“And oh, by the way, Sister Lin, I also picked up a project!”
Suddenly, a hint of embarrassment flashed across Qin Lang’s face.
“What project? What are you talking about?”
Sister Lin was completely bewildered.
Qin Lang quickly told Sister Lin about how Director Zhao wanted him to take charge of the Nine Provinces Poetry Competition program.
Originally, Qin Lang thought Sister Lin would definitely be furious.
After all, this was clearly a distraction from his main career, right?
But to his surprise, Sister Lin wasn’t angry at all. Instead, a look of shock appeared on her face.
“Those ideas you just mentioned… you came up with all of them yourself?”
Qin Lang felt his face grow a little hot, but in this world, he was the first one to think of them.
So, he shamelessly nodded.
“Xuanxuan, what kind of lucky star is shining on you today? You’re absolutely blessed!”
Sister Lin suddenly grabbed Qin Lang by the waist and chuckled. “Do you have any idea what a huge opportunity this is for you?”
“You’re not mad at me?”
“Mad at you for what?” Sister Lin laughed. “Mad because you’re too outstanding? Too capable? Or mad because… your future is limitless?”
Sister Lin rarely praised him this much, and Qin Lang felt a bit overwhelmed by the attention.
“I thought for sure you’d blow your top if you found out!”
Sister Lin shook her head. “Xuanxuan, did you hear about something that happened recently?”
“What is it?”
“The lead actress for the film The General’s Platform was replaced.”
Qin Lang frowned slightly. He had a decent understanding of the entertainment industry in this world.
The General’s Platform was a major, highly anticipated blockbuster directed by a top-tier director in the industry.
It was said that both the male and female leads were A-list award-winning actors and actresses.
Logically, casting for such a big production is extremely cautious.
And the female lead was supposed to be Zhou Yunling, a reigning Best Actress. She wasn’t just anyone—how could she just be fired on a whim?
“What happened? Why was the lead actress dropped?”
Sister Lin replied calmly, “It’s simple. Zhou Yunling was acting like a diva on set and refused to cooperate with certain scenes, so the director cut her loose.”
Qin Lang looked confused. What did this have to do with him?
“Zhou Yunling is a Best Actress with a massive fanbase, but in our industry, the people on stage enjoy the spotlight, while the people behind the scenes hold the real power of life and death over a project.”
“It’s not easy for someone in front of the camera to transition behind the scenes. Moreover… most importantly, only by becoming someone behind the scenes can you gain true respect within the industry.”
“Singers are less respected by insiders than producers. Actors are less respected than screenwriters and directors. For you to become the Chief Director and Executive Producer of the Nine Provinces Poetry Competition—this is a golden opportunity, a prime chance for you to build connections and prestige within the circle!”
“So tell me… how could I possibly be angry about that?”
Hearing this, Qin Lang finally breathed a sigh of relief.
But Sister Lin continued, “However, don’t get too excited just yet. The reason Director Zhao handed the Nine Provinces Poetry Competition project to you is entirely because none of his own staff can handle a project of this caliber. And also… you could say this project is a favor he’s doing for you.”
Qin Lang blinked. “Sister Lin, did you already know the real reason Director Zhao invited me?”
Sister Lin smiled and nodded.
“Then why didn’t you tell me? You nearly made me look like a fool!” Qin Lang said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
“Director Zhao specifically asked me multiple times not to say anything. To show sincerity, he wanted them to tell you in person.”
Sister Lin winked. “Oh, right, you nearly made a fool of yourself? What happened?”
Qin Lang cleared his throat awkwardly. “Nothing, nothing! Let’s just get back to the company!”
Sister Lin laughed, then her expression turned serious. “Xuanxuan, you landing the role of Executive Producer for the Nine Provinces Poetry Competition is a crucial opportunity for you. If you pull this off successfully, your status in the industry will skyrocket. But if you fail… the attacks waiting for you will be more vicious than anything you’ve faced before.”
“Because you’re crossing over into a new field, because you’re taking food off someone else’s plate, and because you are the highly controversial Qin Yunxuan. Do you understand?”
Qin Lang nodded solemnly.
No matter which world you’re in, if you have enough talent, you can switch fields with ease. But if your skills aren’t up to par… crossing over just leaves people with the impression that you’re restless, impulsive, and have bitten off more than you can chew.
“How could a flagship program for our national broadcaster possibly fail?”
…
Meanwhile, the buzz about Qin Yunxuan’s participation in the poetry event continued to simmer online until a particular post surfaced and completely blew up the conversation.
“Mist Hides the Pondside Willow—Can Anyone in This World Match It?”
“Like everyone else, I originally thought Qin Yunxuan was just there to ride the hype train and pretend to be cultured. But as it turns out, I was wrong. Dead wrong.”
“At first, when she matched ten couplets in a row, I also assumed it was staged by the event organizers. But then Li Jubai challenged her, and I realized Qin Yunxuan actually has a head full of real knowledge!”
“But that wasn’t even the most shocking part. The most shocking thing—or rather, what stunned everyone—was… Qin Yunxuan actually posed an opening line on the spot that no one at the entire poetry gathering, including those so-called literary giants, could match.”
“That line is: Mist Hides the Pondside Willow. “
Once this post went live, it sparked widespread debate.
The praise in the post was so over-the-top that while it grabbed a lot of attention, it also rubbed plenty of people the wrong way.
But when those critics actually stopped to think about the couplet itself, one by one, they fell silent.
Mist Hides the Pondside Willow?
Keyboard warriors with zero knowledge of classical couplets were, of course, loud and dismissive.
“That’s it? I could come up with ten or twenty responses in a minute! What’s wrong with those so-called poetry experts?”
“Stumped by a line from a singer? Those guys studying poetry and couplets are a waste of food.”
“Mist Hides the Pondside Willow? Finding a response is way too easy. Watch me do it off the top of my head: Pee Splashes the Canteen Floor!”
“A singer who can’t even write good songs—what’s the point of messing around with this stuff?”
…
But anyone with even a rudimentary understanding of couplet composition fell silent when faced with that opening line.
It was just too difficult!
Then, an announcement from Jiuyang Television poured more fuel on the fire.
“The Nine Provinces Poetry Competition program has officially entered production. We are honored to invite Miss Qin Yunxuan to serve as Chief Director and Executive Producer. We hope to bring everyone an unprecedented cultural and visual feast!”
If it hadn’t come from an official source, everyone would have thought it was fake news.
Qin Yunxuan? A singer? And now she’s suddenly the Director and Producer of a major TV program?
This had to be a joke!
Unless… was Qin Yunxuan secretly the TV station owner’s own daughter or something?
