Chapter 22: Interview Aftermath and a New Quest

This question from Qian Fang was actually quite gossipy, but many fans watch interviews primarily to learn interesting tidbits about their idols’ songs. Thus, Qian Fang intended to use this question as a concluding remark and a lighthearted adjustment to the interview content.

This sudden question caught Lin Ziyao completely off guard. Her lips parted as if to speak, but the words caught in her throat, and she held them back. She even cast a quick glance at Qin Yu beside her.

Of the two songs, one was chosen based on her own experiences, while the other was a song given to Qin Yu as part of their arrangement. Though both appeared around the same time and held some subtle intentions of her own, ultimately, they didn’t possess the special significance Qian Fang implied.

As for Qian Fang’s mention of simultaneous release, that timing was Qin Yu’s decision. It was intended to capitalize on the buzz surrounding the show’s broadcast.

At that moment, Qin Yu, who had been silent, finally spoke up to explain: “Actually, we met on the show and became friends. ‘Invisible Wings’ also appeared in the program. To ensure the audience could hear this song as soon as possible, we rushed to finish it during the holiday break.”

Her frequent dealings with media interviews had equipped Qin Yu with seasoned experience. She handled such delicate questions with effortless grace.

She paused briefly as she spoke, then continued, “As for the appearance of ‘Original Dream,’ that also stemmed from the show’s opportunity. Therefore, we decided to release both songs together.”

“Yes, yes, exactly!” Compared to Qin Yu, Lin Ziyao had become an unfeeling nodding machine, merely chiming in from the sidelines.

Qian Fang diligently took notes. The release date for both songs had been set for immediately after the first episode of *Celebrity Week* aired. Qin Yu’s explanation was perfectly logical, leveraging the variety show’s popularity to naturally boost these two new tracks.

As the interview concluded, Qian Fang took out the camera she carried with her. “Now, let’s take a few photos of you two!” she suggested.

After a flurry of flashes, Qian Fang had captured photos of both of them. Lin Ziyao, dressed in a heather-green hooded sweatshirt, exuded an undeniable cuteness, even with her long hair falling casually untamed.

In contrast, Qin Yu wore a casual ensemble. A loose white top revealed glimpses of her fair skin, while her long, straight, and athletic legs were encased in form-fitting black trousers, radiating youthful vigor.

In addition to individual shots, Qian Fang also had them pose together for several joint photos.

After the photoshoot, Qian Fang bid them farewell. She still needed to return and organize the interview materials, then craft a satisfactory report, especially since the show’s launch was only a few days away.

Watching Qian Fang exit the conference room, Lin Ziyao immediately collapsed onto the nearby sofa. She melted onto it like a block of ice, utterly spent.

“Why is it so exhausting, just taking photos!” she grumbled, recalling the various poses Qian Fang had directed her into.

Qin Yu, however, remained composed, sitting in her chair and taking a sip of water. “You’ll get used to it, actually,” she said.

Today, Qian Fang had only taken a few simple photos as a supplement to the interview. If they were shooting promotional materials, the photographers’ demands would be truly grueling.

“I don’t want to get used to it,” she mumbled, her head still buried.

Even for a simple smile, they had instructed her not to show too many teeth. She genuinely didn’t want to adapt to such requirements.

“Once we’re back at the villa, I’ll teach you,” Qin Yu offered, recalling the expression management techniques she had learned previously.

After all, Lin Ziyao had taken her first step into the entertainment industry. It was time for her to hone these fundamental skills.

“No!” The head buried in the sofa suddenly shot up, shaking like a rattle-drum. Lin Ziyao was still enveloped by the lingering shadow of her recent ordeal.

[Daily Quest: Smile practice for thirty minutes. Reward: Ten Action Points.]

At this opportune moment, the System offered a timely assist, refreshing a new quest. It was an enticing proposition for Lin Ziyao to practice her smiles.

“‘Daily Quest’?”

This was a type of quest she had never encountered before. Previous quests had never borne such a title; they had always simply instructed her to complete specific tasks.

[Daily Quests refresh daily and provide the host with small rewards upon completion.]

The thoughtful System provided Lin Ziyao with an answer.

The feeding quest she had just completed awarded a hundred Action Points. This meant ten daily quests were equivalent to a single feeding quest.

After the quest ended, Lin Ziyao casually glanced at the System’s shop. A full song cost five hundred Action Points, while buying just the instrumental to write her own lyrics was three hundred.

“System, let’s negotiate for a bit more reward,” she muttered, setting her sights on the System itself.

[Daily Quest: Smile practice for thirty minutes. Reward: Five Action Points.]

“Alright, alright, ten points is perfectly fine, I think!” Lin Ziyao quickly agreed to complete the quest. Seeing her agreement, the System immediately reverted the reward, showing no indulgence to its host; this system, after all, wasn’t one to humor its host in the slightest.

She slowly walked over to Qin Yu, feigning composure. “I think what you said makes a lot of sense,” she stated, “so I’ve agreed.”

“What did you say?” Qin Yu asked, taking a calm sip from her water glass as if she hadn’t quite heard.

A proactive invitation always made a ‘cat’ feel cheap. Now, it was time for the ‘cat’ to speak for herself.

“I think you have a point,” she articulated, forcing herself to speak clearly, word for word, in front of Qin Yu, “I really do need to practice smiling.”

“Oh, really?” Qin Yu’s tone uncharacteristically rose upon hearing this. Lin Ziyao’s behavior had clearly brightened her mood.

With no other option, Lin Ziyao closed her eyes and resignedly said, “Of course.”

Seeing the little ‘cat’ come forward so proactively, almost flirtatiously, Qin Yu readily agreed to her request. “Then let’s start tonight!” she declared.

Aside from the interview, there were no other arrangements for the afternoon. With the interview concluded, the two could now head back to the villa for the subsequent recording of the show.

*Celebrity Week* was scheduled to air one episode per week. However, as a short-term variety show, only five episodes were planned. Excluding the two already filmed, they would complete the remaining three episodes upon their return, with updates every Saturday night, aiming to finish before the summer break ended.

Currently, the entire program had garnered considerable online attention from viewers. Therefore, Director Chen would likely devise some ingenious tasks for the upcoming five days of filming to ensure the show’s continued ratings success.

Nevertheless, Lin Ziyao eagerly anticipated what kind of commotion the first episode’s broadcast would stir up.