Over the past half year as a celebrity, despite the struggles, the income from commercial gigs and various activities had been quite decent.
However, in this industry, one must maintain a polished appearance. Attending events, airport photos, street snaps — few outfits could escape criticism. Apart from some classic pieces, out-of-season styles must never be worn in public.
Regularly acquiring the latest seasonal outfits, occasionally spicing up the wardrobe with trendy pieces, coupled with sundry expenses, culminated in a substantial monthly budget.
Unlike other celebrities basking in endorsements and sponsored finery, Xu Qiao, a novice in the limelight with middling public favor, found himself devoid of such financial perks.
Everything had to be deducted from the compensation provided by the company. Hence, when Xu Qiao saw his bank account with less than a six-figure sum, he felt a slight headache.
At the end of the month, he had to move out of the apartment provided by SSE. In this city, finding a slightly safer neighborhood and depositing three months’ rent would effortlessly deplete a significant chunk of his savings.
Once Chatting About started airing and the payment for the acting fees was deposited, it should help alleviate his current financial difficulties. However, with the completion of filming still a while away, along with post-production editing, submission for approval, and various promotional activities, the official airing on the platform wouldn’t be until after the new year.
As Xu Qiao scrolled through the mouse, the myriad job postings on the recruitment website dazzled him.
When he spotted something promising, Xu Qiao would click the “Interested” button beside it, planning to sift through these potential opportunities later.
Seeing Xu Qiao genuinely engrossed, Li Feifei couldn’t resist and sat beside him, craning his neck to peek at the specific jobs catching Xu Qiao’s interest.
After discerning the contents on the screen, Li Feifei was utterly stunned.
“Java Development Engineer, Original Artist, Conference Translator, Weld… Welder?!” Reading the last one, Li Feifei’s voice distorted.
Xu Qiao cast a glance at him and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Big Brother, is job hunting supposed to be this casual? You should at least check if you’re capable, not just randomly browsing, right?”
Li Feifei found it a bit exasperating. Xu Qiao’s approach to job hunting seemed like the whimsical musings of a bewildering student. While a job didn’t necessarily have to align with one’s major, there should be some basic proficiency, right?
A software developer, an illustrator, a translator — Li Feifei almost burst into laughter at Xu Qiao’s choices.
Developer? How about you show me a couple of lines of code.
Illustrator? Maybe try sketching a stick figure first.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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Xu Qiao picked up the phone. Upon seeing the caller ID, his body tensed.
Li Feifei sneakily glanced and saw that the caller ID displayed the word, “Mom.” Li Feifei hesitated for a moment, then glanced at Xu Qiao who had lowered his gaze.
Beneath his eyes, the gentle sweep of his long eyelashes painted faint shadows. His lips, a touch fuller than most, formed a soft, contemplative purse. The line from jaw to neck flowed with an almost sculpted elegance. Yet, a hint of tension flickered in the muscles at his jaw, betraying the hidden storm within.
The room was warm, and Xu Qiao had removed his down jacket, now wearing only a thin, light V-neck sweater. The attractive shoulder and neck lines were exposed, making him seem somewhat fragile, especially in this slightly bowed position, where the subtly protruding spine looked a bit weak but stubborn.
After a moment, Xu Qiao took the phone and answered, “Hello.”
He didn’t intentionally avoid Li Feifei, so Li Feifei also heard the gentle voice from the other end of the phone, “Qiaoqiao, did you terminate the contract with that company?”
Xu Qiao replied with a simple “Hmm.”
“Then, can you see if you can sign with another company?” Mrs. Xu cautiously suggested, “I don’t understand these things, but others say celebrities earn more…”
Xu Qiao tightened his fingers around the phone. “I know, I’ll take a look again. If not, I’ll also search for part-time jobs. Don’t worry.”
Mrs. Xu let out a sigh, the sound echoing on the empty line between them.
Xu Qiao sighed inwardly, well aware of the purpose behind her call. Knowing his mom’s thin-skinned nature, he took the initiative to say, “I’ll transfer money later.”
Through the phone, Xu Qiao could sense her relief.
Mrs. Xu’s voice quivered slightly, “Thank you, Qiaoqiao…”
Holding the phone, Xu Qiao remained silent as Mrs. Xu added a few more instructions about taking care of himself. The sequence of taking the money, expressing concern afterward — it always made people feel uneasy.
“Qiaoqiao, don’t neglect your studies either.” After saying this, Mrs. Xu hung up.
Xu Qiao put down the phone and transferred half of his meager savings back.
This was the first time he had spoken to his family since he returned from transmigration. Placing the phone aside, he leaned back on the sofa and closed his eyes, appearing somewhat fragile, like a stray kitten.
Xu Qiao’s parents divorced when he was thirteen. Mrs. Xu remarried a kind and honest man, who was also divorced and had a son paralyzed from the waist down.
The newly formed family wasn’t affluent, but they managed their basic needs. After marrying, Mrs. Xu showered care and attention on her husband and stepson, inadvertently neglecting Xu Qiao.
Xu Qiao found it challenging to fit into his new family. Though he maintained politeness toward his stepfather and stepbrother, genuine closeness was lacking. Combined with his mom’s evident disregard, emotions of dejection and unspoken grievances accumulated, leading to a gradual distancing between Xu Qiao and his mom. In this household, he increasingly felt like an invisible figure.
Later, less than a year into Mrs. Xu’s marriage to his stepfather, this honest and amiable man lost his ability to work in a sudden car accident. The family’s fortunes plummeted overnight, burdening Mrs. Xu with the weight of the entire household.
After considerable effort, Xu Qiao gained admission to college and alleviated the family’s financial strain through part-time jobs. Subsequently, his fortuitous encounter with SSE, drawn to him by his striking appearance, led him to sign a contract and step into the entertainment industry.
The decision to enter this sphere was simple. As Mrs. Xu put it, “Celebrities earn more.”
Since then, conversations between mother and son revolved around insufficient funds, impending medical bills, and running out of money.
Xu Qiao rubbed his temples. Apart from feeling a bit stifled, the intense discomfort that used to overwhelm him seemed to have diminished.
Through transmigrating into multiple book worlds, he had learned how to compartmentalize emotions. Treating himself as an outsider prevented him from getting entangled. Regardless of the nature of emotions, as long as he practiced restraint, he wouldn’t have to worry about getting hurt.
The so-called aloofness and emotional detachment were effective mechanisms for self-preservation.
Li Feifei, vaguely aware of the issues in Xu Qiao’s family, now feared discussing it further might make Xu Qiao uncomfortable. After a brief greeting and advising him to eat well, Li Feifei left.
With Li Feifei gone, Xu Qiao refocused his attention on the job recruitment website. In a corner, a gaming company was seeking an illustrator, offering a decent compensation package.
Xu Qiao noted down the game company’s submission email and shut down the computer.
Recalling the requirements for the commissioned work — “apocalyptic scenery,” “elaborate and fantastical world,” “novel settings with a blend of rational beauty” — Xu Qiao, after a brief contemplation, took out several sheets of A4 paper and a multi-colored ballpoint pen.
He depicted the genuine post-apocalyptic scenes he had experienced.
The once unimaginable and splendid world, witnessed firsthand, gradually leapt onto the paper through Xu Qiao’s excellent artistic skills.
The shattered skyline, the swirling green radiance in the sky, the peculiar creatures arriving from another world…
In the book world perfected by the will of the world, every aspect embodied the beauty of science and rationality.
The arriving aliens, the mutated flora and fauna, the shifting crust… Clearly unbelievable, yet explanations within the realm of science were provided if one chose to ponder. For instance, those bizarre creatures, seemingly odd in appearance, upon closer examination revealed body structures in perfect accordance with biological laws.
This included celestial bodies moving in the sky and magma surging from the ground. If a physicist were to meticulously study it, they would discover the angles of celestial movement, the gravitational influences generated, and so on, all presented in these drawings.
The beauty resided in the rationality that aligned with scientific principles, the precision of edges and angles conforming to the laws of physics and mathematics. Additionally, the effortless strokes, adeptly presenting the world with just a few touches, evoked a powerful and overwhelming emotional response.
Those who understood naturally immersed themselves in these drawings, feeling as if they were glimpsing a real world.
Signing his name in the corner of the paper with a “Xu,” Xu Qiao scanned and uploaded these sketches, sent them to the designated email, and then shut down the computer.
Xu Qiao’s ballpoint pen drawings were a stark contrast to the finely drawn sketches that filled the game company’s email inbox. His lines were rough, his coloring was casual, and the overall impression was one of carelessness. They sat in the corner of the mailbox, unnoticed and unappreciated.
In the following two days, several entertainment and media companies reached out to Xu Qiao, expressing interest in signing him.
Regardless, Xu Qiao’s face was still in demand. With a bit of packaging, there might still be hope for stardom, or so the companies thought.
After assessing the resources and habitual style of these companies, Xu Qiao politely declined each one. These were all small firms, perhaps assuming they could take advantage of Xu Qiao, recently released from his contract, and sign him again. However, their offered terms were insincere, far from convincing Xu Qiao.
Upon learning of this, Li Feifei became anxious, fearing Xu Qiao might sign himself away without fully understanding the situation.
He breathed a sigh of relief when Xu Qiao turned down every offer.
“Big Brother, they all think you’re in a bind now, lowering their conditions to sign you. You mustn’t agree. Let’s wait until Chatting About airs before deciding anything.”
Xu Qiao nodded.
“So, what do you plan to do now?”
Recalling Mrs. Xu’s earlier advice about not neglecting his studies, Xu Qiao yawned lazily and nonchalantly said, “I’ll go to school.”
Li Feifei: “???” He almost forgot that his big brother was still a university student.
Thanks for the chapter 🎊
Thanks for the chapter!
Thanks for the update 🙂
Thank you for the chapter 😍 ❤️ ❤️ ❤️
Ty for the chapter 💕
Thank you for the update ☺️
😘
Thank you for the chapter!
Ty for all the hard work btw~~ ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️