Even if the official Weibo account of "Heart-Fluttering Promise" discovered that Shi Guanghua had a password, the staff behind the scenes didn't dare to inquire. Shi Guanghua didn't even reply to Zou Qian's comments, so he didn't seem like someone who would follow back.
What could the official account do even if they knew? Should they foolishly go and ask, "Teacher Shi, why don't you follow the show's official account?" What if Shi Guanghua retorted with "Why should I follow it?" Wouldn't that lead to an awkward situation and self-humiliation?
Official account: We don't know, we don't dare ask, let's just muddle through!
The show's official account decisively decided to feign ignorance to avoid facing embarrassment if they brought it up, mainly because Shi Guanghua had a strange power to make things that most people would find inappropriate seem perfectly natural.
"Chu Yueyi and Shi Guanghua post on Weibo" remained trending, refusing to drop for quite some time, attracting more and more netizens.
Here's Tiaotiao: Ah, I saw the trending topic and thought they were announcing their relationship. I excitedly clicked in, only to be disappointed.
Pan: They can trend just for apologizing? If they announced their relationship, wouldn't Weibo crash? I suggest Weibo expand their capacity in advance [doge]
Kyaa: I've already prepared the announcement for them: Due to personal reasons, we didn't get married in time, disappointing our audience. We're truly sorry, but we've learned from our mistakes and are now together. We hope this satisfies you.
Little Walnut: Satisfied! Of course I'm satisfied! I've always been this satisfied!!
Whyy: These two are good at marketing, they'll definitely flop if they fake a relationship for money. They're about to sell an album, so they're buying trending topics again. I don't know which fools believe in the show and get scammed.
FEEL: Wuwuwu, can they fake a relationship if we pay them? Great, I beg you, I have money, treat me like a leek and harvest me! If they don't empty my wallet, they're not doing their job right! Harvest me quickly!! Don't force the leeks to do it themselves!!
Apricot Meh: So it's about selling albums, I'll buy it, okay? Just tell me if money can solve it! Let's set sales targets now, what couple benefits do we get at each stage? Is marriage the highest stage!? I'm willing to be the sucker, let them get married for money!
Siyi: I'm laughing so hard, even passersby would admire this level of sarcasm from you Yueguang scientists.
Because Chu Yueyi and Shi Guanghua became hugely popular as a couple, they inevitably faced criticism from other fandoms. Neither of them could reach their current position before, and now that they've succeeded, they've become the target of envy. It's said that a large number of similar shows are sprouting up like bamboo shoots after rain, soon to be launched, all with a couple marketing nature.
Other fandoms sourly said that Yueguang was hyping to sell albums, which naturally upset the Yueguang scientists, who began to counterattack in the comments section in a Versailles-style, with a very sarcastic tone.
The Yueguang scientists' wording was euphemistic, but their main point was very clear: We have plenty of money, if anyone's going to be harvested, it's us, who's harvesting you poor folks? We're willing participants, no one asked you to act all clearheaded here!
In the company, Chu Yueyi was equally exasperated. Looking at the overly excited netizens under the trending topic, she deeply understood what it meant for "the whole of northwest Shanxi to be in chaos." Sometimes she couldn't understand Shi Guanghua; he would be shy when facing her, but why did he act so righteous in public?
When Shi Guanghua encountered fans last time, his attitude was incredibly calm, and now he's posting on Weibo without a care in the world.
In Chu Yueyi's view, after filming the show, both of them should have slightly distanced themselves, giving each other time to calm down and then get to know each other again, which would be the sensible approach. The more entanglements caused by the show, the more likely things would become unclear, which is not conducive to long-term real-life development.
If they still had feelings for each other after settling down, and interacted genuinely off-camera, that would be respecting each other.
But she couldn't say that Shi Guanghua posting on Weibo was wrong, mainly because even if she did, he might not understand, and might even ask why he couldn't post.
After pondering for a long time in the company, Chu Yueyi decided to take an indirect approach. Instead of directly asking about his post, she sent a message beating around the bush: [So you've been using Weibo?]
This was definitely a misjudgment on her part. It was Weibo's honor that Shi Guanghua could use it, as it was completely unnoticeable usually.
Shi Guanghua, who was somewhere unknown, replied quickly: [I started using it after returning to China.]
Chu Yueyi thought to herself that it had been quite a long time, and he actually managed to keep quiet all this while, which was truly admirable. She inquired further: [What do you usually look at on Weibo?]
Since Shi Guanghua would browse Weibo, he should gradually become familiar with the entertainment industry and be less likely to have face blindness.
Shi Guanghua: [News.]
He seemed to think the reply was too short, so he quickly sent another message: [More precise measurements made of the first stellar-mass black hole.]
Chu Yueyi: [?]
Shi Guanghua: [Rising temperatures in Antarctica causing uncontrolled melting of ice and snow due to algae proliferation.]
Chu Yueyi: [???]
Shi Guanghua: [And some international breaking news.]
Chu Yueyi: Good grief, you really can't understand the entertainment industry if you're always reading about black holes and Antarctica!
In the room, Li You looked at Chu Yueyi who was messaging on her phone and asked curiously, "Yueyi, did you ask him? Was it really him who posted?"
No one present had expected Shi Guanghua to use Weibo. The PR director even suspected it was posted by his team, not by him personally. Although Chu Yueyi thought this speculation was far-fetched, as Cheng was unlikely to manage Shi Guanghua's Weibo, she still reluctantly contacted Shi Guanghua.
Chu Yueyi didn't even ask if it was him who posted, feeling it unnecessary. She now replied with a composed expression, "Yes, he posted it himself."
The PR director exclaimed, "He actually uses Weibo? Then why doesn't he cooperate with the show's promotion?"
"He said he usually just uses Weibo to read news," Chu Yueyi added dryly. "Oh, not entertainment news, but domestic and international current affairs."
PR director: "Huh!?"
A PR staff member at her desk browsed through Shi Guanghua's following list and nodded knowingly, "I see, it checks out."
There weren't many real people in Shi Guanghua's following list, mostly familiar colleagues, and the rest were news and popular science Weibo accounts. In fact, he hadn't followed anyone for a long time, except for early follows like Zou Qian and others, with only Chu Yueyi at the very top.
The PR staff member commented meaningfully, "Family affairs, state affairs, world affairs, concerned about everything, and you're involved in everything."
Chu Yueyi: "..." She felt like some invisible force was seeping into the company.
With the digital EP of "Miss9" about to be released, the trending topic came at just the right time. The company would be remiss not to capitalize on it, so they immediately arranged a full range of promotions. This EP includes two songs, one is "Two-Faced Muse" from the New Year's Eve gala, and the other is the newly produced "Miss9". The EP is priced at 5 yuan.
Chu Yueyi was adept at filming MV scenes, but she actually didn't have much of a musical sense and wasn't sure about the arrangement quality of "Miss9". She only knew it sounded pleasant and that she could appreciate it, unlike many noisy songs in the market.
Chu Yueyi only contributed a birthday number melody, and the rest of her creation was quite casual, requiring Shi Guanghua to interpret and complete for her.
During production, Shi Guanghua specifically asked for her thoughts in the studio: "What kind of song do you want to make?"
Chu Yueyi: "?" I'm a layman, I don't understand either!
Chu Yueyi didn't know what she wanted, but she could reason in reverse, excluding styles she didn't quite understand. She decisively said, "Not as noisy as Zou Qian's songs."
Apart from the tunes written by Shi Guanghua, she couldn't understand most of the music released by Zou Qian.
Shi Guanghua pondered thoughtfully, eliminating some options and deciding to go with a lyrical style.
Because Cheng and others were more responsible for the digital EP, Chu Yueyi didn't know the process and details. It wasn't until "Miss9" was released on music platforms and Li You called eagerly to inform her that Chu Yueyi truly felt the reality of releasing an EP.
At home, Chu Yueyi took out the Promise Key and was studying the prop when she suddenly heard her phone ring, startling her. The caller ID showed it was Li You, intensifying her inner panic. A call from her manager must mean something important.
Chu Yueyi thought to herself that she had been busy to the point of fainting recently, and just as she was sneaking a moment to piece together the prop, she was caught red-handed, which seemed incredibly unlucky. She took a deep breath, composed herself, and answered: "Hello, Sister You, I've finished reading the new script..."
"Forget about the script for now!" Li You exclaimed excitedly, "Have you seen the new album sales?"
Chu Yueyi let out a long sigh, instantly relaxing as she calmly said, "Not yet, just posting on social media."
She routinely posted to promote, but didn't pay attention to the digital EP sales figures. Initially, she hadn't planned to make money from this, but Cheng said it would be a shame not to release songs, and then Shi Guanghua proposed a collaboration, which got things moving.
Li You's voice was hoarse with excitement: "Single-day sales have broken 10 million!"
Chu Yueyi wasn't sure if this figure was good or bad. She had heard too many huge numbers in the industry and felt surprisingly unmoved. She responded calmly, "Oh, but the platform still takes a cut..."
It was like when TV dramas claim to have investments of hundreds of millions, but what each person actually gets is a different story.
Li You patiently explained, "No, you don't understand. Let me give you an example. Your EP with Shi Guanghua had first-day sales of 17.96 million yuan, while Zou Qian's last album had first-day sales of 15.29 million yuan. He's a top celebrity with good sales in recent years, so these numbers mean..."
Chu Yueyi smoothly continued, "It means Zou Qian's career is over, not even as good as us."
Li You: "It means you two are as profitable as top celebrities. How did you conclude that Zou Qian's career is over!?"
Chu Yueyi understood Li You's point when she used Zou Qian as a unit of measurement, but she still found it unbelievable. How could so many people buy a digital EP?
After pondering for a few seconds, Chu Yueyi tentatively said, "Sister You, actually the company doesn't need to push for sales. To be honest, I'm an actress, not a singer. These achievements aren't useful for me, there's no need to do this..."
Chu Yueyi thought: Should she introduce herself to directors as a singer-songwriter in the future? She could, but there was no need.
She had suspected the company was buying data, just like buying trending topics on Weibo.
Li You said expressionlessly, "You're overthinking. Our company's promoted boy group doesn't even reach a fraction of your sales. If we were really pushing for sales, it wouldn't be for you."
Chu Yueyi: "...Then it must be that the general public is too rich."
Chu Yueyi had always heard that Moonlight was popular, but she hadn't fully grasped it. Now, with the numbers converted to real money and Zou Qian as a unit of comparison, she suddenly realized how much the outside world had changed.
She felt things were getting out of control. With such impressive money-making ability, if she continued to interact with Shi Guanghua after this project, wouldn't people see it as a ploy to solidify their CP fans? This was a situation she didn't want to see. He might have to bear misunderstandings from his solo fans and face malicious focus from within the industry.
Unlike Zou Qian, Chu Yueyi wasn't the type to try things out first. Instead, she thought about many subsequent issues, such as how her work affected others, always thinking far ahead. Only when she was sure she was prepared did she feel qualified to take the next step.
In the studio, Cheng and others were also sharing in the joy. He specially invited Chu Yueyi and others to attend a celebration dinner that evening to commemorate the sales success of the digital EP "Miss9". This was an unplanned activity, but Li You didn't refuse, agreeing happily.
Because there was promotional work the next day, the celebration wasn't too elaborate. It was a small gathering held at the company, and everyone drank juice instead of alcohol.
Both managers were very excited, engaging in mutual praise at the dinner table, frequently raising their glasses.
Cheng enthusiastically said, "Didn't I say it right? That New Year's Eve gala song could make money, and these two songs together would make even more. My judgment wasn't wrong!"
Li You smiled, "Yes, yes, a very brilliant judgment, completely opening up a new situation!"
Cheng: "No, it's your promotion that was good. We can only handle the music part, we're not familiar with many aspects of the business..."
Li You: "No, no, it's because the content is good. Anyone can do promotion..."
As the two began to modestly compliment each other, Shi Guanghua noticed Chu Yueyi's silence. She sat to the side, seemingly lost in thought, not participating in the managers' enthusiastic atmosphere, absently playing with the food in her bowl.
Sitting beside her, Shi Guanghua lowered his eyes and said, "You don't seem happy?"
"No..." Chu Yueyi changed her expression in an instant. Seeing that he didn't believe her, she quickly explained with a smile, "Well, I just can't understand why so many people bought it?"
Shi Guanghua placed a large shrimp in her bowl, calmly saying, "Actually, it's not that many, right? It's about the same as Zou Qian."
"But being about the same as him is a lot..." Chu Yueyi looked at the red shrimp in her bowl, then at Shi Guanghua's chopsticks. She frowned slightly and said, "If you're allergic, don't use those chopsticks. You'll forget again later."
She thought Shi Guanghua had a poor memory, often forgetting about his allergy.
"Touching it briefly is fine." Shi Guanghua jumped topics with her, switching back to the EP subject. He raised his eyebrows, dissatisfied, "You don't believe in my abilities."
Faced with this baseless accusation, Chu Yueyi looked surprised: "I do."
Shi Guanghua's eyes deepened slightly as he said in a low voice, "You think I'm not as good as Zou Qian?"
Chu Yueyi: "?" What kind of logic was this?
Chu Yueyi protested loudly: "I don't, I really believe in your abilities, I don't think you're inferior to Zou Qian..."
Shi Guanghua had also written songs for Zou Qian, and the two clearly had different professional fields.
Shi Guanghua: "Then why can't you understand why so many people bought it?"
Chu Yueyi wasn't sure if outsiders could understand. She tried to organize her words accurately: "Zou Qian isn't just a singer, he's very popular. Actually, you should understand the domestic music market better. It's that now people aren't just buying songs, but many things attached to them..."
Digital album sales weren't purely based on musicality and popularity. To achieve such astonishing sales figures, people must be buying something beyond just the songs themselves. Shi Guanghua's compositions were certainly of quality, but this wasn't the only reason shaking up the music market.
Shi Guanghua understood in his heart. He nodded and asked, "You think when they buy the EP, they're also buying other things?"
Chu Yueyi quietly replied, "Yes, and they don't need to buy so many, right? Some people are buying hundreds of copies."
Shi Guanghua thought for a few seconds, his dark eyes shining brightly under the lights. He finally understood her gloomy worries; she probably couldn't bring herself to be an unscrupulous merchant.
His voice was casual and natural, like the sound of jade, as he calmly suggested, "Since you have so many concerns, why not just sell other things exclusively? Then there's no problem at all, both buyers and sellers would be satisfied."
Why did CP fans buy so many albums? What were these other things they were buying?
Probably they wanted to buy their marriage.
Chu Yueyi: "..."
Chu Yueyi thought: Is this something that can be casually sold at this stage?!