Chapter 19#

The room that used to be cold and empty was now filled with a low, unhurried voice—one willing to teach, the other eager to learn.#

Jiang Yicen listened as Nan Shuyi analyzed the current product marketing strategy for him, explaining it in such a thorough and insightful manner that every point left him astonished. What he had searched for and learned on his own was merely the tip of the iceberg. Nan Shuyi was far more professional and in-depth than he had ever imagined; in this regard alone, his identity as the crown prince of the Nanyuan Group was beyond doubt.

It turned out that modern marketing plans could be incredibly detailed. Product strategies could include gift sets and perks, along with compelling copywriting. Candy could even be tied to health, catering to the needs of families and office workers, and packaging could feature distinctive highlights.

Jiang Yicen’s strengths lay more in offline execution—things like stores and supermarkets—while Nan Shuyi guided him toward online marketing, using methods like traffic generation, conversion, and viral growth. On top of Jiang Yicen’s offline proposal, Nan Shuyi added a pop-up event.

Nanyuan’s candy sales lagged far behind those of other brands. To break out of the current predicament, bold attempts had to be made. He proposed collaborating with a widely known animated franchise.

In the past, Nanyuan had always partnered with celebrities; they even had a fixed celebrity collaborator.

Nan Shuyi liked Jiang Yicen’s product proposal. His mind was agile, his ideas bold. If Nanyuan clung to its old, traditional ways and failed to adapt promptly, even the best products would only be buried.

Jiang Yicen noted down every point Nan Shuyi mentioned. On the positive side, his ideas were relatively novel for Nanyuan. As for the shortcomings, he himself recognized them—he still didn’t understand the current market well enough.

In this regard, Nan Shuyi had already thought up an excuse for him: having stayed in the United States for so long, it was perfectly normal not to be familiar with the domestic market. After completing one proposal, he could follow the entire event planning process from start to finish, and by then, looking at product sales and the impact of the promotion, he would basically grasp the market trends.

Nan Shuyi: “Lastly, there’s the budget. How to allocate it is also a key point.”

Jiang Yicen wasn’t just listening without thinking; he had his own ideas. “Mm, we have costs for goods, promotion, materials, and charity. We also need to set aside funds for risk contingency. But right now, I can’t determine the exact amount for the promotion expenses.”

Nan Shuyi: “Jin Huanxin didn’t tell you?”

Jiang Yicen shook his head. “No.”

Nan Shuyi: “These candies aren’t new products. I estimate that if this marketing campaign doesn’t yield good results, they might be discontinued. I’ve seen the sales data from the Spring Festival, and it wasn’t very promising. The marketing budget will probably need further evaluation, and the collaboration will require additional spending.”

Jiang Yicen: “So, which is more expensive—celebrity endorsement or a collaboration?”

Nan Shuyi: “If it’s the current male celebrity, then the collaboration might be cheaper.”

Jiang Yicen remembered the process of Nan Shuqi unboxing blind boxes. He had also come across videos related to unboxing blind boxes online, and a sudden inspiration struck him.

“What if we design one of the candy packages as a blind box? That would satisfy Nanyuan’s brand promotion, meet the needs of the collaborating partner, and at the same time attract customers who like the collaborating brand to boost sales.”

Nan Shuyi looked at Jiang Yicen’s sparkling eyes and said, “That’s a great idea. For three types of candies: one can be designed as a limited-edition collaborative plush toy, not in blind box form; another as a blind box; and the remaining one in larger packaging, with high volume, so customers who buy it can receive a collaborative peripheral as a gift.”

Jiang Yicen sincerely admired Nan Shuyi. No matter what new idea he came up with, Nan Shuyi could quickly fill in the details.

“You’ve thought it through more thoroughly. I’ll write up the proposal based on what we discussed tonight.”

He picked up his laptop, ready to head to the study.

But Nan Shuyi stopped him. “It’s late. Write it tomorrow.”

They had been talking for an hour and a half, and the proposal was essentially finalized. Meanwhile, the alcohol in his system had mostly worn off.

Jiang Yicen really hadn’t noticed how quickly time had passed—it was almost eleven at night. He had benefited so much from Nan Shuyi tonight that he felt no drowsiness at all.

“Then I’ll put the laptop back in the study first. I’ll continue writing at the company tomorrow.”

Actually, during the hour and a half when Nan Shuyi was explaining things to him, the laptop had been in Nan Shuyi’s hands all along. As he talked, he had directly typed into the laptop the points that needed to be added or modified. It was only when he switched input methods that he noticed Jiang Yicen wasn’t using pinyin or shuangpin, but zhuyin. He remembered that the only other person he knew who used zhuyin to type simplified Chinese characters was a Taiwanese classmate he had met in university.

Nan Shuyi asked him, “By the way, why do you use zhuyin to type? Hardly anyone uses it anymore; it’s mostly people from Taiwan who use it.”

Jiang Yicen paused for a moment. No matter how he explained it, it seemed awkward. “I know zhuyin. I find it simple to use.”

Nan Shuyi didn’t dwell on it too much. Everyone has their own preferences. “Alright, go to bed early.”

Jiang Yicen returned the laptop to the study. When he came out, Nan Shuyi still hadn’t gone upstairs. He was still sitting on the sofa, though, replying to messages.

Nan Shuyi sought his opinion. “A friend invited us out this weekend. Want to go?”

Jiang Yicen walked closer to him. “Are they all your friends?”

Nan Shuyi stood up. “Mostly, yes. There might also be some friends you know?”

Jiang Yicen felt a bit flustered inside. “I don’t have many friends in the country. And I might have different habits from everyone else. I’m worried I’ll spoil the fun.”

Nan Shuyi saw him lowering his head and thought he was worried about not fitting into his circle. “It’s fine. If you don’t have any other plans this weekend, I’ll introduce you to Zhou Yi and the others. It’s just about relaxing. There’s no such thing as spoiling the fun. What matters most is that you enjoy yourself.”

He remembered Zhou Yi mentioning that they had met at a birthday party before.

Jiang Yicen nodded. With Nan Shuyi’s endorsement, he decided to agree. This was Nan Shuyi taking the initiative to bring him out to have fun. It was good; he needed to make some friends.

“Okay, what do I need to prepare?”

Nan Shuyi said, “Just don’t let yourself be led away like a fool.”

“Hmph.” Jiang Yicen let out a soft laugh. He felt his image was a bit shattered in Nan Shuyi’s eyes. The reputation of Young Master Jiang the Sixth was in jeopardy.

Nan Shuyi’s heart gave a sudden jolt. Just a single syllable seemed to make him lose a bit of self-control. He wondered if anyone had ever seen Jiang Yicen’s different side in private—dignified yet with a touch of cuteness.

The two of them went upstairs to rest together.

Actually, Nan Shuyi could have simply gone upstairs just now, but his legs didn’t move. It was only after Jiang Yicen came out of the study that he thought of going upstairs.

Jiang Yicen reached his own door. Between his room and Nan Shuyi’s room lay a long corridor.

He covered his mouth and let out a soft yawn. “Good night, Nan Shuyi.”

He had originally wanted to address him as “Mister,” but no one used that term anymore. Even the traditional and old-fashioned Jiang Gongming had asked He Nuanqing to call him “husband” instead, so that they would appear to have a sweet married life in public.

Nan Shuyi was slightly displeased with him calling him by his full name. He held onto the door that Jiang Yicen was about to close.

“Wait. I remember I’m several years older than you. Are you going to call me by my full name?”

Jiang Yicen: “Then what would you like me to call you?”

Nan Shuyi’s mind flashed back to the “Mister” he had called on their wedding day, but he had never heard it again since. They weren’t a real married couple, so calling him that would be weird.

He lightly flicked Jiang Yicen on the forehead. “Little Young Master, call me ‘Brother.’ After all, I’m a few years older than you.”

Jiang Yicen had many brothers growing up, and his brothers’ friends were all addressed as “Brother.” Calling Nan Shuyi “Brother” was no trouble at all; it even rolled off the tongue easily.

However, none of his brothers or their friends had ever flicked him on the forehead. They rarely had such intimate gestures with him.

He covered his forehead and smoothly responded, “Brother Shuyi, good night.”

Nan Shuyi felt his heart slam against his chest for what seemed like the umpteenth time tonight, thumping wildly. The alcohol he had drunk tonight must have been fake.

“Sleep well. I’ll be leaving for the restaurant early tomorrow morning. The driver will take you to the company.”

“Mm, I can handle it myself.”

Nan Shuyi thought there was nothing else to say, so he finally turned and went back to his room.

After returning to his room, Jiang Yicen covered his cheeks. They were a little hot.

He softly repeated, “Brother Shuyi.”

It seemed his relationship with Nan Shuyi had drawn a little closer.

He addressed Jiang Yiting and Jiang Yifeng as “Big Brother” and “Second Brother” only to maintain the identity of “Jiang Yicen”; they weren’t truly related by blood. He could even avoid calling them if possible. But with Nan Shuyi, it was different.

On Friday at work, the office was filled with the atmosphere of the upcoming weekend.

Since Jiang Yicen had established a regular daily routine, he woke up relatively early and even had time to see Nan Shuyi off.

After breakfast, he still had a bit of time, so he revised his marketing proposal from start to finish, just in case he was assigned other tasks at the company and didn’t have time to edit it later.

However, Tan Ping obviously didn’t take Jiang Yicen seriously. That week, he only assigned him trivial tasks, like helping out in other departments or going out to deliver materials. Jiang Yicen didn’t mind too much. He was happy enough sitting in the office, and going outside gave him a chance to explore the city a bit.

Jiang Yicen knew he was clearly being put in a difficult position, but he adapted well.

Fortunately, Tan Ping didn’t give him any trouble in the morning. He smoothly completed his proposal, first sending it to Nan Shuyi for a review. After the other party confirmed there were no issues, he emailed it to Jin Huanxin.

There would be a weekly meeting on Monday, and by then they should know whose marketing proposal would be used.

Come Friday, everyone’s minds were off work. As long as they had no unfinished tasks, most colleagues left right on time.

Jiang Yicen also chose not to work overtime and prepared to go home directly.

Nan Shuyi was busy all day visiting stores with his subordinates and didn’t have time to go home and have dinner with Jiang Yicen. Eating alone was fine for Jiang Yicen.

He studied while waiting for Nan Shuyi, but by 11:30 PM, Nan Shuyi still hadn’t returned. Worried, he sent a message to check. Nan Shuyi told him he was still on his way home and asked him to sleep first.

Jiang Yicen didn’t think too much about it and went to sleep.

Meanwhile, Nan Shuyi was still in a neighboring city. His car had been rear-ended, and he was now waiting for the traffic accident to be processed.

Assistant Tang suggested, “Boss, why don’t we stay at a nearby hotel for the night? The traffic police will take a while to get here, and by the time we get back to Lincheng, it might be morning.”

Nan Shuyi leaned against the roadside guardrail, looking at the rare sight of stars in the night sky. “I can wait. If you’re tired, you can find a hotel nearby to stay in.”

He had promised to take Jiang Yicen out tomorrow and didn’t want to break his word.

Since the boss had said they wouldn’t stay at a hotel, the general manager, Assistant Tang, and the others dared not say anything more.

Earlier that day, they had originally been inspecting stores in Lincheng. At noon, a renowned chef they were trying to recruit had returned to the neighboring city, so Nan Shuyi took his people to visit him.

Nan Shuyi demonstrated his sincerity fully, bringing gifts to the chef’s home.

The chef’s apprentice received them politely and was very courteous. However, the chef himself refused Nan Shuyi’s invitation, saying that if needed, he could send his apprentice to try, but Nan Shuyi didn’t think highly of the apprentice, feeling he still lacked some skill.

The Liu family had studied Cantonese cuisine for generations. Chef Liu had appeared on a show called “Chef King Competition” last year, primarily competing against foreigners. The previously low-key Liu family had gained fame through the show. Not only were they skilled in Cantonese cuisine, but they also excelled at Hunan dishes. Nan Shuyi wanted to hire the master chef at a high price, but the chef preferred to stay home and take care of his child rather than join Nanyuan.

When Nan Shuyi asked why he was unwilling, Chef Liu said, “You know, it’s hard to find a boss who truly understands food.”

Nan Shuyi: “Are you saying I don’t understand food?”

Chef Liu smiled without saying anything. Then, he brought Nan Shuyi three bowls of green bean syrup, all nearly identical in color and consistency.

He said, “This is the most common Cantonese sweet soup. Try it?”

Nan Shuyi tasted each one.

Chef Liu: “President Nan, can you tell anything about them? Are they good or bad?”

Nan Shuyi said nothing. He hardly ever drank sweet soup, so naturally, he couldn’t articulate much. The flavors were all similar, seemingly without any difference.

In truth, he was quite picky about food, but he had little knowledge of desserts and couldn’t give Chef Liu the answer he wanted.

He left with regret.

It had been a frustrating day.

On the way back, he couldn’t help wondering if Jiang Yicen would be able to detect the different flavors, since he himself couldn’t.

·

The next morning.

Jiang Yicen discovered that Nan Shuyi hadn’t returned home. Instead, he had sent him a message saying that something had come up the previous night, so he would go directly to the club from elsewhere. The driver would take Jiang Yicen to the club, where they would meet up.

Going to a modern club for the first time, Jiang Yicen felt a little nervous. He used an AI app to search for what modern clubs were like, and the answers varied widely.

There were ordinary clubs, upscale clubs, and purely private clubs.

Jiang Yicen guessed that Nan Shuyi would take him to a private club.

After the driver dropped him off at the destination, he found that it was indeed a private club, but different from what he had seen in the app.

Before him stood what appeared to be a large hotel, surrounded entirely by lawns. The lawns were decorated with animal-shaped topiaries made from various flowers, very eye-catching.

There were several electric carts belonging to the club inside, likely used as transport for members.

The driver brought Jiang Yicen to the main entrance of the club lobby. He got out of the car, and a smiling young manager came forward to greet him.

The manager was well-traveled and said, “Fourth Young Master, right? Please, this way. Your friends are waiting for you in the lounge over there.”

Jiang Yicen was surprised. “You recognize me?”

The manager smiled. “You’ve been here before, so of course I remember.”

Jiang Yicen stopped the manager who was leading the way. “Wait a moment. Which friends of mine are waiting for me?”

Before the manager could answer, a young man with dyed white hair in the lounge spotted him and immediately jumped up.

“Daniel! You finally showed up!”