Chapter 56 That Is Terrifying, Bro

"Then let me ask you, where is your fan perk?"
"Checked it. As for the hidden perk, if you don't give me one, I'm going to attack you."
"At it again, huh? Luring readers in just to slaughter them?"
That day, the readers finally remembered the dread of being manipulated by clickbait authors. Pulling a "new song" title stunt last time wasn't enough; now they were going straight for a hidden perk?
So let me ask you, where is this hidden perk?
Yu Wei certainly didn't dare to fool his readers this time. Since he had labeled it as a hidden perk, he had to deliver some genuine benefits.
Sincerity was the only way to keep readers hooked; cheap tricks and empty promises would only turn into the story of the boy who cried wolf.
Since readers weren't following serial updates because the wait was too agonizing, wouldn't it solve the problem just to satisfy their curiosity as quickly as possible?
As long as they kept following, he would promptly provide new content. Over time, the reading process would no longer be a torment, but a reward-unlocked experience.
By then, the readers would be happy to have new things to watch, and he would be happy to have enough active followers—a truly positive cycle...
"Let's record a short singing video first."
This hidden perk wouldn't be bound by form. It could be a short singing clip, a movie recap for a marketing account, or maybe even plagiarizing some otherworldly bestselling books someday when he had free time.
Anyway, keep it fresh and varied, giving readers the desire to unlock new perks so they would tirelessly read along.
Being out of town with limited conditions this time, he would just shoot a simple video as an experiment. The soundproofing of the hotel Yu Wei stayed in was quite good, and it seemed no one lived in the adjacent room either. Recording a few simple lines of a song wouldn't disturb the neighbors.
He didn't care about camera angles or audio collection; he just picked an angle, whipped out his phone, and started recording. For some reason, those fresh, everyday singing videos were always very appealing.
In the past, Yu Wei also liked watching singing videos, but compared to those well-prepared, professionally polished ones, he actually seemed to prefer simpler, more understated settings.
Perhaps it was because of a certain sense of reality.
...
"What the hell is this brat up to?"
Qi Luo'an felt that her role as the operations officer was entirely devoid of presence. Every time Yu Wei pulled some stunt in his novel, she had no idea beforehand, only to have readers tag her and ask about it.
She was curious too; who knew what crazy nonsense the scumbag author was pulling this time?
Tricking readers into getting scolded again—it wasn't the first or second time. What kind of bizarre fetish was this?
Qi Luo'an seriously suspected that Yu Wei had some sort of masochistic system, writing this book purely to be cursed at by readers, growing stronger the more abuse he received...
"So annoying. I'm going to hang out with grandma tomorrow."
Originally, she had wanted to spend the whole summer lazying around at home, but being a couch potato wasn't easy these days. Her mom would shower her with affection on the first day back, but after staying too long, it was daily nagging.
Sure enough, parents all over the world were the same.
Staying on shamelessly wasn't an option anymore either; her older brother had returned and moped around the house all day long. Qi Luo'an simply couldn't stand it there any longer.
Having an attention-seeker at home staring up at the sky at a 45-degree angle all day, followed by a long sigh and the sentiment, "A real man should be just like this!"—who could possibly endure that?
"Why is there an extra bonus chapter?"
Qi Luo'an looked closely. Wasn't the latest chapter of *Why Do Celebrities Care So Much About Ratings?*, which she had pinned to the top, precisely a bonus chapter? And it had just been published.
Sure enough, he was pulling another stunt...
She casually tapped into it and discovered it was a new video posted by Yu Wei himself. The cover showed him holding a guitar, with the hotel curtains in the background.
The bonus chapter was titled "Hidden Perk Unlocked." So the promised hidden perk was right here. Judging by the situation, he had clearly recorded it on a whim just now. Was he planning to sing?
Yu Wei half-leaned against the window drapery, his white shirt blending into the remnants of the setting sun, making Qi Luo'an unable to look away for a moment.
The young man holding the guitar lowered his head and plucked the strings. The notes of *Thief of Years* flowed through the dusk air—a new song whose name was all they knew.
The final golden-orange light outside the window was gradually swallowed by the evening clouds, casting a thin golden sheen over his slender shoulders.
"What can be tightly held, don't let it go anymore
What can be embraced, don't drag it out anymore
Time is rushing and washing away
What is left?"
As the melody rose and fell, he softly strummed and sang. His voice was clear yet carried the slight hoarseness unique to youth. The melody grew increasingly distinct in the deepening twilight, gently rippling through the small screen.
This feeling was completely different from Yu Wei on stage. The monotonous video quality and simple setting were so real, as if he were truly sitting right across the room, singing quietly.
Qi Luo'an looked at the silhouette of the youth in the dim light, blinking repeatedly as she took a deep, unprovoked breath.
In Yu Wei's video, time was indeed slipping away, and the twilight was silently devouring that last speck of light. Only he remained, playing and singing.
When the night completely enveloped the room, the movement of his fingertips still hadn't stopped. Yu Wei paused slightly and hummed softly.
"Who made~ time such an unguardable thing?
Sunny with wind, overcast with rain sometimes
Unable to contend with the fleeting day, yet yearning for the past
Stealing away the youth, yet leaving behind a you."
The trembling of the guitar strings still brushed against the dim air, while the night grew heavier, reflecting only his lowered silhouette in the video and a girl's fluttering, hesitant heart.
No, no, why was her heart beating so fast?
The song was undoubtedly good, but Qi Luo'an realized that this time, her focus didn't seem to be on the song... but on the person singing it.
This was terrifying, bro.
"Years are a one-way trip with no return
The good and the bad are all scenery
Don't blame my greed, I just refuse to wake up
Because you, only you, are willing to be with me
To watch the clouds drift light and the wind blow soft."
The light finally went out completely, and the twilight thoroughly covered the youth's lowered brows and eyes. The video ended abruptly, and what Yu Wei sang was merely a simple demo.
The song hadn't been officially released yet, so there was no need to sing the whole thing. Just to satisfy the readers' curiosity, a snippet like this was completely sufficient.
The simple fifty-second video actually gave Qi Luo'an the feeling of watching an R-rated clip—blushing, heart racing, and palms sweating. Was this even a decent video?
The contrast was huge, especially when she recalled her meeting with Yu Wei in the coffee shop. How could that unreliable hack who only talked nonsense also have such a quiet and fresh side?
"Qi Luo'an, Qi Luo'an, you mustn't be fooled by a celebrity. Have you forgotten the rules you set earlier?"
She calmed her emotions, intending to pretend nothing had happened and continue playing her game, when she faintly heard a familiar melody from outside the room. Coincidentally, it was the very same song, *Thief of Years*, from just a moment ago.
Qi Luo'an quietly pushed the door open and looked toward the living room. It was indeed her older brother, Qi Yuan, sitting by the balcony holding his phone and listening to the song, while daydreaming as he gazed at the distant scenery outside the window.
"A real man should be just like this!"
She knew it...
"It's normal for me to listen to it, but why are you listening to it with such devotion?" Qi Luo'an didn't bother to hide; she walked right up to launch a face-to-face taunt. "What, finally about to sink your demonic claws into your teammate?"
"Superficial. I'm just studying my opponent."
Qi Yuan turned his head, rolled his eyes at her, and then switched topics to counterattack: "You listening to it is normal—normal in what way?"
Earlier, his little sister had asked him for Yu Wei's contact info, making up the excuse that her roommate was a fan of Yu Wei. He had felt something was fishy long ago, and seeing Yu Wei's chat list last time had indirectly corroborated that suspicion.
"Your relationship with Yu Wei is not so simple."
"As if it's any of your business."
If anyone else had interrogated Qi Luo'an, she might have actually gotten nervous, but facing her older brother, even with hard evidence, she could still fire back a couple of retorts.
Qi Yuan let out a long sigh, seeming to gradually understand everything.
"I know you want to trip me up, but there's no need to go out of your way to bribe Yu Wei to make a move on me, right?"
"?"
This was something Qi Luo'an hadn't expected at all. When had she ever bribed anyone? This older brother of hers still thought far too highly of her; she didn't have that kind of free time, and neither did Yu Wei.
"Isn't that it? Otherwise, how do you explain that the moment Yu Wei comes out with a good piece of music, you add him, and right after he finishes competing with me, he messages you?"
"Obviously, you two reached some kind of collaboration. You saw his talent and wanted him to snipe me, and after the match, he was reporting back to you, right?"
Defending against outsiders is easy, but domestic thieves are hard to guard against. This sinister little sister of hers couldn't be kept around anymore.
"Big brother, as a college student, what do I have to bribe a rising star in the Chinese music scene?"
"I don't care about that. I'm only responsible for seeing through your schemes and plots." Qi Yuan looked up at the distant horizon. "Too bad your calculation failed. Yu Wei is lofty in his ideals and open-minded; how could he be hoodwinked by you?"
"Our match is merely a friendly bout to test our skills; your conspiracy cannot break me..."
He rambled on heroically to himself, but when he turned his head back, he found that Qi Luo'an was already gone, leaving behind only the parting remark: "If you say so, then it is."
Qi Luo'an had no desire to refute him. Compared to her true thoughts, being mistaken for a master plotter wasn't a bad deal after all.