The next day, at Lin Ran's insistent request, Luo Yao stayed at the manor to recuperate.
The manor was bathed in bright sunlight, adding a touch of spring to the cold season, as if everything was celebrating Luo Yao's recovery.
Today was also the release day of the short drama. Lin Ran and Luo Yao lay on the villa's couch, ready to watch it together.
Lin Ran was full of anticipation, confident in the short drama he had helped produce. Luo Yao, on the other hand, looked indifferent. She had no interest in Lin Ran's project, thinking to herself, What could these people possibly come up with?
To her, this was just another way for her man to pass the time.
But since accompanying Lin Ran was something she loved doing, she went along with it.
At first, Luo Yao watched half-heartedly, but as the drama progressed, she realized something was off.
This… this is so cheesy, but I can’t stop watching!
The plot was somewhat clichéd, yet it had a unique charm. The actors' performances weren’t outstanding, but they were strangely addictive, pulling her in with every scene.
The more she watched, the more hooked she became. Even someone as aloof as Luo Yao was drawn into Lin Ran’s creation.
If even Luo Yao was captivated, one could only imagine how the rest of the internet would react.
In fact, from the moment it premiered, viewers had flooded in.
But not everyone was watching. Many had initially reserved spots simply because of the hype, without high expectations for the content.
After all, Lin Ran was wealthy, and in the public’s eyes, projects backed by the ultra-rich often fell short.
Nuanyao Group had no prior experience in film production. The short drama’s only selling points were A-list actress Chen Qingtian and the buzz around Nuanyao’s CEO.
Those drawn by the hype naturally didn’t expect much from the actual content.
[Dreaming of Lin Ran as My Simp]: Just watch casually, folks. I bet the content is trash.
[Whose Bull is Brave Enough]: Here to check out Lin Ran’s luxurious manor.
[Handsome Novelist]: Same, here for the manor and a glimpse of Queen Qingtian’s divine beauty.
[Soccer Son Making Progress]: Why does the male lead feel so unworthy of Qingtian?
[Rebirth of the Runaway Fourth Son]: I hate nothing more than garbage churned out by capitalists.
But as time passed, the comments took a dramatic turn.
People realized that this short drama, featuring no big names besides Chen Qingtian, exploded like an atomic bomb, leaving everyone who had underestimated it stunned.
The view count for the first three episodes skyrocketed from tens of thousands to millions within hours. By noon, it had surpassed ten million.
Online reactions poured in like a tidal wave.
[Tiger Slams the Door]: Holy crap, update faster! What’s Nuanyao Media doing? This is way too addictive.
[Howling Neighbor]: I admit I was too harsh earlier. Now all I can say is, I’m a trash panda and I love it—update now!
[Failed Again This Life]: Wait, this is a short drama? The production’s rough, but the content’s insane. I’m obsessed.
[Mad Dog Bites Your JJ]: Only three episodes a day? Even dogs can’t tolerate this.
[Mr. Cao’s Red Chamber Lit]: I have a suggestion—tie the producer to a chainsaw table. For every episode released, move them one meter away. If updates slow down… well, let’s just say things get messy.
[Stick Pokes the Sun]: If you’re not dropping a hundred episodes a day, are you even a producer? Trash.
Whether the comments were praise or rage, the hype was unprecedented.
Other media companies producing serious short dramas were shocked. They’d never imagined a short drama could be made this way. The unconventional style and bizarrely addictive content left them feeling immense pressure.
Just then, Lin Ran’s call went straight to Nuanyao Media’s office.
"Hello, this is Lin Ran. What’s Wu Zhishang doing? Why isn’t he answering his phone?"
The receptionist quickly whispered an explanation, "Chairman Lin, Director Wu’s number got leaked. His phone’s been blowing up all morning, so he put it on silent."
Her voice was weary—she was just as overwhelmed by the sudden chaos.
Lin Ran paused, instantly realizing the reason.
He knew the short drama was popular, but he hadn’t expected this level of frenzy.
"Fine. Go tell him to send me the full series. My wife wants to watch it. Three episodes a day? Who’s satisfied with that?"
Lin Ran just wanted to indulge his wife’s curiosity—was that so wrong?
The receptionist hesitated, then muttered,
"Chairman Lin… you’re not the one leading the hate mob online, are you?"
She was suspicious—his demands sounded eerily similar to the rabid fans.
Lin Ran’s face darkened.
"I’m not that bored. My wife just wants to watch. Hurry up and arrange it."
He was exasperated. The last thing he wanted was to be mistaken for one of those unreasonable viewers.
"Chairman Lin, that’s… not really appropriate."
"Should I fire you to make it appropriate?"
"Understood, Chairman Lin. But Director Wu said even the heavens don’t get special treatment."
Lin Ran was genuinely annoyed now. Wasn’t he, the boss, entitled to some privileges?
"Kid, you’re stubborn. Go tell Wu Zhishang I asked. Let’s see if he denies me."
"Right away, Chairman Lin."
The receptionist hurried off to relay the message.
Meanwhile, in his office, Wu Zhishang wasn’t the least bit bothered by his phone’s meltdown. On the contrary, he was thrilled.
Sitting at his desk, he wore a triumphant grin.
With this level of hype, even if ten of his phones exploded, it’d be worth it.
The drama’s popularity had surged beyond expectations, and the potential profits were staggering.
Though it was free to watch, the indirect revenue was immeasurable. A quick calculation showed they’d already raked in a fortune from ad revenue alone.
With this momentum, Nuanyao Group might even break into the second-tier media companies—a monumental achievement for him.
That morning, at least two major brands had already reached out for endorsement deals, a golden opportunity for the company’s growth.
As the short drama went viral, Wu Zhishang’s fame soared too. He was second only to Chen Qingtian in endorsement requests.
There were also offers for Zhang Xiaolong and others, but Wu Zhishang turned them all down—the products were just too bizarre.
Chen Qingtian’s offers were standard—women’s products.
But his? Skincare serums, flavored condoms, hemorrhoid cream, antifungal socks… and even a request to model women’s clothing.
The worst was a lip-twisting gadget endorsement.
These offers left him torn between laughter and frustration—they were downright absurd.
ap a wealthy young lady? Or else I'll be eliminated by the system? Ye Feng, who awakened the Kidnapper System, originally wanted to live a peaceful life but never imagined he would become a kidnapper of young women. However, after some time, he discovered that all the girls the system ordered him to kidnap were far from ordinary. "Big brother Ye Feng~ You've kidnapped my heart, and now you're not allowed to leave me ever again~" "Ye Feng~ You kidnapped me back then, now it's my turn to capture you♡" "Little Feng, you're mine! You can only be mine!" "Ye Feng, none of them deserve you. Only I love you the most♡" ... This is madness, they've all gone mad! Wait, what? Why are all the girls I kidnapped yanderes?!
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
