I'm a web novelist, and you want me to work in the entertainment industry?

The two walked along the beach for a while longer, and the tide gradually rose, rising above their ankles more and more frequently.

Tian Xiwei suggested going to the viewing platform, and Cheng Che had no objection.

We retraced our steps, climbed the wooden steps of the boardwalk, and ascended to the spacious platform.

At five o'clock in the afternoon, the sun was gentle and unhurried, the shadows of the black pines moved slowly across the ground, and the air was filled with the fragrance of pine resin mixed with the salty smell of the sea breeze.

The sound of waves crashing against the rocks came from below the platform, deep and rhythmic, like the heartbeat of the entire platform.

There aren't many people on the platform.

Only an elderly couple sat on a bench chatting, and a young mother pushed a stroller against the railing.

There was also an old man fishing by leaning against the railing.

Tian Xiwei leaned against the railing, the brim of her fisherman's hat being gently lifted by the sea breeze.

She reached out and pressed it down, her gaze sweeping across the sea to a more distant place—the horizon was beginning to glow with a thin layer of orange-red, like someone using a brush to dip in paint and gently spread it on rice paper.

Cheng Che threw the empty French fry box and the takeout bag into the trash can and leaned against the railing.

The sea breeze blew in from the sea, carrying the coolness unique to the evening and dispelling the lingering heat of the afternoon.

Neither of them spoke much until a melody of a piano suddenly came from behind them.

In a corner of the platform, a college-aged boy appeared out of nowhere, with a guitar case next to him, and was tuning his guitar.

After adjusting the keys, he plucked a few strings and then began to play the sheet music.

The technique wasn't particularly skillful; it seemed like she was practicing at the beach during her vacation.

"Huh?" Tian Xiwei's eyes suddenly lit up, and she turned to look at Cheng Che.

"Um?"

"Can you play the guitar?"

"I know a little bit." Cheng Che glanced at the boy not far away and vaguely guessed what she was thinking.

"Could you sing another song? We'll go ask that boy later if he can lend you his guitar!"

"I want to hear it!" Tian Xiwei blinked her dark, moist eyes at him.

【+1+1+1!】

I'll tell you directly, crisply, and without any beating around the bush: I want to hear it!

[Go, Che-ge! Why not just sing another original song? Let's see who dares to say you bought 'Fireworks Fade Easily' from a ghostwriter!]

"...Then you'll go negotiate later?" Cheng Che didn't refuse.

Firstly, if he sings another song, all the negative rumors and public opinion will probably really subside completely.

Secondly... a sweet girl you really like, who's so beautiful she's almost like a monster, blinks at you and says she wants to hear you sing.

Can you really bear to refuse her?

"Don't worry, leave it to me!" Tian Xiwei patted her generous chest and readily agreed.

……

The two leaned against the railing and waited for more than ten minutes.

The boy put down his guitar, unscrewed a bottle of mineral water, took a few sips, and shook his aching left hand, seemingly intending to take a break.

Tian Xiwei immediately stood up straight.

"Wait here." She gestured to Cheng Che and walked briskly towards the corner of the platform.

Cheng Che leaned against the railing, watching her walk up to the boy, bend down slightly, point to his side, then to the guitar, and say something.

The boy was taken aback for a moment, looked at her, then at the direction she was pointing, and finally nodded.

Soon, Tian Xiwei returned with her guitar, a victorious smile on her face.

"Negotiations are complete." She handed the guitar to Cheng Che.

"The efficiency is quite high."

Cheng Che took the guitar and tried out a few chords.

"What should we sing?" he asked.

Tian Xiwei tilted her head: "You can do whatever you want, you're the professional anyway!"

Cheng Che leaned against the railing, the setting sun shining from behind him, gilding his silhouette with a warm gold.

He thought for a while and finally found a song that felt somewhat appropriate for the occasion.

As fingers pluck the strings, a light and bright melody flows from the fingertips.

He spoke.

"Yes, I see sunshine everywhere."

"Happiness floats in the city sky."

"The new world came like a dream."

"It makes me feel warm and cozy..."

His voice was already clean, and when paired with the upbeat rhythm of the guitar, his singing sounded exceptionally clear and sunny.

Upon hearing the first line of lyrics, Tian Xiwei's ears involuntarily turned red.

[Wow! This melody is so catchy, and it's one I've never heard before. Could it be another original piece?]

[Isn't this lyric a bit off? Cheng Che, you're sneaking in your own ideas, aren't you?!]

Is your old pocket watch still ticking?

"Are your old leather shoes still wearable?"

"Here's a Future brand cigarette."

"Don't you want to try some...?"

Not far away, an elderly couple peeling oranges looked up, a young mother pushing a stroller picked up her baby, and an old man fishing listened intently.

The boy who borrowed the guitar looked at Cheng Che with eyes full of admiration.

Yes, yes, yes!

This is exactly what he hoped for!

"First thing tomorrow morning."

I guess the sun will shine.

"I need to clean myself up."

"Sell all the old and worn-out stuff..."

[And "sunshine"? You sang this song just for those two words!]

[Aren't these lyrics a bit about himself? I believe the scandals will be cleared up, and everything will be better after this song is sung!]

Cheng Che raised his voice a little, carrying a clear, youthful quality, as if he were really about to open the window and welcome a new day.

"Wear new clothes and get a new haircut!"

"Take Windows 98 easy."

"The road ahead will no longer be painful."

"How cool our future will be—"

……

The melody gradually faded, the last notes of the piano dissipating in the sea breeze.

The entire platform was silent for a second, then burst into applause and cheers.

The boy who borrowed the guitar played the drums the loudest, the elderly couple peeling oranges clapped and laughed, and the baby in the young mother's arms was startled by the applause, then giggled.

The old fisherman nodded mysteriously, indicating his approval.

[The search is complete, but it still can't identify anything.]

【Brother Che, I'm impressed, please debut!】

[Wow, summer evening, beach platform, guitar, young boy, singing and playing, original song... isn't that a bit too much of a setup? Can any girl really handle it?]

Where's Kuroko? Why isn't he saying anything? Come out and walk around! Did he get burned to death by the blazing sun?

Tian Xiwei also clapped softly.

"The melody is beautiful, and the lyrics are wonderful too."

She was closest to Cheng Che, looking up at him with her eyes slightly curved, filled with the shimmering light of the setting sun.

Cheng Che was about to say a few words of modesty.

Just then, a gray-white figure streaked across the sky at an extremely fast speed.

then……

"Clatter".

Cheng Che felt a strange sensation on his back.

The noise on the platform froze for a moment.

"..."

Cheng Che slowly turned his head, trying to see his back clearly.

Unfortunately, human physiology dictates that this action will be futile.

He looked up and saw a seagull gliding over the platform, emitting a series of clear cries.

"puff--"

I don't know who laughed first.

Then everyone on the platform burst into laughter.

Hahahaha!

[What goes around comes around! Cheng Che, you've finally met your match!]

[Seagull: In this life, I've been reborn as an avenger, and I will reclaim everything that is rightfully mine!]

[I'm sorry, Mr. Zero, I didn't mean to laugh at you, but this is just too funny, I really couldn't hold it in.]

Cheng Che stood there, completely speechless.

He looked up at the seagulls that had already flown far away, and all the words he wanted to say finally coalesced into five words in his heart—

Your mom's kiss!

overtake!!!!

"Don't move."

A voice came from beside me.

Tian Xiwei walked behind him, trying hard to suppress her laughter, and took out a pack of tissues from her pocket.

She opened the packaging, took out a tissue, and carefully wiped away the stains on Cheng Che's back.

"alright."

She crumpled the tissue into a ball and threw it into the trash can next to her, then finally couldn't help but bend over and laugh.

The laughter was crisp and unrestrained, carried far by the sea breeze.

The laughter seemed contagious, so much so that Cheng Che eventually couldn't hold back and laughed along with her.

The shadows of the two laughing cast long shadows on the platform.

As the sun gradually sets in the distance, its afterglow paints half the sky a warm orange-red.

For a moment, the sea was bathed in sunlight.

-

P.S.: There's a minor bug in the lyrics, so please don't worry too much about it.