After a week of editing and production, the new episode of Our Friends was released on the platform. Because the rising star Jiang Zhen was a guest, the number of pre-orders for this episode reached a historic high before it even aired. The broadcast began on Tuesday at eight o’clock in the evening. Although it was not a prime-time slot, the number of online viewers continued to rise steadily. Jiang Yin, who previously knew nothing about such things, felt the direct impact of celebrity popularity for the first time.
On Tuesday, they had a full day of classes. They had just returned from the cafeteria with their respective meals and sat together, ready to watch the program. “To be honest, rather than watching Jiang Zhen, I think I am looking forward to seeing Jiang Jiang’s scenes more,” Ji Xiaoning said expectately while holding her bowl. “Me too,” replied Xu Yao, who was not eating dinner and instead took a bite of an apple. Lin Shu was adjusting the picture clarity and volume. She turned her head and scanned the room, only to realize that the person at the center of the topic was not in the dormitory. “Where is Jiang Yin? Where did she go? Did she not come back with us?” “Oh, that is right. Where is she?” The three roommates, who had not looked back once since leaving the cafeteria to see if Jiang Yin was behind them, expressed their confusion simultaneously.
The Jiang Yin they were thinking of was currently panting as she ran up to the third floor of Teaching Building A. Resting her hands on her knees, she knocked on the door of Professor Tang’s office. “I am sorry, Professor Tang. I had too many classes today and completely forgot about what you asked me to do,” she said with an apologetic smile, feeling a bit embarrassed. Tang Yunhe waved her hand dismissively. “It is fine. I did not wait long. Come in quickly.”
Professor Tang, who was in her forties, was Jiang Yin’s major course instructor. She had asked to meet with her a few days ago to ask if she was interested in conducting research with her over the summer vacation. Normally, such an opportunity would not be given to an undergraduate. However, Professor Tang’s research group happened to be short-staffed for someone to handle miscellaneous tasks like statistical data, so she thought of the exceptionally outstanding student in the class she was teaching.
This was the second semester Tang Yunhe had taught the major courses for Jiang Yin’s grade level. Her courses were famous for high failure rates and low grades. Even in a place like Jinghe University, where top students from various provinces gathered, nearly one-third of the students failed every year. Tang Yunhe was used to student grades, but Jiang Yin alone caught her attention. In the final exam of the previous semester, Jiang Yin had passed with a nearly perfect GPA, which greatly surprised Tang Yunhe. After making inquiries, she learned that this student came from a poor family and worked extremely hard, causing her interest in Jiang Yin to grow. When a graduate student in the research group took a long leave of absence recently, she immediately thought of Jiang Yin.
“Have you thought about what I asked you?” Outside of class, Tang Yunhe’s tone was very gentle. she was like a kind elder, with no trace of the strictness she showed in class. “I have thought about it, Professor Tang,” Jiang Yin said. “I am willing to do research with you. I do not have anything else to do during the summer vacation anyway, so it is no trouble.” “That is good,” Tang Yunhe said with a smile. “I was waiting for those words. Come, I will add you to our research group. Remember to say hello to your seniors after you join.”
Jiang Yin was a bit surprised and clutched the hem of her clothes nervously. “Can I join the group too?” As far as she knew, the group consisted of graduate students supervised by Tang Yunhe. Would it be inappropriate for an undergraduate like her to join? Tang Yunhe did not seem to care about that. “What does it matter? Jiang Yin, to be honest, I really want you to stay at Jinghe University for graduate school. With your ability, you might be recommended for admission without an exam. Wouldn’t it be great to continue doing research with me then?” Jiang Yin had not thought that far ahead and only said she would definitely consider it. Then, she took out her phone and scanned the QR code for the group chat.
“I did not delay your dinner, did I?” After chatting for a bit longer, Tang Yunhe asked with concern. “No,” Jiang Yin shook her head. “I have nothing else here,” Tang Yunhe said. She walked to her desk, opened a drawer, pulled out an apple and a peach, and firmly pressed them into Jiang Yin’s hands. “There will be a monthly stipend for doing research with a teacher. Remember to send me your bank account number later, okay?” Jiang Yin held the fruit, which were larger than her fists, and left Professor Tang’s office feeling touched.
When she returned to the dormitory, Lin Shu and the others were already nearly halfway through the variety show. “You are back just in time. It seems like you are about to appear on screen!” Lin Shu waved excitedly at Jiang Yin at the door, gesturing for her to come over quickly. Before Jiang Yin could put down the apple, the peach, and the backpack on her shoulders, she was pulled over by Xu Yao. The screen on the tablet changed to the segment filmed while Jiang Yin and Jiang Zhen were sitting in the car. “Why does the conversation between you two feel so stiff?” Ji Xiaoning could not help but comment. “Are you still not very well-acquainted?” “We were indeed not very familiar at that time,” Jiang Yin lied without blinking. “It gets better in a while. You guys take your time watching. I am going to pack my things.”
Seeing her own face appear on the screen felt truly strange. After watching for a moment, Jiang Yin felt awkward all over and wanted to flee the scene. The sound of the variety show was playing out loud. Even when she turned her back to organize her backpack, Jiang Yin could still hear her own voice coming from the screen. Fortunately, after editing, her screen time was reduced. Just as she was about to wash the peach to eat, Jiang Yin’s phone screen suddenly lit up. Someone had sent her a message.
Cheese Cat: Ah Yin, have you watched the latest episode of the variety show? Cheese Cat: I hate the production team so much. They cut out so many of our interactions. Cheese Cat: But I noticed that you look very beautiful on camera. Your features did not look distorted at all!
Looking at the message on the screen, Jiang Yin unconsciously curled her lips into a smile. She put the peach back on the table and began to reply.
You Ran: My roommates are watching the variety show, and I am watching too. You Ran: It always feels a bit strange to see myself on a program, so I only watched for a little while. You Ran: My screen time is indeed a bit less, but after all, you guys are the main characters.
The message she sent quickly received a reply from Jiang Zhen.
Cheese Cat: It is normal to feel strange since you do not film things often! Cheese Cat: I am going to use my alt account to criticize the production team. How could they cut out so many of your scenes!
Even though they were separated by a screen, the image of Jiang Zhen puffing up like a pufferfish while sending messages appeared in Jiang Yin’s mind. The smile on her lips deepened. “Why are you smiling so dreamily?” Ji Xiaoning, who had stood up to go to the bathroom, looked at Jiang Yin in shock as if she were seeing a wonder of the world. “I have never seen you smile so happily before.” Hearing this, Xu Yao and Lin Shu turned their heads. Jiang Yin quickly hid the smile on her face and explained with feigned composure, “I did not. I just read a joke.” “I do not believe you,” Ji Xiaoning said with a look of suspicion. “What kind of joke would make you smile like a spring flower?” “A corny joke,” Jiang Yin replied quickly. Then, she grabbed the peach and slipped into the bathroom. Seeing that she could not ask any more questions, Ji Xiaoning sat down reluctantly to continue watching the show. Three minutes later, she suddenly slapped her own head and said in frustration, “Oh! I was supposed to go to the toilet. It is all Jiang Yin’s fault for making me forget!”
Jiang Zhen lay on her bed, indignantly using her alt account to voice her grievances for Jiang Yin in the Super Topic. This small house in the city was an adulthood gift from Qin Zhu and Jiang Yunian. After all, Jiang Zhen had to go to the city for filming from time to time. If she always traveled between the city and the suburbs, it would inevitably drain her energy. She rolled over on the bed, leaned against the pillow, and scrolled through the posts in the variety show Super Topic. Some praised the segments of the program, some were shipping couples, and others complained that the content was boring.
A post suddenly caught Jiang Zhen’s eye. “Please help me find her. Who is that volunteer working with Jiang Zhen? She is so beautiful.” This post was quickly replied to by someone. “It is not good to dig into the lives of non-celebrities.” “I also think she is so beautiful! She is heroic yet cool. I fell in love at first sight!” “Upstairs, I feel the same way! Ahhh, who understands? My gaydar is pinging!”
What was a “gaydar”? Jiang Zhen opened the search box in confusion and entered those two words. The results that popped up made her face turn red, and she quickly exited the search. She found that post again from her browsing history and continued to read the comments below. “My gaydar is also pinging, but I feel like she is straight.” “I want to date her so much. Waaa, she is really my type.” “No, am I the only one who thinks she and Jiang Zhen are a good match?”
Jiang Zhen scrolled past this comment unconsciously, and only after half a minute did she react. Wait, who and who are a good match? She hurriedly scrolled up again, wanting to find that comment to confirm, but that sentence had already been buried under many words of praise for Jiang Yin and could not be found. She exited the variety show Super Topic with some regret and used her alt account to enter her personal Super Topic. The fans’ reactions were very good. They were mostly praising Jiang Zhen’s performance or sharing edited screenshots. Some were feeling sorry for her being injured while rescuing the kitten. In short, the atmosphere was very good, so Jiang Zhen exited and turned off her phone with peace of mind.
She rolled into the soft quilt and closed her eyes. Suddenly, Jiang Yin’s appearance surfaced in her mind. Her voice, her movements, and the warm body temperature that came from her when she carried her were all magnified at this moment. For some reason, Jiang Zhen suddenly felt a bit gloomy. After this variety show recording, she did not know when the next time she would meet Jiang Yin would be. Her mood suddenly darkened, and Jiang Zhen became inexplicably irritable. She picked up a script from the bedside table and flipped through a few pages, only to find that she could not focus on anything. The only thing lingering in her mind was Jiang Yin. What was wrong with her? Jiang Zhen pressed the back of her hand against her somewhat hot face and decided to take a shower to cool down.
In Shanyuan County, on the second floor of a noisy restaurant, seven or eight topless men were smoking and gathered to play cards. Many empty green beer bottles were scattered on the floor, along with cigarette butts everywhere. The smell of smoke and alcohol in the room mixed with the stench of men who did not bathe, making it nauseating to breathe. Besides the men playing cards, there were a few children sitting together, looking up at the television hanging on the wall. What was playing on it was not a cartoon, but a variety show that their mothers loved to watch.
“Pah! I am not playing anymore! My luck is bad today! Damn it, are you guys cheating?” Li Weilong cursed as he threw down the cards in his hand and slammed the table. Sitting opposite him was a thin man with a sharp face and monkey-like features. That man sneered and turned his head to spit on the ground. “If you cannot afford to lose, just say so. Why slander people? Xiao Long, why are you still so short-tempered after all these years?”
“Fine, fine, I do not have time to talk nonsense with you.
How much is it in total for this time and the last time? I will give it all to you!” “One hundred thousand,” the thin man named Qian Jiabao said. He stretched out his hand and gave a snickering laugh with narrowed eyes. “Can you afford to pay?”
“Nonsense! Of course, I can pay!”
Li Weilong said as he pulled a bank card from his chest. “I will give you twenty thousand in cash, and the remaining eighty thousand is in this card.” Qian Jiabao signaled the subordinate behind him to collect the money.
After getting the bank card, the subordinate swiped it on the POS machine and said dissatisfiedly, “There isn’t eighty thousand in this card. It is still short by thirty thousand. Wait before you leave!”
“Damn it, wait!” He spat on the ground and then pulled out his phone to make a call. “Li Xiuning!” he shouted at the top of his lungs. “Deposit thirty thousand yuan into that card of mine! Why are you talking so much? Did you not just get money from your daughter? Shut up, you old woman, why do you have so much to say?
Hurry up and send the money!” “That niece of yours is really successful now,” someone in the room said sourly. “Successful? No matter how successful she is, can she forget her own mother?”
Li Weilong looked back and scanned the room but did not find the person speaking. Instead, he noticed the images on the television. He gave a malicious laugh and pointed at the television, saying, “Look, that person is my niece who has achieved success and climbed high!
What is she? She is just a money-losing child. In the end, she still has to send money to me!” Qian Jiabao looked in the direction he pointed. On the television screen was Jiang Yin’s face.