“I Want This Beautiful World, What Use Is It?” Author: La Mianhua Tang De Tzuzi Blurb: Eighty years ago, Qi Shejiang was a street performer of crosstalk, and eighty years later, he borrowed a corpse to return to life in the entertainment circle as a newcomer. He seeks rebirth, but the path to reclaiming his old profession is not easy. With this face, no one believes he is a crosstalk artist; no one believes he doesn’t rely on looks to make a living. ——What use is this beautiful face in a prosperous world?
Content tags: Various professions, entertainment circle, ancient, light novel Search keywords: Protagonist: Qi Shejiang ┃ Supporting characters: ┃ Others: Work evaluation: Eighty years ago, crosstalk artist Qi Shejiang, resurrected into a pop idol 80 years later, bears this beautiful face, yet insists on doing his original craft: crosstalk. But with this face, no one believes he is a crosstalk artist; no one believes he doesn’t rely on looks to make a living. This story centers on the protagonist Qi Shejiang’s path to success, portraying how he utilizes his skills to not only wash away the stigma of being a pretty face but also to bring traditional performing arts, long lost to the public, back into the limelight.
The narrative is simple and lighthearted, but the pacing is excellent and engaging. The characters are vividly portrayed with distinct personalities, and the entire text maintains a humorous yet refreshing tone.
Chapter One When manager Li Jing walked into the living room, the television screen was playing gossip news about Pineapple Media. Pineapple Media’s game-based variety show launched this year has had excellent ratings. The program features a combination of old and new, with several newcomers from Pineapple Media alongside popular mainstays. After the first season ended, the newcomers’ popularity increased. Rumor has it that due to the enthusiastic audience response, Pineapple is considering having a few of them team up for activities. It was at this time that a news story broke: among the newcomers, Qi Shejiang, criticized by the media as a pretty face and also the most popular, is actually the biological son of veteran film and song star Xia Yiwei. Although Xia Yiwei’s son rarely appears in the media, a few old photos from his childhood have surfaced.
Previously, due to Qi Shejiang’s looks and performance, he faced much controversy; he neither had much variety show sense nor any notable skills. The only talent he showcased in the program was piano singing. Some enthusiasts interviewed other stars about their opinions on his performance, and Zhang Yue, the lead singer of the Guanshan Band, even contributed a memorable line: “He looks really good.”
Coincidentally, Xia Yiwei has long been nicknamed a “flower vase beauty,” also belonging to the “singing on looks” category.
Soon, claims surfaced that the program was designed to showcase Qi Shejiang, with other newcomers merely serving as support. There was speculation about whether Qi Shejiang would join a group.
Some leaked that Qi Shejiang’s looks were too outstanding, and Xia Yiwei wanted him to pursue solo activities since many viewers expressed that they didn’t mind his clumsy personality; they were willing to watch him just sitting there in the show. Others claimed that besides his looks, Qi Shejiang had nothing to offer, unlike his peers who each had their strengths, making his lack of variety show sense rather jarring. Pineapple’s higher-ups were not keen on him joining a group.
But regardless of the viewpoint, they all fully acknowledged Qi Shejiang’s appearance.
Li Jing turned off the TV and pondered for a moment. He inherited a quarter of Western blood from his mother; he looks strikingly handsome with black hair and eyes that seem Eastern at first glance. Staring into those eyes for more than five seconds can easily leave one breathless.
Now, he was looking at Li Jing with a slightly questioning gaze, as if puzzled by Li Jing’s arrival.
“I came to see you. Have you been resting well these days? You fainted suddenly before, and they couldn’t even find the reason. You really shouldn’t stay up late; a lot of young people are dying suddenly from staying up,” Li Jing said earnestly.
After pausing to glance at the already turned-off television, Li Jing continued, “Also, Xiao Jiang, I know you don’t want to rely on your mom and be labeled, but your relationship will eventually come to light. You don’t need to bear such a heavy burden; give it a few days, and no one will be paying attention. In the end, whether you can be remembered by the audience still relies on you.
Don’t be stubborn.” Li Jing is Xia Yiwei’s manager, and after Qi Shejiang’s identity was revealed, he took over Qi Shejiang’s work. Xia Yiwei made jokes like “Isn’t it good to be like mom?” making Qi Shejiang even more dissatisfied. Qi Shejiang nodded, “You’re right.” Li Jing was stunned for a moment, surprised by this reaction. It sounded like Qi Shejiang agreed, but it was too unlike Xiao Jiang’s usual character; he hesitated and said, “Then for Yiwei’s concert the day after tomorrow, should I reserve a seat for you?” Qi Shejiang nodded again and said lightly, “Sure.” At this moment, Li Jing carefully scrutinized Qi Shejiang. He felt that after not seeing him for a few days, Qi Shejiang was still Qi Shejiang, but there seemed to be a significant growth in his demeanor and actions, giving off a sense of clarity. “That’s good,” Li Jing patted Qi Shejiang’s shoulder, “Rest well; I’m currently looking for scripts for you, and we already have some leads.”
Qi Shejiang would not participate in the Pineapple Media group, but there weren’t as many insider secrets as the outside world speculated.
From the beginning, he had no interest in debuting as part of a group, or rather, this person just wasn’t good at teamwork. When Li Jing was about to leave, Qi Shejiang called out to him, “Uncle Jing, I don’t want to act.” Li Jing raised an eyebrow, “Why do you keep changing your mind? What do you want to do now?” Qi Shejiang blinked and said something to him. After hearing it, Li Jing fell into a daze, staring at him for three seconds, “… Xiao Jiang, are you still mad at us?” Qi Shejiang replied naturally, “No. By the way, Uncle Jing, the light in my room is broken. Do you know how to fix it?” After Li Jing left, Qi Shejiang brewed himself a pot of tea. Something strange had happened to him in these past few days. Ten days ago, he was also called Qi Shejiang, but he didn’t live here; instead, he lived eighty years ago in Huaxia as a folk artist making a living by performing crosstalk. One day, he got caught in the rain while out without proper gear and returned home sick with typhoid fever, which ultimately led to his death. He thought he would be reborn in the underworld, but when he opened his eyes again, he found himself eighty years later in Huaxia, becoming the current “Qi Shejiang.” Qi Shejiang’s mind was filled with several incomplete memories, allowing him to roughly understand the body he now inhabited.
He had been adapting to this bizarre turn of events, the new time and space, the new identity, and to suddenly losing everything he once had. No matter how strange it was, for someone who had died once, gaining new life was the most precious thing. Moreover, he didn’t know why, although he and this “Qi Shejiang” had no similarities, he felt a deep fondness for everything about “Qi Shejiang.”
He used to have an appearance that was just decent and handsome, while this “Qi Shejiang” was stunningly beautiful; he came from a family of traditional opera performers. He first learned opera and didn’t switch to crosstalk until he couldn’t master it. Even their personalities were somewhat at odds—he relied on his verbal skills to make a living, while “Qi Shejiang” was not good with words.
