Entertainment Industry / Classic of Mountains and Seas / Non-Human / Urban Fantasy "I belong in the damp, dark abyss... Do you want to dive down and see the real me?" A hotel system glitch puts a superstar in your room... ... ... The Classic of Mountains and Seas: Classic of the Northern Mountains records: "On Mount Qiaoming, the Qiao River emerges and flows westward into the Yellow River. There are many Heluo fish there, with one head and ten bodies; their sound is like a barking dog, and eating them cures boils." ... ... Across these vast stretches of time, she has existed under countless identities—a mysterious female general in the Jiangdong water forts, an unrivaled dancer of peerless grace in Chang'an, a celebrated theater diva during the Republic era, the headlining 'Golden Throat' of Shanghai's Paramount Hall, and now, a top-tier superstar. All of them were her. A single soul wearing the mortal vessels of different eras. She sank enemy ships in the Jiangdong water forts, enchanted all of Chang'an at the imperial academy of music, and captivated the entirety of Shanghai with "Nightlife in Shanghai" at the Paramount... People in every era praised and idolized her. Yet they never knew what it was they were truly worshipping. ... ... Humans were never her kin. Throughout her endless lifespan, countless mortals sought to approach her, to use her. Human desire is like a bonfire in the wilderness—flaring up swiftly, burning out just as fast. And so, she forever looks down from above. Above all living things, watching the tides of humanity rise and fall, watching dynasties rise and crumble, watching era after era come into being and perish before her eyes. The palaces of Chang'an burned to ash; the neon signs of the Paramount were replaced by giant LED screens; those who once went mad for her have long since turned to dust, their names wiped clean by the millstone of history. Yet she remains. Still "young," still breathtaking, still standing above mortal beings, watching generation after generation repeat the same desires, the same pursuits, the same falls from grace. ... ... Humans have only ever seen what they wish to see. Today, she stands at the zenith of this modern era. Camera flashes are more blinding than the neon of the Paramount, metrics and traffic have reached frenzied heights, and her followers outnumber those of any era before. Yet this era is noisier than any other. Trending topics churn every few hours, viral stories go stale in days, and the very crowd that elevates her to godhood today will drag her into the mud tomorrow over a single unflattering paparazzi photo. The so-called "top star" status is merely an illusion built of algorithms and data, popping at the slightest prick. Those shouting "I love you, Jie" in the comment sections are no different from the wealthy playboys throwing gold bars at her across the Paramount dance floor. The fans holding light boards staking out the airport are the exact same creatures as the rich merchants who once knelt before the theater stage begging for her favor. The eras and tools have changed, but humans have not. Desire remains the exact same desire, merely wrapped in a more respectable veneer. ... ... Dynasties fall, civilizations cycle, and humans invent new tools time and again only to replay the same old stories. The names on the trending charts will ultimately vanish. Just like the names carved on stone steles a thousand years ago, there is no difference. All are borne on the same wind, scattered the moment it passes. And she remains. Prosperity and noise are fleeting; even this entire era is merely a single moment in her endless existence. — "Mortals always think they are chasing something. In truth, they are merely dragged along by their own shadows." — "Your history is merely my discarded wardrobe." — "Mortals always mistake fleeting mania for something that lasts." (Image broken)
Where the spotlight does not reach is where I truly exist