Chapter 36
It was clear that despite the persecution she had endured, Li Qingran still held feelings for Qingyun Sect and Chixiao Peak. She was a person who cherished the past, remembering the kindness of Daoist Qingxuan and the warmth of every senior brother who had once treated her well.
But now, as tears fell, those memories were bound to shatter completely.
“Lu Changtian, I will return to Qingyun Sect.”
Li Qingran lifted her head, her tear-filled eyes devoid of any emotional fluctuation, only a chilling stillness.
Under the gaze of those eyes, Lu Changtian felt a shiver run down his spine, unable to muster any joy. He heard Li Qingran speak each word with deliberate clarity:
“Tomorrow, I will return to Qingyun Sect, solely to put the past to rest!”
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**Chapter 36: Variety Show "Two-in-One"**
“Senior, Qingran has made a decision to return to Qingyun Sect tomorrow.”
After Lu Changtian left, Li Qingran returned to her room, bowing deeply to the ceiling, kneeling and unable to rise.
“Qingran is not a stubborn fool, nor does she cling to the kindness of Qingyun Sect and Chixiao Peak. They have become stumbling blocks on her path of cultivation, and she must sever these ties herself in order to continue her training and live up to your expectations, Senior.”
With her head bowed, her words were earnest.
She knew that Qingyun Sect was a den of danger, yet she had to venture in.
She also understood that from her Senior's perspective, he would not want her to return to Qingyun Sect, and such an action might even raise his suspicions. She had already received too many favors; returning to Qingyun Sect now would be akin to biting the hand that fed her.
So she waited, for her Senior's opinion.
If her Senior wanted her to go back, she would. If he advised against it, she would stay.
Chen Huai'an pondered for a moment, then pressed the communication talisman and said, “No worries, the one who tied the knot must be the one to untie it. Since this matter began at Chixiao Peak, let it end there. You handle it yourself; I believe in you!”
In the small room, Li Qingran waited for a moment before the ethereal voice echoed in her ears.
【Joy and sorrow come and go, knowing the ebb and flow of existence. Every sip and every bite is preordained, all has its cause and effect, and one must bear the consequences. You, go ahead!】
Li Qingran carefully pondered Chen Huai'an's words, her heart stirred, and her previously hesitant gaze suddenly became resolute.
“Junior Qingran thanks you, Senior, for your enlightenment!”
【Hmm, before you go, I shall bestow upon you an item.】
Swish—!
A flying sword appeared on the table, its sheath as bright as the moon, and its tassel as red as fresh blood.
【This sword is named Su Xian, a top-tier magical flying sword. I see your original sword has broken; take this one for your protection!】
Li Qingran held the Su Xian sword, her heart softening once more, overwhelmed with emotion.
She wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes, cradling the Su Xian sword, and bowed deeply in gratitude:
“Qingran will not let you down, Senior!”
...
【Hello, is this Mr. Chen?】
“I am.”
【We have a variety show that we'd like to invite you to participate in. I wonder if you...】
“Is this a scam call?” Chen Huai'an frowned and hung up the phone. He was already worried about how to help Li Qingran through her ordeal tomorrow, especially since he was short on cash. This ridiculous game would surely find a way to squeeze money out of him. He had no time to deal with scam calls; in the past, he would have spent an hour discussing life and ideals with these fraudsters.
Just as he hung up, the other line called again.
Chen Huai'an glanced at the caller ID, a cold smile creeping onto his lips as he pressed the answer button.
Fine, if they wanted to play with fire, he, Chen Xianzun, was ready to show them what a real con was!
【Mr. Chen, please don’t hang up. We’re not scammers. We’re an outdoor variety show called ‘Adventure with Coffee,’ and our director is very interested in you after watching your vlog of the Lishan challenge. We’d like to invite you to participate in our show. We have many popular young stars involved, and it’s doing quite well on Mango TV. If you join, it could also promote your streaming account and gain you a lot of followers. It’s a win-win!】
Chen Huai'an’s eyes narrowed at the mention of the show, realizing this was no simple matter.
He quickly opened his hotel computer and searched for it, discovering that the show indeed existed and was gaining some traction. The basic premise involved taking a group of popular young stars on extreme outdoor challenges, such as hiking, diving, bungee jumping, and survival in the wild. Such shows were perfect for building the personas of these celebrities.
Of course, it also risked exposing some pampered individuals when faced with real challenges.
But why were they inviting him? He wasn’t a celebrity.
With confusion, Chen Huai'an opened his streaming account and was stunned to see that his casually edited vlog had over a hundred million views and more than seven million likes, with a flood of comments and private messages that had the backend lagging for ages.
“Holy crap! I’m famous?”
He stared at his follower count, which had grown to 270,000, and couldn’t help but exclaim.
This was the age of the internet...
He shook his head, feeling a mix of disbelief and admiration.
It was fate, he finally understood why so many college students aspired to become internet celebrities.
After all, working for a boss was a dead end, while being an internet star might offer a glimmer of hope. The key was that the self-media industry was vast, allowing one to pursue what they loved. If it could be monetized, great; even if not, life didn’t seem entirely meaningless.
His vlog had several related topics, one of which was the trending ‘Lishan Fengchan Mirage.’ Experts had explained that a film crew in the distant city of Magic City was shooting a drama, and through various atmospheric optical effects that normal people couldn’t comprehend, they projected the crew onto the peak of Lishan. To prove this, the Magic City side even sent out a crew filming ‘Lishan Fengchan.’
Chen Huai'an took a quick look and confirmed that this crew was hastily assembled and thrown together.
Although the emperor in the casting was dressed in a dark royal robe and looked handsome, the difference in aura was like night and day.
To put it bluntly, it was the difference between a loach and a true dragon—there was no comparison.
The other trending topics were all about cancer awareness, urging compassion for cancer patients, and encouraging bravery in facing life, all of which were highly popular.
At this point, Chen Huai'an understood.
His streams didn’t involve selling products or fundraising, and his vlogs didn’t play the pity card. From streaming to video, he maintained a spirit of positive resistance. It wasn’t that selling products or fundraising was wrong; after all, it was a crucial way for many seriously ill patients to secure treatment funds. The problem was that people had seen too much of it, and with scammers rampant online, their compassion had been nearly exhausted. At this moment, his videos and streams were like a breath of fresh air, easily outshining others in the same field, and with the platform’s push, it naturally gained popularity.
His videos and streams had only been out for three days, and there was still plenty of room for growth.
The variety show must have seen this potential and wanted to ride the wave of traffic.
Ha, what a so-called win-win; they were trying to pull a fast one!
Indeed, capitalists were as shady as they come!
“I’m not interested in participating in any variety show,” Chen Huai'an immediately declined. “I just want to spend my remaining time in peace.”
The person on the other end seemed to have anticipated this response, chuckling:
【Mr. Chen, who wouldn’t want a chance to get treatment? If you attend this variety event, we’ll offer you 500,000 as an appearance fee!】
“Five hundred thousand?!”
Chen Huai'an’s eyes instantly turned into two golden eggs.
【500,000 to secure your appearance for this season of our show. We typically film three episodes per quarter, and regardless of whether you need to appear in the future, this money will be transferred to your account as soon as you agree to participate and sign the contract!】
Chen Huai'an took a moment to collect himself.
Five hundred thousand was a fee on par with many second- and third-tier celebrities.
The variety show organizers were clearly sincere in trying to capitalize on this wave of traffic.
It’s worth noting that many newcomers in the industry often had to pay to appear on shows, let alone receive an appearance fee.
【So, what do you think, Mr. Chen? How does that sound?】
Chen Huai'an had always believed in win-win situations, and a bright smile spread across his face:
“I think it sounds great! Can you tell me more about what you plan to film for this show?”
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