someone suddenly knocked on the door.

Mu Qiu was taken aback; she had just moved in here and had no friends for a casual visit... Could it be Cheng Zhirang?

It turned out she was daydreaming. When she opened the door, Chen Song’s standard smile greeted her.

"Chengcheng has something he wants to share with you. I couldn’t persuade him otherwise."

Mu Qiu murmured an acknowledgment and then looked down at the actual person knocking on the door.

Little Chengcheng donned an adorable sunflower T-shirt, standing awkward yet stylishly there, puffing up his cheeks as he gazed at her.

"Sister, I have something to give you, as a gift."

He raised his hands holding two small boxes, offering her one.

Mu Qiu squatted down, took the little box, and mimicked his soft and gentle tone, asking, "What does Chengcheng want to share with sister?"

Chengcheng: "Uncle Brother Cheng made some snacks."

Mu Qiu looked up, surprised, and asked Chen Song, "Brother Cheng can make snacks?"

Chen Song’s smile remained unchanged, "They’re just sandwiches he made for himself, and he specially cut a small piece for Chengcheng."

"Specially for Chengcheng, huh?" She looked back at Chengcheng, "Then sister can’t take it."

Chengcheng was insistent, forcing a small box into her hands, and once he had given it, he ran away. Then he hid by his own door, poked his head out to glance at her once, and, as if shy, quickly retreated inside.

Mu Qiu was amused but accepted it, thanked Chen Song, and closed the door, holding the "eldest brother’s allocated" snacks.

——————

Mu Qiu: Lucky enough to taste Brother Cheng’s lovingly made snacks tonight, see you in my dream, Brother Cheng.