Ch1 - La La La

Edited by Zaki

——— 

When they walked into the flower store, the proprietress  was holding her tablet and watching the latest episode of “Metamorphosis Meter”.

Thanks to the rural hero, Qi Linqing, whose changed to city life and triggered ridicule all over the Internet – the number of views of this reality show has now exceeded 200 million, and it’s popularity was still rising.

Du Yuanbai glanced at the screen and turned his gaze to the young man who was bending over to carefully pick tulip seeds.

After participating in the show, the other party had dyed his hair and started wearing  famous brands. Recently, his temperament has changed drastically. It was far from the rustic and cowardly image from before. It was no wonder that the proprietress didn’t recognize him as Qi Linqing just now. 

Du Yuanbai cleared his throat, pointed to the pile of flower pots, shovels, tools and seeds and asked: “Are you going to buy them and plant them yourself?”

Qi Linqing: “En.”

In his previous life, in his spare time, he loved tending to flowers and plants.

Du Yuanbai: “…..”

————

Even though Qi Linqing was now topped with a head full of Tony hipster favorite flaxen-dyed blonde hair, Du Yuanbai still felt that he was a little bit like a veteran cadre.

Before stepping into this pedestrian street, Du Yuanbai thought that Qi Linqing’s “shopping” was going to luxury stores in shopping malls.

Who could have thought that the other party came all the way to buy some strange things… For example, tulip seeds, and ancient painting pigments. 

“Why are you buying paints?” Du Yuanbai wondered.

The day before yesterday, Du Yuanbai had read about Qi Linqing’s intention to study art on his Weibo, but he only thought it was a joke at that time.

Qi Linqing’s response was brief and concise: “Painting.”

He had asked others before and this store was the only place in B City that was nearest and sold pure ancient pigments. 

Du Yuanbai: “…..”

Something’s wrong with you.

Du Yuanbai soon remembered that Qi Lele had recently taken up a role in an ancient costume drama and was studying Traditional Chinese painting hard.

He was afraid that Qi Linqing’s intention was to cause mischief by trying to imitate the other party but in the end he would end up making a fool of himself…. Bah! Bah! Attempting to walk like a swan! 

“Hey, wait for me…”  Just as he was thinking about it, Du Yuanbai saw that Qi Linqing had already walked out of sight, so he hurried to catch up.

Qi Linqing walked into the Xueyuan Calligraphy and Painting Framing shop next door.

At this time, the boss was engrossed in mounting a picture in the room.

“Hello.” Qi Linqing pressed the baseball cap on his head, walked over and asked, “Excuse me, do you sell Traditional Chinese painting pigments here?” 

The boss impatiently pointed outside and said, “They’re all outside.”

“I don’t want that boxed one.” Qi Linqing took a moment to think about the words and terms of this era in his mind and said, “I want pure natural ancient pigments like minerals and made of plants and such.”

Hearing this, the boss looked up and saw the handsome face of the teenager hidden under the brim of his hat. He felt the face was familiar.

He was stunned, and even his voice softened: 

“What specifically do you want? I’m telling you, we have the most comprehensive range of ancient pigments in B City.”

“Light ochre, clay gold, clam powder, azurite, silver cinnabar, realgar, malachite, chalk, black stone rouge, dragon incense …… one catty each.” Qi Linqing listed a long string in one breath.

Du Yuanbai couldn’t help but sneer. He thought in his heart, it looked like Qi Linqing had done a quick search on Baidu. After all, he used to do these kinds of pretentious and silly things.

The boss, however, felt that this teenager was not simple. 

These ancient pigments were quite professional and expensive. It was unlikely that non-industry people would buy them.

“That silver cinnabar you mentioned refers to the purple powder cream, right? It has not been available for a good long time. Now everyone uses Mercuric Sulphide as a substitute.”

Qi Linqing hesitantly asked, “Is the effect similar?”

“Of course.” The boss patted his chest and said, “If the goods are right you can eat me up.” 

Du Yuanbai saw the fat, greasy face of the boss in front of him, and muttered, “Who the hell wants to eat you.”

Qi Linqing: “That’s fine, you figure out how much it costs.”

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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Qi Linqing frowned, this price had far exceeded his psychological expectations.

Because the original owner’s credit card was blocked, he now only had 3000 yuan on him. 

“Can you make it cheaper?” He asked.

Boss: “I’ve already given you the lowest price.”

“OK, thanks, but I can’t afford so much money now.”

Qi Linqing sounded regretful, turned around and left. 

Du Yuanbai had thought that Qi Linqing would not admit that he had no money even if he was killed. He would support a fat man even if he has a swollen face. Did the sun rise from the west today?

“If you don’t have money, I can lend you.” Du Yuanbai said. Anyway, the Qi family was so rich, he was not worried about the other party reneging on the debt.

Qi Linqing shook his head. He never borrowed money.

Just when they were about to step out of the store, the boss suddenly shouted, “Wait a minute, young man!” 

Du Yuanbai suddenly realised that this was Qi Linqing’s bargaining routine, and the effect was immediate.

Not bad for someone who was raised in the countryside, he pursed his mouth in disdain.

Qi Linqing: “…?”

The boss caught up and asked, “Are you buying paints to use them yourself?” 

Qi Linqing nodded, “En.”

“Do you know Chinese painting?”

“En.”

The boss’s eyes fell from the young man’s straight posture to his hands-clean and slender, full of youthful vigour. 

If the other party really knew Chinese painting, then he would be very suitable for the recent job.

The boss mused, “If you are good at painting, I can just introduce you to a high-paying job … It won’t take up too much time, only one day at most, and the money you earn should be enough for you to buy paints.”

Before the boss could finish his sentence, Du Yuanbai waved his hand and pulled Qi Linqing out.

This person, who has suffered from poverty since childhood, vowed to enjoy life after being recognized by the Qi family, and became obsessed with getting rich overnight (although the Qi family was already rich enough). Not only did he buy a lot of luxury goods with a vengeance, but last month he went gambling with someone in Macau and started buying lottery tickets after losing miserably. 

It was impossible to work part-time. In this life, it was quite impossible for Qi Linqing to work part-time!

“We’re soon going to be third years in senior high school. There’s no time –” Du Yuanbai did not finish his words.

“Let’s talk about it in detail.” Qi Linqing was delighted and ran back in two-three steps.

The boss took a bottle of orange juice from the freezer at the door and handed it to the teenager, and eagerly pulled him into the store, “Come, come, first show me how your painting skills are ……” 

Abandoned Du Yuanbai: “??”

It was inconvenient to paint on site, the boss meant to see Qi Linqing’s previous works.

Qi Linqing took out a crumpled drawing paper from his pocket and handed it to the boss, saying, “Is this okay?”

Du Yuanbai stared at him coldly and thought in his heart, ‘Here we go again. This man was still pretending endlessly?’ 

If Qi Linqing had indeed painted this painting himself, then he would perform a handstand and wash his hair on the spot.

When the boss spread the painting, his pupils shook – the landscape, the clouds and trees had come alive with only a few strokes in the painting!

However, such a perfect painting was ruined by a few haphazard scribbles on the crumpled paper.

The boss couldn’t help saying in a regretful tone, “Why did you use this kind of waste paper to make the painting?” 

“…….”

Qi Linqing’s expression was somewhat bewildered.

The day before yesterday, he, a lowly painter of the Tang Dynasty named Fu Yi, had transmigrated into a jjwxc face-slapping, feel good novel between fake and young masters. He soon became the malicious male supporting character who was ostracised by the whole internet.

Qi Lele was the protagonist of the book, that is, the fake young master who later succeeded in reversing his fortune. He was currently living temporarily under the same roof with him. 

In Qi Linqing’s opinion, it was extremely rare to draw on such good quality paper. Previously, Qi Lele was practising traditional Chinese painting at home. He casually threw away the paper and the brushes that he had used only a few times.  He felt it was a pity to waste such good quality paper, so he turned them out of the trashcan and used them.

“Ok, Ok, little brother, let’s add each other on WeChat?” The boss had already decided that the teenager’s drawing skills were good.

Qi Linqing guessed that the boss should be the so-called middleman.

There were similar agents during the Tang dynasty as well. For whatever reason, whenever the customer did not want to talk directly with the painter, or did not want to write a letter, they would use a middle-man who could facilitate the transaction, and were responsible for delivering bids and replies back and forth. 

Qi Linqing took out his mobile phone and awkwardly navigated into the address book, saying: “Exchanging phone calls is fine, I haven’t learned how to use WeChat.”

The boss’s eyes fell on the lastest fruit model that was only released last year in the young man’s hands and his mouth twitched a little. He thought in his heart, you could just say you don’t want to add on WeChat. 

But Du Yuanbai believed this reason. This was because, before Qi Linqing participated in the “Metamorphosis Meter” and had transferred his school, he was using an old version of Xiaotingcai phone watch that could not be even connected to the internet. Recently, he replaced it with a smartphone that was thrown away by Qi Lele. It was normal that Qi Linqing couldn’t use social apps.

After exchanging contact information with each other.. The boss asked, “Are you free to come over tomorrow? I’ll drive you there.” 

Tomorrow was Saturday. There were no classes.

But why go somewhere else? Qi Linqing thought the other party’s demand was for custom-made paintings.

He wasn’t very sure, so he asked subconsciously, “I’m free. But, first may I ask exactly what type of work needs to be done? ”

———- 

The next day, No. 1 ancient costume shooting base.

On the set of 《Tang Yue Fengyun》, a group of actors were squatting in the corner, picking up boxed lunches, while the staff were busy shuttling between them.

“Now we can’t find anyone at all.” The Scene Manager was on the verge of tears when he ran over.

Qi Lele was playing the second male lead, Li Tianyu; who was an ancient romantic painter. They needed to find a substitute for painting scenes. 

Because the hand and half of the body of the substitute painter would be captured in the storyboard; the TA needed to be under the age of 30.

In the afternoon, people from Scene Management went all over major art colleges and universities and film associations, but they didn’t find a suitable candidate.

Director Shen frowned and said, “Didn’t you say you could invite Lai Ze’s Fine Arts Academy senior who majored in traditional Chinese painting?”

Lai Ze was the art director of the play. 

Scene Manager: “Director Lai said that his senior was preparing to participate in the 10th traditional Chinese painting competition on behalf of Z Province recently. He didn’t have time to come.”

Director Shen was silent for a long time.

If they could have invited that person over, Qi Lele would have been absolutely convinced, and the Qi family would not force it any more. But now….

The producer saw the situation and advised, “Why don’t we let Qi Lele do it himself, didn’t he learn Chinese painting for two weeks at an accelerated pace?” 

“Two weeks is useless!” Director Shen shook his head.

Producer: “You! You want everything to be perfect. We are just a small budget third-rate web drama. It would be only two or three shots, why take it so seriously? Besides,the Qi family has been asking you to fulfil Qi Lele’s wishes.”

At this time, the Scene Manager also interrupted: “Director Shen, why don’t you look at Qi Lele’s works first? He has just painted one in the dressing room.”

Admittedly, Director Shen could not deny Qi Lele’s dedication and professionalism as an actor. He didn’t want a double, that’s why he took the time to learn Chinese painting. 

However, this was an ineffective effort.

In Director Shen’s opinion, professional things should be left to professionals.

But thinking of the pressure from the Qi family, Director Shen had no choice but to relent and say, “Then have him bring the painting over.”

The Scene Manager immediately turned around and ran to call someone. 

Banana Entertainment: [A while ago, Qi Lele, a popular idol, burst out a huge melon – he and his co-star – a rural teenager who had participated in “Metamorphosis Meter”  had been accidentally switched at birth and this was only discovered, 18 years later.

It turned out that Qi Lele was not the biological son of the rich Qi family, but the rural teenager was the real biological son!]

Qi Lele stared at the screen of his mobile phone with gloomy eyes. He had clearly asked his father to control the public opinion. Unexpectedly, Banana Entertainment dared to act like a demon in the mouth of the wind and waves.

After having read through the news, other actors in the dressing room cast sympathetic glances at Qi Lele. 

This rich young master, who had been loved and pampered since childhood, must be very sad to learn that he was not his parents’ own child, right?

Qi Lele noticed these eyes, raised his head with a bitter smile and said: “I don’t care. It’s just that my brother seems to be spoiled by my parents… No, I mean my uncle and aunt spoil him too much. Over the summer vacation, he was tricked into losing more than a million gambling in Macau.”

Among the people present, even those who hadn’t seen the “Metamorphosis Meter” knew that the rural ‘brother’ Qi Linqing was being ostracised by the whole internet. As soon as they heard this information, they felt even more justified in labelling Qi Linqing as stupid and idiotic.

No wonder netizens scolded Qi Linqing every day. 

What type of IQ was this?

Can be tricked to lose more than one million..

“But why are you calling your parents as uncle and aunt?” Someone couldn’t help asking.

One should know, Qi Lele was still in the Qi household register. 

Qi Lele whispered, “I want to call them mom and dad, but my brother would be angry. He said I’m not their biological son and I’m not qualified to call them mom and dad.”

These words sounded heartbreaking, and the disgust for Qi Linqing skyrocketed in the hearts of all the people present.

It was obvious that the kindness of raising was greater than the kindness of birth, okay? What made Qi Lele not qualified for this!

Qi Lele sighed, “I’m actually worried about my uncle and aunt. My brother is going to be a third year senior like me. If his grades can’t keep up, they would definitely be sad.” 

In everyone’s eyes, Qi Linqing, who was born in the countryside, definitely would not have better grades, saying one after another:

“It’s okay, the Qi family still has you! Are not your grades particularly good? Surely you can comfort your parents.”

“Wuwuwu Lele is so strong, beautiful, miserable and lovable.”

“………” 

Listening to the compliments of the crowd, Qi Lele’s mood that was just clouded by the director, suddenly turned clear.

He was about to say something more.

The Scene Manager ran in gasping for breath and asked him to take his paintings for Director Shen to see.

Qi Lele was overjoyed and hurriedly walked over with the painting in his arms. 

He had practised hard day and night for two weeks, wasn’t it all for today?

Director Shen received the painting, spread it out and looked at it, feeling that as a whole  it was okay, and then took it over to ask Lai Ze’s opinion.

Although traditional Chinese painting was not his major, Lai Ze’s evaluation was to the point:

“This would be good enough to fool an inexperienced layman, but if you showed it to an expert, the truth would be exposed immediately. And you see, he is obviously imitating “Hundred Miles Kingfisher”, but his drawing makes it look like a chicken.” 

When Director Shen was filming the last ancient costume drama, he suffered severely for not hiring a body double on similar content. After the broadcast, the netizens ridiculed the various terrible clips that were cut and circulated.

Even if it would make the Qi family unhappy, he immediately gave up the idea of letting Qi Lele play as a painting substitute.

It was at this time, there was a call from a friend who owned a Chinese painting and framing store. Director Shen remembered that he had entrusted this friend to pay attention and help him find a suitable person who could act as a substitute painter. So he was suddenly hopeful. He held his phone and walked out, saying:

“I’ll answer the phone first.” 

Being publicly executed, Qi Lele was a little uncomfortable in his heart.

But he didn’t show it. Instead, he showed an innocent smile and said in a warm voice, “Thank you for your guidance, Director Lai.”

“………”

Lai Ze let out a sigh. 

Obviously, Qi Lele was criticised but conversely he thanked the other party for the guidance. No wonder Qi Lele has always had an excellent reputation in the entertainment industry.

A moment later.

Director Shen came back with a stinky face, pointed back to the person, instructed the Scene Manager: “This is the new recruit, painter substitute, arrange an interview for him.”

The young blond boy, who did not look very old, stepped into the set behind Director Shen. He was obviously wearing the most ordinary shirt and black pants, but somehow had a sense of cold desolation. 

When Qi Lele saw him, his expression was like seeing a ghost in the daytime.

Everyone was stunned. Wasn’t this substitute painter ……

Didn’t this variety show idol come the wrong way??!