Chapter 227: Thirty-Four Thousand on the First Day

Chapter 227: Thirty-Four Thousand on the First Day

From the moment she stepped into the China Academy of Art, Wu Tong was crowned the "Fine Arts Goddess," a title she lived up to throughout her years of study; as she grew more beautiful, she perfectly embodied the archetype of the brilliant overachiever, all while remaining a vibrant, athletic soul, maintaining a high profile across the campus.

If there were ever a popularity poll at the academy, Wu Tong would undoubtedly be the only choice.

Meng Fan, on the other hand, had emerged as a dark horse over the past two months, a man of many headlines: from the "heart-thief" of Hupu and the man who took down a bus pickpocket with a single hip-check, to live-streaming his micro-marathons, donating to charity, running from Hangzhou to Shanghai, and his infamous, infectious laughter at concerts. Add to that his school sports meet records, basketball dominance, his dreamlike sand art performance and stunning long-range shots during the Double Eleven gala, and his ability to sing and charm—his momentum was truly unrivaled.

These two, who once seemed to exist in parallel universes, found their paths intertwined through morning jogs. What began as a pairing no one expected had now become a routine sight, so much so that people had all but forgotten Hu Tingsong, the campus celebrity who had spent years rumored to be the most likely to win Wu Tong’s heart.

However, whether they were officially a couple remained a subject of endless, unresolved speculation on campus.

Hearing Qin Jiao’s question, everyone in the studio turned their gaze toward them, eyes brimming with curiosity and gossip.

Meng Fan offered an awkward but candid smile. "Daqiang is just running his mouth. Wu Tong and I aren't together yet. If we were, do you really think I’d be able to keep it to myself?"

"Fair enough," Qin Jiao chuckled. "Though, that sounded like something a real man would say."

Without a hint of ambiguity or evasiveness, and with a frank admission of his feelings for Wu Tong, Meng Fan appeared to be a sincere suitor in the eyes of Qin Jiao and the rest of the room.

Meng Fan searched the news and realized that even before this latest push, Wu Tong had already gone viral on Weibo. The topic #TheMostBeautifulAncientPaintingRestorerAtTheForbiddenCity# had hit the trending list, and people had dug up or posted photos of her at the academy, each one more captivating than the last.

Furthermore, others had unearthed her artwork, sparking another wave of heated discussion.

Then, more information about her began to surface—photos of her exercising, all of which were beautiful and radiated positive energy. Her popularity continued to climb.

She had, quite simply, exploded in popularity.

Around nine in the evening, Wu Tong sent a WeChat message filled with face-palming emojis.

"The burdens of fame?"

At this hour, Meng Fan had returned from the Da-Mei Studio and was already busy drawing.

"I was mobbed by a group of reporters when I left the Forbidden City, and talent agencies are asking if I want to debut. They’ve even called my mother."

Wu Tong’s mother worked at the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center and was considered part of the entertainment industry.

"Everything else is fine, but my life is starting to feel a bit invaded."

Wu Tong had been the center of attention since she was a child, but this time, it felt truly excessive.

"Don't worry, it’ll blow over in a couple of days."

Coming from an entertainment background herself, Wu Tong knew that if she showed no interest in debuting or seeking further fame and completely shut out media requests, the hype would dissipate as soon as reporters realized there was no profit to be made. If the media stopped reporting, the public would quickly forget.

Many "internet celebrities" who suddenly go viral only stay relevant because they actively or passively cooperate with the media to fuel the fire; otherwise, such sustained heat is impossible to maintain.

The two chatted for a while before naturally returning to their respective tasks. Around ten o'clock, Wu Tong sent another message: "(Bitter smile) It might take a bit longer than a few days. The professor in charge of the ancient painting restoration project has recommended me for a CCTV program about national treasures."

Meng Fan replied: "Since it’s related to national treasures and your major, you should go. Didn't you tell me once not to do or avoid things because of external factors? Let things take their natural course. Even if life doesn't give you the answers, you’ll find them yourself."

Having spent so much time together and often opening their hearts to one another, Meng Fan and Wu Tong found their perspectives on many things to be quite similar.

Wu Tong quickly replied with an "OJ8K" meme, which left Meng Fan momentarily stunned.

"You have memes like this?"

"Of course! I have plenty! Young man, want to battle with memes?"

...

Before midnight, Meng Fan checked the sales data for his [Professional Manga Artist] skill. Ku-Ye hadn't been bragging; the first-day sales had indeed reached over thirty thousand—four thousand over, to be exact.

As if by telepathy, Ku-Ye’s call came through.

"The e-commerce sales are in: over twenty-eight thousand. Physical store sales are harder to track, but there are at least two thousand. Thirty thousand on the first day, well—" he dragged out the word, "—that’s decent, I suppose."

Ku-Ye wasn't being arrogant; the sales of the *Underground Spirits* manga volume were still slightly lower than the first volume of the original novel, which had reportedly set a record for single-day sales in the supernatural genre in recent years. The subsequent series had also maintained high sales.

"Hey, why aren't you excited at all? Fine, let me tell you two more things." Ku-Ye took a loud gulp of some beverage before continuing. "I’ve already told the publisher to put the second volume on the shelves as soon as it’s printed. The second thing is that Tencent Animation reached out to me today to discuss an adaptation of *Underground Spirits*."

"An animation adaptation, already?"

Meng Fan knew the performance of *Underground Spirits* on the Tencent platform and the influence of the novel; an animation was inevitable, but he hadn't expected it so soon, especially since the manga had only just launched.

"It’s just a preliminary discussion regarding copyright. If everything goes smoothly, we’ll start setting up the animation team." Ku-Ye was very blunt. "I hold the animation rights, but as the lead artist, your opinions and suggestions are still very important. Also, if you’re willing, you can participate in the preparation and production. And if the rights are sold, you’ll get a cut—don’t worry about how much."

Ku-Ye knew Meng Fan was an animation student.

As for the cut, Meng Fan hadn't even considered it, as they had been very clear about their arrangement from the start. If Ku-Ye chose to give him a share, it was out of friendship; if not, it was just business as per their contract.

However, he gave the other two points serious thought. "I’ll share my opinions and suggestions once you’ve made more progress. Even though I’m an animation student, I focus on manga and illustration; the most I can give you are some amateur suggestions. As for participating in the preparation and production, I’d love to gain the experience, but I’m afraid I don’t have the time."