Chapter 22

But tonight was especially terrifying.

What spread far and wide was a video the media had recorded at a press conference.

Shi Jihan stood onstage before the microphone, wearing an ethereal smile at the corners of his mouth, looking half-dead as he said, "Next, please support Shi Corporation's future promotions. We'll be collaborating with various fashion magazines to unlock more outfits and the inspirations behind them... You're asking who's willing to model? Haha, you've hit my funny bone."

"—Me."

The comments beneath the video were all "hahahahaha."

[Hahahaha, little bro, you have this day too!]

[Shi Jihan, blink if you're being threatened!]

[Type 1 on your keyboard and laugh with me. If it breaks, I'll call the police for you.]

[Shi Jihan: I have walked on thin ice all my life.jpg]

[Shi Jihan, go for it. Leave the rest to karma.]

[Not gonna lie, the urge to buy this magazine just got scratched awake.]

Zhou Jingcheng had only contacted the editor-in-chief of NEXUS magazine that afternoon, and that evening, she saw the trending topic.

Editor-in-chief: ￥o￥! Money!

The moment she saw that overwhelming traffic crashing down on them, she thought, How could sales not soar? How could this not break into the mainstream?

Wasn't her year-end bonus practically secured?

She immediately got in touch with Shi Corporation and swiftly finalized the shooting details. She couldn't even wait a day—Shi Jihan had to come shoot the very next day. That evening, the official media account released the news along with a preorder link. It was practically the fastest collaboration imaginable.

[NEXUS: Participate in the preorder to receive a digital behind-the-scenes featurette as well, exclusively included~]

The moment netizens saw that the fun had arrived, they immediately rushed to preorder, and sales shot upward.

"Buy it, absolutely buy it! If anyone doesn't get to see Shi Jihan wearing his fashionable new clothes, I'll be heartbroken, okay?"

"Shi Jihan, don't worry. Not only will your embarrassing history be in high definition, everyone will own a copy."

After checking the preorder data in the backend, the editor-in-chief happily went on Taobao and ordered a customized acrylic shaker stand featuring a giant photo of Shi Jihan's face, planning to place it beside the God of Wealth she worshipped.

With both methods combined, wealth was guaranteed to come rolling in!

Sorry, Young Master Shi. Your social death was my sales volume.

Shi Jihan, who had watched the entire thing unfold online: "..."

I'll assassinate every last one of you!

He viciously punched a pillow on the bed, kicked over the blanket, and let out an unyielding cry at the ceiling:

"I am a heavenly hound! I swallowed the moon, I swallowed the sun, I swallowed every planet, I swallowed the entire universe! Then I became myself—woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof woof! I am a heavenly hound!"

000: [...]

So terrifying. So unhinged.

It cautiously asked, [Then, Host, are you still going tomorrow?]

Shi Jihan sniffed. "I'm going."

"My brother said Zhou Jingcheng negotiated the best contract for me. One shoot pays 120,000."

For the money!

The next day, that conviction was the only thing supporting him as he dragged himself out of bed.

When he arrived at the shooting location, he spotted the culprit who had butted in yesterday at first glance.

How did this guy have the nerve to come?

Zhou Jingcheng was turned slightly to the side, chatting with the editor-in-chief about the upcoming shoot. His mind seemed full of ideas, each one pouring out after another.

"It's best if we can create a sense of brokenness. How do we get that effect? Don't worry, the moment he puts on those clothes, he'll shatter."

"...Mm, add a little beauty ravaged by life. I think it'd be great if his tie were crooked like a noose."

Just as they were talking happily, a gust of wind suddenly swept past him.

An unidentified object moved at high speed, launching itself straight at him.

"Zhou Jingcheng—!"

Zhou Jingcheng instinctively dodged aside.

The unidentified object couldn't stop in time and plunged headfirst into a pile of clothes.

Then it turned around and glared at him furiously.

Oh no. It was a kitty cannonball.

Zhou Jingcheng quickly brushed his fingertips over the bridge of his nose, gave a fake cough, and reached out to help the cannonball up. "Sorry, I didn't realize it was you."

Shi Jihan slapped his hand away with great backbone. "Move. I'll get up myself."

But the position was truly terrible for leverage. He managed to push himself up a little, then immediately slid back down and landed with a solid thud.

Shi Jihan:?

What kind of floor was this? Why was it so good at throwing itself under people?

He immediately fired off five soul-searching questions. "How could you actually let me get up by myself? Where's your conscience? Your morals? Your manners?"

"Where's your hand??"

Zhou Jingcheng extended his hand to him again.

The back of his hand still bore the red mark from where it had been slapped. He deliberately adjusted the angle and held it right in front of Shi Jihan, making it as obvious as possible.

Unfortunately, he had underestimated the thickness of Shi Jihan's skin. Shi Jihan selectively went blind, grabbed all five of his fingertips, and yanked himself free with all his strength.

The force was so great that he nearly dragged Zhou Jingcheng into the pile of clothes too.

Zhou Jingcheng was speechless. "Anyone who didn't know better would think a radish had been stuck in the ground."

Soon, another red mark appeared on the back of his hand, forming a strangely symmetrical aesthetic with the first.

He silently withdrew his hand and never mentioned radishes again.

The editor-in-chief had watched the entire scene from the side, and her smile had never faded. She thought that if they released this segment as behind-the-scenes footage, it would definitely be amazing.

Truly worthy of a Wu Bai relationship—no, a Wu Bai illness.

She said, "All right, everyone's here. Let's get to work."

Shi Jihan looked despairingly at the funeral-themed collection he had designed, then closed his eyes in even greater despair.

With one little croak, he was out of breath.

The editor-in-chief praised him enthusiastically. "Yes! That's exactly the emotion! Xiaohan, you captured it so well. You have such spirit!"

...She could actually praise that?

The assistant helped him into that body-bag suit, and Shi Jihan shattered even further, breaking into pieces that could not be put back together.

The editor-in-chief praised him even more. "Come, look at the photographer's camera. Perfect, exactly the right feeling! President Zhou was right after all—the sense of brokenness is absolutely nailed."

"Quick, hang up that tie President Zhou mentioned just now."

Why was this somehow still your business?

Shi Jihan stared murderously at Zhou Jingcheng through the studio. You'd better sleep with your eyes open tonight.

This time, Zhou Jingcheng also selectively went blind. He lowered his head and looked at the red marks on the back of his hand.

"It hurts so much," he sighed leisurely. "And no one even comes to check on me. They only know how to glare at me."

Shi Jihan:???

He said, [If someone like Dianjia Bro jumped into West Lake, the surrounding cities could renew their free 82-year Longjing green tea refills for ten years.]

After a while, he saw Zhou Jingcheng still cradling his hand.

[Did I use too much force? Did it really hurt that much?]

When he came down after finishing that set, he took a look and saw that it truly didn't hurt that much. If Shi Jihan had been even a few minutes later, there wouldn't have been a trace of red left.

He said, "Is it that serious? Should I call President Zhou a funeral car?"

Zhou Jingcheng had very proper values. "No. We can't casually occupy public resources."

Shi Jihan said, "It's fine. I already snagged a group-buy price. It's just a shame I missed the Qingming Festival promotion."

000 suddenly spoke up. [Host, I received another mission.]

Shi Jihan:?

Sorrow welled up in him. [Why are there still missions? A side hustle inside a side hustle—how many jobs am I supposed to work?]

Damn it, no nesting dolls allowed!

000 counted. [There are plenty. There are still several hundred plot points ahead.]

[We've now reached the stage where Shen Qinghuai is abandoned by everyone. You still need to stomp on him once more and humiliate him into the dust.]

[Ding. Mission issued: Guide nuclear-level public opinion online and inflict humiliating suppression upon Shen Qinghuai. Reward: Malice Points +18.]

A public-use cannon fodder with no compensatory time off didn't deserve to complain about being tired. Shi Jihan asked, [What abandonment by everyone? Is your system not updated?]

[Wait, last time I told you to go back for maintenance. You didn't go back?]

[I didn't dare, QAQ. The Main System would scold me to death.]

At that moment, the assistants wheeled over the next outfit. It was the PowerPoint manuscript suit with a laser scrolling display, and the text on it could be customized.

The editor-in-chief was saying, "Oh, right. We also need to release one look as the lead promotional image. It'll most likely be put on your company's official website as well. Which outfit does Xiaohan want to choose?"

Shi Jihan stared at the scrolling screen and smiled. "This one. I know how to shoot it now."

[000, don't update yet. Let's make this money first!]

Make a killing!

The official website's lead image, heavily promoted, right?

He lowered his head and took out his phone.

Zhou Jingcheng asked, "What are you looking for?"

Shi Jihan smiled. "My big brother and sister-in-law's passionate fanfiction."

Get it scrolling for me!

Chapter 22

Shi Jihan skillfully entered the CP supertopic for his big brother and sister-in-law and began browsing for fic.

Whenever Shi Corporation trended, clips from the livestream at that fashion show would be replayed and publicly executed over and over. Naturally, that included the moment Shen Qinghuai threw himself into Shi Bochuan's arms.

So, thanks to the fresh popularity Shi Jihan had brought over the past two days, the CP supertopic was currently bustling with fanfic creation.

He selected carefully. "Let's see, this one called 'Low-Temperature Color Card' is really popular... No, it's too serious and artsy."

"'Why Did the Aloof Sword Cultivator Get Used as the Hehuan Sect's Graduation Project Again?' It's kind of silly. Put it on the shortlist."

A hand reached over and tapped the one at the very bottom. "This one. I think it's pretty good."

"After the Cold Beauty Was Forced into Love by a Deranged Tyrant."

Shi Jihan's eyes lit up, and he immediately tapped into it. After reading for a few seconds, he praised it lavishly. "You have taste!"

Divine taste. Absolutely divine.

He said to 000, [Half a chapter is just moaning and gasping. With a mouth that good at playing the suona, this is definitely a sure thing.]

Steam visibly rose from above 000's head. The entire egg looked as though it had been pressed into a spicy braising pot and boiled again. [If you say it'll work, then it'll work.]

The NEXUS editor-in-chief glanced at the cameraman diligently recording behind-the-scenes footage, then at the two people standing in front of the glass window. The brilliant midday sunlight seemed to cast a soft-focus filter over them. Tiny specks of dust drifted in the light, and their shadows on the wooden floor nearly merged into one, as though some secret longing were quietly growing.

They were so good together. The editor-in-chief wiped her face. If she were deaf and couldn't hear what the two of them were plotting, they would be even better together.