Volume One, Chapter 43: Could Shen Qi Be the Online Novelist Behind Eight Cats Network?

Zhuo Yiyi swore that she had never laughed so heartily in her entire life.

She wiped a tear away, clutching her stomach with one hand while grabbing Li Huange’s arm with the other.

"Sister Huange... pfft hahahaha... Is this song also written by Shen Qi?"

"Hahaha... hiccup..."

"It's so unusual, didn't you consider putting it on your album?"

Caught up in Zhuo Yiyi’s amusement and the atmosphere of the studio, Li Huange couldn't help but laugh along.

"I can never figure out what goes on in Shen Qi’s mind every day. Sometimes he seems so agile, casually coming up with such bizarre songs..."

"And sometimes he just seems a bit goofy. What kind of songs are these anyway..."

Fang Qian finally managed to compose herself. "I'm really looking forward to seeing if Queen Huange actually learned how to beat the monkey later on..."

...

"Shen Qi! Are you ever going to quit? Singing about shoveling manure and beating monkeys during the day, singing about the Five Rings and mushrooms in the middle of the night, and now singing whatever nonsense this is at the top of your lungs..."

"What beating a monkey?"

"He sang some song about beating a monkey while cooking at home, it sounded awful!"

"Oh? Sing it for me then."

"I don't think that's a good idea..."

"Sing!"

"Alright then..."

[Little Kun really is something else!]

[The way Shen Qi looks terrified of Queen Huange is so enviable. Actually, that's not fear, that's pure, overflowing love.]

[Queen Huange’s little thoughts are written all over her face!]

[Is it finally time for the monkey-beating segment? I'm so excited...]

...

"Ah-Kei ku-lei-hou-ya-hou-hey~~~"

"Ah-Kei ke-le-hou... duck..."

"It's Ah-Kei ku-lei-hou-ya-hou-hey!"

"Next line!"

"You didn't even learn the previous line..."

"Never mind that! Just the next line!"

"Di-da-lu-gong-ga-hou-da-hey~~~"

...

Amidst the roaring laughter of the live audience, the clip of Li Huange learning "Beating the Monkey" finally came to an end.

Li Huange felt a mix of amusement and exasperation toward Shen Qi.

To end up with such a comical weirdo, Li Huange felt she was truly one of a kind.

Warm, enthusiastic cheers erupted throughout the broadcasting hall.

Li Huange was secretly worried that the unscrupulous production crew might ask her to demonstrate on the spot whether she had actually learned how to beat the monkey. Fortunately, the show's purpose was to entertain the masses, and that goal had been achieved.

It was rare to see the national goddess display such an endearingly awkward side, providing the live broadcast with a fantastic start right from the beginning.

"That was truly a wonderful behind-the-scenes clip! I can't wait to see if there will be any new and interesting footage of Shen Qi taking care of the kid at home today!" Fang Qian smiled and said.

Li Lei also smiled. "Then let's officially start today's live broadcast!"

...

The living room scene appeared on the massive screen.

On the wall of Li Huange's luxury villa, the clock pointed directly to seven o'clock.

Shen Qi sat on the sofa, a pot of tea placed on the coffee table in front of him.

During the first day of the broadcast, quite a few netizens condemned Shen Qi for being a freeloader who lived off his wife, but Shen Qi had also gathered a large following. Upon seeing him once again, the excitement of many fans was reflected directly in the live streaming comments.

Suddenly, a fan noticed something amiss.

[Wait, wait, wait! Look closely at Shen Qi's right cheek. There seems to be a five-finger mountain printed right on it.]

[What the heck? Seriously? Could Queen Huange have slapped him?]

[I know this all too well, he definitely got hit by someone. Is there a day when my own face doesn't get a taste of left and right palms?]

[Queen Huange actually hits people? That is simply unbelievable.]

Seeing this on the big screen, Li Huange’s expression became even more awkward.

Lin Xiaolu seemed to have shaken off the gloom from the broadcast of her own household, and asked with a smile,

"Queen Huange, why is there a slap mark on Shen Qi's face?"

Li Huange offered an awkward smile.

"A married couple fooling around..."

Lin Xiaolu and Bai Qinghe instantly wore knowing, playful expressions on their faces.

They play things that wild?

Lin Xiaolu and Bai Qinghe couldn't help but wonder.

Why did the national goddess resort to physical violence, yet the public didn't utter a single negative word about it?

Has internet tolerance grown this massive nowadays?

...

Shen Qi's face looked rather displeased. He took a sip of tea and reached out to rub his right cheek.

"Hiss... she really didn't hold back!"

The comment section erupted in merriment once more.

At that moment, Shen Xiaokun appeared in the frame wearing pajamas. He glanced at Shen Qi, looking somewhat puzzled.

"Did Mom beat you?"

"..."

"Let's make breakfast, I'm going to wash up first."

Shen Xiaokun seemed to have very disciplined lifestyle habits. Although the paperwork for his new school had just been completed and it was still summer vacation, he still woke up punctually at seven o'clock every single day.

Wash up, eat breakfast... and then follow his self-prescribed daily routine.

The breakfast Shen Qi prepared today still looked exquisite and delicious, but Shen Qi didn't sing a single note while cooking.

Many netizens felt a twinge of regret, while Li Huange felt puzzled.

Could it be that accidental slap from earlier had put Shen Qi in a bad mood?

The father and son ate their breakfast quietly. After Shen Xiaokun finished washing the dishes, he headed straight to the piano room to practice as usual.

Shen Qi sat down in front of his computer, clacking away at the keyboard for over an hour.

[I strongly suspect Shen Qi is up to something behind Queen Huange's back. During the last broadcast, he was also typing away in front of the computer the entire time.]

[Could this freeloader not be what we thought he was? Does he actually have some kind of online job?]

[I am a web novelist, and this is the exact posture I adopt when I'm writing novels and typing away.]

[I'm a web novelist too, and Shen Qi's typing speed is insanely fast. Visually estimating, his speed should be around 7,000 words per hour—twice as fast as mine!]

Li Huange also harbored massive doubts in her heart.

So many things had distracted Li Huange ever since she returned home, causing her to completely forget to investigate what Shen Qi was actually doing on the internet.

Li Lei chimed in with a question. "Queen Huange, many netizens are curious about what Shen Qi is up to. Do you happen to know?"

Li Huange shook her head.

Fang Qian asked, "Then would you be willing to authorize us to let everyone take a look at what Shen Qi is actually doing?"

Li Huange hesitated for a moment, seemingly worried that Shen Qi wouldn't want his secrets exposed, but she was far too curious herself. In the end, she nodded.

"Alright..."

The high-definition camera zoomed in, and the display screen of the computer appeared on the massive main screen.

By this time, however, Shen Qi had stopped typing and seemed to have finished what he was doing. Only a webpage was displayed on the big screen.

Upon closer inspection, someone gasped in surprise to find that it was genuinely a web novel site.

[This is Bamao Network! I'm a contracted author on this website! There is no doubt about it, Shen Qi is writing a novel.]

[He must have just published a chapter! What a pity, we have no idea which book it is, we can't even see the author's name.]

[Is there any tech wizard out there who can find out which novels were updated today around 9:35?]

[Damn it, I am completely captivated by this mysterious man. I must uncover all his secrets!]

Li Huange stared in astonishment at Shen Qi's seemingly satisfied expression. She truly could not understand it anymore.

"I've been married to Shen Qi for three years, but I never knew he typed away every day. As for whether he's writing novels, I have even less of a clue."

"After all, most of the time, I'm not even home during the day."

With Li Huange saying this, Shen Qi appeared even more enigmatic.

Lin Xiaolu and Bai Qinghe were the last people who wanted to see Shen Qi accomplish anything proper, but since this freeloader had already outperformed their own husbands, it would be unacceptable if Shen Qi actually had a respectable career as well.

"Web novel writing is, after all, a very rare profession in real life. Seeing Shen Qi type and the Bamao webpage on his computer doesn't necessarily prove he's a web novelist, right?"

"That's right. Besides, as far as I know, the vast majority of web novelists basically starve through several meals a day. It doesn't mean Shen Qi can actually make a living off web novels, does it?"

[That's true, we web novelists starve through three meals a day.]

[If Shen Qi really is a web novelist, given his personality, the book he writes must be extremely interesting.]

[Even if it's poorly written, I'm willing to drop tips on it.]

[Issuing an emergency nationwide investigation order: Find out what book Shen Qi is writing!]