klisemfg Chapter 592: Stranger
Chapter 592: Stranger
It was obvious from You Changjin's current state that he hadn't slept a wink all night.Zhou Yuwen and Jiang Xinyi had just rekindled their old romance the night before and were in high spirits, only to be greeted by You Changjin's bitter and exhausted face the moment they stepped out the door.
To be completely honest, You Changjin's words left Jiang Xinyi utterly at a loss for how to respond.
Fearing that Jiang Xinyi hadn't understood, You Changjin went out of his way to explain everything again, including the part about Liu Yue's boyfriend running away from his debts and absconding with twenty thousand yuan of Liu Yue's money.
Jiang Xinyi understood the situation perfectly now, but she still had no idea what to say.
The most she could manage was, "Oh, I see. So that's what happened."
You Changjin breathed a sigh of relief, a rare smile appearing on his face, but it seemed the conversation was destined to end right there.
He just stood there in front of Zhou Yuwen and Jiang Xinyi's door, completely unsure of what to say next.
Fortunately, right at that moment, Jiang Xinyi's phone rang again.
It was a phone call from Liu Jing.
Jiang Xinyi answered the call, only to hear Liu Jing asking where she and Zhou Yuwen were.
"I had someone make porridge for you two. Don't tell me you're not coming anymore?"
Liu Jing's voice was brimming with displeasure.
Jiang Xinyi muttered, "What are you talking about? We already promised you, how could we not come? Just wait at home, we'll be right there."
With that, Jiang Xinyi hung up the phone and looked at You Changjin again. It seemed she had finally figured out how to respond.
"Actually, you didn't need to go out of your way to explain this to me," she told You Changjin. "I've told you before, I already have a boyfriend. Changjin, it's time for you to live your own life."
As Jiang Xinyi spoke, she wrapped her hands around Zhou Yuwen's arm.
You Changjin's expression was undeniably grim, but he forced himself to nod anyway. "Oh, I know."
"I didn't mean anything else, really. I just wanted to say that even if I were looking for a girlfriend, I couldn't possibly choose one of my students. She's too young, practically a junior to me. How could I... No, Xinyi, I'm not talking about you. Our situations are different. I'm a guy, and you're a girl... No, that's not it either. Xinyi, I'm just saying I don't like girls who are much younger than me. I'm not talking about you."
You Changjin had only wanted to clarify his stance, but who knew his explanation would just make things messier.
"Alright, enough."
Jiang Xinyi interrupted You Changjin directly. "Whether you look for someone older or younger has nothing to do with me."
"We still have things to do. Please step aside."
With that, Jiang Xinyi pulled Zhou Yuwen along, signaling for You Changjin to make way, and then left with Zhou Yuwen.
Watching Jiang Xinyi's retreating back, You Changjin wanted to say something more. However, Jiang Xinyi and Zhou Yuwen walked away so decisively that he was deprived of the chance, leaving him with a sense of regret.
But on second thought, at least he had made his explanation clear.
He let out another sigh of relief in his heart.
On the way to Jiang Xinyi's house, Zhou Yuwen felt a bit sentimental. He mentioned that although Changjin was a bit wooden in character, he didn't have bad intentions.
"As a counselor, he is considered successful."
Zhou Yuwen gave his evaluation.
Jiang Xinyi certainly knew this. After all, You Changjin had been with her for three months and hadn't laid a single finger on her. How could such a good person take advantage of someone in a vulnerable position?
Still, Liu Yue's situation truly made one sigh with pity.
By the time Zhou Yuwen and Jiang Xinyi arrived at the house, Liu Jing had long since had someone prepare breakfast. Watching Zhou Yuwen and Jiang Xinyi walk in together, Liu Jing beamed with joy. She was genuinely thrilled.
Especially when she saw that Zhou Yuwen and Jiang Xinyi were holding hands.
Liu Jing declared that she had been looking forward to this day for a long time.
Zhou Yuwen didn't feel much about it, but Jiang Xinyi couldn't help but worry. After all, getting back together with Zhou Yuwen this time had come at the cost of her own dignity.
If Liu Jing knew the truth, she probably wouldn't have agreed to let her be with Zhou Yuwen.
Therefore, at this moment, Jiang Xinyi was terrified that Liu Jing might say the wrong thing.
Sure enough, looking at Zhou Yuwen and Jiang Xinyi matching perfectly like newlyweds, Liu Jing couldn't hold back her question. "When are you two going to get married?"
That single sentence caught both Zhou Yuwen and Jiang Xinyi off guard.
But Liu Jing acted as a matter of course. She asked, "Yuwen, you're almost a junior in university, right?"
"And Xinyi has already graduated as a postgraduate student. She's twenty-six now. Yuwen, even though Xinyi is a few years older than you, you know where her heart lies. She truly devotes all her attention to you."
"Xinyi is the only daughter of our Jiang Family Estate. You are a capable young man, Yuwen. We are not just entrusting Xinyi to you, we are handing the entire Jiang Family Estate over to you. As for you having a few female confidantes on the side, we won't interfere. Yuwen, I only have one request."
Liu Jing simply laid all her thoughts on the table at once.
She couldn't help it; she was just too anxious. Jiang Xinyi was already twenty-six and the sole heiress of the Jiang Family Estate.
Making things clear upfront would be better for everyone.
Liu Jing's request was simple. With so many women around Zhou Yuwen, he certainly wouldn't have to worry about having children.
So, she wanted Zhou Yuwen and Jiang Xinyi to have a child together in the future, and for one of those children to take the surname Jiang.
"Mom, what are you talking about?"
Listening to her mother drop one bombshell after another, Jiang Xinyi grew flustered.
What did she take her and Zhou Yuwen for?
But Liu Jing took it as a matter of course, still smiling as she added, "Yuwen will have so many children in the future, I'm sure he won't care about a little detail like this, right? Yuwen?"
As she spoke, Liu Jing looked at Zhou Yuwen with an inquiring gaze.
Zhou Yuwen had been quietly eating his porridge this whole time. After listening to Liu Jing finish everything she had to say, he finally looked up. He thought for a moment and said, "Actually, I don't care about whose surname the child takes. Whether they take their father's surname or their mother's surname, they are still my children."
Liu Jing grew even more ecstatic upon hearing this. "I knew it," she exclaimed. "Our Yuwen is the most reasonable and understanding."
However, before she could finish, Zhou Yuwen continued, "But Aunt Jing, there is one thing I must be completely upfront with you about."
"What is it? Just say it."
Liu Jing was already overjoyed to hear that Zhou Yuwen was willing to let a child take the mother's surname; she didn't care what else he had to say.
What Zhou Yuwen actually wanted to say was that he wasn't just going to get married to Jiang Xinyi—he was going to marry other girls, too.
It was just that this proposition felt a bit too unfathomable, and he found it genuinely difficult to utter the words.
Just as he was caught in hesitation.
Jiang Xinyi interjected, "Mom! Yuwen and I just managed to reconcile, and you're already talking to us about this. Don't you think it's a bit too early?!"
"How is it early? It's not like you two lack an emotional foundation. Besides, look at your age. Yuwen is young and can afford to wait, but you can't. Plus, it's not like you'll have to raise the child yourself once it's born, right, Yuwen?"
"How is that the same? If I have a baby, I'll still have to recover for a few years! Anyway, it's far too early to be talking about this!"
Something had clearly struck a nerve with Jiang Xinyi, as she absolutely refused to let Liu Jing discuss marriage and children. The moment Liu Jing brought it up, she would become incredibly agitated.
In the end, Liu Jing had no choice but to yield. "Alright, alright, fine. I won't say another word."
"It's rare for you two to come home, so I'll drop the subject. Yuwen, this seafood porridge is quite good, isn't it? I specifically had someone make it for you. Do you like it? If you do, you can come over to my house to eat porridge every day."
Zhou Yuwen nodded, saying nothing.
He had genuinely intended to tell Liu Jing about his situation earlier, but seeing Jiang Xinyi's reaction, it was obvious she didn't want him to speak up.
Later on, Zhou Yuwen and Jiang Xinyi discussed the matter privately.
Jiang Xinyi explained that her mother was quite traditional. It wasn't that she absolutely couldn't accept the situation, but that they needed to ease her into it slowly.
Zhou Yuwen voiced his concerns. "Most normal people wouldn't be able to accept this."
"I'm just afraid of holding you back. Your mother is right, Xinyi. You aren't getting any younger," Zhou Yuwen said as he grasped Jiang Xinyi's hand.
Looking at Zhou Yuwen's deeply affectionate expression, Jiang Xinyi countered, "If your heart aches for me so much, why don't you give me a child?"
"Huh?"
Zhou Yuwen was stunned.
Jiang Xinyi merely blinked at him. "Once we have a child, you won't need to worry anymore," she said.
"Plus, it'll make things much easier to explain to my mom."
Thinking it over carefully, Zhou Yuwen realized it did make a certain amount of sense. However, having a child wasn't something that just happened simply because one wished for it.
On another note, the song 'The Paper is Short, The Love is Long' that Zhou Yuwen had sung on the sports field the previous night had spent the entire night gaining traction. By now, the track had soared to the top of the short video trending charts. Not only could one easily stumble upon Zhou Yuwen's video while casually scrolling, but countless users were also posting their own imitation covers.
It was true that 'The Paper is Short, The Love is Long' was a catchy, somewhat generic pop tune, but there was no denying its explosive, popular potential. Furthermore, it was currently June, the peak of graduation season, making the song's themes incredibly fitting for the occasion.
So, in the blink of an eye, the entire short video software landscape was saturated with this song. In the beginning, it was only on Douyin, but soon after, Kuaishou, Huoshan, and various other short video apps were all playing the same tune.
As for the original creator of the song, Zhou Yuwen, he found himself riding another wave of immense fame.
In reality, whether a short video went viral or not largely depended on whether the platform officials were willing to push its traffic. After Zhou Yuwen's song skyrocketed in popularity, the official backstage team at Douyin undoubtedly took notice.
Then they took a closer look and realized, 'Ha, isn't this the boss?'
Naturally, they had to give him face!
They immediately flooded his account with all kinds of promotional pushes and even crowned him with the title of 'Prince of Campus Love Songs'.
Consequently, his Douyin account—which hadn't even posted any videos previously—gained two million followers overnight.
Zhou Yuwen could now genuinely be considered an internet celebrity.
Over the next few days, Douyin organized several thematic events centered around the song. Combined with their previous success in making Han Qian go viral, by the time summer vacation rolled around, Zhou Yuwen felt the climate was right and propelled yet another internet celebrity to stardom through a rapid-change dress-up video.
In truth, manufacturing an internet celebrity was incredibly simple. It merely required mastering the secret to traffic and supplementing it with algorithm pushes. There were some videos that even the netizens themselves couldn't figure out why they were famous, but the inescapable fact remained—they were wildly popular.
For example, the second internet celebrity under Zhou Yuwen's wing was a girl who had been doing part-time work for him since the early days. She wasn't particularly pretty at all. Yet, relying solely on perfectly timed outfit transitions in front of a mirror, her fifteen-second video gained eight million followers in a single night—a feat even more outrageous than Han Qian's.
Beyond dancing and outfit changes, Zhou Yuwen sequentially launched a roster of internet celebrities specializing in magic tricks, special effects, car reviews, and more, while also investing heavily in numerous creator programs.
This wave of initiatives attracted a massive influx of users to establish a presence on Douyin. This included the later highly popular 'Car Review Zoo', various young female enthusiasts sporting yoga pants, and a multitude of gaming streamers.
These internet celebrities, who would go on to achieve immense fame in later years, were all swiftly signed under Zhou Yuwen's company in one fell swoop.
To be perfectly honest, very few of the "beauty" streamers among the internet celebrities of later generations were genuinely attractive. This was especially true during the early days, when they relied entirely on beauty filters, face-slimming apps, and artificially high-pitched voices.
Then, once they started making money later on, they began forcefully piling on makeup and undergoing plastic surgery.
Zhou Yuwen gathered the profiles of all these future viral internet celebrities, largely ignoring their day-to-day development. He left it up to their own luck and destiny. If they blew up, fantastic. If they didn't, Zhou Yuwen still would not suffer losses.
Time ticked on from June, to July, and all the way into August.
Time really flew by. The year 2015 was, in fact, the greatest year for the development of e-commerce.
It was during this year that Boss Ma suddenly experienced a meteoric rise. That year, Yu'ebao's interest rate reached four percent, and the university town was practically littered with Cainiao Post Stations.
Down in Shenzhen, Pony Ma refused to be left behind, stepping up to evenly split the limelight with Boss Ma. Boss Ma attempted to break into the communications industry by integrating various messaging features into Alipay, and later launched the 'Collect Five Fortunes' campaign, which nearly overshadowed Pony Ma completely.
Yet Pony Ma was fiercely competitive. He first established an array of collaborations with JD.com, and then introduced a myriad of flashy new features on WeChat Pay. In short, that year, the two Mas were locked in an intense, inescapable rivalry.
As for Zhou Yuwen, he didn't make any massive waves that year. All he had done was create a short video software. Currently, however, the short video format didn't have many profit margins. The only aspects truly making money were likely live streaming, along with music and film promotional work.
Today, Douyin's glory was completely unrivaled, primarily because Zhou Yuwen periodically released new songs and fresh materials, prompting wave after wave of internet users to flock to the platform.
Very soon, Kuaishou and other short video platforms couldn't sit still any longer. They actively sought out Zhou Yuwen to discuss the possibility of collaboration.
The proposal was that the internet celebrities under Zhou Yuwen's banner would be allowed to register accounts and cultivate fanbases on their platforms as well.
This was a classic win-win scenario, perfectly aligning with the general trend of short video development.
Naturally, Zhou Yuwen did not decline, and several short video companies reached a preliminary cooperative agreement.
In July, within the span of a single month, Douyin's net profit from live streaming hit one hundred million yuan. Of course, this figure also included instances where the platform received warnings and fines from relevant authorities for toeing the line of explicit content.
Even so.
One hundred million in a single month!
This was an astronomical figure that they hadn't even dared to dream of before.
It was important to remember that Douyin's predecessor was merely a casual university town community forum that Zhou Yuwen had cobbled together.
The vast majority of the internet celebrities on it were still just part-time models for his own company, who typically only earned three or four hundred yuan. Yet, relying on them, the platform had raked in a staggering hundred million.
This level of success was beyond anything Tao Tian and the others could have ever imagined.
Witnessing the breakneck speed at which their internet celebrities were making money, Tao Tian stared at the daily influx of massive profits on the ledgers, her excitement skyrocketing. Right now, she wasn't thinking about anything else—her only desire was to expand, dominate, and forge even greater glory!
As for Zhou Yuwen, his main focus throughout July and August was networking with the bosses of several other short video software companies, occasionally heading out to grab meals and socialize with them.
Meanwhile, Lu Lin and Zheng Yanyan continued to coast through life lazily.
Zheng Yanyan was the worse offender of the two. She genuinely wasn't cut out for business and rarely visited the company nowadays. During her free time, she would post the occasional video on Douyin, nurturing the dream of one day exploding in popularity herself.
She had even clung to Zhou Yuwen and acted coy, begging him to brainstorm a creative concept for her.
However, Zhou Yuwen flatly refused.
Left with no other options, she could only stay at home, sulking.
As for Lu Lin, seeing Tao Tian toiling away alone at the company made her feel quite sympathetic.
Whenever she had free time, she would drop by to lend a helping hand.
And then, after finishing her tasks, she would drive home off work by herself.
Zhou Yuwen certainly wasn't going to keep them company.
Zhou Yuwen was incredibly busy himself right now. The company was signing one internet celebrity after another, and with the newly established cooperative relationships with several other companies, taking a few internet celebrities out to dinner was par for the course.
While it wasn't as if anything illicit would happen with these internet celebrities, bringing them along for dinners and social outings was perfectly acceptable, all functioning as a necessity for work.
Because of this, whether it was Lu Lin or Tao Tian, they essentially went their separate ways alone most of the time.
On this particular day, an utterly bored Lu Lin made her way to the underground parking garage.
Just as she was about to pull her car door open, she suddenly felt the distinct sensation of someone standing right behind her.
But when she spun around.
There was absolutely nothing there.
Lu Lin's gaze grew deeply suspicious.