Lost Sands

The development between Fang Zhou and Qin Yun was quite sigh-inducing.

Li Siming and Su Yang expressed their sympathy and blessings, then shifted the conversation to work.

“Recently, our data on the streaming platform has been performing well. I’m thinking of hiring someone to specifically create short videos,” Su Yang said while pouring tea.

Fang Zhou’s eyes lit up, agreeing, “Do it! We had this in our development plan from the start, didn’t we?”

It was just that, in the beginning, they were all focused on getting their streaming careers off the ground, fearing they couldn’t handle both tasks at once, so it hadn’t been scheduled.

Now that everyone had found their footing, with a solid fan base and some recognition, creating short videos seemed like a natural next step.

“But what kind of content should we create? Especially with our competitors already performing exceptionally well, we’ll need to put in some effort to stand out,” Li Siming considered the long-term implications, knowing that any endeavor required careful planning.

“I think we should leave this to the professionals,” Fang Zhou suggested, taking a sip of tea. The slightly bitter taste spread in his mouth, quickly quenching his previous dryness.

He glanced at the tea leaves and commented, “Old Su, this tea is pretty good.”

Su Yang laughed proudly, “Of course, it’s a specialty from my hometown. If you like it, take a pack home.”

He was from Yueyang, Hunan, and not only loved tea but also spicy snacks. His colleagues at the company had also grown fond of these things.

Fang Zhou didn’t usually drink much tea, but he recalled the tea at Qin Yun’s place, finding it less appealing than this one.

Yes, he should take some back for Qin Yun, to stop her from poisoning him with that overly sour Roselle tea.

“I’ll contact someone right away!” Li Siming clapped his hands together, ready to get started.

“Since everyone’s here today, let’s invite someone over for a comprehensive evaluation, then we can determine the content.”

Seeing this, Su Yang quickly stopped him, loudly saying, “No need! I’ve already contacted a team. They’ll be here soon!”

Fang Zhou raised an eyebrow, teasing, “You guys are faster than me!”

In truth, since the company’s founding, Li Siming and Su Yang had put in the most effort. Fang Zhou, due to various reasons, had visited less frequently and done less work.

The company’s current thriving state was largely due to their hard work.

Fang Zhou decided to allocate some of his year-end bonus to reward these two.

“Of course, my nickname is Iron Man!” Li Siming proudly raised his chin, like a victorious rooster.

“Hahaha! When can we see you compete in a triathlon?” Su Yang laughed, finding his friend’s reaction amusing.

Just as he was about to continue, a pleasant ringtone interrupted.

“Looking back, I realize you’re not here, leaving me wandering aimlessly. I don’t have to come back~”

The melancholic and sorrowful female voice from “Lost Sands” instantly drew everyone in.

Su Yang pulled out his phone, gesturing to Fang Zhou and Li Siming before answering.

“Hello?”

“Hello, Mr. Su. We’re from XX Cultural Company’s project team. You scheduled an evaluation yesterday, and we’re now downstairs at your company. Is this a good time?”

A polite male voice came from the other end, immediately grabbing the attention of the other two.

Oh, speak of the devil.

Su Yang quickly replied, “Yes, I’ll come down to get you. Please wait a moment.”

He hung up and nodded to the others, “I’ll go get them.”

Su Yang headed downstairs, leaving Fang Zhou and Li Siming alone.

As soon as he left, Li Siming sat next to Fang Zhou, winking and asking, “Be honest with me. Are you really planning to stay with Qin Yun? What about the campus belle?”

In private, Li Siming and his girlfriend watched their dating show. His girlfriend’s favorite contestant was Chu Xinran, so when she saw Fang Zhou’s announcement yesterday, she couldn’t sit still, insisting that Li Siming ask Fang Zhou what he meant by this, and how it affected the campus belle.

She even kept lamenting before bed, “What about my Xinran, boohoo.”

What could Li Siming do? He had to pamper his girlfriend!

With Su Yang around earlier, he couldn’t ask, but now that it was just the two of them, he hoped Fang Zhou would be honest.

Fang Zhou didn’t expect this question. He paused before answering, “Brother, I think you might be right. I might really be a scumbag.”

“Huh? What do you mean?” Li Siming’s eyes widened, not understanding why Fang Zhou would say that about himself.

He had said it jokingly before, hoping Fang Zhou would settle down and find someone to spend his life with.

But Fang Zhou had never agreed with that view before. Why the sudden change?

“Sigh!” Fang Zhou sighed deeply and began to explain.

“I know Xinran’s feelings for me. I’ve seen everything she’s done. To say I’m indifferent would be a lie.”

“But I also seem to…”

Li Siming frowned, seeing him stop at the crucial point, and urged, “Seem to what?”

Facing his friend’s sincere and curious gaze, Fang Zhou felt guilty and avoided eye contact, looking at his empty tea cup instead, and whispered, “I seem to like more than just Xinran…”

Li Siming, hearing every word, was shocked and blurted out, “Wow, so you like many people at once? How should I even respond to that!”

Fang Zhou shook his head, feeling helpless.

“So I don’t know what to do. But for now, since I’m with Qin Yun, I’ll be devoted to her. The others will have to understand.”

This was Fang Zhou’s answer to Chu Xinran.

If he had superpowers, he wouldn’t let down anyone who liked him and whom he liked.

But unfortunately, there are no such “ifs” in the world.

Life is full of disappointments. For now, as long as his sister can live safely, that’s Fang Zhou’s greatest blessing. He doesn’t dare to hope for more.