Chapter 162: Sweating Profusely

Qianzhou didn't know how he finished his meal.

Although on the high-speed train from Changning City, he had already prepared himself to meet Yuan Wanqing in person.

But he never imagined he'd meet a celebrity face-to-face in this way.

Throughout the meal, he didn't dare look up; as the editor, he should have taken the lead in speaking, but he never managed to say a word.

Yuan Wanqing's aura was simply too strong.

Though she wore casual home clothes and no makeup, her entire demeanor appeared gentle and refined.

But knowing she was a huge star, Qianzhou had no idea how to speak.

He was just a salary slave who had been working for less than half a year.

In contrast, Li Luo sat calmly, eating slowly and yet still engaging Yuan Wanqing in casual conversation.

He talked about everyday campus matters, sharing some of Yan Zhusheng's school life.

Compared to this, Li Luo was clearly the one who had seen the world.

But when Yuan Wanqing asked, "So, how would you rate the novel Li Luo is currently writing on your platform?"

Li Luo suddenly fell silent.

Qianzhou blinked in confusion, only then realizing the question was directed at him.

He quickly replied, "Chongran is already very impressive."

"His book falls under the urban category; our website has a monthly vote system where every reader can cast monthly votes for their favorite novels."

"Currently, he ranks third on the urban category's monthly vote leaderboard."

"In other words, just this month, he is among the top three most popular authors among all readers who enjoy urban novels on the entire site."

Once talking about his area of expertise, Qianzhou finally became more articulate.

In front of Yuan Wanqing, he didn't hold back his praise, extolling Li Luo to the heavens.

"Will this interview help him too?" Yuan Wanqing asked again.

She had accepted Wenxue Group's interview invitation precisely to repay Li Luo's favor.

If it didn't significantly benefit Li Luo himself, then the value would be minimal.

"There's definitely help," Qianzhou nodded eagerly. "After all, you currently have massive traffic; just one promotional push for his novel could cause his data to skyrocket."

"What do you think, Li Luo?" Yuan Wanqing turned to Li Luo.

She had already heard similar things from Wenxue Group, but she knew this was something Li Luo himself needed to confirm.

"Thank you, Auntie Yuan, for your support," Li Luo forced a smile. "This will definitely help my novel—after all, the more people read it, the more royalties I earn."

But if he had a choice, Li Luo wished Yuan Wanqing had never known he wrote novels.

Still, it was too late now—he could only think about it.

He had already come this far; he might as well take all the benefits he could get.

After all, it was Auntie Yuan's kind intention—he should just accept it.

"I've never read this kind of novel before—it feels quite novel," Yuan Wanqing looked between Li Luo and Qianzhou, her expression curious. "Like this… time-travel? Is that the right term?"

"Traveling to another world, then gradually becoming a superstar by copying real-world works."

"This idea really is fresh—do many people like reading this?"

Qianzhou glanced at Li Luo, saw he wasn't speaking, and nodded. "In our online novels, this is called the entertainment genre—it's related to the entertainment industry."

"After all, real-life stars seem glamorous, at least on the surface—they appear to earn money easily, appear publicly, receive widespread affection, and gather countless fans."

"So everyone has a bit of a star dream; since they can't fulfill it in reality, they can at least fantasize about it in novels."

Yuan Wanqing nodded in understanding, then casually added, "So the male lead liking several girls—is that also something many people enjoy?"

At these words,

Li Luo broke into a cold sweat.

Beside him, Qianzhou opened his mouth, visibly embarrassed, and coughed several times. "Well… romantic relationships between men and women are natural. Ancient emperors had three palaces and six courtyards—many male readers fantasize about owning a harem, with beauties on both sides."

"So authors, to cater to readers' preferences, slightly accommodate their tastes is understandable."

"After all, in real life, everyone might encounter several girls who leave a deep impression."

"But in the end, they might only choose one—or even have no choice at all."

"Online novels, as fantasy literature, are created precisely to fulfill readers' unrealizable dreams."

"So… uh… this situation you mentioned does exist, but the male lead's actions and thoughts in the novel aren't necessarily the same as the author's."

Qianzhou's sweaty, lengthy explanation made Li Luo want to give him a thumbs-up.

Beside them, Yan Zhusheng looked from Qianzhou to Li Luo, picked up his chopsticks, and placed a piece of meat on Li Luo's plate.

Yuan Wanqing smiled sweetly, revealing no emotion or opinion, and simply brushed it off, changing the topic: "The song 'Nianlun'—I saw online comments saying it was originally written into Li Luo's novel, right?"

"Yes," Li Luo nodded. "It was just a small subplot to fulfill the story—I got inspired while writing and casually composed a song."

"What about your other songs? Do you plan to write them into the book too?" Yuan Wanqing asked.

"He has other songs?!" Before Li Luo could respond, Qianzhou's mouth dropped open in shock. "You can actually write songs too?"

Qianzhou had originally thought Li Luo had just had a lucky flash of inspiration with "Nianlun."

Who could have imagined this kid, besides writing novels, could consistently compose songs?

"I'll… probably consider writing them in," Li Luo replied vaguely. "Are you worried that the two songs you bought from me haven't been released yet, but I've already put them in the book?"

"It's not that I'm worried," Yuan Wanqing smiled. "I'm just thinking—if this promotion works well, it could become a stable promotional angle."

"I haven't been back to China for a long time, and after returning, I didn't pay much attention to online trends."

"But after 'Nianlun' went viral, I finally understood something."

"Everyone says 'Yaochi Xianyuan' is a terrible movie—so why is online discussion so heated, and why did it even boost 'Nianlun'?"

"If a novel author is also an excellent pop song composer who can write new songs directly into his book…"

"I think it's also a very interesting way to promote."

Yuan Wanqing's words gave Li Luo some new ideas, instantly sparking his imagination.

"Aunt Yuan," Li Luo felt a flash of inspiration, his gaze fixed intently on Yuan Wanqing, "I have an immature idea—would you be interested?"

"Oh?" Yuan Wanqing raised an eyebrow. "Go on."

"Would you mind if I released album singles in my novel?"