After being dumped by the diva, I was picked up by her arch-enemy.

Shanghai, Xu Family Manor.

In the huge living room, a crystal chandelier casts a soft light.

The CCTV Spring Festival Gala was being broadcast live on a 100-inch television screen that occupied an entire wall.

Xu Zhiyou was wearing a red loungewear outfit and sat cross-legged on a leather sofa.

She was holding a plush pillow in her arms, her eyes glued to the screen.

When Jiang Yichen appeared on stage with thirty-six martial arts brothers and sang the last line, "Come and congratulate,"

Xu Zhiyou was so excited she almost jumped off the sofa.

She quickly picked up her phone, opened WeChat, and frantically tapped her fingers on the screen.

Yuzu: "Jiang Yichen, you're so handsome!"

Yuzu: "My dad was right next to me, so I didn't dare scream!"

Yuzu: "Did you see the expressions on the faces of those old generals in the audience? They're all applauding for you!"

Yuzu: "[Cat rolling around frantically.jpg]"

Xu Tianxiong sat at the other end of the sofa.

He was holding an expensive purple clay teapot in his hand.

He stared intently at the television screen.

As a notorious leader in Shanghai's underworld, Xu Tianxiong exudes an imposing aura even without being angry.

His men didn't dare to breathe loudly when they saw him.

He slowly took a sip of hot tea.

The purple clay teapot was knocked onto the mahogany coffee table.

It made a muffled sound.

"Is that the kid singing on TV?"

Xu Tianxiong suddenly spoke.

The tone was flat.

There was no emotional fluctuation in his voice.

Xu Zhiyou trembled with fright.

The phone slipped from my hand and landed on the soft carpet.

She quickly sat up straight.

His two hands were nervously twisted together.

She swallowed.

His gaze was shifty.

He didn't dare look his father in the eye.

"Dad... what are you saying?"

Xu Zhiyou tried to play dumb.

Xu Tianxiong turned his head.

Looking at her daughter's guilty look, she felt like she had done something wrong.

He snorted coldly.

"You really think you can hide your little scheme from me?"

"I went to that theater every day."

"When did my daughter, Xu Tianxiong's daughter, become so interested in people in the entertainment industry?"

Xu Zhiyou lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously picking at the edge of the cushion.

She didn't know what her father's attitude was.

I was terrified that my dad's next words would be, "Cut off all contact with him immediately."

The living room was eerily quiet.

The television played the Spring Festival Gala host's prepared remarks for the midnight countdown.

Xu Zhiyou felt her heart skip a beat.

Just then, Xu Tianxiong nodded slightly.

"not bad."

"He's got some manly qualities; he's much better than those spineless cowards."

Xu Zhiyou was stunned.

She wondered if she had misheard.

Dad actually praised Jiang Yichen!

"Dad! You really think he's a good guy?"

Xu Zhiyou excitedly leaned over and hugged Xu Tianxiong's arm.

Xu Tianxiong pulled his arm away impatiently.

Don't get too excited yet.

"Just being able to sing isn't enough."

"If he wants to become the son-in-law of the Xu family, we'll have to see what he can do in the future."

Xu Zhiyou didn't care about any of that; it was already unprecedented for her father to even offer a word of praise.

She happily picked up her phone and continued sending messages to Jiang Yichen.

........

Backstage at Studio One in Beijing.

As soon as Jiang Yichen stepped off the stage, he was surrounded by a group of people.

Tan Yunxiao wiped the sweat from his forehead and grinned so wide his eyes disappeared.

"Third brother! We didn't mess up just now, did we?"

Jiang Yichen chuckled and punched his shoulder.

"It didn't fall. Senior Brother is awesome!"

Meng Lingyu squeezed in from the side.

She was wearing a red cotton-padded jacket today, with her hair in two buns, and her cheeks were rosy.

"Third Brother! You're amazing!"

"I was watching from the side stage just now, and your aura was absolutely amazing!"

Meng Lingyu was so excited that she stomped her feet.

"Let's go, let's remove our makeup quickly."

"The production team booked us a New Year's Eve dinner at a fancy hotel!"

Thirty-six men cheered and jumped for joy, surrounding Jiang Yichen as they walked towards the dressing room.

After removing my makeup, I changed into casual clothes.

Jiang Yichen, along with the members of the Qilin Opera Troupe, boarded the bus arranged by the production team.

The car drove smoothly on the streets of Beijing.

The occasional sound of firecrackers could be heard outside.

Jiang Yichen leaned against the car window and took out his phone.

WeChat has been bombarded with messages.

Chen Hao sent a series of exclamation marks.

"Brother Chen! Awesome!!"

Jiang Yichen smiled, swiped his finger, and saw Xu Zhiyou's message.

He replied with a single sentence.

"Just stepped down from the stage, getting ready to go have New Year's Eve dinner."

Less than two seconds later, Xu Zhiyou's video call came through.

Jiang Yichen answered the call.

On the screen, Xu Zhiyou smiled with her eyes crinkling.

Happy New Year, Jiang Yichen!

Looking at her rosy cheeks, Jiang Yichen felt happy too.

Happy New Year, Mr. Xu.

The bus stopped in front of a long-established restaurant.

Tan Yunxiao invited his brothers to sit down.

The table was laden with a sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner, with a steaming copper hot pot of meat in the center.

Jiang Yichen raised his glass.

"My fellow disciples, you've worked hard this year."

"This glass is for everyone."

Thirty-six men stood up in unison and raised their glasses.

"Respect to Third Brother!"

The wine glasses clinked together, making a crisp sound.

Jiang Yichen tilted his head back and drank the wine in his glass in one gulp.

..........

New Year's Day.

The first rays of morning sunlight shone into the Qilin Opera House in the capital.

Jiang Yichen was still asleep when he was woken up by a series of urgent phone rings.

He reached for his phone on the bedside table and glanced at the caller ID.

Su Yao.

The call was connected.

"Boss! Have you checked Weibo?"

Su Yao's voice was filled with undisguised excitement.

Jiang Yichen rubbed his temples.

"What's wrong so early in the morning?"

"It exploded! It completely exploded!"

Su Yao spoke incoherently on the other end of the phone.

"The song 'Loyalty to the Country' has topped the charts! It's number one on all major music platforms!"

"Your Weibo follower count just surpassed ten million!"

Jiang Yichen instantly became much more sober.

He hung up the phone and opened Weibo.

#Jiang Yichen is loyal to his country#

#TheMostExcitingStageOfTheSpringFestivalGala#

#ThisIsARealMan#

#Jiang Yichen's fans surpass 10 million#

Click on any entry, and the comment section is full of netizens' celebration.

"This song last night made my grandpa stand up and salute!"

"Amazing! That aura, that spectacle, who in the Chinese entertainment industry can compare?"

"Where are those people who called Jiang Shen a sissy? Come out and take your punishment!"

"Xu Zhe's fans, stop pretending! Is your idol's tough-guy persona still selling?"

The online sentiment is overwhelmingly one-sided.

Xu Zhe, who was heavily promoted by Brilliant Entertainment, has now become a laughing stock across the internet.

Jiang Yichen clicked into his homepage.

The number of followers is a staggering 1005 million.