Chapter Thirty: Your Most Urgent Task Is to Uninstall Qidian Reading

At this hour, the cafe had yet to fill up. Yu Wei swept his gaze across the room and headed straight for the booth in the innermost corner.

The high-backed booths offered excellent privacy, neatly dividing the cafe into isolated cubicles, each distinct and undisturbed by the others. This was precisely why Yu Wei had chosen this place. He didn’t want the hassle of being recognized. It’s hard for a celebrity to get around; characters in entertainment industry novels might go wherever they please, but in reality, a star can’t just stroll through the streets. Being recognized was a minor inconvenience, but causing a scene was a different matter. While Yu Wei didn't consider himself famous enough to warrant such concern, he wasn't about to gamble on it. A public figure must maintain a sense of social responsibility; it would be poor form to disrupt the lives of others. One person’s freedom should not come at the expense of another’s. A little extra effort was a small price to pay.

Yu Wei was here to audition an actress. He wouldn't usually go to such lengths, but the candidate had insisted that they meet anywhere but his company office. While he couldn't fathom why, he was looking for a favor—essentially free labor—so he didn't feel it was his place to complain. If she was willing to work for nothing, what did it matter where they met? Any place other than his office was problematic anyway; they were either too crowded or inappropriate for a man and a woman to be seen alone. He had settled on this cafe, which felt like its own little sanctuary, and planned to buy her a coffee as a gesture of goodwill.

"I just hope this person 'Little Heizi' introduced is reliable."

If someone had told him in the past that he would be discussing a professional collaboration with a stranger from the internet—who had then referred him to another stranger—he would have thought they were insane. But now, it seemed he was the crazy one. Despite how much this sounded like a trap to get his organs harvested in a foreign land, he trusted his readers. How bad could someone be if they read his book every single day? Even if it were a scam, if they went to such lengths just to trick him out of a cup of coffee, he’d accept his fate.

While Yu Wei was lost in thought, a blurred, shifting shadow glided across the faint light on the tabletop. The young woman didn't speak immediately; instead, she gave him a sweeping, evaluative look.

"Hello."

Yu Wei looked up and saw her face clearly. She wore a black beret, with wisps of bangs framing her forehead like morning mist, accentuating a delicate, petite face. Her fresh, ethereal beauty was beyond reproach—it exceeded his expectations for an actress.

Was she truly an amateur? Her fashion sense was peculiar: a crisp, white shirt with a plaid bowtie suggested a sweet, academic style, yet she paired it with an asymmetrical, vintage oil-painting-style skirt. It was a rebellious choice, yet it suited her temperament perfectly—quiet, whimsical, and unconstrained.

"Hello."

In truth, she was Qi Luo’an herself. There was no actress; how could there be such a coincidence that the perfect candidate just happened to be available? She wasn't exactly lying, though—she could hold her own in a performance, and as for whether she was pretty enough, well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. She had to clarify that she had no interest in acting and actually detested the entertainment industry. She was only here to see what Yu Wei was up to. After chatting online for so long, she had developed a simple curiosity about the person behind the screen. As for his looks? Passable. His demeanor? Acceptable. His hands, however, were quite nice—it was a pity he didn't update his novel with twenty thousand words a day.

"Hi, I’m... Luo Qi. An’an introduced me."

Thankfully, she had thought fast. She had nearly slipped up; he was sharp, and if she had mentioned the surname Qi, he would have immediately linked her to Qi Yuan. As for the "An" in her name, she couldn't mention that either, since it was in her online handle—it would be too obvious a giveaway.

"A nice name. It reminds me of a blue-haired mage," Yu Wei said, skipping the pleasantries and cutting straight to the point. "Your friend must have mentioned the terms and the work. Would you be able to accept them?"

"That depends on the circumstances." She knew that accepting too easily would seem suspicious. She decided to play the part to the end. "If the script is good, I would certainly accept a zero-fee role. If the script is average, then perhaps..."

Yu Wei nodded. It was true that one couldn't rely solely on favors to get someone to work for free. It was reasonable for her to want to see the script first. No wonder she was still an amateur despite her looks; she clearly had high standards.

"If I may ask, how is your acting?"

Acting is hard to quantify. Yu Wei was looking for credentials, like whether she was a student at a film or drama academy.

"My grandmother was a veteran actress. I’ve been learning from her since I was a child."

Qi Luo’an wasn't lying. She had been raised by her grandmother and had learned quite a bit growing up. Under the personal guidance of a veteran artist, she could at least hold her own, even if she was an outsider.

A true pedigree. Little Heizi hadn't lied; his connections were surprisingly strong. Childhood training usually outweighed the academy-trained types who started late. With her upbringing, her intuition for performance likely wouldn't be poor.

Solid foundations, innate talent, top-tier looks, and real ability. In an entertainment novel, she’d be the protagonist's archetype. To land someone like this for free was a total jackpot.

"Your friend... An’an seems to know a lot of stars. Is she a celebrity, or perhaps a second-generation star?"

Hearing this, Qi Luo’an breathed a sigh of relief. His sudden shift in phrasing made it clear he now viewed them as two different people.

"A second-generation star. Her father is a director."

"That explains it."

Renowned directors in the entertainment industry held high status; it was no wonder she knew so many celebrities, and finding his contact information wouldn't be difficult for her. It was simply absurd that someone so prominent would spend time reading his entertainment novel.

After the terms were settled, they moved on to transparency. Yu Wei outlined the details: they would start by filming a music video, followed by a short film. The music video would rely on expressions and movement without dialogue, making it a simple warm-up and a chance for him to test her acting. Qi Luo’an readily agreed; since the song hadn't been released yet, she was essentially getting an early preview.

Their first meeting went smoothly, though the specific details of their collaboration would have to wait until Yu Wei had the final script ready.

After they parted ways, Qi Luo’an patted her chest in lingering relief. Thank goodness her acting had held up. She pulled out her phone to check the time, only to be met with an incoming QQ call. The caller ID read: "The washed-up dog Yu Wei."

"As I thought."

Qi Luo’an’s fingertips trembled as she heard a voice behind her. She turned instinctively to see Yu Wei standing there quietly, his phone pressed to his ear, his gaze meeting hers.

"You really thought a change of identity could fool me? There are plenty of stories about internet friends meeting in real life without recognizing each other—the information gap makes for good drama."

"But the problem is, this isn't a novel. There's no authorial hand guiding the plot, no convenient assumptions, and I’m not that easy to fool."

Qi Luo’an’s eyelashes fluttered rapidly, like a butterfly stung by a harsh light.

"I guess I’ve been reading too many novels."

Now that she thought about it, such a scenario was full of holes in real life.

"As long as you realize that. Your top priority now is to uninstall Qidian Reading."