"Is your hand alright?" Feng Bujue asked.

"Huh? Of course, it's fine. Even if something happened, it'd only be to my character in the game," Xiao Tan replied. "Brother Jue, you didn't call just to ask me about that, did you? I'm still on duty."

This was the next day, in the afternoon. Feng Bujue was at home, talking to Xiao Tan on the phone.

"Ah... of course not, I was just asking in passing." Feng Bujue immediately got down to business. "It's like this... today I went out and discussed a collaboration with my editor that has nothing to do with writing."

"What is it?"

"The day after tomorrow, which is this Saturday. I'm going to a TV station to record a show, but the transportation there isn't convenient. You should be off that day, right? How about being my driver?" Feng Bujue said.

"Ah?" Xiao Tan was stunned for a moment, then shouted, "Ah?"

"What's wrong with you?" Feng Bujue's tone was still quite normal. "Did you accidentally eat a petri dish of bacteria thinking it was jelly?"

"You're finally going to be on TV, Brother Jue! Is this your big break?" Xiao Tan asked excitedly.

"No."

"Ah~ so you can finally lie down and make money in the future."

"That sounds like you're saying I'm about to start another career..."

"I just mean you can finally live off your royalties like those famous authors, without having to worry about writing every month."

"That's why I said 'no'," Feng Bujue said. "Nothing will change, you're overthinking it."

Xiao Tan was so excited that he completely ignored Feng Bujue's denial. He asked again, "By the way! What's the show, Brother Jue?"

"I'm a writer," he replied calmly.

"Ah? I know that, I'm asking what show you're going on?"

"I'm a writer," Feng Bujue repeated.

"Huh?" Xiao Tan seemed to have short-circuited again.

"Sigh..." Feng Bujue sighed deeply. "The show is called 'I Am a Writer'; it's a reality show where contestants compete and get eliminated."

"Oh? Who else is participating besides you?" Xiao Tan said.

"Buzhi yi buniao," Feng Bujue replied.

Xiao Tan pounded the table and laughed. "Hahaha... Brother Jue, so domineering."

"Buzhi is because the other contestants' information is confidential," Feng Bujue said. "Buniao is because even if I paid attention, it wouldn't matter... I personally hope I get eliminated in the first round, so I don't have to go again."

"Don't say that! It's a rare chance to be on TV..."

"I'm not very fond of being in crowded places, and I really don't want to leave behind too much visual material..." Feng Bujue said, "It's really just because the appearance fee is pretty high... that I..."

"Did you tell Bao Daren, Brother Jue?" Xiao Tan said.

"No, anyway, even if I did, you'd call him, so you can tell him." Feng Bujue paused, then added, "I'm emphasizing this, you can chat with Bao Daren about this, but don't go spreading it around."

"How~ could I?" Xiao Tan replied in a raised tone.

"Remember when my first book was published, even the fruit store owner five or six streets away from your house knew about it," Feng Bujue said.

"Ha... haha... that was..."

"Well... that's settled then. You drive me over there on Saturday at noon, and then you're free. Since I don't know how long the recording will take, I'll just go back myself afterward. Anyway, I still have money in my transportation card," Feng Bujue said.

"Can I go in and watch?" Xiao Tan asked.

"No."

"Really..."

"No."

"Okay," Xiao Tan said disappointedly. "When will the show air?"

"Don't know."

"Forget it, I'll just look it up online."

"Keep working your shift... let's talk again tonight." Feng Bujue maintained his listless tone from beginning to end.

"Okay, okay, bye-bye."

"Goodbye."

After hanging up the phone, Feng Bujue sighed deeply again. "Well... I can only pray that this kid knows when to stop."

Two hours later...

Someone knocked on the door.

Feng Bujue responded with a "Coming!" and walked toward the door. But just as he reached it, the person outside opened the door with a key.

"I say... Auntie Liu... if you weren't going to wait for me to open the door, why did you knock?" Feng Bujue asked.

Standing at the door was none other than his landlady, Auntie Liu: "Young people have privacy, what if there's a girl in your room? What if you're doing something you shouldn't be doing? So I knocked first, and when I heard you answer, I knew I could come in."

"What you're saying is contradictory, and your logic is easy to misunderstand..."

"Don't give me that." Auntie Liu sized him up. "I heard... you're going to be in a movie?"

The first word that popped into Feng Bujue's head was "Damn!" but he just sighed and replied, "Who told you that?"

"I heard it from Auntie Wang at the market." Auntie Liu began to ramble on. "Hey, let me tell you, Xiao Feng, my granddaughter is ten years old this year, and she's got a real talent for acting..."

Feng Bujue really wanted to bang his head against the doorframe. "Auntie Liu... first of all, I'm just going to a TV station to record a variety show, it's just a few hours. When the show airs on TV, it'll be edited down to a few dozen minutes, and my shots will probably only add up to a few minutes." He took a breath, then continued, "Secondly... even if I were making a movie, I wouldn't be able to arrange for your granddaughter to participate, you'd have to find the producer..."

"Ah? Is that so?" Auntie Liu said blankly. "I heard the security guard in the complex say it so definitively, saying you were going to write, direct, and star in it yourself..." From what she said, there was more than one or two people spreading rumors.

"Okay, okay... you're overthinking it..." Feng Bujue quickly waved his hand. "Rumors! Pure rumors! I'm not cut out for that, and I have no interest in entering show business. I'm just going to participate in a variety show, like a quiz show."

"Oh..." Auntie Liu nodded. "Hey? Xiao Feng, when will the show air?"

"What do you want?"

"What's wrong? It's not every day someone I know appears on TV, can't I watch?"

"Okay..." Feng Bujue was helpless. "I'm going to record it on Saturday, and I'll ask the crew afterward. Don't worry, in a few days, I'll bring you this month's rent, the money I owe you for the cat, and the news about when it's airing, is that alright?"

"That's settled then, Auntie will wait for your news..." Auntie Liu replied.

"Okay, okay... goodbye, don't let me see you out..." Feng Bujue pushed and coaxed her out the door, and closed it. He leaned against the door and sighed. "The efficiency of this rumor spreading and mutating is a little alarming... In another forty-eight hours, people will probably believe I'm going abroad to win an Oscar."

He shook his head, returned to his room, and bolted all three locks on the door, including the chain lock. Then he went to the game pod, took off his shoes, and lay down inside.