As they drew closer, Xiang Qingwei found herself unexpectedly anxious, her face beginning to feel warm.
She suddenly realized that this was the first time in two years she'd had a proper date with a man.
Fang Xingzhi wore a light gray knit shirt, his naturally messy black hair framing his face in an elegant and handsome manner. He looked almost twenty-something, though he was already thirty, at the prime of a man's life.
Previous encounters with Fang Xingzhi had painted him as an intimidating businessman, but today, he seemed to have intentionally retracted his imposing aura, appearing gentle and reserved, approachable and amiable.
After their meeting, Fang Xingzhi effortlessly tucked his umbrella away and leaned down to slip under hers, then took the umbrella from her hand and held it aloft.
Xiang Qingwei was taken aback momentarily before she smelled the crisp scent coming off his body.
"Are you hungry?" Fang Xingzhi asked.
"A little," Xiang Qingwei admitted.
She'd gone to bed at 11 P.M. last night and slept until three this afternoon, only drinking a few sips of water.
"Forgot to eat lunch?"
"I've been asleep since 11 P.M. last night till you called."
Fang Xingzhi smiled. "Looks like your job isn't easy either."
"In our line of work, unless the artist is an eighteen-line nobody, it's never going to be easy," Xiang Qingwei said.
"Is the artist you manage popular?"
They arrived at Fang Xingzhi's car while they were talking. Fang Xingzhi opened the passenger door, and the umbrella followed Xiang Qingwei as he moved to sit in the car, closing the door behind him before getting into the driver's side.
"Do you know Tao Yuner?" Xiang Qingwei asked.
Fang Xingzhi started the engine, then smiled. "My apologies, I don't follow celebrity news. Has she starred in a movie? I might recognize her by her character name."
"Have you seen 'Clear Skies'?" Xiang Qingwei asked.
Fang Xingzhi pondered slightly before answering, "I watched it in university, but which character was she?"
Xiang Qingwei answered, "The female lead."
Fang Xingzhi lifted an eyebrow slightly. "I heard her career hasn't been going so well after that movie?"
Xiang Qingwei lifted the corner of his lips in slight satisfaction. "That was in the past. She signed with me last year and regained her popularity."
Fang Xingzhi glanced over to see that small, satisfied smile on Xiang Qingwei's lips, which prompted a faint smile to appear on his face.
"Looks like you've got some impressive skills."
Xiang Qingwei humbly replied, "Not 'impressive,' but competent enough."
Fang Xingzhi chuckled softly.
Throughout the trip, Xiang Qingwei did the talking, and Fang Xingzhi listened, a faint smile on his lips the entire time.
The restaurant Fang Xingzhi had booked was an airborne establishment.
Its layout was similar to the one they had visited in S City, but the environment here was more elegant and atmospheric.
After giving them their surname, the waiter led them to a seat by the window. Fang Xingzhi pulled out the chair for Xiang Qingwei before taking his own seat.
After the waiter handed them the menu, Xiang Qingwei skillfully ordered a set meal.
Fang Xingzhi glanced up at her, then ordered the same meal, then flashed a warm smile at the waiter. "I'm quite hungry. Can I have dessert first?"
The young female waiter was too embarrassed to meet Fang Xingzhi's gaze and agreed before walking away with the menu.
Fang Xingzhi looked toward Xiang Qingwei and asked, as if it had only just occurred to him, "You've been to this restaurant before?"
Xiang Qingwei was taken aback. "How do you know?"
Fang Xingzhi smiled. "You were very familiar with the menu."
Xiang Qingwei picked up her water cup and took a sip. "I've been there a few times."
As soon as Fang Xingzhi's car stopped beneath the building, she had a vague feeling that this was the place they were going to, but she hadn't expected it to be this exact one.
This was her twentieth time dining at this restaurant, and every single time had been with Fu Yanbo. Fu Yanbo loved all kinds of beef, and the steak at this restaurant was Fu Yanbo's favorite, so he often brought her here.
After breaking up with Fu Yanbo, she never returned to this restaurant, though she wasn't sure if the chef Fu Yanbo liked was still there.
Noticing Xiang Qingwei's daze, Fang Xingzhi's gaze darkened slightly.
Was it a past boyfriend?
Xiang Qingwei quickly came back to her senses, just in time to see the dessert being served. Feeling quite hungry, she ate a few bites before continuing her conversation with Fang Xingzhi.
The main course was served shortly after.
As Xiang Qingwei ate, she asked Fang Xingzhi curiously, "How did you get to know Mr. Zhou?"
Fang Xingzhi put down his knife and fork, picked up his wineglass, and took a small sip. "Our companies have business dealings, and we've gone fishing together a few times privately. We could be considered friends."
"You enjoy fishing?" Xiang Qingwei asked, surprised; she had always thought that fishing was an activity only enjoyed by middle-aged men, typically above forty.
Fang Xingzhi smiled. "Isn't it a rather antiquated hobby?"
"No, it's quite refined. It's good for cultivating one's interests," Xiang Qingwei said, then asked, "Aside from fishing, what do you do when you're not working?"
Fang Xingzhi smiled and set down his wine glasses. "My life is rather dull. When I'm not working, I sometimes go fishing, but more often, I stay at home to tend to my flowers, feed my fish, and read."
Xiang Qingwei almost couldn't believe it, and he couldn't help but think of Fu Yanbo. When the man wasn't working, he entertained himself in a myriad of ways. He'd take a cruise, go rock climbing, hiking, golfing, skiing, or horseback riding. In contrast, Fang Xingzhi could be considered ascetic.
Fang Xingzhi asked, "What about you? What do you do when you're not working?"
Fu Yanbo saw Xiang Qingwei sitting by the window smiling at the man across from him.
"When I'm not working, I just sleep at home," Xiang Qingwei said with a helpless smile. "So, compared to you, I suppose your life is indeed colorful and fulfilling."
Fang Xingzhi also chuckled. "What a coincidence, Agent Xiang."
A cold voice suddenly cut into their conversation, destroying the light and easy atmosphere.
Startled, Xiang Qingwei looked up to see Fu Yanbo approaching, and a look of surprise flashed across his face.
Fang Xingzhi glanced at Fu Yanbo, then turned his gaze back to Xiang Qingwei. When he saw Xiang Qingwei's expression, his eyes cooled, and he slowly smiled before once again turning his head toward Fu Yanbo.
"Qingwei, this is..."
Qingwei?
Fu Yanbo's face immediately darkened.
It took Xiang Qingwei a second to react; he stood up. "Fang...Xingzhi, this is my boss, Mr. Fu." Then he turned toward Fu Yanbo. "Mr. Fu, this is my friend, Fang Xingzhi."
Fang Xingzhi stood up as well and held out his hand, his face framed with an immaculate, business-like smile. "Fang Xingzhi, it's a pleasure to meet you."
Fu Yanbo's gaze pulled away from Xiang Qingwei and turned toward Fang Xingzhi; they shook hands, and he gave a cold smile in return. "Fu Yanbo."
After a long wait, the video platform's self-produced talent scouting show, Super Idol, finally aired.
The first episode drew massive viewership, sparking discussions across the internet.
The rich and influential TX spared no expense in promoting the show, blanketing the internet with advertisements.
They purchased three spots on the trending search page, paid influencers, and promotional accounts to spread the word, and even offered compensation to accounts posting about it, creating a viral sensation.
The contestants also followed a uniform format to post advertisements on Weibo, and among them, Ning Yang's advertisement was the most eye-catching.
The reason was simple: from A-list celebrities to an unknown little star, almost every single one of Huaying's talents had retweeted Ning Yang's post.
Even Ling Jiayi, currently busy filming a drama, had retweeted it—though this retweet wasn't made by Ling Jiayi himself.
After receiving the text from Xiang Qingwei, Xiao Dong had sent it to him, and Xiao Dong had posted it for him. Ling Jiayi, who was busy with work, was unaware of this matter.
Ever since his last post in the fan group, which had ended in disaster, his Weibo account had been temporarily taken away from him, and he wouldn't be able to access it again for at least three months.
In Xiao Dong's eyes, this was a regular promotional tweet, similar to an advertisement, and he had sent a few of these before, so he didn't think he needed to report it to Ling Jiayi.
Aside from the support from Huaying, Xiang Qingwei also mobilized her own personal connections.
This resulted in half of the entertainment industry sharing Ning Yang's audition video on their Weibo accounts, creating a grandiose spectacle.
The last time such a phenomenon occurred was when a top male celebrity got married.
Ning Yang was merely a contestant who hadn't yet debuted, but he was able to garner the same amount of attention, which left observers completely speechless.
As a result, Ning Yang gained significant popularity, as everyone was curious to know who he was.
Many people wanted to see if this contestant named Ning Yang could live up to the support of half the celebrities in the entertainment industry boosting his profile.
However, upon watching the program, they were disappointed—not because Ning Yang disappointed them.
Instead, the first episode focused on a lot of miscellaneous content, and only half of the contestants performed.
Ning Yang didn't even take the stage, but his mere appearance, dressed in white with his black hair and dark eyes, was enough to strike many in the audience. Then, after selecting an A, he strode toward the apex of the pyramid, a scene that, after being embellished by the program editors and musical scoring, amassed him countless more fans.
The audience watching at home expressed their intent to "buy stocks" in Ning Yang.
Ning Yang is A-MAZING!
Pick this pretty boy!
Ning Yang's aloof and unique presence! I'm sold!
Ning Yang's godly looks! Godly presence! Godly physique!
Both Ning Yang and Yao Yuan failed to perform in the first episode, yet they were both featured in the suspenseful cliffhanger of who would receive the first A, which was heavily advertised in the preview for the next episode.
After the first episode aired, all one hundred contestants had received screen time.
Ning Yang's total screen time was less than five minutes, but it was enough for him to gain countless fans.
His Weibo followers skyrocketed once again. Within two days, he had amassed one million fans. The number of discussions about him also surged, and fan clubs sprouted up like bamboo shoots after rain.
Almost every second of the footage of Ning Yang in the documentary was captured into high-quality photos, from which fans made memes and posts praising his beauty and elegance.
#Ning Yang# What kind of divine beauty is this?! Even the raw footage is breathtaking!
—Look at our natural-born idol, Ning Yang, whose looks and physique are first-rate!
—Just pick Ning Yang, and we'll be friends!
—My god, what an angel!
—The profile view is simply stunning! His bone structure is unparalleled! Even "Heaven-sent" doesn't do justice to his beauty! It's as if the heavens themselves bestowed upon him all their blessings!
—This brother's aura is simply ethereal!
It wasn't just the fans who praised him; many influential internet celebrities and bloggers also posted on Weibo after watching the documentary, and most of them had nothing but positive things to say about Ning Yang.
Yao Yuan had his own fanbase, but in the face of Ning Yang's aggressive promotional campaign, his star power paled in comparison.
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The entire book has been translated, with a total of 414K words and more than 1,200 pages.
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Huh, what's with that jump... I wanted to see men fight
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