Chapter 21: The First Cover Feature

The next day, Fang Xinghe boarded the train home. After a bumpy journey, he finally returned to the small county town and threw himself back into the current main battleground.

After being away for a week, it seemed as if the campus had not changed at all, as though time had frozen there.

Yet, some subtle changes quietly became part of everyday life.

Duoyu became more dedicated to martial arts practice, shooting up in height and growing increasingly steady.

Bao Fu, the campus braggart, couldn’t stop boasting about his brother’s exploits. Whenever Fang Xinghe caught him, he had to listen to Bao Fu’s endless tales about how amazing his brother was, followed by enthusiastic applause.

Tao Dang had at last stopped his inappropriate antics, only to sadly discover that when he tried to chat up Lu Tingting, she no longer blushed.

Lu Tingting’s studies improved remarkably, nearly catching up to Fang Yuting, which made Fang Dadan quite nervous.

However, when it came to choosing between good grades and a boyfriend, she decisively chose the latter. As soon as Fang Xinghe returned, she immediately gravitated back to him, giggling and chatting away about trivial nonsense all day long.

Fang Xinghe deliberately set aside time to advise Old Fang.

“If the kid won’t listen, you’ve got to discipline her. She’s barely started high school and already thinking about relationships. Aren’t you afraid she’ll have a grandchild for you soon?

If you really can't bring yourself to do it, quietly tell my teacher’s wife. She won’t hesitate.”

Old Fang shuddered all over, breaking out in a cold sweat at the threat.

After pondering with a furrowed brow, his eyes shone with determination…

The next day, Fang Yuting kicked Fang Xinghe fiercely, tears streaming down her face.

“You bastard! You’re not even human!”

Fang Xinghe dodged only twice before letting her have her way.

He was mainly laughing so hard his whole body went weak, his mind filled with images of her being chased and whipped by the teacher’s wife.

The surrounding classmates burst into laughter, which quickly spread through the entire class, growing louder and louder.

From that day on, Fang Dadan began sulking and giving him the cold shoulder.

How wonderful—finally some peace and quiet.

In truth, Fang Xinghe cherished these moments deeply, knowing it wouldn’t be long before this serenity would vanish forever.

That day arrived swiftly.

Just days after his fourteenth birthday, on a Wednesday in mid-April, Bao Fu burst into the classroom waving a copy of Sprout magazine, shouting, “It’s in the paper! Brother, you’re in the paper!”

From then on, Bao Fu enjoyed the only time in his life to be fawned over like a star.

“Fu Ge, Fu Ge, let me see!”

Overwhelmed by the attention, Bao Fu absentmindedly let go of the magazine, which was never seen again.

But one copy wasn’t nearly enough.

That afternoon, the class received over twenty extra copies of the April issue of Sprout, with almost every girl getting one.

The reason was simple: Fang Xinghe graced the cover.

Later that afternoon, Fang Xinghe finally managed to borrow a signed copy from Lu Tingting and saw the magazine’s contents firsthand.

The cover featured a half-length portrait of him, captured candidly by a reporter at the moment he looked up.

In the photo, the boy stood in a half-profile, as if someone had suddenly called his name and he turned slightly to look ahead.

Beneath fiery red hair was a face almost devoid of expression, with eyes clear and calm.

His irises were light brown like amber, translucent, set against a gray base that reflected strongly, creating a richly layered iridescence in natural light.

This lent him a subtle exotic aura and an intensely striking presence.

The exotic feel wasn’t overwhelming due to his distinctly Chinese features; anyone could tell he wasn’t Japanese, Korean, or anything else, but a child of their own land, reminiscent of an ancient noble youth.

Yet the stunning effect was powerful—those unique eyes set in perfect bone structure created an indescribable impact and awe.

On the cover, the boy gazed into the camera, neither curious nor excited, simply serene.

That serenity conveyed a sense of detachment, as if aware of the camera but utterly indifferent, separated from reality, living in another dimension.

Would such coldness repel?

No—it drew even greater attraction.

In fact, many young girls found themselves unable to move upon seeing that face for the first time.

Since the term “cool and aloof” had not yet been coined, an ecstatic Fang Dadan exclaimed, “So proud and distant!”

His desk mate whispered, “It’s ‘cold and proud’!”

The girl in front suddenly turned, “I think princes should look like this.”

Her desk mate joined in, “Which princes?”

“European royalty? Anyway, very noble in aura.”

“Hey, wait, Li Ming is the truly noble one, right? Fang Xinghe is more like cool and arrogant, more like rebellious.”

“Yeah! Even Xie Tingfeng is outdone!”

“After seeing him, HOT’s brother doesn’t seem so handsome anymore. My Kang Ta, I think I’m falling for someone else now, sob…”

A chorus of excited girls chattered on and on, filling the class, then the school, and indeed, all the girls across the nation were buzzing today.

Meanwhile, Fang Xinghe watched his rapidly growing fanbase and rising star value with a profound sense of delight.

Sprout dedicated a large section to the New Concept competition story. Li Qigang, editor at Sprout and chief organizer of the New Concept contest, was the main contributor, focusing on two contestants.

One was the renowned elder brother Han Han. From a staff mistake, a last-minute make-up exam, to a challenging special topic, he produced a brilliant article within an hour and won first prize.

In short, it was a dramatically charged, captivating story.

Following the commentary, Sprout published the full text of “A Man in a Cup.”

Fang Xinghe read the legendary piece carefully for the first time in his life.

After reading, he had only one impression: truly impressive.

Han Han was not a reincarnator—he was genuinely a sixteen-year-old boy, so his language sense, accumulation, and thinking were indeed remarkable.

Bao Fu scanned through it impatiently, muttering, “What’s this nonsense? And how can he even retake the exam? There must be some backstage deal.”

This was one source of controversy and debate around Han Han: those who couldn’t appreciate the article’s quality focused instead on fairness.

“It’s not to the extent of cheating,” Fang Xinghe mused, settling on a fitting description: “At most, there’s a little favoritism.”

“What happened?”

His friends perked up, eager for details.

Fang Xinghe casually explained, “The make-up opportunity was partly due to Han Han’s father’s influence—he knows the Sprout editors well, so it’s normal to give some face on minor matters.

But this year’s contest had no direct competition; there was no limit to first prizes—any good work could win.

Plus, Han Han wasn’t a graduating student and wasn’t competing for guaranteed university admission, so overall fairness wasn’t compromised.

If he could write such a great article on a sudden topic, that’s his real talent.”

As a professional online marketer, Fang Xinghe was the most convinced believer in true skill—many in showbiz buy marketing, yet those who buy the least often win in the end. Isn’t that proof?

The deeper one delves into this circle, the more one should respect genuine ability, not just big sponsors or connections.

Connections only open doors; whether you seize the chance depends on yourself. The entertainment world is full of privileged “princes and princesses,” yet none truly succeed.

Chen Feiyu, Dong Zijian, Guan Xiaotong, Prince Fang, Prince Zhang, and Prince Xiang…

Fang Xinghe had even taken on marketing for one of these “princes” at the behest of a certain senior officer. That guy was a dead weight—his “descent” into acting in adapted BL dramas didn’t make a splash, not even comparable to Prince Xiang, who at least had some viral moments.

So Fang Xinghe didn’t envy Han Han’s resources or treatment—he deserved it, and surely, so did they.

The fledglings, however, were all resentful, focusing on one key point—

“Why was only his article published? What about yours, big brother?!”

Fang Xinghe flipped through the magazine and soon found a “foreword” or “teaser” written specifically for him by Li Qigang.

It was rather gushy praise, not much different from later marketing press releases.

Then he understood.

“It’ll probably be published next issue—to whet the appetite.”

“Ugh…”

Lu Tingting and a few girls instantly slumped in despair.

“A whole month’s wait? So long!”

Fang Xinghe didn’t bother with their complaints, just smiled, causing several girls’ hearts to flutter wildly.

“Ahhh! Go away, stop shooting me those looks!”

“???”

Are women always this inexplicably strange from childhood on?