Chapter Eighty-Five: Zhao Qingqing Stunned

Hearing Chen Qi’s refusal, Zhao Qingqing, who had thought everything would fall into place, was momentarily dumbfounded. Not interested? What kind of reason was that? He had just started to gain some recognition; shouldn’t he be taking the opportunity to ingratiate himself with his fans? Shouldn’t he be using this momentum to solidify his fame?

“No,” Chen Qi refused again.

Zhao Qingqing was speechless.

Was he always this capricious?

For a moment, she struggled to react. She truly felt that Chen Qi was an oddity in the entertainment industry. She simply couldn’t figure out his way of doing things. While other celebrities would go to great lengths to ride the waves of popularity, he, on the contrary, turned away ready-made attention and exposure!

At that instant, she genuinely couldn’t understand him. To say he wasn’t interested in fame and fortune didn’t seem quite right—after all, he’d clearly produced “Unexpectedly” for the sake of recognition and money. But if you said he did care, you couldn't really feel it, either. He seemed to act purely according to his own preferences, never following the crowd, nor conforming to the unspoken rules that had gradually taken shape in the industry.

For some reason, Zhao Qingqing suddenly felt a pang of worry for him.

With an attitude like this… wasn’t he just setting himself up for a fall?

“Well, fine. If you’re not interested, forget it,” she said, seeing his attitude and deciding not to press further. She didn’t even feel comfortable mentioning the several tens of thousands in appearance fees. She could tell he really wasn’t interested.

“Alright.”

After hanging up, Chen Qi continued his aimless wandering, his mind running through the next steps of his plans. It gave him a bit of a headache.

The most pressing matter now was to quickly find one or two trustworthy people to help him. But his requirements were a bit willful—he needed someone not only capable, but also to his liking. Finding such people would likely take some time.

Take that post-production company he’d worked with twice, for example. Their small teams were certainly skilled, but they just didn’t suit his taste, so he’d never considered poaching them...

Lost in these scattered thoughts, he found himself unknowingly beneath a restaurant’s signboard. He glanced at the sign, then at the nearly full tables inside, and decisively walked in.

With business this good, it had to be delicious.

Choosing a quiet corner where few would notice him, Chen Qi ordered several signature dishes.

Though “Unexpectedly” was a sensation online, it seemed to have had no effect on him personally. He’d wandered for half a day without a single person recognizing him. Even the waiter who’d taken his order up close hadn’t recognized him.

But on second thought, it made sense. He had only just become slightly well-known, and even if he were a big-name star, without bodyguards or assistants, dressed as an ordinary person in a crowd, few would recognize them.

While waiting for his food, Chen Qi took out his phone to catch up on the latest news. The moment he unlocked it, he noticed his class group chat was buzzing with activity.

He couldn’t help but chuckle wryly.

He tapped in to take a look.

They were discussing last night’s special episode. In fact, when the first season had started over half a month ago, he’d already been bombarded in the group chat, but for various reasons, he’d pretended to be dead and rarely responded. Gradually, the group had quieted down.

He hadn’t expected that a single special episode would stir them all up again.

He skimmed through the latest messages. Perhaps because of the final line in that episode, his classmates were all talking about dreams...

After a quick look, he continued to play dead, not leaving any comments.

In the group, his classmates were abuzz with excitement.

The subject of their discussion, naturally, was Chen Qi.

Even now, they could hardly believe it.

They’d forgotten who had first shared the news that Chen Qi had acted in a drama. What they remembered was the shock and disbelief the first time they saw him in “Unexpectedly.”

They had been truly stunned!

They’d only heard the show was amusing; who could have imagined they’d see a familiar face in it?

No one knew how unbelievable it had felt, nor the impact it had had on them.

How on earth had Chen Qi stumbled into show business? It was simply incredible.

And that was only the beginning. What shocked them even more was seeing the credits roll by.

Screenwriter.

Director.

Producer.

When those titles appeared, it was no exaggeration to say their minds went completely blank.

They were dumbfounded.

It took ages to recover.

He’d produced the whole show himself?

How was that possible?

How could it be possible?

Their field of study had nothing to do with film or television. If not for Chen Qi’s name and the familiar face, they would have thought it was merely someone who looked like him.

The group chat exploded.

That day, almost every classmate online tagged Chen Qi, asking the same redundant question.

Is that really you???

Even through the screen, they could feel how shocked everyone was.

But to their disappointment, Chen Qi didn’t reply immediately. It was two days later, in the evening, when he finally responded.

Yes, it’s me.

He added a standard smiley face.

And that was it.

He didn’t answer any other questions, such as how he’d ended up in show business. Perhaps because so many people had reached out, he did log in twice more, but each time he seemed rushed.

In his own words, he was simply too busy—so busy he didn’t have time to check his phone.

Back then, they’d learned from news reports that the second season was being filmed and aired simultaneously, so they understood.

Now that the second season had ended, and with last night’s special episode resonating with many, a number of people had resurfaced today, suggesting they get together for a meal.

But such suggestions were just that. After graduation, everyone had gone their separate ways across the country; getting together was no easy feat.

Meanwhile, Chen Qi had already lost himself in the world of delicious food.

He had considered leaving the group chat, but for various reasons, he’d never had the heart to do it. And so, he found himself in this somewhat awkward situation.

Forget it.

He’d just speak less in the future.

He ate alone for more than half an hour.

After his meal, he continued his aimless wandering. Strolling here, stopping there, eating and exploring, even though he was by himself, the variety of food kept him from feeling lonely.

Unconsciously, most of the day had passed.

Around five in the afternoon, Chen Qi spotted a subway station up ahead and walked in.

He’d spent the whole day using public transportation.

It had been about a month and a half since he arrived in this world, and he felt it was time to truly familiarize himself with the city.