Chapter 78: Children's Literature?

Waking from his afternoon nap, Yu Zhile glanced at the message sent by Yang Bing with some curiosity and asked, "Shouldn't this be an invitation for my wife to join the Spring Festival Gala?"

Yang Bing replied, "The station did invite your wife, but her assistant declined, saying she had no plans to participate. This time, they've asked me to contact you about joining the Spring Festival Gala because you became popular last night, and your name is trending. Besides being Qin Haiyu's husband, you also have that remarkable reputation as the 'Father of Pure Love' among novelists. It’s only natural the station wants to invite you. I imagine other TV stations will also reach out soon, wanting you for their own Spring Festival Galas or other programs."

Yu Zhile declined, "Forget it. If it were the CCTV Spring Festival Gala, maybe I'd be interested."

Yang Bing admitted, "True enough. This year's Spring Festival Gala on Oriental TV isn't even as grand as the New Year’s Eve celebration—it hardly seems worth it." Then he asked, "By the way, 'I Am a Singer' has officially replaced 'I Am a Star.' It’s scheduled to air in March, and the station wants to invite your wife as one of the first resident singers."

Yu Zhile replied, "That's not a good idea! Even though the show has a new name, most viewers still see it as 'I Am a Star.' My wife won last season, so if she joins 'I Am a Singer' again, both she and the production team will get a lot of backlash. People will accuse the team of favoritism, say there's a hidden agenda, or that the show can't find any new singers. It’s bound to draw criticism."

Yang Bing replied, "I told the director the same thing. But your wife's songs and popularity are currently unmatched among female singers. The production team just wants to ride the wave and secure ratings."

Yu Zhile said, "Moderation is key! I understand the pursuit of trends and ratings, but the audience won’t. For the sake of the show’s reputation, I don’t recommend inviting my wife again, and she’s said she doesn’t want to accept any offers right now. I sincerely advise you: don’t sacrifice quality for popularity. The most important thing about a music show is the music. Sure, traffic-driven singers with little vocal ability can bring attention, but they'll also drive away viewers and lower the musical standard. Invite those with real talent and vocal prowess! Best of all, look for singers who were once famous but faded from the spotlight for various reasons. They’re cost-effective and talented. The money saved can go toward improving the stage, upgrading sound equipment, and creating a music show that’s a feast for the eyes and ears!"

"Alright, I’ll pass your advice on to the director!"

Yang Bing felt Yu Zhile made a lot of sense. If they succeeded, "I Am a Singer" would overturn the traditional music shows dominated by celebrities chasing popularity.

...

Evening.

His wife and mother were busy in the kitchen, while Yu Zhile sat in the living room, watching TV and keeping an eye on the baby.

The little one kept pulling at his clothes, and Yu Zhile, curious, lifted his shirt to see what she was up to. To his amusement, she suddenly reached out her tiny hands and grabbed his chest, then puckered her lips and kissed him.

"Wife, wife!" Yu Zhile quickly called out, "Come and see!"

From the kitchen, Qin Haiyu’s voice rang out, "What’s wrong?"

Yu Zhile urged, "Hurry!"

Qin Haiyu rushed out, saw the baby smacking her lips and sucking on her husband’s chest, and immediately tapped him on the back of the head, saying with exasperation, "Are you stupid? Go make some formula for her!"

"Hehe, the baby kept tugging at my shirt, so I just lifted it to see what she'd do. I didn't expect her to actually try it!" Yu Zhile laughed as he stopped the baby's wild antics, but as soon as he moved her away, she burst into tears.

Qin Haiyu, unable to watch her goofy husband any longer, picked up their daughter and sat down, calling out, "Mom, can you stir the food for me? I need to comfort the baby!"

Yu Zhile watched Qin Haiyu lift her shirt to nurse the baby and asked, "Wife, should I still make the formula?"

Qin Haiyu gently patted the baby’s back and glared at him, "Go make it. I still need to cook!"

Soon, Yu Zhile had prepared the formula and took over feeding the baby from his wife.

Looking at the little one’s moist eyelashes and the adorable way she sucked hard on the bottle, he couldn't resist pinching her soft, chubby cheeks.

Just then, his phone buzzed with a new message.

Yu Zhile thought it might be another message from Old Yang, but to his surprise, it was from the editor at his publishing house, asking what he was up to lately.

"Are they urging me to write again, or persuading me to make a comeback?" Yu Zhile wondered. Every novel published under his author account, "Zi Feiyu," had sold so well; now, with updates halted and his pen set aside, the editors naturally felt regret.

Yu Zhile thought it over and replied, "Writing songs and feeding the baby!"

Editor Zhang Xue asked, "Will you really never write novels again?"

Yu Zhile, feeding the baby with his right hand and typing with his left, answered, "Maybe I'll pick it up again in three to five years, or maybe I'll never write again."

Zhang Xue replied, "That's really a shame. Are you interested in children's literature? Have you ever thought about writing nursery rhymes, fairy tales, or children’s novels?"

Yu Zhile stared at the message in confusion. Why had Zhang Xue suddenly veered into children's literature?

But thinking about it, Yu Zhile actually had plenty of ideas for children’s books.

He asked, "Why are you interested in children’s literature?"

Zhang Xue answered honestly, "Ever since you announced you were stopping updates, our publishing house's sales haven’t been doing well. Since you don’t plan to write youth romance novels anymore, I thought maybe you’d try children’s literature, since you spend time with your child and might have lots of inspiration—so I thought I’d ask."

After consulting about publishing children’s literature, Yu Zhile replied, "Alright, if I get inspired and write something in that genre, I’ll reach out to you."

Children’s literature?

Yu Zhile smiled as he watched the baby smacking her lips and sucking on the bottle.

He thought to himself, perhaps soon he’d be known as the Father of Children’s Literature as well!

...

PS: A new week begins. Please vote for recommendations. If all goes well, the book should launch on New Year’s Day.