Chapter 16: [S]: When Are You Coming Home?
With his own strength alone, Zhou Yili managed to blow up the entire internet.
YC had just enjoyed a major boost in popularity thanks to their celebratory gala, and before they could even settle into their newfound fame, Zhou Yili kicked them right off their pedestal.
“Product quality issues, carcinogenic???”
It was like a drop of ice water falling into a boiling pan of oil—the entire trending square burst into chaos.
After all, modern young people may talk about wanting to die, but in reality, each one is more careful with their life than the last.
Their philosophy is—
I may not care for my own life, but you are not allowed to kill me.
“@YCHighJewels, get out here and explain yourselves!”
“Wait, is this for real? I wore that jewelry for seven whole months just because of the spokesperson—what am I supposed to do now???”
“Take it as bad luck, I guess [praying hands].”
“No way, right? If the quality was really that bad, would top male star Fang Siqian still be their spokesperson?”
“Well, if you want to put it that way, maybe that’s why Best Actor Shen refused to work with this brand in the first place—he must have known about the quality issues?”
Fang Siqian’s die-hard female fans rushed to defend him—
“Impossible, absolutely impossible!”
“So now the top star’s fans are trying to clear his name? If he knew there was a problem, why didn’t he say so back then? Hindsight is 20/20, huh?”
“There’s no problem at all. Keep spreading rumors and you’ll be hearing from my lawyer!”
“Who are you calling a liar?”
Zhou Yili’s fans were just as fierce.
Fang’s fans were clearly unwilling to offend this terrifying new idol.
“Isn’t it possible you all misheard? Maybe Zhou Yili said… anti-cancer?”
The enormous, chaotic trending square fell silent in an instant.
Even passing bystanders couldn’t help but sigh:
“Only in this glorious Tang dynasty could Fang’s fans be so cultured—they’ve made the jewelry a miracle cure.”
“Hahaha, I’m laughing so hard my varicose veins are acting up and my pinky is sprained, so much so that Sima Guang dropped his own vase and hurt himself.”
“…The world has finally gone mad just the way I like it.”
“…”
As the interview clip ended there, netizens were still just skeptical of YC and mocking Fang’s fans, saying, “What, now your idol’s jewelry can cure anything? Guess we don’t need hospitals anymore, just wear his ugly beads.”
But soon, the evidence arrived.
…
At 8 p.m. that night,
All the major marketing accounts across the internet mobilized at once, simultaneously releasing reports exposing the substandard quality of YC jewelry.
The scale of the operation was staggering.
“What’s going on, all the marketing accounts having a group outing tonight?”
“The last time I saw this many marketing accounts was… the last time.”
“Whose deep pockets made this happen?”
Unbidden, a single name surfaced in everyone’s mind—
The blue-blooded heir, who would return home to inherit the family business if he ever tired of showbiz.
At that moment, a marketing account quietly revealed: “Not him.”
It wasn’t Zhou Yili.
It was Shen Jixing.
And it wasn’t that they wanted to move as a group—it was simply that Best Actor Shen was paying too much to refuse!
Even an account owner suffering from a severe flu was dragged out, voice shredded by three days of sore throat, yet still shouting with dramatic fervor—
“Since entering the domestic market, YC High Jewelry has launched over a dozen new products, and according to investigation, all of these contain mostly substandard and harmful materials.”
“These include low-grade zircon with radiation, poor-quality topaz, phosphorus-laden luminous pearls, dyed agate, synthetic crystals, dubious jadeite, fake Xiuyu…”
She screamed hoarsely, “Heartless brands, get out of China!!!”
Netizens: “……”
We know you’re anxious, but please don’t panic.
In short, YC was finished.
Even the marketing accounts were a bit wistful.
They were insiders, after all, less easily swayed than the general public, and could see that the wave of scandals hitting Best Actor Shen overnight was orchestrated by someone with intent.
YC’s gala was also a calculated move to siphon his popularity and pour oil on the fire.
They’d thought, given his difficult situation, Shen Jixing would have no choice but to swallow his anger.
Who would have guessed that, by that very evening, he would bring down the entire YC brand.
Someone sighed, “There’s nothing like being a fan of a high-IQ idol.”
At this moment,
That very idol was standing on the balcony of the sky garden, his clear gaze resting on a white swing wrapped in blossoming vines.
He tilted his head, puzzled.
…Where was his blanket?
Shen Jixing turned and walked back into his room.
Five minutes later, he returned, wrapped in a thin grey fleece blanket, lounging comfortably on the swing.
“What’s your relationship with Zhou Yili?” Pei Ming asked on the phone.
This whole thing was just too strange.
Zhou Yili had barely started trending when Shen Jixing sent him the documents, instructing him to get YC out of China.
Pei Ming hadn’t even finished his PR meeting before these two ancestors had already solved the problem.
“Why would he suddenly help us?” Pei Ming was utterly bewildered.
He was no stranger to Zhou Yili—the young master was notorious for his flamboyance; everyone in the circle knew him.
But until now, their two families had never intersected.
A wild thought suddenly occurred to Pei Ming: “Could he be your mysterious backer?”
Shen Jixing: “……”
The sky garden twinkled under the night, the white piano bathed in scattered moonlight.
The scent of snow-dusted pine needles lingered on the blanket; Shen Jixing felt more relaxed and languid than ever.
He gave a soft laugh, his tone casual, “Why not say he’s a male fan I slept with?”
Pei Ming: “???”
Pei Ming: “……”
Pei Ming felt as if he’d been launched into the stratosphere by a bombshell.
“What are you talking about?” Pei Ming instinctively denied. “That’s impossible!”
He’d met Zhou Yili a few times at events.
Young, brash, exuding an aristocratic, untamed air—definitely not someone to cross.
Someone like that, clearly, would never idolize anyone.
But if…
If that someone was Shen Jixing—
Pei Ming’s mental CPU began to overheat. “Don’t scare me—are you serious?”
If the person he slept with really was Zhou Yili, Pei Ming would be ready to jump out the window on the spot.
Shen Jixing’s brows lowered gently, long lashes tangled with moonlight.
After a while, his thin lips parted softly, “Who knows.”
The fleece blanket smelled clean and pleasant; Shen Jixing leaned back, his delicate pale chin sinking into the softness.
He said lightly, “I’ll ask him when he’s back.”
He wanted to know, too, why Zhou Yili had chosen to help him.
Pei Ming: “???”
Huh? So… not that?
How many surprises are you still hiding from me?
After hanging up, Shen Jixing gazed idly downstairs—he’d been waiting a long time.
Zhou Yili hadn’t returned all day.
Shen Jixing, always cool and forthright, paused for a moment, then picked up his phone and sent a message.
[S]: When will you be home?
…
The “Half Awake” sign glowed neon in the night.
Cheers inside the club blended with deafening DJ beats, brilliant lights sweeping over towers of tall glasses.
Sheng Que stood on stage, howling as he raised his glass high.
“Tonight’s tab is on Young Master Zhou!”
The crowd exploded in cheers.
Zhou Yili lifted his eyes, giving his friend on stage a look as if he were insane. “Idiot.”
With long fingers, he plucked a black card from Sheng Que’s suit pocket and tossed it to the waiter.
“Charge everything to this later.”
The waiter glanced at the signature. “This is Mr. Fu Chen’s card, correct?”
Zhou Yili nodded lazily, “Mm.”
The rest of his friends: “……”
When it comes to being a dog, no one beats Zhou Yili.
They glanced at the auburn-haired boy dancing joyfully on stage, not daring to imagine the expression on the cold-faced CEO when he received the charge notification.
All they could do was silently light a cigarette for Sheng Que.
And then smoke it themselves.
“Bad mood?” a friend teased Zhou Yili, eyes sly as a fox as he flicked his hair. “Didn’t you just help your sweetheart sort out his troubles?”
Zhou Yili’s gaze turned cold. “Sweetheart?”