Chapter 41

As it neared seven o'clock, the sky began to darken, and Su Youpeng appeared at the Yueyang Restaurant.

The Yueyang Restaurant, located in Huayan North Li, was very famous, not only for its delicious dishes but also because its owner was Na Ying.

As usual, Assistant Xiao Song led the way, and Su Youpeng, fully equipped, followed closely behind, entering the reserved private room. Zhao Wei was already there.

"Who are you? Get out!" Zhao Wei said rudely, but she laughed first, "Is it really necessary to cover up so tightly? Be careful you don't get heat rash. Your fans will be heartbroken."

"Do you still have the mood to joke around? Was there any reporter following you on the way here?" As he spoke, Su Youpeng removed his disguise, feeling much more comfortable.

"What's there to be afraid of? Or are you really secretly in love with me?"

"I give up on you."

Recently, the rumors about the two of them had been getting more and more intense, even affecting Ruby Lin in Taiwan, who had even called to complain to both of them.

Zhao Wei was naturally outgoing and didn't care about the rumors. Su Youpeng didn't really care either, but since he was preparing to release a new album in the second half of the year and a single called "Ten Years," the company had specifically instructed him to avoid negative news as much as possible.

Entertainment reporters had no limits. If they were to take a photo of the two of them having dinner, who knew what kind of news they would come up with. If they happened to encounter a little girl selling flowers, some reporters would dare to write that the little girl was their illegitimate child!

To attract attention and boost sales, what dirty tricks couldn't they use?

"Let's not drink alcohol tonight. Xiao Song, go get two bottles of juice."

Xiao Song responded and left the private room to ask the server for juice. Su Youpeng and Zhao Wei chatted about their recent situations.

The two "Story of the Condor Heroes" series had swept through Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia, making the two of them famous across the country. The recently aired "Deep Affection in the Rainy Season" had taken them to another level, with countless film offers, commercial performances, and business activities, keeping them extremely busy, and they had plenty to talk about.

As Su Youpeng was talking about his plans to release a single to test the waters for his new album in the second half of the year, he casually glanced over and saw Xiao Song shaking a bottle of juice vigorously.

"Xiao Song, what are you doing?"

Xiao Song immediately realized his mistake, blushing and awkwardly said, "Shake it before drinking...?"

Su Youpeng casually replied, "Shake what? It's not Ice Valley Orchard."

Uh...

Su Youpeng and Xiao Song looked at each other in surprise.

Zhao Wei was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing, "Is this a new ad you're shooting? You're killing me!"

...

The Ice Valley Orchard ad had left a deep impression on Su Youpeng and Xiao Song, just as the cute image of Lu Han had left a deep impression on Mai Xiaoyu.

Under Lu Han's serious and diligent tutoring, Lu Jianjun finally overcame his nervousness and was able to shoot the ad normally. For this, Mai Xiaoyu rewarded Lu Han with a box of Ice Valley Orchard.

"I always used to dream of being on TV one day, but it seems that's not in my fate," Lu Jianjun said to Mai Xiaoyu after the shoot, "Mr. Mai, thank you for helping me see reality. In the future, I'll stick to being a chef and strive to become an executive chef."

What, do you want a refund?

Mai Xiaoyu raised an eyebrow, "Lu Han did a great job, he has the potential of a child star."

"Mr. Mai, can you transfer my membership contract to him? I know it's against the rules, but we can give up the payment for this ad."

Well...

After observing Lu Han for a while, the introverted Lu Han timidly hid behind Lu Jianjun. Mai Xiaoyu nodded reluctantly, "Alright, the company needs child actors. As for the payment, you'll get every cent you deserve. However, since he's a minor, a guardian needs to be present to sign the contract."

"Don't worry, I'll talk to his parents. Maybe our Lu family will produce a big star one day!"

This ad didn't require perfect visuals, and Xiao Xing had gotten used to the role of an ad director, so the shooting progressed much faster, giving Mai Xiaoyu more time to deal with Yang Linfei.

Yang Linfei had been very anxious lately.

"Boys Over Flowers" was about to start its official serialization. The previous issue of "Soaring Youth" had used the entire cover to promote it, lavishing praise to attract readers.

The effect seemed to be good.

Online, with the "Perfect" conclusion of the "Slow Love" newcomer competition, the heated discussions surrounding "Boys Over Flowers" and "Naruto" had gradually calmed down. After the previous issue of "Soaring Youth" heavily promoted "Boys Over Flowers," the gossip fires were reignited, sparking heated online discussions.

Netizens inevitably split into two camps: one supporting, eager to see the true face of "Boys Over Flowers," and the other opposing, believing that the author Mai Zi was suspected of plagiarism, and that this move would encourage bad behavior.

"Overall, the support outweighs the opposition. In a couple of days, when the magazine is released, the sales should be good," Yang Linfei excitedly recounted in a private room at the Shelter Tea House, full of hope for "Boys Over Flowers."

Across from him, Mai Xiaoyu quietly smoked, listening to Yang Linfei's aspirations, and then commented, "The timing is wrong, you're too eager."

"Wrong timing?"

"You should have waited for the Japanese side to make a move first, then you could have piggybacked on their success, achieving twice the results with half the effort."

"There's no need for that. The previous issue of 'Soaring Youth' saw sales return to 150,000 copies."

As soon as he said it, Yang Linfei's face turned slightly red. 150,000 copies was a pitifully low number, not really worth boasting about. However, since the sales of "Soaring Youth" had fallen below 150,000 copies three months ago, this was the first time they had rebounded, recapturing the 150,000-copy mark.

Just the promotion of "Boys Over Flowers" had caused the sales to bottom out and rebound. When the next issue of "Boys Over Flowers" officially serialized, the sales would surely surge. It might even set a new record, possibly breaking 300,000 copies...

"Did you print 300,000 copies?"

"No, 500,000! This is your work, how can you not have confidence?"

It's not that he lacked confidence, but human hearts are unpredictable.

Could "Slow Love" just stand by and do nothing?

Could Ai Man Culture just sit idly by?

That would be a slap in the face!

Two days later, Mai Xiaoyu's concerns became reality.

Ai Man Culture, in conjunction with several other comic publishers, issued a public statement through the media and the internet, criticizing Soaring Publishing!

Many well-known and lesser-known Chinese comic authors left messages on their Weibo accounts, calling on fans to boycott "Boys Over Flowers" and "Soaring Youth"!

The reason was simple: "Boys Over Flowers" was suspected of identity theft, and Mai Zi was suspected of plagiarism. "Soaring Youth" doing this was a disrespect to original comic authors!

The public, misled by the situation, was soon filled with fierce criticism, and the internet was flooded with negative comments.

It seemed that "Boys Over Flowers" had become a rat everyone wanted to beat, and anyone who spoke up for "Boys Over Flowers" would be drowned out by the endless online trolls.

Ai Man Culture had chosen a good time to strike, suddenly attacking on the weekend, while "Soaring Youth" was issued every Monday, catching Yang Linfei off guard.

In such an environment, the decline in "Soaring Youth" sales was inevitable.

120,000 copies!

The lowest record!

---

End of page advertisement

---

End of page advertisement