Qilou

"云上泥里，浪漫自由. (On the clouds and in the mud, romantic freedom.)"

- Qilou

Qilou (simplified Chinese: 绮楼; pinyin: Qǐ lóu) was a female Chinese Virtual UP (bilibili content creator) affiliated with VirtuaReal, under VirtuaReal Project, as part of its thirteenth generation, also known as "137", alongside Tocci, Joi, and Kiti.

Introduction

 * -|Introduction video=
 * -|Debut stream=

Profile
"Forceful swagger, evil charisma."

- Qilou

Right now in front of you is the clan leader of Liubo Mountain, running rampant in the world for myriads and as equally infamous as the Four Perils passed through legend; the wolf-headed, lion-bodied, tiger-tailed three-headed beast. The king of deception; the great master that gathered the power of every lie; concealing past secrets through skill of deception; the thorn in Bai Ze’s side; able to cover the eighteen eyes of the enlightened beast; the fish that slipped through the net of "Shan Hai Jing"; the bane of all the world’s monster codexes; an unusual beast born in an enchanting mirage of lies - "Young Lady" Qilou.

Although what you see is just an extraordinarily graceful young lady, she is indeed a young lady of peerless youth, but not always. Even if the other two heads are temporarily gone, this is still an ancient three-in-one existence, and every time a different one of the three sisters may be deceiving you. Isn't this profitable?

According to "Young Lady" Qilou's own words, she absolutely did not join VirtuaReal to deceive people more efficiently, nor to gather more lies to enhance her own strength, and definitely not out of envy of Qiongqi, Taotie and such old acquaintances famous from long ago trying to draw out their popularity, only to pass her excess time, that's all.

Personality
Qilou described herself as a "free and easy-going VUP" as well as a "brave, beautiful and honest wild beast with a not bad tolerance for alcohol".

Background
On 1 May 2021, the upcoming Livers were teased on the VirtuaReal bilibili and Twitter accounts with an image of their silhouettes.

On 2 May 2021, VirtuaReal officially announced their thirteenth generation of Virtual Livers, including Qilou, in an article accompanied by their designs and profiles. Qilou made her first dynamic and released her first video on the same day.

Debut
On 9 May 2021, the thirteenth wave made their debuts in a stream relay on bilibili lasting from 19:00 to 23:00 CST, Qilou being the last.

Later on 23 May 2021, a video featuring highlights of their debut streams, presented by iiivan from Xue Feng Jun Tuan, was released on bilibili's official virtual streamer channel.

2022
On her birthday, 23 January, Qilou announced that she would cease activity on bilibili starting 25 January due to health issues.

Death and Retirement
On 9 May 2022, at the end of the thirteenth generation's first anniversary livestream, Kiti announced that Qilou had left them forever. This was later confirmed when Qilou retired from VirtuaReal after an announcement made by the staff on her behalf stated that "due to health-related causes, she had forever left [this world]." Her bilibili channel and its content are to be preserved as is. On the same day, Qilou's genmates released a cover of "Virtual to LIVE" to commemorate her on their 1-year anniversary since debut.

"没有什么能让我们忘记，因为在我们心里你从未离去. (There is nothing that can let us forget, because in our hearts you never left.)"

- Kiti's comment

On 5 August 2022, Qilou along with Miyu, who had graduated two months prior, had their talent profiles removed from the NIJISANJI official website.

Identity

 * Colour: #1F5E7E
 * Species: Three-headed qilou
 * Place of origin: Liubo Mountain
 * Special skill (as in her VirtuaReal profile): Telling lies

Likes and Dislikes

 * Likes: Alcohol, horror games, horror movies, horror novels
 * Dislikes: Chocolate

The 23 Days Before Qilou Fell From a High Place
A series of daily audio clips Qilou released from 1 January until her birthday on 23 January. They feature her role-playing with the viewer in different scenarios.
 * First Day: While rain is falling, you meet Qilou. You crouch down and pretend to be a mushroom with her. She has been crouching for a long time, but you’re the only one who talked to her. She doesn't have a phone, but she'll always be in the same place, so you can meet again.
 * Second Day: Qilou helps you to order boba tea. She says that she already saw you in the morning, and you didn't seem very happy. She believes you can get better. If not, then you can be a cat with her.
 * Third Day: Qilou looks at the sunset by the sea with you. Today, she is a raisin. More accurately, in the morning, she was a grape, but since you came too late, she's only a raisin now. Still, she thinks being a raisin is great, as she's born with the Sun, which carries away her tears and lets them see the fall in the clouds.
 * Fourth Day: Qilou is a fish in the water today. Unwilling to go back up, she tells you to come down and she'll sing for you. You jump, and hear her singing underwater.
 * Fifth Day: Qilou sneezes, and you give her your jacket. Today, she is a firefly. She lights a sparkler, telling you to remember that today's light was specially lit for you.
 * Sixth Day: Qilou surprises you. She asks why you came so early, if you were thinking of her and if you'll think of her tomorrow. She takes you flying. Today, she is a bird.
 * Seventh Day: Qilou crashes into you while skiing, leaving a tooth mark on your face. You fight with her.
 * Eighth Day: Qilou is a cat today. She gets angry you’re feeding another cat. She has a conversation with it and tells you it doesn't like the food you're feeding it.
 * Ninth Day: Qilou decides to help a crow that appears to be in pain. She says that what it needs isn't a doctor or a cure, but spiritual liberation. She kills it, then tells you to run. Qilou wakes you up. Today, she is a nightmare.
 * Tenth Day: Qilou brings you glögg. She can tell from your eyes you have a problem that has to do with her. She gives you Endless Summer hydrangea, and admits that this wasn't the first time you've met. During the summer, you would always pass by her, sometimes unsmiling, sometimes with a miserable face, sometimes cold and expressionless. You didn't know you accompanied her for the entire summer, or that every day she looked forward to you passing by. Qilou isn’t human, but even then she can't ask the summer to stay. She wishes you could be with her longer, that Endless Summer hydrangea could really bloom in an eternal summer. With a trembling voice, she wishes that you won’t walk forwards, that you won't leave. She wishes she could grow old. She truly wishes she could be human.
 * Eleventh Day: You look for Qilou. She tells you to leave, but you refuse. Crying, she says since you came to find her, she'll look forward to meeting you again and think of you even more. But, she says you can't always be with her, and she'll eventually be abandoned like a dog tossed in the water.
 * Twelfth Day: Qilou shares sweets with you.
 * Thirteenth Day: Qilou cooks pork ribs for you. You refuse to eat.
 * Fourteenth Day: Qilou persuades you to play a game and tricks you.
 * Fifteenth Day: Qilou goes to the hairdresser's with you. After asking the price, she decides to cut your hair herself.
 * Sixteenth Day: Qilou calls you. She's unwilling to go out. She says she's a little sick, but she'll be okay. She tells you to come over soon, as she misses you.
 * Seventeenth Day: Qilou looks at the stars with you. She says the stars you see are from hundreds and thousands years ago, so if you made wishes to them, by the time they hear, you'll already have turned into fossils. She tells you to tell your wish to her instead.
 * Eighteenth Day: Qilou watches a movie with you. After the movie's over, you hold her hand as she can't see in the dark. You refuse to let go of her hand even after leaving.
 * Nineteenth Day: Qilou orders hotpot and coke at a restaurant with you.
 * Twentieth Day: Qilou records a video with you.
 * Twenty-first Day: Qilou sings a song in front of a crowd.
 * Twenty-second Day: Qilou helps some sheep dry off from the rain. She asks if you find it strange that there's a sea in the middle of a grassland, and if you think every day you spend with her is strange. She says you should know that the end of romance isn't eternity. She jumps into the sea.
 * Twenty-third Day: You are searching for someone. Qilou asks you who they are, but you don't know their name and can’t remember what they look like. She is somewhere high up, waiting for a fated person to help her get down. She asks you if the person you’re looking for is important to you, and if you’re willing to live in their world for just one day. She says she is also willing. Then, she jumps and you catch her. Qilou tells you she will help you find them, with the final words「在下一个落日之前，我永远都在. 」("Until the next sunset, I’ll be here forever.")

Miscellaneous

 * The number of videos and archived streams on Qilou's bilibili channel add up to 137, the name of VirtuaReal's thirteenth gen.

Media

 * Qilou's corporate profile on VirtuaReal website
 * Qilou's corporate profile on NIJISANJI website (archive)
 * 绮楼Qilou的个人空间 - bilibili channel
 * 绮楼Qilou的直播间 - bilibili live room
 * 绮楼Qilou - Tapechat account
 * Qilou123 - Pomeet account

bilibili Hashtags

 * #绮楼Qilou# - General
 * #诡丽绮谈# - Fan creations
 * #绮不来了# - Unfortunate but amusing story sharing
 * #巷尾鬼楼# - Horror story sharing