Yiyan immediately launched their PR response. As Wen Yang was seeing the overwhelming flood of news online, she also received the incident handling procedure sent over by Yiyan. The sender was Yu Zhan—there was no time for pleasantries, he got straight to the point. The main goal was to reassure shareholders.
The stampede occurred just before the comic convention closed. A particular model had been posing on a raised stage—it was quite tall—and the character they portrayed was extremely popular. After the model left, many young cosplay students climbed onto the stage to take photos, hoping to capture some last-minute memories. The stage happened to be not far from the exit, and there was a large crowd already leaving the venue.
Too many people climbed up to the stage, jostling and fighting for photo ops. Amid the pushing and shoving, one student slipped and fell from the stage—her dress got stepped on, and she landed hard on the ground. Others on the stage tried to help her up, but this coincided with the peak of people exiting. In the chaos, two more people fell. The crowd was so dense that security didn’t make it over in time to take control.
That’s when the stampede happened. Even those not on the stage but in the crowd were dragged down and fell. In a venue with over ten thousand attendees, 23 people fell. The scene erupted in screams and panic. The first girl to fall lost consciousness and was immediately taken to the hospital via an overhead emergency route.
News updates came one after another, eventually making it to the trending topics list.
After receiving the incident response timeline from Yu Zhan, Wen Yang replied to him for the first time, asking:
Wen Yang: How’s the girl who was taken to the hospital?
Wen Yang: And the others? Has the scene been cleared?
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Just days ago, the comments were full of excitement and praise about how fun and creative everything was. Now, the tide had turned completely. People were listing every flaw of the convention, venting in thousands of angry comments that stretched dozens of levels deep.
–
Cheng Yanyu had rushed to the scene the moment the incident happened. He brought his team and worked for nearly two hours to clear and handle everything. As night fell, the venue was finally evacuated. What had once been a bustling, lively event space now felt eerily empty. But this wasn’t the hardest part—the hardest part was the aftermath that was about to unfold and escalate.
Still, even so, he had to stay sharp. He went straight to the hospital to handle everything—checking in on the injured, meeting their families, negotiating compensation, and offering comfort. By the time he finished speaking with the families, it was already around 10:30 PM.
Cheng Yanyu returned to the company. The office lights were still brightly lit. His stomach was empty, so he downed a large cup of coffee to keep himself going. He pushed open the office door. Yu Zhan followed him inside to report on the current online situation.
He nodded along as Yu Zhan spoke.
Li Man was also in the office. She was sitting on the sofa, holding her phone, and looked up at Cheng Yanyu. “I’ve called everyone I can.”
Cheng Yanyu looked at her and nodded. “I know. I’ll handle it myself.”
Li Man said, “You’ve got a bid tomorrow too. If this mess isn’t handled properly, it’s going to seriously impact your chances.”
Cheng Yanyu was mentally and physically exhausted. At that moment, all he wanted was to resolve the situation at hand. He looked up and said, “I know. I’ll be at the bidding on time tomorrow.”
Li Man nodded.
She glanced around at all of Yiyan and asked, “Are you heading back?”
Cheng Yanyu said, “I still have things to take care of. You go ahead.”
Li Man picked up her bag and said, “Alright.”
She walked out of the office. Her phone rang.
She glanced at the screen.
Qin Mu: He can’t even handle his own problems? And you have to swallow your pride to go beg others for help?
Qin Mu: Do you know what those women are saying about you?
Qin Mu: That you’ve gone from bad to worse.
Qin Mu: *They thought he was some rising star, but look—something went wrong in no time.
After reading the messages, Li Man stood in front of the elevator. The reflection on the elevator doors showed her figure. She clenched her phone tightly, the tone of those people’s voices echoing in her mind.
She closed her eyes and stepped into the elevator, biting her lip.
The elevator began its descent.
Yu Zhan watched Li Man leave the office. Had she really called that many people? A few calls and she says she called everyone? He turned to Cheng Yanyu and asked, “President Cheng, would you like something to eat? You haven’t eaten since noon.”
Cheng Yanyu waved his hand dismissively. He sat down and contacted the PR department.
Then he remembered something and asked, “Have any of the shareholders said anything?”
Yu Zhan stepped forward and said, “So far, no one’s said much. Only Wen Yang—she asked about the condition of the girls.”
Wen Yang.
When Cheng Yanyu heard that name, he froze for a moment.
Yu Zhan looked at him and thought that President Cheng looked really pitiful right now. If only Wen Yang were still by his side…
Since Yiyan’s founding, it hadn’t always been smooth sailing—just smoother than most companies. There was a year they took on a promotional exhibition for a brand and invited a singer for entertainment. They had events back to back, and it started to rain. The umbrellas meant for cover didn’t open in time. Despite trying for a while, torrential rain poured down, soaking the entire venue.
Cheng Yanyu ran through the rain, handing out raincoats, holding umbrellas, protecting the speakers and products—anything valuable. Everyone was drenched, including himself, and he barely got a bite to eat.
There wasn’t too much financial loss, but they still got scolded by the client.
That was when Cheng Yanyu was learning a hard lesson.
When he looked up, Wen Yang was there, holding an umbrella and carrying a container of soup for him. She stood in the rain and gave him a gentle smile.
In that moment, all his exhaustion melted into warmth.
Cheng Yanyu snapped back to the present.
He reached for some files and began flipping through them.
Yu Zhan received a new message. After reading it, he looked up and said to Cheng Yanyu, “Kaixin Capital just reached out. They’re asking about the condition of the injured.”
Cheng Yanyu closed the file.
Kaixin Capital—Fu Xingzhou.
He said, “Give them an honest report.”
Yu Zhan nodded. “I already replied. They also provided a PR strategy.”
Cheng Yanyu said okay.
Kaixin Capital was backed by QINGZHOU Group—their crisis plans were undoubtedly more polished, and the resources they offered were clearly better. Fu Xingzhou only did all this… for Wen Yang.
Cheng Yanyu’s stomach tensed.
He opened the lid and took a sip of cold coffee, then stood up and said, “I’m going out for a bit.”
Yu Zhan saw this and said, “I’ll come with you.”
Cheng Yanyu had only meant to take a walk downstairs, but somehow, he ended up driving to the convention center. The place, once buzzing with energy and packed during the day, now felt particularly deserted after the incident.
Cheng Yanyu genuinely liked organizing this event. Beyond work, it was tied to his personal interests too.
The moment they won the bid, he had so many creative ideas rushing through his mind—he had been eager to do it right. Who could’ve foreseen it ending like this?
The spring night wind was slightly chilly.
Cheng Yanyu stood at the entrance, where police tape had been set up, and lingered for a while.
A small Mini Cooper drove up nearby. Yu Qing and Wen Yang leaned forward to look toward the convention center. From a distance, they surveyed the scene. Yu Qing said, “Looks like everything really has been taken care of. Oh?”
Wen Yang leaned forward too, and upon confirming the area had been cleared, she felt a little more at ease. Then, following Yu Qing’s surprised sound, she also noticed Cheng Yanyu—gentle and refined—standing at the gate. From afar, he wasn’t clearly visible.
Wen Yang gave him a faint glance.
Yu Qing looked at her and said, “After something like this happens, the boss is definitely under huge pressure.”
Wen Yang nodded.
But this wasn’t something she particularly cared about—her concern was really for the young people who loved games and anime. That’s why she and Yu Qing had come by after work. Plus, Yu Qing had just bought a second-hand Mini Cooper, so they decided to take it out for a spin.
Yu Qing said, “If everything’s fine, shall we head out?”
Wen Yang said, “Okay.”
The little Mini drove off.
When Cheng Yanyu turned around, he saw a light blue Mini driving away in the distance. The windows were tightly shut, but he could vaguely make out the silhouette of the person inside. She looked a lot like Wen Yang.
—
Back at her place.
Wen Yang hugged a pillow while messaging Fu Xingzhou.
Wen Yang: I just went to the expo center. The police tape is still up, but the crowd has been cleared out.
Fu Xingzhou: Are you home now?
Wen Yang: Yep. What about you?
Fu Xingzhou: Still at the office, I’ll head back soon.
Wen Yang: Okay~
A moment later, Fu Xingzhou sent another message, as if to reassure her:
Fu Xingzhou: Yiyan’s PR response was fast. Don’t worry too much.
Wen Yang (resting her chin on her pillow): Yeah, I’m just worried about those students.
Fu Xingzhou: Are you also worried about Yiyan?
Wen Yang: Mm, I’m worried about it too.
Fu Xingzhou: Besides worrying about the students and Yiyan, is there anything—or anyone—else?
As soon as he sent that message…
Wen Yang sensed the faint, subtle probing behind his words.
She replied immediately:
Wen Yang: Nope~
Wen Yang: I care about you.
Fu Xingzhou let out a soft chuckle: “Mm.”
Wen Yang: When will you be home?
Fu Xingzhou: Fifteen minutes. I still have a few documents to deal with. Want to video call?
Wen Yang thought for a second and replied right away:
Wen Yang: Yes!
Fu Xingzhou: Okay.
About ten minutes later.
Wen Yang checked the time. While Yu Qing finished washing up and came out, Wen Yang went to take a shower too. She changed into a soft pair of pajamas. Seeing this, Yu Qing guessed she was either about to call someone or text them, so she obediently grabbed her laptop and curled up in the living room, leaving the master bedroom to Wen Yang. She even thoughtfully closed the door for her.
Wen Yang towel-dried her hair and returned to the bed. A video call had already come in, but she had missed it.
She gathered her soft, slightly wavy hair, picked up her phone, and called again.
Fu Xingzhou answered.
He was home, still wearing his dress shirt and tie. He set his phone on the table, undid his tie, and looked at her. Through the screen, their eyes seemed to meet—and Wen Yang’s ears flushed red.
There was still a faint bite mark on his Adam’s apple, left by her—but it had faded.
She asked, “You’re still working?”
Fu Xingzhou looked at her—her curly hair draped over her shoulders, a few strands falling across her face. Her sleepwear was soft and pale-colored. She sat lazily hugging her knees while video calling him.
Even under night lighting, her eyes seemed to shimmer like misty water.
Images started flooding his mind uncontrollably. He replied in a calm, clear voice, “Just a few more documents to go through.”
“It’s already eleven thirty,” Wen Yang murmured.
Fu Xingzhou’s eyes sparkled with a smile. “I’ll go to bed as soon as I finish.”
Wen Yang said, “Alright.”
Fu Xingzhou looked at her and said, “Can you keep me company for a bit?”
Wen Yang nodded. “Of course.”
Fu Xingzhou flipped through the files, opened the cap of his fountain pen, and began reviewing each one. Wen Yang quietly kept him company, watching him work so intently. Bored, she asked, “Besides work, what do you feel like doing right now?”
Fu Xingzhou answered casually, “Kissing you.”
Wen Yang froze.
Fu Xingzhou looked up at her and smiled. “Is that not allowed?”
Wen Yang’s ears instantly turned red, her whole face heating up. She blinked, and after a few seconds, quietly said, “Well, too bad—you can’t kiss me right now.”
Fu Xingzhou: “Mm, so I can only think about it.”
Wen Yang covered her face, blushing. “Get back to work!”
Fu Xingzhou laughed and said okay, lowering his head to sign some documents.
About ten minutes later, he finished everything. Holding his phone, he chatted idly with her until he had to go shower. They said goodnight and ended the video call.
—
The next day.
The stampede incident at the convention had already begun to cool down. The frenzy from the first day was no longer as intense. Yiyan’s official account had released several public apology statements and expressed full cooperation with the police investigation.
Technically, the elevated stage setup had been arranged by the game company, but Yiyan took full responsibility. Most importantly, they had continued to track and report the recovery status of the 23 injured individuals.
Of course, some negative press had been suppressed as well. Just how many resources Kaixin provided was unclear, but overall, the situation had been stabilized.
Early in the morning, Qin Mu sent a message to Li Man:
Qin Mu: Kaixin helped Yiyan contain the fallout from the incident. As expected of Fu Xingzhou. Was he doing it for you?
Li Man was sipping her coffee, and her fingers suddenly tensed.
She didn’t reply for a long time.
Not for her.
It was for Wen Yang.
Qin Mu sent another message:
Qin Mu: You can’t compete with that, you know?
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