Reborn, I Became a Male God - Chapter 116-120

On the first day of the new year, a gossip post appeared on the entertainment section of the Nanzhou Forum.

 

Title: New Year’s revelation, I’m taking the lead! Qiaowei, underage!

 

No.0 Yiyiyaya: As the title says, a friend from Qiaowei’s internal staff told me this yesterday. Their tone and expression were like they’d been brainwashed, kept saying this GG will definitely break with tradition.

No.1 Little Flowerflowerflower: Front row!

 

No.2 Love Song Under the Moon: Sorry, maybe my focus is a bit off… may I ask, what brand is Qiaowei?

 

No.3 Silly Goose 233333: I’ll just pretend I didn’t notice that the original poster is blackening my idol. First day of the new year and you’re already putting my idol’s name in the title—how deep is your grudge? Did they dig up your ancestor’s grave or what?

 

…

 

No.166 Maple Leaf: If I remember correctly, Qiaowei is a cosmetics brand, right? Even if they look good as a minor, it’s not to the point of endorsing cosmetics, is it? OP, are you okay in the head? Your IQ is running low, so you just assume the whole world’s as dumb as you?!

 

No.167 Until I Met You: +1 to the person upstairs. Finally, someone with sense. Such an obvious loophole and no one noticed, y’all just casually chatted through more than 100 floors! I’ve been reading along just to see when someone would point it out! Currently, Jing Ling’s public image is doing well, so I’ll remind all the Feather fans here: debunking rumors in the thread is actually pointless. The proper approach is to actively report and get the post buried. Every time you bump the thread, someone else might get misled!

 

…

 

After that, although some people still replied, the pace slowed significantly, and soon the front page was taken over by new topics. But no one expected that this post, which had already sunk down, was bumped back up again in the evening.

 

No.233 Yiyiyaya: That person on 167L, why can’t a man endorse cosmetics? Which law says so? Go find it for me, I’ll wait. No offense, but with Jing Ling’s face and skin condition, isn’t he better than many female celebrities? Actors, regardless of gender, all need makeup. Why can’t he be an endorser? Do you even understand what breaking tradition means? Being the first to eat the crab*, doing what others haven’t done—that’s what it is!

 

(*Note: “first to eat the crab” is a Chinese idiom meaning being the first to try something new or take a risk.)

 

No.234 Ziyu: Who the hell bumped this again?!

 

No.235 Thorny Flower: OP makes it sound so convincing, I almost believed it!

 

…

 

No.333 Gossip Account Vest: Let me say something. Whether the OP’s friend is really Qiaowei internal staff, I don’t know. But they are definitely from the industry. Jing Ling has indeed accepted the endorsement for Qiaowei’s new product. Everyone’s just watching to see the effect after GG airs. As for what product it is, here’s a little hint—it’s that item that sold out not long ago.

 

…

 

This account “Gossip Account Vest” is a well-known account in the Nanzhou Platform’s entertainment gossip section. Just like the name suggests, they often leak various entertainment industry news—scandals, rumors, romances, film, television, fashion endorsements—there’s seemingly nothing they don’t know. Their leaks are highly accurate. Although there are occasional mistakes, it doesn’t affect their reputation in everyone’s eyes.

 

There are many rumors about their identity—some say they work at a marketing company, some say a celebrity’s studio, others say they’re a bored executive at an entertainment company… There was even a period where the forum had a wave of doxxing fever, and Gossip Account Vest received the most votes for people wanting to expose them. Unfortunately, despite many people working together, no one managed to uncover their true identity.

 

It can be said that within the entertainment gossip section of the Nanzhou Platform, whenever this account appears, the post is guaranteed to become a hot topic.

 

Sure enough, after Gossip Account Vest appeared, the post that was about to sink instantly shot back up and firmly occupied the front page.

 

No.356 A Tune of Farewell: Here to watch Vest!

 

No.357 Miaomiao: Vest, I didn’t study much so don’t fool me. Based on your hint, Jing Ling’s endorsement should be lipstick, and GG seems to have already been filmed. I imagined a guy playing seductive red lips on TV… Even if his face is really good-looking, I still feel like he can’t pull that off!

 

No.358 Peppermint Became a Spirit: Damn, I couldn’t control my imagination after what the person upstairs said. That image is addictive!

 

…

 

No.520 Meng Er’s Cat: I’m claiming floor 520! Confession to Meng Er!

 

No.521 Meng Er’s Cat: Still me! Actually, I kinda don’t get why you all keep following 356’s train of thought, imagining seductive red lips. Lipstick doesn’t only come in one color, okay? The promotional photos for Ode to the Rivers and Mountains were a perfect example. Chelsea’s color-changing lipstick in shade 035 sold out completely. If what Vest says is true, and Meng Er really endorsed Qiaowei’s lipstick, I’m definitely buying it! Mark my words!

 

No.523 Together in the Clouds: Wait for me, person upstairs, I’m buying too! I looked up the Qiaowei brand online. The reviews seem decent, and my lipstick is almost finished anyway. Perfect chance to support Jing Bao!

 

—

 

By the time they scrolled to the end of the post, everyone wasn’t just chatting—they started posting pictures too. Aside from the most well-known character styling photos from Ode to the Rivers and Mountains, there were also other stills from dramas. Some were simply TV show screenshots with the faces covered, focusing entirely on the lips, solidly proving that Jing Ling taking on a lipstick GG came with no pressure at all.

 

After a few rounds of this, quite a few people expressed that they had been successfully “planted the seed”—besides the loyal fans showing their support, many passersby joined in too, all saying that once the GG was released, they’d definitely buy it, treating it as supporting domestic products.

 

January 11th, Saturday.

 

Yang Rou was freeloading food, drinks, and lodging at her best friend’s place. They partied late into the night yesterday and only got up close to noon today.

 

Outside, it was rare good weather. Warm sunlight filtered through the light green curtains, filling the room with brightness that wasn’t harsh, giving off a sense of peace and quiet.

 

Yang Rou lazed in bed for a while. It wasn’t until her best friend pushed the door open and called her to eat breakfast that she finally dragged herself up with difficulty. She casually grabbed her hair, tied it into a ponytail, and twisted it into a bun. Then, wearing her fluffy panda slippers, she headed to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. After that, she headed straight to the living room dining table, obediently sitting there waiting for food.

 

Her best friend poked her head out from the kitchen and rolled her eyes at her. “Hurry up and come help!”

 

“Oh!” Yang Rou responded and went in to help.

 

The two of them couldn’t eat much to begin with, plus they were both in the dieting phase, working hard to ensure they could wear all kinds of beautiful little dresses in the summer. So it didn’t take long before they were done. Light side dishes with plain congee still looked appetizing.

 

Yang Rou was the type who couldn’t sit still. Holding her bowl, she squatted in front of the living room sofa, grabbed the remote, and turned on the TV, aimlessly switching channels while wailing, “So miserable! Ever since I became a Meng Er fan, I can’t watch any other TV shows! I’ve rewatched The Song of Eternal Joy and Island countless times, even the two variety shows I’ve looped over and over. They’re all great, but I want new content! When on earth is Ode to the Rivers and Mountains airing?!”

 

Her best friend didn’t even turn her head from the dining table and casually said, “You’re overthinking it. It’ll be at least two more months before filming wraps, and the broadcast date is nowhere in sight.”

“Wuwuwu!”

 

“But don’t lose all hope. Isn’t there a GG promo being released soon? It barely counts as new content.”

 

“Qiaowei’s official account is just too sneaky!” Yang Rou complained aggrievedly, leaning her head close to the bowl, pressing it down slightly so the congee flowed into her mouth. In her best friend’s words, being lazy to this extent, she was practically a cripple.

 

She kept pressing the remote, switching channels nonstop. The moment she switched from Baiyun TV to TV Nanzhou Satellite Channel, a sweet female voice came through the speakers:

 

“Qiaowei Perfect Lover Series Lipstick, heart-throbbing price 199 yuan, nationwide launch on January 11th, with endless amazing gifts!”

 

The screen flashed by, and then a beverage GG started playing.

 

Yang Rou’s hand froze instantly, and she quickly asked her best friend, “Baby, did I just hear the words Qiaowei, or am I imagining things?!”

 

Unlike Yang Rou, who was eating and playing at the same time, her best friend had already finished eating. She walked over and sat down on the sofa, nodding, “Mm, you heard right.”

 

As a fan, Yang Rou was very attentive to her idol’s updates, whether it was official announcements or entertainment news. As long as it was related to her idol, she’d basically click in to take a look. She had also seen the exposé post on the Nanzhou Forum earlier and was one of the many fans shouting “buy buy buy.”

 

A few days later, Qiaowei’s official Weibo account officially announced the endorsement, saying that the GG promo would be released in the near future.

 

As the first male celebrity to endorse lipstick, the level of discussion was unprecedentedly high. For several days, the forum was practically flooded with the words “Jing Ling.” In various posts, whether good-natured, malicious, or just watching the show, the comments kept refreshing non-stop.

 

The official account didn’t reveal the exact airing time of the GG. Fans were eager but helpless—after all, they couldn’t just stare at the TV 24/7 waiting for the GG, could they?

 

Yang Rou turned on the TV today purely out of habit, hoping to stumble upon the GG by chance. To her surprise, she actually did catch it, though regretfully, it was only the tail end. But that was fine. Now that she knew it was airing, lying in wait would eventually pay off.

 

Under her best friend’s urging, she finished the remaining half bowl of congee, washed the bowl clean in the kitchen, then snuggled up with her best friend on the living room sofa to wait for the GG while scrolling Weibo.

 

The official account was playing mysterious, uncharacteristically not releasing the GG promo online. But the internet is almighty—at this point, plenty of phone-recorded videos had already circulated.

 

Though the filming angles weren’t great and the resolution wasn’t high, watching the whole GG promo still gave off a super impactful feeling.

 

The GG started off with major fan service—a shirtless temptation and close-up of abs, making people want to lick the screen immediately. Next came the female model’s scene, applying lipstick in front of a mirror, only half her face visible.

 

Suddenly, her movements paused, the camera switched, and she mischievously held the lipstick close to a sleeping young man, gently applying it to his lips. Even through the screen, you could almost feel how soft it was.

 

The young man woke from his sleep, his sleepy, hazy expression combined with his exquisite, flawless face made people’s hearts melt instantly.

 

He smiled, instinctively reaching out to wrap his arm around the girl’s waist, raising his head to kiss her cheek.

 

Half a lip print was left on the girl’s face.

 

The camera gradually blurred, faintly showing the two of them playing around.

 

From blurry to clear—the young man’s exquisite, flawless face appeared on screen, applying lipstick in front of the mirror, then gently pressing his lips together, imitating the girl’s earlier action…

The words “Qiaowei · Perfect Lover Series Lipstick” appeared on screen.

 

After watching, Yang Rou clutched her chest, looking up at her best friend, “Baby, do you think it’s still too late for me to switch careers and become a model? I want to wear matching couple pajamas with Meng Er, I want little kisses on my face, I want to roll around shamelessly on the same bed with him…”

 

Chapter 117

 

“If I hadn’t watched GG with you, I would’ve thought you were watching an AV.”

 

“If the male lead is a Meng Er, I’m willing to debut as an AV actress!”

 

“…Get lost!”

 

On January 11th, Qiaowei’s official Weibo was completely flooded by fans and passersby.

 

Yun Zhong Shen Hai: Hand over GG and no one gets hurt!

 

sencs: [doge] If I buy this Perfect Lover lipstick series, can I get a Perfect Lover along with it?

 

A Men A Qian Yi Ke: I never really liked Jing Ling’s face before, but today I accidentally saw GG on TV and was instantly captivated. Especially that smile after he woke up—such pure joy and doting affection, it’s simply irresistible!

 

Yi Zhi Juan Juan: I just want to know, when they filmed this GG, did the model girl secretly take advantage of my Jing Bao? [King’s Fury jpg]

 

Shan Gui A Luo: The limited edition “Kiss” was sold out in less than ten minutes after pre-sale started. You Feathers are insane! 520 yuan for one isn’t the same as 52 yuan, okay? With that money, you could buy a luxury foreign brand!

 

The moon is rounder abroad. A significant number of people enjoy the convenience of domestic life, yet wherever they can, they trample their own country into the ground, grinding it down repeatedly, while worshipping the faraway land across the ocean with exaggerated praise.

 

People like that get scolded no matter where they go. Unsurprisingly, that person was chased down and scolded with hundreds of comments afterward. But most people were still more focused on Qiaowei’s products.

 

Aside from launching the new Perfect Lover line, this time Qiaowei also released a limited edition “Kiss” — only 520 units in the country, available for pre-sale exclusively on the official website, priced at 520 yuan each. The pre-sale channel opened at 11:11 AM on January 11th, and within less than ten minutes, it was completely sold out. On Weibo, Tieba, and forums, countless fans wailed, begging to purchase one.

 

Forum threads shot up like skyscrapers. Replies refreshed every second, the posts permanently pinned to the homepage, all marked with a “hot” label at the end.

 

Topic: Breaking Tradition — Qiaowei’s Perfect Lover Lipstick Series Opens a New Era of Male Celebrity Endorsements! Betting a pack of spicy sticks this will explode in popularity!

 

0L: Not a fan, not a hater, just a random passerby. I was stunned the moment I saw GG on TV. I have to say, Jing Ling’s looks are absolutely godlike. And at such a youthful, prime age, his face is full of collagen, tender enough to pinch water out of. Back when he cross-dressed in The Song of Eternal Joy, there wasn’t the slightest sense of awkwardness. Now that he’s endorsing lipstick, it’s the same flawless effect. When he looked in the mirror and applied the lipstick at the end… I almost couldn’t resist kissing the screen…

 

1L: This GG is addictive… I used to hate how long the GG commercials were during dramas, but now I realize, waiting for the drama to resume during GG is even harder. My mom asked me what I was doing, I said I was watching GG. At first, she thought I lost my mind, but later she accidentally saw the GG, and here’s exactly what she said—“Isn’t that Jing Ling? That young man is endorsing lipstick? The color looks really nice, remember to buy me one.” Truly worthy of being my biological mother, no hesitation at all when it comes to murdering her daughter’s wallet (:з」∠)

 

2L: It’s okay, I only watched it five or six times on loop ┑(￣Д ￣)┍

 

…

 

123L: You might not believe it, but I live in a tiny tier-18 city, and even our local shopping mall has a Qiaowei counter. I used to go there occasionally, and it was always pretty empty. Today, after seeing GG, I thought I’d casually drop by and grab one… Sold out!!! You insane Feathers, pushing sales to this level, are you sure this is normal?!

 

124L: I feel like our Qiao is about to blow up this time. Joining the ranks of top domestic brands isn’t just a dream!

 

…

 

Songzhou, Jiu’an City, Shuangshan Town, Pingli County.

 

Yunshu was transferred here on Monday. In the morning, there was a welcome meeting, in the afternoon, she handled work handover, and by the next day, she officially started working. The town’s duty roster is arranged monthly—when her predecessor left, they simply replaced the name with hers and kept using the same schedule. This Saturday, it’s her turn for duty.

 

Back in Chashan Town, she also took shifts before, but that was as an ordinary staff member. Now, her position has changed to leadership. She was transferred from remote, impoverished Chashan to serve as deputy mayor. Her predecessor oversaw economic affairs and taxation. After she arrived, a leadership meeting was hastily called, and responsibilities were redistributed—now, safety production, road traffic, and fire safety are under her jurisdiction.

 

This arrangement had long been anticipated by both Yunshu and Governor Hu, who orchestrated her transfer.

 

Shuangshan Town has exceptionally rich coal resources. Relying on this single industry, the town’s GDP ranks in the top ten across the entire prefecture. While the economy flourishes, corruption here is also rampant. Over the past few years, two deputy mayors have been taken down, but they were scapegoats—the true masterminds still roam free.

 

Due to Hu Wei’s case, Yunshu entered Governor Hu’s field of vision. With her appearance, educational background, and abilities, she was already conspicuous in a remote, impoverished place like Chashan. Plus, Governor Hu happened to have some connections in the Western Administrative District and learned there was a Tan family living on Banxian Mountain. Growing suspicious, he made a phone call and discovered Yunshu’s connection to the Tan family—though only that she was the Tan family’s daughter, nothing deeper was uncovered.

 

During the government work meeting, maintaining stability was emphasized repeatedly. Yet Yunshu defied the risk and exposed the Chashan human trafficking case online. With the main leaders held accountable, she, as the person directly involved, couldn’t escape blame either. Some who had suffered under her would’ve loved to see her gone, but no one expected that she’d be picked up by a car, leave Chashan for the city, and then fly to meet the prefecture’s top leaders.

 

“Xiao Tan, with your abilities, you could’ve had much better options. Why would you want to work in a rural township?” Governor Hu, fifty-one this year, wore glasses and looked gentle and refined. He sat at his desk, a ceramic teacup placed at hand. The lid was lifted, and wisps of tea steam curled upward, filling the air with a faint fragrance.

 

“For my ideals,” Yunshu sat across from him, neither arrogant nor servile.

 

That answer was both within expectations and slightly beyond them.

 

“It’s a good thing you have such awareness…”

 

The two of them chatted in the study for a long time. During that time, the housekeeper came in to refill the tea three times. In the end, Governor Hu casually remarked, “Young people should be brave enough to face challenges!”

 

Not long after that, Yunshu was transferred to Shuangshan Town.

 

For her, this was both a risk and an opportunity. Either she would catch a big fish in the muddy waters, or she would lose her footing and drown. Besides that, there didn’t seem to be a third option.

 

Although the higher-ups repeatedly issued strict orders that all staff on duty must be present at their posts and keep their phones on 24 hours a day, discipline at the grassroots level was slack. Apart from the main service windows, not to mention leaders, even ordinary staff were just going through the motions.

 

As a newcomer with a mission, Yunshu didn’t want to appear too out of place, but she had no choice. 

There was simply too much work at hand; without working overtime, it was impossible to get through it all.

 

She had been busy since morning, and just as lunchtime approached, the girl on office duty suddenly ran over and said to her, “Deputy Tan, there’s a video conference at three o’clock this afternoon, in the large conference room on the third floor.”

 

Yunshu nodded to indicate she understood, then buried her head back into her work.

 

Around 2:40 in the afternoon, she put down her work, brought her water cup and notebook, and went to the conference room. The staff were adjusting the equipment, and the large screen still displayed Songzhou TV, currently playing a detergent commercial. A few seconds later, the commercial ended, and the next one started.

 

A sleeping young man, bare upper body, clearly visible abs…

 

Yunshu expressionlessly watched the entire commercial, then pulled out her phone and sent a message to the contact saved as “Dear J.”

 

— I saw your lipstick commercial.

 

The timing of Yunshu’s message was perfect, just after Shen Ze’s phone call had ended. At that time, Jing Ling had just finished filming a scene and was resting. His phone and other personal belongings were placed in the dressing room, watched over by a temporary assistant. The assistant was a girl, a student from a nearby university working during the holidays. She wasn’t a fan and was very diligent and responsible. When she heard the phone ring, she brought it over. “Jing Ling, your phone.”

 

“Thank you.” Jing Ling smiled as he took the phone.

 

He was wearing his costume — a dark hunter’s outfit — broad shoulders, a slim waist, and long legs on full display. The girl stammered a bit as she replied, “You’re welcome,” then quickly turned and ran off.

 

The staff nearby teased with a grin, “Jing Ling, your smile is too lethal. You’re practically luring people into committing crimes, you know! Look, another girl has been captured by your smile!”

 

Jing Ling wasn’t annoyed and joked along, “Alright then, I’ll listen to Sister Zhenzhen and stop smiling!”

 

The staff member called Sister Zhenzhen sighed and said, “Good looks, good temper, such a sweet mouth — really, I wonder what kind of lucky girl will get to be your girlfriend in the future. I’m so jealous!”

 

“That should be my luck, actually!”

 

“Alright, enough chatting. Go take your call and rest a bit. The next scene will be ready soon.”

 

“Okay, thanks, Sister Zhenzhen!”

 

During the conversation, the call had already ended. Jing Ling called back. Shen Ze’s call was to share the good news about the Qiaowei lipstick endorsement — the limited-edition KISS series sold out in eight minutes. The official website’s message board had over ten pages of people offering to pay extra for resales. As for the regular series, judging by the online orders and sales from several large flagship stores, sales were also impressive, especially the shades featured in the commercial, which were selling the best.

 

“First endorsement and already a smashing success, excellent!” Shen Ze’s voice was filled with undisguised joy. He casually mentioned the magazine cover as well — Victor’s cover, online pre-sale starting on the 15th of this month.

 

Thanks to the success of the commercial, Shen Ze wasn’t worried about the magazine sales at all. After chatting for a bit more, Shen Ze hung up.

 

Jing Ling was about to put away his phone when the screen lit up with a new message.

 

— I saw your lipstick commercial.

 

It was from Yunshu.

 

A perfectly normal sentence, no unusual punctuation or tone. But Jing Ling just had a gut feeling that Yunshu might be a little jealous. Although for an actor, such a commercial was completely normal and Yunshu could surely understand, understanding didn’t mean not caring at all. Between lovers, even the most easygoing person would inevitably have little moments of possessiveness.

 

For some reason, imagining Yunshu being jealous made Jing Ling find it a little amusing. The corners of his lips curved up slightly, and he called her.

 

After just one ring, a familiar automated message suddenly came through —

 

“Sorry, the number you dialed is currently on another call. Please try again later!”

 

Jing Ling’s hand paused for a moment, instinctively blinking.

 

…It didn’t seem as simple as just being a little jealous?

 

Chapter 118

 

— Are you angry?

 

The call on the other end hung up, and Jing Ling’s first reaction was this. He was tactful enough not to keep calling, instead switching to sending a message.

 

Two seconds later, the phone buzzed, and a reply came.

 

— No. In a meeting.

 

Considerately, she even added two periods.

 

Seeing this reply, Jing Ling knew for sure that she was indeed angry. Because the response was too fast, too straightforward, and too brief. If she had simply replied that she was working, or waited a while before replying, Jing Ling wouldn’t have suspected anything.

 

— I was wrong.

 

Although he had no experience chasing after girls, this kind of situation wasn’t unfamiliar to him, and he knew how to handle it. Without another word, he decisively admitted fault.

 

After sending that message, nearly a minute passed before Yunshu finally replied.

 

— Mm, what did you do wrong?

 

Jing Ling could almost imagine it — on the other end of the phone, she was holding her phone, replying to him, the screen reflecting her face, still angry but showing a slightly conflicted look as if she wanted to smile.

 

Thinking of this, he suddenly felt a little dazed.

 

The image that surfaced in his mind was both familiar and unfamiliar. The familiar part was Yunshu’s face, which was also his own past face. The unfamiliar part was the expression on that face. In his memory, that face seemed to rarely even smile, let alone show emotions like jealousy or anger. Maybe someone had liked her before, but she had never truly liked a man, never been in a relationship. Living under the shadow of the Tan family, she once doubted even life itself, let alone love and marriage.

 

But now, everything was different.

 

The Yunshu that was him had already become the past, unreachable. Standing here now was Jing Ling. In a parallel space-time, he had met his former self, and at the moment they met, fate branched off onto another road, heading toward a completely unfamiliar future.

 

Before they met, Yunshu was his former self. After they met, the marks on her body were slowly washed away by time, gradually becoming an entirely new individual.

 

This feeling was very strange. Such a change was inevitably a little hard to accept for the time being. But Jing Ling felt that he really ought to try to change his mindset and perspective.

 

……

 

The slight vibration of his phone pulled his thoughts back — it was another message from Yunshu.

 

— You’ve been busy filming lately, so I didn’t tell you about my job transfer. The new workplace is quite far from Chashan, but the transportation is convenient. The airport is nearby, less than an hour’s drive.

 

Jing Ling was momentarily stunned when he saw this message. He truly didn’t know about Yunshu’s job transfer. Regarding the human trafficking case before, she had only told him it was resolved and that he didn’t need to worry. He respected her wishes, so he hadn’t gone behind her back to ask anyone else. But this job transfer wasn’t exactly surprising. Jing Ling had taken some time to look into that human trafficking case in Chashan. Based on the clues Yunshu had provided, it could practically be called an unsolvable dead end. The victims were long dead with no bodies recovered, the two main culprits were also deceased, and as for the rapists, though they were still around, the trafficked women were either unable to testify or had resigned themselves to their fates and didn’t want to pursue it. What use was there?

 

If it weren’t for Hu Wei’s special status, there really would’ve been no hope for this case.

 

And although it was resolved in the end, for Yunshu, it left endless trouble behind. She had exposed the collective human trafficking crimes of the villagers. The more remote and underdeveloped a place was, the weaker the people’s legal awareness, only caring about what benefited themselves, regardless of right or wrong. Not only did the villagers hate her, but even some of the town employees probably resented her, because grassroots performance evaluations were tied to all sorts of assessments, which meant interests were involved.

 

Under such circumstances, it wasn’t a good choice for Yunshu to remain in Chashan Town.

 

— It was Governor Hu, wasn’t it?

 

Although he sent a message to ask, Jing Ling was already almost certain in his heart. It wasn’t that he was particularly clever — anyone who knew the inside story could basically guess.

 

— Mm.

 

— Where exactly? After all, we’re not in the same place. If I’m going to come bearing a humble apology, I have to plan the route first so I can get there quickly and properly.

 

— Ji’uan City, Pingli County, Shuangshan Town.

 

— The meeting has started, I’ll talk to you tonight.

 

After sending two consecutive messages, there was no more movement from Yunshu’s side. But even if she was free, Jing Ling couldn’t continue chatting. It was just a short break during filming; there were still other scenes to shoot, and the staff had already told him to get ready. He turned off the phone screen, handed it to the assistant girl, then got up to film the next scene.

 

The equipment had already been adjusted, and the signal was normal. On the large screen at the venue, the conference call had already begun.

 

Other than a few absentees from the leadership team of the town, the rest had basically all come, scattered across the front two rows. The remaining staff also arrived one after another, casually finding seats. Some whispered to each other in small groups, others quietly played on their phones. There weren’t many people genuinely paying attention to the meeting.

 

Yunshu sat in the second row by the wall, with a glass cup containing half a cup of water at her side. Before the meeting began, she had been sitting there exchanging messages with Jing Ling. Talking to someone you like, even about the most ordinary topics, brings joy, and the corners of her lips couldn’t help but curve up.

 

Although Shuangshan Town’s economic development was far stronger than Chashan, it still basically relied on the coal industry. The jobs and industries that this brought were very limited, so in essence, this was still a small town.

 

Yunshu’s style still looked completely out of place here.

 

Regardless of appearance or temperament, she was the most eye-catching in the crowd. That smile of hers made it even harder to look away.

 

— What do you think, if I try to pursue her, what are my chances?

 

At the other end of the second row, two deputy officials were chatting in a private Penguin group.

 

— You’d be better off dreaming! You can tell at a glance that she’s not an ordinary person. Who knows which big family sent her down here to gild her resume? As soon as her term’s up, she’ll be transferred immediately. You think there aren’t already plenty of powerful people chasing after her? All of them with status and influence!

 

The other person replied.

 

— I’m not bad either, at least I have money!

 

— With your few thousand yuan monthly salary? Probably not even enough for her to visit a beauty salon once! This pretty and expensive flower—ordinary folks like us couldn’t afford to keep her!

 

— Or are you counting your secret stash of money? That’d only work if you dared to openly take it out!

This wasn’t a work group but a private group. Apart from a few leaders, there were also business owners in the group. To summarize, they were all people with vested interests.

 

The two of them were chatting happily, and soon others joined in. Centered around the topic of the beautiful woman, the conversation gradually expanded, and the content became more and more vulgar.

 

If Yunshu knew what they were talking about, aside from being angry, she might even feel a little fortunate. Because although these people had been wary of her from the start, their wariness was simply toward an outsider, not suspicion about her true identity. As expected, older people are still more cunning. Governor Hu must have considered this when arranging everything back then.

 

Chapter 119

 

The video conference lasted for an hour, and during this time, Yunshu, unusually, lost focus. Before she realized it, the meeting had ended, but she had absolutely no idea what the leader on the big screen had said.

 

After the meeting, people left one after another. Yunshu stood by the window with her phone. The screen showed the dialing interface, with Jing Ling’s number at the very top.

 

Her finger hovered over it, then moved away — hesitating.

 

She finally dialed, but no one answered.

 

Looks like he’s busy again.

 

Most people had already left. Only the girl on duty today remained, tidying up the venue. After placing the last folding chair in place, she greeted Yunshu, “Tan Zhen, you’re not leaving yet?”

 

“I’m going now.” Yunshu put away her phone and left along the aisle by the wall.

 

Back in the office, she gathered her thoughts and threw herself back into work. Time flew by from afternoon to evening. It was almost 8 p.m., close to the end of the workday, when the girl on duty came over and asked, “Tan Zhen, it’s quite late. You’re still not leaving?”

 

Yunshu snapped out of it upon hearing this. She raised her hand and rubbed her temple, replying with the usual, “I’m going now.” As she spoke, she tidied up the documents on her desk, saved the files on her computer, shut it down, stood up, put on her jacket, grabbed her bag with one hand and her phone with the other, ready to leave.

 

Suddenly, her phone vibrated — it was a call from Jing Ling.

 

She swiped to answer and brought the phone to her ear. “Hello.”

 

“Just got off work?” The boy’s voice came through the receiver with a hint of concern.

 

“How did you know?” Yunshu was stunned. For some reason, she thought of what had happened at Chashan before. She instinctively wanted to rush outside when she heard Jing Ling explain, “I just heard the system shutdown sound.”

 

From expectation to disappointment — it took less than a second.

 

“I see.” Though she knew Jing Ling had been very busy lately, hardly even finding time to call, let alone traveling all the way here, her tone still carried a trace of disappointment.

 

Perhaps sensing her thoughts, Jing Ling suddenly said, “It’ll be the New Year soon. You probably don’t want to go back to the Tan family either. So, come to my house this year. You can meet my sister too.”

 

Jing Ling had a sister who attended the Normal University next to Jiaoda — he had told her this before, though he hadn’t mentioned it much.

 

With everything at work lately, she had almost forgotten the New Year was approaching. Indeed, she didn’t want to return to the Tan family. Spending the New Year there would drive her crazy.

 

But… going to his house for the New Year — wasn’t that… meeting the parents?

 

Yunshu suddenly got a bit nervous.

 

“Are you nervous, Yunshu?” Jing Ling’s soft chuckle came from the other end.

 

Yunshu immediately felt provoked. “No. I was just thinking about what I should bring. I can’t show up empty-handed, can I?”

 

“As long as you bring yourself, my sister and I will be very happy.”

 

In the past, when Jing Ling said such things, Yunshu would only feel sweet about it. But perhaps because she had been a bit rattled today, her focus shifted, and she blurted out, “Why are you so smooth at saying these sweet words?”

 

There was a suspicious two-second pause. “…Would you believe me if I said it’s a natural talent?”

 

“I almost forgot about this afternoon. You admitted your mistake, but you haven’t told me exactly what you did wrong.”

 

Jing Ling finally understood what it meant to shoot oneself in the foot. The corners of his mouth lifted in a helpless smile as he replied, “I was wrong for not reporting the GG incident to you in advance. If something like this happens again, I’ll definitely let you know beforehand, alright?”

 

“Mm.”

 

“You’ve been busy all day. Go home and get some rest.” Jing Ling reminded her.

 

Yunshu replied, “You too. Junshan is cold, and filming is tiring. Take care of yourself. Don’t get sick.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Jing Ling had just hung up when he heard Shen Ze beside him let out a cold snort. “I bet if filming wasn’t keeping you busy, you’d be dying to fly over right away.”

 

Jing Ling turned his head to look at him, flashing a standard smile that showed eight teeth. “Yeah. Azé, you really know me too well!”

 

Shen Ze: “…” He was obviously being sarcastic, yet when it came out of Jing Ling’s mouth, it actually sounded proud! Has this guy no shame?!

 

Every time he dealt with Jing Ling, whether his remarks were overt or subtle jabs, he always ended up on the losing side. Shen Ze felt incredibly stifled. He kept telling himself not to stoop to a kid’s level. After a while, he finally eased up, gave Jing Ling a look, and asked, “You should know this, right? In our country, no matter the region, once you get to the stage of meeting the parents, it basically means it’s settled. Have you thought this through? I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with Miss Tan, but you’re only eighteen — isn’t it a bit too early?”

 

Eighteen is just the age of adulthood. Many people only free themselves from the burden of studies at this age, stepping onto a university campus, with their bright future just beginning. On the other hand, many people at this age are only physically adults — mentally immature, financially dependent, and with an uncertain future, utterly incapable of supporting a family.

 

Of course, these problems didn’t seem to apply to Jing Ling. His maturity in dealing with people far exceeded that of his peers. He lacked nothing financially. But his profession wasn’t like that of ordinary people. In this circle, while most people’s faces would already bear the marks of time, those on the big screen still appeared glamorous. It was common for them to get married and settle down at thirty or forty, and even older wasn’t unusual.

 

But Jing Ling was only eighteen.

 

“You’re overthinking it.” Jing Ling rolled his eyes at Shen Ze in a completely ungraceful manner. “It’s just having a meal together for the New Year. But there’s one thing you’re not wrong about — there’s nothing wrong with Yunshu. So, I’ve already decided on her, unless she doesn’t want me.”

 

Shen Ze fell silent for a moment, then suddenly pulled out his phone, unlocked it, opened the camera app, switched to the front camera, shoved it into Jing Ling’s hand, and lifted his hand so the camera captured his face.

 

“What, you want to take a selfie with me?” Jing Ling let him mess around, but his mouth didn’t stop.

Shen Ze gave him a glance. “I just think you’re talking nonsense. Take a good look at yourself in the mirror—unless someone’s blind, who wouldn’t want you?”

 

Jing Ling obediently checked himself in the mirror, struck a few poses in front of the camera, snapped some selfies, and then handed the phone back to Shen Ze. “Here you go. No need to thank me. Also, Yunshu is different from ordinary people—you never know with her”

 

Shen Ze couldn’t take it anymore. He held up a finger at the side and bellowed with full force, “Get lost!”

 

Soon it was January 15. At exactly 3 PM that afternoon, the pre-sale for Victor Magazine’s sixth anniversary edition would officially open.

 

This was Jing Ling’s first magazine. After shooting the promotional photos, they had originally thought it would be released at the end of last year, but unexpectedly it was pushed to January. As the first issue of the year and the anniversary issue, this clearly showed how much the magazine valued Jing Ling.

 

The day before, Shen Ze had been discussing with Jing Ling, asking if they should get in touch with the magazine. Since this was his first time on a cover, no one could predict the sales numbers. Shen Ze asked if they should arrange something—communicate with the magazine, have them print a bit more, and they could buy some themselves. That way, the sales figures would look great, ensuring a strong start.

 

“No need. Let the magazine handle it however they want. However many they prepare, that’s fine.”

 

“Alright then.”

 

Unexpectedly, they hadn’t contacted the magazine, but the magazine reached out to them instead. After hearing Jing Ling’s thoughts, the appreciation in the other party’s tone was unmistakable. In the end, they simply shared their plan.

 

“Let’s start with a pre-sale of ten thousand copies. Based on past data, this is a relatively conservative amount.”

 

“Alright, thank you, Mr. Liang!”

 

That night, Jing Ling made a post on Weibo.

 

Jing Ling—Second Most Handsome Under the Heavens V: Tomorrow at 3 PM, @Victor Magazine’s sixth anniversary edition pre-sale officially opens. Limited to 10,000 copies. Comes with a bonus sea poster. My Feathers can keep an eye out. [Love you] [Love you]

 

The Weibo post included a picture of the bonus poster. It showed a corner of a school campus, with green ivy climbing up a red brick wall. The youth leaned against the wall, holding a backpack in one hand and slinging a jacket over his shoulder with the other. His chin was slightly raised, with a trace of impatience between his brows—he looked just like the kind of boy people imagined back in their student days, that mix of beauty and rebelliousness.

 

The moment the Weibo post went up, the comments section exploded.

 

Timeless Depths: Oh my god, I’ve been hit right in the feels—this is literally the real-life version of a youth novel’s male lead!

 

A Dream I Can’t Wake From: This bad-boy vibe—if I had a guy like this when I was in school, I would’ve totally fallen for him!

 

Zhu Yan Leaves the Mirror, Flowers Leave the Tree: Am I the only one paying attention to the numbers? A limited 10,000 copies sounds like a lot, but thinking about the previous daily reports and those two lipstick sales records, I feel like this amount isn’t even enough to fill the gaps between my teeth. Clutching my campus network and shivering… QAQ

 

An An An An Xin: Same campus network! I’m ready with my accelerator on standby! Meng Er, please bless me to be one of the lucky ten thousand!

 

Clouds in the Deep Sea: Twenty-five years of singlehood hand speed + 100M fiber optic + platinum accelerator membership + top-tier rig… I refuse to believe I won’t get one! …If by any chance I fail, I’ll buy it at a high price!

 

Three hours after the Weibo post, the comment count broke twenty thousand. Shen Ze skimmed through them—about half of the people on each page were declaring they would buy it. He suddenly had a feeling: the magazine’s conservative estimate of ten thousand copies was definitely not going to be enough.

 

And the next day, his feeling became reality.

 

At 3 PM, the Victor Magazine official site opened pre-orders on time. Before that moment, countless fans were camped out on the page, constantly refreshing. Because the page had a slight delay when refreshing, and people clicked at different speeds, many refreshed right at the designated time. But when the page reloaded, the purchase button was still greyed out. Assuming the sale hadn’t opened yet, they reflexively refreshed again—and then froze.

 

The text had changed from “Purchase” to “Sold Out.”

 

Checking the time—only two seconds had passed.

 

Ten thousand copies of the magazine had sold out in two seconds. Maybe even just one.

 

No one had expected this number. Not Shen Ze, not the fans, not even the magazine’s own staff.

 

Chapter 120

 

This was Victor Magazine’s sixth-anniversary celebration. By this point, the total number of celebrities who had been on the cover had already reached several dozen. The magazine had a relatively high starting point from the beginning—anyone who made it to the cover was never an unknown. No need to mention the distant past; just last September, Luo Xiao was on the cover. He debuted five years earlier than Jing Ling, and judging from the current situation, whether in popularity or recognition, he was still ahead of Jing Ling. The magazine’s presale number given then was 10,000 copies, and it took half a day to sell out. In the industry, that was already considered a decent performance.

But what about Jing Ling?

 

Two seconds!

 

10,000 copies sold out in two seconds!

 

It was like the world had suddenly turned into a fantasy novel—the editorial team had never imagined this. They had originally thought it would take at least a few hours. Yet within two minutes of opening the presale, calls started pouring in reporting the situation and demanding restocks. One call, two calls, three calls… The magazine’s phone line was practically overwhelmed.

 

Since such a situation had never happened before, the editorial team’s first reaction was that Jing Ling’s side must have been pulling some stunt. Editor-in-Chief Liang slammed the table in anger, nearly knocking over the teacup on it.

 

“This is outrageous! Yesterday I asked him if we needed to make preparations in advance, and he answered so righteously, saying however many is however many! And now he pulls this behind our backs—faking sales, fine, but faking it to this ridiculous extent—does he think we’re idiots?!”

 

The girl reporting the situation added, “But it might not necessarily be fake, right? Wasn’t there that No. 035 shade of lipstick from Zhucheng Daily with nearly a million sales that sold out too? I think his fans are just the type who are willing to spend money…”

 

Before she could finish, the editor-in-chief glared at her. “You think a fifty-cent newspaper can be compared with something costing dozens? Even using the dumbest conversion method, do you know how many of those equal one of ours, huh?!”

 

The girl was quite honest. Upon hearing this, she immediately did the math. “Our magazine retails for 25 yuan a copy, so that’s worth 50 copies of Zhucheng Daily. If Zhucheng Daily sold a million, then that’s 20,000 for us!”

 

The editor-in-chief nearly exploded. “…Who taught you to calculate like that?!”

 

The girl looked innocent. “Didn’t you, boss?”

 

The editor-in-chief felt his headache worsen and waved her off furiously. “Go, go, go—get back to work!”

 

“Oh.” The girl pouted and turned to leave. As she reached the door, she heard the editor-in-chief call out behind her, “And tell Xiao Yang to come here!”

 

“Got it!” she replied and closed the door on her way out.

 

About two minutes later, there was a knock at the editor-in-chief’s office door. It was Xiao Yang, the person he had asked for. With a buzz cut, casual clothes, slightly tanned skin, and wearing glasses with pink frames, he pushed open the door and asked directly, “Boss, what’s up?”

 

The editor-in-chief had calmed down a bit by now. He took a sip of tea and gave the order, “Didn’t Xiao Huang just come in and say that the magazines sold out so fast the fans didn’t even get a chance, and now they’re calling for restocks? Then restock—add another 10,000. Give them a bit of time to prepare, and reopen presales at 6 PM this afternoon!”

 

Oh, you’re so good at buying? Let’s see you keep buying!

 

Editor-in-Chief Liang ground his teeth in anger, but what he didn’t know was that the fans were overjoyed when they saw the announcement. Though 10,000 copies were like a drop in the bucket, at least there was still hope!

 

At the same time, the forums were buzzing about the situation. But it was obvious at a glance that the thread wasn’t started by a fan—it was leading the discussion in a particular direction.

 

Thread Title: Victor Presale for a Minor—10,000 copies in two seconds. Anyone knowledgeable want to explain what kind of level this is?

 

0L: As the title says, I’ve seen other young actors’ magazine sales here before. 10,000 copies isn’t a lot—anyone can sell that. But sold out in two seconds? That’s hard to believe.

 

1L: Snatching the front row and taking my Ling with me. Also, thanks to the haters for caring so much about our family. Guess that’s what happens when you’re paid to do the job!

 

2L: Buying sales is common in this industry, but I’ve never seen anyone make it this obvious before. Two seconds for 10,000 copies? They really think everyone is a blind fanboy, singing praises no matter what?

 

…

 

99L: What kind of level? The level of throwing money like crazy! I’m just curious how much they spent pulling this stunt. The magazine itself isn’t cheap, plus labor costs—did someone’s bank account visibly shrink today?

 

100L: Some people upstairs, returning your words—your own idol is a loser, so you think everyone else is too? It’s only 10,000 copies. Even if they restock another 10,000, we’ll still sell out in seconds—believe it or not?!

 

101L: Just a passerby. I also find the numbers unbelievable, but when it’s Jing Ling, somehow it doesn’t feel that hard to accept.

 

…

 

212L: Who can’t brag? It’s free! They only put up 10,000 for presale, and now you’re bragging about selling double in seconds? Well, I say if it triples, we’ll still sell out—haha!

 

213L: Awesome, my little feathers! With such an amazing idol, you must feel so proud, huh? It’s fine—I get it. Blindness is a disability too. Caring for the disabled is everyone’s responsibility, right? ┑(￣Д ￣)┍

 

…

 

315L: Latest news—Victor official announcement: due to fan requests, another 10,000 copies will be restocked. Presales reopen at 6 PM. @Feathers, we’re waiting for your performance!

 

This post was originally meant as sarcasm, but right after it was posted, there was a flood of replies thanking the OP for the heads-up. Everyone was ready, just waiting for the time to start snapping them up. Who knows what the original poster thought when seeing those comments—happy or furious?

 

—

 

During a break in filming, Jing Ling got a call from Shen Ze, whose tone could only be described as hostile and aggressive. The moment the call connected—before Jing Ling could even politely say hello—Shen Ze’s voice blasted through the receiver: “Be honest with me. Did you secretly hire people behind my back?!”

 

Even with his quick wit, Jing Ling couldn’t keep up with this pace and couldn’t help twitching his lips. He thought that if gossip reporters overheard this conversation, they’d probably come up with a cliché tragic love story in minutes: We love each other, but the world won’t let us be together, so I’ll just stay by your side in silence, watching you settle down, and take this love to the grave…—plus, of course, a sudden plot twist into BL.

 

“Speak human, please. I’ve done nothing to you. I’ve never shorted you a single penny of what you’re owed.”

 

Under normal circumstances, this was a pretty neutral statement. But in the context of Shen Ze’s previous words, it inevitably sounded wrong. Shen Ze probably realized how his words could be misunderstood—he had blurted them out in a rush. And given Jing Ling’s notorious history, Shen Ze instinctively felt he was being mocked and couldn’t stand it!

 

“You’d better speak properly! What do you mean ‘what you’re owed’? That’s my legitimate income, all within the law!”

 

Jing Ling chuckled lightly. “Alright, my bad.” He simply admitted fault and then asked, “So, what’s this about?” His phone had shown several missed calls—all from Shen Ze—and with how anxious he sounded, there was no way it wasn’t serious.

 

“It’s about the magazine sales. Sold out 10,000 copies in under two seconds—that number is terrifying! I bet everyone thinks we faked it ourselves, and in such an amateurish way too. Honestly, I did nothing, but even I’m starting to wonder if I sleepwalked and did it in my dreams. But I sleep well—no way I have a sleepwalking problem. So the more I think about it, the more I suspect you secretly hired someone to boost the sales!” Shen Ze sounded utterly convinced.

 

Jing Ling facepalmed. “A-Ze, have you been reading too many weird novels? Is that how you come up with such crazy ideas? And could you talk properly for once? Do you know how misleading half a sentence can be?”

 

“Shut up! Let’s get serious! Just tell me—did you or didn’t you?!” Shen Ze was both angry and embarrassed.

 

Jing Ling sighed. “There was an accident on set, and I’ve been swamped. Where would I even find time to handle something like this? And you know what I’m like—I never go back on my word.”

 

Shen Ze on the other end finally let out a sigh of relief. “I figured, but this data was way beyond expectations. I just needed to hear you say it yourself. The magazine called me to say they’re restocking another 10,000 for 6 PM. No idea how fast this batch will sell.” He paused before adding, “I’ve been checking the official site, Weibo, forums—the number of fans wanting to buy is still huge. Sure, not everyone saying they’ll buy will actually buy, but even at a conservative ratio, it’s still a lot. It should sell out pretty quick!”

 

“The launch was already a success. Let’s just go with the flow and not stress over it.” Jing Ling reassured him.

 

“Mm…” Shen Ze instinctively started to agree, but halfway through, realized something. “Wait a minute! This is your business. Why the hell should I be stressing over it when you’re not?! Get back to filming. I’m going to eat. Bye!”

 

And with a “click,” he hung up.

 

Jing Ling shook his head with a smile and put away his phone.

 

—

 

5:50 PM, Victor Magazine Office.

 

It was after hours, and the office was quiet—just three people remained: the editor-in-chief, Xiao Yang, and Xiao Huang. The editor-in-chief was supervising, Xiao Yang handled the data, and Xiao Huang stayed purely out of curiosity. Earlier, when the editor-in-chief accused Jing Ling of rigging the numbers, Xiao Huang had actually defended him, saying she thought it was genuine. Now that the restock was about to reopen, she wanted to see how many would sell this time. No need for an exaggerated sellout like before—just a fast enough pace would prove her instincts were right.

 

Time ticked by, almost 6 PM.

 

Xiao Yang had already set up the backend and was doing a final check. Price, quantity, timing, payment interface—all confirmed. At that moment, Xiao Huang suddenly grabbed his hand and shook it hard. “Yang-ge, I’m so nervous!”

 

Caught off guard, Xiao Yang shuddered and stabbed the keyboard with his fingers in panic.

 

On the computer screen, the clock turned to 18:00.

 

The second wave of presales officially began!